Day 20: Paraguay y los guaraní: torbellino de tu encanto

         Marta Rodríguez dijo, “Guaraní: palabra temida y anhelada, hoy el torbellino de tu encanto, me arrastra, me envuelve, por fin llegué a la edad tan esperada, no tenía conciencia de tanta espera, por fin soy ‘una mayor’ que puede hablarlo y disfrutarlo. ¿Será porque estaba prohibido? ¿Cómo será mi vida ahora que rozo tu dulzura? Ya no está la niña que se escondía para escucharlo. ¿Se perderá el misterio, el encanto, la seducción...?” (qtd. Gandulfo). 

Paraguay es un país del que no hablamos mucho. Es uno de los dos países sudamericanos sin acceso directo al mar y, en segundo lugar, Bolivia. La capital de Paraguay es Asunción. Paraguay además tiene acceso a una de las maravillas del mundo que son las cataratas del Iguazú con Brasil y Argentina. El río Iguazú, que significa en guaraní “agua grande”, nace ahí entre los tres países y conduce hacía las cataratas (“Iguazú Argentina”). 

Hay un lugar llamado Chaco en Paraguay. En 1932 existió una guerra entre Bolivia y Paraguay cuyo objetivo era apoderarse de este lugar (“Mapas históricos de América Latina”). La causa de este conflicto fue que Bolivia acababa de perder su salida al mar en la guerra con Chile y quería el acceso al mar a través del río Paraguay. El río Paraguay “posee 2.600 kilómetros de longitud de los cuales 1.017 kilómetros recorren territorio paraguayo” (Servín). Había pasado poco tiempo desde que habían encontrado petróleo en el área del Chaco hace poco. Al final de la guerra en 1935, Paraguay mantenía la mayor parte del Chaco y Bolivia había obtenido acceso al río Paraguay (“Mapas históricos de América Latina”). “En efecto, el 97% de la población reside en el sector oriental del país” (Rañales Pérez). Es decir que no hay mucha gente que vive en la región del Chaco, en su mayoría viven al este del río. 

Los guaraní usualmente viven en Paraguay, pero también se encuentran en Brasil, Bolivia y Argentina. De acuerdo con su mitología, los guaraníes (y luego toda la humanidad) fueron creados por el dios Tupâ que creó el universo y Arasy, la madre de los cielos. Desde una mezcla de arcilla y otros recursos naturales crearon los primeros humanos, un hombre y una mujer, y les dejaron en el sol para secarse (“Mitos de creación”). No sabemos mucho sobre qué pasó antes de la llegada de los conquistadores españoles debido a que los guaraní eran pueblos ágrafos. Pasaron toda su historia y creencias de boca en boca. Se ha descubierto que los guaraní eran grupos seminómadas (Rojas Brítez). 

El idioma guaraní era completamente oral hasta la llegada de los españoles. Los españoles deseaban poder entender mejor el idioma y desde ahí crearon un sistema de escritura parecido al español. La principal diferencia entre la escritura guaraní y el español es que las vocales guaraníes tienen dos sonidos, uno que es similar al español y el otro que tiene más nasalidad. También la gramática guaraní es un poco más sencilla que el español porque de las ocho categorías léxicas en el español, solo hay siete en el guaraní. No usan los artículos cuando hablan, así que es más simple (“Clase de guaraní”). Tal vez reconocería unas palabras que vienen del guaraní: tucán, tiburón, jaguar, petunia, piraña y maraca (“Palabras de origen quechua y guaraní”). 

Mientras que mucha gente reconoce el nombre guaraní, el nombre autodesignado del idioma es avañe’ẽ que es compuesta de “ava” o persona y “ñe’ẽ” o lengua (“Avañe’ẽ”). De acuerdo con David Galeano Olivera, “Una de las consideraciones más resaltantes a la hora de hablar de la cultura guaraní es que pensamos que se trata exclusivamente de una ‘cultura oral’. Originalmente fue una cultura oral pero a partir de la colonización eso cambió y en la actualidad el avañe’ẽ—como cualquier otra lengua moderna—pasó a ser una lengua escrita. Hoy existe una profusa literatura en guaraní, bilingüe o acerca del guaraní, no solamente en los libros, sino también en el mundo virtual donde conviven decenas de artículos y libros alojados en distintos sitios” (“De la cultura oral a la escrita”).

 Entonces, ¿qué cambió? A partir de la llegada de los conquistadores en 1524, al área que la nombraron “provincia gigante de las indias”, empezó la conquista a indígenas por parte de los españoles (“Breve reseña histórica de Paraguay”). En 1537 fue fundada la ciudad de Asunción, llamada el Fuerte de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Algunos autores de esta época dicen, “El fenómeno de la llegada de los españoles... está marcado por profundos desencuentros culturales. Por una parte, estaba bien firme el etnocentrismo europeo con su cultura, lengua y religión; y por otra, las poblaciones indígenas... con sus respectivas lenguas, tradiciones y creencias. El choque de culturas fue traumático, especialmente para los Pueblos Indígenas” (Rojas Brítez). 

A partir de la ocupación del territorio por europeos empezaron la obra de convertir la población al cristianismo, tomar ventaja de los indígenas y forzarlos a hacer obra manual aún hasta esclavizarlos. Dice un artículo que “el colonialismo europeo, tanto portugués como español, explotó la mano de obra guaraní, causando muerte y destrucción cultural” (“Guaraníes. Cultura guaraní”). Es interesante ver que en la “Breve reseña histórica del Paraguay”, que tiene la marca oficial del gobierno de Paraguay, evita hablar de las injusticias que les enfrentaban los guaraní a la mano de los conquistadores. Simplemente dice, “en la fundación de fuertes y pueblos e iniciaron, en alianza con las comunidades indígenas, un proceso de conformación social marcado por la fuerza de los conquistadores y la acción evangelizadora de la Iglesia Católica”. Nunca menciona la obra forzada de los indígenas. 

