THE MEXICAN CENSUS |
The
Indigenous Languages of Mexico: A Present-Day Overview
Mexico's 1921 Census: A Unique Perspective
Indigenous Mexico Statistics: The 2005 Conteo
Extranjeros in Mexico (1895-2000)
Mexico
and Its
Religions
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The
Indigenous Languages of By
John P. Schmal The
most recent census count in Mexico reveals that a multitude of languages
are used by Mexican nationals throughout the country. It is true that
the percentage of Mexicans who are speaking indigenous languages is
steadily declining, but a great many people have held on to their mother
tongue, sometimes taking it with them to other parts of
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The Náhuatl Language of Mexico: From Aztlán to the Present Day By John P. Schma l Across the 761,606 square miles (1,972,550 square kilometers) that comprise Mexico you can find a great variety of landscapes and climates. While mountains and plateaus cover more than two-thirds of her landmass, the rest of Mexico's environment is made up of deserts, tropical forests, and fertile valleys. Mexico's many mountain ranges tend to split the country into countless smaller valleys, each forming a world of its own. Over the last few thousand years, this has been a factor in the differentiation of a wide range of indigenous Mexican languages.Within these many little worlds, there are 11 linguistic families. And, according to the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI ‒ Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas), within these linguistic families, 68 languages and 364 dialects are spoken. From 1900 to 2010, the Mexican Censo (Census) has noted a significant increase in the total Mexican population and a corresponding increase in the number of indigenous speakers 5 years of age and older, but a large drop in the percentage of indigenous speakers (from 15.2% to 6.4%), as noted in the table below:
As people living in indigenous communities sought employment in the large metropolitan areas and the rural agricultural regions of other states, they and their children usually assimilated and many of them lost their connection to their ancestral language and culture. Only in the traditional homelands did some indigenous speakers maintain their linguistic link to the past and to their ancestors. The Most Common Languages of Mexico The following table illustrates the number of speakers for the top seven indigenous language groups of Mexico in the 1970, 1990, 2000 and 2010 censuses. In addition, the last column shows the percentage of indigenous speakers for each language (out of the total number of indigenous speakers in the country) in 2010:
As clearly noted in the preceding table, the Náhuatl language has been the most commonly spoken tongue in Mexico since 1970, with Maya in second place by a wide margin. The Aztec Empire The widespread use of the Náhuatl language throughout Mexico today is primarily due to the incredible success of the magnificent Aztec Empire, which reached its pinnacle during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The multi-ethnic, multi-lingual realm stretched for more than 80,000 square miles through many parts of what are now central and southern Mexico. Fifteen million people, living in thirty-eight provinces and residing in 489 communities, paid tribute to the Emperor Moctezuma II. A published map of the Aztec Empire can be viewed at: https://www.ancient.eu/image/2321/What is an Aztec? The popular term, Aztec, has been used as an all-inclusive term to describe both the Aztec Empire and its people. The noted anthropologist, Professor Michael E. Smith of the University of New York, uses the term Aztec Empire to describe "the empire of the Triple Alliance, in which Tenochtitlán played the dominant role." Mexico City now stands on the majestic city that was formerly known as Tenochtitlán. Quoting the author Charles Gibson, Professor Smith observes that the Aztecs "were the inhabitants of the Valley of México at the time of the Spanish Conquest." These Aztecs were Náhuatl speakers belonging to "diverse polities and ethnic groups." In essence, it is important to recognize that the Aztec Indians were not one ethnic group, but a collection of many ethnicities, all sharing a common cultural and historical background (including the Náhuatl language). In contrast, the Mexica of Tenochtitlán were the Náhuatl people who eventually dominated the Aztec Empire, but they were only one of the original seven Náhuatl tribes that migrated to Central Mexico. The Original Náhuatl People According to Aztec legends, over a period of time, seven tribes that lived in Chicomoztoc, or "the place of the seven caves," left the legendary Aztlán to settle in the Valley of Mexico and surrounding areas. The seven Náhuatl-speaking tribes comprised the following:
Successive Migrations over Time In areas that had been conquered by the Aztecs, Náhuatl settlers came as traders, soldiers and emissaries. However, they had been preceded by other Náhuatl speakers who had settled in the same areas earlier. As a result of the successive migrations of people from different Aztec cultures over a period of three centuries, some of the Nahua languages became mutually unintelligible in areas such as Puebla, Veracruz and Guerrero. The Conquest After a two-year campaign, Spanish forces under Hernán Cortés ‒ assisted by a coalition of allied indigenous forces ‒ captured Tenochtitlán in August 1521. With the destruction of the Aztec Empire, the territories within it devolved to the control of the Spaniards.The New Alliance But the conquest gave way to a new alliance of the surviving Aztecs and the Spaniards. As Spanish military expeditions set out north, south and west of Tenochtitlán, they brought with them their newly converted indigenous allies who served as interpreters, scouts, emissaries, soldiers and settlers. Because of their previous trading and military relationships, the former subjects of the Aztec Empire became invaluable to the Spaniards because of their knowledge of the people living in other areas of Mexico. Thus, the Náhuatl tongue became the other "lingua franca" (besides Spanish) of Mexico. To this day, locations in every corner of Mexico have Náhuatl place names. Náhuatl in Mexico (1895-1940) At the time of Mexico’s 1895 census, 659,865 Mexican citizens classified themselves as speakers of the Náhuatl language. This group represented 32.1% of the total indigenous-speaking population of 2,055,544. However, a total of 10,574,793 persons were classified as Spanish-speaking individuals five years of age and older, and it is possible that a number of these persons may have been bilingual Náhuatl speakers who did not claim an affiliation with an indigenous language. In the next three decades, the numbers of indigenous speakers dropped steadily with the violence and bloodshed of the decade-long Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). However, by 1930, the Náhuatl language was still the most widely spoken language among monolingual indigenous speakers. The 1930 census classified 355,295 persons five years of age and over as monolingual speakers of Náhuatl, representing 30.0% of the 1,185,162 persons who exclusively spoke indigenous languages in the entire Mexican Republic. The states with the largest number of Náhuatl speakers in 1930 were:
In the 1940 census, Puebla continued to have the largest number of Náhuatl monolingual speakers in the Mexican Republic, with 117,917 persons five years of age and older, representing 32.7% of the total Náhuatl monolingual population of 360,071. The other states with significant numbers of Náhuatl monolingual speakers were: Hidalgo (77,664), Veracruz (76,765), Guerrero (41,164), and San Luis Potosí (32,251). Náhuatl in the 1970 Census By the time of the 1970 census, the number of
Náhuatl speakers in Mexico had increased dramatically. In that year,
799,394 persons were classified as speakers of Náhuatl five years of age
and older. These people represented 25.7% of the entire indigenous
speaking population of 3,111,415. The distribution of the Náhuatl
speakers in 1970 by the four leading states is indicated in the following
table:
Náhuatl in the 2000 Census The 2000 census registered Náhuatl speakers in every state of the Mexican Republic. The states containing the largest numbers and percentages of Náhuatl speakers in that census are illustrated in the following table:
Náhuatl in the 2010 Census In the 2010 census, 1,586,884 persons three years of age or more were speaking Náhuatl throughout the Mexican Republic. They represented 23% of the 6,913,362 Mexicans three years of age and older who spoke dozens of indigenous languages. The Mayan speakers numbered 796,405, running a distant second to Náhuatl, with 11.9% of the indigenous-speaking population.
