Testimonial Literature

Source: france24

Feminist Indigenous Activism In The Stories of Rigoberta

Menchú and Elvia Alvarado

Jesús Loza, Yesenia Farfan

Advisor: Dr. Christine Fernández
Spring 2021
 Scheme
1. Key concepts
2. Research questions
3. Objectives
4. Previous studies
5. Historical Context: US Foreign policies
6. Historical Context
a. Honduras
b. Guatemala
7. Methodology
8. Analysis
9. Results
10. Conclusion
11. Acknowledgements
12. Bibliography
Source: dreamstime
 Key concepts
1. A testimony:
a. “Legal document in which a fact is attested or the content of
another document is totally or partially transcribed” (RAE).
b. The function of testimony is to denounce the injustices, violence
and abuses experienced by a community (Beverley 9).
2. The subaltern:
a. A non privileged person in society who narrates the events
experienced in order to denounce injustices suffered by his/her
community (Beverley 9).
3. Collective memory:
a. Collective memory refers to the shared pool of memories, Source: dreamstime
knowledge, and information of a social group that is significantly
associated with the group's identity (Beverley 11).
 Research questions
1. What is the purpose of exposing personal experiences of women in the texts

of I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian woman in Guatemala (1983) by Elizabeth

Burgos and Don't be afraid gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks From the

Heart by Medea Benjamín?

2. How does the indigenous feminist thinking of Rigoberta Menchú and Elvia

Alvarado influence the society that surrounds them?

Source: emonjiterra
 Objectives

1. Highlight the importance of indigenous women.

2. Expose the socioeconomic and cultural differences of the Quiché

Mayan people.

3. To expose the actions of corrupt governments and the victims’

experiences objectively.

4. To emphasize injustices so that in this way, the victims’ memory

is respected, and to prevent new injustices Source: dreamstime

 Previous studies
1. Testimonial Literature (Testimony): It is a narrative usually the
size of a novel or short novel told in the first person by a narrator
who is also the witness of his/her own story. The narrative is usually
a "life" or a particularly significant experience (work situation,
political activism, imprisonment, etc.) (Beverley 9).
2. This literary genre became official as a new literary genre after the
publication of Rigoberta Menchú's testimony.
3. Developed in social contexts where the social order collapses due to
its injustices.
4. The representation of the "subaltern" or non-privileged people
person.
5. Follows political purposes precisely. Source: Vecteezy
 Historical context: US foreing policies
1. The United States and Latin America

2. US territorial expansion

3. Monroe Doctrine

4. Dollar Diplomacy

5. International Monetary Fund or the World Bank

6. Organization of American States (OAS)

Source: usembassy
 Historical context: The fight against
Communism
1. Cold War (1950s 1960s)

2. Defensive strategy of the United States

3. The “Cuban virus” (1962)

4. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

5. Military training for selected Latin American officers

Source: blogspot
 Historical context of Honduras
1. Honduras did not experience a civil war.

2. Military base Palmerola.

3. Foreign Companies - The United Fruit

Company (UFC) & Standard Fruit Company

(SFC)

4. The United States pressed the Honduran Source: canstockphoto

government to carry out democratic elections.

 Historical context of Guatemala
1. Corruption among members of the Guatemalan
government.
2. Manuel Estrada Cabrera
3. Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán
4. Carlos Castillo Armas
5. Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity
(URNG)(1982)

Source: depositphotos
 Methodology
● I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian woman in ● Don't be afraid gringo: A Honduran woman speaks
Guatemala (1983) by Elizabeth Burgos from the heart (1987) by Medea Benjamin.

Source: amazon Source: amazon

 Elizabeth Burgos
● Born in 1941 in Valencia, Venezuela

● Historian, writer and anthropologist.

● Contributed to the popular revolutions throughout the

20th century.

● Published works: Memories of a Cuban soldier (1996)

and I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian woman in

Guatemala (1983) .

● Casa de las Américas prize (1983).

