Abstract
This chapter reports on a preliminary study of los muxes or mushes (pronounced “Moo-shey”) of Juchitán, a city in El Istmo de Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca, México, which has been described as “the most purely indigenous community in Mexico” (Keller, J. (2007). Graciela Iturbide, Juchitán. Los Angeles: Getty, p. 2). The muxes are a unique group of indigenous men who openly dress in female Zapotec attire, assume traditional female roles and are widely accepted by the community. They have been described as a third sex (Bennholdt-Thomsen, V. (1997). Las Taberneras. In V. Bennholdt-Thomsen (Ed.), Juchitán, la ciudad de las mujeres (pp. 181–197). Oaxaca: Instituto Oaxaqueño de Las Culturas, p. 283), analogous to the institutionalized homosexuality found among some Native American groups (Whitehead, H. (1981). The bow and the burden strap: A new look at institutionalized homosexuality in native North America. In S. B. Ortner & H. Whitehead (Eds.), Sexual meaning: The cultural construction of gender and sexuality (pp. 80–115). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Williams, W. L. (1986). The spirit and the flesh: Sexual diversity in American Indian culture. Boston: Beacon). While the muxes appear to lack the religious significance associated with the berdaches among Indian tribes, they may have had such significance in former times (Chiñas, B. N. (2002). The Isthmus Zapotecs: A matrifocal culture of Mexico. Mason: Cengage Learning, p. 109; Lacey, M. (2008, December 6). A lifestyle distinct: The Muxe of Mexico. The New York Times; Williams, W. L. (1986). The spirit and the flesh: Sexual diversity in American Indian culture. Boston: Beacon, p. 135). Mexican society has often been depicted as male dominated and driven by the cult of machismo, patriarchy, and excessive masculinity and as intolerant of homosexuality (Mirandé, A. (1997). Hombres y machos: Masculinity and Latino culture. Boulder: Westview Press; Gutmann, M. (1996). The meanings of macho: Being a man in Mexico city. Berkeley: University of California Press) but in Juchitán the muxes appear to be not only tolerated but also accepted and in some instances admired.
Keywords
- Indigenous Community
- Corporal Punishment
- Indian Tribe
- Gender Status
- Object Choice
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Mirandé, A. (2014). Transgender Identity and Acceptance in a Global Era: The Muxes of Juchitán. In: Gelfer, J. (eds) Masculinities in a Global Era. International and Cultural Psychology, vol 4. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6931-5_14
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