The table on the following page shows the number of Náhuatl speakers in 12 states and the Mexican Republic, as well as other pertinent information:
The 30 Dialectal Variants of Náhuatl Although the Mexican Government agency, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) treats Náhuatl as a single language for the purposes of the census, many localized dialects have evolved apart from one another in widely dispersed areas of central, southern, and eastern México. Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (INALI) refers to thirty variantes dialectales de la lengua Náhuatl (Dialectal Variants of the Náhuatl Language) spread throughout the various states of Mexico. The academic resource on the Náhuatl language Ethnologue.com has classified 28 Náhuatl languages in the country. Each of the Náhuatl languages and dialects has developed unique characteristics depending on its environmental conditions. As a result, some of these dialects have become mutually unintelligible to one another over time.Náhuatl Clásico (Náhuatl Classic)Náhuatl Clásico (Náhuatl Classic) is the language that was spoken in Mexico City and the Valley of Mexico during the early colonial period, but was also spoken by people in adjacent areas, such as Morelos, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. It is considered a more elegant and cultured Náhuatl. Over the last 500 years, this language has been gradually displaced by the Spanish language and has evolved into several of the modern Náhuatl languages discussed below.The Náhuatl Languages of Puebla As indicated in the earlier table regarding 2010 census data, the Náhuatl people are the single largest indigenous group in the east central state of Puebla, with over 447,000 people speaking the language. In fact, Puebla contains 28% of all the Náhuatl speakers in the Mexican Republic and at least eleven Náhuatl languages are still spoken in various parts of Puebla today. The most common Náhuatl languages in Puebla include the Central Náhuatl, the Eastern Huasteca and the Central Puebla. The Nahuas who live in the northern mountain ranges of Puebla are known as the Nahuas de la Sierra Norte de Puebla (they call themselves Macehuale). There are over 140,000 Sierra Náhuatl living in nineteen municipios that lie within triangle that is marked by Teziutlán, Cuetzalán del Progreso and Tetela de Ocampo. The Sierra Negra Náhuatl and Southern Puebla Náhuatl languages are spoken in southern Puebla. The Náhuatl Languages of Veracruz More than half of Veracruz’s 662,760 indigenous speakers 3 years and older in the 2010 census (53.7%) were Náhuatl speakers. And Veracruz contains more than one-fifth (22.4%) of the Náhuatl speakers in Mexico. Because Náhuatl was the language of the Aztec conquerors, its use dominated the area for the several decades before the arrival of the Spaniards. As a result, the Nahua speakers of Veracruz today actually consist of four separate groups living in different regions of the state:
The Náhuatl Languages of Guerrero With the expansion of the Aztec Empire, the Náhuatl language was introduced into and gradually dominated several regions of Guerrero, including the Sierra del Norte, the Central Valleys, a sliver of Costa Grande and the Tierra Caliente. Today, the Náhuatl-speaking enclaves that exist in some of the far-flung reaches of the former Aztec Empire represent the remnants of the early colonies established by the Mexica during their fifteenth century expansion into southern Mexico. In the state of Guerrero, the Náhuatl speakers number more than 170,000 and represent more than one-third of the indigenous speaking population of the state and they are distributed through forty-five municipios in the mountainous interior of Guerrero. Náhuatl was the primary language spoken in seventeen of Guerrero’s municipios in 2000. And Guerrero presently has over 15% of all Náhuatl speakers in Mexico. Ethnologue.com has classified the Náhuatl speakers in Guerrero by the four regions in which they exist:
The Náhuatl Languages of San Luis Potos íNáhuatl speakers live in almost every municipio of San Luis Potosí (SLP), but have a heavy concentration in several municipios in the southeastern portion of the state that border the states of Veracruz and Hidalgo. These municipios include Tamazunchale, Axtla, San Martín Chalchicuautla, Xilitla, Coxcatlán and Matlapa. According to Ethnologue.com, the two most widely spoken Náhuatl languages in SLP are:
Náhuatl de la Huasteca (Huasteca Náhuatl) Huasteca Náhuatl is spoken by over a million people in the Huasteca region, which is a huge and historically important region of northeastern Mexico once inhabited mainly by the Huastec Indians when their civilization was at its height in the Mesoamerican period. Today this topographically and climatically diverse area is considered a rich agricultural region which takes in parts of several states: southern Tamaulipas, southeast San Luis Potosí, northeast Querétaro, northeast Hidalgo, northern Veracruz and the extreme north of Puebla.Ethnologue divides Huasteca Náhuatl into three languages — Eastern, Central and Western — and has noted that there is about 85% mutual intelligibility between the Eastern and Western dialects. Nearly half a million (450,000) people speak the Eastern Huasteca in Hidalgo, western Veracruz and northern Pueblo, while another 450,000 speak the Western Huasteca dialect in San Luis Potos í and western Hidalgo.Náhuatl in Morelos and Tlaxcala As mentioned earlier in this report, the early Náhuatl tribes that took part in the migration from Chicomoztoc included the Tlahuica who settled in the present-day State of Morelos and the Tlaxcalans who settled in the present-day State of Tlaxcala. While many people in these states speak Spanish today, some 50,000 people living in Tlaxcala and nearby Puebla still speak the Central Náhuatl language, which still has a strong resemblance to the original Náhuatl Classic of Central Mexico. Another 15,000 are believed to speak the Náhuatl Morelos language in the region. These languages have changed their phonetic structure over time due to their contact with the Spanish language and the urban environment in which they have developed. Náhuatl de la Periferia Occidental The Náhuatl Languages of the Western Periphery include several Náhuatl variants spoken in the states of Michoacán, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit and Durango. The dialect spoken in Jalisco is now extinct, while the dialect in Michoacán is only spoken by about 2,000 people in the state’s coastal region. The Náhuatl de Durango dialect is also known as Náhuatl Mexicanero and is believed to be spoken by a thousand people in the towns of San Pedro de las Jícoras and San Juan de Buenaventura, as well as by some scattered populations of Zacatecas and northern Jalisco.One of several sources on the current Náhuatl
languages of Mexico can be accessed at: Another recent source of information regarding the Náhuatl languages spoken is available at: https://issuu.com/revitalization/docs/cruz Conclusion From the fifteenth century to the twenty-first century, the Náhuatl language has held a preeminent position within the Mexican Republic. Even with the Spanish domination of the country from 1521 to 1822, the Aztec tongue continued to play an important role in communicating through nearly all parts of the country. Now, in 2018, it is likely that the Náhuatl language will continue to be the most spoken indigenous language in Mexico for the foreseeable future. Copyright © 2018 by John P. Schmal. All Rights Reserved. Additional Sources Arango, Rosy, "Variantes del Náhuatl," March 18, 2018. Online: https://rosyarango.com/2018/03/18/variantes-del-nahuatl/De la Cruz Cruz, Victoriano, "La Escritura Náhuatl y los Procesos de su Revitalización." Contribution in New World Archaeology (2014) 7: 187-197. Online: https://issuu.com/revitalization/docs/cruz [Published July 26, 2015].Davis, Nigel, The Ancient Kingdoms of Mexico (London: Penguin Books, 1990). Departamento de la Estadística Nacional, Annuario de 1930 (Tacubaya, D.F., México, 1932). Hill, Jane H. and Kenneth C. Hill. Speaking Mexicano (Tucson: Univ. of Arizona Press, 1986). Instituto Nacional de Estadística Geografía e Informática (INEGI), Estados Unidos Mexicanos. XII Censo General de Población y Vivienda, 2000, Tabulados Básicos y por Entidad Federativa. Bases de Datos y Tabulados de la Muestra Censal. INEGI, Censo de Población y Vivienda (2010): Panorama Sociodemográfico de México (March 2011). "Lenguas Mexicanos: Distribución y Dialectos del Náhuatl." Online: http://lenguasmexicanas.blogspot.com/p/distribucion-y-dialectos-del-nahuatl.htmlSIL International, "Familia Náhuatl." Online: http://www.mexico.sil.org/es/lengua_cultura/nahuatlSimons, Gary F. and Charles D. Fennig (eds.), Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Twenty-first edition (Dallas, Texas: SIL International, 2018). Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.Smith, Michael E., The Aztecs (Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers, Inc., 1996). Wikipedia, "Lectura No. 8: Náhuatl." Online: http://enp4.unam.mx/amc/libro_munioz_cota/libro/cap1/lec08_elnahuatl.pdf(Published April 1, 2014). |
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By John P. Schmal
The 2010 Census Mexico’s Census agency is the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) — known to Americans as the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. Every ten years, INEGI publishes a census showing various population statistics for all residents living in Mexico.
