Joan Andrews

If I had to fault the yucatecans for anything it would be their lack of attention, both to maya archaeological remains and their historical culture. I sometimes criticize them for turning too much to Miami for inspiration. I have been living in the Yucatán for over 30 years, 32 this year.

After my husband died I had the option to live here, he was an archaeologist, and that was why I came here in the first place. There were many reasons why I stayed, but mainly because I had two small children, and I observed, and enjoyed very much becoming part of family life. I felt that the yucatecans had a true sense of keeping families together, completely across generational lines. I think the traditional Sunday at the grandmother is a wonderful idea, and now that I am a grandmother I think it is even a better idea, I enjoy my granddaughter, and I enjoy, I even think it has a beautiful sound abuelando, it means something very tender.

What is so intriguing in this area is the maya archaeology, and there is no end to what can still be discovered and recorded. The hypotheses that changes every year, and the new discoveries of the hieroglyphs makes it such an intriguing area.

What also have occupied me so much are the natural resources which we have in such abundance here. Even though we do not have the beautiful mountains of Chiapas, there is still a lot to be offered here, I think particularly in the wetlands, where we have so many waterbirds and flamingoes. And then when you get on to the south, to Campeche and the Guatemalan border, there is a whole other area of beautiful tropical forest. That luxurious growth we have in that area I just love so much.

Are people in Yucatán concious of that?

Not as much as they should, but I think the mayas, more than the people in the urban areas, are asking and are close to the birds, their animals, any of the herbs they use, and the trees – they know a lot about them. And they do have a lot of respect for their forest. In fact, they ask permission to go in and cut it.
That’s another reason while I stayed. The mayans have a lot of respect for themselves. I have been living with, and had close relations with the family that helped us right from when my husband started to work in Mayapan before the II WW. The Varguez family. The whole family is still with us, and that is over 50 years. You just saw the bisnietos of don Daniel. It is the most wonderful family and relationship. They take so good care of me, so I would not want to go anywhere else. I love to see them go through school, and I would like to see them get a university education.

How do you define the yucatecan character?

Generosity, great friendliness, very open and not a closed society at all. And interested in progress. They certainly have destroyed a lot of architecture, I think without the realization of what they had in haciendas, and beautiful churches. I don’t know what the problem is. If is a lack of eduction of not venerating the values of tradition,. If I had to fault the yucatecans for anything it would be their lack of attention, both to Maya archaeological remains and their historical culture. I sometimes criticize them for turning too much to Miami for inspiration.

Are the traditional values of friendliness and openness changing?

I cannot see that there are any changes. For instance, when I go out in the country to study the orchids, I can still go to any village and ask for a place where I can hang my hammock. The hospitality is unbelievable. In any place of the Yucatan Peninsula, I feel so comfortable, whereas in Chiapas or Guatemala, I always thought that the mayans are very closed. If you smile at them they don’t smile back, and I feel it very disconcerting. Here, wherever you go into a village, people will stop and take care of you, and help you out. They will show you round in their village, and they are very proud of what they have. What I like, particularly about the mayas is that even though their house may be very humble, they don’t seem at all to be aware that it is very humble, and your are very welcome to come in. There is no apology or resentment, you are very welcome. I love that, and I love going round in the countryside.

Is there any difference between the yucatecans and the rest of the mexicans?

I do. and I think it must have something to do with the maya influence here. If I go to Puebla or Monterrey I find everybody cold, and not the … happiness and great warmth.
The indians values of openness and warmth – it is an indian characteristic, and it has penetrated the society. I think that probably the Cast War was beneficial, I think that after that happened the white Cast, or whatever you will call them had more respect for the maya indians. After that the mayans never returned into the servile position in which they were before. There is always a certain respect for them anywhere. Right so, and they are still pretty independent, and if they don’t want to do something, they rarely fight about it, but they just leave. The go away. They have this sense of independence, and I think it is healthy. A thing that you don’t find anywhere else among the ruling class in other parts of Mexico is that here they take great pride in the costumes in the ternos and hipiles. They sometimes have to go to a ball and they even borrow a hipil from their nana, which is a very unusual thing. For example in Guatemala you would never, never see any from the governing class go to their nana and ask if they might borrow their dress, and your jewels too. But this is what you can see here all the time.

Are there any yucatecans you have a great respect for?

There are so many friends. But they are all kind of small heroes. Persons I have known all my life. The Vargues family I admire them. But among the leadership class, I can’t really say that thee are any one that I admire in particular.

What don’t you like about the yucatecans?

Lack of respect for what they have done earlier, Paseo Montejo is really a tragedy, and also downtown. The destruction of the 16, 17 century buildings. This lack of a sense of beauty. There is not a great respect for antiquity, or even keeping old things keeping a library. That part of intellectual life is not what they are known for. That would be the main things I would criticize the Yucatecans for, but I also know that there are many who are now working very hard to change these things. One of the women I admire very much is Margaritha Diaz de Ponce. She has done so many things working with women in the villages. She has worked on so many good causes.