Afro-Mexican
Encyclopedia
People of African descent in Mexico is a term mainly used outside of Mexico to identify Mexican
s of predominantly African
ancestry. Now largely assimilated into the general population, Afro Mexicans historically have been located in certain communities, most notably in two coastal areas of Guerrero
and Oaxaca
(called Costa Chica
), and in parts of Veracruz
, Colima
, Campeche
, and Quintana Roo
.
The term is not widely used by Mexicans or within Mexico itself because in Mexico, it is not customary to use adjuncts to one's nationality as is common in the English-speaking world. In other words, Mexicans do not use adjunct phrases such as African Mexicans, White Mexicans, etc. in their common speech; each group is respectively named by their race, ethnicity, nationality, or phenotype alone. Afro-Mexicans are usually just called "Negros" or "Morenos" (Spanish
for Black).
in Mesoamerica
, they brought with them a small number Africans as servants. One of these was Juan Cortés, a slave who accompanied the conquistador Hernán Cortés
in 1519. Mexican anthropologist Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán estimates there were about six Africans who took part in the conquest of Mexico. They contributed to the conquistadors' success in New Spain
, but they did not share in the spoils.
The Spanish restricted contact between the slaves and the Indians to discourage them from joining forces against them. Intermarriage
between them was also discouraged by the Roman Catholic clergy. Those children born of mixed African and Indian parentage were called Lobo
s in the caste
system of New Spain
; they were known as Zambo
s in other parts of Spanish America.
Slavery in the early colonial period was often harsh and led to occasional resistance. In 1609 Gaspar Yanga
and Francisco de la Matosa led an African revolt in Veracruz
. After several fierce battles, Yanga succeeded in negotiating peace with the Spanish viceroy, Luis de Velasco
. A black community of "San Lorenzo" (later renamed Yanga) was founded and still exists. However, this did not end all hostilities. The Spanish crown sent a mixed force of Indians, Creoles (Mexican-born Spanish), and Mestizos (mixed race Spanish and Indian) to pacify the area to end to the actions of the fugitive slaves.
Jesuit priest Juan Florencio Laurencio recorded the events. He said the Spanish troops who left Puebla to put down the rebellions in January of 1609 numbered around 550, of which some 100 were Spanish soldiers and the rest recruits and adventurers. In 1612 Spanish authorities feared a new rebellion was about to begin. They imprisoned, tortured and eventually executed 33 slaves (twenty-nine men and four women). Their heads were cut off and placed on display in the main square of Mexico City
as an example.
Some of the Afro Mexicans in Yucatán
relocated to Belize
, where there is an African presence. In recent years, Afro Mexican numbers been have increased by immigrants from Caribbean countries and even Africans who came as contract workers. Many Afro Mexicans have migrated elsewhere to improve themselves economically. Most went to the United States, where they are simply included in the general category of Hispanic American
s.
The black population of New Spain in the very early sixteenth century constituted only about one percent of the total. However, by 1646 their number had grown to 35,089 due to the importation of many African slaves. The number declined in later years, and by 1742 only 15,980 remained.
slaves fled to the mountains and formed their own settlements. These were called palenques
throughout the Spanish colonies in North and South America. The palenque in Veracruz was composed of mostly Afro Mexican males. The cimarrón
es in the Veracruz region were a force of 100 fighters with firearms, plus 400 more armed with clubs, machetes, and bows and arrows; they would periodically raid Indian villages or rob merchants. They were led by an Angolan runaway slave named Francisco de la Matosa. Gaspar Yanga, who was already old, showed them how to use their superior knowledge of the ground to cause the Spanish enough casualties that they were willing to negotiate.
Another palenque was Cuajinicuilapa
in the state of Guerrero
. It was home to Afro Mexicans descended from slaves who escaped from the sugar and coffee plantations along the coast and settled in the mountains of Guerrero
. The villagers today maintain a museum that displays their history. They continue their African heritage by preserving traditional dances and music.
called for the banning of slavery
and the caste
system. This was not accomplished until independence was accomplished in 1821. The ban called for the death penalty for those who violated it. Nevertheless, some forms of virtual slavery", such as the tienda de raya (workers under perpetual debt), continued until the early 20th century; the victims of this type of slavery were usually American Indians.
region, and some other Mexicans may retain phenotypical clues to African ancestry.