When the results of the 2010 Mexican Census are compared to the 2000 Censo and 2005 Conteo (Count), we can see a significant increase in the number of Mexicans 5 years of age and older who speak indigenous languages. But while the overall numbers rose in many states, the percentage of indigenous speakers in individual states actually dropped in many parts of Mexico.
Speakers of Indigenous Languages The overall number of indigenous speakers in Mexico dropped from 6,044,547 to 6,011,202 between 2000 and 2005, but increased to 6,695,228 in 2010. At the same time, the percentage of indigenous speakers dropped from 7.2% to 6.7% between 2000 and 2005 and remained at 6.7% in 2010.
It is important to point out that the criteria in this tally represents people who speak indigenous languages and that the number of Mexicans who consider themselves to be indigenous – through culture, tradition, spirit, genetics and other factors –was measured in a separate census question, not discussed in this study.
Monolingual Speakers of Indigenous Languages In 2000, there were 1,002,236 persons five years of age and older who spoke an indigenous language, but did not speak Spanish (i.e., they were monolingual). This segment of the population represented 16.6% of all indigenous language speakers. In the 2010 census, the number of monolingual indigenous speakers dropped to 980,894, or 14.7% of the indigenous speaking population. Bilingualism (speaking both Spanish and an indigenous language) usually results from education through schooling, literacy campaigns, migration to other states, and extended social interaction with mestizo populations (mixed race individuals).
Most Spoken Languages As of the 2010 census, Náhuatl remains the most widely spoken language in Mexico with 1,544,968 persons five years of age and older speaking that tongue. Náhuatl speakers, in fact, represented 23.08% of the indigenous speakers 5 and older in the Mexican Republic, up from 22.89% in the 2005 census count. Data on the most commonly spoken languages in Mexico at the time of the 2010 census are illustrated in the following table:
Speakers of the top four indigenous languages in Mexico — Náhuatl, Maya, Mixtec and Zapotec — represent nearly one-half (48.6%) of all indigenous speakers within the Mexican Republic. Náhuatl was the language of the Aztecs and, during Mexico’s colonial period, it was the de facto lingua franca (after Spanish) in many parts of Mexico.
In the preceding chart, the fifth column lists the percentage of persons in each language group who are monolingual. The Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Chol and Tlapaneco languages appeared to have the highest rates of monolingualism in 2010. Three of the four most commonly spoken languages — Náhuatl, Maya and Zapotec — had very low levels of monolingualism: 10.3%, 6.5% and 8.8%, respectively.
States with Large Populations of Indigenous Speakers The following table lists the Mexican states with the largest populations of indigenous language speakers. It can readily be seen that Oaxaca and Chiapas, together, had 34.4% of all the indigenous speakers in the country. Veracruz and Puebla had another 18.6% of the indigenous speakers in the republic.
It can be observed that the six states with the largest number of indigenous speakers in Mexico — Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla, Yucatán and Guerrero — contained almost seven in ten (67.8%) of Mexico’s entire indigenous speaking population. But all of these states had varying levels of monolingualism. Yucatán — a state with a large Mayan population — had a surprisingly low level of monolingualism.
Monolingualism in the Mexican States In the following table, the states with the largest percentage of monolingual speakers of indigenous languages 5 years of age and older in the 2010 census are shown. As can be seen in the third column, almost one-third (32.5%) of the Chiapas indigenous language speakers were monolingual.
Only eight Mexican states — Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Durango, Nayarit, Hidalgo, Chihuahua and Veracruz — had monolingual rates that exceeded 10% of each state’s indigenous language speaking population.
Monolingual Languages in the Mexican Republic In the 2010 census, 23 indigenous languages in the Mexican Republic had monolingual rates of 10% or more. The following table shows the 13 languages that had monolingual rates of 19% or more.
As noted in the preceding table, Amuzgo de Guerrero is the indigenous language with the largest percent of monolingual speakers, but Amuzgo also has a presence in Oaxaca and other states, where its monolingual rate is still considerable, but much less than in Guerrero. Tzeltal and Tzotzil — both Mayan languages spoken in Chiapas — also have relatively high rates of monolingualism, while Tlapaneco — spoken primarily in Guerrero — has a monolingual rate of 28.1% ranking it fourth.
Guerrero’s Tlapanecos — also known as the Me’phaa — were one of the few tribal groups who held out against the Aztec Empire in an independent enclave known as Yopitzinco. They were conquered by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century but have managed to maintain their language and culture in the centuries since then. Today, their high level of monolingualism is a tribute to their determination to preserve their culture in their isolated mountain habitats.
Monolingualism in Northern Mexico Higher rates of monolingualism among the central and southern states are expected, considering the large indigenous populations that inhabit some parts of those states. However, the fact that several northern and western states such as Durango, Nayarit, Chihuahua and Jalisco have modest rates of monolingualism is of special interest. In the following table, the languages in those four states that have significant rates of monolingualism are shown:
As indicated in the preceding chart, some of the Tarahumara of Chihuahua and Tepehuán of Durango have managed to isolate themselves enough to maintain their respective cultures and languages. The Huicholes have managed to create the same kind of conditions in both Jalisco and Nayarit. In addition, the Cora people of Nayarit have succeeded in preserving their own language, and more than one-quarter of Cora speakers 5 years of age and older (28.3%) in that state were still monolingual speakers as of 2010. The Future for Monolingual Speakers The movement of indigenous peoples from their places of origin to other parts of Mexico — especially urban areas — will continue to play some role in the continued decline of most of Mexico’s indigenous languages. As the number of indigenous language speakers decline, so, too, will the number of monolingual speakers.
In a certain sense, one can see monolingual speakers as representing the purest segment of the original indigenous language and culture, seemingly untouched by Mexican and Spanish mainstream culture. The reasons for the decline in the rate of monolingualism include the following:
On the other hand, the distance of an ethnic group from the center of power (capitals of municipios) and a strong sense of pride and cultural identity among some indigenous groups will ensure the survival of many of the languages and their monolingual speakers well into the future.