La explotación del indígena no terminó en 1870 cuando se abolió la esclavitud en Paraguay, solamente cambió su cara (ABC.com). Entre 1954 hasta 1989 Alfredo Stroessner era el dictador de Paraguay e instaló la prohibición del hablar guaraní en lugares públicos o enseñarlo en la escuela (Huenchumil, Fernández Parga). Dice Acceso que, “era muy común también que los padres no quisieran que sus hijos hablaran guaraní en casa, aunque fuera su lengua materna (la de los padres). Sin embargo, los niños usaban la lengua entre ellos a escondidas, como un juego, sin saber que estaban ayudando a evitar que desapareciera” (Fernández Parga). 

Hoy en día, cuentan los pueblos indígenas basados en la familia lingüística a la que pertenecen. En la familia guaraní, hay seis grupos de pueblos guaraní en Paraguay (“Población originaria e indígena del Paraguay”). Muchas personas han notado la fuerza del idioma guaraní en la actualidad. La tecnología ha contribuido mucho a la fuerza de mantener el guaraní como idioma vivo y sin riesgo de extinción. Dice en el sitio Ciencias del Sur, “De las más de seis mil lenguas registradas por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO): unas 200 ya se extinguieron; casi la mitad de ellas se encuentran en peligro de extinción o en situación crítica o vulnerable, pero para nuestra tranquilidad y orgullo, el guaraní se encuentra hoy entre las lenguas vigorosas pese a provenir de un pasado negro... De esos miles de idiomas, solamente cerca de trescientas tienen su propia versión de Wikipedia y una de ellas es el guaraní; así como también de toda esa cifra, solamente unas ciento cuarenta tienen su propia versión del navegador Mozilla Firefox y una de ellas es la nuestra. Asimismo, numerosas universidades del mundo (París, Mainz, São Paulo, Buenos Aires) hoy promueven y difunden la enseñanza del guaraní como una lengua de mucho prestigio” (Galeano Olivera).

Anotamos que 90% de la población paraguaya habla el guaraní y esta lengua tiene estatus de idioma cooficial junto con el castellano en Paraguay. Desde el ingreso de los europeos, empezó el mestizaje de culturas e idiomas. Sabemos que la mezcla de español e inglés se llama espanglés o spanglish, y también hay una palabra para la mezcla del guaraní y español; se llama “jobara”. Aún con la fusión de los idiomas en su sociedad, hay muchos pasos más para tomar para incluir a la gente indígena. Los guaraní no son los únicos grupos indígenas enfrentándose con problemas de visibilidad y discriminación en su país. Hay 20 etnias autóctonas que viven en Paraguay y el 75% de los indígenas vive en situación de pobreza extrema (Carneri).

Para los paraguayos es un orgullo su herencia guaraní pero solamente hasta cierto punto. Todavía es algo vergonzoso ser “indio”. Ya que esta palabra se utiliza como un insulto, parecido al término “neandertal” o hablar de alguien incivilizado. Las etnias indígenas que no son guaraní reciben aún más de este racismo. De acuerdo con el estado cooficial del guaraní en 2019, los documentos oficiales del estado todavía no están en guaraní, aunque ambas lenguas son cooficiales en el país. Algunos decretos y formularios empiezan a estar escritos en los dos idiomas, pero de momento el proceso está siendo lento (Fernández Parga). Eso sí raramente puede ser el caso, si va al sitio web del gobierno de Paraguay, la mayoría está en español. Allí encontrará un enlace de traducir entre el español y el guaraní o viceversa, pero los documentos, cédulas, preguntas frecuentes y toda la demás información sólo se encuentra en español (Portal Paraguay). 

En este mismo artículo por Ruth Fernández Parga dice que, “muchos hablantes ven el guaraní como una lengua hablada y para contextos más informales” porque todavía falta que exista una carrera universitaria sobre el guaraní. Sin embargo, parece que esta información podría ser anticuada porque Daniel Galeano Olivera ha dicho que, “Según los datos del Ateneo de Lengua y Cultura Guaraní, actualmente existen 23 universidades—de 11 países y tres continentes—que imparten cursos, clases o tienen tesis y líneas de investigación sobre el guaraní” (“El guaraní o avañe’ẽ, una lengua vigente en 12 países”). Estos países incluyen—además de Argentina, Brasil, Bolivia, Uruguay y Paraguay—los Estados Unidos, Francia, Suiza, Alemania, España, Japón e Italia (Galeano Olivera). Esto nos demuestra que mientras que el guaraní está creciendo a pasos agigantados, el gobierno paraguayo aún falta crear un sistema más inclusivo. 

El punto de esta información es que los guaraní han sobrevivido por mucho tiempo con su cultura e idioma. Siguen luchando por los derechos que merecen. Hay estigmas por ser indígena y por no poder hablar el español (Carneri). Esta discriminación sigue y es parte de las prácticas de nuestra sociedad (Grosfoguel). Marta Rodríguez es maestra en la escuela rural de Corrientes, Argentina y ella cuenta que, “...los chicos que aún sabiendo el guaraní, niegan saberlo. Y a eso se me ha ocurrido llamarle: ‘las cicatrices de la represión al idioma guaraní’ Yo fui una maestra represora del guaraní. Tengo en el primer grado a los hijos de mis alumnos de 7mo, a los que yo les prohibía hablar en guaraní. Y hoy, no quieren hablar en mi grado, y me dicen ‘señora mi papá no quiere que hable guaraní, porque si no me voy a quedar así’. Y así significa para ellos, sin saber leer y escribir...” (qtd. Gandulfo). Así quedó una consecuencia de la dictadura de Stroessner aún hasta el presente. Los guaraníes sienten vergüenza de hablar su idioma por las críticas de la sociedad.

