Mixtecos in North America

MIXTECOS are Mexican natives, and are the fourth largest native group in Mexico. They come from the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico (see map) where a diverse population of 17 ethnic groups live, including descendants from African slave populations who live on the coast.

Nearly 70 percent of the region's young people leave their villages and families and relocate to cities in Mexico and to the USA (California: Northwestern San Diego County, Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County), Bakersfield, Harbin and Lamont (Kern County), Selected towns in western Tulare County, Selected towns from Kernan and Biola eastward in Fresno County, Madera and environs, Parts of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, New York and many other states and Canada (Ontario).

A study financed by the Ford Foundation, via the Rural Economic Policy Program at the Aspen Institute was done canvassing the rural areas of California looking for Mixtecos farm workers during August and September 1991. (Source: http://www.cirsinc.org/executive_sumaries/a_survey_of_oaxacan_village_netw.htm )

It was determined that the Mixtecos make up 5 percent of the California agricultural labor force The conclusion was that a reasonable estimate of the peak-season population of Mixtecos in California might approach 50,000. (That was in 1991) The study also found some conclusions about Mixtecos demographics in California: a) the majority of Mixtecos are unaccompanied men of prime working age. Of those who are married (67 percent), 55 percent have wives and/or children currently living in Mexico, either in Oaxaca, Mexico City, or the agro-export regions of Sinaloa and Baja California. b) Some Mixtecos families live full-time in the United States, and return to Mexico only for brief visits. They have children who were born and attend school in the United States, and who speak Spanish, English, and only occasionally Mixtecos as well. (Source: http://www.cirsinc.org/pub/mixtec.html ) There is a Mixtecos Organization functioning in NYC (please visit their website: www.mixteca.org )

Since the census bureau does not gather data on individual people groups, it is hard to calculate a precise number of Mixtecos in the United States and Canada. From the above report about California and other pockets of Mixtecos we can estimate that there are over 100,000 Mixtecos living in the United States and Canada. Southern Baptists have several Mixteco churches in Florida, California, and the Northwest. They are often categorized as Hispanics, but are indigenous Indian groups from southern Mexico.

We pray that many churches in California and throughout North America will intentionally reach out to the Mixtecos people working and living in North America.

For additional information and assistance with strategy development contact:

North American Mission Board
Church Planting Group
Implementation Team
4200 North Point Parkway
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Telephone: (770) 410-6000
peoplegroups@namb.net