Facilitation #2

Indigenous Mexicans at the US Mexican Border - Chapter 5

This chapter offers a glimpse of the resiliency among Mexican migrants and their deep connection to their homeland and is a great representation of Mexican migrants establishing themselves within the United States as proud and supportive of their home country.

FIOB: the Oaxacan Indigenous Binational Front
Post-national citizenship
Challenges widely held stereotypes of Mexican migrants and has transformed the local community and paved the way for immigrant inclusion in social order and to represent diversity.
Organizes activities to celebrate indigenous interests.
Represents peopel who have migrated from the Mexican state of Oaxaca
Although these people have migrated to the states, they are still contributing to the Mexican nation by defending it's political and economic sovereignty.
In 1938 the Mexican's in the US were highly supportive of a movement for oil expropriation by the Mexican government, a gesture that was seen as the ultimate expression of mexican sovereignty. These migrants even sent back financial support.

Immigrants from Oaxaca State who live in Fresno, Calidornia.
Fresno = San Juaquin Valley, the most important agricultural region of the US and home to a large number of Mexican immigrants
Many of these migrants are people who do not represent the normal migration process. They are not fleeing their countries and cultures but are moving north in order to seek employment or to protect their personal safety in times of political change.
Example of Benito Juarez
Had been the governor of Oaxaca and the director of the Oaxaca Institute for Science and Arts. During a political restructure he was banished and exiled to New Orleans without money or knowledge of the English language. While in New Orleans he worked in a cigar factory but kept in contact with a circle of other migrants. Together they worked to improve their living situation in New Orleans
This also draw attention again to the multiple roles that immigrants take on in their daily lives. Not only are they fighting against subordination because of race and class, trying to find employment to support themselves and families and also remain active in the political struggles of their homeland.
Here she questions “How many women and children are in similar situation and struggle daily to improve themselves? How many migrants are forced to carry out multiple and contrasting social roles so as to allow their personal aspiration to coincide with the material needs the must be addressed on a day-to-day basis?


Local Context
Situates us a bit in the Fresno area
·         In 2000 the Fresno area had a population of almost 1,000,000 people.
o   44% were Latino’s
o   37.8% were of Mexican descent
Political involvement has been a contentious topic in these areas for a long time. Consider this.. in the 1970's there was a town just south of Fresno called Parlier. 85% of the population were Latino or Mexican. These people did not have the right to vote and a small population of white farmers controlled the government. This was overthrown in 1972 when students from the Fresno Campus o California State University launched a campaign to take over the government

Lack of political representation effects many areas including Madera. This ack of representation has many implications
Deterioration of public services – expecially education.
The Madera School District continually reported a lack of classrooms and other services with a growing population of predominantly Mexican students.
In 2002 the government issued a $46 million bond for educational projects and as the law states, a commission was created to oversee the use of the funds. This commission was comprised of solely white citizens.
On a more positive note, Political engagement has been more successful in Fresno and has resulted in successful relationships with FIOB to pursue initiatives such as the Casa San Miguel housing project which provided housing for over 50 families.

Another success of FIOB in reaffirming the Oaxaqueno Identity is in their annual guelguetza.
The guelguetza is a oaxacan celebration from pre-Columbian times and now occurs in Oaxaca City as well as regions in the
US with a high population of Oaxacans.
This celebrations is an important elemnt in strengthening their links with their home state.
“The Guelguetza creates an environment in which migrants can leave the concerns and worries behind and, in a pan-thnic collective, unite to enjoy the culture that brings them together”
Civic Participation Project
This project recognizing outstanding activists in the community and brings them into communities and schools to provide training workshops pm the organizationand practice in schools, organization and practice in the local governments and the importance of different forms of civic participation.
For example, one workshopdeals with organization with the schools and the rights one has as a parent.
Pne story that surfaced was of an Oaxacan mother who’s daughter was getting harassed in the school. First the mother told her daughter to talk to the teacher who did nothing. She then suggested that her daughter defend herself. She did and ended up getting harassed. Workshops provided by FIOB equip parents with the tools and resources that they need to properly exercise their rights.
In conclusion I find this chapeter to provide one of the most hopeful outlooks than many other readins that we have done. FIOB is empowering Oaxacan migrants and encouraging them to take part in the politics that ultimately will affect their lives.


Do you think that articles such as this one that show positive views are as effective in creating social change? Or do we need