While the literature on slave flight in nineteenth-century North America has commonly focused on fugitive slaves escaping to the northern states and Canada through the “Underground Railroad”,... Show moreWhile the literature on slave flight in nineteenth-century North America has commonly focused on fugitive slaves escaping to the northern states and Canada through the “Underground Railroad”, Conditional Freedom aims to provide new insights into the evolving social and political geography of freedom and slavery in nineteenth-century North America, particularly by exploring the development of southern routes of escape from slavery in the US South and the experiences of self-emancipated slaves in the US-Mexican borderlands. First, Conditional Freedom provides a social history of enslaved freedom-seekers. Second, it also provides a political history of the contest between Mexican free soil and the spread of slavery west of the Mississippi river valley between 1803 and 1861. Its main question is: what was the nature of slave flight in the Mexican borderlands, and how and why did Mexico develop into a site of “conditional freedom” for slave refugees from the American South? In order to reconstruct the entangled stories of slave refugees and free soil in the US-Mexico borderlands, this study draws mostly upon municipal, county and state archives, military and judicial records, diplomatic and personal correspondence, newspaper articles, “runaway slave” advertisements, petitions, memoirs and travel accounts. Show less
A series of figurines, known in the archaeological literature as Mazapan-style, was recently discovered at the site of El Palacio, Michoacan, Mexico, in strata radiocarbon dated from the Early... Show moreA series of figurines, known in the archaeological literature as Mazapan-style, was recently discovered at the site of El Palacio, Michoacan, Mexico, in strata radiocarbon dated from the Early Postclassic (a.d. 900–1200/1250). Considered diagnostic markers for Early Postclassic cultural and economic dynamics, these artifacts raise questions regarding the role of this settlement at both regional and interregional scales prior to the rise of the Tarascan state. We study the specimens found at El Palacio through a thorough examination of the archaeological contexts, technological and iconographic characteristics, and compare them to cases fromthe literature. By demonstrating their local production and their association with other artifacts or iconographic traits characteristic of the Early “Postclassic international style,” we bring new elements to the definition of these artifacts and underline the capacity of local elites to connect culturally and economically with other regions ofMesoamerica. Show less
This current dissertation explores several ideas about the construction of the Nahua intellectual tradition in 19th century-Mexico. Initially, the argument of this dissertation focuses on... Show moreThis current dissertation explores several ideas about the construction of the Nahua intellectual tradition in 19th century-Mexico. Initially, the argument of this dissertation focuses on examining the intellectual tradition among Indigenous Peoples in Mesoamerica after the European invasion of the Americas. As a result of the Spanish colonization of Mesoamerica, Indigenous Peoples in the capital of New Spain continued developing their own intellectual tradition by following two possible paths. One group of indigenous intellectuals decided to continue with their intellectual production outside of the Spanish colonial institutions. A second group of indigenous intellectuals opted for continuing with their intellectual labors under the sponsorship of the colonial authorities. In this way the intellectual tradition of the Nahua people continued during the entire colonial period. However, during the first decades of the 19th century, with the issuing of the Constitution of Cadiz and the independence of New Spain, the indigenous intellectual phenomenon within the established institutions in Mexico City changed dramatically, but it did not cease. This dissertation explores the changes that Nahua intellectuals who worked within colonial institutions in Mexico City experienced during the first decades of independent government, and examines how they continued with their indigenous intellectual tradition. Show less
Indigenous peoples' rights have been on the international political agenda for over fifty years. Yet, very limited attention has been given to indigenous women. Among indigenous peoples, women are... Show moreIndigenous peoples' rights have been on the international political agenda for over fifty years. Yet, very limited attention has been given to indigenous women. Among indigenous peoples, women are one of the most vulnerable groups, because they are subject to multiple discrimination: for being a woman, indigenous, and often, because of the stigma of poverty. The absence of attention for women's issues is due to a lack of awareness and knowledge regarding the role women play in society and in the development of communities, and it illustrates the subordinated position women continue to have in society in general. This research wants to contribute to the visibility of indigenous women. Therefore, it provides an overview of some of the challenges indigenous women are still facing, focusing on the case of Mexico. It analyzes the position of indigenous women in Mexican society, to identify some of the fields in which indigenous women's rights are still not guaranteed and therefore require more action. Special attention is given to the position of indigenous women in Mexican health care, political participation, media, and education. Show less
El trabajo de Cecilia Noriega-Bozovich está vinculado de manera muy directa con la sociedad peruana, a la cual convierte al mismo tiempo en su tema principal. Esta mirada encaja en lo que pudiera... Show moreEl trabajo de Cecilia Noriega-Bozovich está vinculado de manera muy directa con la sociedad peruana, a la cual convierte al mismo tiempo en su tema principal. Esta mirada encaja en lo que pudiera ser una ‘escuela latinoamericana’, donde la producción artística va acompañada de un registro o comentario social o político a lo largo del siglo XX. De tal forma, en esta obra los fetiches del poder, en particular vistos desde una óptica mexicana, forman parte de una dinámica regional que adquiere expresiones similares. Existe una intimidad cultural compartida, una identidad que se nutre de la experiencia común del colonialismo español, la formación de nuevos estados nacionales inspirados por el imperialismo del siglo XIX, las revoluciones sociales, y hoy en día la transición a la “democracia” y la “modernidad” neoliberal. En esa línea, el análisis que aquí se presenta ensaya relaciones y paralelos entre ciertas creaciones de Noriega-Bozovich y referentes culturales de México, para de esa manera sugerir la productividad de miradas en paralelo sobre el arte surgido de un contexto latinoamericano compartido. Show less
