Indigenous Mexican Americans orMexican American Indians are American citizens who culturally identify with theIndigenous peoples of Mexico. Indigenous Mexican-Americans usually speak anIndigenous language as their first language and may not speak either Spanish or English. Indigenous Mexican-Americans may or may not identify as "Hispanic" or "Latino". While some identify asMexican and Indigenous, others instead solely identify with their Indigenous nation/community/culture.

California is home to a large and growing population of Indigenous people of Mexican birth or descent. 200,000 people in the state are descended from one or more of Mexico's over 60 Indigenous groups.^[1] Many of these Indigenous Mexican-Americans hail from theIndigenous people of Oaxaca, with California being home to between 100,000 and 150,000 Indigenous Oaxacans. 50,000 are estimated to beMixtec, an Indigenous people from theLa Mixteca region of WesternOaxaca and nearby portions ofPuebla andGuerrero.^[2]

The slur "Oaxaquita" ("Little Oaxacan") is a derogatory term that is used by Spanish-speaking Mexican-Americans against Indigenous Mexican-Americans. The term carries the connotation that being from Oaxaca is negative and is often also used against any Mexican-American who is short orfat. The slur "indito" ("little Indian") is also used against Indigenous Mexican-Americans. Indigenous Mexican-Americans have been subjected to ridicule, derision, stereotyping, teasing, bullying, and other forms of discrimination and abuse by non-Indigenous Mexican-Americans. Additionally discrimination against Indigenous people can come from those who have assimilated by adopting the Spanish or English languages, despite largely Indigenous ancestry, who look down upon Indigenous people who have preserved their language and culture. Dynamics ofracism and discrimination that exist within Mexico also exist within Mexican-American immigrant communities.^[3]

Discrimination against Indigenous Oaxacan and Mixtec people can also come from Mexican-Americans who, although also coming from an Indigenous Mexican background, have stopped speaking aMixtecan or other Indigenous language. Those who have assimilated by adopting the Spanish or English languages may look down upon Indigenous people who have preserved their language and culture.^[4]

Inclandestinely recorded audio leaked to the public, erstwhile president of theLos Angeles City CouncilNury Martinez, a mestiza, mocked the Oaxacan community inKoreatown, saying "I see a lot of little short dark people there," whom she described as ugly.^[5] She stepped down from her position as city council president and faced wide calls to resign from the city council.^[6]

• Binational Center for the Development of Oaxacan Indigenous Communities official website
• Media related toIndigenous Mexican Americans at Wikimedia Commons

• Indigenous Mexican diaspora in the United States
• Mixtec

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