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Don't Be Afraid, Gringo
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It's my first month being a member of this group, and I just wanted to say thank you so much for introducing me to this book. I would never have read it otherwise, and it's now one of my favorites! It was right up my alley: social justice and cultural anthropology with excellent storytelling. I didn't know anything about Honduras before reading this, and now, though this book is almost 30 years old, I feel that I've been introduced to some of the root issues of the country. Elvia is such a strong, freethinking woman and so inspiring! The only problem I have is that the book mentioned that her union was afraid to have it published, fearing it would make her a target of the Honduran government. She herself says she fears for her life. So I want to know what happened to her! I googled it and all I came up with was a handful of speaking engagements she'd had in the USA as recently as 2007. So I guess she's alright, but I would like to hear more about her and her current work.
About the Book (from Goodreads)
The award-winning oral history of Elvia Alvarado, a courageous campesina (peasant) activist in Honduras, the poorest country in Central America. Trained by the Catholic Church to organize women's groups to combat malnutrition, Alvarado began to question why campesinos were malnourished to begin with. Her growing political awareness, her travels by foot over the back roads of Honduras, and her conversations with people frm all over the country have given her insights into the internal workings of her society that far surpass those of the majority of campesinos who have never ventured outside their villages. Working as a campesino organizer, Alvarado has led dangerous land recovery actions in an effort to enforce the national land reform laws. As a result of these activities, she has been harassed, jailed, and tortured at the hands of the Honduran military.
Skillfully translated and edited by Medea Benjamin, an expert on Central America, this book takes us into the heart of campesino struggle and political conflict in Honduras today.
"Elvia Alvarado tells the story of her life and the life of the people of Honduras. Read it and understand the struggle against tyranny of the poor. Read it and act."--Alice Walker
About the Author
Elvia Alvarado is a Honduran human rights activist who has been involved in several peasant organizations. She became a social activist through the Catholic Church, and organized women in the city to become nurses to distribute food to malnourished children. Currently she is the head of International Relations of the Union of Rural Workers.