Admixture levels in Mexico have been studied by the genome project of the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN). Their studies have shown a strong presence of Amerindian and European genetic contributions to the overall Mexican population, with a relatively small African contribution that is slightly above the East Asian genetic admixture.
According to antropologist Beltran, miscegenation began almost immediately and was encouraged with the hope of the children being free. The ship manifests found by Beltran account for at least 250,000 African slaves, and this does not include probably doctored manifests after the international slave trade had been outlawed on the high seas.
, a 300 km (186.4 mi) long coastal region beginning southeast of Acapulco
and ending at Huatulco
. (Vaughn, 2004). Most make their living by farming and fishing. The Costa Chica is also occupied by many indigenous people, and Bobby Vaughn, creator of the website "Black Mexico," describes the relationship between those of African descent and the Native Americans as strained.
In recent years, discourse has taken place over why so little is known about the African-origin population of Mexico. During the nationalistic movement in the 1940s, the Mexican government argued that there is no distinction made between white, mestizo
, mulatto
, black, or Amerindian. Thus the population is classified on cultural bases instead of racial. Most of the population is classified as mestizo
, a term used in Mexico only for those of just European and American Indian ancestry. Charles Henry Rowell, editor of the Callaloo Journal
, believes the majority of the descendants of African slaves have become indistinuishable through assimilation and miscegenation
(2004). In Mexico, only those with very dark skin and obvious African features are called "negros", and the Afro Mexican population is not viewed as a community.
Lack of acknowledgment makes it difficult for Afro Mexicans to take pride in their African heritage. Many have chosen to assimilate completely into Mexican society, and a survey in 2005 found that most who show obvious African ancestry prefer to be considered mestizos. There is also outside pressure from other Mexicans that causes them to assimilate. Because their existence is not widely known, they are often mistaken for illegal immigrants from Belize
, Cuba
, or elsewhere in Latin America
(Sailer, 2002). There have been many reports of Afro Mexicans being stopped by the police and being forced to sing the Mexican national anthem (Graves, 2004). This discrimination http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/415123.html causes many Afro-Mexicans to try to conceal their African ancestry.
Despite being faced with discrimination
and poverty
, some Afro Mexicans openly embrace their African heritage and want it to be recognized. Afro Mexicans in Coyolillo, in Veracruz, celebrate Carnival
, which has its roots in Africa. In the village of El Ciruelo, a small number of Afro-Mexicans have organized as Mexico Negro and are fighting to have racial categories added to the census
(Graves, 2004). The National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Data Processing
(INEGI) http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est/default.asp?c=119 census does not record race. It is based only on socio-economic criteria.
A total of at least 200,000 Africans were brought to Mexico as slaves during the time of the Spanish Empire
(Sailer, 2002). Although it is not common knowledge, anthropologist Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán
calls them "The third root".
is one two regions in Mexico with significant black population today, the other being Veracruz
. Costa Chica
is a 200 miles (321.9 km) long coastal region. The climate is very hot most of the year, and the summer rains make transportation difficult. There are few tourist attractions in the parts of the Costa Chica where most Afro Mexicans live, though there are a few pleasant local beaches: Playa Ventura and Punta Maldonado in Guerrero and the beach at Corralero in Oaxaca.
Most homes in the region traditionally are round mud huts, whose form has been traced to what is now Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Nowadays, however, more popular is a one-room or two-room house with wall of either adobe or cement cinder block.
The economic base of the Costa Chica, like most of the rest of the countryside, is agricultural. These campesinos (peasant farmers) concentrate on cultivating corn, used mainy to make tortillas for their own consumption. Other crops are coconut, mango, sesame, and some watermelon.