Los guaraní en Paraguay y también muchos grupos originarios de las Américas han sufrido así. Están escondidos los problemas de ellos por ser parte de la minoría. Con el caso del guaraní sabemos que no corre el riesgo de extinción, pero no es el caso de muchos otros idiomas y culturas autóctonas, como dijo David Galeano Olivera. Estas culturas también son importantes, e incluso las que no son conocidas por todo el mundo. 

“Guaraní: palabra temida y anhelada, hoy el torbellino de tu encanto, me arrastra, me envuelve, por fin llegué a la edad tan esperada, no tenía conciencia de tanta espera, por fin soy ‘una mayor’ que puede hablarlo y disfrutarlo. ¿Será porque estaba prohibido? ¿Cómo será mi vida ahora que rozo tu dulzura? Ya no está la niña que se escondía para escucharlo. ¿Se perderá el misterio, el encanto, la seducción...?” (Rodríguez qtd. Gandulfo).

Obras Citadas

Day 19: Who Cares About Puerto Rico?

     Erasure. It's not just the name of a "synthpop duo" from the 1980's with "new wave" style music (Wikipedia). Although that is exactly what comes up when you type the word into Google, it is also a word to describe how many indigenous nations in the American continents have disappeared in our written history. I am going to focus on the group of people referred throughout history as the Taíno.

I will start off by defining Taíno. When I started researching for this paper, I understood the term to refer to indigenous people living in Puerto Rico (known as Boriquén by the indigenous people, spelling may vary) at the time Columbus landed in the Americas (El Boricua). I have since learned that Taíno is a very broad name and was used to refer to not only those in Puerto Rico but also throughout the Antilles islands, including eastern Cuba, the Bahamas, then Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica, and the Virgin Islands. Not only does this name refer to a people spread out over a large geographical area, the origins of the name itself are even more interesting. 

    The word Taíno doesn’t appear until Columbus’ second voyage when he landed in Guadeloupe and found a group of captive women and children that, “Once they met the Spaniards, they used the word tayno or tainon to mean that they were ‘good.’ It is clear that the term was used more as a qualifying adjective to refer to a concept of goodness… rather than as an ethnic label or ethnonym as it has been used by many scholars,” (Curet, 470). Therefore, the idea of the Taíno was created by these Spaniards to refer to those living in the Greater Antilles, especially those that were “noble, peaceful, and good.” It was the equivalent of calling them the “noble savages” as opposed to the war-like Caribes people that were considered the “true savages,” (Curet, 470). 

    Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World, around 900 BCE, the first people began migrating from Venezuela to the surrounding Caribbean islands (Figueroa). They established their communities and cultivated the land. The stories they shared were not written but passed by word of mouth. The written histories of the Taíno, written by Spanish Friars, begin the same time they lost their independence. 

    When Columbus came to the New World and met those living in the Bahamas, among whom the label Taíno was later applied, he wrote that, “They were very well built, with very handsome bodies and very good faces… They do not carry arms or know them… They should be good servants,” (Rojas).

Illustration of Taíno

    After the landing of Columbus and his crew, it didn’t take long for the erasure of this group to begin. “Spaniards removed men from villages to work in gold mines and colonial plantations. This kept the Taíno from planting the crops that had fed them for centuries. They began to starve; many thousands fell prey to smallpox, measles and other European diseases for which they had no immunity; some committed suicide to avoid subjugation; hundreds fell fighting with the Spaniards, while untold numbers fled to remote regions beyond colonial control,” (Rojas). Ricardo Alegría Gallardo, a Puerto Rican anthropologist talks about the downfall of the Taínos. He said, “Very few Indians were left after
50 years. Their culture was interrupted by disease, marriage with Spanish and Africans, and so forth, but the main reason the Indians were exterminated as a group was sickness,” (Rojas). The idea of pure Taínos as an indigenous group likely disappeared completely in the sixteenth century, although evidence of them in the DNA of modern-day Puerto Ricans continues to thrive (Figueroa). In a study conducted by Juan Carlos Martínez Cruzado on mitochondrial DNA, published in 2002, he found that, “Of the 800 participants [in Puerto Rico], 489 (61.1%) had mtDNA of indigenous origin, 211 (26.4%) had mtDNA of African origin south of the Sahara, and exactly 100 (12.5%) had mtDNA of Caucasian origin,” (Martínez, 3). These statistics show that while the practices and customs of the Taínos may have disappeared in many forms, their descendants live on in Puerto Rico today. 

    In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue (Marzollo). He came to the islands in the Caribbean known as the Greater and Lesser Antilles. From then on, he claimed those islands for the Crown of Castile. In November of 1897, Spain allowed control over political administration to pass to the citizens of Puerto Rico but they had a governor appointed by Spain (Rivera). That following February, they put this new self-government into full effect. By autumn of 1898, Spain ceded control of Puerto Rico to the United States after the Spanish-American War (History.com). Puerto Rico was then recolonized by the United States. 

PR Flag Taken Down

    It was not until 1941 that the inhabitants of Puerto Rico were granted U.S. citizenship, and then in 1947 an act was passed that enabled Puerto Ricans to elect their own governor (Rivera). The following year, a law was enacted which made owning or flying the Puerto Rican flag illegal, including inside a home (Lopez). This law was not repealed until 1957 and today, you can see the Puerto Rican flag everywhere, from cars, to homes and garages. This law, known as the Gag Law, was implemented to suppress Puerto Rican independence movements that were growing. From 1936 to 1995, the FBI tracked and investigated those promoting such ideas as independence from the U.S (Navarro). 

