Dame un centavito por favor

Poverty, Discrimination, Apathy?

There are a hundreds of children and woman selling in the streets of San Cristobal de Las Casas. Day. Night. And dawn. They are all indigenous and are selling their weavings. The children are selling toys, gum, roses, or are offering shining your shoes. The ones that are not selling anything just say, “ dame un centavito por favor….” It damn breaks your heart!

At night between the hours of 9pm and 3am, in front of the cathedral indigenous woman sit on the floor with their crafts in front of them. They are there with their children and babies. The scene is so impacting, I have been thinking – contemplating it since I have arrived.

I am very conscious and socially active. But the image of poverty link with discrimination and child labor is causing me to become two things – either break into tears or completely ignore it. Clearly neither are efficient options.

What I understand

I understand that the child labor is not forced by the parents but it is a necessity because of the level of poverty they are dealing with. I also understand that because of discrimination the ones I see at 1am sitting on concrete with their newborns and toddlers are indigenous. I understand that no parent wants their newborn outside in the cold all night or their toddler playing barefooted on the street at 2am. I also understand the reality of politics attributing to their poverty. I can also see the link between NAFTA a.k.a U.S. foreign Policy – and their poverty.

The question

What I am trying to figure out is what should my response be. Should I just use it as encouragement for me to continue to strive to help fight against inequality, injustices, and discrimination. Or is the fact that I feel like crying every night because of the reality of these children so much that I need to literary block it from my mind?
I don’t even think my description could give justice of what emotions rise in you as you see the woman and children on the cold concrete floor at 2am selling their works. It is too much to understand – in my case- with a tear rollin down ur cheek.