*Deep Mexico* (1987) is a historical-sociological essay by ethnologist and anthropologist Guillermo Bonfil Batalla (1935–1991). The work serves as a manifesto, calling for a re-examination of established notions regarding what we term national culture, identity, and civilization. According to the author, Mexico exists simultaneously in two forms. "Imaginary Mexico" is a product of modernization, constructed upon a European model—a collection of images far removed from the country’s actual cultural fabric. "Deep Mexico"—the authentic Mexico—is rooted in a Mesoamerican civilization that spans millennia. Though rejected by the elites in favor of the "imaginary" version, "Deep Mexico" continues to shape the lived reality of millions of people and the destiny of the nation. The author challenges the concept of linear progress and invites a fresh perspective on the civilizational alternatives of Mesoamerica, drawing attention to its non-colonial cultures—cultures that have been cast aside, yet not forgotten.