Spanish Students Discuss Migration and Central American Perspectives

Posted - 6/12/2020

Students in Ms.Nebres’s Spanish 4A classes welcomed guest speaker Rich Brown, who shared his perspectives and insights about the forces behind migration from Central America.

Mr. Brown, a multimedia journalist, and translator who lived in Guatemala for five years has worked with Guatemalan media platforms such as Nomada.gt and the EntreMundos human rights magazine.

He examined the reasons why people come to the US, the dangers they face along the way, and the social, economic, and historical factors that have led to recent waves of migration. It was a great opportunity for the students in Ms. Nebres' Spanish 4A classes to use their Spanish while learning about social justice issues and reflecting on their civic responsibility.

Following the presentation students reflected on their experience:

“I thought that having Richard Brown come to speak in our class was really powerful given the current climate of the coronavirus, Black Lives Matter protests, and the even more critical look at governmental institutions' treatment of people of color. I learned just as much about the United States as I did Guatemala. To learn that the United States has supported both anti-corruption efforts and retracted their support in a short span in Guatemala was, in some ways, unsurprising. The hypocrisy is striking.” Ella Toback ’21

“I thought that Richard Brown’s visit today was not only informative and educational but also very relevant to current events in our country. Just like Guatemala and Honduras, there is clear social inequality today in America. Guatemala, Honduras, and the United States are all considered “rich” countries, but as Richard explained most of the money of each nation is concentrated in a few groups of people and, thus, wealth isn’t shared throughout the different classes. Now, as Richard suggested, it is up to us as citizens to raise awareness and fight injustice. If we are all socially active and fight together, we can hopefully change policies in America while also educating people about the inequity of Guatemala and Honduras.” Teddy Benchley ’22

“What Rich Brown talked about was very sad, and something that I didn't really think about before. I knew that it was very hard for people to immigrate to America, but I didn't know the specifics of how dangerous it was. I felt very frustrated about how the governments of various countries make life so difficult for people living in poverty. He did give some hope for the future in his responses to the questions, but it is difficult to change inequality. Something that was also very interesting about Rich Brown's presentation was how he went to a country without knowing much of the language and learned so much while living in Guatemala. It gave me new information on how useful learning Spanish can be in the future.” Nathaniel Ting ’21

“I really enjoyed Richard Brown’s presentation in class. It was very interesting to hear about how he stumbled upon Guatemala but was able to help make such a difference in the community. His discussion about nutrition programs was very educational, and I really enjoyed the images that accompanied the presentation. I also felt that the videos of personal stories that were included helped deepen my understanding of the dangerous trip to reach the border. It was a great experience to be able to hear him talk about his experience in Guatemala and to offer opportunities and ways in which we ourselves can help too. Thank you Mr. Brown!” Yasmine Gomel ’22

“Having Rich Brown speak to my Spanish class today was an amazing opportunity. Even though we were not able to meet in person, his presentation was informative and thought-provoking. We spoke about the extremely dangerous journey that immigrants are forced to experience when they come to America. We talked about the fact that these individuals make the dangerous and grueling trip to the United States in hopes that they will obtain opportunities that can offer themselves, and their families, a better life. Finally, we spoke about how it is extremely important for us to recognize the privilege we have and the reality that many people across the world have to face. It’s our responsibility to have these conversations and look for ways that we can help the situation, even if it is simply through spreading awareness." Natalie Martin ’22

“In his presentation,Rich Brown discussed his experience living in Guatemala for several years, where he studied Spanish and learned about Mayan culture. He also addressed significant issues affecting Guatemala today, such as widespread malnutrition, high economic inequality, and migration to the U.S. He noted that although many Americans are sympathetic to the difficulties faced by Central American immigrants, they don't feel that the U.S. has responsibility for addressing the underlying causes of migration. Many are unaware that U.S. intervention in Guatemala has been a contributing factor in migration….” Matthew Tomlinson ’21

“It was such an incredible opportunity to watch Rich Brown’s presentation about corruption, malnutrition, and indigenous Guatemalan communities. Brown emphasized how malnutrition is at the core of education and progress, especially in rural, indigenous communities.…It is extremely hard for progress to occur when food must be prioritized over a child’s education, for example. Despite being a rich country, Guatemala’s unequal distribution of wealth presents itself in about a dozen families and international companies, such as Dole, dominating the economy, while over half of Guatemala’s population falls below the poverty line. It is extremely difficult to combat these issues when the government is composed of corrupt officials.” Stella Anderson ’22

“I think that the information Rich Brown shared during his presentation was really eye opening for me. I was especially intrigued when he was discussing the effects the pandemic has on Latin Americans, specifically the indigenous communities. This is something that I haven't seen widely covered in mainstream (American) media, so being able to learn more about this during the presentation was really impactful and an opportunity I'm grateful for.” Jodi Robinson ’22

“I feel as though now more than ever it is important to consider how each of us can make a change and help better our society. Many people are discouraged by the idea that they are just one person, but Richard [Brown] today demonstrated that while his choice to go to Guatemala was luck, his decisions to help were not. He was able to speak to us a bit more about how a large factor in aiding these people was spreading information. A lot of the information about organized crime and abduction is not well reported on, especially in the United States.” Alyssa Fan ’22

Story submitted by Middle and High School Spanish Teacher Maria Nebres

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Spanish Students Discuss Migration and Central American Perspectives