EMPIRES CHILDREN: THE PEOPLE OF TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 



185 



of cost. A group of citizens actually prepared 

 to go to Baja California to colonize, but about 

 that time rumors grew that the first colonists 

 had found a great state of disorganization, and 

 that the Sinarquislas in charge of the movement 

 were acting as complete dictators, telling every- 

 body just what he should do. 



Again the organization lapsed, and member- 

 ship dwindled away to a mere handful. Those 

 who kejit up their membership, however, were 

 sufficiently militant that they were able to a con- 

 siderable extent to control public offices, which 

 remained largely dominated by Sinarquistos. 

 During 1945 the activities of the movement were 

 at low ebb. The priest who had lent so much 

 support to the organization had left in 1944, 

 and the new priest gave scant encouragement, 

 particularly prohibiting the Sinarquista school 

 which had functioned in the convent. During 

 the first part of 1946 activities again increased 

 somewhat, stimulated by the presidential elec- 

 tions and increased activity of the national or- 

 ganization. 



The phenomenon of Sinarquism in Tzintzun- 

 tzan is due in part to the basic conservatism of 

 the inhabitants. The propaganda of the central 

 offices, particularly that of danger to the Patria, 

 was skillfully designed to appeal to an ignorant 

 and provincial audience. Land — the earth, and 

 particularly Mexican earth — has a symbolic 

 meaning to Mexicans which can scarcely be 

 understood by an outsider. Church support was 

 another factor. Tzintzuntzan is overwhelm- 

 ingly Catholic, with few traces of separatist 

 movements which have characterized other parts 

 of Mexico. Hence, something favorably view- 

 ed by the local priest is something to which one 

 should give attention. Tzintzuntzenos, unfortun- 

 ately, are often only too glad to speak and think 

 badly of other persons, either in the town, the 

 next village, or the next country. Sinarquism 

 gave them a scapegoat toward whom collective 

 resentment could be directed, and away from 

 their own problems. And finally, the entertain- 

 ment value of group meetings played an im- 

 portant part. A fine parade and reunion in the 

 plaza, whether on Independence Day, for the 

 fiesta of Rescate, or to listen to delegates recent- 

 ly arrived from a national Sinarquista confer- 

 ence, is a drawing card of the first degree. Lo- 

 cal weekly meetings were new and novel, there 



was always the promise of an unforeseen event, 

 soiTie kind of excitement. The ups and downs 

 of the movement are to be explained as much 

 as anything in terms of waves of boredom and 

 hope of new developments. When, at meeting 

 after meeting the members were warned of the 

 communist menace which never arrived, attend- 

 ance would fall off until a new crisis in the 

 organization would bring hope of new develop- 

 ments and greater interest. Curiously, women 

 are more fervent members than men. 



I sometimes talked with Vicente about Sinar- 

 quism. His views are probably representative 

 of most of those in town who attended meetings 

 but never held office. Vicente and Nati were my 

 first real friends in Tzintzuntzan, and for this 

 they were attacked by their fellow Sinarqiiistas. 

 I as a gringo was obviously a communist and 

 hence a menace in the community. And any- 

 body who dealt with me must also be a com- 

 munist. "Thus," said Vicente, "I'm a commun- 

 ist too, because I let you come to my house." I 

 asked Vicente what he thought a communist was. 

 "They say that communists are those who take 

 by force that which doesn't belong to them." 

 We both agreed that by that definition neither 

 of us seemed to qualify. Vicente used to attend 

 meetings, and once went as far as Morelia, but 

 after a time he became bored with the repetition 

 of the same stock speeches and phrases. I asked 

 him what he understood by Sinarquism. "I 

 don't understand it very well," he confessed. 

 "Nobody here does. It means 'Without revolu- 

 tion.' They say that if it hadn't been for the 

 Sinarquistos the revolution would have come. 

 We Sinarquistos fight with words, not arms." I 

 asked Vicente what the aims of the movement 

 were. Justice, liberty, and one's rights were 

 the answer. "For example, as judge, when some- 

 one comes to the court I treat him with justice, 

 according to the law." About his rights and 

 liberty, Vicente was not sure how they had been 

 violated. 



The best local definition of a communist in 

 Tzintzuntzan follows a formula not unknown in 

 other parts of the world: one who thinks dif- 

 ferently. Curiously, Father Tovar was labeled 

 a communist by some fanatics because he abol- 

 ished the Sinarquista school which had existed 

 in the convent. Some even went to Morelia to 

 denounce him for his radical tendencies. 



