This article discusses the age-old question of how many languages are spoken in Mexico? The answer is not an easy one because none of the sources are in agreement about that topic. This article will discuss INALI’S three-tiered approach to Mexico’s languages, as well as the estimates provided by other sources.

This article explores the genealogy and history of a mixed-race family within its historical context. It includes discussions of past events, social norms, and terminology that were used during different periods. We approach these historical aspects with the intention of providing historical insights. We aim to foster understanding of diverse historical experiences while respecting sensitivities.

Before delving into the historical intricacies of the Mexican Casta system, it is crucial to acknowledge the sensitive nature of this topic. The Casta system, with its complex layers and implications, was a product of colonial rule that deeply influenced societal structures and racial perceptions. Studying this part of history is not an endorsement of its principles but a recognition of its significant impact on the formation of modern Mexican society and culture. Understanding our past, however uncomfortable, is essential for appreciating the diversity and resilience of cultures shaped by historical events.

Mexico’s 2020 Population and Housing Census was conducted in March 2020. More than 147,000 interviewers traveled the nearly two million square kilometers of the national territory, visiting all Mexican households to obtain information about the demographic, socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of the people of each state. Finally, in January 2021, Mexico proudly became the first country in the world to announce the results of its 2020 census. The censuses of many other countries had to be delayed or postponed because of the COVID Pandemic.

Exploring the genealogy of an Indigenous family in Ayutla, Jalisco, throughout the 17th and 18th centuries highlights the vital role of post-1800 baptism records from Jalisco in advancing genealogical research. Ayutla, situated within Jalisco, was home to Indigenous communities fluent in Náhuatl and Cuyuteco languages. This journey reveals intriguing patterns, where some Indigenous individuals maintained consistent surnames across generations, while others embraced surnames solely upon marriage or the birth of their children.

According to Professor Jürgen Buchenau, Mexico has proven to be a "salad bowl," instead of a "melting pot“ mainly because "most immigrant families sought to retain their native languages and customs.“ Many of the European immigrant groups in Mexico – with the possible exception of the Spaniards – formed “enclaves” in which they could maintain their own cultural integrity.

Today, more than 7 million of Mexico’s 126 million people speak 364 Indian linguistic variants (dialects), but almost 90% of those people are bilingual, speaking both Spanish and an Indigenous language. Those who do not speak Spanish are called monolingual.

When Spanish soldiers arrived in Mexico in 1519, native people ranged through every part of the country that was eventually made into a colony of Spain. It is estimated that at least 200 languages were spoken through this entire area at the time.

According to Professor Jürgen Buchenau, Mexico has proven to be a "salad bowl," instead of a "melting pot“ mainly because "most immigrant families sought to retain their native languages and customs.“ Two of the largest immigrant groups in Mexico were the Germans and the French and many of them formed “enclaves” in which they could maintain their own cultural integrity.

“The Indians of Southern California’s Interior” will explore the Native American people that inhabited Southern California’s mountains and deserts. While the Spanish mission system dominated the coastal area, the interior of California was settled more slowly and the conquest of these inland Indians took more time. Today, nearly three dozen Indian reservations lie within this area. The region from San Diego to San Bernardino counties will be discussed.

Mexico’s 2020 Population and Housing Census was conducted in March 2020. More than 147,000 interviewers traveled the nearly two million square kilometers of the national territory, visiting all Mexican households to obtain information about the demographic, socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of the people of each state.

According to Professor Jürgen Buchenau, Mexico has proven to be a "salad bowl," instead of a "melting pot." Why?: Largely due to the fact that "most immigrant families sought to retain their native languages and customs." Although the British, French, Americans, Germans and Chinese have been the largest foreign ethnic groups in Mexico in the Twentieth Century, they tended to form enclaves, or “colonies,” in which they could maintain their own cultural integrity. For most of these groups, only after two or three generations did their descendants blend into the Mexico’s Spanish-speaking population.

The German Merchant Colony in Mexico

Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821 after an eleven-year armed struggle against that European nation which had colonized it since 1519. The subsequent period from 1821 to 1876 was a period of great instability and economic stagnation for Mexico. During this period Mexico was ravaged by civil wars between rival generals, as well as foreign wars against other countries (Spain, United States, France).

Mexico’s 2020 Population and Housing Census was conducted in March 2020. More than 147,000 interviewers traveled the nearly two million square kilometers of the national territory, visiting all Mexican households to obtain information about the demographic, socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of the people of each state.

This presentation will discuss the ECPP database, with suggestions on how to use it. To the beginner, this database -- with dozens of search fields -- seems challenging and confusing, but John Schmal will describe how to use it effectively, and after that will do selected searches to show examples of baptism and marriage documents of California Mission Indians and of Mexican soldiers and their families.

This presentation explores the Native American people that inhabited Southern California in the 18th Century. The region from San Diego to Santa Barbara will be discussed. The current status of these tribes in the present day will also be discussed.

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.

Most people are not very aware of the presence of African slaves in colonial Mexico. In fact, some people believe that the influence of the African to Mexican culture is negligible at best. But the African laborer actually played an important and very indispensable role in the economic success of colonial Mexico. And, in some parts of Mexico, the African made cultural contributions.

Several estimates of the Mexican population in the late colonial period have been made. Present-day analysts suggest that the 1810 census was over estimated by nearly one-fifth. As noted below, roughly 60% of the population was indigenous in both 1793 and 1810. Persons identified as Spanish (white) who were born in Mexico – not Spain – represented nearly 18% of the population. Individuals of mixed origins (mestizos) represented one-fifth of the population.

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.