Eunice Elizabeth Paredes Zamudio Humanities
The Popol Vuh in the Guatemalan Diasporic Communities of East Oakland, CA
The Popol Vuh is a historical narrative recounting the traditional mythology and origin of the Mayan Kʼicheʼ people. Eunice’s thesis explores how this foundational book and its oral traditions contribute to maintaining the beliefs and culture of Mayan immigrant communities in the United States, specifically in East Oakland. Her work centers on oral interviews of immigrants from northern Guatemala, southern Mexico and parts of Belize, and will investigate how the tenets of the Popol Vuh resonate in these communities. This research helps us understand and interpret how Mayan families perceive and preserve their traditional customs and provides us a new way to understand and interpret the legacy of foundational narratives, such as the Popul Vuh, in the present day.
