Speaker

Braulio Guemez
Graduate Student, Sociology
Duke University

Abstract

Research on state race-making has focused on the international politics of ethnoracial measurement and the creation of census categories. However, less focus has been given to how states design and use ethnoracial statistics. I address this gap by tracing the evolution of the Indigenous self-identification question in Mexican censuses. I also analyze how state institutions use these data, along with the Indigenous language question, in electoral districting, infrastructure planning, and demographic reporting. Using 24 years of archival data and 51 interviews with decision-makers, I demonstrate that the Indigenous category is highly flexible, changing over time and among institutions in response to state interests. When defining the statistical boundaries of the Indigenous population, Indigenous representatives within the state seek to expand the category to increase their bureaucratic influence. However, this conflicts with the interests of the state's technical branches, which aim to maintain political neutrality and efficiency, leading to compromises. Conversely, when the goal is to allocate socioeconomic resources, officials promote normative beliefs about who qualifies as Indigenous, influenced by their disciplinary and political backgrounds. The article unpacks what appears to be a fragmented and inconsistent classification system, shedding light on how multiple political goals collectively “make race” in contemporary Mexico.