Spanish 102
Brownbag Lunch Discussion Reflection While I have only just begun my first semester studying at University of Maryland Baltimore County, I have already been exposed to numerous multi-cultural events on campus. One of the most informative was the “Brown Bag Lunch Discussion” with Speaker Luz Rivera Martinez. Going into this informal discussion I had little idea of what to expect, but once Martinez began to talk it was clear that she had come to tell the participants in the discussion about her culture and the main symbol of her people-corn. Truthfully, this topic seemed quite miniscule in severity compared to the many issues that surround Latin American cultures. But as the discussion went on, I understood corn wasn’t just a crop to be harvested to Martinez; it was the root of her existence. Martinez exemplified corn’s importance in Latin American society by describing its distinct role in every major, and minor, event. Whether the family was gathered to eat or there was a burial ceremony taking place, corn was present. This respect for corn was developed because it was a crop that built their culture and had been alive and growing, both literally and figuratively, for many decades. As a result of corn being at the society’s root of existence, it was extremely alarming to the people when the government began enforcing laws limiting their crop productions. The farmers were told they could only use a certain kind of seed that which, to be purchased, meant the people had signed an unwritten contract promising to vote for the respective party. This was just one of the many forms of political control that have become prominent in Latin American societies. The passion and emotion evident in Rivera’s eyes allowed me to experience a level of empathy I had not before. I was informed of the manipulation of citizens from political parties that I had only a