Guelaguetza

Oaxaca has a large native indigenous population, well over 30% of the state, compared to 10% for Mexico as a whole (going by 2020 INEGI ethnic report).

The Guelaguetza celebration was a tradition that long preceded the arrival of the Spanish; it is a defining characteristic of Oaxacan regional culture.

The Guelaguetza is also known as a celebration honoring Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Virgen del Carmen), which emphasizes Marianism, combined with the surviving beliefs.

[3] The event began to take on a more modern form, as an opportunity for each people or region to showcase their unique dance.

Before the highway, transportation was so slow that it was virtually impossible to journey there for a weekend at the Guelaguetza from other areas, such as Mexico City.

In contemporary Oaxaca, indigenous communities from the state gather at the Guelaguetza to present their native cultures, mainly in the form of music, costumes, dances, and food.

[6] As the festival became a bigger tourist attraction, some indigenous leaders objected to the ancient traditions being used for commercial purposes.

[citation needed] In 2005 the regional government planned to conduct two performances a day of dance groups for each of the two Mondays.

Many traditionalists believed this was disrespectful to indigenous culture, and an attempt to appropriate it by powerful economic forces and political interests, in order to accommodate more monied, ticket-purchasing, national and international tourists.

The Partido Revolucionario Institutional (PRI) - led state government and its leader tried to suppress the protests with armed confrontation, which resulted in deaths of three reporters.

But their attempts to hold a Popular Guelaguetza were thwarted by government police repression and state-sponsored military violence throughout the city.

In the U.S. the immigrants typically hold the Guelaguetza celebrations on Sundays, in keeping with standard work schedules, and usually in the summer months, ranging from late June to early August.

Many of the Guelaguetzas are sponsored in part by TV stations, including Telemundo, local newspapers, community organizations, and companies.

In 2012, the site of the Guelaguetza was moved from an area dominated by Zapotec people to one on the Eastside, in order to reach a wider audience.

The group ORO does not limit their support to indigenous Oaxacans; it provides a "scholarship fund that has been awarded to various students to pursue a higher education".

[8] The group Senderos also gives scholarships to high school seniors to continue their education, and provides academic tutoring and skill classes to both the youth and adults.

[11] Lazos Oaxaquenos focuses on building a Oaxaca community in Northern California, helping make people aware of different services that are available to them.