Merida: Una Ciudad Tan Chica and going off on a tangent (social inequalities)
It’s still strange to me how small the Yucatecan capital is despite having nearly 1 million inhabitants. A few months ago, while dining at Chili’s, we ran into the lead singer of Kumbia Kings, A.B. Quintanilla. A week ago we saw the ex-candidate for governor of the PAN party enjoying his dinner. Last night, while trying out a new “chic” restaurant in Merida called Acqua, we saw the ex-governor (just left office) of Yucatan, Patricio Patron Laviada indulging with his entourage (Alex pointed him out to me by saying "You see that really tall guy, with the small brains, that's him", Patricio Patron never finished high school, the current Governor never attented college, it seems to be common to elect uneducated leaders around here, think about how it reflects society). In another occasion I saw the ex-mayor walking amongst me in public. The concept altogether is bizarre yet refreshing. Why is it bizarre for me? I can’t imagine eating dinner in the same restaurant with Charlie Crist. Certainly his selection would be out of my price range. In the states, I consider there to be a larger separation between elitists and middle class graduate students. Here in Merida, if you can ‘afford’ the northern part of the city (which basically any American who comes here can), you are bound to run into all forms of high society and the respective “wannabes”.
In some senses, class stratification isn’t as obvious here. If you have enough money to afford basic creature comforts, you can hang with the richest. However, the poorest of the poor (primarily in the south of the city and the villages) would never be able to mix in with the middle and upper classes. It’s a matter of appearance and ethnicity. Unfortunately racism is still runs deep in Yucatan (despite many government promoted efforts to educate the population on appreciating this millenary culture). If someone looks really Mayan, especially an impoverished Mayan they are looked upon as a lesser being. Today, a Mayan woman from the village (who always seems to be standing outside of the Gran Plaza) was standing outside of Sears trying to sell her plants as usual. I imagine the security guards won’t let her go inside the mall with her simple huipil and plants for sale as to not disturb the clients (which I can somewhat understand, many people don’t want to be bothered). Rumor has it, those who have tried to enter Gran Plaza (the fresa/snobby/elitist hangout) with their humble chancletas (cheap flip-flops often used by albañiles - construction workers) have been denied entrance by the security guards.
I always feel pena when I see this woman her selling her plants. I want to help her but I don’t want to buy her plants nor do I want to give her money because I don’t know how it will be used. I wonder what her living conditions are where she lives and if she comes at her own will or her drunk husband forces her to sell to fuel his addition (I don’t know her husband, so I shouldn't assume, but I’ve heard many a story about men from the village spending all of their weekly earnings on borracheras leaving their family to starve. I’ve also heard that some demand control over their wife’s salary for the same purpose).
I always see los vienes-vienes with their red trapos waving to ‘help’ us out of our parking spot. I also feel concerned for these men. I think, why are such jobs ‘invented’ here in Mexico? Never have I seen a viene viene anywhere else in the world. The strangest thing is they now have a worker’s union. Many people say they are drunks who can’t keep a job so they dedicate their time cuidando your car and ayudandote with the parking lot traffic (when in reality most of the time they complicate matters by standing in front of other cars and traffic when you could have got out on your own). I also feel hesitant to give them money because again, I don’t want to help an alcoholic stay one. I’d like to just give them food to take home to their family. Or maybe donate old garments to help clothe his children.
There are always the elderly women (and occasionally men) with a torn embroidered shaw covering her head and a hand extended waiting for a coin to fill the void in her palm. There’s also the occasional amputee or leper begging for understanding or playing a trumpet, harmonica or saxophone to get your attention. I’ve also witnessed a woman with a massive benign (according to Alex) eye tumor who walks up and down the streets asking motorists for a peso or two. There’s also the mother who walks with her limping mentally retarded teenage daughter to each driver’s side window begging at her ‘designated’ intersection (seems like pure cruelty to me, why doesn’t the mother find a form of work to help her child rather than expose her in shame to every car that passes by just to make some cash). I could never forget the mentally retarded young man with sunken in zygomatics and maxilla who always hops on the circuito colonias bus for free to miserably sing an unfamiliar tune and then walk by each seat and touch you with his dirty nail and then open up his hand indicating the proper location for your peso. (I often assumed the bus drivers were in on his business and another higher power was involved). Probably the most famous story is the begging elderly couple who lived outside a hotel on cardboard boxes. Miraculously they won the lottery, but refused to leave their street side home. This leads me to my next question, are all beggars really living in dire conditions of poverty or do they fake it and deceive the caring public? It’s been said that the beggars downtown can make a considerable amount of money during a day on the street, just think if every 5th person leaves a peso…what do you end up with when the day’s over? I don’t think ALL beggars are faking their misery I know many are there out of dire necessity, but I also question who put them there. In the case of children, many parents put them on the street to help contribute to the family’s economy. I also believe there are groups that control who can be on what street corner and in order to be there, the beggar has to pay a portion of their earnings (gang activity?).
