Perhaps the most striking aspect of the Mural Malinali is its name. It shares its name with a significant historical figure. La Malinche was an Aztec woman. She became Hernán Cortés’ translator and lover during the Spanish Conquest.
Mexican people still grapple with the fusion of cultures. This fusion resulted from the Spanish Conquest. The romance between Cortés and Malinche remains controversial. Many Mexican artists have explored the violent interpenetration of Europeans and indigenous people. They portray it in vivid ways.
The impact of the Spanish invasion is still discussed today. For hundreds of years, artists have tried to express tense emotions. These emotions include anger, grief, sadness, nostalgia, pride, and wonder. Mexicans feel these about their identity. They also feel it about being a blend of Spanish and indigenous peoples.
Malinchista is not a nice name to call someone in Mexico. It means a traitor to one’s own people. It refers to someone who prefers a foreign culture. This insult stems from the Spanish Conquest in the 1520s.
La Malinche is a central character in a mural. It is titled Discussions between Taxcaltecans and Hernan Cortés. Desiderio Hernández Xochitiotzin created it. It is located in Palacio de Gobierno in Tlaxcala city.
Hernan Cortés led the Spanish. La Malinche can be described as a translator. She was also a lover, a captive, or a slave. There are different ideas about their relationship. Some think it was romantic. Others think she was used. She could communicate between Mayan and Nahuatl. Another person could translate from Nahuatl to Spanish.
The Spanish were able to communicate with indigenous communities. They had someone who could give them safe passage. Some argue that without Malinche, they wouldn’t have succeeded. We don’t know.
La Malinche’s romance with Hernan Cortés has been depicted in different ways. One depiction remains compelling and controversial. José Clemente Orozco painted a mural of a naked Cortés and Malinche. It is in El Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City. He painted it in 1926.
The mural was one of the first painted after the Mexican Revolution. It shows a naked Cortés and a naked Malinche. They are like Adam and Eve. They are the parents of all humans. These are the parents of Mexicans. Cortés is very white. Malinche is very dark. He holds her hand. His other arm is against her. It could be protective or restrictive. They sit. A naked person lies under their feet. Cortés’s foot is on top of this person.
When Orozco painted this, it was very controversial. Catholic ladies covered up these naked pictures. They considered them irreverent. People shot bullets into them. People were very upset.
Malintzin played a smart and important role. She influenced how the conquest took place. In Mexico, Malintzin is often seen as a traitor. This has negatively impacted the concept of being a woman. Some see her as an instrument. The man makes the decisions. This is powerful in how women were viewed after colonization. Some blamed women for losing the war against Mexico.
The term hijos de la chingada means the sons of the screwed. Malinche is the screwed one. Some internalize this idea. Some see Malinche as a woman of vision. Maybe she was an active participant. She allowed this to happen. She knew that two worlds colliding would create a third world. This is referred to as Malinche’s Vision. From that third world, we have mestizos. This became what we know today as Latinos.
Another image depicts these colliding worlds. It is called The Fusion of Two Cultures or El Abrazo. Jorge Gonzalez Camarena painted it around 1963. It is preserved in the Museo Nacional de Historia in Mexico City.
The painting shows a feathered man. Another man wears a metal outfit. This represents the Spanish. They are both being killed. They are killing each other. They are both dying. It’s fusion.
Both cultures are being sacrificed. This allows a new culture to have life. Mexican culture still has indigenous roots. Some claim to be purely Spanish. However, being born in Mexico, they also claim their Spanish roots. Living in Mexico means living both. It’s a combination of cultures, language, religion, and traditions. Mexicans have combined these in many ways.
Consider the story of Malinali. It is a complex narrative of cultural fusion and historical interpretation. It continues to shape Mexican identity. As you reflect on this mural, consider the ongoing dialogue. It explores the intricate relationship between the past and present.