There are many black people in Nueva York, si?

 

This is the question from a man named Sante from Cusco.Yes... And the next question is there still racism in the US. And yes... Por que? So I then had to try to explain in simple English the complicated social system of racism in the United States using my experience with prisons (which of course I do not know any vocabulary for). Interestingly enough, he then explained that becuase he is Indian he is not allowed in the clubs for turoist (discrimination), that the police always stop him for stealing (racial profiling) and that Cusco is becoming more expensive and pushing natives from Cusco out the city (gentrification). So really, he knew what I was talking about but becuase there is a view of such privilege in the US for all he did not think that blacks (and Latinos) experience racism in this day in age.

 

Sante also explain the history of Cusco and the Incas (well some of it). This included the rainbow flag. When I first arrived to Cusco I was a little confused becuase there were rainbow flags everywhere, which in the US represents gay pride. I doubted that it meant the same thing in this highly Catholic country so asked Sante why Cusco has a rainbow flag. The Incas (and please excuse any information that may be wrong - I am going off memory and Spanish) believed that rainbows were a sign of good luck.  Whenever there was a big decision to be made they waited for the sign of the rainbow to tell them whether it was the right decision. This is because the Incas believed heavily in the Sun (and Moon). When the Spanish came to Latin America that Incas thought that they were good becuase thier hair and eyes were light (like the sun). Well...we all know how that worked out...