Mexico’s Black History
February is Black History Month and it’s a time we traditionally remember some of the most important figures in United States history. We remember Harriet Tubman who freed thousands of people through the underground railroad network. We remember Martin Luther King who led the famous march on Washington in his fight for social integration. We remember Malcolm X who inspired many with his revolutionary ideas. We remember Josephine Baker and Duke Ellington who filled our hearts with joy and forever changed the trajectory of music and entertainment.
These amazing people are only a shortlist of the many Black people who have contributed immensely to American culture along with increased visibility of Black people in diaspora. Their names should continue to be echoed throughout the halls of history for decades and centuries to come.
Black history is world history is Mexican history
The Age of Exploration affected the course of history so profoundly that its residual effects are still glaring. Colonization, the genocide of Indigenous populations, the transatlantic slave trade, and revolutions that followed had far-reaching consequences that are felt to this day. In Mexico, the genocide of the Indigenous population from approximately three to nine million lead to the subsequent importation of an estimated half a million enslaved Africans.
The history of Black Mexico has often been hidden, and sometimes with reason, for it was part of the nation's survival post-revolution. Mexico’s Black roots have been subjected by many movements in history including: slavery, racial violence, European ideals, and national identity.
The first Black people in Mexico
The first Black people in Mexico arrived as enslaved workers in the 16th century. There were approximately 200,000 enslaved workers arriving from West, Central and South Africa forming around 10 percent of the population at the time. Though the majority of Africans were enslaved, these people were a very diverse group with differing cultures; and in as much as they cooperated, they also had competing interests. Some African slaves were able to gain their freedom if their master died or obtained a loan to buy their freedom. They worked in a variety of industries such as textile mills, mines, farmlands, and sugar plantations. Some worked in creative industries as architects, painters and singers.
The first Black slave revolt
The conditions of slavery were very brutal, and while most African slaves did not revolt, others took their freedom into their own hands. Some attempts failed as a result of spies and leakages, and those who were caught were swiftly executed. Runaway slaves were called cimarrones and they established settlements called palenques where they were free to practice their cultures and religions.
Known as El Primer Libertador de las Americas or the First Liberator of America, Gaspar Yanga was the leader of the first slave revolt in Veracruz. After the slave revolt in 1570, Yanga created a Marrón colony of nearly 500 people in the highlands of Veracruz, surviving by outwitting and undermining Spanish colonialists. To sustain the settlements, they would often rob Spanish merchants who traveled on the Camino Real, a popular trade route.In 1609, the Spanish launched an attack against the colony fearing that more slave revolts would follow. After defeating the Spanish attack, he garnered a treaty of freedom which resulted in the recognition of San Lorenzo de los Negros (currently called Yanga) as a free town in 1609 and the first community of free Black people in the Americas. Today, the legacy of Gaspar Yanga lives on as the regions of Veracruz, Guerrero and Oaxaca which are known for their very high population of Afro-Mexican people and well-preserved African cultures.
A matter of race
During the colonial period, the concept of race had not been formed the way it is today. ‘New Spain’, now Mexico, had experienced lots of mixing of different colors, status, prestige and social positions. Race was even more nebulous. Inhabitants of colonies were often hesitant to define race, for it was a concept that was imposed on them by the Spanish colonialists.
Although the concept of race had not quite crystallized until the 18th century, colonialists applied a caste system based on origin and nationality which used various terms to describe the inhabitants: Negro (Black) Mulatto (Black and White), Pardo (African ancestry), Chino (African and Asian), Moreno/a (dark-skinned), Mestizo (Black, Indigenous, and White), Lobo or Zambo (Mixed African and Indigenous), and Coyote (Mulatto and Indigenous). The Spaniard colonialists used these classifications to distribute rights and privileges to certain groups while excluding others.
Spain’s Constitution of 1812, which excluded people with African ancestry, played a role in people's reluctance to legally identify as Black. Black, Indigenous and Mixed race people did not like the race-based distribution of rights, often collaborating in intimidating census-takers into declaring them all as Spanish in order for them to gain privileges the Spaniards enjoyed, such as no military service or taxes. To underscore how dangerous it was to be Black, workers brought from Malaysia, Borneo, New Guinea and the Philippines as indentured servants were often miscategorized as Black people as the demand for slaves increased.
