Indigenous Immigrants from Latin America (IILA): Racial/Ethnic Identity in the U.S.

Abstract

In recent decades, migration from all corners of the world has created one of the most racially/ethnically diverse immigrant populations in the history of the United States. While today migratory flows are predominantly from Asia, immigrants from Latin America continue to make up the largest immigrant group in the United States. The influx of this group reflects the heterogeneity of the Latin American region, including Latin American immigrants who identify as indigenous in their countries of origin. Through a brief overview of how indigeneity, race, and ethnicity have been historically framed in Latin America, I discuss how Indigenous Immigrants from Latin American (IILA) position their indigeneity within their racial/ethnic identity in the United States. I consider how migration shapes indigenous identity and propose the use of Social Identity Theory (SIT) to explore how IILA negotiate a racial/ethnic identity while maintaining their indigeneity in a U.S. context.

The Impact of Childhood Growth Stunting and Post-Migration Dysbiosis on the Development of Metabolic Syndrome Among Indigenous Immigrant Mexican Women

“…Although indigenous people make up slightly more than 21% of the population of Mexico (INEGI, 2015), they are more likely to live in underserved rural areas with the higher rates of poverty (CDI, 2014). As frequent recipients of social and racial discrimination in Mexico (Bazo Veinrich, 2019), they are more likely to migrate to “el norte” in search of a better life. Although estimates vary, a large percentage of the Mexican immigrant population in the US has indigenous ancestry, particularly those who have immigrated since 2000.…”