Arguments

The only topic I really get fired up about here is the subject of poor people in America. For the most part I am extremely capable of having a calm conversation with people, explaining American culture or perspective. This topic, however, usually ends up with me reminding myself not to let out frustration on the poor soul who accidentally brought it up. Just a couple days ago I had one such conversation with my newest coworker/new supervisor Fidele. Fidele is about my age and fresh out of college. I think this is his first job so he’s by the book, workaholic, trying to do everything right. It’s wonderful. He is trying so hard and can speak English really well so I can have a role in things too. We have been able to have a lot of good cultural conversations and debate differences in nationalities. One of our current jokes is about me judging how men are always late to meetings but the women are always early. He tries to defend his gender but I’m waiting for the raw data.

Unfortunately for him, he happened to bring up poverty in America. It began because we were visiting a sector quite a ways from my site. It is within our territory of people we need to work with. We were meeting with officials there to notify them about what we are doing and then meeting with a cooperative who produces honey (yum!). It was a very small village and possibly the most rural location I’ve seen in Rwanda so far. Fidele began with – are there villages like this in America? Yes, there are very small towns, with barely any businesses, and very poor people. Well they aren’t poor like this village is poor. In fact, they are. Well they aren’t starving, right? Yes, believe it or not there are starving people in America. But they don’t have AIDS like we do here? Yes, Americans have AIDS. But the government helps them. No, actually some people cannot afford the medication to keep their illness in check and they die. But the government helps them I’m sure because your government helps our people.

Ahh, there comes the fine tension between domestic and foreign aid. Who should we be helping more, the poor people of America or the poor people of the world? And does it have to be a one or the other situation? Everywhere you turn here is a sign proclaiming it is financed by USAID – by the American people. It’s actually embarrassing. The use of logos to signify the bureaucracy and ownership of charity money is only strengthening the argument of all the people who ask me for money because I’m a white American. The American people have so much to give, don’t YOU? But then doesn’t that prove their viewpoint that there are absolutely no poor Americans, none of them are starving or suffering from diseases. And if they are then surely the US government is sweeping in and taking away all the pain.

How do I explain that many Americans are living is destitute poverty just like them? Only our culture tells them to own guns, join gangs, sell drugs, eat fast food because it’s all they can afford and is available, devalue education, try to keep up with the materialism of the upper classes and become mindless zombies in front of TVs. How do I explain the plight of the poor American who is placed side by side with such extreme wealth, the huge houses, multiple cars, expensive clothing, pricey food? Is it easier to watch that wealth from a TV screen half way around the world or just on the other side of town? It is easier for them to believe there are no poor Americans because that taints their vision of the heavenly land of milk and honey?