MEXICO CITY – Racism on Mexican social media has evolved from mere jokes and class-based prejudices into a tool for political confrontation and, more recently, a means of linking skin color to criminal activity, according to a new study presented by civil society organizations.
Catalina Rolle, a data analyst at the Fundación Interpreta, explained that the report, titled “Racistómetro,” analyzes 14,153 mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter) between January 2010 and December 2025. The study highlights how various “political, media, and cultural milestones” have conditioned the trajectory of racism in Mexico over the last 15 years.
“Racial insults have become a tool for political fighting. Terms like ‘chairo’ (aligned with the left) or ‘prietos rateros’ (thieves of color) have emerged. Furthermore, many of those who write these comments do not perceive them as racist,” Rolle emphasized.
Rolle insisted that humor continues to function as a “shield,” noting that a significant portion of racism circulates as a joke. She warned, however, that the problem intensifies when a “racist joke” eventually morphs into a “cultural reference.” To categorize these mentions, Rolle identified six primary areas: colorism and phenotype; ethnocentrism and indigenous identity; Afro-Mexicanity and invisibility; racialized classism and urbanism; whiteness and defensive discourse; and workplace and service environments.
Evolution of Digital Hostility
The “Racistómetro” divides the study into three distinct phases:
- 2010–2015: This period was dominated by “humor and social class” as the primary triggers for racism.
- 2016–2020: During this stage, racial insults were increasingly weaponized as political tools. This coincided with the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), a victory that deeply “polarized” the population.
- 2021–2025: This period, marked by an increase in violence and narco-violence in Mexico, saw a surge in comments associating skin color with criminal behavior.
During this final period, Rolle noted the emergence of “whiteness and defensive discourse.” The study observed that skin color has regained relevance in mentions by white people—popularly known in Mexico as “whitexicans”—often in response to growing anti-racist discourse in the country.
“The fact that there is a reaction indicates that anti-racist discourse has gained a public presence, although not necessarily in a beneficial direction for those who actually experience racism,” she clarified.
The Mechanism of Hate
Looking at the regional context, Tomás Lawrence, Executive Director of Fundación Interpreta, noted that the organization has spent a decade analyzing xenophobia and racism in Latin America.
“What we have learned is that the target of these expressions changes, but the communication mechanism remains the same: nationalism, understood as the question, ‘What fits in this space that is ours and ours?’” Lawrence highlighted.
He further explained that due to the rise of the far-right, the foundation is monitoring hate speech on social media against migrants, women, indigenous people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and Afro-descendants. These expressions are classified into four levels: “stereotyping, insulting, dehumanization, and incitement to violence.”
“Women receive significantly more hostility, though most of these expressions are insults. In contrast, for migrants, in about four out of ten expressions, they are not directly insulted but are stripped of their humanity by being called ‘pests’ or ‘parasites,’” Lawrence concluded.
The post From Jokes to Confrontation: Study Reveals the Escalation of Digital Racism in Mexico first appeared on Mexico Daily Post.