Source: webarticulista
 Medea Benjamin
● Susie Benjamin
● Born in Freeport, New York in 1952
● The United Nations Organization (UN)
● World Health Organization (WHO)
● Published works: La Guerra de los drones: Matar por control
remoto (2015), How to Stop the Next War Now: Effective
Responses to Violence and Terrorism (2005), and Don't be afraid
gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks From the Heart (1987).
● Marjorie Kellogg National Pacifier Award (2012)

Source: codepink
 Analysis: I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian
woman in Guatemala (1983)
1. Family, language and customs
a. If any member of their community decides to adopt new modern customs,
this would cause a scandal for them and their ancestors (Burgos 29).
(Translation by Yesenia Farfan)
2. Working conditions
a. “If you take a break, the supervisor would immediately start to insult
you. He would demand us to get back to work because that's why we
get paid. They would punish us if we didn’t worked fast” (Burgos 44).
(Translation by Yesenia Farfan)
3. Lack of representation and discrimination:
a. Due to the lack of money and the lack of representation along with the
language barrier, it was not possible to obtain legal support to defend
her father (Burgos 128). (Translation by Yesenia Farfan) Source: amazon
 Analysis: Don’t be afraid gringo: A honduran
woman speaks from the heart (1987).
1. The real Honduras (poverty):
a. “The woman left her house at 4:00 a.m. and carried her sick child for miles
and miles. By the time she got to the clinic they told her the appointments for
the day were taken, and she should come back tomorrow! That’s the type of
treatment the campesinos get. No wonder so many of our children die”
(Benjamin 23).
2. Government corruption:
a. Alvarado states that in her attempt to defend the peasants, she attended court,
and during the process, the judge threatened to imprison her for inciting
the peasants (Benjamin 79-80). (Translation by Jesus Loza)
Source: amazon
 Results: Rigoberta Menchú’s testimony
1. Woman activist:
a. “I tried to get close to many people to remove my doubts, to ask
what the world was like on the other side” (Burgos 143).
(Translation by Yesenia Farfan)
2. Government corruption:
a. “All of us had to go and scratch a paper and he gave a paper to
my dad, my mom, indicating where to scratch the paper”
(Burgos 47). (Translation by Yesenia Farfan)
3. Linguistic discrimination:
a. “Because the governor is a ladino. The governor does not Source: nobelwomensinitiative
understand the language of the people” (Burgos 129).
(Translation by Yesenia Farfan)
 Results: Elvia Alvarado’s testimony
1. Poverty:
a. Alvarado affirms that when visiting neighborhoods of the American
community in Honduras, she felt like in a foreign country because
there were no people like her and the houses they lived in were huge
compared to the ones they lived in (Benjamin 25-26). (Translation by
Jesús Loza)
2. Government corruption:
a. Alvarado mentions that based on the popularity and support she was
receiving from her community, the government tried to bribe her with
a job where she would receive a salary of $300 a month (Benjamin
98). (Translation by Jesús Loza)
Source: brownpapertickets
 Conclusion
1. Both are historical documents.
2. It is a contribution to the collective memory.
3. To create awareness.

Limitations:

1. Two testimonies (women's perspective)

2. Other works: Men of maize (1949), The Sword in the Stone
(1948), Green Prison (1950) and Blanca Olmedo (1908).

Source: dreamstime
 Future research:
1. The role of religion in the educational
formation of women.
2. The vision of gender roles and its effects
3. Ethnic-racial studies in Central America.
4. The use of other testimonies including the
experience of men.

Source: IraAcademy
Acknowledgements:
● Dr. Christine Fernández
● Spanish Capstone classmates (Spring 2021)
● Spanish department
● Faculty of School of World Languages and Cultures

Source: Mits
 Bibliography
Achugar, Hugo. "Historias Paralelas / Ejemplares: La historia y la voz del otro." La voz del otro: Testimonio, subalternidad y
verdad narrativa. By John Beverley and Hugo Achugar. Ciudad de Guatemala, República de Guatemala:
Universidad Rafael Landívar, 2002. PP. 61-83. Print.