    The year 2017 was quite the year for hurricanes with ten named hurricanes and seven named tropical storms (CNN). The most noteworthy for the sake of my research here was Hurricane Maria. Hurricane Maria left the island of Puerto Rico without power, without clean water, and without food. Because of the lack of power, there was no way to get news as to what was to be done in the wake of this disaster. Maria was a category 5 hurricane. The scale for defining hurricanes goes from 1-5 depending on the amount of potential property damage from the storm (CNN). This hurricane completely knocked out the already vulnerable electric infrastructure in Puerto Rico. The upkeep of one of the plants on the island–Palo Seco–had been neglected for over 50 years. After the hurricane, over 60,000 utility poles had to be replaced across the island. Infrastructure such as roads, water pumps, and bridges have also been heavily neglected in their preservation. José Sanchez was a member of the Army Corps of Engineers helping with the work on utility poles and at Palo Seco. He said that, “Puerto Rico is in dire need of not only power plants, but a reconstruction of the grid itself,” (“Blackout in Puerto Rico”).

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency otherwise known as FEMA is the taskforce in charge of responding to emergencies in the United States and their associated territories (FEMA). After Hurricane Harvey which hit Texas on August 25, 2017, and Hurricane Irma that hit Florida on September 10th that same year, emergency response supplies were in high demand but low supply (CNN). Some of the supplies normally stored in Puerto Rico for disaster response had even been sent to the Virgin Islands after Hurricane Irma (Young). After a month, FEMA was still trying to provide for the most basic needs–food and more importantly, potable water. When asked in the same PBS FRONTLINE film, the mayor of Luquillo, Jesús Márquez Rodríguez, said that if they had only seven generators, they would be able to provide clean drinking water for the people of Luquillo. But generators were another resource in short supply. After that first month, there was still a third of the island without clean, running water (Young). 

The house in Kentucky when we arrived 

    Laura Sullivan, the correspondent working on this film project, talked about the “roadside rubbish” piled up everywhere. As she said that, my mind flashed back to my own experience living in Kentucky not nine months ago almost to the day. During the first week of March, 2021, the Kentucky river flooded to the point where many people had to be evacuated (The Weather Channel). On March 13th, I went to help with the clean up efforts. I remember the first house we got to was three stories high, one of which was the cement garage sitting on the river bank. The water had reached the second floor and left muddy lines about a foot and a half above the floor. When we arrived to help, most of the water damaged articles had been thrown out on top of what used to be her garden. Now covered  with inches of river silt, we loaded these items into wheelbarrows to be piled along the side of the road, much like what was described by Laura Sullivan. It was truly heartbreaking to see as some things were no longer recognizable from the sustained water damage. Among the items being discarded was a high school yearbook. I took a moment to look at it and imagine having to throw away so many memories. As I stood staring at it, the homeowner saw what I held and told me that it belonged to her husband who had passed away a few months ago. 

    Laura Sullivan later comments on how the houses of many Puerto Ricans were simply shells of what they used to be–often only walls and floors remaining. Alice Thomas with Refugees International talked about the slow response in Puerto Rico especially compared to support given in other countries after similar natural disasters. Two months after the storm and many people still didn’t even have a roof over their heads. Those that did, had only temporary ones that leaked with the tropical rain storms. Thomas said, “The longer people and their homes are exposed to the elements, the more at risk they are, the more at risk their health is, and the more their home is lost,” (Young). 

    Many continue to live in their homes although in shambles. Jossie Lozada was interviewed in part of the film by PBS’ FRONTLINE and they discuss the aid FEMA has given to those in need in Puerto Rico. Jossie was able to get $33,300 from FEMA to rebuild her home, however 40% of those that applied for federal help were denied (Garcia). According to the ABA, “Under Puerto Rican law, one can be the legal owner of a property without having a formal title, presenting deeds, and so on. However, FEMA asked for such documentation to obtain assistance, leaving thousands unable to apply or receive help. The issue proves more complicated than most may think. In many ways, FEMA’s policies look to avoid unlawful claims by those who do not own property. On the other hand, they punish hard-working citizens who rightfully own their homes, but lack the documents to prove it,” (Garcia). One of Jossie’s friends had received only $6,000 from FEMA and was living in his car (Young). 

    According to FEMA’s documents about the incident and lack of supplies, they had only 12,000 tarps available with half a million homes in need of temporary roofing (Young). Operation Blue Roof is a program in place by the Army Corps of Engineers that collaborates with FEMA in disaster relief (HQ USACE). When comparing the relief efforts in Florida and Puerto Rico, the statistics are compelling. In 30 days after Hurricane Irma, 4,536 blue roofs had been installed. In that same amount of time in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, only 439 blue roofs had been put in place. That is 9.7% the amount of tarps placed in Florida during the same amount of time (Young).

    As I listen to the accounts given in “Blackout in Puerto Rico,” about the loss of power for months on end, I look around myself and imagine what that would be like. In the middle of December, with temperatures already dropping below freezing, I look at the small space heater next to me and the portable DVD player I was using, the Christmas tree behind me illuminating the room. I think about going to bed at night in a heated room. Then I think about what it would be like to lose all of that, not just for a day as has happened here in years before, but for months with no end in sight. As I consider all of this, I feel greatly upset that so many people went through circumstances like these. It may not have been December and below freezing when the hurricane hit Puerto Rico, but it was still hurricane season for a few more months after Maria devastated the island. It took 11 months for power to be restored to everyone in Puerto Rico, although the connection is not always reliable and some experience frequent outages still (Campbell).

