Belize’s Cultural Diversity WRITTEN BY: G. MICHAEL BOWEN
“Like the reef and rainforest that provide for us in Belize, our variance is our strength.” Like the ecosystems that flourish here, the ethno-cultural landscape of the country is rich, vibrant, and diverse. From the Maya and Garifuna, to the Mestizo, Mennonite, and Creole, Belize is a medley of cultures, ethnicities, and people. This diversity makes Belize beautiful, and also distinctly resilient. In our globalized society, with international travel as a large factor,
cultures from around the world are mixing with one another and intermingling. But in Belize, a mixing of cultures has been the norm for quite some time. In fact, a number of the most recognized ethnic groups represented in Belize are a blending of races. The Mestizo people, for example, are a mix of Spanish colonials with Maya native peoples of the region. In the story of Gonzalo Guerrero, the Spanish conquistador is captured by a Maya King, but soon earns the ruler’s respect and marries the princess. The three children born to this unlikely pair are recognized as the first recorded Mestizo people in history. Today, the Mestizo are now the single largest ethnic group in Central America, and make up roughly half the population of Belize. Another cultural group of Belize with mixed origins are the Garifuna. The Garifuna can trace their roots to a group of West African slaves that shipwrecked off the coast of St. Vincent, and then intermixed with the native Arawak Indians. Later, they were forced to migrate to the Caribbean coast of Central America. As evidence of their resiliency they took to the sea, seeking out a new home in foreign lands. What started as a group of roughly two thousand has now grown into a world population of over half a million, living in Central America and beyond.
PHOTO CREDIT: BELIZE TOURISM BOARD
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