Fear of Being

"In the struggle which our will-to-be carries on against them, they are supported by a secret and powerful ally, our Fear of Being. Everything that makes up the present-day Mexican, as we have seen, can be reduced to this: the Mexican does not want or Does not Dare to be himself."
 (Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude, page 73)

This chapter, the Sons of La Malinche, was really hard for me to understand. I feel like I second guess my interpretation of what Paz is saying. But I am going to put my best foot forward with my own interpretation of what he is saying. Despite my confusion, I do feel that the above quote is kind of profound. Mostly the part about the "fear of being". I also was intrigued by Paz' all inclusive statement "Everything that makes up the present day Mexican". It is not all that often that people can really make a claim that is so all inclusive as that. We tend to shy away from words like "all", "always", "never", "everything", and "everyone". Why is it that Paz takes the liberty to say "Everything"? I also wonder what Paz believes is the "real" Mexican, what would it look like to Paz if a Mexican were being himself?

This has made me think about what our society portrays Mexicans as and how that is fulfilling prophesy of what Paz has said. I served a mission in Ogden, Utah. In the city of Ogden, 30% of the population is Hispanic and I served in the area where about 75% of those people lived. I would estimate that 70% of the people I talked to on the street in those neighborhoods were Hispanic. From my experience, the stereotype is that all Hispanics are considered Mexican by everyone who is not Hispanic. Which is pretty ridiculous, even though (based on my experience) the majority Hispanics in Ogden  are of Mexican descent, I feel like part of what Paz is suggesting is seen in this stereotype, because it lumps all Hispanics into a group that strips them of their identity and heritage. The Mexican can no longer be himself in the world around him because the world around him sees him as exactly the same as people who live hundreds of miles away from him in South America.

Another stereotype I found while serving in Ogden was that Mexicans are prone to be criminals. I feel like this originates with the idea that "all Mexicans" illegally cross the border and from that moment on they are prone to criminal activity.

 This is a quote that came to my mind when I read this chapter. It really rings true to me with Paz' statement about "fear of being".

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
                                                                                                         Marianne Williamson

I really believe that all people are children of God and that all people have a culture and heritage that they need to understand and which is important to who they are at least to some degree.