Tourism and migration among Yucatan Maya. The new milpas of Chan Kom

This article analyzes the phenomenon of tourism within the current globalizing and postmodern contexts. It is based on the relationships between Chan Kom, a Maya community in the Yucatan peninsula, and Cancun, the international tourist emporium. The study examines the dialogue between Chan Kom's social fragmentation due to out-migration to Cancun, and the Mayanization of the human geography of Cancun. The goal is to scrutinize the multifaceted responses to the expansion of tourism influences among Chan Kom's peasants and migrants. The symbol of milpa is an ideological core that shows great plasticity in different groups efforts to legitimize their political power within Chan Kom's social fragmentation. Particular emphasis is placed on the role that migrants' human capital plays in the community plans for economic development.