A Sense of Guatemala

1.) Fischer and Hendrickson speaks of the importance of indentity. Notice how the whole beginning speaks of the two major ethnic groups (Indians and ladinos).How do you think this notion will affect you when you're in Guatemala? Do you think this notion applies to your life in Hawaii?

I'm not sure if we'll even see any ladinos where we're be at. From the reading and our discussion, what I got out of it was that ladinos are more accepted by the Europeans more than the Indians. Hawaii has a similar notion compared to Guatemala. Here we have the Polynesians and the white  people. I see a lot of racism between the two groups here so I assume that the two major ethnic groups are very similar to each other.

2.) The authors articulate specific things that really begin to define who and what Guatemala is. What is your reaction to how they portray Guatemala? Would you have chosen something else? Why or why not? 

The way that the Guatemalan government portrays their country can technically be considered a scandal. The government looks down upon their country's roots. The government tries to attract tourist by setting themselves apart by having a unique culture that takes pride from their Mayan roots. Posters and pamphlets displays their country's amazing archaeological sites that try to lure in interested visitors to visit their country. The cause of all of this isn't to spread the culture of Guatemala, it is simply to make a profit from it. If I were to portray a country like Guatemala, I wouldn't portray it with a lie.

3.) What is your reaction to the U.S. involvement in the war?

The reaction that I got when I read about the U.S. involvement in the war was, " there's another conflict that our country should have left alone." The United States played a big role in helping the Guatemalan government with the massacres and extermintaion of the Indian people. Although our country may have thought that their intentions were for the good, I feel that we would have been more helpful by leaving Guatemala's people to deal with their own crisis. Our country didn't know what and who they were helping during the Guatemalan Civil War.

4.) Do some research on Bishop Juan Geradi. Speak of what you know and understand about who he was and how he formed Guatemala.

Bishop Juan Geradi was a Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop and a human rights defender. He spoke openly about how the government was corrupt. In 1980 he was called to the Vatican to attend a synod. He was denied entry to return to Guatemala. He temporarily settled in Costa Rica until the military overthrows president Romeo Lucas Garcia, allowing him access back into Guatemala. He shaped Guatemala to where more human rights defender were encouraged to speak out and defend their people.