La Carpio

In addition to classes at ICADS, we also had a few day long field trips during block I. For the first, we went to an organic coffee farm. The second, we visited an agroforestry system. The day trip that I will remember the most is the one we took to La Carpio, a marginlized community (more or less a ghetto) outside of San Jose with a large proportion of Nicaraguan immigrants. Nicaraguan immigrants are seen by some Costa Ricans in a negative light in the same way Mexicans are seen by some in the United States. They are often accused of bringing with them violence, gangs, and other social problems. In some immigrant communities, police will not even respond to calls, contributing to problems that are, for the most part, blown out of proportion by the media.

The road to La Carpio is a thin causeway, with cliffs on both sides from what appeared to be pit mines. This is a place where there are gravel streets and improvised homes built with whatever materials can be found. Right across the river is the site of San Jose's dump, the only location the government could find that wouldn't create public outcry.

Photo of La Carpio found here.

Here, small groups of students were assigned to interview various people in the community about their experience as an immigrant. I can't forget the woman we talked to. Her tragic story exemplified the thesis (which we were examining) that immigration is motivated by a complicated mix of circumstances, with economic factors being only part of the equation.

This woman fled Nicaragua not only to escape poverty, but to escape horrible abuse inflicted upon her by her father. A drunk, he was physically abusive to both his wife and daughters. The woman showed us scars where he had burned her, and broke into tears as she told us that at times, the emotional pain had been so bad that she wanted to die. The situation was made worse by the fact that her mother refused to abandon him, supporting him financially and enabling his alcoholism. Eventually she fled, and left without the support of her family had to make it on her own. She told us how she and a friend had crossed the border through wilderness, running because they thought they were being chased by a tiger. She made her way to San Jose, where she was able to find work cleaning houses, get married and have children. She said she feels lucky now, to be alive and have a means to support her family. For a while she sent remittances to her mother and sisters, but stopped when she learned that the money was still going to her father. Although the physical and emotional scars remain, she is no longer suicidal, something she attributes to God.