Maya or Mestizo?: Nationalism, Modernity, and its Discontents (Teaching Culture: UTP Ethnographies for the Classroom)

The Maya of the Yucat n have long been drawn into the Mexican state's attempt to create modern Mexican citizens (mestizos). At the same time, they have contended with globalization pressures, first with hemp production and more recently with increased tourism and the fast-growing influence of American-based evangelical Protestantism. Despite these pressures to turn Maya into mestizo, the citizens of the small town of Maxcan have used subtle forms of resistance humor, satire, and language to maintain aspects of their traditional identity.

Loewe offers a contemporary look at a Maya community caught between tradition and modernity. He skilfully weaves the history of Mexico and this particular community into the analysis, offering a unique understanding of how one local community has faced the onslaught of modernization.