Education

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Project: "The interwoven of linguistic defense of Xhon and Xidza Zapotec in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca"

This research focuses on the processes of linguistic resistance in two Zapotec ethnolinguistic areas of the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca: Xhon and Xidza. I propose that this resistance manifests itself in two ways. On the one hand, it is found in the permanence of the language despite of 500 years of colonialism, and on the other, it is presented explicitly; categorized as "the defense of the language" which is articulated by Zapotec women and men who undertake actions to protect their language and culture. Thus, two (complementary) objectives are pursued: the first is to explore the spaces in which the language resides (as well as the pressures that threaten its existence) in the Xhon and Xidza regions. The second is to examine how language advocacy is articulated, both in discourse and practice, by language defenders emanating from these two regions.

In the Xhon and Xidza communities, zapotec persists thanks to community spaces, the family, forms of reciprocity (tequio, gozona), celebrations, political organization, and the strong connection between territory, crops, and artisanal production. However, particularly at the linguistic level, the Zapotecs continue to be severely affected by state language and education policies, the implications of intense migration, racism, discrimination, and the multiple forms of cultural homogenization imposed on them. Amidst the homogenizing attempts, since the 1970s, various Zapotecs (and many other indigenous groups) emerged, asserting and reclaiming their identity, generating (in conjunction with other processes) the foundation that would sustain current linguistic defense. I argue that due to the critical conditions surrounding language transmission and its epistemic legacy, the struggle of its defenders is fundamental to ensuring the future of Zapotec. The explicit demand for the defense of languages is directed toward realizing respect for fundamental human rights such as education, access to justice, and healthcare in the indigenous language. On the other hand, I maintain that speaking and writing a language other than the language of power (Spanish) in every sphere of interaction could de facto be the most radical counter-hegemonic tool that Indigenous peoples in this country could undertake in the future.

Articles (selection)

Cruz Velasco, Ilse. (2022). “Los bilingües LOE y los bilingües ELE. Reflexiones sobre un trato desigual en México”, Verbum et Lingua 19, 116-136.