Two students and their teacher document Oakland’s Mam community

This story is produced by El TímpanoA civil media group that serves and covers the Latino- and Maya -Mimmigrant communities of the Bay Space. The unique model of the story might be discovered here.

I used to be not used to listening to something about my MAM tradition in school. Most lessons have been targeted on the historical past of the US, or maybe Mexican historical past, however by no means Mother. My solely data of my tradition got here from my mother and father and my household, tales about their lives in Guatemala and what they’ve endured to deliver us the place we at the moment are. I used to be one of many few MAM audio system at Skyline Excessive College in Oakland, the place I graduated final 12 months. Solely when our historical past trainer, Javier Armas, took data of our shut MAM group and the wealthy tradition that was embedded in us and our class started to show concerning the MAM folks and about Guatemala. He observed my sharp curiosity and introduced me and my classmate Miguel Ortiz, one other MAM pupil, to place collectively our MAM historical past in a e book that we later known as MAM historical past: Oakland Notes on the historical past of the Mayan-Mam Language.

To be trustworthy, Miguel and I have been skeptical first. We had no concept what making a e book entails, or the place they’ll even begin. It felt like an enormous cost to elevate in school work and life. However Mr. Armas inspired us to take part and observed how essential it was for him to have younger MAM -students a voice within the e book, so as to have the ability to inform the tales of our ancestors and our language. MAM speaker means being a 3 -in -law speaker. It isn’t as simple as with the ability to converse Mother and English, but additionally Spanish to speak with native sources and our native Latino group. With the ability to converse Mother signifies that I could make contact with the aged in our group who could really feel remoted or misunderstood. It is usually fantastic to have the ability to share your language with others, to tell folks’s faces after they hear one thing recognized or new.

Growing and compiling this e book was a protracted and detailed course of. It took months of interviews, analysis and late nights within the library. My favourite a part of the method was to make contact with the aged in our MAM group. I’m so grateful to dwell in a spot like Oakland, the place the MAM group is so sturdy and caring. My favourite a part of making the e book was the interviews. I spoke with household and mates, individuals who nonetheless dwell in Guatemala, MAM audio system, individuals who actually knew the tradition. Listening to their voices jogged my memory why we began this challenge within the first place. Everybody has their very own model of historical past, their very own truths, however collectively they type a bigger image. That’s what we needed to point out.

I loved profiling my folks, from the toodos Santos Cuchumatán, a local group in Guatemala that’s recognized for its wealthy indigenous roots which can be nonetheless frequent at the moment. They advised me tales a couple of group that took care of one another that appeared ahead to one another. As somebody dies, the group comes collectively and donates cash and offers help – not solely as a charity, however as a result of they know that someday, they could additionally need assistance. I’ve recorded this as a result of even inside Guatemala not all MAM communities are conscious of one another’s help programs. I had a household story to share – my sister’s husband didn’t come from our area and solely realized about these traditions when somebody went near him. Writing about that felt helpful.

However probably the most tough a part of this course of was the analysis half. This debilitating course of made me notice how essential a challenge like that is, as a result of there’s such a lack of knowledge concerning the MAM historical past that made it so tough to research. Miguel and I spent hours within the Oakland Library, by tearing on the web and the libraries to attempt to discover correct details about our tradition. We found that we needed to belief our households and our communities for this info, as a result of they have been the individuals who lived in historical past.

I’m extremely grateful to my father, who was important for this analysis course of. He was patiently with me time and time once more and listened to my questions and gave me solutions. He likes historical past, at all times appears to be like on the information and talks concerning the previous, particularly the wars in Guatemala and the way folks – particularly ladies – have been handled. He was the one who actually gave me perception into what life was like then, and what it meant for him to go away.

He got here to the US for security and for alternatives. I used to be born right here, however I always remember that all the things I’ve is due to the sacrifices my mother and father made. On the time, they heard concerning the US as if it have been this golden nation of security and cash, the place you would work and ship a refund to keep up your loved ones. Nevertheless it wasn’t that simple. Now it’s much more tough, with immigration coverage and ice raids that scares folks to go away their houses. I see folks in my group afraid of leaving their homes, afraid of going to work or to deliver their youngsters to highschool. I discover how a lot explosion our streets are and the worry that’s unbridled. However a bit of paper doesn’t outline us. It didn’t know our historical past, our identification or our price.

That may be a purpose why this e book is so essential. As a result of folks do not anticipate a lot from Mamjongeren. They do not anticipate us to be writers or leaders. However we’re. This e book proves that. After we received the Oakland Heritage Award, I used to be so proud – but additionally nervous. Talking of so many individuals was scary, however it additionally meant that they heard our voices. My father was notably proud. He advised me how essential it’s that our era is aware of what the older era has skilled – so we will recognize all the things we’ve got and convey out our tales.

Now that I graduated, my dream is to go to college and research nursing. I need to be the primary in my household who graduates from the college and I need to give again to my group. I don’t take this event with no consideration. My mother and father got here right here to offer us a greater life and I need to honor that. I need to present that we will succeed – not only for ourselves, however for everybody who got here for us.