CulturalSemesterProject

ByJustinLyman,MUSC1040

 PeruisoneofthemostdiversecountriesinSouthAmerica.Hometoover40different

ethnicgroupsandtheirsubsequentlanguages,thisbeautiful,cool(andoftenunforgiving)

countrymakesforagreatsubjectinlearningaboutdiversity.TofindoutmoreaboutPeru,the

bestoptionistospeaktoaPeruvian.(Section1)SelinaVictoriaReynosoisafull-timemanager

atMcDonaldsinWestJordan,Utah,andsheisalsowellacquaintedwiththecultureofPeru.

AlthoughbornintheUnitedStates,SelinasfatherwasborninPeru,soshehasbeen

consequentlyraisedinthatculture,eventhoughtheirhomecountryisthousandsofmiles

away.Peruishometomanylanguagesandpeopleofdifferentnativebackgrounds.Selinais

fluentinbothSpanishandEnglish.AccordingtoanarticlebyRischmoller(2012),mostpeople

inPerugetbywithspeakingSpanishandanothernativelanguage.

(Section2)Onearticle(whichhelpedtoaddressadaptingtodifferent

cultures-specificallyforvisitorsinPeru)showedstarkcontrastbetweenUnitedStatesculture

andthecultureofPeru.Intheintroductionofthisarticle,theauthormakesreferencetothe

influenceofWesterncultureanditsreach(orlackofit)inPeru.Rischmoller(2012)states:

WhiletheworldhasnodoubtbeeninfluencedbytheUSandWesternculture,itdoes

notmeanthateveryonehasembracedthatwayoflife.Unfortunately,thishasalso

causedmanypeopletoforgetthateachcountryandculturehastheirowncustoms

(paragraph1).

Theauthorhadareasonforthisintroduction.Itsetsthestageforthenextsection,which

includesseveralstepsforadaptingtoPeruvianculture.Mostofthestepsareirrelevanttothe

topicIwillbediscussingsoIwillonlymentionthefourthstep,whichspeaksofthereligionof

manyofthenativepeople.MostareRomanCatholic,orpracticesomeformofChristianity.

GroupsofPeruviansstillpracticeotherreligions(suchastheBahfaithandIslam),butstill
feelthesocialinfluenceofRomanCatholicism.TheoutreachofCatholicisminPeru(andall

ofSouthAmerica)isclear.Inordertoachievegreaterunderstanding,itsimportantto

understandtheoriginsofCatholicisminSouthAmericaandthedoctrinestherein.

CatholicismmadeitswayintoPeruintheearly16thCenturywiththearrivalofthe

SpanishConquistadors.SeekingtocivilizeandconvertthenativestotheSpanish

standard,Catholicismrapidlygrew(asitusuallydidintheseSouthAmericanconversion

efforts).AccordingtoarecentsurveybyCountryReports(n.d.),over81%ofthePeruvian

populationidentifieswiththeRomanCatholicchurch.Althoughthequestionstillremains

aboutwhetherornotthisSpanishmissionofmassconversionwasveryethicalornot,there

isanissuethatsomePeruvianshavewiththeCatholicchurchthatmustbegivenavoice.

(Section3)Foryears,theCatholicChurchhaspreachedagainsttheactof

homosexuality(sexualrelationswithsomeoneofthesamegender),thoughtheyhavenot

condemnedhavingthesekindsoffeelings,reiteratingthatitistheactthatisasin.Thisisa

problemformanyLesbianGayBisexualTransgendercommunity(LGBT)members,

especiallyyouthwhoaretornbetweenkeepingtheirfaithandactingonthesefeelingsthey

have.Furthermoreonthelegalside,althoughmanycountrieshavebeenmoreprogressivein

grantingLGBTrightssuchas,protectionagainstdiscriminationandlegalmarriage,Peruis

stillalittlebehindonthisissue.AccordingtoWikipedia(2017),PeruvianPresidentPedro

PabloKuczynskiissuedadecreeinJanuary2017whichprohibitedallformsand

discriminationonthebasisofgenderorsexual-orientation.Thiswasaverybigstepforthe

LGBTcommunityinPeru,butjustfourmonthslater,thePeruvianCongressrepealedthis

decree.PeruisprogressingwithsuchLGBTissuesonthelegalside,buttherearestillissues

thatneedtobeaddressed.
 Peruhasallowedsame-sexrelations(notmarriageordiscriminationprotections)since

1836,whichisextremelysurprisingconsideringthattheUnitedStatesdidntfollowsuituntil

thelate20thcentury.Thisisgoodprogress,butitsnotenoughtoprotectLGBTcommunity

membersfromdiscrimination,hatecrimes,andbeingacknowledgedaslegal,

lawfully-weddedcouples.Inaddition,recentsurveyshaverevealedthatonly20-30%of

Peruvianswouldagreewithsame-sexmarriagebeinglegalized,withover50%inopposition,

viaWikipedia(2017).ButhowdoesthisallrelatetolifeintheUnitedStates?Itcanbe

reasonablyassumedthatmanyLGBTPeruviansdontwanttoliveunderoppressionor

discrimination.TheUnitedStatesoffersasafehavenforpeopleofalllifestyles,especially

thoseoftheLGBTcommunity.InarecentSupremeCourtruling,itwasdeemed

unconstitutionaltodiscriminateawardinglegalmarriagesonthebasisofsexualorientation.

