Zapotec Culture Flourishes in Cancún Market

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Amid the bustling activity of the local Market #23 in downtown Cancún, Claudia Edith López Santiago, a Zapotec woman from the 7th section of Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, has carved out a space to share her culture and traditions through the products she sells at her humble stall. Over time, she has cultivated a loyal clientele, including both locals eager to discover new flavors and fellow Istmeños seeking a taste of home.

A Legacy of Commerce and Culture

Claudia arrived in Cancún five years ago, determined to sustain the stall established by her mother and aunts 35 years earlier. She carries forward the tradition of her family of women merchants, driven by the hope of a better economic future. She believes the city’s residents value her products and are willing to pay fair prices, a motivation that fuels her daily efforts to set up her business in the heart of the market.

With a smile, she offers passersby dried shrimp with low salt content, charales (small fish), chapulines (grasshoppers), mezcal, marquesote bread, small corn totopos, coconut totopos, and seasonal items such as corn and rice quesadillas.

Challenges of Migration and Discrimination

Despite her success, Claudia’s journey has not been without hardship. The emotional toll of leaving her beloved Juchitán weighs heavily on her—she misses hearing her native language, walking its alleyways, and seeing her relatives. Her migration, like that of thousands of others, was driven by economic necessity. The initial months in Cancún were difficult, adjusting to a city where people were less colorful, did not speak her language, and rarely greeted or acknowledged her. Her determination to improve her quality of life helped her overcome this sadness, and she finds solace in the company of her sister, with whom she alternates shifts at the family business.

Claudia has also faced discrimination due to her origins. Cancún, as a tourism-focused city, prioritizes an aesthetic deemed friendly to foreign visitors. Municipal policies have banned street vendors, including those around markets, and market administrators have prohibited the use of shade tarps, citing visual concerns for tourists. Rumors and comments about Oaxaqueñas being unwelcome in the market have further compounded these challenges.

Pride in Identity

Despite these obstacles, Claudia remains undeterred. She proudly wears her traditional huipiles while selling and does not hesitate to speak Diidxazá (the Zapotec language) with any fellow Istmeño who greets her. Her resilience exemplifies the importance of maintaining cultural identity, even in unfamiliar surroundings.

Claudia, a Zapotec woman and merchant, represents the struggle for economic and social inclusion in an increasingly consumer-driven world where culture is often reduced to a commodity for sale.