Copyright © 2018 by John P. Schmal. All Rights Reserved. |
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INDIGENOUS MEXICO STATISTICS: THE 2010
CENSUS By John P. Schmal The
2010 Census The results of the 2010
Mexican Census have been published and a comparison with the 2000 Censo
and 2005 Conteo (Count) reveals a significant increase in the number of
Mexicans 5 years of age and older who speak indigenous languages. But
while the overall numbers rose in many states, the percentage of
indigenous speakers in individual states actually dropped in many parts
of The overall number of
indigenous speakers dropped from 6,044,547 to 6,011,202 between 2000 and
2005, but increased to 6,695,228
in 2010. At the
same time, the percentage of indigenous speakers dropped from 7.2% to
6.7% between 2000 and 2005 and remained at 6.7% in 2010. It is important to point
out that the criteria in this tally represents people who speak
indigenous languages and that the number of Mexicans who consider
themselves to be indigenous – through culture, tradition, spirit,
genetics and other factors –was measured in a separate census question
to be discussed below. Most
Spoken Languages Náhuatl remains the most
widely spoken language in
More than 50% of
the people who speak indigenous languages in The following table illustrates the number of
speakers for the primary indigenous languages of
By percentage, the nine states within indigenous
speaking populations of more than 10% are:
Another factor in the
decline is that many indigenous migrants who move from Oaxaca, Puebla,
Guerrero, or Campeche to large urban areas in Mexico City or the North
may have children who, in the absence of a nurturing mother culture, may
tend to assimilate and perhaps stop speaking their mother tongue as they
socialize and work with their non-indigenous friends, associates, and
neighbors. The number and percentage of indigenous speakers in
each of the Mexican states is illustrated in the table below, along with
information on the two most commonly spoken languages of each state. The
table is sorted by percent (the third column):
In previous censuses, information on the indigenous speaking population five years of age and older was obtained from the Mexican people. However, in the 2010 census, this approach was changed and the Government also began to collect data on people 3 years and older because from the age of 3, children are able to communicate verbally. With this new approach, it was determined that there were 6,913,362 people 3 years of age or more who spoke an indigenous language (218,000 children 3 and 4 four years of age fell into this category). The population of children aged 0 to 2 years in homes where the head of household or a spouse spoke an indigenous language was 678 954. The states with the highest percentages of
population aged 3 and over speaking an indigenous language were:
However, in nine states, this percentage was lower
than a percent (Jalisco, Sinaloa, Mexicans
Considered Indigenous The 2010 census also included a question that asked
people if they considered themselves indigenous, whether or not an
indigenous language was spoken. The results of this question indicated
that 15.7 million persons 3 years of age and older identified themselves as
“indigenous.” By
comparison, 6.9 million people in
the same age bracket were tallied as indigenous speakers, meaning that
approximately 8.8 million Mexicans aged 3 and older did not speak an
indigenous language but considered themselves to be of indigenous
origin. The states with the greatest percentage of persons
who considered themselves indigenous were
Tasa de
Monolingüismo (Rate of Monolingualism) Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the number of Mexicans who spoke indigenous languages but did not speak Spanish dropped from 16.9% of the population to 15.2%. In the 2010 census, the rate of monolingualism among indigenous speakers showed marked differences according to age. Of all children aged 5 to 9 years, 36.9% were monolingual. Among adults 65 years and older, the rate was 23%. Among youths aged 15 to 29 years and people aged 30 to 64 years, the percentage of monolingual indigenous speakers was 6.8% and 12.5%, respectively. The following table reveals the rate of monolingualism in both the 2000 and 2010 census for the most commonly spoken Mexican languages:
Highest
Rates of Monolingualism The Mexican indigenous language with the highest rate of monoligualism is the Amuzgo tongue. Amuzgo is an Oto-Manguean language spoken in certain sections of both Guerrero and Oaxaca by a little more than 50,000 people. It is only the twentieth most spoken language group in the Mexican Republic. But the rate of monolingualism for this language dropped from 46.1% in 2000 to 41.4% in 2010. The second and third Mexican languages with the highest rate of monolingualism are sister-languages, Tzeltal (36.9%) and Tzotzil (36.7%) – both are Mayan tongues spoken in the State of Chiapas. Both languages saw significant increases in their overall populations between the 2000 and 2010 census, but declines in the rate of monolingualism. The fourth language with the highest rate of monolingualism is Tlapaneco (28.5%), which is spoken by over 120,000 individuals and is the sixteenth most commonly spoken language group in Mexico. Tlapaneco is spoken in Guererro. Remarkably, the Tlapaneco were one of the few indigenous groups in Southern Mexico that were not conquered by the Aztecs and they have managed to retain many elements of their original culture. The language with the fifth highest rate of monolingualism is the Cora language (27.8%), which is spoken primarily in Nayarit, as well as in some parts of Jalisco. The Future The future of Mexico’s indigenous languages is not certain, but there does appear to be some effort to carry on some of the nation’s ancient languages. The movement of indigenous peoples from their places of origin to other parts of Mexico will play some role in the continued decline of some languages. On the other hand, the sense of pride and cultural identity among some indigenous groups will ensure the survival of many of the languages well into the future. Sources: Instituto Nacional de Estadística Geografía e
Informática (INEGI). Conteos de
Población y Vivienda, 2005. INEGI. Censos
de Población y Vivienda, 2000 y 2010. INEGI, Censo de Población y Vivienda (2010): Panorama sociodemográfico de México (March 2011). INEGI, Principales
resultados del Censo de Población y Vivienda 2010. Copyright ©
2011, by John P. Schmal.
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RACIAL
AND CULTURAL IDENTITY IN MEXICO: 2015 By
John P. Schmal Mexico’s
2015 Intercensal Survey In
2016, the Mexican government agency, Instituto
Nacional de Estadística Geografía e Informática (INEGI),
published the 2015 Intercensal
Survey, which upgraded Mexico’s socio-demographic information to
the midpoint between the 2010 census and the census to be carried out in
2020. With a sample size of over 6 million homes, this survey provides
information on the national, state and municipio level, as of March
15th, 2015. Considered
Indigenous Classification One
of the 2015 survey questions asked, “De
acuerdo, con su cultura, se
considera indígena?” Essentially, Mexican residents were being
asked if they considered themselves indigenous through their culture.
Survey respondents had four possible responses:
Based
on the responses to this question, eight
Mexican states in 2015 had populations that considered one-third or more
of their people to be of indigenous descent, as noted below:
Nearly
two-thirds of the populations of both Oaxaca and Yucatán considered
themselves to be indigenous. In all, 16 states had an indigenous
population of over 20%. On
the other hand, the state with the lowest percentage of persons
considered indigenous was Tamaulipas (6.3%), followed by two other
northern Mexican states: Nuevo León (6.9%) and Coahuila (6.9%). Across
all states, the survey reported that 21.5%
of all Mexicans considered themselves to be of indigenous descent,
which means that more than one-fifth of the entire population of the
nation recognized its indigenous origins. A table at the end of this
article illustrates the survey results for all the Mexican states and
the Distrito Federal (DF). The
Indigenous-Speaking Population The
2015 census count told a different story with regards to the population
of persons 3 years of age and older who spoke Indigenous languages.
While 21.5 percent of Mexican residents recognize that their culture and
physical appearance has been inherited from indigenous ancestors, a much
smaller percent of people actually speak an indigenous language: 6.5%. Another
question in the 2015 survey asked each participant if they spoke an
indigenous dialect or language. Only persons 3 years of age and older
were considered for this category. Not
a single state had a population of indigenous speakers that exceeded
one-third of its total population. Only Oaxaca — with 32.2% of its
people speaking indigenous languages — approached the one-third mark.
