Rigoberta Menchu An Indian woman in Guatemala Essay

Rigoberta Menchu An Indian woman in Guatemala - Essay Example This book had a huge impact amongst people worldwide. It brought into forefront the sufferings of her people and gave the issue the much required attention and sympathy. This book opened up doors for the poor Guatemalan farmers who previously had no say under the oppressive militia regime. Besides, having a dictator for a government they were themselves illiterate and completely disconnected from the rest of the world. The book after being published in twelve different languages including English spread the message of these poor peasants all over the world and very soon Rigoberta Menchu became a well known social activist. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and made a goodwill ambassador for the UNESCO. This book was mainly an autobiography of Menchu herself that describes the condition and plight of the native Indian laborers working in various plantations owned by the whites skinned people in and around Guatemala and it starts in a very interesting manner with Menchu stating in bold terms â€Å"My name is Rigoberta Menchu...this is my testimony. I didnt learn it from a book and I didnt learn it alone. Id like to stress that it’s not only my life, it’s also the testimony of my people...my personal experience is the reality of a whole people (cited in Debray and Wright p.1). Thus, besides being an autobiography, this book speaks for her entire genre. Menchu was born in Chimel, Guatemala, to Vicente, a leader of his village and a preacher and Juana Tum a practicing midwife. Her family belonged to the group of Quiche tribe of Mayan origin and followed a mixed culture of Mayan rites combined with Roman Catholic beliefs. Her childhood was spent amidst the Guatemalan civil war which increased in vigor and force as she grew up. Political complexities were a part of her growing up years and she was soon deeply involved in this civil war, fighting with the Indian rebels against the