Mexico 68
Encyclopedia
The Mexican Student Movement of 1968 was a student movement caused by an ideological clash between generations. Socialism
and Capitalism
also influenced the students and the government at that time. October 2 and the Silence March are the most important parts of the movement. Students from the IPN
, UNAM
and other schools forgot their differences and acted as one to achieve their goals. The 1968 Summer Olympics
played an important role on the way the government acted. Both the government and the students acted according to their generational ideologies. This movement was influenced by the world’s movements at that time, like the Hippie
movement. The movement influenced Mexican feminism
and women played an important role in it. The events that happened from July–October 1968 are colloquially called Mexico 68.
caused an ideological revolution around the world. With the introduction of The Pill, sexual liberation arose giving momentum to feminism. Also, the hippie movement gave place to a "peace and love" ideology, adopted by students world wide who tried to extend it throughout society.
These were some of the reasons why many student movements took place around the globe, showing young people's dissatisfaction with the social situation.
, like the rest of the world, was dealing with the clash of two ideologies, socialism and capitalism, which gave place to internal conflicts. According to the Constitution
, the government had the right to use military force in order to maintain peace in the country.
took place in Mexico, making it the first developing country to host this event. This represented an important source of income to the country because of the tourists who would come to attend the Olympics. Giving a good impression to the world could lead to the introduction of international investors. However, the students were against these ideals. They did not believe that the appearance of Mexico to the world was a priority. They preferred a revolution resulting in the reformation of their country. "No queremos Olimpiadas, queremos revolución" (We do not want Olympic Games, we want a revolution).
and The Rolling Stones
, which many young adults identified with.
in Tlatelolco
, a neighborhood of Mexico City, almost 10 thousand men, women and children stood waiting for a meeting to start. However, when the leaders of the several student organizations and movements arrived, policemen and the military, sent by president Díaz Ordaz
and commanded by Luis Echeverria
, decided to dissolve the meeting. A student claims that at about 6:10 a helicopter dropped three flares over the plaza, quickly followed by the first gunshots.
People started to panic, and everyone started running to save their lives. However, no one came to their rescue. The rest of the city either did not care or decided to pretend indifference towards the students. The intense fire lasted for about 30 minutes.
The next day, the newspapers tried to diminish the real intensity of the facts, portraying the students as the instigators of the massacre. Most of the information given out was about the military men and how many were injured trying to protect their country from internal conflicts. Only two newspapers included some information about the students. However, all this information was being controlled in order to pretend everything was right with the country. It was not until 30 years later that the spectators and survivors could talk more openly about the facts. If the information had been published, the adults probably would have reacted differently.
, the female participants in the movement lived through an intense social experience and a sudden expansion of their expectations as citizens and as women. Many women awakened to the political and social commitment that had made. Before the repression of the initial demonstration, there were already some student groups that gave women the opportunity to participate actively in the social movement. Because of this, feminist ideas started to spread and grow stronger. At the time, government officials tended to focus on the men in the movement, discounting the significance of the role played by women. As a result of this discrimination, men became the target of the government during the crackdown of October 2, 1968, leaving women behind. This gave female members the opportunity to keep the movement alive, determining its direction in the ensuing years. One of the most important feminist groups was “Las Panchas Pomposas.”
Marta Lamas, one of the most lucid representatives of Mexican feminism, gave women the opportunity of participating in Mexican movements. In the early years of the following decade, the Liberation of Women Movement, Women in Action Association and the National Women's Movement, among other organizations, were created.
Rosario Castellanos covered a domestic women's strike in the United States in the name of feminism. She used the strike as an example in order to question concepts of Mexican femininity. With these actions, Rosario Castellanos opened the door to more discussion concerning feminism.
Carmen Landa showed by her own example how changes have been made and how the feminist movement could change lives. Her introduction to feminism in 1968 lead her to become part of this movement.
These are some examples of women in the movement, however, there were many more like Alejandra Herrera, Vida Valero, Mercedes Perelló, among many others.
The major change caused by this movement came at a political level. The citizens had the opportunity to live a new democracy in which their opinion could actually bring change in society. People no longer trusted completely in the government and would no longer live completely under the conscious control of their government, nor tolerate it anymore, although they were not completely free. Octavio Paz
resigned from the Indian embassy as an act of protest against the government's harsh repression of the student movements. However, there were also some older intellectuals who were in favor of the government, like Agustín Yañez
.
