And now the page turns...

Welcome!

The purpose of this blog is to document and share my experiences as I live, work, and learn in Chiapas, Mexico from July 2008 through May 2009.

The work that I will be doing will be with a university in Chiapas entitled El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (English translation: College of the Southern Border). I will be serving as a research assistant on a project that’s using interviews, focus groups, and conversations with local people and agencies to investigate possible links between migration patterns in the region and women’s health (particularly the transmission of sexually transmitted infections). My work will focus on conducting interviews, analyzing transcripts, and doing background research.

Background:

Chiapas is a region that is currently experiencing substantial changes in migrant flows. People are emigrating from Chiapas to the Yucatan and United States, others are returning from these regions, others are moving to the cities from the country, and still others from the cities to the country. In addition, migrants from Central America and South America head northward through Chiapas to the US or the industrial farms in Northern Mexico. Despite the prevalence of all of these migration patterns, they are mainly relatively new. While there is a long history of chiapanecos (Chiapans) migrating around Chiapas to follow the crops, within the last ten years there’s been a shift to more long term and lengthy migrations to the United States and tourist regions of Mexico for work. Starting in 1994, there has also been increased migration to and from the cities and towns, related to the uprising and ensuing political tensions related to the Zapatista movement. Chiapas is therefore an ideal location to explore the impacts of new migration patterns on the people and communities of the region.

Two more important characteristics of Chiapas that have already been linked with the migration in the region, are poverty and violence (including human rights abuses). Poverty in Chiapas has increased significantly in recent years. Farming communities that have traditionally been able to provide for themselves through subsistence agriculture and the sale of agricultural products suddenly (in the last 12 years or so) find themselves unable to do so. There are a number of reasons for this change, however many prominent thinkers point to the imposition of NAFTA as a major cause for this decreased capacity. As low-priced commodities have flooded the Mexican market, the demand for local production decreases and local production and commerce gets stamped out. As a result, many people have felt pressured to migrate to places like the U.S. and the Yucatan, where they can find work and provide for their families.

Violence and human rights abuses have also been linked with migration, but more as a product than as a cause. The transience and vulnerability of migrants passing through Chiapas has caused many people to take advantage of these migrants, often in ways that lead to violence. Gangs patrol the areas along the popular routes northward and have been known to rape, steal, and beat migrants passing through. Mexican police officers have often been known to take advantage of vulnerable Central American migrants passing through Chiapas.

The Project:

The project wants to see if and how all of these changes are affecting women’s health and the transmission of STI’s. For example, the sexual violence encountered by female migrants passing through Mexico can lead to increased rates of STI’s.

I was drawn to the project (and came to find it, in fact) because of my deep interests in health and human rights, as well as Latin America. I’ve been active as an advocate for immigrant rights in the U.S., have studied global health and health policy, and feel very passionate about the importance of preserving what the International Declaration of Human Rights deems “the right to health.”

If there is indeed an increased an increased prevalence in STI’s among people who have been affected by migration, as we are hypothesizing, then I see this as an assault on their right to health and I think that it is important that it be addressed. Fortunately, in addition to examining these links, the project team will try to work in conjunction with local organizations and key stakeholders to think about how certain changes might be made to counteract negative health outcomes. Having a better understanding of how migration patterns are linked to sexual health will most likely facilitate these changes.

Another important potential effect of the project is that the information obtained in this project may serve as a powerful political tool to challenge the situations and policies that determine migration and create the conditions for human rights abuses outlined above. NAFTA, United States immigration policy, and Mexican government policies all have a hand in determining the reality migrants experience in Chiapas. If this project finds that migration patterns are indeed partial causes of increased rates of STD transmission, that could serve as a powerful argument against destructive policies and help frame the argument in the context of human rights.

Please help!

As I gather stories and continue to learn through the project and its partnerships, I expect that I will encounter examples of how difficulties in Chiapas could be improved by policy changes. Many of these changes our tied to the government of the United States. Thus, despite our distance from Chiapas, as United States citizens we actually can have a say in improving the situation for the people of the state and for ensuring that human rights are preserved in the region. I will be sure to share with you any action steps you can do that I encounter (another main purpose of this blog). Please check back often to see how you can help.

Nevertheless, I do not mean to turn anyone away with this political aspect of the blog. If you do not agree with my statements or requests, I would hope that you are not made uncomfortable and that you continue to read for other aspects of the blog. Better yet, email me and let’s enter into conversation about our points of difference.

But whatever your political leanings, customs, favorite foods- for anyone and everyone, thank you for taking the time to glance at this small view from Chiapas and to share my experience with me.