    As one of many ignorant citizens in the United States of America, I was taught in school of the 48 contiguous states as well as Alaska and Hawaii. It was not until much later I heard of U.S. territories in passing and thought, “how interesting.” I asked why they were not just made states as well and it was explained to me that 50 was just such a nice, round number, that they planned to leave it as is. Plus, I was told, they would have to change the U.S. flag and that was just a hassle. Content with this explanation, I thought about the novelty of territories and wondered how long they had been with the United States, since clearly I had never heard of such a thing before. Later I came to the understanding that these territories have been around for over a hundred years. Why then, are they never talked about? Why are they treated as foreign countries? Why are so many mainland citizens still uninformed?

    Puerto Rico is viewed as property to the United States. Sergio Marxuach talks about how our wallets are as much a part of us as Puerto Rico is part of the U.S. Our wallets are simply an object that we have ownership of (Young). Citizens of Puerto Rico are required to register for the Selective Service, otherwise known as the draft for military service in case of times of crisis, but they cannot vote for the president of the United States, although they are considered citizens of the U.S. and they do not have any congressional representation (Selective Service System, Murriel). There are many people in Puerto Rico lobbying Congress that believe that statehood would solve a lot of issues they face now and would rectify inconsistencies in U.S. policies, while others think independence could be the answer. 

    Some argue on behalf of Puerto Rico saying, “Why would I allow somebody who abused me for 123 years, to then consume me?” and, “If you depend on someone all of your life, you’re not going to grow. In order for you to grow you have to be free and not depend on someone,” (CBS News). Others, such as Pedro Pierluisi, the current governor of the territory, make their own points by saying, “How come we are citizens of the most democratic nation in the world, yet we do not vote for the president of that nation? How come we have no voting representation in Congress as American citizens? It’s like geographic discrimination. And it makes no sense. We’re not immigrants. See, what happens in Puerto Rico when our people do not have an adequate quality of life, is that they hop on a plane and move,” (CBS News). Pierluisi is encouraging support of what is known as the Statehood Admission Act which could make Puerto Rico a state (Congress.gov, “H.R.1522”).

    In Congress, Nydia Velazquez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed a new bill, H.R.2070 which would allow for Puerto Ricans to vote on the issue themselves and could then be ratified by Congress (Congress.gov, “H.R.2070”). This bill would provide funding for delegations to inform the citizens of Puerto Rico of their options regarding statehood, remaining as-is, or independent from the United States. This way, Puerto Ricans can truly understand what it is that they are voting for. 

    Though not many people can name the indigenous nations that inhabited the lands Columbus “discovered,” they are still a part of our world’s history and their stories deserve to be told. Though the land passed through multiple hands, its citizens are proud of their heritage. It is increasingly more difficult for the inhabitants to subsist in Puerto Rico as natural disasters and economic troubles continue to plague their land. 

    In conclusion, I believe that it is important for those who live in Puerto Rico or who have a heritage there, to be able to vote to determine the future of their land. Perhaps some day soon we will see Puerto Rico a true and fully recognized country of its own or the 51st United State.   

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16aHvD-dQtkEtWzTQGgp21PuHeJMWf0RyY4TnG_ZHDAI/edit?usp=sharing 

Day 18: Start of a New Chapter

I've lived a pretty exciting life in the way of medical history. At age 11 I was diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome (which I had since about age 4) and lactose intolerance.

And on March 15, 2019, I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). EoE is an allergy that affects the esophagus and is characterized by white blood cells called eosinophils that build up in my esophagus. If left untreated it could eventually build up to the point where it's hard for me to swallow or could cause choking. Generally people with EoE may have allergies to gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, eggs, and more. We believe I have a gluten and dairy allergy. What does this mean for me? A diet with no gluten and no dairy that at times feels very vegan since I can't have dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream, most chocolates, etc.). However, my dad is going to trademark the term "megan" since I can still eat meat and eggs (it was between that and "megetarian"). The doctors and nurses I've seen so far believe my cyclic vomiting may have been a manifestation of EoE. This will be a roller coaster as I learn how to manage this disease, prepare for a mission, and just continue with my life.

The beginning of a new chapter.

When I was in Primary I remember learning about the importance of missionary work. Since a very young age I knew that serving a mission was something I planned on. I also remember the day I was told that it wasn’t required for girls to serve missions. Pretty sure it was Sam A. that told me that in primary one day. I gave him a look like of course girls are supposed to go on missions. Duh! And imagine my surprise when I found out not only is it not as common for girls to go on missions, they’re only gone for 18 months! I was really disappointed to say the least.

My great grandpa that we all called “Grandpa Pop” had family that was Southern Baptist. His relatives were determined that he would grow up to be a pastor and because of the pressure to follow that path, he decided he didn’t want anything to do with religion. Pop served in the Navy during World War II. He watched many friends and compatriots die or get injured, and was therefore very decidedly atheist because he thought that if there was a God, how could God let such bad things happen to good people?

My Grandma Shauna is my mom’s mom and Grandpa Pop’s daughter; she was not raised religiously. It just wasn’t something that was ever brought up. Her first interactions with the Church [of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints] were actually fairly negative (but I won’t go into that story). Grandma Shauna worked at the Salt Lake Board of Education and one of her coworkers was a returned missionary. This lady invited my grandma to the Visitor’s Center at Temple Square and my grandma agreed to go and had a good time.

It wasn’t until my grandma started dating my grandpa that she started taking missionary discussions because he was a returned missionary and wouldn’t marry anyone unless they were a member of the church.

Grandma loved my grandpa’s step mom, LaMona. One day they were talking and LaMona told my grandma that "Living this religion is a wonderful way to raise a family." So grandma decided “Why not?” and was baptized. As I was asking my grandma about her experiences, she told me that in the beginning she didn’t have a testimony of the church but rather a testimony of the person that my grandpa’s stepmother was.