The first Black Mexican President
Born in the Spanish colonies in 1781, Vicente Guerrero was born during a period whereby Afro-descended people were subjected to many disadvantages. Spain’s 1812 Constitution gave privileges to Indigenous and white mestizos and excluded people of Afro-descent. Guerrero’s campaign relied on undermining Spain by emphasizing that the majority of people in the colonies were of African descent and that they far outnumbered those with European heritage. Mexico’s Black roots are further underscored considering that the majority of people participating in the war effort, both soldiers and generals, were of Afro-Mexican descent.
Vicente Guerrero also emphasized the horrors of The Spanish Inquisition, which had extended itself into Mexico between 1571 and 1810. The Inquisition increasingly restricted the religious freedoms of workers and enslaved people. For example, paganism, witchcraft, and sorcery, which were particularly common at the time and practiced largely by both Indigenous and African women, were restricted. Accusations of this sort represented a large amount of cases brought towards the Inquisition.
The success of the Mexican revolution dismantled laws that specifically targeted Black people. In 1823, children were no longer born into slavery, and by 1829 slavery was abolished. This granted Black people full citizenship and land rights. While Spaniards often found a way around this by declaring their slaves indentured servants and forcing them to sign dubious contracts, it was the step towards progression that ended the widespread practice of slavery in Mexico. Guerrero went on to become the second President of Mexico and the first Black President of Mexico.
Where did all the Black people go?
In the 19th century, ideas of social order and nationhood pushed the concept of race into the global consciousness. This put pressure on nations to align with Europe by distinguishing themselves from Black and Indigenous groups. In order to fit into the global consciousness at this time, as well as unite its people, Mexico formed a national identity centered around a political ideology called Mestizaje. Mestizaje, which was also referred to as bronze or mestizo, originally described people who were mixed Black, Indigenous and European. Since Europeans had positioned themselves against Black people, the Black aspect of Mestizaje was purposely suppressed to satisfy an aspiration towards European ideals.
Who are you calling Black?
Afro-Mexicans themselves tried to distance themselves from their Blackness. The high prevalence of mixing led to confusions about ancestry, a lack of “renewal” in the Black populations, and a projection of Blackness onto foreigners (i.e. Cubans). ‘Colorism’, a discrimination against dark-skinned people, gave Afro-descendants no choice but to rely on their Indigenous or European roots for any semblance of social and economic mobility. Thus, it appears that the cost of Mexico’s freedom from Spain was the erasure of the Black people who helped liberate it. Furthermore, Blackness became synonymous with ugliness, so even Mexicans who appeared to be dark-skinned and phenotypically West-African would outright deny being Black to avoid negative associations.
Making matters worse, Black or African as a racial category officially disappeared from the census data in 1821. This ultimately led to the social and legislative erasure of Afro-descended people. Afro-descended people were made to feel like foreigners and outsiders in their own countries and, in some instances, were wrongfully arrested and deported to Caribbean nations because the police did not see them as ‘real’ Mexicans. It was not until 2015 that the designation “Afro-Mexican” would appear on an interim Mexican national census for the first time in centuries.
Community Building
Campaigns by Afro-Mexican activists from the 1990s to now have been vital to the increased visibility and cultural awareness of Black Mexico. From 1992, initiatives such as The Third Root Project was a national program that focused on the study of African presence and influence in Mexico. This included educational television programs to spread awareness about African heritage in Mexico. Consequently, the nation declared Afro-Mexico as a third root, which meant that Mexican citizens were not only of Indigenous and Spanish blood, but of African blood too.
In 1999, the first annual Gathering of Black Communities (Encuentro de Pueblos Negros) was founded. This yearly forum and festival for Black Mexicans was organized to give “visibility to Afro-Mexicans in order to be included as a component of Mexican society.” The forum provides a space for African culture to the celebrated openly and freely, while giving an opportunity to discuss community problems and solutions. They also provide resources and information about equity, domestic violence, reproductive health and education.
