This far-ranging book traces the origins of Mestizo culture in colonial Mexico. MacLachlan follows the parallel trajectories of the two imperial civilizations of Meso-America and Spain from their tribal beginnings to their establishment as dominant regional powers. He examines the early migrations and political and economic developments of each civilization, and also looks closely at religion as a determinant of culture. The Spanish invasion disrupted Meso-American culture and set the course for the emergence of Mestizo culture.
In this synthetic, interpretive work, culture and religion are the most prominent players. MacLachlan argues that the imposition of language was the “key transformative violence associated with imperialism” and that religion and language “express a unique consciousness that governs all else” (7). In addition, MacLachlan explicitly states that race was not a determinative factor in the course of history. According to him, Mexico eventually became a “unifying culture, not a racial one…. Purity...