As one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages in Mexico, la Secretaría de Asuntos Indígenas de Oaxaca has pushed for the Mexican government’s formal recognition of Mixteco. Through migration, Mixteco has spread not only throughout Mexico, but also to different parts of the United States. From 2000 to 2010, the number of indigenous peoples from Latin America rose from 407,000 to 685,000, according to Time. A decent portion of this comes from Mexico’s indigenous communities, who have settled in Texas, New York, Arizona, Colorado, and Illinois. Given the increased importance of Latin America’s indigenous languages in the US, several NY universities have come together to offer a scholarship for a Mixteco course at Lehman College.
The course is a partnership among the Institute for Latin American Studies at Columbia University, The Jaime Lucero Mexican Studies Institute at Lehman College, and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University “designed to promote the teaching, learning, and study of indigenous and diasporic languages of the Americas.” The scholarship covers as much as $1,500 for one semester and is open to anyone who has a financial need, has a proven commitment to the Mexican community, and has any previous familiarity with the language. Potential students do not have to be students of the City University of New York to qualify.
The deadline for the scholarship is August 1. Those interested can contact mexican.studies@lehman.cuny.edu for more information or can head here to apply.