After years of lobbying, the 1.4 million Afro-Mexicans have been acknowledged by their government. A newly released short video gives a glimpse of the history of Afro-Mexicans, who have only recently been counted in the country’s census.
For many years this race of people had been classified as Indigenous and not properly treated equally, according to activists. By ignoring the existence of a group of people, the government can deny services causing institutional racism. Director General Miguel Cervera said, “These groups want to count statistically, so they can solicit government or institutional support.”
The activist group Mexico Negro lobbied in 2015 to get the group added to the national census. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Spanish and Portuguese brought slavery to Mexico, where many Afro-Mexicans originate from.
10 Photos of the Afro-Mexican Experience
The Instituto Nacional de Estadístíca y Geografía (INEGI) finally added the option to the national census this year. Check out the video below.