Everyone's a little bit racist

Yup, if Avenue Q hasn’t given you the news yet, well, now you know. Before my service, I imagined myself living in a rural village. My Dad joked about how my new address would be the third hut on the left. During the time when I announced that I had accepted my Peace Corps invitation and leaving for service, I felt as though I was constantly justifying my rationale for serving, constantly defending people and a culture that I’d never even experienced. The “us and them” mentality was in full effect: Americans vs. Guatemalans. Why would I trade hamburgers and draft beers for tortillas and eggs? (Actually, to be perfectly fair, that question crosses my mind from time to time). But back to the point, I felt a clear sense of racism among many Americans against Guatemalans before leaving in August 2010.

Fast forward a year and I come to find that the Guatemalans who are oftentimes subject to racism in the United States are in fact racist themselves. I knew that racism existed in all societies and being part Colombian I knew that skin color was definitely a factor in the societal hierarchy in Latin America. But I never thought that I would witness such a high level of discrimination on a daily basis in site. Working side by side with the Mayan Council, I’m constantly hearing people’s commentary. I’m not sure if people think that since I’m from the States then I’d also have the same racist thoughts against indigenous people or what but people seem to be quite open with me about their thoughts towards “the mountain people”. Yesterday, I sold a solar lamp and water filter to my host mom on behalf of the Mayan Council. On the water filter, there’s a space where you write who sold the item, so instead of writing my name I wrote “Alcaldía Maya” (Mayan Council). Immediately, she doubted the Mayan Council’s involvement in selling the products. The conversation went something like this:

Host Mom (HM): “Is the Mayan Council really selling these products!? What do they have to do with this?”

Me: “Yes, they’re working with an institution that provides them with water filters, solar lamps, they even do eye exams and sell reading glasses.”

HM: “What!? Could they be capable of giving eye exams?” (As if indigenous people are completely incompetent or incapable of accomplishing something aside from farming and selling in the market).

Me: “Yes, they went through workshops and have certificates to prove it. They actually do a lot of work that helps the community”

HM: “The indigenous community you mean”

Me: “No, everyone. They help anyone but are especially able to help Mayan communities because they speak the language.”

HM: “But what if they (the new Mayor and his people) get rid of them?”

Me: “That’s illegal, they have a constitutional right to exist.”

HM: “Really!? But why?”

And then I go on explaining the work that the Mayan Council does (for the millionth time). Then her son enters, asks the same questions, and I repeat myself.
I’ve had so many conversations like this. For all the complaints I get from people in my town about how Americans are so racist towards them when they (usually illegally) are in the US; I would think that they’d understand a little bit about how discrimination is unacceptable…but that isn’t the case. Everyone thinks that the Mayan Council is going to be taken away, nobody in the urban center knows about the work they do, it’s like they’re all afraid of admitting that there’s an indigenous presence in Canillá. My sitemate was telling me how a school director was saying that she didn’t think the Mayan Council was going to be able to stay, calling them “creidos” (conceited, stuck up) because they always want things their way. It reminds me of the racial issues various minority groups have had to endure in the US; whites calling minorities’ complainers for bringing injustices to light.

“Just wait,” I tell my co-worker, “in a couple of years they’ll be raving about all the good work you all do and will be asking for help. Then they’ll see.”