Rigoberta Menchu Tum is an interesting person. When I was in Spanish I my class read an article about her that was in our text book, Arriba. I believe in her cause, and I respect her for making a difference in the world. I admire her for trying at all. Many people believe that it is impossible for one person to make a difference. Rigoberta Menchu Tum is living proof that any one who believes that is wrong.
Rigoberta Menchu Tum is a Quiche Mayan. She was born on January 9, 1959 in Chimel, Guatemala. There was a civil war going on in Guatemala from 1960 through 1996. This is important to know to be able to understand Rigoberta’s story. While she was growing up Menchu helped her family with farm work. She attended a Catholic boarding school where she received up to an eighth grade education.
After she completed her education she became involved in Social reform movements. She began working as an activist against violations of human rights committed by the Guatemalan army. She was also a major proponent of women’s rights when she was only a teenager. After a guerrilla organization became established in the area it arose many problems.
Rigoberta’s family was accused of taking part in activities as part of the guerrilla organization. Vicente Menchu, Rigoberta’s father, was imprisoned and tortured. It was widely believed that he had taken part in the execution of a plantation owner. When Vicente was released from prison he joined the Committee of the Peasant Union, CUC.
Rigoberta also joined the CUC in 1979. That same year her brother was killed by the army after he had been arrested and tortured. In 1980 her father was killed. Vicente Menchu was staying with some other peasants in the Spanish Embassy. When it was stormed by security forces he was killed. Not long after the death of her father her mother was also murdered. She died after being arrested, tortured, and then raped. As you can see Rigoberta has had more than her share of loss in her life.
After the deaths of her family members Rigoberta Menchu became even more active in the CUC. She also managed to teach herself Spanish, as well as many other Mayan languages besides Quiche. In 1980 she was a prominent figure in a farming strike on the Pacific coast that was organized by the CUC. On May 1, 1981, she was involved in large demonstrations in the capital city. She also joined the 31st of January Popular Front where she taught the peasant population about resistance to military oppression.
In 1981, Rigoberta Menchu Tum was forced to go into hiding. She then she had flee Guatemala and go to Mexico. This was the beginning of her being an organizer from abroad for human rights of the indigenous people, and for the struggle against oppression by the army in Guatemala. In 1982 she became part of The United Representation of the Guatemalan Opposition, RUOG.
In 1983 Rigoberta Menchu told her life story to Elisabeth Burgos Debray, an author and a psychologist, in a series of taped interviews. The result of these interviews was the book Me llamo Rigoberta Menchu y asi me nacio la conciencia, in English I, Rigoberta Menchu. When the book was translated into English it became a success. The book put her on the international stage while the conflict in Guatemala was going on.
She has also taken part in many other programs. Rigoberta Menchu Tum was a co-founder of the National Coordinating Committee of the CUC in 1986. In 1987, she was the narrator in the film called When the Mountains Tremble about the sufferings of the Mayan people. She is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Rigoberta is also the President of Salud para Todos. The company’s goal is to provide affordable medications to indigenous people. She has gone back to Guatemala at least three times, but she has been forced to return to exile due to death threats.
Since the civil war in Guatemala ended Rigoberta Menchu Tum has been campaigning to have members of Guatemalan politics and the army tried in Spanish courts for crimes against Spanish citizens. These campaigns have been stalled because the Spanish courts ruled that not all of the possibilities in Guatemalan courts had been tried. The charges include, besides murders of Spanish citizens, genocide of Mayan Guatemalans.
Rigoberta Menchu Tum won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. She was awarded the Prize in recognition for her work for ethno-cultural reconciliation and social justice. She accepted the award in the name of all indigenous people. She was the first indigenous person to ever receive the award. She was also the youngest to receive the honor.
There has been much controversy about Menchu’s autobiography. Two researchers, David Stoll and Larry Rohter, found many things in I,Rigoberta Menchu that appeared to be fabricated. One thing was that although her father was poor her family was wealthy by local standards. Also, when Rigoberta said that he was working as a radical organizer he was actually working with the U.S. Peace Corps. Neighbors have said that although Rigoberta has said that her family was forced to work on a plantation for a large part of the year that, in truth, her family was wealthy enough to avoid this.
One of the things that they also found out was untrue is that her brother was not burned to death and she and her family were not forced to watch as she claimed. He was actually shot, and none of the family was present. Rigoberta later acknowledged making some changes in her story. Her Nobel Peace Prize was not revoked due to the fact that the award was not based on her autobiography but on her actions.
Rigoberta Menchu has made a difference in the world. She has brought the world’s attention to the plight of the indigenous people of Guatemala. She has also taken remarkable efforts to solve the problem. Rigoberta had the courage to look the problem in the eye and try to fight it. She did not accept the fallacy that the problem was too big or too hard. She fought, and is still fighting, for what she believes in. That is an admirable trait in anyone.
Works Cited
Frangsmyr, Tore, ed. “Rigoberta Menchu Tum – Biography.” Les Prix Nobel.
Stockholm: Nobel Foundation, 1993.
Rader, Kim. “Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.” Homage to Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Quiche
Mayan. 20 Mar. 2006. .
“Rigoberta Menchu.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 20 Mar. 2006.
