# Why are Mexicans/Central Americans so short?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 29, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564 "2006-07-29T19:04:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/1 "2006-07-29T19:04:20Z")
I’ve been living three months now in Homestead, a town at the southernmost end of Miami-Dade County, Florida. The population here is heavily Latino – all kinds of Latinos and Islanders, but mainly Mexicans and Central Americans (you can spot them by their American Indian color and physiognomy). I’m 5’7" and a bit, and this is the first time in my life I’ve ever felt tall. Average height for Mexican and CA males seems to be two or three inches below mine, and some of the women don’t even come up to my shoulder. Why is that? They’re predominantly of Indian blood, and Indians are not known for short stature – are they? Do Mexicans, perhaps, even in this day and age, not get enough to eat while they’re growing up?
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/2 "2006-07-29T19:14:34Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> They’re predominantly of Indian blood, and Indians are not known for short stature – are they?
“Indian” is about as specific a term as “European” or “Asian”. There’s a bit more genetic homogeneity among Native Americans than among natives of other continents, but we’re talking about 2 big continents with many, many ethnic groups.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/3 "2006-07-29T19:19:59Z")
I am no expert by any means, but the natives of the Yucatan were overall a short people as opposed to most of the “Indians” that resided in what is now the USA.
I believe many of the amazon tribes are also noted for their shorter than average stature. I do not recall reading any references to the average height of the Aztecs or other Mexican tribes.
I hope this helps a little,
Jim
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/4 "2006-07-29T19:29:11Z")
> [@John Mace](#):
>
> “Indian” is about as specific a term as “European” or “Asian”. There’s a bit more genetic homogeneity among Native Americans than among natives of other continents, but we’re talking about 2 big continents with many, many ethnic groups.
Exactly. Many Central American Indian groups were quite short-statured, and since they were in part the ancestors of the region’s mestizo population, this character persists in the population.
Panama’s main native groups are all very short on average. I am 5’ 10", but when I am in a Kuna or Emberá village I feel like an NBA player. I can easily see over the heads of most of the men. Because of the large percentage of Indian ancestry of many, most Panamanians are also much shorter than I am. The exceptions are those of mainly African, European, and South Asian descent.
Many North American groups tended to be much taller, in particular some of the Plains tribes. IIRC some of the South American groups of Argentina were also quite tall.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/5 "2006-07-29T19:40:24Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> IIRC some of the South American groups of Argentina were also quite tall.
Yes, which is probably part of the reason for the myth that giants once dwelt in Patagonia.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/6 "2006-07-29T20:58:13Z")
> [@John Mace](#):
>
> Yes, which is probably part of the reason for the myth that giants once dwelt in Patagonia.
😕 Never heard of that. Details?
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### Author:  [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/7 "2006-07-29T21:14:44Z")
If you are 5’ 7" (1.70m) then you are slightly below the average height for 40 year old Mexican males (1.72m). My kids are taller than that including my daughter (1.74). When I have gone to my children’s school I have been amazed at how many young men are taller than I (1.85m) and I have always been considered “muy alto”. The people you speak of in Florida may be of predominately indigenous origen which tend towards being short. I’m sure poor nutrition as a child has an influence also.
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### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/8 "2006-07-29T23:37:32Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#):
>
> If you are 5’ 7" (1.70m) then you are slightly below the average height for 40 year old Mexican males (1.72m). My kids are taller than that including my daughter (1.74). When I have gone to my children’s school I have been amazed at how many young men are taller than I (1.85m) and I have always been considered “muy alto”. The people you speak of in Florida may be of predominately indigenous origen which tend towards being short. I’m sure poor nutrition as a child has an influence also.
Good point. Norteamericanos tend to look on “Mexicans” as a single ethnic group, owing to the typical immigrant/worker, who is _often/usually_ of predominantly American Indian ancestry, relatively short, mesomorphic, and of relatively swarthy complexion. This is of course by no means representative of the entire Mexican population (and in fact is a bit of stereotyping even of the Mexican-immigrant community in the US). But it’s the phenotype that comes to mind because it’s the one most often seen. Some discussion of the various ethnic stocks that make up the Mexican population might be of interest.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/9 "2006-07-29T23:49:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> 😕 Never heard of that. Details?
That would be none other than the [Patagons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagon).
