A Commandeered Story

My last day in Guatemala was not the best. I laid in bed all day, sick with a sinus infection. The doctor came to visit me. He was adorable! He was a cute little old man with big glasses and an old fashioned doctor bag. I loved him. While I vegged in bed I pondered my thoughts about leaving the country. I was filled with many conflicting emotions that I didn't really know how to put into words. I was sad to leave because of the places I had fallen in love with, the people that I became close to, the culture, the mentality, the atmosphere, etc. I think it's safe to say that I fell in love with Guatemala and its people. On the other hand was ready for change and ready to live in another country. 

When we reached the border we had to walk back and forth over the border to be processed out of Guatemala and into El Salvador. I just wrote an article for the William Jewell Hilltop Monitor about El Salvador...here it is:

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When you read the news, do you question its validity? When our leaders provide us with information, do you just accept what they say as truth? Everything we are fed from the media, from politicians, from our mentors, and from our peers are stories. History is molded and created by those who control the narrative. The stories we hear and pass on to others define our reality, who we are, and what we believe.

I am studying in El Salvador for the next four weeks. The deep-rooted capitalism and cultural influence of the United States is very apparent. The story, or myth, that our nation embodies absolute democratic ideals and spreads these ideals through peace and justice spurs this expansion and acceptance of US presence. Our story, however, is one of power, imperialism, and domination.

 By utilizing this myth and this story the US has buried its ideals and influence deeper and deeper into this country. This hold has been, and continues to be, spurred primarily by economics. During the civil war in El Salvador the US controlled the outcome and longevity by feeding the army $1.5 million dollars per day for 12 years in order to ensure the right wing won and our interests were upheld. The story of El Salvador is now one of militarization and violence due, in part, to our influence on its composition.

We have also made a capitalist influence on the story of El Salvador. As I made my way through this city I was overwhelmed by the amount of US franchises like Burger King, KFC, Radio Shack, Papa John’s, and (the one I found most surprising) Sherwin Williams Paint. El Salvador also uses the US dollar. It is strange for me that I am purchasing items in this country with pieces of paper that depict my country’s presidents. The US dollar has caused a higher cost of living for a people that receive very little. Prices here are comparable to those in the US, but 45% of the population makes around $200 per month. Per month.

How is their economy sustainable with such poverty? It is estimated that three million Salvadorans live in the US with hundreds crossing the border each day in hopes of immigrating to the US. In 2009, $3 billion was sent back to El Salvador in remittances. These remittances make up 18% of the Salvadorian economy and most of this is put back into US companies.

The influence of our story on the narrative of El Salvador is incredible. Perhaps it is time to change that story by becoming more aware and taking small actions to change the plot.

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Other than that, I have started Liberation Theology. Our professor, Sister Peggy, is the most rad woman I think I have ever met. I use rad in the context of awesome and radical. I think I learned more from our three hour class today than I have in some of my semester long courses at Jewell. I am really looking forward to the rest of this class!