change is never easy

Change...
Is difficult
Is necessary
Is exciting
Is an adventure
Is slow


I have been thinking about change recently. I think that it is similar to microevolution. There are little changes everyday. These changes add up over time. Often, however, we do not notice the change until we stop for a moment and reflect on the past month, year, years. It is then that we are able to see the difference in what was and what is now. Although change is always occuring, sometimes there seems to be a huge change, a climax. For example, think about the changes in technology in just the last 10 years. Computers practically fit into our pockets now. We can hold our entire library of music in the palm of our hand. We can talk to someone on the other side of the world for free.


Not only does change happen in technology, change also happens socially. Change in values, change in expectations, change in male and female roles, change in education, change in religion, etc. Living in Pana for 5 weeks, getting to know Zoila, and traveling to a few different parts of Guatemala has revealed that this generation is a climax of change. This change seems to be hinging on the young women 14 to 30 years old.


Let me preface this with the fact that I may have a hidden feminist bias that is rearing its head. This bias is likely a product of growing up in a middle class family in the States that values education and having choices. I grew up with the belief that women should have the option to choose to attain higher education, to be a teacher, doctor, lawyer, other prostegious jobs, to climb the capitalistic ladder, to be anything they want to be. This includes the noble 24/7 job of being a stay at home mom.


The other preface to this is my bias of being raised in the States and judging what I see here through that cultural lenses. What parts of a culture need to change because they are robbing people of human rights? What aspects of the culture are vital in making their culture unique and function the way it has for thousands of years? Once an aspect of culture that is denying human rights or causing poor health has been identified, the question of how to go about changing it arises. Any change in society or culture will effect the rest of history. I do not know the answers to these questions or even where to begin.

Evidence that this generation is the beginning of the climax is all around. The Maya had 23 different dialects. 21 of the 23 are currently spoken in the Highlands. As I mentioned in a previous blog the dialects are not written. The children in this generation are able to understand it spoken but can only speak a little bit. They say it is hard to learn the dialect. Spanish is what is spoken at school and among the children. When a culture loses their language, they lose alot of the roots of their culture.

The evidence of change is also seen in the dress of the people, especially the women. The older women still wear the traditional handmade guipil and cortes. The mid 20 to 30 yo women wear the traditional clothing, but the clothing is often made on machines. The girls in elementary school and high school often wear the traditional cortes with a united stated style top. Others in the middle class are seen wearing styles seen in the states. Although most men wear clothes like in the States, men can be seen wearing traditional clothing.

I do know that since being here I have a special place in my heart for the young Maya women here in the Highlands.

The role of Maya women who mainly live in the Highlands is similar to the role of women in the States in the 1950s. They are amas de casa who take care of the house. This truly is a full time job here. My house mom here use to teach Spanish at our school. Now, she hosts students and in a sense teaches them in her house. Anyways, everyday when we ask her what her plans are for the day, she responds with laundry and cooking. Ocassionally, she will mention that she has to prepare for a church gathering or party. Laundry here is not as simple as throwing everything in the washing machine and dryer. It takes quite awhile since every piece of clothing needs to be scrubbed and rinsed by hand. It is then hung on the line to dry. Therefore, some laundry is done everyday. Cooking here too takes longer and is often more involved. There are not canned beans...all the beans are soaked and cooked from scratched. The tortillas are made by hand everyday. Even those who live in less than ideal conditions have the same duties. I will share two stories below.


Many Maya people are still poor by State standards. Many young girls whose families live in other less tourist towns on the lake work for families in Pana and San Pedro. In fact, there is a 13 yo girl who works at the house next to the school. Her family lives in San Pedro. She lives at the house cares for the students and the family there. It was a big deal that her family came to the house for her birthday. She supposedly has the opportunity to go to school at night. Often the school will be closed for painting, the teacher will not show up, etc. Like most young girls, she has a deep desire to learn. The student who was living there and attending school here at Jabel Tinamet wrote a list of simple sayings in English. The next day when they were talking, the young girl tried to use some of the English sayings. She was using them correctly and asked her for more.

A 28 yo young woman works seven days a week October to February. The rest of the year she teaches M through F 8 to 5. She then attends law school Friday evening 6 to 8 and Saturday 8 to 5. Most of us in the US hear this and think, ¨wow, she works hard.¨ I will fill you in on the background that has created compassion in my heart for her. Zoila is in the middle of the eight children. Her older sisters know how to weave, cook, take care of the house, are married and have children. She does not know how to weave or cook because when she was growing up, her mother would criticize her every mistake. Zoila decided that it was not worth it to learn.

Although her parents did not attend school and worked in a finca (coffee field) for many years, the education of their children was important to them. She is one of the few in her family that received good grades in school and completed high school. She began teaching Spanish at a Spanish school at 20 yo. She is currently attending university. When she graduates, she will be the first woman in her family and town to graduate from a university. She receives mixed signals from her parents and society. Go to school, but have a family. Although these are not mutually exclusive, it is very hard to perform both well simultaneously. Although most of these expectations are similar in the States, they are far more exaggerated here. She has chosen the road less traveled and is reminded of this fact daily.

She currently is living at home. Here is it not acceptable for women to live by themselves. They live with their parents until they get married. They usually get married in the early twenties. She is the primary breadwinner for her family. She cannot remember receiving any gifts for Christmas or her birthdays. She has received one or two gifts from her boyfriend. She never complains, just keeps on going day after day.

When she was 25 yo, she decided to switch from social work to study law. This is significant for multiple reasons. In the culture here, a young woman is considered an old maid if she is not married by 25. Even more so if she does not have any children. Furthermore, Maya young woman do not commonly attend university. I don´t understand all this, but I think that because she is indigineous, she will only be able to practice in certain types of law. She will never be able to be an independent lawyer. After seeing and experiencing injustice to her friends and people, she wants to bring justice to them.

Before she gets to be a lawyer, she has to finish 6 years at university which is very expensive. Like in the US, she will have to pass three separate tests. Each test is expensive. If you do not pass one of the three tests the first time, you have to wait two years prior to retaking the test.

She is a very hard worker who is swimming upstream who has a heart to help her people receive justice. Although she never complains, it is evident that she often worries that she will not be able to accomplish her dreams secondary to financial reasons. She often feels out of place in her own family and culture. Change is difficult, necessary, an adventure, and slow.

This is to be continued with more of my thoughts on the matter of change in culture.