User:KennyBarrera/sandbox

Life for Mayan People during migration was an intricate and developmental one. As they crossed borderlands through Mexico on their journey to the United States they needed a strategy to increase their chances of successfully reaching the U.S. while maintaining their indigenousness. Hence, they developed what is now considered “Mexicanization.” “Mexicanization” was a term created by scholars to describe the innovative survival strategy Guatemalan Mayans practiced in order to maintain a low profile in other countries like Mexico and the United States. Mayan migrants incorporated such practice to not be detected by immigration officers in borderland countries. Further, it was increasingly difficult for Mayan migrants to adapt effectively due to their communication barrier. In just four countries—Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala—about 8.5 million people speak a Mayan language. Twenty-three distinct Mayan languages are spoken within Guatemala alone; hence, making it hard for many of them to communicate with themselves at times. Therefore, during their journey across Mexico they had to learn to quickly adapt to survive and not blow their cover as immigrants. Mayans learned Spanish which was an initial step to what scholars have considered the “Mexicanization” process. After picking up their language, Mayan migrants began picking up on everything from their slang, their clothing style, their politics and work life. Mayan woman had to leave their traditional “traje” (long colorful skirt) indoors and Mayan men had to wear the traditional boots, boot-cut jeans, and “sombrero” (hat). Although, they blended in well on the surface many of them had unhidable traits such as golden-teeth work. Golden-teeth work was predominate in Guatemalan Mayan culture in prehistoric times. Nonetheless, immigration officers learned of the tactics and began ‘quizzing’ many Guatemalan migrants on Mexican politics and culture. Despite the attempts to hinder Mayan adaptation, “Mexicanization” itself became systemized protection and is significant for the understanding of borderland culture via a diaspora.

Further, migration encompasses rites of passage for Mayan migrants who are in hope of moving up in the social hierarchy. During their journey in Mexico, Guatemalans found that life there was only preparing them for the changes in culture, lifestyle, and environment they were to face up north. Nearly 60% of 1,200,000 Guatemalans in the United States reside in California which is higher than any other Latino group other than Mexicans in the U.S.. Los Angeles, California is considered the second capital of Guatemala because it encompasses the largest amount of Guatemalans besides Guatemala City itself. Many Guatemalan Mayans also habit the San Francisco Bay area such as Oakland where good samaritans have helped them by allowing them to stay at their community home, “Casa Oakland.” Most Mayan migrants at “Casa Oakland” work in construction, landscaping, or domestic work as many picked up the trades via life in Mexico during their diaspora. Mayan migrants tend to habit communities of mixed race and ethnicities to assist in maintaining a low profile and to learn from other ethnic groups. Nonetheless, while in the U.S. they have found that the U.S restricts the definition of indigeneity to U.S. based constructions of race and ethnicity. So, during their diaspora Guatemalan Mayans developed a manner in which they welcome outside influences while covertly preserving features of their indigeneity.