As a matter of fact, only eight states actually had populations
of 10% or more who spoke indigenous languages, as noted below:
A
table at the end of this article illustrates the survey results for all
the Mexican states and the Distrito Federal (DF). Afromexican
Population Still
another 2015 survey question asked “De
acuerdo con su cultura, historia y tradiciones, se considera negra(o),
es decir, afromexicana(o) o afrodescendiente?” Essentially, each
Mexican resident was asked if, according to their culture, history and
traditions, they considered themselves to be black (i.e., an Afromexican
or Afro-descendant). Once again, each respondent had four possible
answers. The
survey revealed that only nine states had Afromexican populations that
exceeded 0.5%, as illustrated in the following table:
While
census data from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries indicate that
many African slaves labored throughout Mexico in the colonial period,
assimilation with Spaniards, mestizos and Indians over time had reduced
their cultural influence on present-day populations in Mexico. Principal
Indigenous Languages The
principal languages spoken in Mexico in 2015 are shown in the following
table, which shows the states of origin for each language:
As in past censuses, Náhuatl, the language of the Aztecs,
continued to be the language of almost one-quarter of all indigenous
speakers in Mexico. Thanks to the widespread migration of laborers from
one part of Mexico to another, many of these “Top
Ten” languages are spoken in a wide range of states, some of
which are far the original homeland of the language. Mexican
Migration from Place of Origin According
to the 2015 Intercensal Survey, with the information on the place of
birth of each survey respondent, INEGI reported that 17.4% of Mexican
residents throughout the country were either born in an entity other
than the entity in which they resided, or were born abroad (i.e., U.S.,
Guatemala, etc.). According
to the 2015 Survey, the following states have the largest percentage of
their populations born in another entity (Mexican state or the Distrito
Federal) or another country: Ř
Quintana
Roo (54.1%) Ř
Baja
California (44.1%) Ř
Baja
California Sur (39.6%) Ř
Estado
de México (33.7%) Ř
Colima
(28.7%) Ř
Morelos
(27.3%) Ř
Querétaro
(25.4%) Ř
Campeche
(24.0%) Ř
Tamaulipas
(23.1%) Ř
Nuevo
León (21.2%) The
states with the least percent of people born in another country or state
were Chiapas (3.4%), Guerrero (4.9%) and Oaxaca (6.2%). Migration
and Indigenous Languages If
the high level of migration continues in many parts of Mexico,
Indigenous languages will continue to be spread across the entire
Mexican Republic. However, with new generations of children and
grandchildren adapting to new cultural environments, it is also possible
that some of the descendants of these migrants will no longer speak
their mother tongue and will become more comfortable with the Spanish
language. Linguistic
and Ethnic Identity in Mexico The
following table contains 2015 Intercensal Survey data relating to
populations that speak indigenous languages or identity themselves to be
of Indigenous or Afromexican descent. The table has been sorted by
indigenous identity (the first row):
Sources: INEGI, “Principales
resultados de la Encuesta Intercensal 2015. Estado Unidos Mexicanos.” Online: INEGI, “Principales
resultados de la Encuesta Intercensal 2015. Estado Unidos Mexicanos:
III: Etnicidad.” Online: http://www.senado.gob.mx/comisiones/asuntos_indigenas/eventos/docs/etnicidad_240216.pdf INEGI, “Encuesta
Intercensal 2015: Cuestionario para viviendas particulares habitadas y
población.” Online: http://www.beta.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/proyectos/enchogares/especiales/intercensal/2015/doc/eic2015_cuestionario.pdf
MEXICO’S 1921 CENSUS: A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE By John P. Schmal (© 2007) In the aftermath of the Mexican revolution, Mexico’s Departamento
de la Estadística Nacional administered a census that would be
unique among Mexico’s census counts administered between 1895 and
2005. In this new census, the Mexican Government decided to ask Mexicans
about their perception of their own racial heritage. In the 1921 census,
residents of the Mexican Republic were asked if they fell into one of
the following categories: States With the Largest "Indígena Pura" Population The results were a remarkable reflection of México’s own perception of its indigenous and mestizo identities. Although only three states had more than 50% pure indigenous populations (Oaxaca, Puebla and Tlaxcala), a total of eight states had more than 40% of the same classification (Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Chiapas, Guerrero, Campeche, Yucatán, and México).
The most indigenous state, in terms of absolute numbers and percentage was Oaxaca, in which 675,119 persons out of 976,005 inhabitants were classified as indígena. In effect, this meant that 69.17% of Oaxaca’s population had a pure indigenous identity. Not all of "pure indigenous" population of Oaxaca, however, spoke indigenous languages. Only 482,478 individuals five years of age or more spoke thirty indigenous languages. This represented 49.43% of the population five years of age and older and 57.18% of the entire state population. [Children up to the age of four in indigenous households were not included in the tally of languages.] Another 274,752 residents of Oaxaca described themselves as "mezclada," representing an additional 28.1% of the population. The combination of the indigenous and mezclada categories represented 949,871 individuals who had possessed some element of indigenous descent and represented 97.32% of the entire state population. As a matter of contrast, only 13,910 persons were categorized as "blanca," while another 11,124 did not claim a designation and 1,100 were "extranjeros" (foreigners). The Second Most Indigenous State: Puebla The State of Puebla had the second largest "pure indigenous" population, with 560.971 (who represented 54.73% of the entire state population). In addition, 403,221 residents of Puebla were classified as mezclada, representing another 39.34% of the population. Puebla had the sixth largest number of mezclada inhabitants. Combining the pure indigenous with the mezclada element, we can estimate that 964,192 persons were of some indigenous origin, representing 94.07% of the total state population of 1,024,955. As with Oaxaca, however, a smaller element of the population spoke native tongues. In all, 247,392 individuals five years of age and older spoke a wide range of indigenous languages, representing only 24.14% of the entire state population. Puebla had a much higher number of blanca residents: a total of 58,032 inhabitants, who made up 5.66% of the state population. The Third Most Indigenous State: Veracruz Veracruz has the third largest "indígena pura" population with 406,638, representing 35.06% of the state population. Veracruz also had the fourth-highest number of mezclada residents: 556,472 (or 47.97%). Combining the two indigenous classifications, we observed that 963,110 persons out of a total population of 1,110,971 claimed some indigenous descent and that this group represented 86.69% of the state population. In striking contrast, however, only 120,746 residents of Veracruz spoke indigenous languages, representing 10.87% of the state population and 12.62% of residents five years of age or more. The Fourth Most Indigenous State: México The State of México had the fourth largest indígena pura population, 372,703, equal to 42.13% of the state population. Together with the mestizo/mezclada population, which numbered 422,001 (47.70% of the state population), the total population with an indigenous heritage was 794,704, or 89.84% of the population. In stark contrast, only 172,863 residents of the State of México spoke indigenous languages, representing only 19.54% of the total state population. Other states with significant numbers of indígena pura population are as follows: 5. Guerrero - 248,526 persons (43.84%) 6. Hidalgo – 245,704 persons (39.49%) 7. Chiapas – 200.927 persons (47.64%) 8. Jalisco – 199,728 persons (16.76%) 9. Michoacán – 196,726 persons (20.93%) 10. Distrito Federal– 169,820 (18.75%) 11. Yucatán – 155,155 persons (43.31%) 12. San Luis Potosí – 136,365 persons (30.60%) 13. Tlaxcala – 97,670 persons (54.70%) Because the populations of the various states vary widely, the percentage of pure indigenous persons in a given state provide us with a different set of results. The contrast between absolute numbers and percentages of the pure indigenous population was largely contingent on the population of each state. For example, Tlaxcala actually had the third largest percentage of indígena pura inhabitants but, because of its small population, was in thirteenth place in terms of percentage. And Jalisco’s largely pure indigenous population of 199,728 represented only 16.76% of its total population of 1,191,957. Jalisco, as a matter of fact, had the largest population of any state in México, followed closely by Veracruz (1,159,935), Puebla (1,024,955) and the Distrito Federal (906,063). States With the Largest "Indígena Mezclada Con Blanca" Population In the 1921 census, the status "Indígena Mezclada con
