Quetzaltenago

Hola mis amigos!
So I find myself in Quetzaltenago, a much smaller city in Guatemala than its Capital, Guatemala City. The beauty of Quetzaltenago is uniquely Guatemalan unlike that of Guatemala City which whose beauty was almost eroded by the overwhelming presence of American and western capitalism.

The number of Mcdonalds, Burgerkings, Goodyear stores, Hallmarks, Beauty Stops, and other American companies was sickening really. Even the government buildings of Guatemala seem to be constructed to match that of the western powers. I read recently in an article entitled Empire's Workshop, by Greg Grandin, that there are three periods of western influence in Guatemala the first being the Invasion and colonial rule of the Spanish in the 16th century, followed by the second which is American Corporate imperialism that ranged between 1950-1970's, and now we are in the period of imperialism by multinational banks, the American Treasury, and the International Monetary Fund. It is clear to see the results of these imperial periods as I look around Guatemala City and witness Guatemalans dining out at Taco Bell. I mean wow, what a slap in the face to any Latin Americans when Guatemalans and tourists decide to eat fake American tacos over actual traditional and homemade Latin American cuisine. The domination of American markets, the number of unemployed and uninsured, the presence of large malls and bars all playing forms of American media, and the religious presence of Jews and Christians and Evangelicals and Muslims are all visible examples of the results of western imperialism that I have personally witnessed and read about.

Quetzaltenango however seems to cling a little more strongly to Mayan and Guatemalan roots. There are traditional parades through the streets of Mayan men and women in their traditional clothes that speak to this connection to the old culture. The presence of Mayan languages as well as the lack of almost any American or Western corporations in Queztaltenango gives the city a very Guatemalan feel. Though it is my first night here in Queztaltenango the difference in the attitude of the people and how they view themselves is so clearly different from that of the people in Guatemala City. The people of Queztaltenango are extremely friendly and confident in the practice of their traditional customs to the degree of even having statues in their central park dedicated to figures such as this one Mayan women who did good things for the local community. The focus of the people and thus the city of Quetzaltenango itself seems to be on the local community and customs as opposed to Guatemala City which focuses on modernization and replicating the culture and design of American and other international cities.There are certainly visible effects of imperialism though in Queztaltenango the biggest being the massive church located in its central park region. The church towers over most any other structure in the city and resembles that which you would find in the most modern western cities across Europe. The other visible influence is in the modern section of the city that I have yet to thoroughly explore but even from what I have seen there is American presence through stores such as Levis Jean company. The biggest effect though of western imperialism, mostly recent western imperialism through the multinational banks and International Monetary Fund is the drastic rate of unemployment. So many homeless beggars lined the streets, kids attempting to polish your shoes in order to have enough money to buy a meal, and other such sad faces all suffer due to the imperialistic economic "free market" policies forced upon Guatemala by the IMF and other organizations or countries.

A sad reality but still the people of Queztaltenango seem to live with hope for a better tomorrow and pride in the glory of their past. The city's nightlife is extraordinary and could compete in its own unique way with any American or European city. I thank God for the fact that at least in Quetzaltenango there seems to be a mix of music influences some being native Guatemalan or Spanish and others being the very prevalent and overwhelming music of modern America. With 11 or so days left in this city I look forward to discovering more and enriching myself in the Guatemalan way of life.

Josh