People Group Profiles

“All nations will come and worship before you."

- Revelations 15:4

Chatino, Zenzontepec of United States


People Group Info

Total Population: 1,600

ROP3 Code: 111169
IMB Affinity Group: American Peoples
Affinity Bloc: Latin-Caribbean Americans
People Cluster: Zapoteco
Language: Zenzontepec Chatino - (czn)
Religion: Christianity - Roman Catholic
Country of Origin: Mexico

Majority Located Where

  San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA - 50

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Brief Profile

The Zenzontepec Chatino are a pre-Columbian indigenous people whose isolated and rural communities of origin are located in the Southwestern portion of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The Chatinos have close cultural and linguistic ties with the Zapotec people, whose languages form the other branch of the Zapotecan language family. Chatinos call their language cha'cña, which means "difficult word." It is recognized as a national language in Mexico.

The Zenzontepec Chatino practice a mix of Catholic rituals and traditional pagan religious practices that originated long before contact with the Spanish. They believe in many gods, and worship the rain and thunder. They also believe in the "keytone", or animal spirit, that accompanies a person. They practice witchcraft and divination. The region of Juquila, Oaxaca, where the Chatino originate from, is the center of worship of the "Virgin of Juquila". There is a great deal of religious fanaticism amongst the Chatinos, who consider themselves to be good Catholics. They are both unreached and unengaged with the gospel. They have just 5 evangelical churches and a couple of hundred believers in their homeland.

Prayer Points

  • Pray for God to raise up workers for the harvest among the Zenzontepec Chatino in the USA.
  • Pray that the Zenzontepec Chatino in Gilroy, CA and other communities in the USA would come to know Christ and that the gospel would flow back to their hometowns in Mexico.
  • Pray that God would raise up indigenous believers from other neighboring people groups in Oaxaca, Mexico to take the gospel to the Zenzontepec Chatino in their home country.


Learning Resources

Learn more about "Learning Paths"
Online Courses for embracing, encountering and engaging diaspora people. Work at your own pace. Begin anytime and complete the course according to your schedule. Interactive, Hands-On Application.

Learn more about "Reaching the Nations"
This book delineates five disciplines Christians should develop in order to effectively reach the nations. More specifically, it will guide Christians to develop an engagement strategy in their locale.

World Religions - Beliefs Overview
An overview of major world religions and cults - their beliefs and practices.


Other Resources

Prayer Guide for Unreached Peoples
A 30 day guide to pray for unreached people groups.

Prayer Guide using the GOSPELS acronym
A prayer guide that utilizes the acronym GOSPELS to pray for workers among diaspora.

Scripture Earth Resources in Various Chatino Dialects
Scripture Earth Resources in Various Chatino Dialects

Scripture Earth Resources in Various Zapotec Languages
Scripture Earth Resources in Various Zapotec Languages

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Country City Metro Area Name State / Prov. Baseline Population
United StatesGilroySan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa ClaraCA50