, whose magazine has been available in Latin America
, the Philippines
, and the United States
newsstands for more than 60 years, is an Afro-Cuban. The Mexican Government issued a series of five stamps in 2005 honoring the Memín comic book series. The issue of these stamps was considered racist by some groups in the United States and praised by the Mexican audience who remember growing up with the magazine.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
s of predominantly African
African people
African people refers to natives, inhabitants, or citizen of Africa and to people of African descent.-Etymology:Many etymological hypotheses that have been postulated for the ancient name "Africa":...
ancestry. Now largely assimilated into the general population, Afro Mexicans historically have been located in certain communities, most notably in two coastal areas of Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
and Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
(called Costa Chica
Costa Chica
Costa Chica may refer to:Other*Costa Chica...
), and in parts of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Colima
Colima
Colima is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima....
, Campeche
Campeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
, and Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
.
The term is not widely used by Mexicans or within Mexico itself because in Mexico, it is not customary to use adjuncts to one's nationality as is common in the English-speaking world. In other words, Mexicans do not use adjunct phrases such as African Mexicans, White Mexicans, etc. in their common speech; each group is respectively named by their race, ethnicity, nationality, or phenotype alone. Afro-Mexicans are usually just called "Negros" or "Morenos" (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for Black).
History
When the Spanish first arrivedSpanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
, they brought with them a small number Africans as servants. One of these was Juan Cortés, a slave who accompanied the conquistador Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
in 1519. Mexican anthropologist Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán estimates there were about six Africans who took part in the conquest of Mexico. They contributed to the conquistadors' success in New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
, but they did not share in the spoils.
The Spanish restricted contact between the slaves and the Indians to discourage them from joining forces against them. Intermarriage
Interracial marriage
Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry. This is a form of exogamy and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation .-Legality of interracial marriage:In the Western world certain jurisdictions have had regulations...
between them was also discouraged by the Roman Catholic clergy. Those children born of mixed African and Indian parentage were called Lobo
Zambo
Zambo or Cafuzo are racial terms used in the Spanish and Portuguese Empires and occasionally today to identify individuals in the Americas who are of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry...
s in the caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
system of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
; they were known as Zambo
Zambo
Zambo or Cafuzo are racial terms used in the Spanish and Portuguese Empires and occasionally today to identify individuals in the Americas who are of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry...
s in other parts of Spanish America.
Slavery in the early colonial period was often harsh and led to occasional resistance. In 1609 Gaspar Yanga
Gaspar Yanga
Gaspar Yanga—often simply Yanga or Nyanga—was a leader of a slave rebellion in Mexico during the early period of Spanish colonial rule. Said to be of the Bran people and member of the royal family of Gabon, Yanga came to be the head of a band of revolting slaves near Veracruz around 1570...
and Francisco de la Matosa led an African revolt in Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. After several fierce battles, Yanga succeeded in negotiating peace with the Spanish viceroy, Luis de Velasco
Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas
Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas , Spanish nobleman, son of the second viceroy of New Spain, and himself the eighth viceroy. He governed from January 27, 1590 to November 4, 1595, and again from July 2, 1607 to June 10, 1611...
. A black community of "San Lorenzo" (later renamed Yanga) was founded and still exists. However, this did not end all hostilities. The Spanish crown sent a mixed force of Indians, Creoles (Mexican-born Spanish), and Mestizos (mixed race Spanish and Indian) to pacify the area to end to the actions of the fugitive slaves.
Jesuit priest Juan Florencio Laurencio recorded the events. He said the Spanish troops who left Puebla to put down the rebellions in January of 1609 numbered around 550, of which some 100 were Spanish soldiers and the rest recruits and adventurers. In 1612 Spanish authorities feared a new rebellion was about to begin. They imprisoned, tortured and eventually executed 33 slaves (twenty-nine men and four women). Their heads were cut off and placed on display in the main square of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
as an example.
Some of the Afro Mexicans in Yucatán
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
relocated to Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, where there is an African presence. In recent years, Afro Mexican numbers been have increased by immigrants from Caribbean countries and even Africans who came as contract workers. Many Afro Mexicans have migrated elsewhere to improve themselves economically. Most went to the United States, where they are simply included in the general category of Hispanic American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
s.
