RPCV Worked in Garani Stores               (continued from page 10)

their debts. Like in many Latin American countries, there is definitely racism toward the indigenous groups."

Although the Guarani villages are relatively egalitarian, bearing a consensus-approved leader, Matta said the society is still patriarchal. "Women don't have much say at all, but they pretty much do everything," she said. "They work sunup to sundown, sometimes even helping their husbands in the fields. They seem OK with it because this is how it's always been, and they don't have much to compare it to. They have women's groups and sometimes get together and do different things, but they're generally very subservient."

The Guarani welcomed Matta, graciously inviting her into their adobe huts for dinner. "They were always giving me the best piece of meat or the biggest piece of cake, or they were getting up to give me their seat," she said. "Another volunteer had been with them in the past, and they had a really good experience with him. So, they were excited to have another one."

The Guarani often drank boxed white wine with soda, mixed or unmixed pure alcohol and chicha--a beer made from corn that is consumed in both fermented and unfermented forms. "During the winter, some of them would drink rubbing alcohol straight out of the bottle, or they would mix it with cinnamon tea or boiled milk with cinna

mon and sugar," she said. "They were both really good, actually."

Matta said she hopes to land a summer internship in the Dominican Republic, working with a micro-credit institution.

"There's something called the Women's World Banking, based out of New York City, and they have affiliates in different countries," she said. "They focus on making small loans to women so they can go out and start a business. So, I'm looking at one in the Dominican Republic."

Retrieved from www.athensnews.com/archives/article.php3?story_id=11505 on 3/19/03.

Resources of Possible Interest...

The Bolivian Studies Association at www.bolivianstudies.org is a growing and relatively new group representing people interested in many aspects of Bolivian history and society. 

This year's annual meeting is scheduled for LaPaz, July 21st-25th, 2003.  Registration information is available on the groups web site.

There are also links on the site to information about the organization's journal, newsletter and a variety of other resources.

The group's mission is advancement and promotion of research and knowledge through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Hispanic Reading Room of The Library of Congress at www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/ serves as a primary access point for research relating to those parts of the world encompassing the geographical areas of the Caribbean, Latin America, and Iberia; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and peoples throughout the world historically influenced by Luso-Hispanic heritage, including Latinos in the U.S., and people of Portuguese or Spanish heritage.

In addition to special on-line collections (Hispanic local history and genealogy), information is also provided on bilingual projects, other collections and exhibits.

Volume 14, Issue 1

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