My Fulbright Scholar Afro-Peruvian (Afroperuano) Experience 2011

Baltimore Sun Article, February 12, 2012

2012-02-17T03:56:00.000-08:00

Below is the link to the online version of the Baltimore Sun article:

http://baltimoresun.p2ionline.com/specialsection/ss/index.aspx?adgroupid=203267&webstoryid=20948260&articleID=20948258&adid=2650661&type=art&&menu=11

Introduction (Introducción)

2011-08-31T00:02:00.000-07:00

Photos by Bertha Knight

During the summer of 2011, I had a panoramic view of Peru in the twenty-first century, history, society, culture and globalization as a Fulbright Scholar through the Fulbright-Hays grant program. This program is a awarded to teachers, administrators and graduate students from the United States for research and training efforts overseas, focusing on non-Western foreign languages. My six-week extensive tour of Peru included visiting major geographical areas, where I engaged in educational, cultural and historical pedagogy with faculty, students and community leaders. The major areas I visited include Catacaos, Chiclayo, Chincheros, Cusco, El Carmen, El Guayabo, Ica, Koricancha, Lambayeque, Lima, Machu Picchu, Morropon, Ollantaytambo, Pisaq, Piura, Pucapucara, Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, Trujillo, Ya patera and Zaña. To date, I am still in contact with my Peruvians friends and communicate with them regularly through social media websites (See detailed itinerary section).

The goal of my analysis is to share my Fulbright Scholar experience with you from an Afro-Peruvian (afroperuano) perspective:

I will present the results from my afroperuvian women questionnaire/survey titled “Race, Class & Culture: How Afro-Peruvian Women Embrace their Identities (Sobre Raza, Clase Social y Cultura, Basado en Sus Experiencias Viviendo en Perú)” which is located at: http://fulbrightscholarperu2011.blogspot.com/2012/01/cuestionario-sobre-raza-clase-social-y.html
I will discuss why I found I.E. José Pintado Berrú de Yapatera’s (Providence of Piura) secondary school exemplary in its philosophy, leadership and sense of community, which is located at: http://fulbrightscholarperu2011.blogspot.com/2011/12/afro-peruvian-community-of-yapateras.html
I will present my interview with Rocio Muñoz, a staunc Mujeres Afroperuanas Feminista (Afro-Peruvian feminist), who advocates for women of African descent across Latin America and the Caribbean.
I will present a my detailed itinerary which is located at: http://fulbrightscholarperu2011.blogspot.com/2011/10/detailed-itinerary.html
I will present a pictoral travel diary which is located at: http://fulbrightscholarperu2011.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-post.html

Map of Afro-Peruvian Communites

HISTORY OF AFRO-PERUVIANS (HISTORIA DE AFROPERUANOS)

Peru is geographically located on the western side of South America’s Pacific Coast whose immediate neighbors are Chile and Ecuador. Afro-Peruvians only make up about 5% of the population which is about 3 million in total. This is an approximate figure because Peru has not been a census report taken by the government since the 1940’s and the word “race” was not included in the report. The coastal areas where Afro-Peruvians are mostly located include Yapatera, Zana, El Carmen, and Morropon. They have had a presence there since their African ancestors began arriving to the coastal regions of Peru in 1534 from Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Angola and Mozambique during the Spanish rule to work on plantations

Detailed Itinerary (Itinerario Detallado)

2011-08-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Photo by Birtha Knight

Educational, cultural and historical pedagogy are the words I used to describe my detailed itinerary while in Peru as a Fulbright Scholar. I am very grateful for this unforgettable opportunity to connect with many different Peruvians on many socioeconomic levels, and for exploring the entire country from coast to coast. Below is my detailed itinerary

UNIVERSIDAD RICARDO PALMA (URP), LIMA:

Photo by Birtha Knight

Study of Spanish language & Hispanic Culture with Professor Lilia Inga Moya, Instructor of Spanish
Greetings and Welcome on Una Visión de la Literatura Peruana: desde Ricardo Palma Hasta Arguedas by Dr. Ivan Rodriguez Chavez , President of Universidad Ricardo Palma
Presentation on Panorámico Histórico del Perú Profundo by Dr. Wilfredo Kapsoli, Professor of History
Presentation on El Quechua, Pasado y Presente by Dr. Mario Mejia
Presentation on Tres Escritores Emblemáticos del Perú: César Vallejo,Blanca Varela y Mario Vargas L Losa” by osario Valdivia Paz Soldan, Director, University Library
Presentation on El Perú , Fuente de Recursos Naturales para el Mundo by Dr. Mercedes Gonzalez, Director Natural Resources
Presentation on El Arte Integral Contemporáneo del Perú: la Fusión Entre la Literatura y la Pintura by Lic. Ever Arrascue Arevalo, Prof of Fine and Plastic Arts
Presentation on Mujer Peruana en el Siglo XXI: Historia y Perspectiva by Diana Miloslavich, Director Centro de la Mujer Peruana “Flora Tristan”
Presentation on La Cultura Chicha o los Informales de Lima by Mag. Eduardo Arroyo Laguna
Presentation on El Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Peru y Estados Unidos: Minorias y Globalizacion by Carlos Velarde Reyes, Economist
Presentation on La Irrealidad Mediatica del Peru by Lic. Fernando Málaga Málaga, Director del Instituto de Comunicación Integral
Campus visit, Casona de San Marcos by Marissa Bazan, Historian

CENTRO CULTURAL DE ESPANA, LIMA:

Photo by Birtha Knight

Study of Spanish language & Hispanic culture with Professor Lilia Inga Moya, Instructor of Spanish language and culture
Greetings and Welcome by Mr. Oswaldo, Bilbao, Executive Director of CEDET
Presentation on Perspectiva de la Mujer Afroperuana by Rocio Muñoz, Directora de Peru Afro
Presentation on El Cajon Afroperuano en la Cultura Nacional by Rafael Santa Cruz, Artist, Musician & Actor
Presentation on Los Derechos Económicos Sociales y Culturales de la Mujer Afroperuana by Lilia Mayorazga
Presentation on Situacion Laboral de la Mujer Afroperuana by Delia Zamudio, Executive Director, Grupo Negro Mamaine
Presentation on Las Mujeres Afroperuanas en la Historia by Maribel Arrelucea, Professor UNMSM
Presentation on Identidad y Literatura Afroperuana en el Siglo XXI by Mg. Milagros Carazas
Presentation on La Población Afroperuana y sus Derechos Humanos by Oswaldo Bilbao, Executive Director
Presentation on Proceso Organizativo de la Población Afroperuana en los últimos 50 años by Owan Lay, Director de Makungo
Presentation on La Etnoeducacion Como Sistema Educativo en la Población Afroperuana by Susana Matute, Professor of Education, Universidad San Martin
Presentation on La Experiencia de Trabajo en El Carmen-Chincha by Carlos Schmidt, Executive Director, Cimarrones
Presentation on Apuntes Sobre la Representación de lo Negro en el Discurso Publicitario by Prof Rosa Maria Bedoya, Catholic University
Presentation on Las Lenguas Amazónicas y su Difusión” by Mag. Sonia Landa
Presentation on La Educación en el Peru ante los Retos del Siglo XXI by Dr. Jose Campos Davila, Universidad Nacional de Educacion, La Cantuta
Presentation on La Literatura Quechua by Mg. Gonzalo Espino, professor UNMSM
Presentation on El Perú Colonial y Republicano by Dr. Teodoro Hampe, Historian, PUCP
Presentation on La Presencia de las Comunidades Amazonicas en la Historia Peruana. By Mg. Pedro Falcon, Lingusitics, UNMSM

CHINCHA, PROVIDENCE OF ICA:

Photo by Birtha Knight

Visit to the Afro-Peruvian community of El Carmen
Visit to the Afro-Peruvian community of El Guayabo.
Meeting and discussion with community leaders and with area Afro-Peruvian youth organizations.
Guest of the Afro-Peruvian Asociación Cultural Margaritas, Chincha, Ica & Makungu para el Desarrollo, Lima

CUSCO:

Photo by Birtha Knight

Visit to the campus of Universidad San Antonio Abad, Cusco, and meeting with faculty and students
Visit to city museums, colonial churches, cathedral and monasteries
Visit to neighboring archaelogical sites including Koricancha (Temple of the Sun), Quenko, Sacsayhuaman, Pucapucara, and Tambomachay
Visit to Sacred Valley of Valle Sagrado de Los Incas
Visit to Andean Quechua speaking communities of Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, and Chincheros
Visit to Aguas Calientes
Visit to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas
Visit to the Centro de Desarrollo Social y Salud (CEDESYS) and participation in community engagement and service-learning activities
Visit to the elementary and secondary school children in Quechua speaking communities nearby Cusco.

