My
name is Elizabeth Harvey and
I’m entering
my second year in the M.A. program
in Latin American Studies at the University of
California, Berkeley. This summer I’m
doing research on the historical growth of Protestantism
in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas,
a place currently experiencing rapid religious
change, with Protestant, Mormon and Muslim groups
growing at higher rates than in the rest of the
country.
I’m spending two months in San Cristóbal
de las Casas, conducting oral history
interviews and consulting archival materials.
I’m
also learning
Tzotzil, an indigenous language spoken by
over 400,000 people in the
highland region of the state. I’ve
been adopted by a Tzotzil family from Chamula
who are proving to be kind and patient teachers. I
find myself using the few words I know as much
as possible, greeting people with “li’ote” and
taking leave with “texa’bat.” I’ve
got a lot more to learn, and hope to return and
continue my studies next summer.
San
Cristóbal de las Casas is an interesting
city, but I wish I’d known how
much it rained before I arrived—in the
evenings the weather is a lot like
Berkeley in the winter, cold and rainy. Despite
the cold weather, the
physical setting of the city is beautiful, surrounded
by big green mountains covered in pine trees. I’ve
enjoyed spending time exploring the outskirts
of the city much more than my time downtown;
despite it’s international
pretensions, it’s a sleepy
small town whose cultural life is a
little overrated. That said, for a town
of its size there are some great
restaurants. I recommend Mayambé,
which serves Indian, Thai and Mediterranean
food for a nice sit down dinner, although I’m
equally tempted
by the taquerías in the municipal
market. The trip to the market alone
is an amazing experience and no one should leave
town without visiting—city
and country life meet there, with sights, sounds
and smells unlike
anything you’ll find in the United
States. However, don’t expect it
to be a quick trip—with so many people
selling so many things, it’s better
to allow some time to get lost. That’s
my main advice for anyone that
comes here—plan on everything taking
longer than you’ll expected, and always bring
an umbrella!
To talk to Elizabeth about her travels, you may
reach her at ejharvey (at)
berkeley.edu.
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