Reflecting on Experience

After having spent almost two months in Quito, I am finally feeling comfortable here. I feel comfortable navigating the confusing bus systems, ordering from local restaurants and grocers, and riding in taxis. I am becoming familiar with the customs, the foods, and the cultural differences. No matter how long I spend here however, I will never be an ecuadorian. I will never completely lose my accent when speaking Spanish and I will never look like a native. The “white privilege” that Peggy McIntosh attempts to “unpack” in her article has a completely different meaning in Ecuador. Whites are the minority here. As my friends and I walk to school in the morning, we joke about feeling like zoo animals from all the stares we attract. The majority of native ecuadorians are mestizos, which is a mix between european and indigenous. Being light-skinned and light-haired is extremely uncommon. Being from the United States often draws unwanted attention, especially from ecuadorian men.

However, despite whites being the minority, a racial hierarchy continues to persist in Ecuador, originating from colonial times. In general, the lighter your skin, the more likely you are to be wealthy. The least well-off economically are the indigenous and afro-ecuadorian communities. Ecuador--which is similar to the US in this aspect--maintains the “myth of meritocracy” that McIntosh mentions. In the country’s most recent Constitution of 2008, the government stresses equality of opportunity and respect for all nationalities and ethnicities. Reality, however, does not correspond with these ideals.

On a more personal note, my experience studying abroad is a privilege in itself. It is an opportunity for an intercultural experience that will not only strengthen my resume but also increase my personal knowledge of cultural diversity. In the United States, most Americans have the privilege to not know another language and to expect other cultures to conform to their own. An American in another country like Ecuador, experiences this privilege but not to the same extent. Many Ecuadorians do speak English. In high school, English is a required subject and entrance into most universities requires proficiency in English. In most tourist destinations and big cities, travellers from the US can probably get by without Spanish knowledge. However, in less travelled areas, English is uncommon. Although McIntosh claims that not needing to know another language other than English makes life easier, I view knowing another language as a privilege that people in the US do not take advantage of.

My program here in Ecuador is development-focused and my specialization is education. I visited a number of schools throughout Ecuador and I have witnessed immense inequalities between the privileged and the disadvantaged. I am interning at a school in Cotacachi. This school is a perfect example of the disadvantages that the centralized public schooling system (run by the national government) perpetuate for minorities--in this case, students from indigenous families. The classes are all taught in Spanish; however, the first language of the majority of students from indigenous backgrounds is Kichwa. Therefore, before they even begin schooling, they are already at a disadvantage because they do not know the dominant language. The school does nothing to accommodate for these learning differences.

Hidden or ignored privileges exist everywhere, not only for white Americans. In each country and each community there is a hierarchy of privilege, whether visible or not. On a global level however, the United States holds the highest position on the ladder. This is evident when we refer to ourselves as Americans. We ignore the 34 other countries on the continents of North and South America who have just as much of a right to call themselves Americans as well.