In 2015, the designation ‘Afro-Mexican’ appeared on an interim census for the first time, and concurrently, the Bureau of Afro-Mexican Affairs in Oaxaca was also created. These initiatives potentially offer a fighting chance at social and economic mobility for Afro-Mexicans.
The rich culture of Costa Chica, Oaxaca and Veracruz
Communities in the Costa Chica region of Oaxaca and in the state of Veracruz are home to the majority of Afro-Mexicans. The communities have preserved their African heritage and culture, despite experiencing social and economic disenfranchisement. Many Afro-Mexicans still live in poverty and the lack of infrastructure and roads in these regions has made it difficult for Afro-Mexicans to conduct business activities. Additionally, new environmental laws have made it tough for them to build homes for themselves. There is also a dearth in primary and secondary school education in these regions.
Despite residing at the fringes of Mexican society, the contributions of Afro-Mexico to the broader Mexican culture is undeniable. The popular La Bamba, La Chilena, El Fandango and Son Jarocho are popular dance and musical traditions with African roots. The Dance of the Devils is also a well-known African art form depicting black slave labor while mocking the white ruling class. Performers wear masks and perform during the Day of the Dead in the fall.
Food is another aspect where the African influence in Afro-Mexico thrives. In Costa Chico there are more than 15 distinct dishes featured in Afro-Mexican cuisine. These dishes include stews, dried meat, and dishes using pork blood which are heavily featured in traditionally African meals.
There has also been a recent explosion of Afro-Mexican youth, artists and initiatives that prioritize and amplify Afro-Mexican voices. The Centro Cultural Cimarrón is an Afro-Mexican art collective that showcases Afro-Mexican art. Forming in Oaxaca in 1995, the collective delivered workshops and arts programs to children in the Costa Chico region.
Since then, they have taken up roles as community leaders and activists, inspiring generations of young Mexicans to see the vibrancy and beauty of Afro-Mexican culture. Their artwork which includes paintings, wooden engravings, masks and sculptures feature in major galleries across Mexico including the National Museum of Mexican Art.
These artists include: Aydee Rodríguez López, Santa Obdulia “Yuye'' Hernández, Alberta “Betsy” Hernández Nicolás, Elder Ávila, Victor Palacios, Iván Piza, Baltazar Castellano Melo and Mario Guzman Olivares. Other notable artists that advocate for Afro-Mexican communities through their art and outreach include: Tomás Piñeda Matus, Carlos C. Cerros de Tobalá and Koral Carballo.
Afro-Mexican youth are increasingly more interested in learning about their African roots using social media. The Obatala, a collective of young Afro-Mexican dancers have used social media to learn African dances and perform them for their communities.
Sources:
Archibold, Randal C. “Negro? Prieto? Moreno? A Question of Identity for Black Mexicans.” NY Times, October 25, 2014.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/world/americas/negro-prieto-moreno-aquestion-of-identity-for-black-mexicans.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0. Accessed 15 June 2018.Elisabeth Cunin, Odile Hoffmann.
Blackness and mestizaje in Mexico and Central America. Elisabeth Cunin, Odile Hoffmann. France. AfricaWorld Press, 220p, 2013. ffhal-01287674fGiles, Mary E. (1999).
Women in the Inquisition: Spain and the New World. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801859328.Gregorius, Arlene.
“The Black People ‘Erased from History,’” BBC News, April 10, 2016. http:// www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35981727. Accessed 17 June 2018.Vincent, T. (1994). The Blacks Who Freed Mexico.
The Journal of Negro History, 79(3), 257-276. doi:10.2307/2717506Vincent, T. G. (2001). The Contributions of Mexico’s First Black Indian President, Vicente Guerrero.
The Journal of Negro History, 86(2), 148–159. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1350162?seq=1
From Bananas to La Bamba: Cultural Ties Between Africa and Mexico. (2019, December 16).
Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture.
https://www.pvamu.edu/tiphc/research-projects/afro-mexicans-afromestizos/from-bananas-to-la-bamba-cultural-ties-between-africa-and-mexico/“Mexico: Afro-Mexicans
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