Gradual decline in black Mexican population.

Bobby Vaughn (bvaughn@leland.Stanford.EDU)
Wed, 17 Jan 1996 15:20:13 -0800 (PST)

I'm just tossing this out to see if anyone has any ideas. I'm interested
the different ways an ethnic community might deal with it's eventual
non-existence, at least with respect to race. Specifically, I'm talking
about black communities in southern Mexico, where by all accounts, a
generation ago, there were virtually no non-blacks in the immediate
region. What appears to be happening is an increasing immigration of
mestizo 'outsiders' to the area, and a subsequent increase in race
mixing. Add to this the flows of black mexicans to urban areas, as well
as the United States in search of economic opportunities, and we see the
complexion of the region changing rather starkly. (I wasn't there in the
past--this is just what people have told me.)

The questions I have are:

1) It appears as though the majority of the blacks in the area, despite
the demographic trend, are not alarmed or concerned, and in fact, those
who express any opinion one way or the other tend to be pleased
(improving the race, etc.). Is this what one might expect? Does this
happen in other places?

2) What would be some factors that might explain the different reactions
(positive, negative, indifferent) to a decline in the black population?

3) Do you have any ideas where I might look for some theorizing on the
subject, or any ethnographic accounts that are similar to what we're
dealing with here?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I might add, so there's no confusion: these black Mexicans are
comfortable with the idea of race, and the idea of blackness. In other
words, this isn't just me who is making these distinctions between black
and non-black; they do it themselves.

-Bobby


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Bobby Vaughn
Student, Ph.D. Program in Anthropology
Stanford University