There is no doubt that the Maya people have been subjected to a hard and painful life just in the last thirty years. As stated in the Maya Today website about the daily struggle to live, work, and raise a family with the consent threat of death squads, drug load, war loads, and government.
Rigoberta Menchu stated in her speech that this current time according to the Maya calendar is the “no time”. This time is filled with a high suicide rate for young people and an environment of negativity rather then a positive feeling.
To continue from my VT, I believe that many different people in the world are in similar situations as the Maya people today. Some people could look at this as reason to quite or not try. But I think that challenges like these only create opportunities and those opportunities lead to success for those who put forth the effort. So despite the challenges that these people are facing this is the time for a leader to rise up and help his people create a better life
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I agree with you that although the Maya are faced with challenges there is still opportunity for them to seek out. People like Rigoberta Menchu are rising up and helping their people. I think she has given her people a strong voice and hope. It is sad there are so many people in the world facing judgement just because of their race.
ReplyDeleteIt's terrible that prejudice is still so prevalent, and for such small reasons as color or cultural views. It takes real strength for a leader to emerge and give a voice to such a long suffering people.
ReplyDeleteI think that the first step would have to be how the rest of people are taught about the culture. I believe that the way that we are taught about history from just the point of view of the victors and not the voices of those defeated, help to create the racism that the Mayans suffer. Look at how in our own country we view African Americans and the Native American's. History teaches us that they are "savages". Nothing about how beautiful and unique and worth learning their cultures really are. So although a leader would help I don't think that is a sole solution, as it is already too dangerous to dress traditionally without being targeted.
ReplyDeleteIt is terrible that so many people are racist these days. I believe that people need to be more educated in peoples cultures and learn that not everybody lives the same way and that is OK.
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