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Paper short abstract:

Where are the traces of the Afro-descendant population after the Mexican Revolution? While official sources have no record of ethnicity, social revolts in Veracruz shed light on the racialization of some lower-class women who demanded their right to land and better working conditions.

Paper long abstract:

The erasure of the African enslaved population in Mexico is especially tangible in the twentieth century. It is owed, partly, to the national idea of a homogeneous nation conceived since the Independence but strengthened and rooted in racial ideas since the Revolution. A historical gap exists; although it is acknowledged that Mexico, like all of Latin America, possesses a historical African heritage as a recipient of enslaved populations, written records from the 19th and 20th centuries fail to document it adequately. This is particularly striking for certain regions of Mexico, including Veracruz, the main entrance port for slave ships and known for its “black heritage”.

Throughout the 20th century, the prevailing notion was that all Mexicans were mestizos. The fight against racism primarily focused on reclaiming indigenous roots, while the folklorization of African-rooted traditions and other elements contributed to simplifying the national narrative, simultaneously invisibilizing the long-standing presence of the Afro-descendant population.

This paper aims to trace the remnants of this population, recognizing that once freed, afro-descendants integrated into the broader population. However, instead of joining the elite, the vast majority became part of the lower social class and participated in social movements, such as agrarian and workers' revolts in the state of Veracruz after the Revolution. Because of the absence of specific "afro" or "black" organizations due to the mestizaje premise, this analysis focuses on the racial prejudices emanating from the elite.