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In the late eighties, international migration has gained a major importance in the lives of the Zapotecs of the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Indian communities have then faced a depopulation of their villages and a transformation of their traditional agricultural economy brought about by remittancesfrom the United States. In the process, the prospects and life plans of the young generation have also changed. The article discusses the idea that the current migration of young people from the mountains does not only reflect an economic logic, but also the existence of “subjective needs” related to the search for a new lifestyle allowing spatial and social mobility as well as for patterns of more open couple and family relationships. Although subjective, these new “needs” have become widespread enough to trigger important transformations in the region and represent a major challenge for Zapotec families and for the ongoing process of recovery of their political autonomy by these communities.