Dear Globalization,

You should be ashamed of yourself.

In a country of Latinos, practically every billboard model in Chile nowadays resembles the blonde-hair, blue-eyed look of Heidi Klum or Cameron Diaz.  Waiting at the bus stop, I frequently see advertisements for McDonalds newest Latin American burger—the McFiesta (I can just picture McDonalds executives sitting around a boardroom coming up with this awful name).  I can hardly walk a few blocks in downtown Santiago without happening upon a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, and I’ve learned to categorize people on the socioeconomic ladder based upon whether they are sporting a Northface jacket or a knockoff fleece.  Was this what you had in mind when you shamelessly promoted free trade and integrated societies?

“Will the real Chilean culture please stand up?” I want to yell.  Surely I should be experiencing more of a culture shock than this, considering Santiago is a further distance from Chicago than Moscow is.  Yet the longer I’m here, the more I bear witness to your misguided effects and the introduction of American companies, from Nike to Victoria’s Secret, Ruby Tuesdays to Blockbuster. I can’t ride on the metro longer than 20 minutes without a Miley Cyrus or Beyonce music video playing on the inter-car TV screens.  It’s not just American culture that’s taken root here, either – every other street corner houses a red and green Chinese restaurant, strung lanterns and all.  Yet, as an American, it’s the way technology shapes Chileans perception of America that really irks me – from TV shows like “My Super Sweet 16” and “South Park” to websites like TMZ.  It’s hard to know how to respond when my host sister asks me questions like, “Do most American teenagers get Hummers for their birthday?”

Now I’m not totally trying to bash your work, Globalization.  I’m not naïve enough to think that international economic integration isn’t essential for combating poverty and allowing a country to move from developing into developed.  It’s true – no nation has ever developed over the long term without increasing its global trade.  Chile has become the wealthiest Latin American country only after implementing free trade agreements with powerful world economies such as the US, EU, and South Korea.  However, with a soaring economy came soaring inequality.  Wealth has been distributed largely among the small, upper class of Chileans, most of whom work in big business.  Pinochet’s strategies of increasing exports disproportionally left out the poor, and today Chile has one of the highest Gini coefficients (measure of income inequality) in the world.

Furthermore, I wonder how much your drive towards rapid development and American economic interest has hurt Chile.  There’s no denying that smog is a real problem in Santiago; at times, the Andes are practically invisible through the thick, gray blanket of air pollution.  This problem began with rapid industrialization in the 70’s, and its increasing presence has mirrored the country’s economic growth and world trade for the last several decades.  Also, I can’t help but wonder how sustainable Chile’s good fortune will be considering that the vast majority of its exports – copper, wood, fish – are nonrenewable resources (or threatened by viruses and overfishing, as is the case with salmon, the main fish export).  The government currently subsidizes companies that are cutting down large amounts of trees for wood chips, and as a result, the industry is rapidly deforesting the nation.

The average Chilean, however, especially of the younger set, has embraced the cultural shifts that are occurring in the country, thanks to you.  The vast majority of students, particularly those that attend wealthier schools, are required to study the English language through a governmental program called “English Opens Doors,” created in 2003 under former President Michelle Bachelet, which requires elementary and high school students to be able to pass a standardized listening and reading test.  Just the other day, a little girl walked up to me on the street, tapped me on the thigh and, to the amusement of her mother, asked me “How are you and what is your name?”  Many students study abroad in the US or Canada for a semester during high school.  Every Wednesday, a celebration called “Miercoles Po” is held in honor of gringos visiting Chile.  Americans can almost always get in for free and are rarely asked for their ID, while Chileans sometimes can’t get in at all.  Tell a Chilean guy at a discotheque that you’re American, and you’ll be sure he’ll want to dance with you the rest of the night.

Chile has retained its distinct identity in certain ways despite your strong influence.  There are still Mapuche communities, where the people dress in traditional garb and speak their native language.  Both young and old people know how to dance the cueca, and they do so on national holidays.  My host family took me to a folklore celebration one Saturday night, where a large part of the community gathered to celebrate traditional music, dance, and oratory.  Still, I can’t help but wonder what the country would feel like had your glamorization of American culture not taken root here.  Would I be more surprised by the customs and values I have encountered?  Would I feel further from home?

All I ask of you, Globalization, is this: please use a little sound judgment and consideration before you start uprooting and entire nation’s way of life.  I’m glad you want everyone to be friends and share resources and ideas, but stop disproportionally emphasizing the ideas of wealthier nations alone, and start recognizing that all cultures, traditions, and languages are interesting and relevant to the 21^st century and the improvement of our world.

One more thing, please stop promoting this ridiculous rumor that Americans love mayo.  It’s embarrassing!  We actually all pretty much hate it.

Thanks,

Laura