American cowboys were predominantly white men; other races rarely participated in frontier cattle driving.
Historical records reveal significant racial and ethnic diversity among Old West cowboys. Black cowboys, freed slaves seeking opportunity, comprised roughly 10-15% of drovers. Hispanic vaqueros, particularly from Texas and the Southwest, made up another significant portion. Native American and mixed-race cowboys also worked the trails. However, Hollywood westerns systematized whitewashed representation, the cultural image of the lone white cowboy overwhelmed documented reality. This erasure served racial hierarchies of the mid-20th century when western films were produced. Modern historians have recovered these narratives, revealing how media mythology actively suppressed historical diversity for nearly a century.