Little Land, Lots of Complexity

I arrived in Ecuador exactly 2 months ago today! And will be back in the States exactly 3 months from today. I feel like I have learned so much these past couple of months. Of course, I have traveled around the country a lot and have had a ton of fun. But I have also studied, read, observed and lived life here in Ecuador. While Ecuador is a REALLY beautiful country, and is currently working so hard to make important social, financial, political and environmental changes, it still is suffering a lot. Clearly, I don't know everything about this country and my few experiences here don't tell the whole story but I just wanted to tell some of the encounters I've had, things I've seen and felt.

My Spanish professor told me one day that the people of Ecuador are held together by saliva. Any conflict can tear them apart. Ecuador is 1/3 of the size of Texas, but its complexity is beyond belief!!

There are three main racial groups here in Ecuador--Indigenous people, Mixed people and African Ecuadorians. Quick history lesson--indigenous people lived here before the Spaniards came and colonized the country. One result (among hundreds) is the Mixed race that makes up the majority of the country. These people are of Spanish and Indigenous heritage and make up some 70% of the population. There are 2 Afro Ecuadorian communities in the country. Africans never worked here as slaves. The first inhabitants escaped a slave ship in Central America and ended up on the coast of Ecuador.

For some silly reason I expected Ecuador to be a somewhat united country. I knew they were suffering and I guess I sort of expected the struggling to unite them. I've found almost the opposite to be true. The racial tension makes me feel like I've traveled back in time 50 years. Mixed people are not seen with indigenous people. Afro Ecuadorians don't walk down the street with Mixed people. Interracial friendships are rare. Everyone is separated, physically and socially. The mixed race is the superior race and the blacks and indigenous are considered less. I've heard many negative conversations about the indigenous and Afro people. My friend's host mom will talk to her friends about the shades of their children's skin, because of course lighter is better. My host mom told me a story of how horrible it was one day when her old host student brought an indigenous boy over. I should have expected it, but the racism within this country amazes me. It's so ironic when people who suffer discrimination continue to discriminate against others. There's always a hierarchy.

Another aspect of life here that really bothers me is the machismo. I see this everyday in my own host family. My dad always sits at the table and waits for my mom to bring him food. If he needs anything, he expects my mom to get it for him. He won't get up to get sugar or milk or to put his dishes away, he simply expects/asks my mom to do it. He won't cook his own food or wash his own dishes, clean the house or do laundry. My mom also has to ask him for money. If she ever wants to buy anything, she has to ask his permission. One day a worker came to our house and my mom needed to pay him 25 cents. My host dad wasn't there, so that meant I had to pay him. My mom didn't have 25 cents! She does not have a credit or debit card or access to the family's bank accounts. If my dad doesn't hand it to her, she does not have money. Once again, I feel like I'm living in the U.S. in the 1950's or something. It's really frustrating to see women in the position that they are!

Above all, the most angering thing about the issues of race and sex is that I don't see changes in the near future. When I talk to my host mom about these issues, to her there isn't a problem. Maybe it's not ideal, but this is the way it is, and this is the way it will be. No one notices that Ecuadorians call anyone who looks Asian "Chinese", not recognizing the fact that they could be Tibetan, Korean or Japanese. But in the U.S., if an American mistakes an Ecuadorian for a Mexican, well that's an insult. When my dad tells my mom that she can't have money, she accepts that. Our host families struggle each month to pay the bills and will tell us about their serious financial problems, yet can't seem to understand why indigenous and black communities are struggling financially too. They continue in their ways.

As I'm sure you know, Ecuador is a relatively poor country. The GDP per capita is around $4,500 (1/10 of the U.S.). Hundreds of thousands of people sell to create an income for their families. In Quito, the streets are lined with tiny, tiny little stores. Women walk around the city all day with wooden trays selling gum and cigarettes. Markets are packed full of tiny little stores filled to the brim with clothes, food or other items. The sad part is that these hundreds of thousands of people are living the same life every single day. They wake up and go into the city, hoping to make enough to provide for their family. They sit in their store or at their stand ALL DAY LONG, until it gets dark. They go home to sleep and do it all over again. When I walk past these stores I see the people just sitting, waiting and this is what I don't understand. They are not reading a book, they are not playing cards, they are not looking at the newspaper or playing a game. They are sitting. They are not advancing themselves. Many have kids with them at these tiny stores. They are not able to go play in an open space. They are not coloring or reading books. How can a country expect to improve, to advance, to better the lives of their citizens when they are not educating themselves, not trying to move forward?

Every country has beautiful aspects and negative aspects too. As I said before, Ecuador is an amazing country and there are a lot of positive things happening here. But at the same time, I can't ignore all that I've seen and felt. Ecuador still has a long way to go.