Comments About Being Afro-Mexican (from the discussion threads of three YouTube videos)

Afric Network, April 5, 2021

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases three YouTube videos about Afro Mexicans.

This post also presents selected comments from those videos' discussion threads about  being Afro-Mexican.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are associated with this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 

These comments are presented in chronological order except for replies. Numbers were added for referencing purposes only.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjwey3zT0NQ&t=66s

2021

1.  Jose M. Martinez Camacho
"That part where you mentioned that many people thought that Afro-Mexicanos were from Cuba etc. is soooo accurate! My mom was born in the Costa Chiqua de Guerrero, migrated to Southern California in  a city where a lot of Mexican migrants found home and, OMG, you have no idea how many people asked her if she was from Cuba just because she spoke Spanish!. Those sort of statements made me soooo confused about my identity as a kid."

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2. Axxess Mundi
"I was just wondering why doesn't the Mexican national team have any black players with a African diaspora population of  2 million people?"

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Reply
3. Alexander Adame toscano, 2022
"ADRIAN CHAVEZ !  African-Mexican 🌮 :  He was the Starting Goalkeeper for CLUB AMERICA from MEXICO CITY for many years . He also represented Mexico in the National Team .  African Descendants in Mexico are a very small group , even so , They have played a very fundamental role in Mexico's History . They also are very low key and peaceful . That's why They're hardly noticed . But They're very much Mexicans . I myself have Some African DNA (2.24 %) even though I'm mostly a Light skin Mexican . Greetings !"

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4.  Antonio Aguilar
"We are blacks, morenos, browns, whites. No matter what colour you are, we are mexicans, and we will prevael, because we were blessed with this land, our homeland.

We were one of the first country which abolished slavery in América. And that was stamped in our constitution since we were a free country."

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5.  Tono Arellano
"My Great grandpa he was muy moreno and great grandma muy guera so it’s a mix

I thin North America was Africans land and maybe who knows Jesus was black that’s why so much hate to blacks and browns  am from Mexico peace and love to everyone 🙏🙏"
-snip-
From https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/mexico/mexican-slang/guera-in-spanish/
"In Spanish, guera and its masculine form güero are informal adjectives that describe a blond person or someone with light skin. If working as nouns, they can also be used as nicknames for white people. With this meaning, ‘güera’ and ‘güero’ are mostly applied in Mexico."

"moreno" from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/spanish-english/moreno = brown, dark skinned, dark haired (a brunette)  

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6. Omar
"Greetings from a Costa Grande Native..!

I know there's a at least an 1/8 in there in my family on my grandpa's side... Loved his curled short, tight hair.. and that shining darker skin... And the traces continue to carry on with the newer generations.... Much love and blessings!🙏🤎🇲🇽🖤🇲🇽❤️"

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Reply
7. The One
"Lmao same but my moms from Michoacán from the coast. Kids from school would ask me if I was mixed with black once they saw my mom 😂. I would tell them no I'm just Mexican but my moms just dark with a Mexican fro.  Then I'm asked my mom and she said yes we are mixed with black down the line. Then I took a DNA ancestry test and I'm like around 15% African southern bantu, Cameroon, and Nigerian. I look like my father more but my mom for sure must be any where from 20%-30% African."

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2022

8. Natalia García
"im afromexican from acapulco and we are a minority, people dont get educated about black history in mexico even tho we are an important part of it, we get a lot of racism no matter if youre lightskin or darkskin people dont respect you, our same black people dont know the value that we have, our history and the importance of being toghether, we dont have that union like other countries where there are more black people like DR, Haiti, Cuba, USA, Barbados and it is very sad because every day we are less, I really wish that each one of us understood how important we are and that we dont need to "mejorar la raza" ,  some people dont even identify themselves as black, I would love for the community of black people in Mexico to grow throughout the country and have more education about it, if you are from another country and there is a way to help us please , we must do it at least by educating others that in Mexico black people exist and we are important.

