2017 trip to South America
In 2017 I joined my father on his business trip to South America where we visited Lima, Cusco, and Buenos Aires. My previous knowledge of Latin America was limited. I knew a little bit about the Spanish and Portuguese conquest, the poverty, the drug trade, and the current immigration into the United States. This was my first time traveling to the southern hemisphere of the world and I eagerly wanted to see what it would be like to live in Latin America.
Upon arrival to Lima, and after meeting my father’s business partners, I immediately noticed that those with wealth had lighter skin and usually had German or Italian ancestry instead of the indigenous ancestry that the lower-class people generally had. This did not surprise me considering we have a similar issue in America where people of color statistically have a lower income then those who are white. I also learned more about the history of oppression of not only the indigenous populations but also the African slaves.
The next thing I noticed was at the Lima airport where in addition to the chaotic nature of the airport, we missed our flight to Cusco because it was overbooked, which made me realize that I was in a third world country where things ran less efficiently than they did in the united states. At the airport, waiting for the next flight, I talked to a man who fled Venezuela and he told me about the issues that Venezuela and the rest of South America has. It made me think about how lucky I am to have a system of government that although isn’t perfect, is much better than most countries around the world.
After arriving in Cusco a day late, and upon visiting Machu Pichu, I realized that although South America has lots of unresolved issues, it possessed so much beauty and history that people throughout the world wanted to see. Going to see Machu Pichu with my Dad was an experience that I will never forget. I learned a lot about the Incan empire and how the Spanish searched for Machu Pichu, “the lost city”.
After Cusco, my Dad had more business in Buenos Aires, the last place we went. It was clear to me that Latin America had places of great wealth and power despite the poverty it also had. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see much of the city, although I did enjoy the five-star hotel.
After coming home from my two week trip, I felt I had a better understanding of Latin America and had desire to return again one day starting at the bottom of Chile and traveling North by carrying a backpack and staying at hostels, until I reach Miami, which I was told is considered the capital of Latin America. I hope to obtain a better understanding of Latin America so that I’ll have a greater appreciation for the places I see and how they were formed.
When I visited Mexico for the first time, I had similar initial thoughts as you. I knew about the drug trade and how dangerous it could be and I also knew about the poverty. During my trip there was never a moment in time where I did not feel safe and the beauty of the country was better than I could have imagined. I find it interesting that you bring up the great wealth and poverty. It is crazy to me that where I was, there were beautiful expensive houses right next to huts that were barely holding together.
Reading this towards the end of the semester, this post reminded me of the fact that I have learned so much about Latin America, yet never really visited it. Later in life, I hope to have the opportunity to visit Latin America outside of resorts, and take what we learned in the classroom to the real world. It’s interesting to learn about Latin America through a classroom/online, but visiting it obviously provides another lens to learn in.
Something I find fascinating and enjoy researching and dialoguing about is race in Latin America! It differs from what we know race to be in the United States: black and white. Race is such a complex topic because while there may be African descendants, there are also Asian, European and Natives. The struggles and daily discriminations differ than the US due to the superiority held among the light skins. Natives usually find themselves struggling the most and being overlooked by the government.