Ramos Rodríguez, J. M. (2005). Indigenous radio stations in Mexico: A catalyst for social cohesion and cultural strength. The Radio Journal 3(3), 155-169.

              José Ramos Rodríguez is a professor at the Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico. As a researcher, Ramos Rodríguez has also managed to analyze Information and Communication Technology issues such as Education and Development more in depth. This article centralizes around a small radio station by the name of La Voz de la Montaña and its efforts to continue serving the indigenous communities in the area of Guerrero, Mexico. By utilizing several methods, namely qualitative and interpretive approaches in addition to a quantitative content analysis, Ramos Rodríguez focuses on demonstrating how indigenous people have been affected directly due to the very existence of the radio station (Ramos Rodríguez, 2005, p. 159). Furthermore, the title of the essay lets the audience know how indigenous radio stations serve as a catalyst for cohesion while reinforcing indigenous tradition and culture.

In the initial section of his piece, Ramos Rodríguez (2005) emphasizes how essential it is to acknowledge Mexico’s sector of ethnic media because unbeknownst to most North Americans, Mexico is a country that has a large population of indigenous communities who deal with discrimination. The hierarchy of race, or color, that is seen in the U.S. is not foreign to Mexico, and as Ramos Rodriguez states is still a pressing issue today (Ramos Rodriguez, 2005, 158). Ramos Rodriguez’s (2005) study also points out an interesting fact, that is to say the paradox of having a government funded radio station for the indigenous community of Guerrero enables these minority groups to have a voice of their own and be proud of who they are and where they come from, “But like public radio, aside from financing, such stations are primarily not for the diffusion of official propaganda. And from community radio, the model derives the participative nature of its programming. Its mission to serve those most in need…’” (Ramos Rodriguez, 2005, 157). Although La Voz de la Montaña is financially dependent on a federal body, the topics discussed on air pertain solely to the problems indigenous communities face. This interesting fact enables the reader to catch a glimpse of the irony behind having a government supported radio station that oversees the details of filtering what goes on air.

The findings in Ramos Rodríguez’s (2005) study demonstrate the high levels of cohesion in the indigenous community due to La Voz de la Montaña not only because the radio station itself maintains the community members aware of their surroundings, but also because the radio helps migrant family members who left the area maintain the ties to their native country from afar. The indigenous population in Mexico, according to Ramos Rodríguez’s article, is roughly composed of 12 million people, including 60 diverse ethnic groups each with different dialects (Ramos Rodríguez, 2005, 156). Of that population, a significant quantity of individuals and families leave the area for indefinite amounts of time due to lack of resources. In a segment of the study itself, Ramos Rodríguez affirms the importance of the radio station to those that have left the region because the majority of the community remain connected through avisos that are aired live from the radio station by the people and directly for the people “…during one month, methodologically constructed from a universe of twenty weeks; 907 messages were sent, of which 608 (67%) were of a personal nature; in other words, they were messages with specific senders and receivers” (Ramos Rodríguez, 162). The aforementioned facts indirectly encompass and demonstrate how indigenous groups reaffirm their cultural strength. Regardless of whether they were forced to leave their motherland due to lack of resources or whether some may have left only for the season, these individuals are closely tied to their place of origin and find it imperative to remain connected with the only form of technology to help maintain that vital link; the radio, “The radio thus becomes a valued instrument in order to maintain the ties with their territories” (p. 161).

Overall, Ramos Rodírguez’s (2005) work shows the reader how important radio has become for indigenous people in Mexico. As mentioned in the title and highlighted in his text, the radio is a tool that helps keep people in the region of Guerrero connected in their own indigenous tongue. In addition, Ramos Rodríguez concludes by indicating that although La Voz de la Montaña works under paradoxical circumstances due to its contradictory relationship between the actual ownership and what is broadcasted, his research reveals more positive than negative outcomes, “…which have had various positive consequences as to social cohesion, cultural and identity reconstruction within the indigenous population of the region” (p. 167).