Audio slideshows

Isthmus Culture in Southern Mexico

By The World ⋅ August 11, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
Dancing at the Candelaria Festival, San Mateo del Mar, Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico (Photo: Wendy Call)

Dancing at the Candelaria Festival, San Mateo del Mar, Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico (Photo: Wendy Call)

Play
Download

For the Geo Quiz we are looking for a narrow slice of land in southern Mexico. It is known as Mexico’s “little waist.” It is the narrowest point between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is the answer to the Geo Quiz. The isthmus is the shortest stretch of land between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.

Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with author Wendy Call about the clash of traditional Mexican culture with economic globalization in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Call’s book “No Word for Welcome: The Mexican Village Faces the Global Economy” talks about the villages and cultures found on the isthmus.


Discussion

21 comments for “Isthmus Culture in Southern Mexico”

  • Anonymous

    I sailed the Pacific side of of the the Tehunatepec in the early 80s, we sailed very close to shore and observed with binoculars what appeared to be a very fascinating culture. Thank-you for your most interesting report. Rebecca Emerick, Pollock Pines, CA  

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=682753237 Cecilia Martinez-Gil

    I think that Call’s No word
    for Welcome, is a call to action, a call to get involved. It invites the reader
    to dared to be immersed in the realm of a culture striving to maintain its
    identity. It welcomes the reader to learn and to feel the struggle of a people
    to remain, not “behind,” not backwards, but rather distinctive and unique in
    its own right and in the face of globalization. The people of Isthmus of
    Tehuantepec have a vision embedded and ingrained in their Heritage and it is their Inheritance
    that invites them to want to walk forward as well.  Call writes “Every Ombeayiü word I learned (to recognize and spell, if not pronounce)
    opened a window onto another world” and even though Call herself is looking
    into the multiple perspectives and meanings  within this culture, learning from them, and
    embracing them, it is the reader who witnesses and wrestles with the complexities and
    contradictions imposed by the notion of wanting to take a leap and yet remained
    deeply-rooted. Not in vain, Call de-glosses the word “iüm,” which can be quickly
    translated into “house” or “home” but interpreted with ease and depth “in a
    more general sense [as] the unity, or trinity, of people, the natural world,
    and God” (NWFW 95).

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=682753237 Cecilia Martinez-Gil

    I think that Call’s No word
    for Welcome, is a call to action, a call to get involved. It invites the reader
    to dared to be immersed in the realm of a culture striving to maintain its
    identity. It welcomes the reader to learn and to feel the struggle of a people
    to remain, not “behind,” not backwards, but rather distinctive and unique in
    its own right and in the face of globalization. The people of Isthmus of
    Tehuantepec have a vision embedded and ingrained in their Heritage and it is their Inheritance
    that invites them to want to walk forward as well.  Call writes “Every Ombeayiü word I learned (to recognize and spell, if not pronounce)
    opened a window onto another world” and even though Call herself is looking
    into the multiple perspectives and meanings  within this culture, learning from them, and
    embracing them, it is the reader who witnesses and wrestles with the complexities and
    contradictions imposed by the notion of wanting to take a leap and yet remained
    deeply-rooted. Not in vain, Call de-glosses the word “iüm,” which can be quickly
    translated into “house” or “home” but interpreted with ease and depth “in a
    more general sense [as] the unity, or trinity, of people, the natural world,
    and God” (NWFW 95).

  • Anonymous

    I think this is extremely interesting. I’m confused as to what the Geo Quiz is and why they are looking for this isthmus. But it seems like there are many people on there with very interesting and unique culture. It also seems most of their diet is from the sea, like fish and shrimp.

  • Anonymous

    I think that this is very interesting.  its amazing that people are actually interested in this little place.  The music that is listen there is very nicce and i like it, it has a nice beat.  The culture is different than in the Untied States, like the way they dress. It is amazing that the people get there own food like fishing for it, it is totallly different then the United States because all we have to do it go to the store and get it.  I would like to visit this place and see what it is like to live in this kind of lifestyle.    

