Difference and racism in Higher Education policies: the case of the University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

This article presents the way in which indigenous culture in a university in Guadalajara city, state of Jalisco (Mexico), is conceived in relation to the local context. Both elements define the essence and the application of affirmative action as a public policy, focused on supporting indigenous students. In the first part of this article we show how some members of the faculty conceive the indigenous subject. Then, we present some experiences of key actors of affirmative action, such as the mentors of indigenous students. Finally we contrast the results of these two sections with the experiences of four students (two indigenous and two mestizos) at the university.