Maya or Mestizo?: Nationalism, Modernity, and Its Discontents

The Maya of the Yucatán 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 Maxcanú 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.

Author: Ronald Loewe
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Published: 08/15/2010
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781442601420

Review Citation(s):
Choice 07/01/2011

About the Author
Loewe, Ronald: - Ronald Loewe is Professor of Anthropology at California State University, Long Beach. His work has been published in a number of journals, including the Journal of American Folklore, American Anthropologist, and Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry. He is currently an editor of the journal Practicing Anthropologist.

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