Verv wrote:This is kind of interesting.
When they spoke about the Taino all dying off, I assume it was in the sense that this tribal identity had entirely disappeared, right? There would no longer be anyone that we could point to and say "this is a Taino."
In a sense, the fact that it genetically remains influential is irrelevant. It does not mean that the culture or the language becomes relevant again.
But I also agree with you, Tainari, that it does mean that they do live on in another sense. It is certainly relevant that their bloodline is preserved. We know, to some degree, what the Taino people looked like through them. And there is something beautiful about that, isn't there?
I am curious, Tainari... Obviously, there is a castizo population which is going to have very little Taino blood, and then there will be the mestizos that have significant amounts, perhaps in excess of 60-70% often. Do you think there are some people left who have 90% Taino blood?
There are still native Nahuatl speakers in Mexico, and in Guatemala there are those whose first language is Mayan... I imagine there are some people who and some villages with very high percentage of native blood, but even still, maps that I have seen really do emphasize just how much Mexicans are European, with the average Guadalajaran being a castizo.
There are no more cultural Tainos. What I mean by that is that if any Puerto Rican says they speak fluent Taino or Arawak language and that they live and preserve the traditions, religion, and context of the Taino language and culture? They would be lying to you Verve.
Genetically there are Tainos. But 90% would be a stretch. The majority of Puerto Ricans are mostly Spanish fathers from Southern Spain port cities like the Canary Islands, Andalucia, Valencia, etc. The four top port cities that did a lot of trade with San Juan were Cadiz, Malaga, Tenerife, and Sevilla (Seville). And either West African mothers from the following nations: Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Eastern Guinea, and a couple of other West African nations including Senegal. Spanish fathers with an African mother was very common. So were Taino mothers and Spanish fathers. African fathers with Indian mothers were common as well. But Puerto Rico got a big flood of Spanish, Irish, Italian, and Catalan blood....and Venezuelan creoles as well in the 19th century. Cuba got some Chinese immigrants. But Puerto Rico's Chinese workers died in a hurricane and were drowned in a ship lost in the hurricane. They never made it.
Mexico has enormous amounts of mestizos. Castizos? A bit less. But many people don't know that Mexico is home to a HUGE Lebanese community and also Jewish as well and German and Austrian, and French and Mennonite, and native Indigenous....Mexico has a very large immigrant population. The state of Hidalgo has a lot of Welsh background Mexicans. Hidalgo had large silver mines, so did Zacatecas but Hidalgo had silver mines galore....and the people from Wales in the UK had a lot of unemployed Welsh shepherds, miners and etc. They went to the state of Hidalgo and made homes there and lives there. If you visit the state of Hidalgo? You order 'los pastes' it is really Welsh 'Pasties" or little filled pies or turnovers savory or sweet and they are popular due to the Welsh background Mexicans. In the Maldives in Argentina whole towns speak Welsh still. In Mexico he Welsh language was assimilated, you got Welsh faces speaking Mexican style Spanish.
The Venezuelans have enormous amounts of Italians. Argentina got a lot of people from Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Jews, Arabs, everyone really.
The Caribbean isles got a lot of West Africans. I would say the biggest cultural difference between the Mexicans and the Puerto Ricans is that Puerto Ricans are generally more European but their souls are African. And the Mexicans are more Indian and have a European influence but their souls are Indian.
That is more accurate.
- By wat0n
- By paeng