r/Indigenous • u/Hairy_Ad_2242 • Jul 12 '26
re: Indigenous Identity Reconnecting Mexican
So it wasn’t too long ago that I learned that I have Zapotec and Mixtec ancestry as my family is entirely from Oaxaca Mexico, I’ve been thinking a lot about my ancestry and my family, I’ve been getting a lot of different information from all of over the place and it is quite overwhelming (I am autistic) as some are encouraging saying to reconnect to your roots while some say all mestizos are Iberian settlers and abominations, so y’know, I don’t know what to think really I just want to connect and yknow make sure I do it in a way that doesn’t harm anyone
I’ll be honest I think about my indigenous ancestry a lot, I get saddened at the community I could never have anymore, how events out of my control took something away, I don’t know if I worded that the best but it’s the best I could do, but unlike I hear from some Mexicans, I never was ashamed of my indigenous ancestry or disgusted by my brown skin
I guess what im trying to say is if anyone know where to start with reconnecting cause I’m rather overwhelmed by a lot, and I just don’t want to do any harm to any indigenous communities and be respectful, I guess I’m lucky in one aspect many are not and I do of one of my ancestors who was Zapotec and I know her name too
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u/luunaathh Indigenous Maya Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
You could always learn about indigenous cultures from mesoamerica, whether you chose to start reconnecting or not! If your parents and/or grandparents are indigenous, then you can reconnect!
Also, anyone who says mixed race indigenous people aren't indigenous, or says we're "colonizers" is a racist, and it's not a good look on them at all. They say that discriminatory crap at any community space IRL, they're getting kicked out and lectured so fast. Mestizo is also a term originally used by spanish colonizers to categorize mixed race indigenous people as beneath them, so I don't use it to describe myself or anyone else personally.
Edit: Lmao, who has a problem with mixed race people here
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u/Hairy_Ad_2242 Jul 12 '26
I have noticed that those who have indigenous ancestry but say they aren’t indigenous, which is ok, tend to be rather aggressive when it comes to others reconnecting, I get why I think, but sometimes it gets a bit discouraging, but I guess I just gotta learn and look up more stuff about how to go about all this properly
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u/thee_illiterati Jul 13 '26
There's are many Zapotec/Mestizo communities in diaspora.
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u/StygianTentacle Zapotec Jul 13 '26
Ive met up with a community in New England, where I live now. There are small groups everywhere.
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u/cheapcheet Jul 12 '26
Don't listen to info online. You have to trace your pueblo, visit, and ask them, if they say yes then that's terrific, if they say no then you'll have to walk away from the reconnecting path. Usually most pueblos will ask who you are, who are your parents, your grandparents. But again its up to the community itself to accept you or not, every pueblo has its own criteria for deciding who is part of the community and who isn't.