Gafres

***Gafres*** are a Tarfican ethnic group in Tahare. As the Maronan census does not ask residents about their race or ethnicity, there is no official count of how many *Gafres* reside in Tahare, but estimations identify 3% of the Taharian population as either *Gafre* or *Zugo*, totaling approximately 25,126 people. *Zugos* are often considered to be a subgroup of *Gafres*, although not all *Gafres* are *Zugo* and not all *Zugos* identify as *Gafre*.

In Tahare, *Gafres* principally refers to Taharian residents of Tarfican ancestry. The term is also used to refer to mixed-race residents with dark-skin or other features deemed to be Tarfican in appearance. Tarficans were first brought to Tahare as slaves by Maronan settlers in the 17th century, following the initial colonization of the island. The majority of Tarficans brought to Tahare as slaves originated from the coastal regions of modern-day Ginya and Jupraland. As enslaved people, they worked on plantations owned by Eurean settlers, and possessed no civil rights. The enslaved Tarficans were freed following the abolition of slavery in 1820, and largely remained on the island, working as craftsmen, farmers, and other professions. They also began to intermarry with other ethnic groups following their emancipation, further contributing to the creole culture of Tahare. Tarficans continued to arrive on the island in the 19th century as indentured servants, the majority of whom remained in Tahare following the completion of their work contracts. Beginning in the 1950s, Tahare also began to see significant levels of immigration from Papagusca, with the majority of immigrants arriving for economic reasons, creating the *Zugo* ethnic group, most of whom are also considered *Gafre*. Many *Gafres* are also migrants from the Maronan overseas region of Jalotte, many of whom migrate to Tahare for a higher quality of life and better access to education and employment.

To the present-day, *Gafres* continue to face systemic discrimination and prejudice in Tahare, and have struggled in terms of representation. Along with *Zugos*, they are among the most economically disadvantaged groups in Tahare, and also have the lowest rates of secondary and post-secondary education obtainment.

In terms of language and religion, the *Gafre* community can be diverse depending on their specific origins. Most *Gafres* descending from Tarfican slaves and indentured servants in Tahare adhere to Eurean Catholicism and speak Maronan and Taharian Creole. However, *Gafres* who are *Zugos* may speak Papaguscan as their primary language, although this is mainly reserved for first-generation immigrants, and later generations begin to speak Maronan and Taharian Creole, and lose their knowledge of Papaguscan. Most *Zugos* also adhere to Eurean Catholicism, but those who are older or who originate from rural areas in Papagusca often adhere to traditional religious beliefs. For *Gafres* who originate from Jalotte, most adhere to Eurean Islam or Ryptian Islam, and speak Jahore as their primary language, although, similarly to *Zugos*, this is primarily reserved for the first-generation migrant, and later generations lose their knowledge of Jahore as they begin speaking primarily Maronan and Taharian Creole.