Mexico study program preserving indigenous culture

Above, Lindsay Kent of Mayville, N.Y. spends some free time working with local children near Oaxaca, Mexico.

The daily newspaper, El Imparcial, featured the Fredonia students during a visit to the workshop of renown artist Shinzaburo Takeda and his students, conversing about plastic arts in this region, learning about different techniques, styles, and perspectives. Read the article (Spanish).

Six undergraduates have just finished the first annual six-week study-abroad program in Mexico this summer at the Ollin Tlahtoalli Centro de Lenguas y Cultura Mexicana. Located in Oaxaca, the center is dedicated to preserving endangered Mexican indigenous languages, the teaching of Spanish within a Mexican cultural framework, and the promotion of Mexican culture and traditions.

“We take classes like Advanced Spanish topics, Cinematography, Mexican History, Chicano Literature, Mexican literature, and a small conversation class,” said Lindsay Kent, a senior majoring in childhood education with a concentration in Spanish. “We all are taking three or four classes. On Monday and Wednesday nights some of us travel to that indigenous community to work with the children, and then on the weekends we do excursions to explore the Mexican culture.”

Also in the program this summer were Lindsey Trostle, Bonnie Burnett, Nicole Santoro, Deanna Taromino and Craig Fellinger. The students were supervised by Dr. Carmen Rivera, who taught a literature class at the center.

The program was arranged by SUNY Fredonia’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in a partnership with the center in what we hope will be a regular summer offering. The students live with families in the city of Oaxaca, and attend personalized instruction in small groups at the center. They also travel to archeological sites like Monte Alban and to Mexico City.

“This program offers so much more than typical summer study programs,” Dr. Rivera said. “The name of the language center comes from Nahuatl, meaning "language in movement." Nahuatl is one of 16 indigenous languages still spoken in central Mexico by more than 1.5 million people. Aside from individualized attention to students' linguistic skills, the center provides awareness of the cultural diversity of Oaxaca. Our aim is to increase our students´ understanding and appreciation of Mexican values, traditions and behaviors which are very different from the stereotypes we get here in the states. The teachers at the center are native Oaxacan who are very active in the community and aside from lectures and readings, bring culture alive by taking students to local events and putting them in contact with other Oaxacan students.

“Teaching the children English isn't related with a course really,” Ms. Kent said. “It’s just something we all decided we really wanted to do and help out the community in our spare time. We are all Spanish majors, and some of us, like me, childhood education.”

For further information on the program for next summer, contact Carmen S. Rivera. Or, visit the International Studies page on Mexico.