Sorry if im not clear, english is not my first lenguage"

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9. JMan Pro.
"my pops is from Guerrero and him me and my siblings often get asked if we're mixed cause of our dark skin, facial features and curly dry hair textura, I remember letting my hair grow out and sista would ask me are you light skin or can I braid your hair, or often get confused with cuban, honduran, even dominican lol but never Mexican. My great grandfather was also a tall slender real dark man as well so I'm curious to know of there's a little afro in us"

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2:  Afro-Mexicans: Dancing Their Way Back To Their Roots



AJ+, Dec. 6, 2016

Obatala is an Afro-Mexican dance troop that travels and performs throughout southern Mexico. The dancers learned the steps by watching YouTube videos. Through their performances, they express their pride in their African heritage and stay connected to their roots.
-snip-
Selected comments (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi92OnIy8XI&t=1s

1. Mr. Mata, 2018
"All these ignorant comments hurt my brain. Not all Mexicans look the same, it is a very diverse country. Much like most of South, Central, North America and the Caribbean. Im glad they are being officially recognized. 🇲🇽"

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Reply
2. gain gang, 2019
"True we also have Asian Mexicans"

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3. Glimmering Sea, 2019
"The thing is if u see comments from people from Mexico in other channels, they themselves deny the existence of African descendants in Mexico. Many say they r white. Seriously check other channels."

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4. wakeupworldhealthierauthentically100, 2019
"Mr. Mata The older native people of the so called mexico looked similar and the same overall. When Europeans whites came over and colonized raping stealing etc the newer offspring rapidly changed
 more than naturally."

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5. Edgarez, 2019
"@Glimmering Sea  What can I say? I'm from Mexico, born and raised and unfortunately there is racism there too just like in every other country in the world."

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6. Glimmering Sea, 2019
"@Gabe  Yes, that is true. It is sad that people from the same country deny their own people because of skin color. Racism definitely is everywhere."

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7. Glimmering Sea, 2019
"@Edgarez  Very true."

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8. kefren ferrer, 2019
"There's no black África n culture in México black descendants are totaly mexican  culturized,  the dances of the video are recent and not extended influencies,  maybe because of reggeton wich movements are similar."

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9. YoSoyJuanCarlos, 2019
"Mr. Mata  you’re right"

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10. Lola Joselin, 2019
"@kefren ferrer  kefren I am afrolatina and native it's clear that you are in deep denial!!"

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11. Jackie Vergara, 2019
"Mr. Mata we also have colorist in our on country

When you say I’m more morelos, Mexico people tell me you don’t look like the people

🙄 there’s no specific image of what is a certain person"

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12. Michelle G, 2019
"@kefren ferrer  wow you know nothing of mexican culture especially afromexican culture. The state of Veracruz is known for it's african influence on the state in it's music and in it's dances. Maybe learn something about my culture before you make ignorant statements."

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13. GabeReyes, 2019
"Jackie Vergara Not all Mexicans, We’re a Multiethnic nation."

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14.  GabeReyes, 2019
"Pastor David J. Miner Mexico has no official race, that’s why we didn’t consider them a people, that’s why we don’t consider whites a thing, nor mestizo, everyone is just Mexican."

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15. Adriana Ortiz, 2021
"this is very common in southern mexico bc of the puertos, when I was in hs I learned about it. The port of veracruz is mostly mulatos.. I grew up in Puerto Vallarta, I was extremely bullied while growing up bc of my skin color, idk if I have African roots but I'm really happy they're trying to learn about their ancestors..."

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16. Jason Rinneii, 2021
"Yeah! Puerta Vallarta is in white Jalísco, Mexico"

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17. Daniel Torres, 2021
"It's a beautiful thing to see I'm Mexican and have 40% of African in me I'm proud of where I'm from and where I come from afromexicans are beautiful and couldn't be more proud"

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3: Afro-Mexicans: One of the world’s most forgotten Black communities

CGTN America,  Jul 22, 2020

As the Black Lives Matter movement spreads internationally, we’re looking today at one of the world’s most forgotten Black communities.  In Mexico, Black people make up around one percent of the population.
-snip-
Selected comments (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Mi92OnIy8XI&feature=emb_logo

2021

1. Pablo del Segundo
"What's sad is that the majority of Mexicans have anywhere from 5-15% African DNA, but we're fed this whitewashed myth of La Raza consisting of Spanish and Indigenous blood...Africans really are the 3rd root of our heritage whether we admit it or not.  I'm proud of it, myself."

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Reply
2. Juan Castillo
"Honestly I never really put them in a category like that because I have family with dark skin like that and I always considered them mexican like me and I have light skin and most mexicans think Im white."

