This translation of a major work in Mexican anthropology argues that Mesoamerican civilization is an ongoing and undeniable force in contemporary Mexican life. Their lives and ways of understanding the world continue to be rooted in Mesoamerican civilization. An ancient agricultural complex provides their food supply, and work is understood as a way of maintaining a harmonious relationship with the natural world. Health is related to human conduct, and community service is often part of each individual's life obligation.
Time is circular, and humans fulfill their own cycle in relation to other cycles of the universe.
It is imaginary not because it does not exist, but because it denies the cultural reality lived daily by most Mexicans. Translator Philip A. Dennis is Professor of Anthropology at Texas Tech University.