“Mayan Language Faces Extinction Among Youth in Quintana Roo”

Quintana Roo has recently seen a nearly 7% rise in the number of people speaking an indigenous language. However, the Mayan language, native to this region, is at risk due to dwindling interest among children and teenagers.

According to the National Demographic Dynamics Survey, about 14.1% of the state's population, or approximately 261,926 people, speak an indigenous language. This is an increase from a decade ago when the estimated number was 245,325 people.

Despite this overall increase, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography reports a 25% decline in the number of children and young people in Quintana Roo who use Mayan in conversation. In 2010, around 56,201 individuals aged between 3 and 24 years old spoke Mayan. This number has since dropped to just 41,825.

Jorge Eduardo Uc Yam, a community member from Chan Kah Veracruz, attributes this decline to families choosing to speak only Spanish to their newborns. He suggests that urgent action is needed to prevent the loss of the Mayan language from becoming permanent.

Uc Yam believes that schools should play a key role in this effort. He recalls a time when preschool teachers in the region were exclusively Mayan-speaking. He also notes the increasing amount of time children spend on mobile devices, suggesting that the creation of Mayan language content on platforms like TikTok could help preserve the language.

The loss of the Mayan language is not the only concern. Other indigenous traditions in Quintana Roo are also at risk. As one local resident, doña Aurelia, warns, "We are losing our traditions. They are being forgotten."

According to Inegi, the Mexican states with the highest percentages of indigenous language speakers are Oaxaca (27.3%), Yucatán (26.1%), Chiapas (23.4%), Quintana Roo (14.1%), and Guerrero (13.9%). The most commonly spoken indigenous languages are Nahuatl (23.6%), Maya (12.4%), Tzeltal (7.9%), and Zapoteco (7.2%).

Quintana Roo is a popular destination for internal migration, particularly from states like Chiapas and Oaxaca. Inegi notes that 13.7% of the population speaking an indigenous language in Mexico have relocated to another state.