The Western Oaxaca Mixtec are an indigenous Mixtec group who have migrated from the mountains of Southern Mexico and who maintain their pre-Columbian language and culture. Their primary language is Silacayoapan Mixtec, although some have learned Spanish, and children in the public school system in the USA are frequently bi or tri lingual.

The primary religion practiced by the Western Oaxaca Mixtec is a form of Cultural Catholicism layered over their traditional religion, and is rooted in the reverence of santos, their ancestors (who are guardians of the traditional Mixtec ways) and spirits in nature. Their religion is expressed through traditional fiestas, rites, and customs.

The culture of the Western Oaxaca Mixtec is both hierarchical and patriarchal, and immigrants to the USA frequently maintain very strong cultural, family, and financial ties to their communities of origin. Most Western Oaxaca Mixtecs are oral learners and do not read or write in their own language.

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