The black population of New Spain in the very early sixteenth century constituted only about one percent of the total. However, by 1646 their number had grown to 35,089 due to the importation of many African slaves. The number declined in later years, and by 1742 only 15,980 remained.
Palenques
To escape the oppression of slavery, some African cimarrónCimarron
Cimarron is the title of a novel published by popular historical fiction author Edna Ferber in 1929. The book was adapted into a critically acclaimed film in 1931 through RKO Pictures. In 1960, the story was again adapted for the screen to meager success by MGM...
slaves fled to the mountains and formed their own settlements. These were called palenques
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
throughout the Spanish colonies in North and South America. The palenque in Veracruz was composed of mostly Afro Mexican males. The cimarrón
Cimarron
Cimarron is the title of a novel published by popular historical fiction author Edna Ferber in 1929. The book was adapted into a critically acclaimed film in 1931 through RKO Pictures. In 1960, the story was again adapted for the screen to meager success by MGM...
es in the Veracruz region were a force of 100 fighters with firearms, plus 400 more armed with clubs, machetes, and bows and arrows; they would periodically raid Indian villages or rob merchants. They were led by an Angolan runaway slave named Francisco de la Matosa. Gaspar Yanga, who was already old, showed them how to use their superior knowledge of the ground to cause the Spanish enough casualties that they were willing to negotiate.
Another palenque was Cuajinicuilapa
Cuajinicuilapa
Cuajinicuilapa is a town and seat of the municipality of Cuajinicuilapa in the southernmost area of the Mexican state of Guerrero. It is possible to distinguish some small numbers of Indians in town...
in the state of Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
. It was home to Afro Mexicans descended from slaves who escaped from the sugar and coffee plantations along the coast and settled in the mountains of Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
. The villagers today maintain a museum that displays their history. They continue their African heritage by preserving traditional dances and music.
The end of slavery
The 1810 declaration of Independence of MexicoMexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
called for the banning of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and the caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
system. This was not accomplished until independence was accomplished in 1821. The ban called for the death penalty for those who violated it. Nevertheless, some forms of virtual slavery", such as the tienda de raya (workers under perpetual debt), continued until the early 20th century; the victims of this type of slavery were usually American Indians.
Mixed population
The Afro Mexican population today is of very mixed ancestry; many ignore, or have forgotten, the African part of their ancestry. The predominant mainstream Mexican culture has only minor to moderate African influences. African ancestry is still noticeable in small groups such as those in the Costa ChicaCosta Chica
Costa Chica may refer to:Other*Costa Chica...
region, and some other Mexicans may retain phenotypical clues to African ancestry.
Admixture levels in Mexico have been studied by the genome project of the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN). Their studies have shown a strong presence of Amerindian and European genetic contributions to the overall Mexican population, with a relatively small African contribution that is slightly above the East Asian genetic admixture.
According to antropologist Beltran, miscegenation began almost immediately and was encouraged with the hope of the children being free. The ship manifests found by Beltran account for at least 250,000 African slaves, and this does not include probably doctored manifests after the international slave trade had been outlawed on the high seas.
Current situation
Many Afro Mexicans live the Costa ChicaCosta Chica
Costa Chica may refer to:Other*Costa Chica...
, a 300 km (186.4 mi) long coastal region beginning southeast of Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
and ending at Huatulco
Huatulco
Huatulco , centered on the town of La Crucecita, is a tourist development in Mexico. It is located on the Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca. Huatulco's tourism industry is centered on its nine bays thus the name Bahias de Huatulco but has since been unofficially shortened to simply Huatulco...
. (Vaughn, 2004). Most make their living by farming and fishing. The Costa Chica is also occupied by many indigenous people, and Bobby Vaughn, creator of the website "Black Mexico," describes the relationship between those of African descent and the Native Americans as strained.
