Classism, racism, Latin America
After the couple of recent threads about racism in Hispanic countries, the subject of Classism came up.
Classism is a much more serious problem in Latin America than racism, although there is a close relationship between both phenomena.
Rather than start out with a dissertation on what Classism is, and how it originated, I decided to post some excerpts from Ligia Elena (full lyrics), a song by Rubén Blades, that touches both on Classism and Racism very nicely.
Those who are learning Spanish are welcome to attempt to translate the lyrics. All are invited to post their perceptions and opinions about this subject. Hopefully an open discussion will allow us to shed some light on this extremely important occurrence, and learn a bit more about how Latin America works.
Ligia Elena (Excerpts)
Ligia Elena la candida niña de la sociedad
Se ha fugado con un trompetista de la vecindad ….
De nada sirvieron regaños
Ni viajes ni monjas
Ni las promesas de amor
Que le hicieron los niños de bien ... Se han mudado a cuarto chiquito
Con muy pocos muebles
Y alli viven contentos y llenos de felicidad
Mientras tristes los padres preguntan en donde fallamos
Ligia Elena con su trompetista amandose estan
….. Ligia Elena esta contenta y su familia esta asfixia' ... Se escapo con un trompeta de la vecindad ... Se llevaron la niña del ojo de papa ... En donde fallamos pregunta mama ... Se han colado un niche en la blanca sociedad …. Pudo mas el amor que el dinero señor … Mira doña Gertrudis le digo que estoy Pero es que mire a mi lo que mas ... A mi lo que mas me choca
Es que esa mal agradecida yo pensaba que me iba a dar
Un nitecito con los cabellos rubios
Y los ojos rubios y los dientes rubios asi como Froy Donahue
Y viene y se marcha con ese tuza ay... ay... ay no!
7 Answers
Both the US and Ecuador have a small wealthy upper class who have access to better education and better health care while growing up, then have access to financial and political connections that allow them to prosper whether they have any ability themselves or not. Both have gated communities that allow the wealthy to isolate themselves from the rest of the people. Both have exceptions where people from humble origins have risen to success, but they are very few in number and the nouveau riche have always been looked down on by the people who were born to money--largely because they know they lack the killer instinct necessary to create great wealth from nothing by themselves. You may think I am confusing wealth with class, but in the US they are the same.
The biggest difference is that the middle class in the US is rapidly shrinking and doing worse, while in Ecuador it seems to be growing and doing better.
I see classism as a confusing topic in the U.S. (One of many.) From one perspective, highly touted at the moment, one of the founding tenets is than anyone can do anything they have the desire and drive to do. As in "anyone can grow up to be President". Rich people are rich because they worked hard for what they have. To some degree, people who inherited their wealth and position are not as admirable as those who were born without and climbed to their position.
Another perspective is that many people fail to achieve their potential, no matter their drive and desire, due to societal pressures and limitations. As in "anyone can grow up to be President as long has they have millions of dollars, are photogenic, well spoken, and willing to lie and manipulate their way to the top."
Many countries in Latin America and throughout the world have given more weight to the wealth and power individuals are born to. Though there have clearly been times and places where the poor and powerless have risen up to over throw their oppressors, the concept of "the divine right of kings" has had a longer last effect on much of Latin America. If the authority of leaders comes from god then who is anyone to question their position. I use the past tense here because it's my impression that this way of thinking has become less accepted.
The problem with all of this, is that it is very hard to see the core of what's happening from within. "We think and do as we do because it's right" not because we are influenced by the dominate paradigm. Do I think classism exists in the U.S. ? Definitely. Do I think it exists to a greater or lesser degree throughout Latin America? Definitely.
In my opinion "Classism" does not exist in the USA but "Moneyism" does.
Troy Donahue
It is clear that classism exists in every society, but I am looking for it here in México. I don't have much to go on as yet. I am going to start asking questions of my friends here to get their thoughts on the subject. and will post as I learn.
I can offer a few pointers as to what to watch for:
Look out the window, or pay attention to your surroundings when you're out and about. Can you see pretty much even neighborhoods, whose houses and services are about the same level of quality? Or can you see beautiful houses and buildings surrounded by miserable shacks unfit even for the dogs that live in the aforementioned beautiful houses?
Look at the street advertisement: do the people in the ads look about the same as the people out in the street, or do you find that the people in the street are a bit darker, poorer, more indigenous looking than the beautiful models of the ads?
In your house, or when you go to a friend's house, who does the cleaning and serves the meals? Is it the owners of the house, or is it a person from one of those poor neighborhoods you can see from your window? If the latter, how is that person treated? Can she call the owners of the house by their first name, or must she refer to them as "Señor" and "Señora"? Does she eat in the same table with everyone in the family, or must she eat at some other time, in the kitchen?
When someone who is darker, or more indigenous-looking, and poorly dressed, walks into a public establishment, how is he/she treated?
Who is begging for money in the streets: junkies and alcoholics of every color and class, or mostly darker / indigenous people who are poor, but not necessarily addicted?
When you go to the neighborhood shiny supermarket, can you see people of all social levels shopping equally, or do you find that it is mostly good-looking, well-dressed people, and that the poorer folks tend to do their shopping from vendors in the street, or small groceries in their own neighborhoods?
When you go to the beach or the park, or to a public pool, is everyone mixed up equally?
From what I've seen, there seems to be less racism in Ecuador than in the US, but the classism is about the same.
Since this subject came up recently, I have been deliberately observing the interaction of the people around me, trying to determine by speech, body language and attitude how one class or group will treat another. It is clear that classism exists in every society, but I am looking for it here in México. I don't have much to go on as yet. I am going to start asking questions of my friends here to get their thoughts on the subject. and will post as I learn.