Blanca" implied that a person was of mestizo origin. Persons
classified by this identity probably did not speak Indian languages, but
still felt an attachment to their indigenous roots and probably had
indigenous facial features.. The eight Mexican states with the largest
populations of "Indígena Mezclada con Blanca" were: 6. México – 422,001 (47.71%) 7. Puebla – 403,221 (39.34%) 8. Sinaloa – 335,474 (98.30%) 9. Zacatecas – 326,615 (86.10%) 10. Hidalgo – 320,250 (51.47%) In terms of percentages, the states with the largest mezclada population were Sinaloa (98.30%), Guanajuato (96.32%), Durango (89.10%), Zacatecas (86.10%), and Querétaro (80.15%). The State With the Largest Mezclada Population: Jalisco As with the other classifications, the percentage of "indígena mezclada con blanca" in each state varied widely because of the level of assimilation and the states’ overall population. For Jalisco, the large number of mestizos in the state was a reflection of Jalisco’s mestizaje over the centuries. The combination of Jalisco’s mezclada and indígena pura populations (903,830 and 199,728) indicated that 92.58% of Jalisco’s total population (1,103,558 out of 1,191,957 people) had an indigenous background. In addition, 87,103 residents of Jalisco claimed to be White (7.31%). Although the inhabitants of Jalisco had a strong link to their indigenous origins, only 195 persons in the entire state spoke indigenous languages. Two languages dominated within this small group of indigenous speakers (99 Huichol speakers and 81 Náhuatl speakers). Guanajuato: The Second Largest Mezclada Population Guanajuato was settled early in the colonial period and underwent mestizaje at an early date. 828,724 of Guanajuato’s population of 860,364 classified themselves as indígena mezclada con blanca, representing 96.33% of the state population. Only 25,458 persons claimed pure indigenous background (representing 2.96%) of the population and another 4,687 classified themselves as blanca. In contrast, only 220 inhabitants of Guanajuato spoke indigenous languages. [All but one of these indigenous speakers spoke the Otomí tongue.] Sinaloa: The State with the Largest Percentage of Mezclada In the 1921 Mexican census, 335,474 persons were classified as mezclada, representing an extraordinary 98.30% of the state population. Incredibly, a mere 3,163 people (or 0.93% of the state population) identified themselves as pura indígena. The number of person classified as white was smaller yet: only 644 people out of a total state population of 341,265. Zacatecas: A State Without Indigenous Speakers Zacatecas posed one of the most interesting cases in this analysis. With 8.54% of its inhabitants identified as "pura indígena" and another 86.1% classified as mestizo, 94.64% of Zacatecas’ inhabitants identified with their indigenous origins. At the same time, not a single inhabitant of the state claimed to speak an indigenous language. This would lead one to speculate that in some parts of México, persons who spoke Indian languages may, in fact, have denied this fact. States With the Largest Blanca Population The states with the largest populations of "Blanca" or
White persons were: One of the most interesting aspects of the 1921 census is that several Mexican states contained very small numbers of Indigenous speakers but had significant populations of people who were identified as "pura indígena." Some examples of these states are: Coahuila The State of Coahuila had 44,779 individuals who were identified as "indígena pura," representing 11.38% of the state population. If you combined the pure indigenous and mestizo populations, you would recognize that 89.26% of Coahuila’s population had some kind of indigenous heritage. However, in the entire state of 393,480 inhabitants, only 293 persons spoke an indigenous language. [All of these indigenous speakers spoke the Kikapóo language.] Tamaulipas Tamaulipas presented a similar issue. In 1921, 39,606 inhabitants of the state were recognized as of pure indigenous background, representing 13.80% of the population. The combined "indígena pura" and mestizo population was calculated at 83.16%. However, in the entire state only 237 persons spoke more than 15 indigenous languages, of which only one (Huasteca) was actually native to the State. San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, with large indigenous areas in its eastern regions, boasted a total "indígena pura" population of 136,365, which represented 30.6% of the state population. With a mestizo population tallied at 61.88%, the combined percentage of persons with some indigenous origins was 92.48%. However, only 1,738 inhabitants of the state claimed to speak one of the state’s six indigenous languages (Huasteco, Mayo, Mazateco, Náhuatl, Otomí and Totonaco).
The table below outlines the racial classifications of the 1921 census by percentage:
© 2008, John P. Schmal. All rights reserved. Sources: About the Author John Schmal is the coauthor of "The Indigenous Roots of a Mexican-American Family" (available as item M2469 through Heritage Books at http://heritagebooks.com). Recently, he also published "The Journey to Latino Political Representation" (available as item S4114).
INDIGENOUS MEXICO STATISTICS: THE 2005 CONTEO By John P. Schmal The results of the 2005 Mexican Conteo (Count) have been published and a comparison with the 2000 Mexican Censo (Censo) indicates a decline in the overall number of Mexican citizens who speak indigenous languages. The overall number of indigenous speakers has dropped from 6,044,547 to 6,011,202 persons five years of age and older. This represented a drop in the national percentage of indigenous speakers from 7.2% to 6.7%. It is important to point out that the criteria in this count represents people who speak indigenous languages and that the number of Mexicans who consider themselves to be indigenous – through culture, tradition, spirit, genetics and other factors – is probably much greater in some parts of the country. Additionally, any children up to the age of four living in indigenous households are not tallied as being indigenous speakers. Náhuatl remains the most widely spoken language in Mexico with 1,376,026 persons five years of age and older using that tongue. Náhuatl speakers, in fact, represented 22.89% of the indigenous speakers in the entire Republic in the 20005 Conteo. Some of the other prominent languages are: 2. Maya (759,000 speakers – 12.63% of all indigenous speakers) 3. Mixtec Languages (423,216 – 7.04%) 4. Zapotec Languages (410,901 – 6.84%) 5. Tzeltal (371,730 – 6.18%) 6. Tzotzil (329,937 – 5.49%) 7. Otomí (239,850 – 3.99%) The Náhuatl, Maya, Mixtec and Zapotec languages are found in considerable numbers in many states far from their traditional homelands, in large part because of migration to the north and urban areas. The states with the largest number of indigenous speakers are, in terms of absolute numbers and percentages, are: 1. Oaxaca (1,091,502 indigenous speakers – 35.3% of the state population) 2. Yucatán (538,355 speakers – 33.5% of the state population) 3. Chiapas (957,255 speakers – 26.1% of the state population) 4. Quintana Roo (170,982 speakers – 19.3% of the state population) 5. Hidalgo (320,029 – 15.5% of the state population) 6. Guerrero (383,427 – 14.2% of the state population) 7. Campeche (89,084 – 13.3% of the state population) 8. Puebla (548,723 – 11.7% of the state population) 9. San Luis Potosí (234,815 – 11.1% of the state population) 10. Veracruz (605,135 – 9.5% of the state population). With the exception of the Chiapas dialects, many of the most populous indigenous languages have declined in absolute numbers, possibly due to immigration to the United States and other countries. It is also possible that many indigenous migrants who move from Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero, or Campeche to large urban areas in Mexico City or the North may have children who, in the absence of a nurturing mother culture, may tend to assimilate and perhaps stop speaking their mother tongue as they socialize and work with their non-indigenous friends, associates, and neighbors. We continue to see large numbers of Zapotec and Mixtec speakers dominating the indigenous landscape in many western