Several social changes took place after this year. No longer would people have to live under strict and unbreakable rules. Because of this, there was more freedom of action under the law as well as freedom of expression without prior restrictions. New ideas were formed and transformed daily life. The new feminist ideology allowed women to fight for their rights, increasing the social participation of women by a significant percentage. Women no longer only had to take care of the house and children, but could also become business women.
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and Capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
also influenced the students and the government at that time. October 2 and the Silence March are the most important parts of the movement. Students from the IPN
National Polytechnic Institute
The National Polytechnic Institute colloquially known as the Polytechnic is one of the largest public universities in Mexico with 153.027 students at the high school, undergraduate and postgraduate levels...
, UNAM
National Autonomous University of Mexico
The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is a university in Mexico. UNAM was founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a liberal alternative to the Roman Catholic-sponsored Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) (National Autonomous...
and other schools forgot their differences and acted as one to achieve their goals. The 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
played an important role on the way the government acted. Both the government and the students acted according to their generational ideologies. This movement was influenced by the world’s movements at that time, like the Hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
movement. The movement influenced Mexican feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and women played an important role in it. The events that happened from July–October 1968 are colloquially called Mexico 68.
The world
During this time, the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
caused an ideological revolution around the world. With the introduction of The Pill, sexual liberation arose giving momentum to feminism. Also, the hippie movement gave place to a "peace and love" ideology, adopted by students world wide who tried to extend it throughout society.
These were some of the reasons why many student movements took place around the globe, showing young people's dissatisfaction with the social situation.
Social
There was an ideological clash between older adults and younger adults, caused by the differences between the generations to which they belonged. The newer generations were open-minded toward innovations and believed in a bright future, while the previous generations found themselves unprepared to accept all the new ideas. Because of this ideological clash, the new generation was repressed by the previous one, which resulted in the formation of young adult movements. At that time, repression seemed to be the best way to control society. The government continued treating the crime of social dissolution like the meeting of several people's crimes that was established during the first half of the 1940s as a result of the sinking of several boats by German submarines during World War II. In 1958, a national railway workers' strike was repressed in a manner similar to the 1965 repression of several doctors in Mexico City's hospitals.Political
The government restricted citizens' freedom of speech and action. This caused them to live a more pacified life in some ways. However, people got tired of this lifestyle, becoming discontent and dissatisfied with their government. MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, like the rest of the world, was dealing with the clash of two ideologies, socialism and capitalism, which gave place to internal conflicts. According to the Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, the government had the right to use military force in order to maintain peace in the country.
Olympic Games
The 1968 Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
took place in Mexico, making it the first developing country to host this event. This represented an important source of income to the country because of the tourists who would come to attend the Olympics. Giving a good impression to the world could lead to the introduction of international investors. However, the students were against these ideals. They did not believe that the appearance of Mexico to the world was a priority. They preferred a revolution resulting in the reformation of their country. "No queremos Olimpiadas, queremos revolución" (We do not want Olympic Games, we want a revolution).
Purpose
With all these repressions and constant injustices going on in the country, the younger generations decided to take justice into their own hands. Beginning in July 1968, many students' movements started to arise. Young adults, especially university students, tried to find a place for themselves due to the general repression of society, becoming attracted to what was considered socially unacceptable. The purpose of many of these students' movements was to show their dissatisfaction with their society, trying to create a better world or a place to call home. This discomfort was heightened by the influence of music world wide such as The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, which many young adults identified with.
Tlatelolco massacre
From July to September 1968, student movements started to arise and become stronger and more violent, to the point that the government stepped in. However, these meetings were usually under control, until October 2, 1968. At 5 PM in the Plaza de las Tres CulturasPlaza de las Tres Culturas
The Plaza de las Tres Culturas is the main square within the Tlatelolco neighbourhood of Mexico City. The name "Three Cultures" is in recognition of the three periods of Mexican history reflected by those buildings pre-Columbian, Spanish colonial, and the independent "mestizo" nation...
in Tlatelolco
Tlatelolco (Mexico City)
Tlatelolco is an area in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City, centered on the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, a square surrounded on three sides by an excavated Aztec archaeological site, a 17th century church called Templo de Santiago, a former convent, and office complexes that used to belong to...