The Chiapanecan women dressed in traditional clothing and her multiple children (and typically and infant on her back) always try to sell their beautiful handwoven belts and t-shirts to tourists. I have bought several Chiapanecan products, especially from the local stores hoping to return an earning to the creator of my ‘wearable’ art (although I also analyze again how the money will be eventually distributed).
What probably concerns me the most are the children selling roses and candy almost anywhere you go at all hours of the day. Many children come from Chiapas and walk around downtown with their wooden gum/candy caddy trying to earn a few pesos. I often wonder how they came to Merida and if there is a higher power that controls their activities and earnings (i.e. organized crime). Again, I usually don’t purchase things from them but I do wish I could directly help them. One evening Alex and I went to rent a movie at Blockbuster and recently two little boys are always outside selling roses. It is hard to see them, especially standing in the rain trying to survive. Alex knows how I feel about purchasing things from children, I don’t think the earnings directly improve their quality of life, but we wanted to do something. So we went to Oxxo (a Mexican convenient store) and bought them two types of cinnamon roles. At least they had something to eat that evening. I remember how their little hands struggled to hold the big cinnamon roles in their hands. It continues to bring a smile to my face. It also reminds me of the time we were in Panajachel, Guatemala and a little boy wanted to sell hand woven scrunchies to me. I really didn’t want to buy a scrunchie, so I offered to buy him lunch from the local women. He accepted with a big smile on his face and a huge plate of food in front of him.
In the end, Mexico and Latin America are plagued with poverty and it disturbs me to see people living in it. However, I do not trust giving money to anyone begging on the street because do not know what its final destination will be. I choose to help in my own way, which is usually directly giving food to those in need. If the beggar doesn’t accept it, it is probably a sign they there is larger scheme in play. I wish I could delve deeper into this issue and properly investigate what those schemes are. I often think of following some of the beggars or children vendor’s daily activities to see just how independent (or dependent) they are. Now’s not the time, especially since I should be writing parts of my thesis instead of pondering the intricacies of Latin American Poverty. I wonder if that time will come or if someone else will get curious enough to dive in themselves. While it’s important to understand the mechanisms behind poverty, it’s also important to consider how to eradicate it. This is an issue that has not been adequately addressed by their governments because personal gains (CORRUPTION) are more important then the nations’ wellbeing. A rudimentary way to start is through education and consequentially economic opportunities. If there were nationalized plans to eradicate illiteracy, perhaps young boys would learn along the way how to properly manage their life destroy it through alcoholism. This also has to be addressed at the cultural level; the eradication of machismo would dramatically affect the way in which women and family planning were perceived. Any how, I’ve digressed far away from the original topic so I’ll wrap things up by saying I wish I could change all of the inequalities in the world and I’ll keep analyzing them until I figure out a way to do something about it.
In some senses, class stratification isn’t as obvious here. If you have enough money to afford basic creature comforts, you can hang with the richest. However, the poorest of the poor (primarily in the south of the city and the villages) would never be able to mix in with the middle and upper classes. It’s a matter of appearance and ethnicity. Unfortunately racism is still runs deep in Yucatan (despite many government promoted efforts to educate the population on appreciating this millenary culture). If someone looks really Mayan, especially an impoverished Mayan they are looked upon as a lesser being. Today, a Mayan woman from the village (who always seems to be standing outside of the Gran Plaza) was standing outside of Sears trying to sell her plants as usual. I imagine the security guards won’t let her go inside the mall with her simple huipil and plants for sale as to not disturb the clients (which I can somewhat understand, many people don’t want to be bothered). Rumor has it, those who have tried to enter Gran Plaza (the fresa/snobby/elitist hangout) with their humble chancletas (cheap flip-flops often used by albañiles - construction workers) have been denied entrance by the security guards.
I always feel pena when I see this woman her selling her plants. I want to help her but I don’t want to buy her plants nor do I want to give her money because I don’t know how it will be used. I wonder what her living conditions are where she lives and if she comes at her own will or her drunk husband forces her to sell to fuel his addition (I don’t know her husband, so I shouldn't assume, but I’ve heard many a story about men from the village spending all of their weekly earnings on borracheras leaving their family to starve. I’ve also heard that some demand control over their wife’s salary for the same purpose).