Alvarado, Elvia., and Medea Benjamin. Don't Be Afraid, Gringo: A Honduran Woman Speaks From the Heart : The Story of
Elvia Alvarado. San Francisco, CA: Institute for Food and Development Policy, 1987. Print

Amaya-Amador, Ramón. Prision Verde. México, D.F: Editorial Latina, 1950. Print.

Asturias, Miguel Angel. Hombres de maíz . Editorial Universidad de Costa Rica, 1996.

Barreto Velázquez, Norberto. “Las buenas intenciones no bastan: La política exterior de Estados Unidos hacia América Latina
en el siglo XX.” Histórica (02528894), vol. 43, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 113–154. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.18800/historica.201901.004.
 Bibliography
Beverley, John. “Anatomía del testimonio.” Revista de crítica literaria latinoamericana, vol. 13, no. 25, 1987, pp. 7–16.
JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4530303. Accessed 25 Nov. 2020.

Borjas Alvarado, Reina Maria. "Conflicto político y lenguaje literario en tres casos representativos: Guatemala, El
Salvador y Honduras. Influencia y consecuencias de las políticas estadounidenses en Centroamérica." Order
No. 1562467 University of South Florida, 2014. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 24 Nov. 2020.
Franco, Jean. "Si me permiten hablar: La lucha por el poder interpretativo." La voz del otro: Testimonio, subalternidad y
verdad narrativa. By John Beverley and Hugo Achugar. Ciudad de Guatemala, República de Guatemala:
Universidad Rafael Landívar, 2002. PP. 121- 127 . Print.
Gómez, Ramírez, S. V. «Implicaciones de los acuerdos de paz de 1996 de Guatemala en la balanza comercial, 1996-2006».
Revista de relaciones internacionales, estrategia y seguridad, Vol. 7, n.º 2, julio de 2012, pp. 171-90,
doi:10.18359/ries.87.
 Bibliography
Lecturalia.com. "Elizabeth Burgos: Libros Y Biografía Autora." Lecturalia. Web. 11 Mar. 2021. "LinkFang."
Elizabeth Burgos - Es.LinkFang.org. Web. 11 Mar. 2021.

Loaeza, Soledad. “Estados Unidos y la contención del comunismo en América Latina y en México.” Foro
Internacional, vol. 53, no. 1(211), 2013, pp. 5–56. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23608358. Accessed
25 Nov. 2020.
Menchú, y Burgos-Debray, Elizabeth. Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la conciencia. 18th ed. México,
D.F.: Siglo veintiuno editores, 2000. Print. Historia inmediata.

Medea Benjamin. Es.googl. Es.googl-info.com, 16 May 2020. Web. 11 Mar. 2021. "Benjamin, Medea." Editorial
Anagrama. Web. 11 Mar. 2021.

Medina, L. G. (A2008). Blanca Olmedo. Tegucigalpa, Honduras: Editorial Guaymuras. Print

 Bibliography
Molden, Berthold. “La guerra civil guatemalteca: Historias y memorias cruzadas en el entorno global de la guerra
fría.” Anuario de estudios centroamericanos, vol. 41, 2015, pp. 67–91. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/44735168. Accessed 25 Nov. 2020.

Moema Viezzer, (ed.), Si me permiten hablar, testimonio de Domitila, una mujer de las minas de Bolivia.

México: Siglo XXI, 1977.

Toledo, M. M. (1948). Entre la piedra y la cruz: Novela. Guatemala: El Libro de Guatemala. Print

Yúdice, George. "Testimonio y concientización." La voz del otro: Testimonio, subalternidad y verdad narrativa. By
John Beverley and Hugo Achugar. Ciudad de Guatemala, República de Guatemala: Universidad Rafael
Landívar, 2002. PP. 221- 242. Print.