COLEGIO FEY Y ALEGRIA, SAN JUAN DE LURIGANCHO:

Photo by Birtha Knight

Study Spanish language culture with Professor Lilia Inga Moya, Instructor of Spanish language and culture
Greetings and Welcome by Professor Bertha Arellanos, Director, Colegio Fe y Alegria)
Presentation on Potencialidades Turísticas y Culturales en el Peru: Caso de San Juan de Lurigancho by Professor Julio Abanto Llaque, Instituto Cultural Ruricancho
Presentation on Las Lomas de Mangomarca: una Nueva Reserva Ecológica Distrital by Biologist Helena Sisniejas, NGO Bionapac
Presentation on La Arqueología Recreativa en el Aula como Estrategia Metodologica en Ciencias Sociales by Professor Angelo Valderrama Zavala, Instituto Cultural Ruricancho
Lunch and meeting with teachers and students
Visit to the district and Mamaine Shelter

PIURA, CATACOAS:

Visit to the religious shrines of the city of Catacaos led by Professor José Miguel Godoy Curay (UNP).
Visit to Grau Museum with Professor José Miguel Godos Curay, Professor, UNP.
Visit to Piura Municipal Museum with Professor José Miguel Godos Curay, UNP.
Evaluation and/Research and personal exploration/Material collection

YAPATERA:

Photo by Birtha Knight

Visit to th eAfro-Peruvian community of Yapatera
Conversation-roundtable with community leaders.
Lunch and meeting with area school teachers and classroom visitation.

MORROPON :

Visit to the Afro-Peruvian community of Morropon.
Conversation-roundtable with community leaders.
Lunch and meeting with area school teachers and classroom visitation.

CHICLAYO, LAMBAYEQUE :

Photo by Birtha Knight

Presentation on Tradiciones Culturales Prehispánicas del Norte del Perú by Dr. Walter Alva
Visit to the Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan Museum by Dr. Walter Alva
Visit to the Museo Nacional de Sican(Sican/Lambayeque Culture) b Instituto Nacional de Cultura Docents

ZANA:

Visit to the Afro-Peruvian town of Zaña
Guided tour of the Afro-Peruvian Museum of Zaña (Professor Sonia Arteaga, Director of the Museum, Zaña)
Lunch and meeting with Zaña Afroperuvian community leaders and youth organizations.
Universidad Nacional de Trujillo (UNP), Trujillo
Greetings and welcome by President, UNP
Presentation on Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, 20 años de Investigaciones by Dr. Santiago Uceda, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences
Presentation on Rbanismo y Arquitectura Moche: el Caso de las Huacas del Sol by Dr. Santiago Uceda, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences
Visit to the Mud-Brick Citadel of Chanchan (Pre-inca Chimu civilization and Pre-Hispanic) Instituto Nacional de Cultura docent-guides
Instituto Geofisico del Peru (IGP) (Peru’s Geophysical Institute)
Greetings and Welcome by Dr. Ronal Woodman, Direct
Presentation on El Cambio Climático en el Perú y su Impacto Económico – social (1990-2010) by Dr. Ken Takahashi Gueva
Presentation on El sistema de Vigilancia de la Actividad Sísmica del IGP by Dr. Hernan Jhonny Tavera Hurach)
Visited of GP facilities by Dr. Ronal Woodman and Staff

CENTRO HISTORICO, LIMA:

Visit to the following sites in Colonial Lima by Dr. Raul Galvez Cuellar
Discussion of the role played by these institutions in colonial and republican Peru.
Visit to Church of San Francisco catacombs (Sixteenth Century)
Visit to Church of Santo Domingo (Sixteenth Century)
Visit to La Merced Convent (Sixteenth Century)
Visit to Lima National Cathedral
Visit to Lima City Hall and meeting with councilmen
Visit to the National Inquisition Museum
Visit to the Congreso de la República (National Parliament)
Meeting with Afro-Peruvian members of parliament and luncheon.
Discussion regarding Afro-Peruvians involvement in political life and their representation in state institutions.
Visit to tour of the National Afro-Peruvian Museum
Lima, Fiestas Patrias (Peru Independence Day)

