Mexico open to the world
The history of Mexico has unfolded with its gaze toward the North and the Atlantic. Since the viceregal era, our identity has been forged through the fusion of indigenous cultures with Western tradition. Added to this matrix, over time, was the persistent and decisive influence of the United States. This confluence of cultures, tensions, and aspirations has shaped the unique profile of the contemporary Mexican.
That "cosmic race" of which José Vasconcelos spoke has continued to transform, strengthening its mestizo identity, now expressed in the art, economy, and social life of a nation that deepens cultural fusion.
Octavio Paz described the Mexican as a divided being, constantly searching for himself, caught between his indigenous and Spanish heritage. Today, that equation must be expanded: the imprint of the North is as undeniable as it is profound. And Mexicans suffer discrimination and the siege of exclusion in many areas of migration, and at the same time they integrate, marking the communities they reach with their identity. The constant subjugation that Samuel Ramos spoke of, which led to his assertion of an inferiority complex vis-à-vis Europe, has transformed into a vision of the northern neighbor. If he were alive today, he would probably be astonished by the cultural shift: we have gone from suspicion to recognition—and in some cases, imitation—of American culture, even though the signs of racial and cultural discrimination persist and, in some cases, become dangerously acute. But Mexicans are no longer the same. We are not a simple minority but part of a complex national being accustomed to struggling amidst many adversities.
For two centuries, our relationship with the Atlantic powers has been ambivalent: admiration and mistrust, aspiration and conflict. From the war with the United States in 1847 to the French intervention, our position has been marked by a structural inequality of economic, military, and political power. However, the present offers us a new image: for the first time, Mexico can view itself not from a position of subordination, but from its complex potential.
We are the twelfth largest economy in the world. Our industry has reached levels of sophistication that place us among leaders in productive complexity in Latin America. One in five Mexicans lives outside the country, and migration is no longer just a means of escape: today it is a transnational network that exchanges remittances, but also experiences, knowledge, and values. Mexico has also built a young and hesitant, yet persistent, democracy that has resisted authoritarian temptations and the onslaught of polarization without profound ruptures.
And yet, the challenges are immense. Criminal violence erodes the legitimacy of the state. Inequality is perpetuated. Public management, in many cases, barely meets the essentials. Historic opportunities have been squandered time and again, and where we should have built excellence, we have often settled for mediocrity.
Despite everything, something has begun to change. Mexico has become—almost without declaring it—a nation open to the world. Today, more than a million immigrants reside in our country. More and more Mexicans are studying, working, and starting businesses outside our borders. Cultural, scientific, and business ties with the rest of the world are multiplying. This openness is not a risk: it is one of our greatest strengths.
In a global landscape marked by geopolitical fragmentation, trade tensions, and the realignment of value chains, Mexico has a decisive advantage: its strategic location and its inclusive approach. We are part of North America, retain our Atlantic roots, and are building increasingly strong ties with Asia. Turning this location into a national project of inclusive transformation requires vision, responsibility, and a new pact of coexistence that transforms political diversity into a democratic strength, not a paralyzing fracture.
This is a moment that demands boldness. We need to accelerate the pace, modernize our processes, and embrace a public ethic based on competition, legality, and integrity. Our businesses must be more resilient and innovative; our families, more conscious and supportive; and our institutions, more effective and trustworthy.
Mexico is no longer a nation locked into its history. It is a country that moves, that learns, that projects itself. If we accompany this openness with a resolute commitment to institutional strengthening and quality in public action, we can successfully navigate an uncertain and volatile world. It's not about losing who we are, but about affirming it on the global stage, with identity, conviction, and a vision for the future.
History teaches us that isolation impoverishes, while well-managed openness enriches. Mexico has the opportunity to prove it today.
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