Lima, Peru

Part One: Lima, Peru, Overview

Lima is located on the central coast of the country, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, forming an extensive and populous urban area known as “Lima Metropolitana”, bordered by the coastal desert and extended over the valleys of the Chillon, Rimac, and Lurin rivers. Lima has a subtropical desert climate and it is very humid in the winter and fall seasons and very warm during the summer seasons.  Lima was established in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro. At the beginning Lima was walled in its entirety, with only a few doors, allowing greater security for the people of Lima. The main threats were related to piracy.  As Lima grew, the wall lost its purpose and fell into disrepair and dis-use.  Pieces of the wall can still be found today, only on the north side of Lima. 

During the colonial period, Lima was the center of Spain’s power in South America. Peru was also the last Viceroyalty to gain its independence from Spain. General José de San Martin, declared Peru to be independent of Spanish rule in 1821.

The city of Lima has gone through seven urban reforms.  The Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, introduced the first plan, which emphasized developing the city center for the location of important political, religious, and economic institutions. The second plan was created in 1872, it addressed the growing population in Lima. During this plan, the walls that surrounded Peru were taken down. In 1948, more avenues and districts in Lima were created to also address the population growth of lima. In 1963 was the first time that the municipality of Lima was included in the planning of the city, before, it was the central government. 

Lima has a population of 11 million people which is equivalent to one third of the total population. The plans mentioned above were never able to entirely plan for the growth of the city, however, resulting in the city growing on its outskirts in an unplanned manner. This has resulted in population density, traffic congestion, and the lack of basic services. 

One of the fundamental issues are traffic and transportation. In Lima, the middle class constitutes 41.3 % of the population and the upper middle class which is 23.2% of the population have cars and only use public transportation when needed. This is because public transportation is considered as inferior or only for “poor” people. The lower middle class and the poor which are 24.4% and 6.4% respectively use public transportation because it is cheaper and more accessible to them. However, public transportation in Lima is flawed. The main public transportation in lima is called “El metropolitano.” It is a train that takes you throughout the whole city. However, it has long lines and it is usually crowded and dirty. There are also independent transportation systems such as Micro, which is a small bus that has routes around the city that are also used by the lower and poor social classes, and taxis which are generally used by the lower and middle classes. Due to Covid-19 there has been an increased use of bicycles for transportations. The government encourages the citizens to use bicycles and as of November of 2020, every Sunday some major roads are closed so bicycles can be used instead of cars.

 Lima citizens are diverse. Most of the lima citizens are mestizos and the language that is most spoken is Spanish. However, there are other ethnicities such as Amerindians and whites, as well as people from Asian descent such as Chinese Peruvians and Japanese Peruvians. There is also diversity in terms of language, the second most spoken language in Lima is Quechua. In terms of education, the Peruvian government has state schools however, the education system is very poor and most people from the middle class and higher social classes choose to enroll their children in private schools. Most of these private schools are catholic or Christian. There are very few secular schools and even the national schools are catholic.

Peru has a centralized government. The central government gives resources to the regions. The government palace is located in the center of Lima and all the decisions for the country are made in Lima. Peru has a multi-party system and has a unicameral congress. Therefore, tensions within the different parties prevent legislation to pass in congress. In November of 2020, President Vizcarra was impeached by congress six months before the presidential elections for a new president took place (Gonzales).He was impeached for alleged corruption during his term as governor of Moquegua. On November 11, 2020, the new president of Peru was the former head of congress Manuel Merino. However, Peruvians took the streets to protest the appointment of Manuel Merino as president because he had multiple cases of corruption. After days of protest and two deceased citizens a new president (Francisco Sagasti) has been appointed until the July elections of 2021 (Gonzales).

The city of Lima is a rich, diverse city. It has the remains of the pre-Inca cultures that formed before the Incan empire and were later conquered by the Incan empire in 1200 BC. as well as museums and statutes that commemorate the history of Peru. Lima was the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the largest and most important city in South America during the Spanish regime. After independence it became the capital of the Republic. Lima is also characterized for its delicious street-food. It is considered the gastronomic capital of South America. One of the most important facts about the city is that it has the oldest operating university in the Americas: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos founded in 1551. Some districts in Lima are a go to place for tourists. The district of Barranco is well known as the “bohemian” district. Its main attraction is “El Puente de Los Suspiros” which translates to “the bridge of sighs.” It also has a beautiful plaza and a Catholic church. It is also known for its street art and nightlife. The district of Miraflores is another neighborhood that is popular. Miraflores is right next to the Pacific Ocean and has the best parks in Lima. This is where most of the high-end restaurants and expensive houses and apartment complexes are. San Isidro is the district where most businesses are located. It is the closest thing to the suburbs in the United States. A very interesting neighborhood in lima is “El Barrio Chino” or Chinatown. There was a significant immigrant population from China and in this neighborhood, people can eat the best “Chifa,” a fusion between Peruvian and Chinese cuisine. Lima is a combination of the old and the new and it’s one of the most interesting cities to visit in Latin America.