, a neighborhood of Mexico City, almost 10 thousand men, women and children stood waiting for a meeting to start. However, when the leaders of the several student organizations and movements arrived, policemen and the military, sent by president Díaz Ordaz
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Bolaños served as the President of Mexico from 1964 to 1970.- Political career :Díaz Ordaz was born in San Andrés Chalchícomula . His father, Ramón Díaz Ordaz Redonet, worked as an accountant, while his mother, Sabina Bolaños Cacho de Díaz Ordaz, worked as a school teacher...
and commanded by Luis Echeverria
Luis Echeverría
Luis Echeverría Álvarez served as President of Mexico from 1970 to 1976.-Early history:Echeverría joined the faculty of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1947 and taught political theory...
, decided to dissolve the meeting. A student claims that at about 6:10 a helicopter dropped three flares over the plaza, quickly followed by the first gunshots.
People started to panic, and everyone started running to save their lives. However, no one came to their rescue. The rest of the city either did not care or decided to pretend indifference towards the students. The intense fire lasted for about 30 minutes.
The next day, the newspapers tried to diminish the real intensity of the facts, portraying the students as the instigators of the massacre. Most of the information given out was about the military men and how many were injured trying to protect their country from internal conflicts. Only two newspapers included some information about the students. However, all this information was being controlled in order to pretend everything was right with the country. It was not until 30 years later that the spectators and survivors could talk more openly about the facts. If the information had been published, the adults probably would have reacted differently.
Role of women
Women played an important role in the movement of Mexico 68. According to Elaine CareyElaine Carey
Elaine Carey is an Associate Professor of History at St. John's University in Queens, New York, whose research and teaching into feminist history are ongoing.-Biography:...
, the female participants in the movement lived through an intense social experience and a sudden expansion of their expectations as citizens and as women. Many women awakened to the political and social commitment that had made. Before the repression of the initial demonstration, there were already some student groups that gave women the opportunity to participate actively in the social movement. Because of this, feminist ideas started to spread and grow stronger. At the time, government officials tended to focus on the men in the movement, discounting the significance of the role played by women. As a result of this discrimination, men became the target of the government during the crackdown of October 2, 1968, leaving women behind. This gave female members the opportunity to keep the movement alive, determining its direction in the ensuing years. One of the most important feminist groups was “Las Panchas Pomposas.”
Marta Lamas, one of the most lucid representatives of Mexican feminism, gave women the opportunity of participating in Mexican movements. In the early years of the following decade, the Liberation of Women Movement, Women in Action Association and the National Women's Movement, among other organizations, were created.
Rosario Castellanos covered a domestic women's strike in the United States in the name of feminism. She used the strike as an example in order to question concepts of Mexican femininity. With these actions, Rosario Castellanos opened the door to more discussion concerning feminism.
Carmen Landa showed by her own example how changes have been made and how the feminist movement could change lives. Her introduction to feminism in 1968 lead her to become part of this movement.
These are some examples of women in the movement, however, there were many more like Alejandra Herrera, Vida Valero, Mercedes Perelló, among many others.
Consequences
This social movement brought unavoidable consequences which permanently changed the future of Mexico.The major change caused by this movement came at a political level. The citizens had the opportunity to live a new democracy in which their opinion could actually bring change in society. People no longer trusted completely in the government and would no longer live completely under the conscious control of their government, nor tolerate it anymore, although they were not completely free. Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
resigned from the Indian embassy as an act of protest against the government's harsh repression of the student movements. However, there were also some older intellectuals who were in favor of the government, like Agustín Yañez
Agustín Yáñez
Agustín Yáñez Delgadillo was a notable Mexican writer and politician who served as Governor of Jalisco and Secretary of Public Education during Gustavo Díaz Ordaz's presidency...
.
Several social changes took place after this year. No longer would people have to live under strict and unbreakable rules. Because of this, there was more freedom of action under the law as well as freedom of expression without prior restrictions. New ideas were formed and transformed daily life. The new feminist ideology allowed women to fight for their rights, increasing the social participation of women by a significant percentage. Women no longer only had to take care of the house and children, but could also become business women.