Pictoral Travel Diary (Fotos de Viaje)

2011-08-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

HISTORY OF AFRO-PERUVIANS (HISTORIA DE AFROPERUANOS)

Peru is geographically located on the western side of South America’s Pacific Coast whose immediate neighbors are Chile and Ecuador. It was surprising to know that Afro-Peruvians only make up about 5% of the population which is about 3 million in total. This is an approximate figure because Peru has not been a census report taken by the government since the 1940’s and the word “race” was not included in the report. The coastal areas where Afro-Peruvians are mostly located include Yapatera, Zana, El Carmen, and Morropon. They have had a presence there since their African ancestors began arriving to the coastal regions of Peru in 1534 from Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Angola and Mozambique during the Spanish rule to work on plantations.

Yapatera’s Education Project (Proyecto Educativo de I.E. José Pintado Berrú en Yapatera, Peru)

2011-08-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Photos by Birtha Knight

The general principles on education in Peru are based on ethics, ethnicity, inclusion, democracy and cross-culturalism. I had several meetings with educators who presented their educational pedagogy and gave me a guided tour of their institutions. They also welcomed me with cultural dances and foods only found in Peru so that I can get the full Peruvian experience. Among the schools I visited, I found the I.E. José Pintado Berrú de Yapatera in the Providence of Piura exemplary in its philosophy, leadership and sense of community. This secondary school is located in the northern Afro-Peruvian community of Yapatera. As a community, Yapatera takes great pride in their heritage, culture and Afrocentricity. This community was originally occupied by enslaved Africans during the Spanish colonialism era beginning in the 16^th century.

Photos by Birtha Knight

As an educational institution, I.E. José Pintado Berrú embodies a strong and proud sense of community. I sat in on a presentation, titled “Proyecto Educativo” (Education Project) where teachers shared their philosophy on education. They believe that with a strong centered curriculum, each student can develop a strong sense of identity, have a clear understanding of their historical past, identify their individual needs, and have a clear definition of a common future. I photographed the “Proyecto Educativo” model for further analysis and to recreate the model in English.

An example of how students felt about identity was found in their videography as Nuestra Indentidad (our identity). Students strongly embrace their African heritage through music and art. Their dance group is called “grupo de danzas sangre y fuera negra” which means the black blood and strong dance group. Performances by grupo de danzas sangre y fuera negra included dancing in traditional African or Peruvian clothes that represented their heritage. They also do dance performance of slaveowner/slave reenactments. This performance was the most emotional of them all because there were students who were shirtless with fake blood on their backs to symbolize the horrific slave experience. I had the opportunity to see these students performed a traditional Afro-Peruvian dance to a very popular Afro-Peruvian song, titled "Zamba Malató" - Landó (to Wash) by Susana Baca

In May 2011, the Global Rights Partners for Justice published an IA Report on the State of the Afro-Peruvian People’s Human Rights, titled “Beyond the Historical Apology.” In their section on the state of education for the Afro-Peruvian people, they noted that “There is an urgent need to modify the school curriculum so as to include the fact that the Afro-Peruvian people are a part of the Peruvian nation – their history and participation must be studied by all Peruvians – and in order to do this it will be necessary to train the teachers so that they will correctly teach about the history, participation, and contributions of the Afro-Peruvian people in Peru” (p. 38). They also expressed that the educational curriculum being taught in Peru should represent all ethnic groups equally.

For more information on Afro-Peruvian (Afroperuano) human rights, visit Global Rights Peru:

http://www.globalrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=www_latinamerica_peru

HISTORY OF AFRO-PERUVIANS (HISTORIA DE AFROPERUANOS)

Original Education Project Outlined in Spanish Education Project Outlined in English

Cuestionario Sobre Raza, Clase Social y Cultura, Basado en Sus Experiencias Viviendo en Perú

2011-08-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Photos by Bertha Knight