Ghosts from the Past in Contemporary Identity Politics: Moctezuma II and Christopher Columbus

The 21st century has seen a sharp increase in identity politics. Both European countries and the Americas have faced movements to re-examine their pasts. In the case of Spain, the socialist government of Pedro Sanchez passed legislation to reinterpret the post civil war period. In the case of Mexico...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: von Feigenblatt, Otto F
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:Ecuador
Institución:Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo
Repositorio:Revista Ciencias Sociales y Económicas
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:revistas.uteq.edu.ec:article/376
Acceso en línea:https://revistas.uteq.edu.ec/index.php/csye/article/view/376
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:identidad cultural
Moctezuma II
Cristóbal Colón
conflicto
cultural identity
Christopher Columbus
conflict
Descripción
Sumario:The 21st century has seen a sharp increase in identity politics. Both European countries and the Americas have faced movements to re-examine their pasts. In the case of Spain, the socialist government of Pedro Sanchez passed legislation to reinterpret the post civil war period. In the case of Mexico, the administration of Lopez Obrador has re-opened old wounds by requesting a formal apology from the King of Spain and from the Pope for the conquest of Mexico. The present exploratory essay deals with an understudied aspect of this ideological debate over cultural identity, the role of the descendants of important historical figures in contemporary identity politics. There is a certain element of an re-enactment of history in the words and deeds of the descendants of Moctezuma II and of Christopher Columbus which at times resembles Aztec rituals involving temporary possession of their persons by the spirit of their ancestors.