Ethnic Membership and Cultural Change in Guatemala

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Abstract
A number of social scientists studying local Guatemalan communities, have described the relations between subordinate Indians and superordinate Ladinos as a caste system. Yet, census data show a steady and relatively rapid decline in the Indian proportion of the total population which must be largely accounted for in terms of Indians “passing” into the Ladino group. This paper shows that while “passing” is nearly impossible in many parts of Guatemala if one stays in the community of one's birth, migration to another part of the country is typically accompanied by fairly rapid ladinoization of the Indians. The importance of relating local community studies to the national society is thus highlighted.

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