and northern states, in large part because of decades of migration from Oaxaca to other parts of the country. A long distance from their traditional lands, the Mixtecs represent significant percentages of the indigenous-speaking people in several states, including Baja California (38.2% of indigenous speakers), Baja California Sur (21.5%), Distrito Federal (10.4%), Sinaloa (10.2%) and Estado de México (6.8%). Similarly, the Zapotecs make up significant portions of the indigenous-speaking populations of several states, including Baja California (9.6%), Baja California Sur (8.7%), Distrito Federal (8.4%), Colima (6.5%) and Sinaloa (5.6%). Nevertheless, both the Zapotec and Mixtec languages saw significant overall population drops between 2000 and 2005 and large-scale immigration to the United States is certainly a compelling factor in that trend. In the states of the Yucatán Peninsula, the Yucatec Maya dialect continues to dominate. For example, in the State of Yucatán, there are 527,107 Maya speakers, who represent 97.9% of the total indigenous-speaking population of the state. While many languages have declined in absolute numbers, several of the most important Mayan tongues in Chiapas actually increased between the 2000 Censo and the 2005 Conteo. The five most widely spoken languages of Chiapas have all increased in absolute numbers: 1. Tzeltal (362,658 indigenous speakers – 37.9% of the state’s indigenous population) 2. Tzotzil (320,921 indigenous speakers – 33.5%) 3. Chol (161,794 speakers – 16.9%) 4. Zoque (43,936 speakers – 4.6%) 5. Tojolabal (42,798 – 4.5%) This increase may be related to the high visibility and sense of pride that many Chiapas Indians have begun to feel towards their indigenous heritage, and, in fact, people who did not previously speak Tzotzil or Tzeltal fluently, may be learning the language to take part in the Cultural Renaissance now occurring. The Náhuatl language continues to dominate many of the Mexican states. In Veracruz, for example, the 318,626 Náhuatl speakers make up 52.7% of the State’s indigenous speakers. The other widely spoken languages in Veracruz are the Totonac (19.2%), Huasteco (8.4%), Popoluca (5.3%), and Otomí (2.8%). The Tarahumara Indians, one of the few surviving remnants of Chihuahua’s indigenous heritage, continue to represent 77.3% of Chihuahua’s people who speak Indian languages. But indigenous speakers only represent 3.4% of the total state population five years of age and older. In Sonora, the two surviving traditional languages still dominate the indigenous-speaking population: the Mayo number 24,470 people (47.3%) and the Yaqui number 13,552 people (14.7%). But, here again, the indigenous speakers represent only 2.5% of Sonora’s entire population five years of age and older. Mexico’s total population increased from 97,483,412 in the 2000 Censo to 103,263,388 in the 2005 Conteo. Interestingly, women outnumber men by 51.34% by 48.66%, a telling reminder that many breadwinners may have left the country to find gainful employment elsewhere. Below is a graphic interpretation, illustrating the contrast in the indigenous speaking populations of Mexico’s states between the 2000 Censo and the 2005 Conteo:
Below is a second illustration indicating the evolution of Mexico’s indigenous languages in terms of their total numbers within the Mexican Republic.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística Geografía e Informática (INEGI). Conteos de Población y Vivienda, 2005. Copyright © 2008, by John P. Schmal.
EXTRANJEROS IN MEXICO (1895-2000) By John P. Schmal (© 2007) Immigration to Mexico From the early Sixteenth Century to the end of the Nineteenth Century, Mexico saw a continuous surge of immigrants from Spain. But several other countries – most notably Portugal, Italy, Germany, France, the Philippines and China – also contributed a steady stream of immigrants to various parts of Mexico through the centuries. Immigration from North America and other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean has also been healthy over the long haul. Extranjeros in Mexico’s 1895 Census According to the 1895 Mexican census, the countries with the largest number of natives living in Mexico were:
The total number of extranjeros living in Mexico numbered 56,355 in 1895. In contrast, the number of people five years of age and older who spoke foreign languages amounted to only 23,916 persons. Of course, those individuals who were born in Spain and Guatemala and spoke Spanish did not speak a foreign language. Therefore the five most widely spoken foreign languages were:
During the reign of Porfirio Díaz (1876-1910), foreigners were invited to Mexico to serve as skilled professionals in a number of industries, including the railroad and mining industries. This policy guaranteed a steady stream of immigrant who entered Mexico, some of whom stayed and raised families. Extranjeros in 1900 The total number of extranjeros living in Mexico increased from 56,355 in 1895 to 67,674 in 1900. Although Spain remained the largest contributor of natives to Mexico, United States moved into second place as the country of birth for Mexican residents. The most represented countries were:
2 United States (15,242) 3 Guatemala (5,820) 4. France (3,970) Extranjeros in 1910 In 1910, the total number of extranjeros living in Mexico almost doubled to 117,108 persons. Although the largest number of natives continued to be from the Spain, Guatemala and the United States, natives of China increased almost fourfold from 2,660 in 1900 to 13,203 in 1910. The countries most represented by extranjeros in Mexico’s 1910 census were: In the 1910 census, 56,491 persons five years of age and older spoke some foreign language. The most widely spoken foreign language was English (with 24,480 English speakers), followed by Chinese (12,972 speakers), French (4,729), German (4,132) and Arabic (3,545). Extranjeros in 1921 Mexico experienced a violent revolution that caused widespread death, destruction and migration from 1910 to 1920. By the time the next census was taken in 1921, more than a million Mexicans had been killed and internal migration had displaced millions more. In 1921, the number of extranjeros dropped from 117,108 in 1910 to 101,312. The countries with the largest representation were:
As a general rule, many of the foreign populations decreased during the revolution as many people fled the country to escape the turmoil. The number of persons speaking foreign languages also dropped from 56,4391 in 1910 to 47,989 in 1921. The six most widely spoken foreign languages were:
Extranjeros in 1930 The number of extranjeros in Mexico increased from 101,312 in 1921 to 159,844 in 1930. The most represented countries were:
Arabic countries saw significant increases with several native populations well represented in the Mexican census: Saudi Arabia (4,435 natives), Lebanon (3,963) and Syria (5,159). However, speakers of foreign languages declined significantly from 47,989 to 8,223. The three most widely spoken languages were: English (5,134 speakers), Chinese (1,008) and German (503). The decline in foreign languages may have been due to a reluctance of individuals to admit that they spoke foreign languages, as well as assimilation of second-generation of Mexicans. Extranjeros in 1940 The total number of extranjeros in Mexico dropped dramatically from 159,844 in 1930 to 67,548 in 1940. As the older generation of immigrants died out, the Mexican-born children of the foreign-born individuals took their place as natives of Mexico, not a foreign country. The five countries with the largest representation in Mexico during this census year were:
Natives of Arab countries continued to make up a significant portion of the foreign natives: Lebanon (2,454 natives), Saudi Arabia (1,070) and Syria (1,041). Significant numbers of natives from the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the Soviet Union were also represented among the extranjeros. During this census, the number of people who spoke foreign languages also dropped from 8,223 in 1930 to 6,465 in 1940. German was the most widely spoken foreign language (with 5,111 speakers), followed by English (1,159 speakers). It is likely that many people tallied in the census simply did not admit that they spoke foreign languages. It is also possible that many of the 14,923 natives from Canada and the U.S. may actually have been the children of Mexican immigrants who returned to Mexico with their children during the repatriation of the 1930’s and in the aftermath of a devastating world-wide economic depression. Extranjeros in 1950 Between 1940 and 1950, the number of foreign-born residents in Mexico increased significantly from 67,548 to 106,015. The largest number of immigrants that had entered Mexico during the last decade came from the United States and Spain. For the first time, United States had the largest representation. The most widely represented countries were:
Other countries represented in significant numbers were France, Germany, Italy, Cuba, Japan, Lebanon and Poland. Speakers of foreign languages also increased dramatically from 6,465 in 1940 to 100,830 in 1950. The five most widely spoken languages correlated to some extent with the influx of natives:
Although the influx of English speakers correlated with the increase of immigrants from Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S., the number of German speakers (9,383) did not seem to match the number of German-born Mexicans (1,811), indicating possibly that second-generation German-Mexicans may have retained their German language skills. There seemed to be a similar phenomenon with French (5,975 French speakers compared to 1,088 French natives in Mexico). Chinese, on the other hand, seemed to correlate well between the two classifications. Extranjeros in 1960 Between 1950 and 1960, the number of foreign-born in Mexico more than doubled from 106,015 to 223,468. The United States had the largest number of natives, followed at a great distance by Spain, Guatemala and Germany, as indicated below:
Between 1950 and 1960, the number of persons speaking foreign languages also increased from 100,830 to 147,827. English speakers were the largest group (103,154), followed by French, German, Arabic, Japanese and Polish. Spanish-speakers from Spain, Guatemala and other Latin American countries, of course, would not be included as speakers of foreign languages and, as such, did not figure in the calculations for speakers of foreign languages. Between 1960 and 1970, the number of foreign-born in Mexico dropped for the first time from 223,468 to 192,208. The number of U.S.-born natives barely decreased from 97,902 to 97,248 while the number of Spanish immigrants dropped significantly from 49,637 to 31,038. Below is a tally of the extranjeros in Mexico at the time of the 1970 census:
One of the most notable increases took place among natives from a variety of Latin American countries. Immigration from 13 Latin American countries accounted for 24,561 foreign-born individuals in the 1970 census. Although a variety of reasons for this immigration may have instigated this enhanced movement, the flight of refuges from Castro’s Cuba probably played a role in placing Cuban-born nationals in fifth place. Extranjeros in 1980 Between 1970 and 1980, the number of foreign-born persons in Mexico increased from 192,208 to 268,900. Once again, natives from the United States made up the largest segment with 157,080 persons, followed by Spain (32,240). However, natives from 13 Latin American countries totaled 33,981 and made up 12.6% of all the foreign-born residents. The countries most represented by the extranjeros in the 1980 census were:
Extranjeros in 2000 At the time of the 2000 census, 492,617 extranjeros lived in Mexico. A total of 343,591 extranjeros were born in the United States, representing 69.75% of the entire immigrant population. The countries most represented by the extranjeros in the 2000 census were: 1. United States (343,591 natives) 2. Guatemala (23,957) 3. Spain (21,024) 4. Cuba (6,647) 5. Argentina (6,465) 6. Colombia (6,215) Immigrants from both the United States and the rest of the Americas constituted 87.5% of all extranjeros living in Mexico in 2000. However, Canada, France and Germany also continued to contribute several thousand of their natives to Mexico’s resident population. If current trends continue in the Twenty-First Century, it is likely that immigration from both the United States and Latin America will continue to constitute the largest number of extranjeros residing in Mexico. © 2008, John P. Schmal. All rights reserved. Sources: Departamento de la Estadística Nacional, "Annuario de 1930" (Tacubaya, D.F., Mexico, 1932), Secretaria de la Economia Nacional, Direccion General de Estadistica, "Annuario Estadistico de los Estados Unidos Mexicano" (1938-1972) Instituto Nacional de Estadística Geografía e Informática (INEGI), Censo de Poblacion y Vivienda de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos" (1980-2000). First published at: http://www.somosprimos.com/sp2007/spdec07/spdec07.htm
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By
John P. Schmal From
the earliest of times, religion has been an important element in the
life of the Mexican people. The pre-Hispanic indigenous inhabitants of Many
of the Mexican Indians adapted rather quickly to Catholicism but their
conversion was made easier as they were able to incorporate elements of
their old cultures and superstitions. This fusion of Catholicism with
some elements of the original traditions lead to what some persons call Folk
Catholicism, which provided many indigenous people with a
smoother transition to Christianity. This “Folk Catholicism” is
practiced in some parts of As
the Nineteenth Century progressed, Starting
in the 1830s, the Conservative Party, advocating the status quo, came
into direct conflict with the Liberal Party, which essentially sought to
reduce the power of the established order – the large landowners and
Catholic Church. Eventually, the Liberals gained control of the Federal
Government and enacted the Constitution of 1857, effectively abolishing
many of the Church’s special privileges. In 1878, schools were
secularized and during the next decade, religious institutions were
stripped of their legal status. Finally, in 1898, In
spite of these seemingly anti-Catholic government measures enacted over
a period of several decades, the vast majority of the Mexican people
remained staunchly Roman Catholic. By the time of the 1895 census, at
least 9,580 Catholic churches or temples existed throughout the land, in
contrast to only 189 Protestant churches. The states containing the most
Catholic Churches were: The
1900 Census Catholicism
in In
the 1900 census, twenty-three Mexican states boasted populations of 99%
or more Catholics. In fact, three states spread across different parts
of It
is believed that as many as one in eight Mexicans – almost two million
people – perished in the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). The 1921
census count reflects this decrease, as the population of The
Mexican Revolution represented a crisis of major proportions for all
elements of Mexican society, including the Catholic Church. One of the
major consequences of the Mexican Revolution was the Constitution of
1917. The articles of this constitution deprived the Catholic Church of
its traditional privileged position in Mexican society by secularizing
all primary education and requiring the registration of all clergymen
with the government (to regulate their “professional conduct”). During
the period from 1926 to 1932, the government of Jalisco changed hands
ten times. At one point, some 25,000 rebels had been mobilized to resist
the articles of the Constitution. The bloody conflict was formally ended
in June 1929. However, outbreaks of violence continued into the 1930s.
Over time, the uneasy relationship between the Church and state relaxed
considerably and, while the oppressive laws originally signed into law
by Calles remained on the books, little effort was made to enforce them. The
1930 Census By
the time of the 1930 census, the Cristero Rebellion had ended and
Mexican Catholicism -while greatly reduced in economic power and
influence - was still the religious creed of 16,179,667 individuals, who
made up 97.7% of the Mexican population. The population of the
Protestants, by now, had increased significantly, amounting to 130,322
individuals, equivalent to about 0.7% of the Mexican population. The
number of Buddhists had increased to 6,743, and the number of Jewish
believers reached 9,072 persons. In
the 1930 census, Querétaro had the largest percentage of Catholics
(99.54%), followed by Guanajuato (99.25%) and The
1950 Census The 1950 Mexican census counted 25,791,071 persons in all, of which 25,329,498 were Catholics, representing 98.21% of the total population. In the same census, the Protestant population had climbed to 330,111, now making up 1.28% of the population. The Jewish population also reached 17,574 persons. In
1950, the Catholic states with the largest percentage of Catholics were:
Querétaro (99.77%), Baja California Sur (99.69%), Guanajuato (99.67%),
and Colima (99.53%). The The
2000 Census In
the 2000 census, the It
is noteworthy that significant numbers of people in the southern states
had become Protestant in recent decades. The states with the largest
percentages of Protestants were: Sources:
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03/10/2019 04:52 PM