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3. Brie Cruz
"That’s because we are all Mexicans not like the US that puts everyone in categories"

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4. ohohohitsmagic
" @Brie Cruz  except the people in this very video consider themselves Afro/Black. How are you going to blame the US for how they identify?"

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5. Brie Cruz
"@ohohohitsmagic  yes they are Afro Mexicans but we are all Mexicans, don't get me wrong I notice their black features and I know they are different from white and indigenous Mexicans but they are Mexicans thats it! In Mexico there are asian, indigenous, white, and black races and all kinds of ethnicities but its ridiculous to name them all and divide us in categories. For what reason? why? Specially if they have lived there for generations. Its amazing they still remember their culture and embrace it. I’m not blaming the US all I’m saying is Mexico Is not like the US when it comes to putting people in categories of race/ethnicity we conciser everyone that was born in Mexico Mexican!"

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6. ohohohitsmagic
"@Brie Cruz  no one said they weren't Mexican. Literally no one. Just like here in America, we are all Americans, we just have different backgrounds. Its the same. Mexico isn't unique in that."

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7.  ANDRES MORA
"Near the so-called Cerro Congo, in the municipality of Actopan, in the state of Veracruz, is Coyolillo, a congregation of the "Afro-Mexican race", as they call themselves. Founded in the seventeenth century, it is located about 40 kilometers from Xalapa, the capital.

Its first inhabitants were slaves who obtained their freedom and who worked in a mill called Nuestra Señora del Rosario, on the Almolonga farm.

Its carnival is unique in the entire state.

They dance with wooden masks representing animals, wearing capes, multi-colored headdresses and rustic bells.

The original dances are known to be long gone, but the "disguised" ones resemble a party called Gule Guamkulu from Mozambique, Mali, and Zambia.

Greetings from Minatitlán, Veracruz 🇲🇽"

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8. Shauntanika Dalmida
"I remember working on my family history, o told someone my family on my fathers side is from Guatemala and Mexico and they just looked at me like I was crazy. They said I don’t look Mexican because I’m black. We need to educate ourselves and talk more about the history of black people all around the world. Before slavery and after."

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9. L S
"I don't think there's a definite look that defines one as Mexican. I have family members who are white with colored eyes and others who are tan/dark skinned. Once we pry into our family history we will see where our ancestors came from. I'm definitely interested in finding out since a lot of Mexicans are quite mixed not only of Spanish and indigenous heritage, but a little of everything." 

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10. Melissa
"I’m sad that growing up in Mexico I was not taught about Afro Mexican people. But now that I am grown I educate myself and I will educate the next generations to come. You are not invisible ❤️🇲🇽"

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11. _, 2022
"Did you put attention in clases, because they teach that in fifth and sixth grade, when they teach about mexico independence and the war with Texas, and how they were protected as equal in the first constitution."

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12. Jose Luis Oropeza III
"I’m a white Mexican. My skin is white and I was born with red hair. One of my grandfather’s grandfather came from Guerrero and he was so dark I suspect he might have been a black native i.e Afro Indigenous, Afro Mexican."

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13. Naima The Sun Goddess
"He was definitely indigenous. The term “Afro-Mexican “ is a misnomer. These ppl are indigenous to Mexico. The so called “white Mexicans” that inhabit Mexico now are the descendants of Conquistadors from Spain. If they were to actually ask any one of these black ppl especially the elders, they would most likely tell them that their ppl always inhabited that land. A lot of these ppl are indigenous Blacks  who relocated to Mexico from the American southeast escaping colonization 🙏🏽"

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14. A sandwich
"Same, goes with my Grandpa, he is very dark."

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15.  Francisco Garcia
"@A sandwich  bro mine too I think we got something here because I see alot of people in the comments saying the same that there grandpa or grandma was super dark. I think something's up"

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16. Francisco Garcia
"Same bro"

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17. A sandwich
"@Francisco Garcia  yeah somethings definitely up lol"

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18. I N N E R B L O O M
"SAME! I’m Mexican and my nephew has green eyes and looks white but I also suspect that my paternal great-grandmother was Afro Mexican. My maternal grandma said she was so dark and her hair was very curly, and tbh my grandma, her daughter, also had similar features. It’s crazy because we no longer look black but she’s part of our genealogical tree. I truly believe there are many Mexicans like us who may have black ancestry but are unaware of it since those physical black features obviously disappeared after hundreds of years of intermixing. At this point I just wanna take a dna test to confirm it and take pride not only on my indigenous side but the African as well. Mexicans need to start acknowledging the fact that Mexico isn’t only mestizo, our country has a past with African slavery and it’s important to embrace our roots and acknowledge our ancestors no matter what race they were, after all we are here today because of them."

