Transnational Construction of Mayanness: Reading Modern Mesoamerica Through Us Archives

Description: The Transnational Construction of Mayanness explores how US academics, travelers, officials, and capitalists contributed to the construction of the Maya as an area of academic knowledge and affected the lives of the Maya peoples who were the subject of generations of anthropological research from the mid-nineteenth century to the present.

Review Quotes: "A searing reckoning with US imperialism in Mexico and Guatemala that resonates especially strongly in the current moment and will continue to do so for years to come. Critical reading for anyone studying settler colonial processes in the Maya area."
--Maia Dedrick, Cornell University

"A pathbreaking exploration of Mayanness spanning multiple historical periods and national contexts. This collection traces how conceptions of Mayan identity have been shaped by transnational encounters between Mayan people and others--the scholars, officials, tourists and others who have sought to study, claim, or control them."
-- Paul Eiss, Carnegie Mellon University

"A must-read for all of those engaging with Maya culture and wishing to critically reflect on the practice of knowledge production on and with indigenous peoples."
--Anthropos