Happy Thanksgiving in Mexico?
Celebrating my first ´big´ holiday (not including my birthday) outside of the states was quite a weird feeling to have today. Honestly, because Thanksgiving is not celebrated here in Mexico, I almost forgot what day it was. It hit me while eating lunch with the usual dissatisfaction of picking meat out of my food. The past couple of days I just couldn´t handle the meatiness of the dishes, so I haven´t been eating so much during lunch. I suppose it was the thought of food that reminded me of Thanksgiving. Really, what else do we associate more with Thanksgiving? Yes, it is a wonderful time of family get togethers and small sectors of the American population remember to give thanks for this day. But really what are we giving thanks for? For the mountains of food piled on the dining table? For the time spent with our families? Or for the ´peaceful´relationships between Native Americans and the first European setlers in the United States? I personally have a hard time believing these relationships we so peaceful. After all, if relationships were so peaceful between the Indigenous people of North America and the European Settlers, I´d imagine their populations would not have died out to exist marginalized in the reservations of today. Comparing the influence of indigenous peoples on North American society with that of Mexico and Latin America, the natives of our country really have never had much of a voice. Even though those of Mexico and Latin America have been subjugated to horrible atrocities at the hands of Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, their culture still thrives. Perhaps the mixing of Spanish and Indigenous peoples of America have produced a more succesful mixture than that of Anglo-Saxon and Native peoples. Either way, the native presence in Latin America is a force to be recognized and is a topic of much debate. Some clear examples to be noticed are the Zapatista movements in Chiapas, Mexico, and the mass murders of Quiche Maya in Guatamala during the eighties. I think this movement to preserve indigenous peoples and their culture in Latin America is the reason why I love being here the most. It is also the reason why I want to use my education as a method of providing justice for these people who so greatly deserve it. The indigenous peoples in North America weren´t able to do much to defend themselves, and now, this is becoming a problem in Latin America. So I really think is up to the educated to start defending for them.
After calling home to say Happy Thanksgiving many of my family proposed to me that I don´t belong in another country where I can´t afford "American" luxuries and celebrate all holidays and aspects of culture with my family and friends. Quite honestly, it is hard to be away from home during such events. But in the end, while sometimes I feel out of place in this Yucatecan culture that is so different with the culture I identify with, I feel I do belong. I feel my presence is needed in this part of the world to preserve cultural traditions that are being threatened by rapid globalization.
Junebug
After calling home to say Happy Thanksgiving many of my family proposed to me that I don´t belong in another country where I can´t afford "American" luxuries and celebrate all holidays and aspects of culture with my family and friends. Quite honestly, it is hard to be away from home during such events. But in the end, while sometimes I feel out of place in this Yucatecan culture that is so different with the culture I identify with, I feel I do belong. I feel my presence is needed in this part of the world to preserve cultural traditions that are being threatened by rapid globalization.
Junebug