Oaxaca's Ñuu Savi Women Stop Migrating, Start Planting

In the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, Mexico, families from the Ñuu Savi community are abandoning traditional migration routes to work in northern agricultural fields. Instead, they are returning to their ancestral lands to cultivate flowers and berries, transforming their communities and securing their livelihoods.

Sandra Luna and her husband Eustaquio López are among those who decided to stay. After Eustaquio's mandatory year of service in their village, Guadalupe Nundaca, they focused on working their own land. "We couldn't leave anymore because my husband had to do his service, and we said we had to work to eat and get ahead," Sandra explained. Though they previously grew some flowers and berries, they expanded their efforts, with Eustaquio having previously spent nearly 27 years migrating to work in fields in Baja California.

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We couldn't leave anymore because my husband had to do his service, and we said we had to work to eat and get ahead.

This shift is supported by data from Mexico's National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi). The Retrospective Demographic Survey (EDER) 2025 indicates a decline in migration among younger Mexicans. The percentage of individuals migrating before age 18 dropped from 21.3% in generations born between 1961-1967 to 14.4% in those born between 1998-2007.

Sandra, who now dedicates herself primarily to cultivating flowers and berries, recalls starting with asters when she was 19. She previously sold flowers only during local markets, as she and her family were often away working in Ensenada. The decision to cultivate their own land provides a stable income and allows families to remain connected to their community and traditions, marking a significant change from the migratory patterns of previous generations.

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I had already made my life there, and I only came back to the village every year-end, for the Day of the Dead and the patron saint's festival. When I had to do my service, I had to stay the whole year. So during that year, I took the opportunity to work my plots. In the fields of Ensenada, I used to harvest green beans, strawberries, and cherry tomatoes.