Lessons from Antigua, Guatemala
What I saw in Antigua, Guaremala, changed my perception of Spanish colonization in America. In 1979, UNESCO named it World Heritage Site because it “retained the integrity of its 16th-century layout and the physical integrity of most of its built heritage.” In 1527, Spaniards founded Antigua—the ancient capital of Guatemala. Sprinkled through the town were numerous outstanding churches, convents, monasteries, and even a university whose advanced teachings were ranked equal to that of Salamanca, one of Europe’s most excellent centers of studies. Unfortunately, two earthquakes in the 1700s destroyed quite a few buildings. Antigua was abandoned as it was. Mother Nature has kept Antigua as an irrevocable proof of the truth about the Spanish colonization in America.
Carmela and Pepe/Louis Villalba
One day in the Spring of 2019, I found my mother sleepy and bored in her chair. To cheer her up, I turned off the television, took out a notebook and a pen, sat down across from her, and asked her to tell me about her life. We chatted for two hours every afternoon for three months. Her sweet, crystalline voice resounded as she narrated her memories. Her eyes sparkled, her face lit up, and her body straightened as if she wanted to stand up and dance. My mother relived her youth and the beautiful years with my father, relishing the memories of their strong love. My dad had often said he loved his wife more than his children. My pen detailed on the paper everything she said. So many anecdotes I had heard and collected many times before, but now new ones filled the empty lines of my old diary. The accuracy and consistency of her accounts stood firm as rocks because my mother’s judgment remained intact until the end of her life.
