Del crédito nos sostenemos, porque de contado nomás no”. Un caso etnográfico de la deuda en la costa de Nayarit, México

Abstract

Debt is part of women’s and men’s everyday lives in the ejido Aves del Paraiso on the Coast of Nayarit, Mexico. The most commons are small debts of between $100 and $1,500 Mexican esos among women, friends, sisters and neighbours. This type of debt is linked to current consumption and aspirations, one of which is to stop “being poor.” There is another type of debt, which is acquired by migrants, men and women, when they leave to the United States, for transport, food, and to leave money for their wives. This work focuses on two types of debt which are inextricably intertwined: small debts and migration debts. In contradiction to the idea that debt destroys personal relations and communities, I argue that debt strengthens lasting ties of mutual aid.