By Lexi
I haven’t done a blog post in so long, I forgot how WordPress works.
Many apologies to all our wonderful readers! Katie and I have been contemplating doing multiple posts for weeks. In fact, there is a running list of all things we want to do blog posts about. Until then, thanks for hanging in there!
August 21 was a particularly special day for me. My family and I have developed this special connection with Chile over the past five or six years. Like I have stated in my previous posts, my dad moved here for his job for a couple years and I came back to do Spanish immersion courses in 2010. However, the fascination with this country didn’t stop there. My stepbrother, Vincent, traveled to Chile (after much convincing from me) for his study abroad in 2011. I always knew I would come back, but I did not know when or in what capacity. The country would always seem to come up in my reading or conversation. But, I never knew that I would turn this fascination into research.
In the fall of my sophomore year, I had to take the class that all sophomore SIS students have to take: Intro to International Relations Research. This is the class you hear about as a petrified, incoming freshman. This is the class that will make you question whether or not you are still a functioning human. This is the class where you will spend countless hours in the library or on the floor crying (Or falling out of your chair in the library…you know who you are). This is the class that will ruin your life. With this in mind, you can imagine how I felt walking into the classroom on the first day. Throughout the first couple months, we were encouraged to think about our “philosophical wagers, how we perceive social dynamics and of course, the topic our research paper.
Choosing a topic was incredibly challenging. So many things interested me, but I could never find something that I truly wanted to write about. It wasn’t until I was reading about tax reform and social movements in Chile that I knew what I wanted to write about.
No. Not tax reform. Do you even know me?
If you have read anything about Chilean history, you will know that it is a country that has experienced immense political strife, policy change and social inequality. These factors have led to many social movements, the most notable starting in the 20th century. In recent years, youth-led protests have become increasingly more normal. Large-scale collective action by the student population has contributed to a new identity for the Chilean youth. This is what intrigued me.
Interestingly enough, Vince was in Chile during the first massive protests of the Chilean student movement, also known as “The Chilean Winter”. I remember being so incredibly fascinated with his stories about what was going on there. I was so happy to be able to unfold those stories and research them for a semester.
I specifically researched two social movement periods in Chilean history: La Revolución Pingüina (2006) and The Chilean Winter (2011-2013).
My research question: Why did social movements with similar goals have different outcomes and what was crucial for the success of each movement?
IR Research Poster…literally the death of me!
The belief that opportunities lie in a good education was paramount to the protests, however the cost of higher education and the privatization of schools has economically disadvantaged many Chilean youth. Throughout the process, I had the opportunity to interview some friends, Chilean family and student leaders to gain a better understanding of the movement. It was amazing to see how essential these protests were for them.
“I support them (protests) because I did not have the opportunity to go to university and they want to give me that opportunity. They are giving that opportunity to my children…for los chilenos humildes (the humble Chileans). My daughter wants to be a vet, you know, I want her to be able to go through college sin problemas y sin duda (without problems and without worry)”. Anita Lopez (my lovely friend and host cousin)
“This new generation of students are telling their own stories, rather than waiting for someone else to do it for them”. Peter Kingstone (author of Resistance to Privatization: Why Protest Movements Succeed and Fail in Latin America)
Being in Chile now has given me so many opportunities to see the effects of policy change and collective action. Talking to fellow students in my class about the education system has been one of the most interesting and rewarding experiences of my life.
That brings me to August 21.
Students, professors and workers unions alike organized a mass protest through the streets of Santiago, all in solidarity for education reform. Naturally, Katie and I were very curious to attend this event. We had it marked on our calendars since we arrived and were excited to experience all the hype in person. Now, being from a foreign country and having a student visa, it is illegal to participate in any protest or political demonstration. In fact, we were warned by several people and prominent American entities that we should not even be in the area when these protests are occurring. Chile’s infamous police force, Los Carabineros, will arrest any foreigner they see participating. Katie’s host brother reassured us that we would be fine and another Chilean advised our friend Elle (who also lives with me) to run if she saw a Carabinero coming after her.
With this in mind, we still decided to go. Sorry, Mom!
Some cool construction students we met. Don’t they look so enthusiastic?
UDP represent! Universities all across the cities participated. Ours is clearly the best 🙂
Look at all these people!
In front of La Moneda. This is their version of The White House. The communist drum line performed and extra special diddy here.
Photo by: I Love Chile
Together, Katie, Elle and I met up and went to the protest. The march was from Plaza Italia to Los Heroes following the largest street in Santiago, Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins (La Alameda for short). It was seriously incredible! There were people dancing through the streets, communist drum lines (yes!), amazing and highly creative signs, and thousands of people. Some news sources stated that over 25,000 people participated in the march just in Santiago and 80,000 participated throughout the country. Everyone looked so happy and so passionate and ready for change.
Unfortunately, not everyone who participates in these protests chooses to demonstrate the same way. More often than not, masked demonstrators disrupt marches by lighting trash cans on fire, breaking windows or traffic lights and throwing rocks or flares at the police. This results in a massive upheaval by the police. It is as if they form their own “march” and parade down the streets throwing tear gas at students or spraying them with water cannons. Hundreds of students got arrested.
Los Carabineros (the police)…seriously super scary looking! Photo by: I Love Chile
Water guns. Photo by: Colectivo Andamios
*NOTE: If you all want to see an example of the violence against the student protestors, follow the link for a video: http://rt.com/news/157880-chile-student-protest-violence/
Katie, Elle and I left way before the violence broke out. On the news the next day, student leaders were chagrinned that all their hard work and organization was compromised by these masked rioters. They stated that it will be difficult to get the reform that they all so desperately want, if the protests continually result in violence. Students continue to pressure policy makers and President Michelle Bachelet by holding small strikes in universities across the city. At our university, the school of orthodontistry has been en paro (on strike) since August 20. Students do not attend classes and hold protests in the school and throughout the city. Katie and I walked past the school one day and they were holding a huge dance party and creating signs for their next protest.
My nine-year old host brother, Noel, goes to one of the best public colegios (primary and secondary schools) in the city. He has not attended school since last week because his school is en paro too. He thinks it’s like a HUGE vacation.
Needless to say, I was so happy to be a part of it all and I didn’t even get arrested! It would be incredible if some major policy change happens while I am here. I guess this goes to show, you can never learn everything about a country once, twice, even three times.
More posts soon! We promise!
In this relationship, I would probably be Alfalfa.
Lexi and Katie Take Chile 