We're Not Racist in Panama, But...

"If you want to have a conversation about politics, talk to the taxi drivers of the world." 

                                        - Michelle Jackson (fellow Fulbright Researcher)

How true I have found this quote to be: taxi drivers, much like hairstylists, love to talk. And who can blame them? Especially when these poor folks have to spend so many hours in gridlocked traffic. But perhaps because the chances of seeing the same customer more than once is lower than with hair stylists, taxi drivers seem to have even less of a filter. The rules about never mentioning religion or politics fly right out the window that you had to manually lower with a makeshift handle made out of pliers.

Sometimes I am content to sit in silence, and taxi drivers here in Panama seem willing enough to replace conversation with talk radio. But I must say that I have enjoyed most every time that I have ventured to start a conversation with a taxi driver. The times that I have not enjoyed, have still been informative. For instance, the time I tried to haggle with a taxi driver. He lectured me for the next 20 minutes (the entirety of the ride) on his personal method of calculating exactly what the fare should be while displaying his clearly hurt feelings that I would insinuate he was trying to overcharge me for being a tourist. I apologized and calmly remarked that I understood, but that I had paid 1/5 less of his price to go the exact same distance with another cab driver. To this, he interestingly enough had less to say.

One of my favorite conversations happened the first week I was in Panama. While I will not pretend that cab drivers are the unofficial spokespersons of their country, nor can a sample size of one provide any statistical proof of a cultural mindset, I do find that the candid nature of many cab conversations can provide an enlightening starting point from which other interactions might be illuminated.

(The following conversation happened 2 weeks ago in Spanish so I will paraphrase):
Taxi driver: "Where are you from?"
Me: "The U.S., from the state of Kentucky"
T: "Ah with the fried chicken! Where is that?"
M: "It is in the southern part of the U.S."
T: "Ah yes, there is a lot of racism there"
M: "Yes...is that a problem here in Panama"
T: "No, not here. Everyone is such a mixture, there is no difference, except those blacks in Colon, but it is their fault they are so bad off, because they are lazy and don't want to work, only party.

About a year ago, in one of my classes on race at Beloit College, we read, "I'm Not a Racist, But..." This book was meant to reveal the problems with that statement, namely that it is always followed by a racist statement. (An interesting read, but ironically enough, I found the book to be actually pretty racist).

I asked the taxi driver if racism was a problem, not because I naively thought that maybe Panama had escaped years of colonialism and slavery followed by U.S. occupation unscathed, but because I have already witnessed and heard of the issues of race in Panama, and I wanted to see how he responded. Panama, like many countries, especially in the Americas, is a color-conscious society. Put simply, the lighter the skin and the more European the phenotypes the more well-off the person is. Of COURSE  there are exceptions to this, but it is no secret that indigenous persons and those of African descent are disproportionately represented in the lowest rungs of Panamanian society.

I chose to punctuate the run-on sentence of his the way I did because it truly seemed that in the same sentence, this taxi driver both denied the existence of racism and discrimination in his country, and made a racist assertion.

It is interesting to me, how quick I have heard people of other countries be to condemn the U.S. for its issues of race, while assuming perfect ignorance of any forms of discrimination within their own country. France frowns on any acknowledgement of separate races within its borders, while its banlieues rip at the seams with racialized tension. Ghana chastises us for our history of slavery while largely ignoring the internal tension between north and south rooted in the roles of slave capturer/trader and slave, respectively. Norway tries to rise above it all without acknowledging how homogenous their population has historically been, or the current tensions arising as the immigrant population rises. I am not saying that the U.S. is better than any of these countries. We have a horrific history of discrimination and racism and it is nowhere close to becoming a thing of the past. But these experiences I have with people from around the world have made me thankful of one thing at least the South of the U.S. has: acknowledgement that discrimination still exists. It's not pretty, and it doesn't mean we are better people, but it seems to reiterate the main point behind my college thesis, which is the necessity for acknowledgement in order to have dialogue, which I believe is the step towards action and eventually, improvement.

El comienzo - The Beginning

After a week and a few days here in Panama city, I have dubbed myself ready to begin a little networking and research. While my Spanish is not up to where I want it to be, I figure it's good enough to start introductions. The long and short of it is that I get bored when I'm not working. Another concern of mine is the Panamanian wet season, which begins around May. During this time it's much harder to get around because of the torrential downpours. This should prove especially troublesome as much of my research is to take place on the remote *Guna Yala province (San Blas).