As my grandma received a calling in the primary, she gained a testimony of the gospel and it continued to grow as she taught the children, and as she had more callings and has made her the person she is today, with one of the strongest, most unshakeable testimonies I have seen and have been privileged to learn from.

When my Great Grandma Shirley passed away in 2007, my Grandpa Pop started hoping for more than just this life because he couldn't believe that that was the end, that he would never see her again.

I want to be a missionary because I love God and I want others to create and strengthen their relationships with Him. As President Dallin H Oaks said, “we are a missionary people. We are sometimes asked why we send missionaries to so many nations, even among Christian populations. We receive the same question about why we give many millions of dollars of humanitarian aid to persons who are not members of our Church and why we do not link this aid to our missionary efforts. We do this because we esteem all mortals as children of God—our brothers and sisters—and we want to share our spiritual and temporal abundance with everyone.”

As a part of my personal missionary preparation, you could include reading and studying the Book of Mormon, something that started in the 8th grade with Book of Mormon March Madness and continued with seminary in 9th grade. Since I started seminary, I have kept a mostly consistent habit of scripture reading in the morning and this has helped me in many ways. A lot of the time I don’t really notice the difference but what I have picked up on is the mornings that I fall asleep during my readings are slightly more difficult than the days where I really pay attention and stay awake through my reading.

A few months ago I decided to go through different resources in the gospel library that were created for missionaries, including the missionary handbook and a bunch of missionary preparation articles. I made a list of some of the things included in missionary schedules and found ways to make them a part of my days now. One of the things that I have worked on as part of my preparation is writing in my journal.  As Nephi said in the first chapter and first verse of the Book of Mormon, “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days”

I have never been good at journal writing. I have one notebook that there are months and usually years between each entry. After reading about keeping a daily journal as a part of the missionary schedule, I decided I would really try to write something about each day but I took on a new style of writing. Instead of trying to find something interesting (since not being able to think of anything interesting is the reason I usually don’t write) I tried the “Bullet-journaling technique which is as easy as it sounds. You make a bullet-point list of the things you did regardless of whether you find it interesting or not. My first entry is 4 lines long. Since that day, my first day of college, I have written almost every day. That is seven months of daily journaling! I have missed 3 days during those months but the next morning I wrote about those days.

President Thomas S. Monson said: “Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together … [and] labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work”

In the General Women’s session of this last conference, Sister Joy D Jones quoted Ammon in Alma 26:12, “Yea I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak, therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God for in his name can I do all things; yea, behold many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land for which we will praise his name forever.” I really love this scripture and find it so very relatable. I know that when I rely on my Heavenly Father, He can help me through so much more than I could ever do on my own.

As missionary efforts increase, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ draws nearer. Matthew 24:14 says, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

President Russell M Nelson spoke on the importance of sisters in the Gathering of Israel, “Men can and often do communicate the love of Heavenly Father and the Savior to others. But women have a special gift for it—a divine endowment. You have the capacity to sense what someone needs—and when he or she needs it. You can reach out, comfort, teach, and strengthen someone in his or her very moment of need.

Women see things differently than men do, and oh, how we need your perspective! Your nature leads you to think of others first, to consider the effect that any course of action will have on others.”

I mentioned that when I first heard about women only serving 18 months not 24 I was really disappointed. The more I have thought about this difference, the more I truly realize that it just means that while serving a mission is important, there are other things I will need to do that I can use that time for. I have also really appreciated the time I have had this year to prepare both mentally, spiritually, and physically while I wait for my 19th birthday.

As I have grown up, I have seen the example of my dad, my aunts, uncles, and grandparents that have served missions and shared their experiences with me, and now I have my cousin home to ask questions about missionary service as I continue to prepare for my own mission.

          Through the years I have confidently come to the conclusion that I am an "optimistic realist." I recognize when things are hard or unfair while also having a positive outlook. It's a lot easier to roll with the punches laughing than to give up over something nearly impossible to control. The hardest part is trying to hang out with people that may not know about my condition since the diagnosis is fairly recent. I try to keep it to myself because I don't feel like other people should worry about me, especially when they do, it gets a little overboard. 

I know that "faith in God includes faith in His timing" and while at times I may be frustrated and disappointed that my papers were delayed for months and continue to encounter hold-ups, there's a reason. Heavenly Father knows me and knows how much I yearn to serve and to teach and to grow.

As my Grandma Shauna says, "hindsight is 20/20."

Day 17: My Paper on the Aokigahara Forest

Many Americans knew nothing about the Aokigahara “Suicide” Forest or “Sea of Trees” in Japan until a famous YouTuber stumbled in, which “may have tarnished Japanese/American relations.” It was all over the news. In fact, another YouTuber, Michael Sundman—who lived in Japan as an English teacher for many years and has a deep respect for the Japanese—made a video, “with a statement that Logan stands a good chance of being banned from Japan.”
With a cultural focus on honor and tradition, how does the suicide rate continue to climb, not only in Japan, but also around the globe? As one of the most technologically advanced countries, many may wonder why people feel the need to kill themselves. Many Japanese people are overworked, with one woman “[committing] suicide on Christmas Day in 2015 by jumping from a corporate dormitory. She had worked 100 hours of overtime the month before. She tweeted that year, ‘When you’re in the office 20 hours a day, you don’t understand what life you’re living for anymore.  It’s so pathetic … you come to laugh.’” The Japanese even have a word for suicide caused by overwork, karojisatsu. One of the Japanese ministers of finance reportedly hung himself on World Suicide Prevention Day.

