Authors
Nell Haynes
Publication date
2013
Institution
American University
Description
This dissertation explores how globalization has impacted the practice of professional wrestling in La Paz, Bolivia. Specifically, I look at the “cholitas luchadoras”—female wrestlers who dress in traditional chola attire while performing, and their male colleagues who wear spandex costumes similar to those of exhibition wrestlers around the world. Given the exoticization of indigenous women and the fact that they are often positioned as symbols of the nation, it is not surprising that the cholitas luchadoras have become popular among both Bolivians and foreign tourists. In referencing the social capital of the indigenous woman, the luchadoras advance their own social standings, develop international mobility, increase potential for economic gain, and thus access certain forms of cosmopolitanism. However, male luchadores sometimes accuse the cholitas luchadoras of using clown-like gimmicks that contribute to an …
Total citations
201520162017201820192020131