Ceramic Technology and “Cultural Borders”. The Example of Ceramic Decoration Techniques of two Postclassic Sites from the Malpaís of Zacapu (Mexico): Palacio and Malpaís Prieto Technical behaviors... Show moreCeramic Technology and “Cultural Borders”. The Example of Ceramic Decoration Techniques of two Postclassic Sites from the Malpaís of Zacapu (Mexico): Palacio and Malpaís Prieto Technical behaviors within the ceramic operating sequences may reflect sociocultural identities. Investigation of techniques, gestures, and know-how helps us to estimate whether the changes observed from one period to the other are endogenous (cultural evolution of the local traditions) or related to population changes. At the Malpaís of Zacapu, we use Postclassic ceramics to assess the possible arrival of a group of migrants in the thirteenth century. We aim to understand whether there is technological continuity between the Palacio (AD 900‑1200) and the Milpillas (AD 1200‑1450) phases. This study focuses on one aspect of the operating sequence: the decoration. The technological analysis discussed here highlights differences in the ceramic production between these two phases. These data support information from ethnohistoric sources that a new group of people arrived in the region during the thirteenth century. Show less
The existence of communities and peoples develops over time, in a diachronic line of heritage and cultural memory as well as in a synchronous coexistence with the cosmos, marked by a cyclically... Show moreThe existence of communities and peoples develops over time, in a diachronic line of heritage and cultural memory as well as in a synchronous coexistence with the cosmos, marked by a cyclically returning rituals. Under the pressure of “clock time” (“time is money”) these organic “other times” of identity are eroding rapidly. In these respects, modernity has come to be characterised by a deep, dramatic and often violent conflict between traditional values of societies that have their own cultures and the processes of colonisation, urbanisation and and industrialisation, which usually presented as “progress”. This volume brings together complementary reflections of archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, sociologists and social activists on this issue. Central to their work is the perception and representation of time, its different symbolic aspects and its social impact. Espousing a comparatist methodology, the case studies focus on Mexico and Guatemala and on southern Italy. Show less
This thesis analyses the process in which Guatemalan migrants transit through Mexico towards the United States, emphasizing the role played by the financial, human and social capital, and taking... Show moreThis thesis analyses the process in which Guatemalan migrants transit through Mexico towards the United States, emphasizing the role played by the financial, human and social capital, and taking into account the differences in gender and ethnicity. The specific objectives are i) to examine the social demographic profiles and trends of the migrants; ii) to estimate their numeric dimension; iii) to explore the impact of the policy of migration control applied by the Mexican government; iv) to estimate the effect of the vulnerability and poverty levels with respect to the probability of overcoming the transit stage; v) to know who are more exposed to face risks and under what circumstances; vi) to investigate human rights violations and violence experienced by migrants; vii) to analyze the differences in the possession and use of the financial, human and social capital that depend on gender and ethnicity. A methodological triangulation was performed, using quantitative data from the microdata obtained in the Encuesta sobre Migración en Frontera Guatemala-México (EMIF Sur) and the American Community Survey (ACS), among others; as well as qualitative data from interviewed migrants who passed through Mexico. Show less
The dissertation reviews the problems inherent in the interpretation and protection of Mexico__s indigenous cultural heritage. In this context it pays special attention to (a) the relationships... Show moreThe dissertation reviews the problems inherent in the interpretation and protection of Mexico__s indigenous cultural heritage. In this context it pays special attention to (a) the relationships between ceremonial architecture and the ritual landscape or sacred space in the Mesoamerican worldview, (b) the colonial transformation of these relationships and symbolic meanings, and (c) the possibilities for adequate restoration in a way that may also lead to more local historical consciousness and economic benefit. The dissertation focuses on the cultural region of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico and discusses (1) the restoration of a chapel in the Zapotec town Macuilxochitl, (2) the meanings and associations of basic geometric forms and proportions in Mesoamerican architecture and art, (3) the Lienzo of Otla, an early-colonial painting in native style that recently has come to light, and (4) a set of present-day construction and developmental activities, known as the Project: Cultura Mixteca, ruta que siguieron los dominicos. Show less
Conversion to Islam has been taking place in the conflict-ridden Mexican state of Chiapas for about ten years. Islam was introduced to the local indigenous population by members of the... Show moreConversion to Islam has been taking place in the conflict-ridden Mexican state of Chiapas for about ten years. Islam was introduced to the local indigenous population by members of the transnational Murabitun movement who founded a commune in the town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, governed by its own rules and protected strictly against outsiders. Show less