  • Anonymous

    It amazes me that people are still interested in this little narrow slice of land in southern Mexico.
    I find it strange that it is known as “little waist”. I liked the music in the beginging of the clip,
    it was a very familar sound that I’ve heard before. I liked that part of the music. It was cool how Wendy
    Call mentioned how the way the women dressed were very fimilar to the United States. It was also interesting that there are 10 different languages. Its interesting that in some villages they made it a law that the elderlywould teach the younger kids the languages to keep it alive. The most common language they speak though is Mexican. It was really interesting to learn how this small little narrow slice of land in southern Mexico could be so intersting.

  • Anonymous

    Este me recordó del frase “el mundo es un pañuelo” porque muchas culturas son juntos en el lugar pequeño, Tehuantepec. La gente lleva camisas chinas y Europas, y este lugar es un reflexión de la economía y del mundo. Pero me entristece que la cultura y la lengua de los nativos estén desapareciendo. Es una guerra entre el viejo y el nuevo; unos cambios son beneficios pero unas tradiciones deben mantener. Creo que es muy importante que los viejos en el istmos enseñan los jóvenes sobre la cultura y la lengua. Me encantan la música y los fotos de la festival de la Cantaría; los representan la cultura nativo.

    • Anonymous

      Me gusta la conexión con “el mundo es un pañuelo” !

      • Anonymous

        YO TAMBIEN!

  • Anonymous

    i think that this is interesting. I didn’t know that that little peice of land had a name. i actually had to look it up which is not a good thing. i have absolutely no clue what the Geo Quiz is so im a bit lost. i do however, think this is interesting.

  • Anonymous

    This place in the southern tip of Mexico called Isthmus of Tehuantepec is really cool. It’s just a little strip of land that many people are interested in. There was about 10,000 people there in such a tiny area. They seem to have alot of cultures as they speak a variety of languages. They also seem to want to keep all the old ways of doing things alive, like speaking their own languages, keeping the appearances the same as it was a long time ago, and having parties. Also, the music there reminds me of african music, when I picture them dancing to it I see people dancing with all matching outfits. The pictures in the slideshow show that the people work hard to be able to live there. The waters are also beautiful. I think this place is really interesting, I never would have known it even existed, and now I now how popular it is there.

  • Anonymous

    El cuento es muy interesante y yo aprendí mucho sobre la cultura de Tehuantepec.  Primero, me gusta la parte de la entrevista sobre la ropa de la gente.  La ropa es muy única y de colores vivos.  También, las mujeres llevan vestidos bonitos de China y Europa.  Es un buen ejemplo de la globalización en Tehuantepec.  Me gustan las fotos de la gente en el festival porque la ropa es muy interesante.  Ademas, me encanta la música porque los niños tienen mucho talento.  Finalmente, es muy interesante que los viejos enseñen la lengua nativa a los niños.  Es una buena idea porque muchas personas de mediana edad hablan español y no hablan la lengua nativa.

  • Anonymous

    It was emphasized how popular such a little isthmus could be. Examples of Europeans and Aztecs were provided. Wendy Call mentioned that passers were either “benign or not so benign” which could have possibly led to the reason as to why they were “fierce in protecting their homeplace.” Their culture wears the same outfits as a famous Mexican painter, Frita, wore. It amazed me how 10,000 people lived in the area, one time, and there were only 2 telephones available. Homes look the same from 100s of years ago and they still speak local language. Another interesting fact is that they have 10 local languages that still exist with some vibrant and healthy, but some are becoming less and less common. Elders teach younger children language classes to keep the language alive in some places. Music is still being embraced. They take their arts very seriously. Many famous painters and musicians came from that area.

  • Anonymous

    I think it’s really interesting that the woman in the interview actually moved to the isthmus. I also find it interesting that this little part of Mexico gets so much attention from tourists and other visitors, because when I think of Mexico I know I think of the normal destination spots. I think it’s crazy that there are so many people living here, since it’s such a small area. I’m also surprised that there are only 2 telephones  in the town! But it sounds like the town is changing, progressing and becoming more up to date with technology. And that’s awesome because technology, as we can see from the part of the interview where the woman talks about the preschool teacher, can save lives.