Part Two: Character Overview

Isabel Ramos is a wife and mother of three school-age children, Maria, David, and Gabriel. She and her family are mestizo, of mixed Indigenous and European heritage, and practicing Catholics. Her husband Luis typically works for the city government as a civil engineer, but lost his job in January when new budget cuts took effect. Since then, he has  been trying to find a job as a civil engineer, but most companies stopped hiring when the pandemic began. His modest severance pay is not enough to keep the family afloat. Isabel works as a housekeeper in the city to supplement the family’s income, but she hasn’t been able to go into town and do her job since March. Luckily, a few of the families she works for have chosen to pay her regular wage without requiring her to work. Between their two sources of income, the Ramos family has almost enough to get by, but the pandemic is keeping them from living comfortably. Last week, Isabel came home from her trip to the grocery store to find a debt notice on their apartment door. With bills piling up and no additional income in sight, she and Luis are worried about providing for their children.

Isabel was raised in a large, working class family and takes after her mother, who was also a housekeeper. She is politically liberal, and supports government reform through increased transparency, reducing corruption, and promoting better public education. Her daughter Maria, who recently turned 16, is an aspiring political activist and organized youth in Lima to participate in protests that ousted former President Vizcarra. Though Isabel was nervous that her daughter might get caught up in violent protests, she supported her political activism and even went out to protest a few nights. Luis, who was raised in a middle class household, is more of a political centrist. He also supports government reform and is in favor of the new president, Francisco Sagasti. A member of the Purple Party, Sagasti is well known as a moderate and slightly left-leaning candidate with extensive experience in politics. Luis wishes Maria would stay home during the pandemic, but he’s glad to see young people becoming politically active like he was as a young man. David and Gabriel are twins who turned 13 over the summer. Both boys are usually very active, and play on their community soccer team when they aren’t playing soccer in their neighborhood. They’ve played some by themselves since the beginning of the pandemic, but after their summer season was cancelled they haven’t had any social outlet. They’ve also begun biking around town, but with most shops closed, there isn’t much to do. It doesn’t help that their school is fully virtual– David and Gabriel haven’t seen any of their friends in months, and they’re getting tired of being stuck inside. 

In a typical school year, Maria would take David and Gabriel to their bus stop and wait with them before and after school. Now that the boys are at home together, the kids are getting on each other’s nerves. Isabel and Luis don’t like to raise their voices around their kids, but without any social or recreational activities it’s getting harder to keep them entertained and out of their hair. Isabel has been pushing Maria to apply for jobs at the grocery store, saying that she could save up some money to buy a new phone or camera, but Maria isn’t interested. She just wishes David and Gabriel would get back outside with the soccer ball so she doesn’t have to hear them talk all day. They spend most of the day on their laptop doing schoolwork or playing games. If David and Gabriel didn’t have to share a laptop, school would be a lot easier. Maria spends most of her day at her private, all-girls Catholic school, which is small enough that it’s still holding in-person classes. Luis takes time out of his day to drive her to school in the used car they bought with money from savings, and then he goes into town to look for day jobs. Usually, he can find some repair work to do for the day to make some quick money on the side before he has to pick Maria up from school. 

Isabel and Luis both grew up in Lima and stayed in town to be close to their families, especially as their parents age. When Luis’ father passed away in 2017, they made the decision to move from their small house outside the city to his more centrally located apartment. At the time, this shortened Luis’ commute and gave Isabel access to more clients for her housekeeping services, but now they wish they had more space. With three bedrooms and one common room, there isn’t enough space for a family of five with three teenagers to move around. The Ramos family used to feel less cooped up when they could each go out and explore the city, but with the current stay at home orders that isn’t possible. They know something needs to change soon– this way of life isn’t sustainable.

Part One Bibliography

Aguilar, Hildegardo Córdova. “La Ciudad De Lima: Su Evolución y Desarrollo Metropolitano.” Revista Geográfica, no. 110, 1989, pp. 231–265. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40992600. Accessed 19 Nov. 2020.

