Indigenous Migration in Latin America: Fragmentation, Translocality, and Transnational Ethnicity

Summary

The migrations of Indigenous peoples in Latin America have deep historical roots and cannot be viewed solely as a product of contemporary globalization. In the 21st century, these migrations are primarily influenced by the historical fragmentation of Indigenous territories, a situation exacerbated by the establishment of nation-state borders. Moreover, as local community members integrate into the global postindustrial labor force, further dispersion occurs, shaping contemporary migration patterns. Literature from the first two decades of the 21st century regarding Indigenous migration in Latin America emphasizes its impact on three significant transformative processes: rural-urban translocation, cross-border practices resulting from land fragmentation, and the emergence of ethnic transnationalism, including the formation of pan-ethnic alliances.

Three specific regions in Latin America are characterized by Indigenous migration. The first is the South American region, which spans from Wallmapu to the Andes and Amazonia, home to the Mapuche, Aymara, Quechua, and Guarani peoples. The second region encompasses lower Central America, where the Ngäbe and Kuna peoples reside, while the third is the Mesoamerican region, which stretches through Guatemala and Mexico and includes the Maya, Nahua, Mixtec, Zapotec, Triqui, and Purépecha, along with its intersection with the Gran Chichimeca region in northern Mexico, inhabited by the Cora, Huichol, Cucapá, Kumiai, Paipai, and O’odham peoples.