In recent years, discourse has taken place over why so little is known about the African-origin population of Mexico. During the nationalistic movement in the 1940s, the Mexican government argued that there is no distinction made between white, mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
, mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
, black, or Amerindian. Thus the population is classified on cultural bases instead of racial. Most of the population is classified as mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
, a term used in Mexico only for those of just European and American Indian ancestry. Charles Henry Rowell, editor of the Callaloo Journal
The Callaloo Journal
Callaloo was founded in 1976 by its current editor, Charles Henry Rowell, when he was teaching at Southern University . He originally described the fledgling periodical as a “Black South Journal,” whose function was to serve as a publication outlet for marginalized writers in the racially...
, believes the majority of the descendants of African slaves have become indistinuishable through assimilation and miscegenation
Miscegenation
Miscegenation is the mixing of different racial groups through marriage, cohabitation, sexual relations, and procreation....
(2004). In Mexico, only those with very dark skin and obvious African features are called "negros", and the Afro Mexican population is not viewed as a community.
Lack of acknowledgment makes it difficult for Afro Mexicans to take pride in their African heritage. Many have chosen to assimilate completely into Mexican society, and a survey in 2005 found that most who show obvious African ancestry prefer to be considered mestizos. There is also outside pressure from other Mexicans that causes them to assimilate. Because their existence is not widely known, they are often mistaken for illegal immigrants from Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, or elsewhere in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(Sailer, 2002). There have been many reports of Afro Mexicans being stopped by the police and being forced to sing the Mexican national anthem (Graves, 2004). This discrimination http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/415123.html causes many Afro-Mexicans to try to conceal their African ancestry.
Despite being faced with discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
and poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, some Afro Mexicans openly embrace their African heritage and want it to be recognized. Afro Mexicans in Coyolillo, in Veracruz, celebrate Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
, which has its roots in Africa. In the village of El Ciruelo, a small number of Afro-Mexicans have organized as Mexico Negro and are fighting to have racial categories added to the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
(Graves, 2004). The National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Data Processing
National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Data Processing
The National Institute of Statistic and Geography is an autonomous agency of the Mexican Government dedicated to coordinate the National System of Statistical and Geographical Information of the country...
(INEGI) http://www.inegi.gob.mx/est/default.asp?c=119 census does not record race. It is based only on socio-economic criteria.
A total of at least 200,000 Africans were brought to Mexico as slaves during the time of the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
(Sailer, 2002). Although it is not common knowledge, anthropologist Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán
Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán
Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán was a Mexican anthropologist known for his studies of marginal populations. His work has focused on Afro-Mexican populations...
calls them "The third root".
Costa Chica
Costa ChicaCosta Chica
Costa Chica may refer to:Other*Costa Chica...
is one two regions in Mexico with significant black population today, the other being Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. Costa Chica
Costa Chica
Costa Chica may refer to:Other*Costa Chica...
is a 200 miles (321.9 km) long coastal region. The climate is very hot most of the year, and the summer rains make transportation difficult. There are few tourist attractions in the parts of the Costa Chica where most Afro Mexicans live, though there are a few pleasant local beaches: Playa Ventura and Punta Maldonado in Guerrero and the beach at Corralero in Oaxaca.
Most homes in the region traditionally are round mud huts, whose form has been traced to what is now Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Nowadays, however, more popular is a one-room or two-room house with wall of either adobe or cement cinder block.
The economic base of the Costa Chica, like most of the rest of the countryside, is agricultural. These campesinos (peasant farmers) concentrate on cultivating corn, used mainy to make tortillas for their own consumption. Other crops are coconut, mango, sesame, and some watermelon.
Entertainers
- Toña la NegraToña la NegraToña la Negra was an Afro-Mexican singer known for her interpretation of boleros, sones, rumbas and songs from Agustín Lara. She first became famous by her interpretation of Lara's song "Enamorada", he also wrote "Lamento Jarocho" specially for her to sing...
- Mexican singer - Johnny LaborielJohnny LaborielJohnny Laboriel born Juan Jose Laboriel Lopez is a Mexican singer. He is the son of actor and composer Juan José Laboriel and actress Francisca López de Laboriel. He was born July 9, 1942...
- Mexican Rock & Roll singer. - Álvaro CarrilloÁlvaro CarrilloÁlvaro Carrillo Alarcón was a Mexican popular music composer born in San Juan Cacahuatepec, Oaxaca, on 2 December 1921, who died in a car accident on 3 April 1969...
