During a drive through the dusty mountains of Chiapas today, we passed through a number of poor, indigenous communities.

As we traversed the snaking roads, small mud and concrete houses dotted the hillsides. 

But then suddenly, a different type of architecture appeared. Sandwiched between the traditional structures were far more imposing houses, featuring dramatic facades, glass windows, stone and wooden pillars, tiled roofs and – in this case – gold (fake?) accents. 

These, I learned, are so-called “casas de remesas,” or “remittance houses,” built with money sent from the United States. 

This is migrant architecture, and it has dramatically changed the housing landscape here.

Jessica W