“You Need to Come Here… to See What Living Is Really About”. Staging North American Expatriation in Merida (Mexico)

This article explores discourses of expatriation in Merida (Mexico) developed in autobiographies, handbooks for expatriates, local house tours, websites and videos, as well as interior design books. In the city of Merida (Mexico), buying and remodeling a colonial home has become a central theme in expatriation narratives. North American expatriates have become house renovation experts and are fueling a local real estate boom. But for U.S. and Canadian residents, the houses of Mérida also embody lofty community ideals–upward mobility, the American Dream, the Protestant Work Ethic, and even nationalist pride.