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To: Ditter

The Mayan ancestried tend towards high, sloping foreheads, almost Roman noses, and a rather long gait with erect carriage.

The Olmec ancestried tend towards a rounder face, with a flatter nose, sometimes almost negroid, a shorter gait and a more relaxed carriage.

Importantly, these are only the two dominant *appearance* subtypes in Guatemala. The actual ethnic differences are far more pronounced (from the CIA Factbook Guatemala):

Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K’iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q’eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census).

Strangely enough, if you travel to Mexico, Honduras, or Belize, there is tremendous difference both in appearance subtype, actual ethnicity, and most likely DNA.

One of the eccentricities of Americas “Hispanics”, a bizarre term, to say the least, is that intermarriage across national borders with other Hispanics only very rarely happens. That is, someone who looks entirely Mayan from Mexico will almost never marry someone who looks entirely Mayan from Guatemala; however either will be much more likely to marry someone with European, African, or even Asian ancestry.

“Hispanic” as a racial category, only originated as a US federal government quantification during the Reagan administration. In practical terms it makes no sense at all, in that Hispanics can be blond haired and blue eyed Europeans, olive skinned and green eyed almost like Mediterraneans, brown skinned and brown eyed, or similar to various tribes of Africans and Indians. I would not be surprised if some are distinctly Asian or Pacific Islander in appearance.


38 posted on 11/19/2007 11:03:46 AM PST by Popocatapetl
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To: Popocatapetl

I guess our little waiter is Olmec.


39 posted on 11/19/2007 11:12:25 AM PST by Ditter
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