Today in class we learned about migration in Ecuador. Our guest speaker in the morning told us a few facts that I found interesting. First, she compared migration to the migrations that birds do from the north to the south. She said that they don’t do it because they like it, but because they have to do to it survive. This connection to the animal world made me understand the concept of migration better. It can be an extremely sad or joyous time for the family of those migrating, but none-the-less, it is done because it simply has to be done. Another topic that our guest speaker discussed was of the different cooperatives. These organizations are often women and they make these groups so that they can support their family. I remember thinking how surprised I was that these cooperatives existed. It was amazing to hear that groups of indigenous women were working together to provide income for one another. These organizations do not only help the women financially, but also educate them on business and other academic areas. They provide workshops for various topics such as domestic violence. Hearing about these organizations gave me hope for the 27.3% people under the poverty line. Knowing that there are organizations such as Tejemujeres and Centro de Cordados Cuenca that help women and their families is a great feeling. I remember thinking to myself that in the future, I shouldn’t bargain as much with the women and men in the Ecuadorian markets that work hard to make their items. I began to feel worse as I thought about the few times that I went to the markets and bargained until I got the price I wanted. I am aware that they raise the prices for tourists, but in the end they are just trying to support their families and will do anything to put food on the table. Our guest speaker ended her lecture with saying that through these organizations, women gain a voice and their skills are valorized. Hearing this statement once again gave me a positive feeling because there seems to be hope for many of those under the poverty line through organizations like these cooperatives.
During the facilitation, one fact that was said and interested me the most was the large immigration of Ecuadorians due to the economic crisis in the late 1990s. I cannot imagine all of the suffering that must have occurred in Ecuador during this time. It was amazing to hear that the cooperatives mentioned earlier in class survived through this large economic crisis, but my guess is that the women must have really suffered since many men were immigrating to find work. In a lecture we attended the week before, the speaker focused on the affects the immigration has on children. It was said that the immigration of family members led to the disintegration of the family. I thought about this fact and realized that this occurred within my own family. My father along with half of his brothers immigrated to the United States from Mexico and this affected his family because of the distance and lack of communication. Currently, we often talk to our family in Mexico, but there will always be a feeling of separation between us since we (my immediate family) did not grow up with them.
The speaker then went on to talk about the negative effects that immigration has on children academically due to their grief period. When we went to visit the CEDEI school today, we learned that there are many children there who have been affected by immigration. Although the director did not focus on the grief that immigration can cause on the children, we did learn from the lecture that most kids end up feeling socially isolated and may never reach a scholar level of academia. As we passed by each classroom, I wondered if any of the children there were currently suffering from a loss of a parent due to immigration.
Immigration can be psychologically damaging to a child, and I am glad to hear that schools do work hard to help those children that are affected by it. It was also heartening to hear about the cooperatives and that many families who are affected by immigration get the help and encouragement that they need.
