I learned that in 1990, there had been a particularly large uprising. In spite of warnings to exchange students not to attend these demonstrations, many of us did. In Quito, one can see the dilemma of the poor, most of whom are indigenous peoples. Many are migrants from rural and Amazonic areas. These people are among the poorest of the poor.
Major streets are home to families, who line the avenues begging for money, food and cloth.
It is not uncommon to see Native American women walking with five children in well-off areas, begging for jobs as servants. Others sell chewing gum and other inexpensive items in the streets. In order to be able to find work and a place for their families to live in the city, many of these people resort to changing their facial features. They cut their long, straight black hair, stop speaking their native language and dress in Western clothing. Living with them also gave me a valuable lesson as to the importance of friendship, trust and respect in the Latin Culture.