Who is Maria?

In the movie Maria Candelaria, the priest was the only person in town that respected Maria for who she was, and did not accuse her for what her mother had done. A very important line that he spoke to the people of his town can perhaps show the whole message of the movie.

"You accuse this woman, but who accuses you? Because you, all of you, murdered Maria Candelaria's mother by saying she brought shame to this town with her bad behavior." (Maria Candelaria 1944)

To tell the truth, the connections that were made in class between Maria and the Virgin, or Lorenzo Rafael and Christ are not so apparent to me. I can see how it is possible, but really cannot seem to accept that this is what the main point of the movie was. Rather, the first thought that came to mind when I finished the movie was how Maria Candelaria seemed to represent Mexico as a whole and their relations with the rest of the world.

Especially in today’s society, it seems as if the indigenous people are often viewed as the bad guy, or people that do not deserve complete acknowledgement. In the United States illegal immigration is often a topic of conversation and jokes, and anyone from Central or South American descent is lumped into one category, without any separation between the different countries or cultures. It could be argued that becoming successful and socially accepted into high positions is much harder for Americans that come from these southern countries. This is similar to Maria, who was shunned because of her background, and not because of anything she herself had done.

I believe that Maria Candelaria is a representation of racism not only against Indians in Mexico, but also against Hispanics in the world. How else could this movie be interpreted? What makes this film a success? And why is Maria Candelaria such a hero?