I was born and raised in Guatemala. Despite all the issues my country has, I carry it in my heart wherever I go. However, I don’t consider myself a nationalist, I’m a cosmopolitan, so when I say I am Guatemalan, I don’t say it with pride or shame. I say it because I’m convinced that a big part of who we are, is the society we are part of, specially the one that saw us grow, and I spent close to three decades living there.
So how would I describe the Guatemalan culture?
Keep in mind that Guatemala is culturally rich, and the experience every individual has, can vary wildly according to their racial and socio-economical background.
For me, being Guatemalan means, above anything else, never giving up. No matter what situation you might be in, you work hard to get yourself out of there. It means, having little trust in the system, and lots of trust in yourself. Finally, it means learning to enjoy yourself.