Greek Mexican
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
248 Greece-born residents (2015) est.1,500 families of Greek descent |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Sinaloa, Mexico City, Guadalajara | |
| Languages | |
| Mexican Spanish and Greek | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Greeks and Greek diaspora |
Greek Mexicans (Greek: Ελληνομεξικανοί) are Mexican residents of either full or partial Greek descent. The largest Greek communities are in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Sinaloa. Smaller numbers of Greeks can be found in Aguascalientes, Acaponeta, Tepic, and Pachuca.
Greeks have immigrated to Mexico since the 18th century, with the largest influx arriving in the mid-20th century and settling in Mexico City, Sinaloa state, and border cities. While many had left Greece due to war and political instability in Greece, the Mexican government also offered incentives for Greeks to work in Mexico, specifically in Sinaloa. During the 1940s, the Mexican government invited a large number of Greeks to Sinaloa to improve harvest of tomatoes. Soon the Greek community became so large that the area around the Tamazula, Humaya, and Culiacán rivers became known as the "Valle de Grecia" (“Valley of Greece”). Today, Sinaloa has a heavy Greek presence, and Greek surnames are very common in the state. Greek Mexican families can also be found in other major cities around the republic, such as Mexico City and Guadalajara. Included are Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians, who became adjusted to Mexican society because of the linguistic similarities between Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian, and Spanish, as well as Latin identity of Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians.
Statistics regarding exact number of Greek people in Mexico vary greatly, especially due to the different numbers for native-born Greeks and for Mexicans of Greek descent. The only official number is of native-born Greeks, which stood at 298 at the time the Mexican national census of 2000. When including descendants of Greeks, published estimates range from 1,000 to 4,000 individuals.
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