*This reminds me, very recently there was a study conducted on the "Kuna" language. The study concluded there there is no "K" sound in their alphabet, thus changing the name to "Guna."

"So what are you studying anyway?"
While many people are satisfied with the answer, "I am studying the Guna Indians with albinism," or even "I study very white people." I have happily had a number of people actually want to learn more. I usually hesitate to dive into a lengthy description for fear that the questioner will quickly regret their question. But if you are reading this, then I assume you want to know more.

One of my advisors in university told me to have 3 sets of answers prepared for just such a question. The first is for the people who are just asking to be polite (see paragraph above). The second is for people who want to know more, but don't want all the hairy details. The third response is an in-depth explanation of your work, for those who seem invested.

The Intrigued
I am studying the medical and social issues faced by persons with albinism amongst the Guna of Panama. In particular I am looking at how the condition is understood and accepted by the Guna community and by Panamanians in general. The study will be used to contrast the issues faced by persons with albinism in east Africa, in particular, Uganda, which is where I began my study.

The Invested
While in Uganda I learned about the issues faced by persons with albinism. Besides suffering from medical issues such as skin cancer and poor vision, persons with albinism are by and large ostracized from their families and communities in every stage of life. This issue is compounded by the fact that the social issues faced by persons with albinism can not be addressed by the government of Uganda due to the current definition of disability which its Constitution still retains. I wanted to study the Guna people because of their unique culture surrounding persons with albinism. Most reports suggest that Guna's who have albinism are accepted into society, and in some cases are even revered and respected because of their condition. The Guna might not have always understood the condition as a genetic mutation and a recessive trait that affects tyrosinase/the melanocytes of the body, but they understood that the condition is not something to be feared. Additionally, they understand that people who have albinism need to stay out of the sun, developing special allowances, such as men being able to work in-doors rather than fish. I am curious to see if there is anything translatable to the Ugandan and east African cultures that can help persons with albinism there find a niche within their own societies. Additionally, I will be looking into the efforts of organizations such as the Panama Rotary Club, who are attempting to address the issue of skin cancer among Guna who have albinism, to see how their methods compare to those of the organizations and doctors I worked with in Uganda.

Where to Begin?
As I mentioned in earlier blogs, I spent many months at home casting my net wide and seeing who would respond. I cannot stress enough the importance of networking. Something as simple as an introductory email has gained me access to some of the top experts in the field of albinism and Guna studies. Before my work in Uganda, I would never have taken the risk of calling an MIT professor from a telephone number I found on the Internet, but people are surprisingly more open to helping others out who share similar interests/

In Panama
Now begins the time where I finally get to meet these people face-to-face. Tomorrow I begin with a visit to the Rotary Club of Panama, who happens to be holding one of their regular meetings. I heard about them through their "IBEGWA project"working with Guna with albinism. I don't really know what to expect, but that is the fun of research. I may end up just sitting and listening to a meeting or I could be asked to give a speech (I am praying against the latter). The trick is to come prepared. Tonight I am writing questions (preguntas), which I may or may not get a chance to use. At the very least I will have made my introduction, and that will hopefully lead to many more interactions with this group.


Saturday I have a meeting with a teacher in the city who works with Guna children teaching Guna, Spanish and English. He also happens to be Guna and has albinism.

Depending on how these meetings go, I hope to start planning my first trip out to Guna Yala/San Blas the upcoming week. I met a man and his wife at the hostel who know the area and the people well and who were very interested in my studies. Knowing what little I do about the Guna people, it is good to travel with someone who already has an "in" into the communities if you plan on any in-depth interaction.

Hopefully this answered many of the questions about my research you had. If not, I welcome comments and questions. The point of my research is to enlighten myself and others, so I would love to get any and all feedback.

Buenas Noches.

Mi Apartamento

Yesterday I moved into my new apartment. Thanks to the relative of a woman I met through a mother of a friend from grade school (I really must make a flow chart), I found my new digs in no time! It is insane that in a world this big, having a connection as obscure as that can help so much. But here I am, writing this post on my new balcony.

Gracias to Heather, who put me in contact with Ane, who connected me with Andres, my new roommate. I now live in a wonderful apartment in the city with two roommates for way cheaper than I thought I would have to pay. I'm not having much culture shock here, but I know I'm going to get reverse culture shock when I get back to the states and can't find an apartment this nice for $350 a month. I even splurged and decided to pay the extra $50 per month for my own bathroom. (I'd like to thank Abbey from Luna's Castle for helping convince me of that decision).

