Making the Black Past Present: Mexico

In 2020 the Mexican government conducted its census and incorporated African descendants into the categories of race and ethnicity, which had not been done since the 1830s. In this census, more than 2.5 million people self-identified as African descendant. Some media outlets and individuals attributed this high number to recent arrivals from West Africa or from the Caribbean especially in places like Mexico City. This talk demonstrates that African descendants have had a significant presence in the nation of Mexico, not only currently but in the colonial period and during the transition to independence. African descendants were not just physically present. They held significant roles socially, impacted economic systems throughout Mexico, were central in political discussion and held a critical space for the African diaspora outside of Mexico’s borders. This talk shows how history is crucial to illuminate the seemingly invisible. And it explores a variety of archival documents such as census records, political discourse, ship records and travel narratives combined with different methodologies to paint a vivid picture of African descendant’s presence in Mexican history allowing for a better understanding of today. 

Professor Beau Gaitors is a historian of modern Latin America with an emphasis on African descendants in the nineteenth century. Their research specifically explores the process of abolition, political and economic positions of African descendants, and the socio-cultural experiences of African descendants in Mexico during this timeframe. He earned his Ph.D. in Latin American History at Tulane University and spent one year as a Fulbright Fellow in Mexico (COMEXUS 2013-2014) conducting research on African descendants in Mexico.

His current book project examines the history of Afro-Mexicans in the early independence period. The book argues that Mexico’s African descendant population provides a crucial window into the political, social, and economic realities of the African diaspora in the nineteenth century. Professor Gaitors also has research interests focused on tropical disease and eradication in nineteenth and extends to early twentieth-century Latin America. This research engages the question: How did a variety of political actors discuss tropical diseases, such as yellow fever and malaria, and what specific preventative measures they enacted among varying groups of citizens?

Prior to coming to the University of Tennessee, Professor Gaithors taught at Winston-Salem State University where he taught courses on the African diaspora, Atlantic history, historical methods, and led study abroad experiences to Cuba to explore the island’s African descendant history. At the University of Tennessee, he teaches courses on Afro-Latin America, Mexico, and Modern Latin America.