ProQuest Dissertations - The University of Arizona Campus Repository

PART I: MENNONITES IN MEXICO: HISTORY AND REPRESENTATIONS
In 1922, about 7000 Old Colony Mennonites with a Dutch-Prussian-Russian heritage
began to migrate from Manitoba. Canada to the Bustillos Valley in Chihuahua. Mexico.
These Mennonite groups continued a centuries-long tradition of group splitting and
migration caused by internal and external pressures related to ideological and economic
issues. Until recently, almost exclusively North American, i.e. Canadian or United States.
Mennonite scholars have documented the history, and economic and socio-cultural
aspects of Old Colony Mennonites. Only recently have Mennonites from Chihuahua
begun to offer their own versions of lived history in northern Mexico.
Chapter I (Strangers and Pilgrims: A History of the Mennonite Groups of Chihuahua)
summarizes the history of the Old Colony and General Conference Mennonites who
today live in the Bustillos Valley in the vicinity of Ciudad Cuauhtemoc. The first part of
this chapter outlines the official Mennonite discourse on history and identity formation as
it has been written down by North American Mennonite scholars, while the second part
describes aspects of the short history of Mennonite colonies in Chihuahua.
Chapter 2 (Representations of "The Mexican Mennonites") offers a discussion on
existing representations of Old Colony and General Conference Mennonites in
Chihuahua. AAer analyzing the North American Mennonite discourse on history, group
formation and identity as summarized in Chapter I. I first describe the 75"* Anniversary
of the Manitoba, Swift Current, and Santa Clara Colonies' that took place in Chihuahua
' One year later followed the SO'"* Anniversary of the Los Jagueyes Colony, located about 70 kilometers
north of the Manitoba Colony. This festivity partly echoed the previous 75"* Anniversary celebration. Since
my research was predominantly conducted in the Manitoba Colony, suffice it to say that the goal of the Los
Jagueyes event also was lo praise God for his guidance and to honor the pioneers for their ventures and
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