3 Es nuestra tradicion: The Continuing Importance of Ballgames among Migrant Mixtec Communities in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe pre‐Hispanic ballgame was integral in the lives of ancient Mesoamerican communities. Today, modern ballgames closely resembling their pre‐Hispanic antecedents are still played in different states throughout Mexico. Here I explore the links between the modern ballgame pelota Mixteca (Mixtec ball) and ethnic identity in Mixtecan communities in Oaxaca and the United States, using data from ethnographic interviews with pelota Mixteca players. I conclude that because cultural traditions are important influences in the (re)shaping of identity, participation in Oaxacan traditions like pelota Mixteca is critical to the creation of a pan‐Mixtecan identity among migrant Mixtec groups in the United States.