Sighting: Oaxaca, Mexico
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Spanish translation:
Mexico with Palestine: The struggle of the Palestinians is the struggle of native peoples
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A mural expressing solidarity with Palestine that has been painted, repeatedly erased by authorities, and repainted
Photo Credit: Mercer Stauch / The Trail
EXCERPT
Oaxaca, Mexico is the destination for hundreds of thousands of tourists every year who come to steep themselves in a city that advertises itself as a well-preserved cultural treasure – meandering the historic El Centro neighborhood gives one the impression they’re passing through colonial-era New Spain. Ruins of pre-hispanic cities (Yagul, Monte Albán) aren’t far either, and the number of museums and historical markers lends itself to the narrative that Oaxaca is indeed frozen in time.
For native Oaxacans, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The less advertised dimension of this society is the firm and courageous public sense of progress, justice, and protest. During my three months studying here, I’ve seen upwards of 20 protests. The Oaxacan police are well practiced at blocking traffic for the duration of these marches, and non-participants treat them as a normalcy. Public art backs up the public protest; outward-facing walls of most buildings (truly, a blank surface is an unusual sight) decry a government failure, illuminate a crime met with impunity, or mourn a wrongful death. This graffiti forces the viewer to confront the region’s imperfections, and demonstrate a forward-looking perspective that chafes with the image typically sold to the city’s tourist audience.
Source:
https://trail.pugetsound.edu/?p=18567