Cholas And Pishtacos Summary

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In Cholas and Pishtacos: Stories of Race and Sex in the Andes, Mary Weismantel provides an extensive, detailed understanding of cholas and pishtacos in the Andes. Through further analysis, Weismantel distinguishes the main difference between the two stories: the pishtaco is only but a figment of the Andean’s imagination, and the chola is an urban Indian women working in the city. The details about the pishtacos and the cholas will be carefully described with the symbolism of each figure. Secondly, this paper will contrast and compare the two figure’s roles and characteristics regarding sex and race. Finally, the changes of the cholas and pishtacos due to colonial enterprise will be discussed, also in terms of race and sex within the Andes. The estrangement of the cholas and pishtacos creates an uncanniness feeling for others within the Andean community. The cholas are incredibly …show more content…

Indians know a pishtaco when they see one because he is a stranger, and can easily be described as a white male with long hair, a big coat and large boots, and will usually be carrying a gun or a knife. A pishtaco can also be identified as a trades worker or a butcher because of the tools he possesses (Weismantel 2001, 194). The first few generations of pishtacos owned horses as modes of transportation, but now, in the more recent years, they own jeeps. Jeeps are another possession that anyone can own, but will pose a possible threat of being a pishtaco, as they are considered wealthy white men (Weismantel 2001, 186). A theme of violence often appears when discussing the pishtacos. Whether it is in a joke or in story-telling, Andeans know that violence is a tradition of the pishtaco. Close ties with militaries and politicians creates an “institution of fear”, so the social distance between Indians and whites is kept at large (Weismantel 2001, 7). After all, what frightens the Andean community the most, is the pishtacos

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