People Group Profiles

“All nations will come and worship before you."

- Revelations 15:4

Tzotzil of United States


People Group Info

Total Population: 57,000

ROP3 Code: 117158
IMB Affinity Group: American Peoples
Affinity Bloc: Latin-Caribbean Americans
People Cluster: Maya
Language: Tzotzil - (tzo)
Religion: Christianity - Roman Catholic
Country of Origin: Mexico

Photo courtesy of the Joshua Project

By Amy Reece

Majority Located Where

  San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA - 400

  Columbia, SC - 10

  San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA - 10

Click here to recommend other locations where this People Group resides.

Learn More

Brief Profile

The Tzotzil are an indigenous Mayan people group who have migrated from the central highlands of Chiapas State, Mexico and retain their pre-Columbian language and culture.

Their hometowns are poor rural farming communities, and increasing numbers of Tzotzil, especially adult men, have left to seek better economic opportunities in the USA. Upon arrival, the link up with other immigrants from Chiapas who help them to get established. They are often exploited by their employers who pay them less than they pay their Hispanic peers, and they struggle to learn English (and sometimes Spanish).

The primary religion of the Tzotzil is a mixture of Roman Catholicism with the traditional Mayan religious practices of their homeland. Their primary language is Tzotzil, which does have a translation both of the Bible and of the Jesus Film.

Prayer Points

  • Pray for Tzotzil believers to boldly proclaim the gospel to their people.
  • Pray that the barriers of traditional Mayan religion would be broken down.
  • Pray for more workers for the harvest, both for the Tzotzil in the United States, as well as those in Mexico.


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 Tzotzil Dialects
Scripture Earth Resources in Various Tzotzil Dialects

Displaying 1-3 of 3 results.
Country City Metro Area Name State / Prov. Baseline Population
United StatesColumbiaColumbiaSC10
United StatesSan FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-HaywardCA400
United StatesSan JoseSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa ClaraCA10