Inotherwords,same-sexmarriagebecamelegalinall50states.

Inadditiontograntingmarriagerightstohomosexuals,theUnitedStateshasplaced

severallawsintoeffectthatprotecttransgenderpersons--somethingthatisntevenheardof

inthecourtsandlegalproceedingsofPeru.Philadelphia-bornPeruvianDJChaskaSofia

(knownintheDJbusinessasPrecolumbian)knowsfirsthandofthesocialbenefitsand

legalprotectionsthattheUnitedStatesofferstoLGBTmembers.Chaskahasstruggledwith

wherehergenderlies.Intechnicalterms,sheidentifiesasgenderqueer(genderchangesat

differenttimesoflifedependingoncertaineventsandpersonalfeelings).Herphilosophyin

musicistotakeallofthegayextravaganceshehasandputitoutonthedancefloor.Chaska

(n.d.),hassaidthatshewantstousethedancefloorasatoolforcommunitybuildingand

transcendingborders.Hermusicwithstrongbeatsandtraditionalrhythmsreflecther

flamboyantpersonalitythatshestrivestobringoutineveryperformance.Chaskastill

believesthereisprogresstobeachievedintermsoftransgenderrightsintheUnitedStates,
andsheiscorrect.TherearemanylegalprotectionsforLGBTcommunitymembers,but

transgenderrightsisanewandcontroversialsubjectthatsstilleverchangingand

developinginsocietyandthelegalsystem.Perustillhasyettogivemanyoftheseissuesa

voice.IfPeruistomoveforwardwithLGBTrights,theymustprotectmembersfrom

discriminationandawardsame-sexmarriage.Livesaresavedandheartschangedwhen

peoplefeelwelcomedintheirhomesandcommunities.

(Section4)DuetothestilllaggingsocialandlegalacceptanceoftheLGBTcommunity

inPeru,itwasdifficulttofindasongthataddressedtheissue.Aftersearchingforawhile,the

closestoptionwasasongfromaSpanishartistwhichaddressedLGBTissuesandgave

powertotheLatinAmericanLGBTcommunity.ThesongisentitledAquienleimportaby

AlaskayDinarama,releasedin1986.IntheLatinAmericanculture,thishasbecomeoneof

themostliberatingandpowerfulanthemsforLGBTpeople,accordingtoFlores(2016).The

songwasreleasedatacriticaltime,duringtheLatinAmericangayliberationmovementthat

wasrapidlyspreading.Thismovementwaslargelyinspiredbythegayliberationmovementin

theUnitedStates.Musicsuchas,Aquienleimportahelpedtospreadmessagesof

acceptanceandloveforLGBTmembers.

Thesongstartswithaverystrongbeatandanelectricguitar,aswellassoundsfroma

synthesizer.Theleadsingerisafemalewithanaltovoice.Thesongstartswithavery

transparenttexture,butastheemotionandpassionkeepbuildinginthelyrics,thetexture

becomesmorefull.Thegenreofthismusiccouldfallunderpop/disco.Itsavery

contemporarypieceofmusicwhichseemstobeareactionagainsttraditionalmusicandsocial

norms.Thismusicwasheavilyinfluentialduringthistimeoftensefeelingsbetween

traditionalists(thosewhoholdtraditionalmoral/Catholicviews)andmembersoftheLGBT

communitywhosoughttoexpressthemselvesopenlywithoutshame.Thelyricsofthissong
pointtoalongstruggle.Thesongbeginsbyspeakingabouthowtheyrepointedat,criticized,

andhated.Butasitreachesthemiddleofthesong,itpeakswithanattitudeofthisiswhoI

amandnobodycanchangethat.AquienleimportaawardedLGBTmembersasenseof

empowermentandbelonging.Songssuchas,MujercontraMujerbyMecano,giveavoiceto

theLGBTcommunitywhosimplystrivetobeacceptedandlovedbytheirfamilyandreligious

communities(iftheystillseektoworship).Thesetypesofsongshaveheavilyinfluencedthe

Spanish-Americangayclubscene.Suchsongsareoftenplayedbecausetheyarecatchyand

havesignificantmeaningformembersoftheLGBTcommunityintheUnitedStatesand

abroad.

(Section5)
WorksCited

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2017.

Estate,RischmllerReal."SocialCustomsofPeru10TipsToHelpYouAdjust."
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Flores,Griselda."GloriaTrevi's'TodosMeMiran'&MoreofOurFavoriteLatinLGBT
Anthems."Billboard.N.p.,2June2016.Web.10July2017.

"LGBTrightsinPeru."Wikipedia.WikimediaFoundation,06July2017.Web.10July2017.

Mmoneymaker."Peru'sNewPoliticalClimatePromptsChangeforLGBTRights."OutRight.
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Press,Associated."Perutakessteptowardrecognizingsame-sexmarriage."DailyMail
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Reynoso,Selina.Verbalinterview.In-Person,30Jun.2017

Villegas,Richard."12QueerArtistsChangingLatinAmerica'sMusicIndustry."Remezcla.
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