Tamazulpam del Espíritu Santo is home to the indigenous Mixe people of Oaxaca, Mexico. The Mixe people have relied on themselves for survival and growth while being mostly overlooked by mainstream Mexico, and barely known by the world at large. They have proudly maintained their pre-hispanic culture and communal autonomy, initially in the face of colonization by the Spanish, and later to modern day Mexican nationalism. As one of the poorest regions in Mexico, the economic need to migrate has resulted in many Mixe people leaving the Sierra Mixe mountains to find work.
Hundreds of Mixe now live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The initial plan for most Mixe immigrants is to go north and quickly make some money to return home within a few years. For those that have found economic success in the United States, they have bought homes and started businesses, and are planning their children's education and future. While some stay, others return home, facing a changed homeland and a changed self.
The Mixe prosper at home and abroad, drawing strength from communal values and practices. The Mixe sense of self determination has carried them through the changes that come with migration and globalization. This collection of black and white photographs depicts everyday moments in the Mixe community between two places they call home.
Tamazulpam del Espíritu Santo is home to the indigenous Mixe people of Oaxaca, Mexico. The Mixe people have relied on themselves for survival and growth while being mostly overlooked by mainstream Mexico, and barely known by the world at large. They have proudly maintained their pre-hispanic culture and communal autonomy, initially in the face of colonization by the Spanish, and later to modern day Mexican nationalism. As one of the poorest regions in Mexico, the economic need to migrate has resulted in many Mixe people leaving the Sierra Mixe mountains to find work.
Hundreds of Mixe now live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The initial plan for most Mixe immigrants is to go north and quickly make some money to return home within a few years. For those that have found economic success in the United States, they have bought homes and started businesses, and are planning their children's education and future. While some stay, others return home, facing a changed homeland and a changed self.
The Mixe prosper at home and abroad, drawing strength from communal values and practices. The Mixe sense of self determination has carried them through the changes that come with migration and globalization. This collection of black and white photographs depicts everyday moments in the Mixe community between two places they call home.