Natives in South & Central America: Mexicans Aren’t Native Americans?
How Come Mexicans Aren’t Considered Native Americans?
This is quite interesting. I came across this when I was searching up who the Natives are in South & Central America. This was an answer provided by someone on Yahoo Answers: “There are two terms in history and anthropology books. Mexicans is a nationality of many races, but about 30 Million of its population is native American, notice that the lower case was use in native. Indians from the United States are termed Native Americans with a capital letter in Native. All the people before the Spanish and English arrive are native American. In fact, all the populations in Canada, The United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean share the same genetics because they all came from one place, Siberia. Around 25,000-12,000 years ago when the ice caps where still intact, there was a bridge that connected Asia to the American Landmass (North, Central, and South America) people who crossed the land bridge settled all the land all the way from Alaska to South America.
These Archaic Indians were all nomadic and all shared similar cultures specially the Clovis and Folsom cultures. First, they settled the North America, Mexico, then Central and finally South America. The tribes in the United States and Canada remained mostly nomadic, while the Indians that settled in Mexico and Central America built empires like the Aztecs, Maya, and Inca. These three tribes developed agriculture and new technology that would spread north into what is presently the United States. Corn, beans, tomatoes, chili peppers all made it to North American tribes from the Valley of Mexico. All the natives of Canada, The United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America are all the same Indians just that they developed different cultures. Genetically, Linguistically and to some extent culturally are the same.
In fact, the language that the Aztecs spoke belongs to the Ute-Aztecan language family which is the largest Indian language family in Mexico, Central America, and The United States. Today’s Mexicans speak Spanish because they were conquered by the Spaniards and where Hispanized and their languages and cultures were erased by the Catholic priest who converted them. Although this happened, still about 20 Million Mexicans speak Native languages specially Nahuatl and Mayan and some other dialects. Many tribes of the American Southwest and Great Basin speak the same dialects that are related to Aztec language. There is Mexican nationalism because to be Mexican is a nationality. There is large percentage of Mexicans that do not like to be called Indians, but there are also Millions who are Indians and accept it. There is Indian nationalism in many Mexican states, especially in the Yucantan and the state of Chiapas, who revolted and started a movement to ceased from Mexico.
They view themselves as Indians and as native Americans, called this Indians “Mexicans” or “Spanish” and they will punch you in the face. 30 % of Mexicans are pure Indian, 60 % is Mixed Blood, 10 % is White (Spanish, French and German descent). The countries with the most Indians are Peru and Guatemala. All these people are native Americans just like the Native Americans in the United States, they are all related. I suggest looking up North American Indians and South American Indians on the internet so you can learn more on the subject and see that all these people have a common root. Look on the map for answers. America is not a country. America is a landmass which includes North and South America. The United States just carries America in its name, that does not mean that it is America. Read it carefully it read The United States OF America, the name claims that it is part of America, not that it is America.
It clearly shows that our country’s name is the United States and that is part of the continent of America.
Source(S)
Anthropologist and 100% Lempa Indian. I work with many Native American tribes in the Southwest and in Oklahoma. I was born in Central America. Indians in the United States who I worked with consider me Native American because Indian is just not looking it, it is a way of life. I speak English, Spanish, Nahuiltzalco Dialect, and I am trying to learn Navajo. In the US, there thousands of fake wannabe Indians that real Indians in the Rez called “Card Indians” who claimed they are Indians and are Whiter than Obama’s Irish mother.”
How Come Mexicans Aren’t Considered Native Americans? | Other Answers (13) | Socrates answered 3 years ago | Answers.Yahoo.Com | Discover why Mexicans aren’t classified as Native Americans, exploring history, culture, and genetics connecting Indigenous peoples across the Americas.
How Come Mexicans Aren’t Considered Native Americans?
This question often stirs curiosity: with a shared lineage across the Americas, why aren’t Mexicans typically included under the term “Native American”? The answer, rooted in historical, linguistic, and cultural distinctions, unveils how colonial history shaped identities across the continent.
The Roots of Identity in the Americas
All Indigenous peoples across North, Central, and South America share ancestry traced to early populations that migrated from Siberia to the American continents 12,000 to 25,000 years ago. This migration, facilitated by the Bering land bridge, brought people who would develop distinct, yet related cultures as they spread from Alaska to South America. For instance, the Clovis and Folsom cultures, early hunter-gatherer communities, shared practices and tools across the continents.
However, regional adaptations soon emerged. While many Native American tribes in what is now the United States and Canada remained largely nomadic, Indigenous groups in Mexico, such as the Aztecs and Mayans, developed extensive civilizations and advanced agriculture, with crops like corn and beans eventually spreading northward. Their achievements, including advancements in mathematics, astronomy, and architecture, reflect a complex heritage deeply tied to the land.
Colonial Labels and Cultural Shifts
The terms we use today — such as “Native American” — stem primarily from post-colonial constructs. In the United States, “Native American” became an umbrella term after European settlement, while Mexican Indigenous identity evolved uniquely under Spanish colonization. Many Indigenous groups in Mexico adopted the language, religion, and customs of the Spanish, leading to a new mestizo (mixed) culture. Although more than 20 million Mexicans still speak Indigenous languages like Nahuatl and Maya, Mexican nationality is often seen as a broader identifier that blends Indigenous, Spanish, and other heritages.
Genetic and Cultural Connections
Despite differences, genetic studies show that Indigenous populations across the Americas, from Canada to Chile, share a significant genetic foundation. The Aztec language family even includes ties with Indigenous languages spoken in the southwestern United States, demonstrating the cultural and linguistic bridges across the regions.
The Modern Perspective on Native Identity
Today, Mexican identity encompasses diverse backgrounds, with about 30% of Mexicans identifying as Indigenous. However, not all self-identify as Native Americans, partly due to the distinct history, language, and national identity shaped by the country’s complex colonial past. For some, Indigenous identity is a matter of heritage and tradition, while for others, it’s about self-empowerment and connection to ancient roots.
In sum, while the term “Native American” has specific connotations in the U.S. and Canada, Mexicans with Indigenous heritage embody the rich, shared history of Indigenous peoples across the Americas, even if classified differently. This layered identity celebrates the deep cultural and genetic connections that bind Indigenous peoples across the Western Hemisphere.
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