This is my last post "from the road"! Tomorrow I will arrive at my host family's home in El Salvador and start a new type of adventure. I'm thrilled that I will be able to unpack my bag and be settled down in one place. Of course I have enjoyed immensely this journey, but it is time to get to work, have focus, and make a positive impact.
The last few days I have been camped out in a hostel in Antigua taking advantage of free wireless internet to stay updated on happenings in El Salvador and do some investigating of other matters (which will be published here in a few days). I met this absolutely insane Puerto Rican dude who was staying in the same room as me and we ran around the city good-heartedly poking fun at the gazillions of foreigners that wander the streets. Antigua is super popular for language courses and the system is evidently well-established. Most of the cafes, restaurants, and hostels have wireless internet and the food caters to international tastes. When I meet Guatemalans the first thing they ask is where I am taking courses, but when I met a North American dude he said that he was easily getting away without learning any Spanish - he spends his time with other people from all over the world. It is crazy because it is apparently one of the richest cities in the country, but the streets are in pretty rough conditions and locals are still pushed to immigrate due to economic need. Tons of Americans and Europeans have put up bars and restaurants, but that doesn't do much for the people who live here. I have mixed feelings about Antigua; on the one hand it is beneficial to have internet and fun to meet people from all over the place, but on the other it seems like neocolonialism is now imposed by young expatriates who exploit the cheap goods and labor to achieve their capitalist goals.
I read an article in a "locally published" English language magazine written by and for these very expatriates. This specific article was written by the owner/manager of the most popular bar in town - Cafe NoSé - and it encouraged people to follow his lead because it is fun and adventurous. I can totally understand his perspective, and I guess that has something to do with why I embarked on this journey in the first place, but I have seen no evidence of exchange between the Guatemalan community and the literally hundreds of foreigners that have transplanted themselves. If there is no exchange, then neither culture/community/group benefits from the aspects that the other has to offer. Maybe I am being overly critical of something that I only spent a week observing, but it makes me sad to see people isolate themselves in North American/European culture while they are living in Guatemala.
I know a lot of people from Seattle have done programs here in Antigua, so please do reply with comments if you had different experiences.
I had an intense conversation last night with one of the guys who works at the hostel, Mario. He lives in a small village about 6 km from Antigua with his parents and seven(!!) brothers and sisters. Most of the family works on their small farm or sells the produce in the local market, except for the eighth brother who moved to the US a little over a year ago. Mario's brother worked in one of the biggest meat-packing plants in Iowa, but five months ago the plant was raided and he was sent to jail. In a week he will be back in Guatemala... after five(!!!) months in jail. Mario didn't say what kind of documents (if any) his brother had, or how he had arrived in Iowa, but we both agreed it was ridiculous that he had to stay in jail for so long only to be sent back. His is just one out of thousands of such stories nowadays.
What a bunch of racist BS if you ask me. Probably without realizing it US citizens reject Guatemalans both in the US and in Guatemala. Lets have more dialogue and exchange so that we don't continue to reject each other.
2 comments:
I have marveled at this phenomenon too. It is definitely more comfortable to stay within the boundaries of our NOrth American culture and friends, even when abroad... I think it takes a conscious effort to avoid this. How have you found that the locals respond to the foreigners? And how have the locals been responding to you? I hope you're able to form some deep relationships. THis is some sweet stuff you're doing.
I have also noticed this phenomenon in the countries where I’ve lived: Expats hanging out with other expats. I am trying to take a different approach here…avoiding them like the plague. It’s good to see you are doing well. Even though we are on opposite ends of the world, it’s interesting to see our similar experiences.
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