I always see los vienes-vienes with their red trapos waving to ‘help’ us out of our parking spot. I also feel concerned for these men. I think, why are such jobs ‘invented’ here in Mexico? Never have I seen a viene viene anywhere else in the world. The strangest thing is they now have a worker’s union. Many people say they are drunks who can’t keep a job so they dedicate their time cuidando your car and ayudandote with the parking lot traffic (when in reality most of the time they complicate matters by standing in front of other cars and traffic when you could have got out on your own). I also feel hesitant to give them money because again, I don’t want to help an alcoholic stay one. I’d like to just give them food to take home to their family. Or maybe donate old garments to help clothe his children.
There are always the elderly women (and occasionally men) with a torn embroidered shaw covering her head and a hand extended waiting for a coin to fill the void in her palm. There’s also the occasional amputee or leper begging for understanding or playing a trumpet, harmonica or saxophone to get your attention. I’ve also witnessed a woman with a massive benign (according to Alex) eye tumor who walks up and down the streets asking motorists for a peso or two. There’s also the mother who walks with her limping mentally retarded teenage daughter to each driver’s side window begging at her ‘designated’ intersection (seems like pure cruelty to me, why doesn’t the mother find a form of work to help her child rather than expose her in shame to every car that passes by just to make some cash). I could never forget the mentally retarded young man with sunken in zygomatics and maxilla who always hops on the circuito colonias bus for free to miserably sing an unfamiliar tune and then walk by each seat and touch you with his dirty nail and then open up his hand indicating the proper location for your peso. (I often assumed the bus drivers were in on his business and another higher power was involved). Probably the most famous story is the begging elderly couple who lived outside a hotel on cardboard boxes. Miraculously they won the lottery, but refused to leave their street side home. This leads me to my next question, are all beggars really living in dire conditions of poverty or do they fake it and deceive the caring public? It’s been said that the beggars downtown can make a considerable amount of money during a day on the street, just think if every 5th person leaves a peso…what do you end up with when the day’s over? I don’t think ALL beggars are faking their misery I know many are there out of dire necessity, but I also question who put them there. In the case of children, many parents put them on the street to help contribute to the family’s economy. I also believe there are groups that control who can be on what street corner and in order to be there, the beggar has to pay a portion of their earnings (gang activity?).
The Chiapanecan women dressed in traditional clothing and her multiple children (and typically and infant on her back) always try to sell their beautiful handwoven belts and t-shirts to tourists. I have bought several Chiapanecan products, especially from the local stores hoping to return an earning to the creator of my ‘wearable’ art (although I also analyze again how the money will be eventually distributed).
What probably concerns me the most are the children selling roses and candy almost anywhere you go at all hours of the day. Many children come from Chiapas and walk around downtown with their wooden gum/candy caddy trying to earn a few pesos. I often wonder how they came to Merida and if there is a higher power that controls their activities and earnings (i.e. organized crime). Again, I usually don’t purchase things from them but I do wish I could directly help them. One evening Alex and I went to rent a movie at Blockbuster and recently two little boys are always outside selling roses. It is hard to see them, especially standing in the rain trying to survive. Alex knows how I feel about purchasing things from children, I don’t think the earnings directly improve their quality of life, but we wanted to do something. So we went to Oxxo (a Mexican convenient store) and bought them two types of cinnamon roles. At least they had something to eat that evening. I remember how their little hands struggled to hold the big cinnamon roles in their hands. It continues to bring a smile to my face. It also reminds me of the time we were in Panajachel, Guatemala and a little boy wanted to sell hand woven scrunchies to me. I really didn’t want to buy a scrunchie, so I offered to buy him lunch from the local women. He accepted with a big smile on his face and a huge plate of food in front of him.
In the end, Mexico and Latin America are plagued with poverty and it disturbs me to see people living in it. However, I do not trust giving money to anyone begging on the street because do not know what its final destination will be. I choose to help in my own way, which is usually directly giving food to those in need. If the beggar doesn’t accept it, it is probably a sign they there is larger scheme in play. I wish I could delve deeper into this issue and properly investigate what those schemes are. I often think of following some of the beggars or children vendor’s daily activities to see just how independent (or dependent) they are. Now’s not the time, especially since I should be writing parts of my thesis instead of pondering the intricacies of Latin American Poverty. I wonder if that time will come or if someone else will get curious enough to dive in themselves. While it’s important to understand the mechanisms behind poverty, it’s also important to consider how to eradicate it. This is an issue that has not been adequately addressed by their governments because personal gains (CORRUPTION) are more important then the nations’ wellbeing. A rudimentary way to start is through education and consequentially economic opportunities. If there were nationalized plans to eradicate illiteracy, perhaps young boys would learn along the way how to properly manage their life destroy it through alcoholism. This also has to be addressed at the cultural level; the eradication of machismo would dramatically affect the way in which women and family planning were perceived. Any how, I’ve digressed far away from the original topic so I’ll wrap things up by saying I wish I could change all of the inequalities in the world and I’ll keep analyzing them until I figure out a way to do something about it.