Copyright by Rosario De La Luz Rizzo Lara 2012
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Copyright by Rosario De La Luz Rizzo Lara 2012 The Thesis Committee for Rosario De La Luz Rizzo Lara Certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: Developing Alternative Markets in Veracruz: The Case of Totomoxtle APPROVED BY SUPERVISING COMMITTEE: Supervisor: Rebecca M. Torres Gregory W. Knapp Developing Alternative Markets in Veracruz: The Case of Totomoxtle by Rosario De La Luz Rizzo Lara, B.S. Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts The University of Texas at Austin August, 2012 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to family: my mother Irma, my father Guillermo, my brother Memo, Edgar, my sister Cristina, my aunts, my grandmother and cousins without their support, love and encouragement this work would have never been concluded. Thanks for always being there in spite of the distance. I would also like to dedicate this work to a very special person, Jorge Eduardo Lara Fontes, who passed away in March, thanks for teaching me one of the most important lessons of my life. I would also like to include my longtime friend Alejandra Dominguez, her interest, love and companionship throughout this process are invaluable. Also, I want to include my beloved group of friends in Veracruz –LBSC- and Austin, my colleagues, professors and staff in LLILAS. Thank you for the support, for listening to me, for putting up with my craziness, for always being an inspiration and for having a smile every time I came to you. Finally, I want to dedicate this work to all the people in the Totonacapan, thank you for your time and kindness, your contributions are greatly appreciated. Acknowledgements This thesis would have not been possible without the guidance, supervision and support of Dr. Rebecca Torres. Thank you for always challenging me to think critically, to push me to take on a different perspective and go beyond what was in front of me. Thanks for being an inspiration and for showing me that great things are possible. I would also like to thank Dr. Knapp for his valuable comments and contributions to this thesis. Also, I want to thank Gail Sanders and all the faculty and staff at LLILAS who helped me throughout my stay in grad school. Thanks for being so welcoming, for helping me with all the paperwork, for giving me the best advice and for making my life a little bit easier. I need to thank to the people in the Totonacapan, specially “Piquito de Oro”, Jose Luna, Joel, Teodora, Cirilo and Carmelo for taking the time to speak to me. Also, I want to thank the faculty and staff in UVI Totonacapan who guide me at the beginning of this journey. Finally, I would like to thank Lindsey Carte, Vanessa Martinez, Allison Ramirez and Julian Villarreal for their valuable contributions and comments on earlier versions of this thesis. v Abstract Developing Alternative Markets in Veracruz: The Case of Totomoxtle Rosario De La Luz Rizzo Lara, M.A. The University of Texas at Austin, 2012 Supervisor: Rebecca M. Torres A series of economic and political changes that occurred in the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s have had major impacts on the small-scale agricultural sector in Mexico. The debt crisis of the 1980s led the government to adopt the neoliberal model. Reforms brought by the adoption of this model including trade liberalization, privatization of state-owned enterprises, reduction and cancellation of credits and social programs, along with the relative abandonment of the agricultural sector and focus on the manufacturing and services industries have caused economic, social and environmental harm to corn producers in the Totonacapan region of the state of Veracruz. In order to respond to the impacts of these large-scale policies, farmers coped by migrating to cities and U.S., and by taking advantage of the emergence of alternative markets, such as the corn husk, or totomoxtle, industry. The objective of this study is to explain the context in which totomoxtle emerged and evolved, and determine the importance and impact that this market has had on corn producers, intermediaries and exporters, men, women and children. Based on qualitative data gathered during 2011 using semi-structured vi interviews, participant observation, and the examination of secondary sources, I found that the totomoxtle trade has expanded considerably in the last decade becoming the main source of income and employment for many marginal households in the Totonacapan. The study questions, however, its ability to be used as a tool for poverty alleviation. Findings suggest that intermediaries and exporters obtain larger profits than farmers thus elucidating the need for more access to capital and infrastructure to achieve higher benefits for growers. At the same time, research also found evidence of the different participation of women and men during the production and manufacturing of totomoxtle. Moreover, research show that women were paid less, work for more hours and they labor in small and crowed places. Finally, data also suggests that the growth of totomoxtle production can be attributed to the increased demand and consumption by Mexican/Latino immigrant populations in the U.S., a shift in the American palate, and its overall availability in new immigrant destinations. vii Table of Contents List of Tables ...........................................................................................................x List of Figures........................................................................................................ xi List of Illustrations................................................................................................ xii Chapter One: Introduction .......................................................................................1 Importance of the Study..................................................................................7 Chapter Two: Corn and the Totonacapan: a Historical Review ..............................9 Totonacs, a History of Displacement and Struggle for Survival ..................10 The Neoliberal Model in Mexico..................................................................19 Corn Production in the Totonacapan ............................................................27 Mechanisms of Resilience and Farmers' Responses to a Restructuring Economy .......................................................................................................32 Conclusions...................................................................................................40 Chapter Three: Methodology.................................................................................42 Situating the Research...................................................................................43 Research Methods.........................................................................................46 Positionality ..................................................................................................49 Limitations and Challenges...........................................................................50 Chapter Four: Origins and Evolution of the Corn Husk Industry..........................53 Corn Production: a Livelihood Strategy? .....................................................54 Corn Husk Production: the Emergence and Evolution of an Alternative Market...........................................................................................................58 Distribution: the Role of Exporters and Local and Regional Intermediaries.... ..............................................................................................................67 (Re) Thinking Corn: the Use of Improved Seeds .........................................75 The Role of the State.....................................................................................77 Conclusions...................................................................................................81 viii Chapter Five: Ethnic Products in the U.S.: The Case of Totomoxtle.....................83 Migration as a Source of Etnic-Community Formation ...............................84 Defining Ethnic and Nostalgic markets and products...................................88 Factors Influencing the demand of nostalgic and ethnic products................91 Consuming Ethnic products: The case of Totomoxlte..................................98 Conclusions.................................................................................................102 Chapter 6: Corn Husk Production: a Gendered Perspective................................105 Intersecting Gender, Place and Labor.........................................................106 Gendered Places and Labor: Women and Men's Participation in the Corn Husk Industry ....................................................................................110 Discussion: The Implication of the Corn Husk Industry for Women and Men ............................................................................................................125 Conclusions.................................................................................................134 Chapter Seven: Conclusions ................................................................................137 Totomoxtle Conclusions .............................................................................137 Nostalgic and Ethnic products, a Business Opportunity.............................141 Recommendation for the State, Civil