Race, Nation Building, and the Global Cold War: Mestizaje in Mexico’s 1968 Olympic Games

Abstract

Mexico City hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1968. Scholarship has focused on intended economic outcomes that the Mexican government pursued; nevertheless, few scholars have looked at how organizers depicted the nation in terms of race during this period of global attention. This article uses archival documents, official publications, the press, and static and moving images to analyze how Mexican organizers planned the Olympic Games and used racialized representations while trying to position Mexico as a modern global leader. Organizers followed Olympic protocols and the expectations of being an Olympic host; they signposted proximity to Europe and the North Atlantic, and used miscegenation (mestizaje) as part of their strategies. The messages reached millions of people around the world, coinciding chronologically with anti-imperial and anti-racist struggles. The article suggests that IOC protocols such as the torch relay, and the opening and closing ceremonies have shaped representations of host cities and nations, particularly those not often associated with European countries.