Aguirre, Carlos, and Charles F. Walker, editors. The Lima Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Duke University Press, 2017. JSTOR,www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1134dvq. Accessed 11 Nov. 2020

CHAMBERS, BILL. “The Barriadas of Lima: Slums of Hope or Despair? Problems or Solutions?” Geography, vol. 90, no. 3, 2005, pp. 200–224. JSTOR

García Q., Ramiro, et al. “Desarrollo o crecimiento urbano en Lima: el caso de los distritos del Sur.” Peru Hoy, vol. 28, 2015, p. 25. DESCO Programa Urbano, https://urbano.org.pe/peru-hoy2015/. Accessed 11 12 2020

Gonzales, Luka. “In Peru, a hope that a new president, centrist Francisco Sagasti, can calm the country in crisis.” NBC News, 17 November 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/peru-hope-new-president-centrist-francisco-sagasti-can-calm-country-n1247978. Accessed 17 November 2020. 

“Perfiles Socioeconómicos De Lima.” Ipsos, 3 Apr. 2019, www.ipsos.com/es-pe/perfiles-socioeconomicos-de-lima. 

 “Lima.” Municipalidad Metropolitana De Lima, www.munlima.gob.pe/lima.

“The Shining Path: The Organization and Support of a Left-Wing Group.” Leadership Decapitation: Strategic Targeting of Terrorist Organizations, by Jenna Jordan, 1st ed., Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 2019, pp. 124–150. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvqsdmfh.9. Accessed 11 Nov. 2020. 

“South America: Peru.” The World Factbook 2020. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2020.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/index.html. Accessed 11 November 2020.

Part Two Bibliography

Aguirre, Carlos, and Charles F. Walker, editors. The Lima Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Duke University Press, 2017. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1134dvq. Accessed 11 Nov. 2020. 

The Lima Reader provides a general overview of history, culture, and politics that inform what a typical family in Lima might look like. This mostly relates to the Ramos family’s cultural and ethnic identity, which affects the way they move through the city and how they develop political opinions.

Beltrán, María Soledad Escalante. “The Relationship of Patronage and Legitimacy between the Catholic Church and the Peruvian State.” Democracy, Culture, Catholicism: Voices from Four Continents, edited by Michael J. Schuck and John Crowley-Buck, Fordham University Press, New York, 2016, pp. 169–176. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt175x2ht.18. Accessed 18 Nov. 2020.

This article demonstrates the significant influence of the Catholic church on Peru, especially on the culture of Lima. We selected the Ramos children’s names based on traditionally Catholic names. Their commitment to caring for their family and close-knit relationships are also related to this religious identity.

Durand, M. Jose. “Castas y Clases En El Habla De Lima.” Caravelle (1963-1965), no. 3, 1964, pp. 99–108. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40851572. Accessed 19 Nov. 2020.

“Perfiles Socioeconómicos De Lima.” Ipsos, 3 Apr. 2019, www.ipsos.com/es-pe/perfiles-socioeconomicos-de-lima.

Durand’s article on castas and these socioeconomic profiles of Lima informed the way we wrote the financial situation in which the Ramos family lives. Since their family is mestizo, they would likely not have access to the upper class resources and jobs available to white people, and that pattern of working and middle class identity would remain through generations.

Sánchez Aguilar, Aníbal Sánchez Aguilar. ““Migraciones Internas en el Peru.”” Organización para las Migraciones (OIM), vol. 1st, no. 978-612-46604-3-6, 2015, p. 180. http://www.oimperu.org/. Accessed 11 November 17.

This article describes internal migration in Peru, which helped us write about the Ramos family moving from outlying areas into the city. The convenience of living in the city and practicality of being near jobs is emphasized here and relevant to our characters.

Gonzales, Luka. “In Peru, a hope that a new president, centrist Francisco Sagasti, can calm country in crisis.” NBC News, 17 November 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/peru-hope-new-president-centrist-francisco-sagasti-can-calm-country-n1247978. Accessed 17 November 2020. 

As we wrote about the political identities of each family member, we referenced current events like the ousting of President Vizcarra and election of President Sagasti, which occurred while we worked on this project. This article mentions protests that led to Sagasti’s election, which were led in part by young people, inspiring Maria’s character.

Part Three Bibliography 

Durand, M. Jose. “Castas y Clases En El Habla De Lima.” Caravelle (1963-1965), no. 3, 1964, pp. 99–108. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40851572. Accessed 19 Nov. 2020.

Aguirre, Carlos, and Charles F. Walker, editors. The Lima Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Duke University Press, 2017. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1134dvq. Accessed 11 Nov. 2020.

Authors:

William W. Bryant,

Valeria Cóndor

Spencer Law