You are on page 1of 7

Peru's National Independence Festival 2020 marks 199th, anniversary that precedes the Bicentennial 2021

The National Festival of Independence of Peru 2020 mark


the 199th, anniversary that precedes the Bicentennial
2021

Jorge Yeshayahu Gonzales-Lara

The National Festival of Independence of Peru 2020 mark the 199thanniversary, a date that
precedes the long-awaited celebration of the bicentenary already enlisted by citizens throughout
the national territory and in the Peruvian diasporas in the world for the year 2021.

COVID-19 and the pandemic have changed the style of communities abroad to celebrate their
parties and events that perceive their identities in the diasporas. The Peruvian Diaspora is no
stranger to this, and the new social space in a digitized cyber world is on social networks, through
various platforms Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Telegram, Zoom as a communication
video; Peruvians communicate the world to celebrate the 199th anniversary homeland of Peru's
Independence and thus prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This shows
that Peruanity has no borders and over the classical concept of the Nation State. Peruanity is
present in Peruvian diasporas in the world in the era of globalization

1|Page
Peru's National Independence Festival 2020 marks 199th, anniversary that precedes the Bicentennial 2021

Peruvians have to do with our history of life and are influenced by the concept of world we manage,
by the concept of world that prevails in the time and place in which we live. Peruvian identity is
linked to the tradition of the indigenous people of the ancient Andean world, of the Amazonian
communities, the African tradition, the Chinese-Cantonese tradition, since the Spanish and
Western tradition are inseparable parts of Peruvians.

As for the celebration of the 199th anniversary of Peru's independence, Peruvians residing abroad
settled in the United States and several countries of the world where Peruvians have chosen a place
of residence and are preparing to celebrate with various cultural, religious and artistic activities on
the 199th anniversary of the proclaimed National Independence of Peru.

The celebration of Peruvians abroad reaffirms Peru and is evoked in various cultural
manifestations, being Peruvian in the diaspora acquires a dimension of transmigration that
reaffirms Peruvian identity. Identity is a necessity of every individual. it has to do with our life
story and is influenced by the concept of world we manage, by the concept of world that prevails
in time and where we live. Peruvian identity is linked to the tradition of the indigenous people of
the ancient Andean world, the Amazonian communities, the African tradition, the Chinese-
Cantonese tradition, since the Spanish and Western tradition are inseparable parts of Peru and
Peru.

The issue of identity and Peruvian has been extremely conflicted in the social history of Peru.
Certainly since the "independence" of Peru one of the constant characteristics of Peruvian political
thinking and projects was the denial of the past and the traditions of Peru as a multi-ethnic and
multicultural nation to establish new models of society. To argue that the incario sums up the
history of ancient Peru. It is to reduce centuries of rich pre-Incan cultures and societies, (basic
foundations of our national identity) to its last period, it is an arbitrary idealization, which in the
form of the incario's own heritage as a great advanced society and is to ignore that there are other

2|Page
Peru's National Independence Festival 2020 marks 199th, anniversary that precedes the Bicentennial 2021

peoples, such as the Amazonian communities that are not recognized as their heirs and that have
other genesis, is to think with an imperial mind or try to intubate history , to doctrine.

The Peruvian in the diaspora and the celebration of the Patriot Anniversary.

However, in the context of international migration and globalization, these regional identifications,
races, ethnicities, and identities are symbolic spaces that can be modeled on their dimensions and
borders. The tradition of the indigenous people of the ancient Andean world as a Spanish and
Western tradition are inseparable parts of The Peruvian. In this context, the expectations of the
Peruvian immigrant in the host society are at stake, United States, Germany, Algeria, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada,
Chile, China, Cyprus, Colombia, Korea, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Slovakia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel,
Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand , Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Puerto Rico, United
Kingdom, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore,
South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela, moving people from the same
meaning to the new social context.