- Mexican music composer. - Melody ThorntonMelody ThorntonMelody Thornton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, Soprano vocalist, dancer, model, showgirl and television personality who rose to stardom as a member of the successful pop group the Pussycat Dolls...
- Afro-Mexican American singer-songwriter.
Historical figures
- Gaspar YangaGaspar YangaGaspar Yanga—often simply Yanga or Nyanga—was a leader of a slave rebellion in Mexico during the early period of Spanish colonial rule. Said to be of the Bran people and member of the royal family of Gabon, Yanga came to be the head of a band of revolting slaves near Veracruz around 1570...
- founder of the first free African township in the Americas in 1609
Politicians
- Mario Marcel SalasMario Marcel SalasMario Marcel Salas. is a civil rights leader, author and politician. His parents were an Afro-Mexican father and a mixed race mother....
- American civil rights leader, author and politician - Pío PicoPío PicoPío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
- Mexican governor - Vicente GuerreroVicente GuerreroVicente Ramón Guerrero Saldaña was one of the leading revolutionary generals of the Mexican War of Independence, who fought against Spain for independence in the early 19th century, and served briefly as President of Mexico...
- Mexican President, and abolitionist
Fictional figures
The comic character Memín PinguínMemín Pinguín
Memín Pinguín is a fictional character from Mexico. Stories featuring him, a very poor Cuban Mexican boy, first appeared in the 1940s and have remained in print since....
, whose magazine has been available in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
newsstands for more than 60 years, is an Afro-Cuban. The Mexican Government issued a series of five stamps in 2005 honoring the Memín comic book series. The issue of these stamps was considered racist by some groups in the United States and praised by the Mexican audience who remember growing up with the magazine.
See also
- Afro-Latin AmericanAfro-Latin AmericanAn Afro-Latin American is a Latin American person of at least partial Black African ancestry; the term may also refer to historical or cultural elements in Latin America thought to emanate from this community...
- Afro-Mexicans in the Mexican War of IndependenceAfro-Mexicans in the Mexican War of Independence-The Need for the Mexican War of Independence:With the help of rebel leader, Miguel Hidalgo, who formally denounced the observance of the caste system in 1810, people of color were able to see that putting up a fight for their independence was worth it. However, Hidalgo was defeated...
- Black Hispanic and Latino Americans
- Black Indian
- Costa Chica of Oaxaca
- Costa Chica of GuerreroCosta Chica of GuerreroThe Costa Chica is one of the seven regions into which the southern Mexican state of Guerrero is divided.It begins to the east of Acapulco and extends along the coast for as far as the border with Oaxaca, where the Costa Chica of Oaxaca begins.Similar to other parts of the southern Mexico, the...
- CuajinicuilapaCuajinicuilapaCuajinicuilapa is a town and seat of the municipality of Cuajinicuilapa in the southernmost area of the Mexican state of Guerrero. It is possible to distinguish some small numbers of Indians in town...
- Indigenous peoples of the AmericasIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
- Mexican peopleMexican peopleMexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
- Latin AmericansLatin AmericansLatin Americans are the citizens of the Latin American countries and dependencies. Latin American countries are multi-ethnic, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds. As a result, some Latin Americans don't take their nationality as an ethnicity, but identify themselves with...
- Olmec alternative origin speculationsOlmec alternative origin speculationsOlmec alternative origin speculations are explanations that have been suggested for the formation of Olmec civilization which contradict generally accepted scholarly consensus. These origin theories typically involve contact with Old World societies...
- Pre-Columbian Africa-Americas contact theories
External links
- Mexico's Hidden Black History Part One | TheRoot.com
- Mexico's Hidden Black History Part Two | TheRoot.com
- The African Presence in Mexico, a traveling art exhibition
- The Mexico-Louisiana Creole Connection
- Africa's Legacy in Mexico from the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
- Mexico's forgotten race steps into spotlight from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Blacks in Mexico: A Forgotten Minority - TIMETime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
- Black Mexico