Traveling back and forth between the Guatemalan highlands and
Providence, Rhode Island, the author followed the migration paths
of a community of K'iche' Indians, often acting as a courier to
bring news and photographs to families. As several said to the
author, "Now you have lived with your own skin what we have gone
through, only you can leave at any time."
This ethnography juxtaposes the context of post-war reconstruction
at home, shaped by a fragile institutional peace process and
emerging pan-Maya movement, with the hidden, marginal lives of
mostly undocumented K'iche' transmigrants in New England, and
describes the continuous movement of people, money, symbols, and
ideas between the two locations. Transnational migration creates
tension between material success and K'iche' traditional suspicion
of standing out and displaying that success. Showing off or losing
touch with one's responsibilities at home can invite envidias
(envy), chismes (malicious gossip), and even brujeria
(witchcraft).
Some of the perpetrators of violence in Guatemala have re-created
their positions of dominance in Providence. One K'iche' recounts,
"He used a notebook, like the one you have, and each time I took
even a glass of water he would write it down. He charged me $300
just for arriving, those $300 were like a tip for him. He told me
he would not help me find work, and he would drink a lot and would
say, 'You thought it would be easy here, you thought it is just
picking up dollars here--well, you are screwed.'"
For students, the book provides rich accounts of the difficulties
of entering the field and maintaining trust among people in divided
and changing communities."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