Peruvian concept

In the reconstruction of the concept "Peruvian” and "national identity" in the diaspora it is
presented as a network of possible and "virtual" identities. The "Peruvian identity" loses its
centrality and moves. Then we find the categories of national ethnic identity related to the
components: "Afroperuano" "Indian". "Andean", "Amazon" "mestizo" and the breed "copper" is
diluted. Both the "Andean" component and the "Afro-Peruvian" component transcend Peruvian
national borders, symbolically extending to a process of transculturation and redefining the
Peruvian concept. Peruanity in the diaspora revalues the traditional "Andino" "Afroperuana" with
Spanish and Western tradition as an indispensable part of Peruvian and Peruvian identity. In turn,
the various genres of music produce multiple effects and feed back the identidadae constructions
of the Peruvian diaspora. These expressions are reflected in the diversity of ethnic-cultural

3|Page
Peru's National Independence Festival 2020 marks 199th, anniversary that precedes the Bicentennial 2021

associations, sports organizations, cultural organizations, folk groups,RomanianAfropemusic,


religious organizations, departmental-regional associations, solidarity associations and assistance
create fluid and multiple identities, deeply supported by both the society of origin and destiny.

The migration flows of the Peruvian community are characterized by the configuration of social
networks, as well as by activities and patterns that link the home society with the recipient.
Transnationalism is one of these frameworks, heirs to globalization, which allows us to explain
the characteristics of the redefinition of the concept of Peruvian in the environment of the
globalization of culture: to be Peruvian in the diaspora, which is not the same as being Peruvian in
Peru.

Being Peruvian in the diaspora

The Peruvian being in the diaspora takes on a transmigreational dimension. The spirit of the
Peruvian man, shaped by art and religiosity, has given rise to great creativity manifested in
countless forms, rhythms and rituals. More than 3,000 popular festivals, 1,500 musical genres and
countless craft trades confirm Peru as one of the most varied countries of folklore in the world.
With these expressions, Peruvians feed on deep roots to project an immemorial alliance with nature
and expand through rhythms and colors their commitment to life. Today, they mix the sounds of
wind and percussion instruments that come from preinca times with other more recent creations,
and more traditional dances, such as sailor and huayno, with more modern rhythms, such as Creole
waltz and chicha lately. This musical fusion capability is the strongest realization of a culture that
does not admit exclusionary purisms, which is forging a collective identity based on a
multiculturalism full of differences of the Peruvian diaspora.

The Peruvian diaspora redefines the concepts of Peruanity and identity and restores the cultural
tradition in the diaspora with an element of nostalgia for collective identity, incorporating the
Andean, Afro-Peruvian, religious traditions of the colony, Peruvian gastronomy as a symbol of the
collective Peruvian. The "half man" has become a cultural label. Peruvian food is home to at least
5,000 years of pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and republican history. And almost three centuries of

4|Page
Peru's National Independence Festival 2020 marks 199th, anniversary that precedes the Bicentennial 2021

Spanish culinary contribution are considered; Initially influenced by 762 years of Muslim presence
in the Iberian Peninsula, the gastronomic customs brought by the slaves of the African Atlantic
coast and the strong influence of the culinary customs and customs of French chefs. Equally
transcendental is the influence of the Chinese-Cantonese, Japanese, Italians since the 19th century
and other Europeans. The result is an exceptional diversity marked by the confrontation and
encounter of multiple cultural traditions.

