What We know About Salvadorans
What We Know About Salvadorans?
By Carolina Rivera Escamilla
It was not until the 1980s that El Salvador, the second smallest country in the world, gained global recognition due to its civil war, which resulted in the deaths of over 80,000 individuals and the displacement of a million people. Most of these refugees sought asylum in the United States, with some seeking refuge in Canada, Australia, and a smaller number in Europe. Prior to the 1980s, El Salvador was recognized solely by politicians in the United States who were interested in the country's coffee production, particularly the cultivation of coffee cherries in the open air, a practice referred to as 'the patio of the United States'. The present historical account of political repression commences around 1932. During the armed uprising led by Farabundo Marti, he and numerous other leaders were executed by firing squad. During the uprising, the armed forces were responsible for the massacre of tens of thousands of peasants, a proportion of whom were women and children. The armed conflict in question endured for a period exceeding twelve years, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of refugees both within El Salvador and in the United States. Indeed, the latter received an influx of half a million refugees between 1979 and 1992.
What is known about Salvadorans? It may be posited that within this contemporary era, characterized by the provision of inexpensive labor, the presence of individuals who have not received a comprehensive education, and the ongoing influx of immigrants to the United States, there is a distinct possibility for the emergence of a new paradigm. The following discussion will attempt to ascertain the extent of knowledge regarding Salvadoran literature. It may be advisable to enroll at a university with a reputable Spanish department, where you may encounter a professor specializing in El Salvadorian literature. This phenomenon can be considered normal, given that the country from which the author hails does not demonstrate a sufficient degree of support for its own literary output. It is an irrefutable fact that during the civil war, a significant number of writers and artists were killed or disappeared because of they were held responsible for provoking the people, through their artistic and literary works, to a state of heightened awareness and action.
In the United States, there is a paucity of literature on Salvadoran authors available in libraries and bookstores. Furthermore, the literature that is available does not appear to be of interest to the general reader. The Salvadoran community in the USA is estimated to number approximately 500,000 individuals. This substantial demographic is, at present, lagging its own country in terms of recognizing its own literature and culture. In addition to the consumption of food and patriotic symbols, the community is becoming increasingly passive in its consumption.
I wrote this for a proposal for documentary in 2002.