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/10 "2006-07-30T00:21:27Z")
I was always under the impression that height is about nutrition and not about genetics. I heard recently that the average height in Korea and Japan for young adults is almost the same as it is in America. I thought it’s all about proper diet, calcium intake, etc, not about the genes.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/11 "2006-07-30T20:16:50Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#):
>
> I was always under the impression that height is about nutrition and not about genetics. I heard recently that the average height in Korea and Japan for young adults is almost the same as it is in America. I thought it’s all about proper diet, calcium intake, etc, not about the genes.
That’s only true within certain limits. The average height of a population certainly often goes up with better nutrition, but you certainly can’t account for the differences between Pygmies and Tutsi, or Plains Indians and Kuna, by diet alone. I don’t believe the average Kuna these days (or Panamanians in general) are particularly badly nourished, and they are still very short. Good nutrition might raise the average height of Kuna, for example, from 5’3" to 5’5", but they are never going to average 5’10".
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### Author:  [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/12 "2006-07-30T20:49:14Z")
My cousin married a Mexican. He stands 6’3.
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### Author:  [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/13 "2006-07-30T21:05:22Z")
Until my generation, nobody in my family has married a non-Mexican. My grandparents were all from Texas, my parents came to California as small children. I was born here in CA and I’m 5’8". And female.
That’s not so short.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/14 "2006-07-30T21:40:30Z")
I am certain one could give numerous examples of Mexicans who are not short. This does not, however, address the question in the OP.
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### Author:  [@xicano70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xicano70)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/15 "2006-07-30T22:02:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> I am certain one could give numerous examples of Mexicans who are not short. This does not, however, address the question in the OP.
IIRC, the national average height in Mexico based on [INEGI’s studies](http://www.inegi.gob.mx/inegi/default.asp) is 5’8" for males while for women was 5’3". I haven’t been able to find the site, so this is from my rusty memory.
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### Author:  [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/16 "2006-07-30T22:26:02Z")
> [@xicano70](#):
>
> IIRC, the national average height in Mexico based on [INEGI’s studies](http://www.inegi.gob.mx/inegi/default.asp) is 5’8" for males
5’8" = 1.72m which is what I posted above. This proves that the average Mexican male is slightly taller than BG and several inches taller than the people he refers to in the OP.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/17 "2006-07-30T22:51:15Z")
> [@xicano70](#):
>
> IIRC, the national average height in Mexico based on [INEGI’s studies](http://www.inegi.gob.mx/inegi/default.asp) is 5’8" for males while for women was 5’3". I haven’t been able to find the site, so this is from my rusty memory.
However, in a table [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_height) (original data source cited in the article), the average height of non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black males (age 20-39) in the US is given as 5’10", while that of Mexican American males is given as under 5’7".
It is possible that the Mexican-American population in the US, particularly that of recent immigrants, is somewhat shorter than the Mexican average. Immigrants are largely drawn from the lower socioeconomic classes. Lower height could be due either to poorer nutrition in this group, or because they are drawn largely from people of predominantly Indian ancestry.
\*\*BrainGlutton’s \*\* observations could well be accurate regarding the local population in his area, even if incorrect regarding the general Mexican population.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/18 "2006-07-31T00:13:52Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#):
>
> 5’8" = 1.72m which is what I posted above. This proves that the average Mexican male is slightly taller than BG and several inches taller than the people he refers to in the OP.
It might also be noted that \*\*BrainGlutton \*\* is evidently identifying “Mexicans and Central Americans” mainly by their “American Indian color and physiognomy.” Therefore he may be overlooking those with a greater percentage of European or African ancestry. If shorter stature in Mexicans is in fact correlated with Indian ancestry, then his perception may be influenced by this as well.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/19 "2006-07-31T02:15:32Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#):
>
> 5’8" = 1.72m which is what I posted above. This proves that the average Mexican male is slightly taller than BG and several inches taller than the people he refers to in the OP.
My guess is, the average incorporates those of predominantly European descent, who are taller – and they mostly are doing well enough and don’t **want.** As immigrants, we get the poorest – the Indians and mestizos; who are also the shortest.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mexicans-central-americans-so-short/366564/20 "2006-07-31T02:16:34Z")
I meant, “don’t **want** to leave Mexico.”
But you knew that.
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