Therefore, there is in this concept of Peruvian, on the one hand, an individual-group-society


crossover, and personal history with social history, on the other. Individuals, groups and cultures
have conflicts of identity. There is a personal identity and several collective identities. There is not
a single "we", but several, not exclusive, but overlap in the uniqueness of the person. Identity
distinguishes our collective from others, just as individual identity distinguishes our individuality
today from Peruvians in the diaspora. Collective identity is common and different depending on
context. Peruvians residing abroad are exposed to a conglomerate of the most diverse cultures and
the interrelationship with each other in the various official social, professional, labor and cultural
activities of the country that have chosen the residence. The immigrant interrelates with other
cultural ones that the various immigrants bring with them as an intrinsic value of national
identities. The daily interrelationships in the various roles and functions of society, the
construction of imaginary bridges with other cultures is the point of intercultural confluence where
immigrants incorporate the culture identitaria that they bring with them incorporating other values
or supporting identity. Sociocultural elements in different aspects of the social mobility of the
individual- as a citizen and immigrant of the diaspora in his new place of residence, consolidate
this process of cultural feedback and develop in various social and intra-family fields.

We Peruvians

In the diaspora the "Peruvian Somos" acts as a contextual mobile of solidarity and there are many
collective identities, and some include others, but the Peruvians are talking about us. The feeling
of peruanity in the diaspora is the product of imaginary reconstruction with deep emotional
content, the primary role of structural determinations, their perception of them and the attribution

5|Page
Peru's National Independence Festival 2020 marks 199th, anniversary that precedes the Bicentennial 2021

of our identity as individuals by others play a predominant role. There is not a single "we", but
several, not exclusive, but overlap in the uniqueness of the person.

The representation of the Peruvian is articulated to the contradictions between the country of entry
with the country of origin. This is clearly seen in stereotypes: being "Indian", being "cholo", being
"white," being "black", being "mixed," are typical stereotypes of Peruvian society that are diluted;
and the half-breed becomes a cultural label. Peruanity is the imaginary, symbolic identity and
presents itself as a network of possible and virtual identities, transcends national borders by
symbolically extending to a process of transculturation, Peruanity redefines its social dynamics
and is marked by collective history and subject to permanent changes. Peruanity does not have this
strong sense of the "choleo" used in Peru, Peruvians have other ties that bind them in a conminatory
way due to the need to incorporate them, in this way they develop other connotations, musical
preferences and especially fashion, where, for example, "choleo" marks a rhythm that can hardly
impact with the peyorative and devalued sense used in Peru. "Darkness," not "darkness," changes
its connotations to become a factor of agglutination in the preferences of black-majority countries.

Peruvian being in the diaspora acquires symbolic and nostalgic dimensions in a process of
transculturation. The Peruvian diaspora redefines the concept of Peru and identity and joins the
cultural tradition with an element of nostalgia for collective identity, incorporating Andean, Afro-
Peruvian, religious traditions of the colony, African tradition, Chinese-Cantonese tradition, such
as Spanish, Western tradition and Peruvian gastronomy as a symbol of the collective Peruvian.
The revaluation of cultural traditions feeds back the construction of Peruvian as the identity of the
diaspora. The half-breed really becomes a cultural label and peruvianity as collective identity is
revalued and becomes us. There are its own traits in the culture that the migrant develops within
the diaspora space, which, although hybrid does not add up to factors from both geographical
locations but means the creative process of new cultural manifestations.

Homogenization factor

6|Page
Peru's National Independence Festival 2020 marks 199th, anniversary that precedes the Bicentennial 2021

Another factor of homogenization, but nevertheless unique for migrants given only in space, is the
sending of remittances to family members. It is such a particular phenomenon, according to the
regulations and the degrees of difficulty of dispatch in the host country, that it is understood only
by migrants in its entirety. Relatives in Peru rarely understand how difficult shipping can be, but
they mean an impressive amount of money in the economies of some countries, such as in Central
America. The economic recession in the United States has represented the loss of numerous jobs,
thus declining remittances. The mutual feeding at both ends of this event is obvious.

The identity of our collective

Identity distinguishes our collective from others, just as individual identity distinguishes our
individuality today from Peruvians in the diaspora. Collective identity is common and different
depending on context. In the diaspora it is the "we Peruvians", and acts as a contextual mobile of
solidarity and there are many collective identities and some include others, but we talk about us
Peruvians.

Miami, Julio 22, 2020

7|Page

You might also like