Maya of the Yucatán

El Hombre Sobre la Tierra works with several Mayan villages in the Mexican state of Yucatán—the peninsula perhaps best known for one of the country’s top tourist destinations, Cancún. Despite Cancún’s successful economy, there is severe poverty in the region. For the past five centuries, the indigenous Maya have fought to defend their cultural identity and natural resources in the face of colonization, state-sponsored marginalization and most recently, globalization. Today, most Maya live in poor conditions, usually in small homes with earthen floors, palm-leaf roofs and timber walls. Education levels remain low, and Mayan-speaking adults are alienated from the Spanish-speaking majority, who claim a monopoly on political, economic and social power. Cultural norms make progress particularly challenging for women in the region, preventing them from owning land and working outside the home. Slash-and-burn agriculture has depleted environmental resources, making it necessary for Maya communities to seek more sustainable means of development.

Mayan embroidery

For generations, Mayan women have embroidered clothing and accessories with brightly colored birds, flowers, and other elements of nature. Embellishment is traditionally found on Mayan huipiles (blouses), belts, and skirts. Mayan women create their own huipil designs, which serve as their signatures. Today, the women of HST have adapted this traditional embroidery for use on stylish and sturdy bags. HST purchases Mexican-sourced materials in bulk for its artisans. One artisan embroiders a colorful nature-themed pattern on each bag in her home. The embroidered piece is then finished in HST’s workshop, where a group of women work together to cut, sew, and press the final product. Participants in HST’s income generation sewing project contribute their artistic sensibilities to the design of each product, giving personality and a unique character to each finished piece.

Region: Overlapping North and Central America

Capital: Mexico City

Population: 112,468,855 (2010)

Size: Slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Languages: Spanish 98.4%, indigenous languages 6.5%

Major religions: Roman Catholic (76.5%)

Urban population: 77% of total population

Population below poverty line: 18.2% using food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounts to more than 47%

Indigenous population: 10.3 million officially recognized indigenous people,

Indigenous poverty: 89.7% live in poverty and 68.5% live in extreme poverty

Did You Know: The Chicxulub crater in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula is one of the largest confirmed impact structures on Earth, measuring 110 miles in diameter. The impact causing the crater dates to about 65 million years ago, implicating it heavily in the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

All statistics from CIA World Factbook 2010 and the World Bank Group 2006

After more than 10 years of war and centuries of Spanish dominance dating to conquest by Hernán Cortés and the conquistadors, Mexico won independence in 1821. Since then, its history has been linked closely with that of the U.S. Now, Mexico's rich cultural heritage and diversity stand in stark contrast to its somewhat volatile political and social state. Life in Mexico is often characterized by extremes, most notably in regard to income disparity, but also in terms of the contrast between urban and rural populations.

Poverty and Migration

Mexico City is among the busiest and most populated cities in the world, with pockets of immense wealth and political power. Despite these pockets, large shanty towns encircle the metropolis, forcing families to live among garbage heaps, factory waste, and other safety and environmental hazards with little access to services. In rural regions, Mexicans suffer from isolation, poverty, poor health, and few income opportunities. Drug-related crime has also reached staggering proportions over the past few years; since President Felipe Calderón took office in 2006, over 10,000 people have died from drug-related violence, while large swaths of territory remain under the control of narcotics gangs. As a consequence of poverty and drug-related instability, approximately 400,000 Mexicans immigrate to the United States in search of jobs each year, at great personal risk. Those lucky enough to become gainfully employed send their earnings back home; remittances are a major force in the Mexican economy.

Progress

Despite these setbacks, the country has made tremendous progress in the past decade. Mexico is the 12th largest economy in the world and is considered a firmly established middle-income country. It is also a leading oil producer and the U.S.’s leading trading partner. The 70-year-long rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) ended in 2000 with the election of Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN), eliminating the era of one-party rule and ushering in a more democratic system with a stronger and more cohesive mandate.

Indigenous Groups

The indigenous populations of Mexico have long suffered economic, political and social marginalization. Comprising between 12% and 30% of the population, indigenous groups maintain the lowest life expectancies and highest infant mortality rates in the country. Despite discrimination, demands for indigenous rights have been forceful. On January 1,1994, the day of NAFTA’s signing, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) launched an aggressive campaign for indigenous and peasant rights. While early clashes between the rebels and government forces led to violence, protests have been largely peaceful since 1994. The international community has shown strong support for both the rebels and the indigenous rights movement in general, calling for an end to the stigma and human rights abuses directed at indigenous communities.