Aokigahara Forest - India Times

In Japanese mythology, the Aokigahara forest is “considered to be one of the most haunted places in all of Japan,” and many believe it is the home of demons and spirits who had unnatural and/or violent deaths. This forest lies at the foot of Mount Fuji and “was honored as the sacred embodiment of the divine creativity that had thrust the land up from the sea.” In The Complete Manual Of Suicide (published 1993) by Wataru Tsurumi, the Aokigahara Forest is called, “the perfect place to die.”
           When nature is viewed with such reverence and a focus on the life force as a means of celebration in Shintoism, it creates an interesting conundrum. And for those who don’t believe in supernatural beings, GPS’s, phones, and compasses all act abnormally within the reaches of Aokigahara due to “rich deposits of magnetic irons created by volcanic soil in the region”

Suicide victim's shoes

           Aokigahara is rated among the top three places that people go to commit suicide. There are signs posted around the entrances to try to dissuade people from killing themselves. Unfortunately, the signs don’t usually do the trick, and volunteers will stumble upon dozens of bodies while cleaning up the forest, which is also a popular tourist area. “The bodies found by the volunteers are taken down from the forest to the local station, where they are placed in a room used specifically for suicide victims.  Following an ancient tradition, someone has to stay with the corpses during the night, as it is believed that if the bodies are left alone, it would be very bad for their spirits. It has been rumoured that the spirits of these victims would scream during the night, and that their bodies would move on their own.”
           Japanese suicide rates are high, around 30,000 deaths per year. Many areas globally have stopped publishing their suicide rates and information about when a victim is found because authorities don’t want to give ideas to those struggling and who want to kill themselves. Resources in every country have been put in place to help people but the problem is many people are afraid to reach out for help or don’t see the point in trying anymore. Original Shinto beliefs concerning death were dark and included the idea of a river separating the living from the dead, much like the Greek River Styx leading to the Underworld, realm of Hades. With Buddhist influence, death became more of something to meditate on and the Japanese taught that life should be celebrated and enjoyed and made meaningful by word and action. Traditions of mourning include only showing grief on one particular day and the rest of the time the Japanese are expected to be almost stoic in their regards to show honor to those who have passed on.
           Although in pop culture and in the news, we hear more and more about teen suicide rates, they are not the only ones faced with mental illnesses nor are they the only ones overworked. In fact, a rise in elderly suicides, especially in Japan, has become apparent. Although in the cases of the elderly, suicide is not usually due to overwork but loneliness. “The first time it drew national attention, the corpse of a 69-year-old man… had been lying on the floor for three years, without anyone noticing his absence. His monthly rent and utilities had been withdrawn automatically from his bank account. Finally, after his savings were depleted in 2000, the authorities came to the apartment and found his skeleton near the kitchen, its flesh picked clean by maggots and beetles, just a few feet away from his next-door neighbors.” In the old day in Japan, suicide was mainly known as a samurai’s act, as in Seppuku or hara-kiri.

           Suicide has become an epidemic. In the year 2016-17 in Japan the “…survey shows 250 elementary and high school age children took their own lives in that year for a variety of reasons including bullying, family issues and stress.”  The Japan Times says that in 2010 alone, more than 200 people attempted to commit suicide in the [Aokigahara] forest, with 54 succeeding.” A French sociologist “suggested more than a century ago that amid all the bright, prosperous developments of modernity there was yet a ‘morbid effervescence, the grievous repercussions of which each one of us feels.’ Unbridled will, infinite material possibility, isn't always liberating, he said.” In first world countries where “Likes” are all the rage, many people get caught up in popularity contests and people are more depressed without even realizing it. Multiple studies have concluded that spending time on social media can create feelings of depression in people that may not even be diagnosed with any kind of depression or depressive mood disorder. As all of your friends are posting about how they are “living their best life” you compare yourself and how you live—even just subconsciously—and it brings your brain down.

           The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
Please, if you or someone you know is suffering with depression or suicidal thoughts, get help before it is too late. In the words of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes, “Taking you own life. Interesting expression — taking it from who? Once it’s over, it’s not you who’ll miss it. Your own death is something that happens to everybody else. Your life is not your own. Keep your hands off it.”

Day 16: Leaving a Mark

       As I have been sitting here, contemplating just about everything, my thoughts have turned to the idea of "leaving a mark." When you leave a mark, it comes down to the idea of permanence. Will your mark be more of a footprint in the sand, mud on the sidewalk? Or will it amount to something more?
       I don't know what kind of marks I have left behind me. I am sure I caused a few scars, due to thoughtless actions, most of which I would prefer to fix but don't know how. I also have no clue as to what kind of marks lie ahead of me.
       When you think about it, people can remember you for anything. Rosa Parks is remembered for defiance in a simple way because she was tired and just wanted to sit down. The people trying to make her give up her seat? Today they are viewed as racist and also in a way, tyrannical. Hitler is seen as antisemitic and cruel. His actions are generally viewed with disdain. In every situation we encounter, a mark is made. Maybe you're the person who smiled, the person who stopped to pick up loose papers, maybe you're the person who kept walking, maybe you stayed home.

       We all should stop to consider the effect we have on others, on the world. We are all a part of something much larger. We can help each other or we can hold each other back. Recently a friend shared a quote with me by Bob Moawad that I would like to now share with you:

“You can't make footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?”

