International Women’s Month: Mayusa Gonzalez Cauich

For Women’s History Month, Na’atik would like to recognize Mayusa, a former student of our director, Catherine. Although no such opportunity had ever been afforded to the women of her community, Mayusa had dreamed of becoming a professional. She knew she wanted to study, wanted more than to marry and have children. She has since followed her dream and has spent her adult life fighting for women’s rights, Indigenous rights, and human rights. Mayusa’s dedication and hard work has led her all the way to Mexico City to represent Indigenous women in Mexico’s Federal Congress.

Maya is Mayusa’s first language. She spent her first seven years in her mother’s Maya community with her grandmother and brother and she remembers these times as some of her happiest moments. She remembers trekking out into the monte, the low-brush jungle, to help her grandmother with the corn harvest in the milpa, the small plot farm. She would assist her grandmother with fixing the mud walls of their home and help her cut the huano leaves so her grandma could repair a hole in the thatched roof. Her grandmother, whom she always considered a hero, taught her that although she was a girl, she could study, be strong, speak her mind, and do men’s work if she wanted to.

When she was seven, her mother got a new boyfriend and they moved to Carrillo. At first, she felt insecure, different, and poor, but then soon made friends and developed the confidence that she would thrive in the ‘big city’. Mayusa studied as hard as she could, all the way through high school; however, violence was commonplace in her household, so when she graduated from high school at 16, she left home to be free of it. After a two-year break working in tourism in Cancun wherever she could, mentors convinced her that if she wanted to continue studying, there was a university, the Instituto Tecnológico Superior, in her hometown of Carrillo Puerto that she could go to.

With hardly enough money for even the minimal registration costs, Mayusa borrowed from a friend and began her college studies in the field of Administration. She thought she’d only be able to get her Associates degree but, with the help of a scholarship and the support of her teachers, friends and mentors, Mayusa spent the five required years to finish her Bachelor’s degree or ‘Licenciatura’. Her perseverance and determination eventually paid off when she graduated with excellent grades and high distinction from her peers and professors. It was this respect and success that had the Tec recommending her for a position working in Derechos Humanos, Human Rights, in the state of Quintana Roo. Here she established herself as a strong, effective, and committed Maya woman, tireless in the fight for Indigenous women and families.

Being an Indigenous woman in high places hasn’t always been easy for Mayusa. At the beginning of her career, she found herself in a job as the only woman where she was sexually harassed to such a level that she needed to quit. After some time working for Derechos Humanos, although she occasionally faced discrimination, racism and sexism, she continued with her work without letting these aspects hold her back. Over the years, she gained more recognition for her work. She trained to not let negativity, racism, and machismo discourage her. She learned to be proud, strong, and honest, and encourage women and entire communities to work together to improve their lives.

Just this March, Mayusa was invited to be a substitute for the Indigenous Women’s Representative in Congress. She was seventh in line and was honored to be asked but didn’t think she would ever be needed. She was wrong, and just a few weeks ago she was up on the stage in Congress in Mexico City speaking about the needs of Indigenous women. Although the position is only for three months, she’s nevertheless determined to give everything she can with commitment, responsibility, integrity, and passion. Many in Mexico get into politics for power and money but Mayusa is there to give a voice to Indigenous women and empower those in need. She is fighting for the marginalized communities who’ve been hit even harder because of COVID, to teach parents that it’s ok if their children don’t marry and have children, it’s ok for their daughters to be professionals and have families, to educate the population about laws that indirectly take away human rights. Another goal is to explain to the politicians that they can’t just make laws which support the Indigenous people from behind a desk. It’s necessary that they go out into the communities to see first-hand what changes are needed.

Growing up as an Indigenous child in Mexico, did you ever believe that you were going to be at a disadvantage?

Of course! Being poor and Indigenous put me at a disadvantage. Sometimes I felt excluded for the color of my skin and sometimes for being poor. With 5 siblings, money was always an issue; there was never enough for rent, utilities, school supplies, or college. I remember that my mom would owe the stores for basic food. I never understood why the children who came from comfortable financial situations didn’t always work hard at school and didn’t take advantage of all they had as I had to work so hard for anything I had.I always wanted to study, but Indigenous girls tend to accept that they won’t study. Coming to Carrillo was life-changing. I suddenly had people encouraging me and I continued to be very focused on school.

Who were your heroes growing up?

My abuelita is my hero. My grandma was a feminist without being aware of it - she’s always been for equal rights. She’s not against men but is for supporting women. In the 1930s, her husband abused her because she only had girls. She was a worker in the milpa, the small plot farm. She fixed her thatch roof, kept up the house. Her second husband, the man I consider my abuelito, was the first man I knew who washed, ironed, cooked, and served us food. Seeing my abuelito doing household chores and supporting my abuelita was inspiring and I learned that gender roles weren’t set in stone. My abuelita was strong, she didn’t care. She helped my mom and all of us when my siblings and I were being abused. I’ve also been lucky to have her as well as teachers and friends who’ve supported and encouraged me throughout my life.

Some studies have attributed the organization culture of Maya people as an impediment to the education of Indigenous Maya girls. Some go as far as to describe Maya traditions as patriarchal. Do you think this is a fair representation?

Boys are raised with the expectation that they will inherit land and head the family, but they don’t ever raise girls to head a family. Most Indigenous parents won’t let their girls even think about studying. From childhood, it is ingrained in girls to marry or become a mother. If you don’t have children, you are insulted and judged, yet if you have a family and work, you are labeled as a negligent mother. We, as women, can't win.  I have been teaching families that women and girls have the right to marry or not, have kids or not. I also teach parents that it’s ok if their children don’t want to marry and/or have kids. Nonetheless, the norm is that the family decides for girls and women.I think it’s important to bring the men into the fight of equality and justice and to work to get the communities to work together. Feminism is for equality, it’s not to hate men.