So how about a tour: We begin with the bedroom...

Here is my bedroom. It's a little bare, but soon I can fill it with Molas from the Kuna and with art from the rest of Panama.  The bed is a trundle bed, so I better get some guests!

Probably the second best part of this room is the amount of storage space! Two full closets is way better than what I have at home.

Of course the best part is my own bathroom and shower. I took a warm shower for the first time in a week today! Of course sometimes the cold showers were perfect in the hostel after being outside all day, but I don't have a problem with the added luxury.




The Living Room:
Through the short hallway outside my room, (where Andres and James' rooms and bathroom are located) is the living room/dining room. the left-hand picture below shows the couch and the door going in to the kitchen and outside into the apartment building. The photo to the right shows the view in the opposite direction, where you can see the balcony.

La Cocina (The Kitchen):
The left-hand door from the living room takes you into the kitchen/laundry room, which is fully furnished. I hope to start using the oven and stove soon, maybe even take some cooking classes/find someone who wants to teach me. Beyond the kitchen is a washing machine and room to hang dry clothes. Speaking of, that's on the schedule for tomorrow!

Miscellaneous Updates:

While the last few posts have been about settling in, making friends, and going to the beach, I feel it is also important to express that I am making a lot of connections and inquiries regarding my actual Fulbright Research (Just so you know your tax dollars are not going to waste). I will be meeting with an organization working with Kuna with albinism this Thursday and I hope to start planning a trip up to Kuna Yala in the next week or so. Beyond this, I have begun reconnecting with people whom I first connected with months ago via email. I believe I will spend some of the money that I will be saving from rent to take an intensive Spanish language course. Though I have definitely improved, I am not where I would like to be in order to conduct interviews.

Of course I will also continue to take advantage of the multitude of things this city has to offer. A wonderful example being that today I went to eat lunch at a Chinese restaurant with my friend Michelle, who is thankfully fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, as the menu was only in Chinese. We then went to a mall where the Chinese New Year festivities were in full swing. Standing in the crowd of Panamanians from all backgrounds, we watched one man of Chinese descent singing Elvis, as people of latino, chicano, africana and european descent sang and clapped along. As the day wore on, the events became more Chinese-focused, with a fire-breather, traditional singers, a dragon dance and much more. Coming from a melting pot of a country, it was still amazing to see so many people from so many different histories coming together to celebrate a new year. (Sadly I forgot my camera, but I will post a link to my friend's blog soon).

Here's to the year of the Dragon! (Which is incidentally my year!)

Éste Es Mi Trabajo:

F

While I realize that these photoblogs are a cop-out, it's worth the 1,000 words to show everyone my life so far in Panama. I promise I will begin more in-depth blogs on my experiences here and definitely on my research as it progresses. However, until I get settled in, I hope you will excuse the laziness on my part and can enjoy the view.


This is the porch of my hostel, and the view from my bedroom at my hostel. you can see much of the skyline of this city. Though its only a city of around a million people, the towering, beautiful skyscrapers are numerous, far outshining Louisville.





And this is our job:

Fellow Fulbright researcher Michelle Jackson and I decided to pursue our duties as ambassadors by checking out Santa Clara beach. A $5 and 2 hour bus ride from the city took us to this beach on the Pacific side of Panama.




$3 gave us access to the beach, bathrooms and showers.





Michelle packed a lunch of pasta, chicken curry spread and tuna salad with ritz crackers. All of this was enjoyed with a bottle of white wine and 4 bottles of water.

So yea, this is how we do

Mi Barrio:

Casco Viejo lies on the western side of Panama City. It is where I am currently staying in Luna's Castle Hostel. I thought I would give a small tour of the area via pictures. The neighborhood was very run down, but is being built up as and up-and-coming part of Panama. The President resides a few hundred meters away and the beautifully renovated facades and tourist cafes stand right next to squatter houses. It is an interesting juxtaposition of wealth and poverty.

A fellow Fulbrighter who stayed at the same hostel as I, showed me this view of the back^ and the front of Luna's Castle Hostel

Walking around two days ago with some friends from Luna's Castle, we found these beautiful streets.

When Captain Morgan came to ransack the city, Panamanians painted the gold alter piece seen below, black. This altar piece is the original gold.

 This is part of a church from Casco Antiguo, (below) even older than Viejo.

