Why We Need to Stop Whitewashing the Reality of Poverty

“One thing I noticed right away was how happy the people are,” a friend said as we chatted about my trip to Honduras a few days after I had returned. She, too, had traveled to Honduras a few years ago, and she admitted she had been charmed and impressed by the people she’d met there.

I nodded, agreeing with my friend’s observation. It’s true, the people I met in Honduras did seem genuinely happy. I noticed it too. They were quick to laugh and to smile. Many of them clearly enjoyed engaging a...