1/27/2023
Source: The Guardian
The journey from a quiet Mexican village to being billed on the soundtrack of an Oscar-nominated film has been an epic one for Indigenous rapper Pat Boy. Born Jesús Pat Chablé, Pat Boy grew up speaking only Mayan until he started primary school; his parents still speak no Spanish. And like many of Mexico’s 23 million Indigenous people, he has often encountered discrimination.
“People would comment on the videos or on the street, or when you’re on stage,” said Pat Boy in a phone interview.
In a country where Indigenous cultures are often revered in museums but otherwise disparaged, such attitudes are widespread: according to a 2017 government survey, nearly a quarter of Indigenous people over 12 said they had experienced discrimination in the last five years.