Cultural Differences
My last few days in Peru consisted of exploration through the valleys and mountains surrounding Cuzco, culminating in a visit to the infamous Machu Piccu on Thursday and a hike up Rainbow Mountain on Friday, which is 7000 meters above sea level. Our trips into remote areas are contrasted by hours spent in the center of Cuzco for lunches, dinners, and resupplying for the next day. Speaking with Peruvian locals and witnessing festivals and other events made me realize the pride Peruvians take in their country, even in poverty. In my second week in Lima, I discovered a light and water show with symbols of Peruvian history and independence, put on regularly for the public to enjoy freely. Nearly every taxi driver, student, and waiter I have spoken to tells me about the signature dishes of Peru, lomo saltado and ceviche, which I have made sure to try. National festivals are held for weeks instead of just one day like in the US, and here in Cuzco dances have been held every night in the city’s main square, the Plaza de Armas. Children of all ages know the traditional dances and wear the traditional garments to partake in the celebrations. These traditions and displays of national pride are strongly upheld from generation to generation, and these contain values and attitudes central to Peruvian civic life.
The culture surrounding law and order is different from the US, too. I feel that people here are generally more friendly to each other and more willing to help tourists and each other than in the US. I keep a respectful distance from people trying to get me into their restaurants and shops, and use my best Spanish to its fullest extent when exploring and asking questions. Most people I speak to treat me equitably and respectfully, but when people try to sell me souvenirs and other items, especially when they can tell I am a tourist, I don’t always get a good price. From locals I have spoken with, police and law enforcement is viewed as incredibly corrupt here, almost as if the authorities are a paramilitary organization and can never be trusted to do the right thing. After years of coercion, bribery, and other pressure from political parties and terrorist groups, the police are in a delicate state in the towns I have visited. Like everyone else here, I feel that I am more free to do what I want here than in the US, but I am still more careful not to disturb the peace. I would not know how to get out of an encounter with Peruvian police because I am not as familiar with my rights here as in the United States. Dogs roam the streets in rural towns and city centers alike, without leashes or owners. I have never seen a dog run up and bother someone, and they all know how to cross the street without getting hit by a car. The traffic is also chaotic here, much more so than in the US. Cars ignore right of way, lights, and stop signs, somehow using a system of honks in place of signal lights to pass each other and cross intersections. The drivers here are careful not to cross the police as well, because who knows what could happen if someone gets stopped.
History and culture is respected and well preserved. Just like the Incan temples and fortresses that were built over in colonial times, Peruvian culture has been influenced by Spanish occupation, but the foundations are still intact and prominent. Locals are quick to correct you when you speak “Spanish” or “Español”, the correct word for the dialect is “Castellano” here. Many location names retain Andean and Incan flavor, such as Lunahuana or Pachacamac, and a lot of streets, parks, and other areas are named after liberators and heroes of the Peruvian independence movement such as Simon Bolivar and Jose San Martin.
My time in Peru has given me an in depth understanding of what it means to be Peruvian. Peruvians have a conflicted cultural identity; the time under Spanish rule was wealthy for the country as a whole, but socially unequal and unsustainable. Interestingly, because so much development occurred in Lima, and the rest of the country remained unindustrialized and poor, the city of Lima faces wave after wave of migrants from the rest of the country. It is a multi-faceted problem: Lima relies on the outer regions of Peru for food, water, electric energy, revenues from minerals, oil, and gas; so Peru’s success relies on its workers in those outlying regions. Keeping people working in those areas is absolutely critical to the maintenance of Lima.
Lima’s economic, population, and demographic growth reinforces its political dominance and legitimizes its claim to the lion’s share of national resources. It will be interesting to see how Peruvians solve this crisis with a slowing economy and an uncertain economic future. The bright side is that the country’s diverse races and factions are realizing that their best chance of success is as a unified country, and as migrants continue to flow into the capital, Peru is rapidly becoming an increasingly socially equal country. As the different factions of free Peru come together, the country struggles to find a national advantage over other rivals that would surge Peru to the forefront of Latin American countries, as Argentina and Brazil have done recently. As long as Peruvians can keep corruption and the other previously mentioned problems to a minimum, Peru is supported by a strong historical background and in for a bright future ahead.
