A brief comparison: Mexican and Peruvian National Identities
Most Latin American countries, if not all, have struggled with issues of national consciousness, identity formation within unifying political systems where some countries have struggled more than others in fostering one common goal: national identity or nacionalidad. This chapter compares the Mexican and Peruvian national identities. In Latin America the Hispanic eccentricity is produced and multiplied, more so in countries with ancient and brilliant civilizations such as Mexico and Peru. The chapter analyzes the concept of national identity in Peru (peruanidad) and Mexico (mexicanidad) through the thoughts of Alegria and Mariategui, in the case of the first, followed with Paz for the latter. Alegria and Mariategui constantly spoke about an indigenous resistance and a quest for dignity in one's own territory where the quarrel of oppressed and oppressor has to do mainly with racial factors disguised with cultural folklore. Keywords:Alegria; Jose Carlos Mariategui; Latin America; Mexican national identity; nacionalidad; Peruvian national identity