The Opposite of Diversity
Recently, our group went into Antigua for a weekend long getaway. During our time there, between eating all of the delicious foods and taking in the beautiful sights, I did some people watching. It was incredible to see so many people of all different backrounds and races. It is rare to spot a white person in Tecpán and even more unlikely to see a black or asain person, and without realizing it I had become so used to this homogeny that being in a city with so many people that looked like me just felt... abnormal.
This past week, after we came back to Tecpán, I've started thinking more about the implications of this. Since living here, I haven't seen or heard of practically any conflicts between citizens of the city. That being said, during the night there is a group of vigilantes that patrols the streets and makes sure all is as it should be. But aside from that, Tecpán, being made up of over 90% indigenous Maya people, seems almost completely harmonious.
It made me ask myself the question, is it easier to maintain a society in which people more closely resemble each other in all walks of life? As someone who is so invested in diversity and social justice, it was hard to even contemplate. I don't think I would ever be able to argue that it is better to live without diversity, but even just stopping and contemplating this possibility made me pause and think about how much I take diversity for granted (even in terms of the foods I eat).
A question that I will continue to ruminate on this week, and hopefully throughout this entire journey is the role that exposure to all kinds of diversity, or lack thereof, plays in shaping ones perspective.
This past week, after we came back to Tecpán, I've started thinking more about the implications of this. Since living here, I haven't seen or heard of practically any conflicts between citizens of the city. That being said, during the night there is a group of vigilantes that patrols the streets and makes sure all is as it should be. But aside from that, Tecpán, being made up of over 90% indigenous Maya people, seems almost completely harmonious.
It made me ask myself the question, is it easier to maintain a society in which people more closely resemble each other in all walks of life? As someone who is so invested in diversity and social justice, it was hard to even contemplate. I don't think I would ever be able to argue that it is better to live without diversity, but even just stopping and contemplating this possibility made me pause and think about how much I take diversity for granted (even in terms of the foods I eat).
A question that I will continue to ruminate on this week, and hopefully throughout this entire journey is the role that exposure to all kinds of diversity, or lack thereof, plays in shaping ones perspective.
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