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19. Sociedad Norteña
"Dude STOP putting your skin color before your Nationality literally no one does this in Latin America. Black Mexicans and white Mexicans don’t exist we are all mestizo castizo zambo but not “white” or “black” "

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20. SIVLA
"White Mexican? 🙄 you’re Mexican"

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21. Carlos Party Dinosaurios. 🦕🦖
..."the African history in México goes way back when the spanish first setled here in facts im native to the state of Veracruz that has the oldest history of africans here in México they where the first people to plant sugar cane fields here in México before the spanish used the indigenous people I still have afro familes from my granfathers side dark people with curly hair looking like cubans they mixed well with the natives in México please look up the history of ( Yanga in México ) he was an african prince taken as a slave"...

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22. Jacquelyn Ramsey
"I have relatives in Mexico and they went there right after the Civil War. They exist and my family have never forgotten their family, there.

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23. teresaguerrasalazar
"Yes, they went to Veracruz when mexico abolish slavery in Texas trying to stop US citizens who came non-stop settling in mexico."

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24. david busic
"My mother was from the mountains of central Mexico(Nayarit), where a lot of silver mines are located. Having her DNA testing and finding a decent percentage of Western African DNA explained alot."

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25. J. ROTHCHILD
"I love my Mexican family!  Some of my uncles look like Brad Pitt and some look like Mike Tyson!  lol!   I love them all the same!!!"

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26. TheTruthIsInfinite
"Lol brad pitt and Mike Tyson in one family gathering is a cool image.  Lol"

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27. Alfredo Alcantar
"I agree but we don't use identity politics in Mexico like America is trying to force. My dad is dark and I'm light we're still Mexicans"

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28.  Tiff Dang
"Do you have an uncle look like Jackie Chan? Lol"

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29. J. ROTHCHILD
"@Tiff Dang  No, more like Bruce Lee!!"

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30. Álvaro González Hernández
"@Alfredo Alcantar  this is very accurate! I love this about Mexico!"

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31.  Alvaro Valdovinos
"My father's family comes from the coastal line of Guerrero's beaches called Ixtapa. That area has tons of Afro-Mexican's mixed with the Natives Americans of that Region. I am a proud product of their combined souls."

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32. Elizabeth diaz
"My grandma is dark skinned but her hair is straight I wished I had knew her. She suffered bullying:/"

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33. MaryB Lopez
"Unfortunately this is so true for darker Mexicans. I’m Mexican American and I guess from the people I’m surrounded with, a lot of Hispanic people are racist to darker Mexicans. Unfortunately it’s something we inherited from the Spaniards. You see a lot of racism on older people. The younger generation is starting to get better."

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34. Being MotherTeresa
"My Brown is beautiful ❤️ I am Afo Indian(kolkata) and my son is Afro Indian Mexican🥰😜 Proud to represent multiple races: black, Indian, and Mexican."

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35. SB Brackelmanns
"I think that is why I am so dark and my mother always scolded me for being in the sun because she is light"

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2022

36. Plissken94th
"The crazy thing is, you have people who are so dark that they obviously have closer ties to their African roots but will deny them at any and all costs. Like it’s a crime to be black and Hispanic rather than either or. I’ve even had friends who were black and Hispanic and chose to never acknowledge their hispanic side unless he had to speak Spanish to communicate. It’s obvious both sides of the spectrum have been taught to hate themselves"

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37. Co Co Bunny
"My great grandfather was a  Mexican/ Indian and he looked like these people but he didn’t have any African blood and was a little more red in color . These people are beautiful 😍"

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38. Lil Meep
"@Francisco Garcia  my dad is dark too but he  says he not black but who knows"

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39. Roberto fun Paramo
"My grandfather is from Michoacán, and he was also afro Mexican. He’s always asked if he’s  dominicano"

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