Fernando Armstrong-Fumero

Fernando Armstrong-Fumero is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Smith College with nearly 25 years of research experience focused on the Yucatan Peninsula. His scholarly work spans historical anthropology, cultural heritage studies, and the intellectual history of U.S. and Mexican anthropology.

His research interests include:

• Historical anthropology of Maya-speaking communities
• Cultural heritage (both tangible and intangible)
• Identity politics and agrarian politics
• Intellectual history of anthropology
• Language ideology and multiculturalism
• Mayanist anthropology networks

Armstrong-Fumero's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on how historical processes shape contemporary cultural and political formations in Maya communities. His work examines the tension between state-sponsored multiculturalism and vernacular forms of cultural expression, particularly regarding heritage management policies. A central theme across his scholarship is how Maya communities navigate complex political landscapes while maintaining cultural continuity.

His significant publications include the book Elusive Unity: Factionalism and the Limits of Identity Politics in Yucatan, Mexico (2013) and the co-edited volume Legacies of Space and Intangible Heritage (2017). His recent work explores moral panics in rural Yucatan under neoliberal conditions and the theoretical boundaries between tangible and intangible heritage.

His academic credentials include a Ph.D. from Stanford University and M.A. and B.A. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, establishing a strong foundation for his interdisciplinary approach that bridges archaeology, ethnohistory, and contemporary anthropological theory.