The First Revolution By Rigoberta Menchu - 2259 Words

Getting people to listen, to follow, to make a change, is one of the cornerstones of every history book you can find. Not only is this a part of American history, but as we have learned the first four weeks of this class, it is global. Does a peaceful protest truly accomplish anything? Or is force required to open people’s eyes to the revolution that is beginning? We have been, in this class, exposed to two distinctly different tactics on how to make a change in a country, how to accomplish a goal, and how to get people to support a cause against an injustice. The reasoning that this is a huge deal, is the fact that both of these actions, or revolutions for the sake of this essay, were done in polar opposite ways. The first revolution we were exposed to was a Guatemalan revolt, lead by Rigoberta Menchu. Menchu was a Guatemalan woman who saw a need for change in her country, for reasons we will discuss further along. Menchu led her revolution through peaceful protests, and kind ness. This peaceful protesting had positives and negatives. The second revolution was a Cuban revolt, led by, Che Guevara. Guevara did not lead his revolution in the same was Menchu did, he was a violent man, who led a violent protest that included numerous executions of people who did not stand up with him. This argument is an important one because even still today protesting is happening, and understanding which ways work well, and what ways cause more harm than good is a necessity forShow MoreRelatedThe Inequality Of Latin America1673 Words   |  7 Pages Creoles were people of Spanish decent born in Latin America. Despite the slight distinction between the two, they did not receive the same land and power as the Peninsulars because of their birthplace, which caused resentment and later sparked revolution. Next were the Mestizos, who were of European and indigenous American decent. The more the different ethnicities mixed, the more class distinctions were created. Because they introduced foreign diseases, the Europeans and Africans eventually replacedRead MoreThe Culture Of The Peoples From The Highlands Of Guatemala1259 Words   |  6 Pageslow levels of literacy and education attainment, their plight is one that is well documented. The indigenous populations have remained in a more or less stagnate position, until recent upturns in the 21st century. In addition, in the year 1992, Rigoberta Menchu, an indigenous Mayan woman was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism and account of the extent of the Guatemalan genocide. The Guatemalan republic one with high levels of biodiversity, and extremely abundant in natural resources suchRead MoreBiography of a Runaway Slave3421 Words   |  14 Pagespublication of Miguel Barnets The Autobiography of a Runaway Slave in 1966 did there exist a narrative centered on the life of a common slave in Cuba (Barnet, 1966). The testimony of Esteban Montejo has been described by its foremost interpreter as the first personal and detailed account of a Maroon [escaped] slave in Cuban and Spanish American literature and a valuable document to historians and students of slavery (Luis, p. 200). This essay will explore how testimonial literature can help us better