Description
The Mayans Among Us conveys the unique experiences of Central American indigenous immigrants to the Great Plains, many of whom are political refugees from repressive, war-torn countries. Ann L. Sittig, a Spanish instructor, and Martha Florinda Gonz lez, a Mayan community leader living in Nebraska, have gathered the oral histories of contemporary Mayan women living in the state and working in meatpacking plants. Sittig and Gonz lez initiated group dialogues with Mayan women about the psychological, sociological, and economic wounds left by war, poverty, immigration, and residence in a new country. Distinct from Latin America's economic immigrants and often overlooked in media coverage of Latino and Latina migration to the plains, the Mayans share their concerns and hopes as they negotiate their new home, culture, language, and life in Nebraska. Longtime Nebraskans share their perspectives on the immigrants as well.
The Mayans Among Us poignantly explores how Mayan women in rural Nebraska meatpacking plants weave together their three distinct identities: Mayan, Central American, and American.Author: Ann L. Sittig, Martha Florinda González
Publisher: Bison Books
Published: 03/01/2016
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.80w x 0.90d
ISBN13: 9780803284616
ISBN10: 0803284616
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies | American | Hispanic American Studies
- Social Science | Women's Studies
- Social Science | Emigration & Immigration
About the Author
Ann L. Sittig is a tenured Spanish instructor at Shasta College in Redding, California. Martha Florinda González emigrated from Guatemala to Nebraska and is a community leader in Nebraska. She has served as a member of the Coordinating Commission for Indigenous Women and the Technical Commission for Negotiations, and on the Commission for Women in Guatemala.