       Is it possible to know what kind of prints you will make if you don't know what or who you are? For me it is a struggle to see what I might become. Growing up I wanted to be an author. Sure, I can write a few pretty sentences, but who will pay for that? Next my dream was to be a lawyer because I loved the thought that went behind supporting my arguments and proving to others what I knew, but I could never go to more than one or two debate meetings so how could I progress? After that, I moved towards self-expression in art. I love drawing but not nearly as much as my discovered love of painting--specifically with oils. But that takes time and dedication and when you don't have the motivation, you won't go anywhere.
       So now what?
So now, I go to college. I work on my Gen. Ed. even though I am not sure if it will even help me. I work at a part-time job that pays a little more than minimum-wage and save for all it's worth. I may not have a plan, and I may not know what kind of mark I am making, but I will make sure that I wasn't wasting my time sitting around waiting for someone else to tell me how to live.
       The tallies or footprints or buttprints or what-have-you are in the making and there isn't anything you can do to stop them (okay obviously yes there is actually a way but please never resort to that).

What marks are you leaving behind?

Day 15: Is Ignorance Really Bliss?

       In a world shrouded with misinformation and controversy, is ignorance really bliss? Should we not be informed in the goings on around us to make the best choices not only for ourselves, but those around us and those who will succeed us.
      As many may know, there are a lot of movements on gun control especially after the tragedy of Marjory Stoneman Douglas on February 14, 2018. Mr. Andrew Pollack who lost a daughter in the shooting said, "9/11 happened once, and they fixed everything. How many schools, how many children have to get shot? It stops here, with this administration and me." If you can't take a water bottle through an airport but can get a gun to school, what does that say about our society? Lorenzo Prado, a surviving student from MSD said, “Nikolas Cruz was able to purchase an assault rifle before he was able to buy a beer."
       Now this post isn't going to be about gun control. This is about our right and privilege to access information and to form our opinions about issues that affect our lives. No matter what your opinion on gun control, you are allowed to have that opinion because we live in a world where silence is ludicrous and ignorance is insanity. Because of our freedoms, high school students can confront their legislators and representatives and scream in their faces "BS!" We can call out "Never again!" 
      As much as our rights give us, we need to realize that not using them to their full potential is dangerous. With controversy comes multiple view points and perspectives. When researching topics we have to listen to all sides of a story and all the solutions or advice given from those we don't agree with because sometimes, guess what? They might say something that either a) you can refute or b) you might actually agree with! And that is what so many people have a hard time coming to terms with is the idea that someone else might have a better idea than you and although you may not agree with them, their opinion is just as valid as your own. The way to keep your opinion valid is to stay informed. 
     As I am sitting here typing this I can hear people discussing this very problem. An "out of sight, out of mind" attitude will no longer propel our country, our world, in the direction towards progress. I myself with gun control have watched hours of videos from both sides including Wayne LaPierre and Dana Loesch at CPAC who both represent the NRA and then the CNN Town Hall with Marc Rubio and other Florida law-makers answering the albeit brutal justifiable questions stemming from hurt, anger, fear, and a range of other emotions many of us will never understand because we have not lived through what they have lived through. 
     So maybe at this point it is safe to say I lied, and this did end up being about gun control. You probably can tell which side I am on, although my opinions are not radical. Originally, when I began with the idea of going against ignorance as bliss, there were other things going on in the world but it has been a year since this post began and the first paragraph sat in cyberspace, a blinking "I" beam waiting to move across the screen to capture the words of a girl who wants the world to be a better place. As many of my generation have said, this is not about left or right, Democrats and Republicans. This is about making a change in our world together. 
     What would you do if the world you grew up in was as dangerous as this? All those words from the many books we have been filling our minds with are coming true. The world is collapsing. Chaos is ensuing. What are YOU going to do?
     Stop the ignorance. Do your research. Stay informed. Make the world a better place.

Thank you. 

Day 14: Tradition (A Few Months Later...)

      Since we passed the Christmas and New Year's season a while ago, I am going to talk a little bit about the traditions my family has during the winter holidays.

     Christmas is usually a fun time of the year for a lot of people. On Christmas Eve my family will get together at my aunt's house and have a gift exchange. A month or two beforehand, we each drew the name of one of our cousins and this was the person you were assigned to get a gift for. After the gift exchange we go to a Chinese restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City called Golden Phoenix. The food there is really good in my opinion, not that I have much to go off of since my family doesn't usually go to other Chinese restaurants. After a long, filling dinner, we head down to Temple Square and wander around, looking at the lights and at the Nativities set up around the square. When we are done wandering, we head back to the cars and part ways, but this is not where the traditions end. When my family gets home, we each get new pajamas, as is the tradition in many households.
       After a fitful night of sleep, we wake up, ready to open presents. Of course, this is assuming Dad has the camcorder set up already. If we are expecting any early morning guests, like my Aunt "Teen," we have to wait for them to get to our house before we are allowed to open presents, so we at least can see what has been left in our stockings. That is, usually we do. This year we had to wait until my aunt got to our house before even opening our stockings and since Christmas fell on a Sunday, we were only able to open stockings before we had to go to church.

     New Year's Eve is my favorite holiday. We have a family of our friends come over around 5:00 p.m. and we start eating about 6:00 p.m. and just snack all night after that. There are a few foods that we absolutely have to have every year (including little smokies, wrapped in bacon and brown sugar). We've played games over the years, done karaoke a couple times, watch movies, and when we were really young, we would play "House." At about 11:00-11:30 p.m. we start chocolate fondue with all sorts of fruits and snacks (and cream puffs) to dip and eat. Then at about midnight, we take poppers outside that are filled with confetti to celebrate the New Year. The past few years my dad has fired off an old pistol he inherited that sounds louder than most fireworks.
      When we have tired of standing in the cold, we go inside and start cleaning up. By the time we are done and our family friends leave it is about one in the morning and we get ready for bed; it's a great start to a new year.

I love traditions. They are a time to spend with family and friends that remain but at the same time they will evolve throughout the years as tastes and ages change.
     What are some traditions you have and what do you like to do the most?