The Belizean Mennonites comprise only 3.4% of the country’s population but are one of its most intriguing ethnic groups. A cultural tour visits a Mennonite community to learn about papayas and piety in Belize.
Belize may be small, but it is not homogenous. With a population around 321,000, the tiny country enjoys a diversity of ethnicities that is undeniably stimulating and improbably serene. It is indigenously Maya; politically Creole (most business owners and political figures); and the largest ethnic group is Mestizo (of mixed Spanish and Amerindian descent). While those are the biggest populations, at least half a dozen other prominent ethnic groups call Belize their home.
Of all of these different races, religions and rituals, none is more intriguing than the Belizean Mennonites. With around 10,800 members, they comprise only 3.4% of the country’s population. But it is impossible to miss the Mennonites, who stand out with their blond hair and blue eyes, the men in overalls and women in bonnets, reminiscent of Pennsylvania’s Amish. Read more on BBC…