 Mi amigo the shaved ice man, best snow-cone around for $0.75!

 It is said that the arch seen in the picture below helped make the decision to build the canal in Panama, since the odd shape and age proved that there had been no earthquakes in the area for a long time.

More pictures and stories to come! A la playa mañana!

A Guide to Surviving My First Days in Panamá Alone; A List:

Numero Uno: never be alone

Dos: Have someone pick you up from the airport

This works best when they are as kind and welcoming as Dinora and her husband, Ramone. (Thank you Rosmerry for introducing me to your wonderful family)

Tres: When someone at the hostel asks if you want to do something, (almost) ANYTHING, DO IT!

      For some very strange reason I thought it would be hard to meet people at the hostel. But it turns out          that no matter where we are from or where we are going, we are all here to take advantage of the experience. I have met people from Brussels, Argentina, Canada, Ireland, England, Philly, California, and overheard many more languages, some I didn't even know.

Cuatro: Contact anyone and everyone you know in the area

            Michelle, a fellow Fulbrighter graciously welcomed me into her apartment. Andres, the relative of a woman in Louisville, whom I met through the mother of a grade school friend, took me out to dinner with his sister.

Cinco: Don't spend too much time on the computer

        Although I wanted to do a wonderfully eloquent and planned out blog for my first post, it's more important that I actually spend this time meeting people and getting to know the city, rather than writing about it. I have so much I want to tell everyone, and I'm sure it will come out (especially during the rainy months) but right now I must ask for forgiveness, as this is the view outside my window:

Right now I am attempting to stay busy: meet people at the hostel, meet those I have only contacted through email, and to walk the city and get used to this place I will soon call home. Also apartment hunting is pretty high on the list. It's weird seeing all these buildings and landmarks for the first time and realizing that they will soon become old friends. It is also cool (and somewhat frightening) to see my English worsen as I use Spanish more and more.

In the meantime, those of you who want to chat, whenever I am on my computer, I am usually on Skype/facebook chat, so holla at me there!

November-December Update

Desde la entrada anterior, mi español ha mejorado, pero todavía estoy preocupado del dialecto de panameño.

I feel more comfortable in my weekly conversations with Rosmery and José, but they do not speak at the rapid pace nor with the swallowed speech pattern common of Panama City. (For an example, here is a link to a Panamanian comedy skit show, La Cáscara). I’ve been told by other people who have lived in Panama, and who speak Spanish, that the dialect is pretty tricky to grasp.

My second concern once I get there is learning public transportation. For my interviews I will need to travel around the city to various sites. Additionally I will be making multiple trips out to Kuna Yala and I will want to travel around the country in-general. In Uganda it took a while to feel comfortable with the taxi and bodaboda system, but once I got it down, those 14*-passenger vans and motorcycles took me everywhere I wanted to go.

 *14 was the suggested number of passengers, I have been in one of those taxis with as many as 20, not counting chickens).

To top my list of pre-trip preoccupations, I am still figuring out my housing situation. At this point I believe I will be staying at Luna's Castle (picture from their website shown right). Said to be THE place for backpackers who want to have a good time. I figure I can spend the first few weeks getting my bearings and looking for an apartment while meeting some friendly folk.

The great news is that all the advice from former student researchers says do NOT try to start interviewing or seriously working on your research within the first 3 months. The reason being that it takes about that long just for you to get accustomed to the new city you are living in, and to mold your research plan to the people and the places you are going to come in-contact with. When I think about being in Kampala, Uganda, it took me until about the 3^rd month to go through most of my stages of culture shock and to really get the hang of the city and its people. If I had tried to start my research prior to that, I would have wasted mine, and a lot of other people’s time.

So what’s the plan? January 14, I arrive in Panama City in the evening. Rosmery’s sister, who is and English professor at the University has generously offered to pick me up from the airport (still to be confirmed, though).  I will stay at Luna’s Castle for a few weeks, meanwhile looking for apartments. The Wednesday after I arrive I have a required meeting with the U.S. Embassy. Other than that, I will rapidly be attempting to meet up with anyone and everyone I have been in-contact with the past year, starting first with my affiliation. I know the first few weeks will probably be the roughest, though I hope to not bore you with a bunch of emo posts regarding how much I don’t belong and miss home more than I ever thought I would, blah blah blah.

I’ll try to write again before I leave, but if I don’t, this next entry should be from Panama City, Panama! (and should be a whole lot more interesting)