How do you think the education system in Mexico can attempt to compensate for the inequities that children in underserved communities experience?

If the politicians want to make change, they can. There’s no access to healthcare and in education, there aren’t materials. The politicians work behind a desk and have no idea of what the situation is like because they never go into the Indigenous communities. They think that all our languages are the same. The Mexican Constitution must recognize all Indigenous languages as actual languages. Schools need to be taught in both their native language and Spanish. National requirements of papers, etc., need to also be in Indigenous languages. The government needs to invest in recognizing and working in these languages.

In what ways do you see the pandemic affecting Mexico’s Indigenous children?

The pandemic has emphasized the already existing economic divides. It has reinforced these inequities and has made them worse. Many children in the communities don’t have TVs or computers and much less internet for distance learning. Many parents have lost their jobs and this again makes any possibility for their children to have virtual access to their classes difficult. Many of their parents didn’t study past primary school so they can’t help their children with school either. One positive is that kids are not locked in their houses like in the cities, so they can run around outside in their communities. However, abused kids are now closed in with violence since they don’t have school to go to as a respite.

What kind of role does technology play for children in rural communities?

Prior to the pandemic, ‘Telesecundarias’ and ‘Telebachilleratos’, which are classes for middle school and high school children through TV programs out of Mexico City, in a classroom with a teacher who would travel to and from the community every day, were in the Maya communities. Most Maya communities still don’t have access to the internet. During the pandemic, if people have a TV and cable, they can access federal classroom programming, but many don’t have TVs and, without a teacher, they don’t have the guidance to understand the lessons.

What professional challenges have you had to endure as a person who is both a woman and Indigenous?

My first job out of college was brutal. I was the only woman with all men and I had to deal with very high levels of sexual harassment. I quit after 11 months before I ended up in an unhealthy relationship with one of them or in a worse situation.

What roles have language competency played in your education and upward mobility?

I had good grades, and my ability to speak Maya was a large reason I was offered a job in the Humans Rights department of the State of Quintana Roo.

How did you get involved in politics?

I was invited to give a speech regarding the Maya and Indigenous women at a conference. At the conference I ran into a friend and she invited me to be a part of her team as a substitute to represent Indigenous women in the federal Congress. I had been a representative for Indigenous women for two years for the Quintana Roo state government but never imagined having the opportunity to have a voice at federal level. Many people in Mexico get into politics for money and power but those things don’t interest me. I am committed to this work and its responsibilities; not for money or power.

Indigenous girls deal with disdain towards their achievements. Have you received any rivalry, jealousy or backlash for daring to stand out as an Indigenous woman?

Yes. My job protecting women has at times placed me in danger. For example, I had one man stalk and threaten me when I was 7-8 months pregnant because I had previously helped his wife and children move to a safe place to escape his violent abuse.Professionally, I guess some people feel envy and jealousy. They are upset because they say they don’t understand why I’m being recognized and they are not. I don’t know why I’ve been selected. Everything I've done professionally over these past 15 years has been done with a clean conscience to work on improving human rights for all Mexicans in Quintana Roo, especially Indigenous women and their communities. I've never directly gone after a position in politics, the opportunities have come to me.I’ve also received some backlash on social media because of my stance on abortion rights and other controversial human rights issues. I’ve learned about bots, false profiles and the role they play in damaging reputations. If I receive aggressive responses from people I know on social media, rather than getting angry or starting arguments, I open a dialogue so we can safely express our opinions and learn from each other. I’ve learned that this is much more effective than falling into a negative trap of online attacks. I am not ashamed about who I am or what I do. I’ve endured discrimination and racism, but I don't let the negativity bring me down.

What challenges do women in politics continue to face?

Women are expected to be passive so when we raise our hands, we are criticized. Men aren’t criticized when they want power and a voice. What’s worse is that they think women want to take away their power when what we want is a voice, a seat at the table and to have the same rights as men.

Was there anything you weren’t expecting when it came to entering the political world?

I wasn’t expecting to have a voice. People I’ve worked with in federal Congress have received me with respect. When I speak Maya, it has a strong effect on them. When I have a few minutes to speak to Congress, I begin with Maya and I have noticed how they stop and pay attention. I hear the murmuring that I’m the Maya one from Quintana Roo and they say it with interest and some have a newfound respect for me because of that. I feel like it’s opening the eyes to those in federal politics that a dark, short, Maya woman can also be articulate, educated and that what I have to say is important. 

What types of inequities does the average Mexican woman experience (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous)?

Women of all economic levels and of all levels of society face discrimination and are victims of abuse. I’m learning how deep machismo is and how it doesn’t matter the color of skin or how much money someone has. Politicians’ wives and wealthy, powerful, famous women are stepping forward talking about how they were/are abused. I’m learning how many women accept abuse in order to get into powerful positions. Women have been basically erased from Mexican history. If women of any class want to study, work, get ahead, they receive fierce backlash that they are abandoning their families, are bad mothers, yet if they choose to not have families, they are criticized for being less of a woman. There’s no easy answer for women to be professionals in the current societal norms.

How can the average Mexican girl become more politically active in her community?

Visiting the communities, talking with the people, talking with the students, listening, educating about providing opportunities to their daughters, encouraging sons to do non-traditional chores around the house, teaching women how to lead a family.

What do you hope to accomplish in your political career?

I hope to change laws and bring much needed help to Indigenous communities. especially women in those communities.

If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. 

The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.