The Binational Front of Indigenous Organizations (Spanish; Castilian: Frente Indígena Organizacionales Binacionales, FIOB), formerly known as the Binational Front of Mixteco-Zapotec (Spanish; Castilian: Frente Mixteco-Zapoteco Binacional), emerged at the end of 1991 in Los Angeles, California.[1] The FIOB was founded off of six Oaxacan migrant organizations – the Mixtec Popular Civic Committee (Spanish; Castilian: Comité Cívico Popular Mixteco), the Organization of the Exploited and Oppressed People (Spanish; Castilian: Organización de Pueblo Explotado y Oprimido), Committee from Tlacolula in Los Angeles (Spanish; Castilian: Comité Tlacolulense en Los Ángeles), Organization Pro-Support for Macuiltianguis (Spanish; Castilian: Organización Pro-Ayuda a Macuiltianguis), Benito Juárez Civic Association (Spanish; Castilian: Asociación Cívica Benito Juárez), and the Regional Organization from Oaxaca (Spanish; Castilian: Organización Regional de Oaxaca). The organization stands as the most politically active indigenous migrant group in California in cities such as Los Angeles, Fresno, and Santa Maria alongside an office in Juxtlahuaca, Oaxaca.[2]
The FIOB constitutes themselves as, "a group of organizations, communities, and individuals (men and women) of diverse origins, who have decided to combine efforts, ideas, and projects that overcome the economic, political, social and cultural problems that our indigenous sisters and brothers face." Migrants and non-migrants unite in Mexico and the United States (USA) to fight for respect for their rights and identity as indigenous peoples."[3] They have the stated purpose of "joining efforts as indigenous peoples to fight for their rights," as their objectives align with preserving and promoting indigenous cultures while focusing heavily on indigenous peoples' identity and securing the indigenous peoples rights. Community-based projects is the main outlet that the FIOB uses to promote basic human rights for indigenous peoples such as promoting "family health, community integration, gender equality, and collaborations with other organizations."[4]
According to the FIOB website, the main mission of the organization is to, "contribute to the development and self-determination of migrant and non-migrant indigenous peoples, as well as fight for the defense of human rights with justice and gender equality at the binational level", – translated from Spanish. Odilia Romero, a human rights activist who has worked with FIOB for many years, expressed that FIOB centers "decolonizing the indigenous mind" and recognizing the injustices continually faced by indigenous communities across Latin America and the United States– for example through practices that promote solidarity between different indigenous groups.[5] FIOB creates and promotes programs that bolster civic participation and social, cultural, and economic growth, as well as emphasize the importance of connecting and representing indigenous cultural and traditional practices, such as through hosting traditional festivities, creating El Tequito (a bi-national magazine), and offering a variety of entrepreneurial classes in both the US and Mexico.[6] The organization fights on both local and national levels for social justice and gender equity as well as the recognition and protection of indigenous human rights.[7] They are committed to, “creating a participatory and democratic immigrant politics that respects human rights.”
According to Marisol Gutiérrez at the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA), FIOB has three primary demands:
“The members of the FIOB assume the commitment to fight loyally for the principles of freedom, justice, democracy and equality for our people, understanding this as the right of our communities to their political and economic autonomy, that is, their right to freely decide their destination; to the improvement of their material life, to respect for their human rights, their territory, their natural resources and their culture,” – translated from Spanish.[8] Furthermore, the organization stands in solidarity with other minority groups across the globe who are fighting to break free from injustice, hunger, marginalization, political persecution, and any forms of human rights violations. FIOB works to systematically change the structures that have caused the misery, lack of democracy, unemployment, and health issues felt by indigenous communities in Mexico and the US through the support of different organizations and campaigns that align in values and objectives. In order to achieve these goals, FIOB maintains that they follow a peaceful mobilization process in order to collectively organize their members and present demands to different authorities.
According to the FIOB’s website, the following are the chronological accomplishments and setbacks of the FIOB:[9]
The FIOB has organized many mechanisms to preserve ethnic-cultural heritage. In the beginning one setback of the indigenous migrant community was the language barrier. In an interview, Odilia Romero recounts a story of a Triqui man who was put in an asylum because no one understood him, no one knew he was speaking an indigenous language.[10] Odilia goes on to mention that for this reason and other experiences the FIOB decided to hold educational workshops about indigenous languages for public services like hospitals, schools, police, judges, and more. In 1993 there was also an interpreters project, the FIOB paid for courses for a group os aspiring interpreters and as a result the group of indigenous interpreters graduated. Odilia then goes on to state how one setback of their interpreter projects is the exploitation by the consulate for their interpreters. She states, “we are doing the work that consulates should be doing. The consulate should provide the interpreters, the consulate should work to defend the rights of Indian communities, but this is not the case. We train the interpreters. The consulate calls us to say 'I need an interpreter in this language.'" Another example of the FIOB's effort to preserve indigenous languages and create interpreters is the bilingual school named “El Pipila'' in the Obrera neighborhood in Tijuana that teaches Mixtec and Spanish.[11]
FIOB, the Indigenous Front of Binational Organizations, has approximately 5,000 accredited members.[12] Through countless efforts from members of FIOB, they have managed to assist transnational migrants with aid with elementary schooling in Mexico and the U.S.[13] Their services allow for peer counseling allowing them to learn and help others who may be dealing with the same situation. These initiatives adopt a participatory and community-based approach to education for migrant workers. By involving them in the educational process, recognizing the power of peer networks and informal communication, and valuing community discussions, these initiatives aim to address the specific needs and challenges faced by transnational migrants. FIOB is also present in various locations in California, including Los Angeles, Fresno, Greenfield, Hollister, San Diego, Santa Rosa, and Merced.[14] There are also support groups in states like Oregon, New York, Arizona, and Washington. Though the group seems to have less coverage on their current projects, they offer a newsletter to which people can subscribe.[15] They are primarily active in California and Mexico but have branches and resources throughout the US and parts of Latin America.
For the past two decades, the FIOB along with CBDIO have organized the annual Guelaguetza Fresno event.[16] [17] This event highlights the various cultures found within Oaxaca, among the 16 different ethnolinguistic groups they bring a little bit of all cultures together to keep their culture from being erased and provide others the ability to appreciate them. FIOB works alongside other movements such as the Hometown Association (HTA), where members find a place of belonging and community with other transnational people in their area.[18] various indigenous women have taken leadership roles within HTA allowing them the chance to participate and giving them the freedom of mobilization for not only them but also their community.