Diidxazá
Zapotec
Poughkeepsie (NY)ccording to the Oaxacan community in Poughkeepsie, the first Zapotec speaker to arrive in Dutchess County was Adolfo Agustin Santiago in 1980. Since then, the town has drawn an increasing number of Indigenous Mexican immigrants hailing specifically from the San Agustín near Oaxaca city in southern Mexico, where Zapotec is spoken. Traditions such as the annual festival of Guelaguetza ("offering" in Zapotec) are celebrated annually in Poughkeepsie, maintaining cultural practices such as Danza de la Pluma (Feather Dance) and Flor de Piña ("Pineapple Flower'), alongside the colorful attire worn in the parade. While the number of Zapotec speakers is difficult to calculate, approximately 3,000 residents of Poughkeepsie (9%) are of Mexican descent, including a significant number from San Agustín Yatareni.