Pajaro's Journey

Pajaro found the paintings interesting and disturbing.  He could understand why the artist chose to remain anonymous.  He wrote:

 

"I find the paintings very disturbing.  I cannot believe that society used to be so dominated by racial categories.  Most shocking to me is that Zambo appears to be synonymous with lobo or "wolf" which makes it seem that the artist views people of mixed Indian and African heritage to be doglike or sub-human.  The Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Indian) painting is the most positive portrayal of mixed race.  Next comes the Mulatto (mixed Spanish and African), though their offspring is pictured riding a sheep.  It's quite obvious that the artist views the Zambo (lobo) heritage as being at the bottom of the social ladder.  You can also tell how the artist feels about the racial categories by how he shows them clothed and by their living conditions.  He clearly doesn't think very highly of the Zambo."

 

After students had written their reactions to the set of paintings, Pajaro's class was invited to discuss how the paintings made them feel.  Generally the class passed around a twig to signify who "held the tree" (had the floor).  No one was interested in taking the twig to begin this conversation.

 

Sra. Orozco said, "I can certainly understand that we are reluctant to discuss this topic.  We are all racially mixed to varying degrees.  Although the caste system was a common practice from the 1500s through the early 1800s there are still occasions when old ideas rear their ugly heads.  Would anyone object if I read your anonymous responses to the class?  Perhaps that would help jumpstart our discussion..."

 

The class agreed that this would be a good way to proceed.  Sra. Orozco read through the entire class's set of papers and still no one wanted to comment.  While she was glad that her students seemed very concerned with hurting someone else's feelings in the course of their discussion, she also knew that the discussion would be of benefit to the class.  What to do...class was about to end...

 

"This is your assignment for this evening," continued Sra. Orozco, "at dinner, I want you to discuss your family heritage with your parents and what, if any, obstacles they've experienced as a result of their heritage.  We begin class tomorrow  with this discussion."

 

At dinner that night, it was just Pajaro and his mother.  His father was traveling to a village for his work as a recruitment specialist with the Univrsidad de San Carlo de Guatemala.  As they waited for their pizza delivery, Pajaro and his mother discussed school that day.

 

On his mother's computer, Pajaro was able to find the pictures they had written their responses to in Sra. Orozco's class.  Pajaro asked his mother, "Has your family heritage ever stood in the way of your education or profession?"  Pajaro's mother chuckled and responded, "Hijo(son), as in many other countries where there are or have been racial divisions, there are always many opposing viewpoints.  While your tatarabuelo (great, great grandfather--often used as in this case when in actuality Pajaro's mother is speaking of Pajaro's great, great, great, great, great grandfather) was Mayan, having lived in Copan and your tatarabuela was a slave originally from Africa, our family hasn't recently suffered any form of prejudice or repression due to our appearance.  You see, Pajaro, we've always known that education is the key.  Being well educated enables one to move up whatever social confines a society might impose based on appearance, dress, or spoken language.  It hasn't always been that way and is some cases it is harder for some groups to advance.  We have Garifuna primos (cousins) who are shunned by most of society.  My work with the Guatemalan Government at the Ministry  for Culture enables me to locate artists, poets, writers, musicians, and other very talented individuals regardless of their origins, so that they may be recognized and advance themselves socially.  Do you understand, Pajaro?"

 

Pajaro did understand.  It was just as he thought...although his parents were of mixed heritage, they had been able to rise above the traditional restrictions and prejudices because their families had been determined to do so.  Pajaro knew his father would agree with his mothers's assessment.

 

Students:  Complete Research Guide 3 and decide if Pajaro should research his Mayan or Garifuna heritage.  Again, if you can't decide upon completion, do what they do in Guatemala and flip a coin to determine "cara o escudo" (face or shield).