In this work Raymond Hall provides the reader with a rich account of daily life for communities of African descent in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. An assistant professor in Africana and Black Studies at Central Washington University, Hall uses ethnographic methods such as participant observation, interviews, archival research, and the analysis of cultural material to examine the African Diaspora and its influences on local identity in this Mexican community.

Hall begins with a rich description of the place and space at the heart of his research, which encompasses the northern region of Veracruz state. Once situated both historically and geographically in his field site, Hall continues to strengthen his introduction by presenting the reader with information on his key consultants and their subsequent role in crafting his field experience. In addition to in-depth interviews, Hall uses the local historian and church archives, which include baptismal records, to help establish a pattern of residence for African slaves and their descendants in this area. He then provides contemporary examples of lived folklore with strong links to this African heritage. These include ritual dances such as La Danza de los Negritos, festivals, and an analysis of local culinary specialties such as yucca, plantain, and squash.

Shaping Hall’s research agenda is his commitment to uncover the presence of the African Diaspora in Mexico and in particular to identify the Afromestizo in this Veracruz community. By documenting folk traditions, Hall’s research works to fill the gap on people of African descent in this part of the world. In addition, Hall proposes that his work goes beyond Mexico’s borders to broaden the scope of African American Studies to include the African Diaspora in Mexico.

Hall’s work aptly demonstrates the existence of the African Diaspora in these Mexican communities, and in doing so he sheds light on a part of Mexico’s past and present that is often made invisible. In addition to Hall’s ability to highlight local voices in his research, one of the strengths of this work is found in the presentation of a detailed case study, which illustrates both the historical and contemporary influences that contribute to this unique local identity. This work also illustrates how collective community memory can be addressed through performances that include detailed dances and festivals. This approach is unique in its attempt to demonstrate how telling, remembering, witnessing, and performing memory also work to craft local identity for this community. While the inclusion of individual community voices helps to enhance the rich ethnographic methodology used in this research, there is a heavy reliance on one or two consultants that diminishes the overall strength of the work. Readers will appreciate Hall’s attempt to describe this community, citing a wide variety of terms such as Afromestizo, Afro-Mexican, negro, and moreno; however, given the diverse socio-cultural and historical significance of each word, a stronger analysis of this terminology is necessary.

Hall’s research makes an important contribution to the contemporary study of the African Diaspora in Mexico and provides integral supporting evidence for other scholarship focused on the historical impact of slavery during the colonial years (see Cruz-Carretero, Lewis, Rowell, Vaughn, Vinson). In addition, research on the African Diaspora in Mexico often focuses on the Pacific Costa Chica area comprising the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca; thus, Hall’s focus on the Gulf state of Veracruz adds a new dimension to this discussion. Raymond Hall’s An Ethnographic Study of Afro-Mexicans in Mexico’s Gulf Coast: Fishing, Festivals, and Foodways, uncovers the essence of this Veracruz community by highlighting the voices of locals and validating the experiences of this marginalized community. It works to bridge local voices with a critical analysis based in rich ethnographic research while simultaneously broadening the scope of the African Diaspora in the Americas.

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[Review length: 621 words • Review posted on May 19, 2009]