Overview

The Mayans Among Us conveys the unique experiences of Central American indigenous immigrants to the Great Plains, many of whom are political refugees from repressive, war-torn countries. Ann L. Sittig, a Spanish instructor, and Martha Florinda Gonzalez, a Mayan community leader living in Nebraska, have gathered the oral histories of contemporary Mayan women living in the state and working in meatpacking plants. Sittig and Gonzalez initiated group dialogues with Mayan women about the psychological, sociological, and economic wounds left by war, poverty, immigration, and residence in a new country. Distinct from Latin America's economic immigrants and often overlooked in media coverage of Latino and Latina migration to the plains, the Mayans share their concerns and hopes as they negotiate their new home, culture, language, and life in Nebraska. Longtime Nebraskans share their perspectives on the immigrants as well. The Mayans Among Us poignantly explores how Mayan women in rural Nebraska meatpacking plants weave together their three distinct identities: Mayan, Central American, and American.

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9780803284616

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Reviews

This book makes for a fascinating read. Sittig and Gonzalez help us understand the points of view of an almost invisible population. The stories of the Mayans, huge and heartbreaking stories, increase our moral imaginations. I wish this were required reading for all our politicians and policy makers. I recommend it to all who yearn to understand the America we live in today. -Mary Pipher, author of The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community -- Mary Pipher Ann L. Sittig and Martha Florinda Gonzalez offer an instructive and significant depiction of the changes of work, religion, place, and life in small-town Nebraska. -Elaine Carey, associate professor of history at St. John's University and author of Women Drug Traffickers: Mules, Bosses, and Organized Crime -- Elaine Carey

Ann L. Sittig and Martha Florinda Gonzalezoffer an instructive and significant depiction of the changes of work, religion, place, and life in small-town Nebraska. Elaine Carey, associate professor of history at St. John s University and author of Women Drug Traffickers: Mules, Bosses, and Organized Crime --Elaine Carey (09/14/2015)

By focusing on the local impact of Guatemalan migration, Ann Sittig and Martha Florinda Gonzalezoffer an instructive and significant depiction of the changes of work, religion, place, and life in small-town Nebraska. Elaine Carey, associate professor of history at St. John s University and author of Women Drug Traffickers: Mules, Bosses, and Organized Crime --Elaine Carey (09/14/2015)

Author Information

Ann L. Sittig is a tenured Spanish instructor at Shasta College in Redding, California. Martha Florinda GonzÁlez emigrated from Guatemala to Nebraska and is a community leader in Nebraska. She has served as a member of the Coordinating Commission for Indigenous Women and the Technical Commission for Negotiations, and on the Commission for Women in Guatemala.    

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