Wendy Call visited the Isthmus of Tehuantepec—the lush sliver of
land connecting the Yucatan Peninsula to the rest of Mexico—for the
first time in 1997. She found herself in the midst of a storied
land, a place Mexicans call their country's “little waist,” a
place long known for its strong women, spirited marketplaces, and
deep sense of independence. She also landed in the middle of a
ferocious battle over plans to industrialize the region, where most
people still fish, farm, and work in the forests. In the decade
that followed her first visit, Call witnessed farmland being paved
for new highways, oil spilling into rivers, and forests burning
down. Through it all, local people fought to protect their lands
and their livelihoods—and their very lives. Call’s
story, No Word for Welcome, invites readers into the homes,
classrooms, storefronts, and fishing boats of the isthmus, as well
as the mahogany-paneled high-rise offices of those striving to
control the region. With timely and invaluable insights into the
development battle, Call shows that the people who have suffered
most from economic globalization have some of the clearest ideas
about how we can all survive it.