May 17, 1999
Jonathan Fox, associate professor of Latin American and Latino studies, recently returned from a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, during which he was presented with an honorary staff by the council of elders of the town of San Miguel Tlacotepec. The presentation, akin to being presented with the "key to the city," was in recognition of Fox's work with the Oaxacan Indigenous Binational Front, a civic group that supports immigrant rights, indigenous rights, and community development.
The organization represents residents of more than 200 villages and towns in Mexico, as well as residents of the San Joaquin Valley and Baja California. Fox has worked with the group for more than a year, helping members secure grants from Oxfam and the MacArthur Foundation. During his visit to the region, which was covered by the leading newspaper in Oaxaca, Fox met with community leaders and state representatives as part of his ongoing research on Mexican rural development policy.