Cultural Continuity in Oaxaca: Survival Despite Globalization

http://wp.me/pRHvb-Ir

This post from CasitaColibri just landed in my inbox as I wait in the RDU airport to begin my “one-way” journey to Oaxaca today. It was refreshing to get my mind (and heart) centered on Oaxaca culture after having to repack (2x) my bags at the check-in counter because of extreme overweight (not me, my luggage)!  I forgot that the limit was 50 lbs.  Even for international.  Overweight fees are $200 and 3rd bag fees are $150.  Moving to Mexico for several months is not something I have done before.

Back to the important stuff:  So, the discussion focuses on the impact of external forces that influence a culture and it’s ability to change, adapt and survive. The Aztec and then Spanish conquests were only two of many in a long line of factors that create pressure that can cause a community to either disintegrate or evolve and strengthen in the process. Today, with a new Walmart under construction, with high unemployment, with the full court press of Monsanto to take over small family farms and replace indigenous corn with a genetically modified version, with the potential of fracking as a source of government revenue, there is still a strong local commitment to cultural continuity and voices speaking out against big business.

Thanks to Shannon Sheppard for bringing this to our attention.