The Afro-Mexican connection

For centuries, Mexico has downplayed its rich African heritage, and there've been some embarrassing  recent examples of Afro-Mexican culture clash.

But a new wave of academics, film makers and others are exploring the impact of African slaves in shaping Mexican history, music, art, food and culture. The March issue of the Mexico City English-language monthly Inside Mexico devotes its cover story to a look at the African descendants of the Costa Chica region of Mexico's Guerrero and Michoacán states.

This week, Mexico City is hosting its first festival of African cinema. A total of 47 feature and animated films and documentaries from 20 African countries are being screened, and a giant map of Africa is being displayed in the capital's Zócalo (central plaza) to help Mexicans get better acquainted with the continent that has given them such famous citizens as the Mexican War of Independence priest-hero José María Morelos, whom many historians believe was of African heritage.

Posted by Reed Johnson in Mexico City

Comments

[manuela cervantes]

Mexico's willingness to give information on Afro presence is amazing, because Afro Mex are purpesly secretive, i belive this is one of the main facts why we are now learning true the facts.Thank you Mexico

[Kenn Morris]

Although this is not an issue that I consider frequently, I was surprised one day waiting in the office of a Mexican government official to read the first article of Mexico's constitution: an Article prohibiting slavery, and the statement than any "foreign" slaves that might enter Mexico would immediately become free....

Standing in that office, I was a little embarassed that our own Constitution was not so clear about this. The beginning part of the text for Mexico's Constitution is below:

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Artículo 1 - Garantía de Igualdad Jurídica / Prohibición de la esclavitud / Prohibición de discriminación

Artículo 1.- En los Estados Unidos Mexicanos todo individuo gozará de las garantías que otorga esta Constitución, las cuales no podrán restringirse ni suspenderse, sino en los casos y con las condiciones que ella misma establece.

Está prohibida la esclavitud en los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Los esclavos del extranjero que entren al territorio nacional alcanzarán, por este solo hecho, su libertad y la protección de las leyes.

[Ron Wilkins]

Mexico's acknowledgement of its African presence and their positive influence on so many aspects of Mexican life is long overdue. It would also be helpful if the enormous support of Mexican people for enslaved Africans in Texas would be illuminated, as a way of easing rising tensions between both groups inside the United States.

Thank you.