The Historical Impact of Black Erasure in Mexico
By Yesica Balderrama
Race is a fraught topic in Mexico despite the focus on the issue of financial inequality. In a nation that boasts an extraordinary roster of indigenous languages, colorism is simultaneously present and unseen. The presence of Afro-Mexicans has been all but invisible.
The worldwide movement of Black Lives Matter catapulted discussions about anti-blackness to the forefront. I had conversations with my family and friends about anti-Blackness in our Latinx cultures. Racism is perceived to be an issue in locations such as America and Western Europe, not Latin America. How can racism exist in Hispanic communities when Latinx face discrimination too?
The implications of colorism are acknowledged and undisputed in Mexico. The general attitude is one of passive acceptance. As a child, I did not witness the topic discussed, especially in important settings such as school or media, or even later in immigrant spaces as an adult in America. Once, I was taken aback when an educator advised me to avoid the topic as it may upset others or make them uncomfortable.
I rarely saw Afro-Mexicans in mainstream sources of information. I developed awareness once I learned about the impact of racism in America. While it is an ongoing issue here, at least it is addressed, and there is an abundance of research about the topic. According to a study by Moreno Figeroa, only 66 academic articles have been published about racism in Mexico from 1956 to 2014, on average one per year.
As Latinx, we have witnessed derogatory terminology such as, "mejorar la raza," which translated means, "to improve the race" be treated as cultural humor. The slang "prieto" and "negro" describe those with darker complexions. They are colloquialisms in a country that does not talk about its biases. In reality, skin pigmentation and ethnoracial features are tied to social stratification in Mexico. Proximity to European features is correlated with higher income, education levels, and job positions.
The country has a color-blind ideology, the mestizaje, the blend of European, Indigenous, and Black races, is the preferred national "raceless" identity. Afro-Mexicans were counted in the 2020 census for the first time since the early twentieth century. Before the twenty-first century, racial categories were banned from official government documents in favor of, "multiracial." There are 2.5 million Afro-Mexican identifying people, which is an achievement of grassroots activism. Prior to being legally recognized, this group was excluded from government aid and benefits.
As Mexicans, we see the lack of voices of Afro-Mexicans and Indigenous peoples in the media and do not address this as an issue. Discrimination is most evident in Mexican Media, where representation is overwhelmingly white and eurocentric…
Yesica Balderrama is a journalist and writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Latino USA, PEN America, Guernica, WNYC, Mental Floss, Yes! and others.
