The Miguel Angel Asturias Academy is a non-profit school in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala that breaks cycles of poverty, racism and sexism through popular education. These are stories from the ground. Although a school in Guatemala isn't directly related to US politics, our stories touch on themes of immigration, education and economic justice.
Yesterday I introduced Jorge Chojolan in the context of his time spent in exile and how he returned to his country to transform the educational system for social justice. Today I want to focus on a key transformative event from his childhood that forever tied him to education for social change.
Jorge Chojolan grew up a poor Maya K'iche boy in Guatemala. Because he was indigenous he experienced racism on a daily basis. For instance, when he played marbles with non-indigenous students he would need to put in two marbles while other students would only put in one.
Racism also manifested itself in an attack on his traditions: his parents didn't teach him K'iche because they didn't want him to speak Spanish with an accent. So, in order to "fit in" with wider society, Jorge was robbed of learning K'iche.
Poverty played a big part in his childhood. When he was in middle school he was told that he needed to buy another notebook for one of his classes. If he couldn't provide a notebook he would fail the class and be kicked out of school.
Not having any money for the notebook, he asked his mother for some change to buy a notebook. (NOTE: A notebook here costs $0.12 USD). She didn't have any money either. Jorge waited for his father to come home so that he could get notebook money.
Jorge's father came home drunk. When Jorge asked him for money, Jorge's father took his anger out on Jorge. He broke a chair over Jorge's back and told him to get out of the house.
Crying, Jorge sat on the sidewalk. For lack of twelve cents he would be forced out of middle school and would need to start earning a living.
A man approached Jorge, and asked why he was crying. Jorge told his story. The man walked with Jorge to a paper supplies store and bought him a notebook.
Realizing what that this notebook represented his life, Jorge was overfilled with emotions. He tried to get the man's address to thank him, to pay him back for keeping him in school with his gift of twelve cents. The man, whoever he is, refused payment or congratulations. Instead he told Jorge to try and give a notebook to somebody else in need.
"And that," says Jorge, "is what I have tried to do--use my school to provide 'notebooks' to other boys and girls who are in situations like the one I found myself in."
The Asturias Academy invites you to join in on the conversation with any suggestions/questions/critiques that you may have. By building the network of support and supporters we hope to see the day where all Guatemalan children will have their own "notebook."
NEXT TIME: We'll look at where Jorge and the Academy are today and their vision for the future.