In the remote northern region of Coahuila, Mexico, a small community is fighting to preserve a history that crosses borders and centuries. El Nacimiento, a rural village near the Sierra de Santa Rosa de Lima and less than 200 kilometres from Texas, is home to the Negros Mascogos, the only community in Mexico descended from enslaved Africans from the United States.
In a report published by El País, the village’s struggle to maintain its cultural identity is documented through the memories of its approximately 250 residents, who are working to protect traditions, stories and practices inherited from their ancestors. The community’s history is reflected in murals across the town, showing a journey that connects Africa, Florida and Mexico.
The ancestors of the Mascogos were displaced during the first half of the 19th century alongside Indigenous groups from Florida and other southern US states to territories that are now part of Oklahoma, during the period known as the Trail of Tears. The name Mascogo comes from a variation of Muskogee, the language of some Indigenous groups from Florida, reflecting the historical relationship between enslaved Africans and Native communities.
After escaping areas controlled by the US government and facing efforts to recapture and re-enslave them in Texas, the Mascogos crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico. Under the leadership of John Horse, known in Spanish as Juan Caballo, they negotiated with Mexican authorities, who granted them land along the Sabinas River in exchange for helping defend the border from Texas Rangers.
When slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865, some Mascogos returned north to reunite with relatives, creating a community that remained connected across the border. Today, those links continue, although stricter border controls have made contact with their sister community in Brackettville, Texas, more difficult. Each 19 June, the community in El Nacimiento celebrates Juneteenth, the date marking the end of slavery in the United States.
For decades, the Mascogos remained largely absent from Mexico’s national historical narrative. Their relationship with Mexican authorities changed in 2017, when they received official recognition as an Indigenous people. However, the classification created tensions with the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI), which placed them under the broader category of Afro-Mexican communities. Many Mascogos reject that label because of their distinct origins and historical experience compared with Afro-Mexican communities in other regions of the country.
Raúl Torralba, a community representative at municipal and national levels, told El País that Mascogo identity represents an ancestral connection rather than a bureaucratic classification. He described the community’s history as one rooted in the struggle of ancestors who fought for freedom and established their home in El Nacimiento.
Older generations remember a time when their identity was rarely discussed openly. Zulema Vázquez, born in 1948, recalled experiencing racist insults during her childhood and said that many traditions have disappeared over time. Traditional crops, foods and practices have declined, while drought has affected agriculture and the surrounding environment. However, she noted that the 19 June celebration remains a central event for the community.
The decline of traditional language has also affected cultural continuity. Santana Vázquez, 84, explained that an earlier form of speech known as “cascajo,” which combined English and Spanish, was once used in the community but is no longer spoken.
Migration has played a major role in reshaping El Nacimiento. Limited economic opportunities and a lack of stable employment pushed many residents to move to nearby towns or cross into Texas in search of work. Some, like Santana Vázquez, eventually returned after years abroad, maintaining connections with relatives and communities across the border.
A renewed effort to preserve Mascogo heritage began in 2021 with the creation of the Casa de la Cultura, founded by Corina Torralba after reconnecting with the history of the Black Seminole community in Texas. The centre was established to protect memories, teach traditional songs and provide a space for cultural activities.
Women have played a central role in maintaining the community’s traditions, passing down food, music and family histories. Young residents such as Arely Vázquez have become involved in preserving traditional songs, cuisine and historical knowledge. She told El País that protecting Mascogo culture is about preventing the loss of a connection to their ancestors.
The community’s future is also tied to environmental challenges. The Sabinas River, which helped sustain El Nacimiento, has suffered from drought, deforestation and the extraction of stones from its riverbed. Torralba warned that damage to the surrounding ecosystem threatens the water supply and the agricultural traditions that supported previous generations.
Despite decades of migration and cultural erosion, some Mascogos are choosing to remain or return. Torralba said his decision to come back was driven by a desire to protect the land and heritage of his people. For the community, preserving Mascogo identity remains an ongoing effort shaped by memory, migration and a continuing connection to the territory their ancestors fought to establish.
