Folkloric Poverty

Folkloric Poverty: Neoliberal Multiculturalism in Mexico, Volume 1, examines the complex intersection of indigenous activism and neoliberal policy in Mexico. Rebecca Overmyervelzquez explores how the technocratic revolution under Carlos Salinas created specific constraints for indigenous communities. This social science study investigates the political resurgence triggered by the 1992 Columbus anniversary protests and the 1994 Zapatista uprising. The text analyzes how various organizations formed to pursue cultural, economic, and legal goals for Indian peoples across the country.

Through the lens of anthropology and political science, this work focuses on the Consejo Guerrerense 500 Años de Resistencia Indígena in Guerrero. This movement gained significant international prominence during the 1990s before facing decline by 2002. Folkloric Poverty: Neoliberal Multiculturalism in Mexico, Volume 1, uses this case study to demonstrate how Mexican multiculturalism and indigenismo functioned to isolate indigenous demands. This ethnic studies research highlights how neoliberal reforms worked to maintain political quarantine for these communities.