Guelaguetza as a Religious Site of Identity

Construction and Defense of the Oaxacan Immigrant Community

Abstract

This article attempts to explore new techniques in how religious studies scholars study religious communities. Leveraging theoretical engagement with the religious practices and celebrations of Oaxacan Mexicans, as well as my own experiences in this community, this article will explore how Oaxacan Mexicans in Mexico and diasporic Oaxacans experience faith. This article will conclude by proposing that auto-ethnographic engagement with religious studies is a fruitful scholarly method that can help scholars make sense of lived religious practices.