Social Strata

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by 

demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, 

worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that 

if we try and understand each other,

we may even become friends.” – Maya Angelou

So, today our housekeeper Rosalita called me to lunch, “Señorita!” as she always does. I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. While I was watching her prepare the plates of food I was thinking. I was pondering the Ecuadorian culture’s social stratification. At first, having a housekeeper just seemed strange and foreign. As with many other things in Cuenca, I did adjust to it. It was only now that I was really sitting and thinking about it, that I realized the vast majority of housekeepers are indigenous women. It seems demeaning, not because the housekeeper position is demeaning, but because indigenous women in Ecuador are still at a disadvantage. The situation sort of parallels the United States after slavery was abolished. The slaves were free, but many were kept on as housekeepers or field workers. They were considered second-class citizens. In Ecuador, the indigenous were not enslaved, but they are still considered second-class citizens. It had just dawned on me that this was the case. All of this time I have been adjusting and becoming acclimated to life in Ecuador, never giving real thought to the position of the indigenous. When we first arrived, it was almost a novelty to see the indigenous dressed traditionally. We were tourists, fascinated by new things. Later, we became accustomed to having a housekeeper do the laundry, clean, and cook. I wonder how many of the students gave thought to the position the indigenous were stuck in. It doesn’t help that many of the indigenous cannot read or write. I’m unsure of how many have the opportunity to obtain an education. I know there are social development programs addressing these issues, but the mindset of the mestizo culture has not changed. I love Rosalita to death. She is an absolute sweetheart. It was very awkward at first, to allow her to do things I am accustomed to doing, but she wanted to do them. She was compelled to take the dirty dishes out of my hand. It seems as if the caste-like social system is formed from both sides, from the mestizo and from the indigenous. The indigenous are so used to things being this way that they reinforce the divide. It isn’t a very rigid structure, but it definitely appears to be here.