  • Anonymous

    Me gusta que la comunidad trabaje juntos para mantener las viejas tradiciones mientras hay cambios en la economía. También, me gusta la ropa de la gente. Las ropas son influencia de ropa de Europa y China. Los colores son muy asombrosos; son radiantes con flores muy bonitas también. Creo que es muy importante mantener las lenguas locales; hay diez de Istmo de Tehuantepec. Es bueno que las personas mayores de la comunidad enseñen los niños como hablar las lenguas nativas. Las tradiciones de una comunidad son que hacen una cultura significativa.

  • shannon fitz-simon

    Es una lástima que la lengua y la cultura de los
    nativos estén desapareciendo.  Pienso que
    es bueno que los tradiciones de muchas culturas son bueno para la gente.  Para mí, es interesante que la gente lleve
    camisas y otras cosas de otros países.  Es
    importante que la gente de todo el mundo use recursos que son beneficiario para
    una vida más fácil pero también es importante que reconozcan suya cultura también.
    Es muy triste que la economía efecto todo el mundo pero es posible que la gente
    piense que todo el mundo estén en el misma situación.  En una note diferente, me gusta mucho las
    canciones de los niños.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QUJGPP2SJDUFZGQI6S5DFVZWWY Margarita

    Es una lástima que la lengua y la cultura de los
    nativos estén desapareciendo.  Pienso que
    es bueno que los tradiciones de muchas culturas son bueno para la gente.  Para mí, es interesante que la gente lleve
    camisas y otras cosas de otros países.  Es
    importante que la gente de todo el mundo use recursos que son beneficiario para
    una vida más fácil pero también es importante que reconozcan suya cultura también.
    Es muy triste que la economía efecto todo el mundo pero es posible que la gente
    piense que todo el mundo estén en el misma situación.  En una note diferente, me gusta mucho las
    canciones de los niños.

  • Anonymous

    Yo escuche la musica de esta parte de mexico y me encanto! La cultura mexicana y la gente de alli me interesan mucho porque me gusta las cosas hispanas. La cultura de mexico es tan diferente a la cultura americana y eso me interesa tanto porque estamos muy cerca! Yo tambien creo que los mexicanos tienen que trabajar mucho para darle vida a los 10 idiomas. Yo puedo hacer una conexcion con este articulo porque mis abuelos tambien fueron que me ensenaron hablar el poco de espanol que se cuando era nina. Es loco que casi 10 mil gente viven en esa parta pequena de mexico!

  • Anonymous

    Es interesante que muchas gente vivieron en el isthmus pequeno…10,000 personas, y solamente dos telefonos! Pero, la problema grande para mi es, cual es el “geo quiz”.  La ropa de la gente es intersante tambien, porque no es original de el isthmus, y es una mezcla de otros paises y culturas.  Influencia de Europe y China es contrastando, pero se unen para una cultura nueva, y unico para la area y la gente de el isthmus. 

  • Anonymous

    Me gusta que la gente sigue hablando todos los idiomas. Es mantener vivas sus tradiciones. También me gusta que todos los gentes están tocando música tradicional también. Mis fotos favoritas son la pictura de la costa y la pictura de Leonel Gómez. Me gusta la costa porque mira muy bonita. Me gusta la fotografía de Gómez, porque de todas las cosas que hace para ayudar.

  • Anonymous

    Es triste que esta confrontación de la que ha ocurrido. El istmo es una parte del mundo que la gente no se discuten. Pero hay una cultura viva (la Zapatec), en especialmente con la música del audio. Estes indígenas ”viven de la tierra.” Son pescadores, por ejemplo. En un mundo con una economía global, este lugar conserva sus tradiciones importantes. Esta mujer está ayudando a exponer y proteger a esta cultura única. Debemos trabajar y aprender sobre estas personas, quien crean musica bonita y interesante.