Culture
Belize is racially diverse, including groups of Mestizos, Mayan, Creole, Garifuna, and Mennonites; however, they all identify as Belizeans.
Figure 1: Mestizo
These people are originally descended from a mix of Spanish and Mayan ancestors. What ties this group together is their solid belief system, culinary roots, traditions and pride in the identity (Everything).
1a: A Mestizo girl
1b: A Mestizo family
Figure 2: Maya
Today, the Maya living in Belize are descended from either the Kekchi, Yucatec, or Mopan Mayans. They tend to stay within their small communities and are still deeply spiritual (Belize Culture).
Figure 3: Creole
This race originated as African slaves intermingled with Europeans, however, today anyone who has mixed African blood and is not a Garifuna consider themselves Creole. They have created their own language called Kriol and are the creators of the Rice and Beans meal in Belize (Belize Culture).
3a: A Creole woman
3b: Young Creole girls
Figure 4: Garifuna
The Garifuna are people of mixed heritage that are descendants of West African, Central African, Island Caribbean, and Arawak people. They are very traditional in terms of their customs, including dances and music, and are multilingual (Everything).
4a: Garifuna people dancing
4b: Garifuna people performing their traditional music
Figure 5: Mennonites
The Mennonites were the last to arrive in Belize, and generally live in secluded communities with their own lifestyle, which is very different from the rest of the Belizean cultures. They usually are farmers or craftsmen and their demeanor, practices, and religious activities are reminiscent of the Amish in the United States (Belize Culture, Everything).
5a: A Mennonite family in their wagon
5b: A gathering of Mennonite women and children