Prejuicios
a poem & explanation
I wrote this poem in 2023 for my creative writing class. For this class I really started playing more with the visuals and layout of my poems. I liked giving my poems a touch of ‘visual art’ and I knew I wanted them to be read a specific way.
Most of my better poems for that class were about my identity, my family and the Guatemalan diaspora in America. (There were about 3 poems I really hated… I had writers block and submitted randomness I wasn’t proud of, but oh well!)
For this poem specifically, I wanted to visually show how obvious the divide is between these 2 very diverse areas of Guatemala. I’ve read lots of academic papers, gone down deep rabbit holes, and I find the difference between the East and West very interesting.
When I talk with my family and others from different parts of Guatemala, the preconceived notions of each other are very apparent. The land of eternal spring is vast and large, so it is no wonder that assumptions are made about each other.
A few articles for your consideration:
Without Nation, without Community
“In Guatemala, Ch'orti' communities in the east have generally suffered more pressure than Maya communities of the west. By the end of this century, Ch'orti' culture(s) and ethnic identity(ies) have become severely threatened by poverty, ethnic discrimination, and state repression, while no national culture or identity has replaced them.”
Beyond the Indian-Ladino Dichotomy
“Guatemala's Eastern Highlands constitute an important but understudied region long ignored or misrepresented.”
I’ve wanted to write a longer research paper about this, but just haven’t. This poem is a bite sized amount of info, but perhaps I will research more and share my thoughts with you all! I have been out of school since May 2023, so my lengthy-research-paper bones are rusty.
(I had to insert a screenshot of the poem to show its true form, unfortunately Substack doesn’t allow for 2 column writing hehe.)
Thank you for reading. Means the world xx.
What a beautiful poem :) I adore the format