Writing? What writing?

Well, here we are again. Another week (or more) gone by, another post. Where in the world is Jenna, you ask? I'm still in Temuco, wrapping up the research portion of the month and just about to head into the writing period! Anybody want to write 20 pages in Spanish for me? That would be great. No.....it shouldn't be too excruciating, I don't think. After all the interviews and conversations I've had and articles I've read, I'm hoping the writing will fly by. Cross your fingers. For the curious among you, I'll let you in on my [not-so-] top-secret research. Consider yourselves lucky. Here we go...

I am researching the current situation of the indigenous Mapuche women: their access to education, discrimination in the work force, and their thoughts on gender equality (If I had to put it into one sentence). The history behind their current struggles is quite fascinating, and I think you'd appreciate a short lesson..... In contrast to the Christian story of creation, the woman was created first in the Mapuche culture, and the man second. The relationship between men and women, however, was never meant to be a domination of one over the other. It is characterized by equilibrium and cooperation. In fact, the concept of "gender" didn't really exist in the original culture. At the end of the 19th century, with the pacification by the Chilean State and the arrival of the Europeans, the situation begins to change. Fast forward about 120 years of wars, domination, and globalization, and you will find that the "equilibrium" between men and women is far from what it used to be, and the majority of the current Mapuche people (approximately 600,000 in Chile) live in poverty and face unimaginable barriers to education and decent work, not to mention the preservation of their culture.

So, to be Mapuche in Chile today is difficult to say the least. To be Mapuche and a woman.....it just doesn't get much worse because they not only encounter discrimination for being and looking Mapuche, but they also encounter the obstacle of being a woman in a "machista" society (sound familiar?). And that's where my research truly begins, trying my best to understand their situation, interviewing leaders of organizations who help these women, getting to know government programs, and reading a lot from an anthropological perspective. As I mentioned in my last post, it’s absolutely exhausting work doing everything in my second, far-from-perfect language. But you know what? I have really enjoyed it, and I say to myself, “Hey, if I can do this kind of work in Spanish, maybe I should consider doing a senior thesis after all.” Big projects with lots of writing always intimidated me, and I think I just assumed it was above my academic level, but I’ve learned a lot about my capabilities during this semester and realized that if it’s a topic that really interests me, it can be—dare I say it—fun.

Well, enough about research and personal reflexion; let’s talk about my social life! Or at least see some pictures to capture the highlights.

Jenna Nackel and I traveled 3 hours south last weekend to Valdivia.

Fresh mariscos (seafood) in the Valdivia market.


I went salsa dancing with my host brother and sister! (notice the height difference)

Remember the vegetarian conversation from my last post? (if not......reference my last post) Well, just to illustrate the fact that I wasn't over exaggerating, here's a picture of a menu from a different restaurant. If you look closely, you'll notice that the vegetarian plate ("vegetariano de la casa") includes "jamón." Translation: ham. There you go.

This weekend Jenna and I are heading back to the campo to visit our rural Mapuche families because we just can't get enough. Then it's a full week of writing! I'll let you know how it goes.

¡Besitos!