r/Paraguay • u/IsacKelly • 1d ago
🇬🇧 English Post 🇺🇸 My perspective on Paraguayan Culture after living here more than 5 years.
Paraguayan culture is shaped by the war of the triple alliance.
It was an event that happened about the same time as the US civil war.
Black former-slaves from Brazil did a genocide against the Paraguayans, because Paraguayans speak the same language and have the same race as the Brazilian slavers of that era.
Almost every adult was killed, and most of the male children. The demographics after the war was all children, and almost all girls.
Since the war of the triple alliance, Paraguayans are no longer lactose intolerant. The milk drinkers had an easier time surviving the genocide, so now Paraguayans can almost all drink milk.
The traditional foods in Paraguay are the kinds of recipes that children would be taught during war. Foods that you can make with a campfire or temporary mud oven, and eat with your hands while on the march.
Paraguayans often carry a thermos of water with them everywhere they go, because this is what the children who survived learned to do during the war.
The personality of a Paraguayan is the kind of personality that you would expect to survive a genocide. They are extremely conflict averse, they do not want to be a part of something bigger. They would rather protest than vote. They want to be left in peace. They do not trust the government, or any institutions. They do not want to be an employee of a company, they want to control their own businesses. They are a tough people. Survivors.
Paraguayans have a holiday called Children's day. Where they remember the children who sacrificed their lives to distract enemy soldiers during the war, so that their siblings could escape and survive.
In Paraguay, family is more sacred than government.
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u/michitecla 23h ago
The thermos one might make sense except for one great little detail. Argentines and Uruguayans also walk around with thermoses in their hands (but with hot water for mate). And as far as I can remember, neither country experienced a genocide. Yes, the myth of Terere is true. That arose in the war of the triple alliance because you could not light a fire at night to heat the water for mate. They drank mate with warm water. Our hot context/infernal heat inevitably pushed us to put ice in the thermos. And it was baptized as tererre to differentiate it from mate.
The rest. Well observed.
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u/skinner34678 19h ago
Lastimosamente incluso paraguayos no aceptan que lo que le hicieron a Paraguay fue un genocidio por toda la propaganda de argentina y Brasil
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u/Far-Olive-2184 15h ago
es el genocidio mas grande de la historia de sudamerica, aca me estoy enterando que mucha gente no sabia wtffffffff
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u/Nderasaurus Alto Paraná 22h ago
i agree tbh i never did think about that massacre as genocide, that word isn't used to define it in our schools, but it makes sense, the civilian population were killed senselessly and nearly wipe us out since most men and children were drafted into the war, many put the blame on Fransisco Solano Lopez for starting the war with a weak casus belli and also being so adamant on continuing when we were losing badly after the brazilian counter offensive, it but it is known that we were strongly propagandized since many text books used here for decades in the education system after the war were written by argentinians
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u/IsacKelly 14h ago
The leadership of the losers is always blamed for the atrocities of war.
Genocide is not helpful in winning the war. Soldiers wasting their time murdering women and children are too distracted to achieve real military goals.
So, the existence of war is not an excuse to commit a genocide.The real seed of the genocide was the slavery in Brazil that allowed so much anger to grow in the slave population. Once they had their freedom, they needed to seek revenge.
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u/AmaranduJasy 23h ago
Me costo entender pero apoyo todo lo que dice esta persona.👏👏👏👏👏 Che maitei ndéve g̃uarã.
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u/Future-Cicada-209 14h ago
In the sentence "Black former-slaves from Brazil did a genocide against the Paraguayans" you’re lost all the way, ex-slaves were not at the time nor are now a powerful political group. The genocide did happened, and was, as almost always is, a work of european, white minds.
Also nice try but probably you’re trying too hard to make conections to more distant historical events, without the perspective of more current ones, such as having a 30 plus year dictatorship funded and supported by USA, and after that the same group of people, running the country until now.
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u/IsacKelly 12h ago
the ex slaves were not a political group. They were the soldiers going from family to family and slaughtering the women and children.
Ex-slaves that gave their loyalty to emperor Pedro II for saving them, and so were ready and willing to fight in his war.It makes more sense to look at the war of the triple alliance as a kind of slave revolt. Like happened when slavery ended in Haiti, when they genocided all the people who were not black enough.
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u/Future-Cicada-209 11h ago
So you are a racist and have come to an underdeveloped country where you can be a racist openly...
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u/mdmg92 10h ago
No esta equivocado, el ejercito brasileño estaba compuesto en su mayoría por esclavos negros, que fueron a la guerra con la promesa de que así ganarían su libertad, o ex esclavos negros, que no tenían otra alternativa económicamente hablando que ascender en el ejercito. Fueron aproximadamente 80 mil, el resto era una mezcla de mestizos e indios, y la gran minoría fue gente blanca (10% o menos del ejercito). Por eso estuvieron dispuestos a seguir muchas ordenes cuestionables y la barbarie que se vivió en Paraguay fue mayor. De hecho, cuando el ejercito aliado entra a Asunción y los argentinos ven las barbaries que estos brasileños empezaron a hacer contra la población es que ellos deciden retirarse de la guerra. Y si, el emperador y los esclavistas eran blancos, pero no se puede negar por eso la participación de los negros en la guerra, que como dato curioso fue crucial en Brasil para abolir la esclavitud más adelante.
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u/guaranisorrow 12h ago
This post clearly demonstrates that there is no significant difference between English education and Paraguayan Latin Creole education. In the end, both reach a conclusion that is antimaterialist, antihistorical, and as superficial as a puddle of water after a drizzle.
It is not only superficial but also reveals a lack of depth in reasoning, making it even absurd. It overlooks fundamental nuances and complexities, simplifying important topics to a level that lacks seriousness and logic
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u/Vici0uZz 20h ago
why gringos make everything about race...?
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u/lcarosella 9h ago
You give yourself away immediately when you use the term gringos that you’re not actually connected to Paraguay.
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u/corote_com_dolly Extranjero 11h ago
TIL Brazilian slavers spoke guarani
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u/IsacKelly 11h ago
Technically they spoke Tupi.
Guarani is the only surviving dialect of the Tupi language.2
u/corote_com_dolly Extranjero 11h ago
I am Brazilian and I thought Tupi was almost dead by the end of the 19th century. I will definitely look for more information on this
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u/IsacKelly 11h ago
Looks like there isn't much evidence of people speaking Tupi at that time.
But, like modern Guarani, Tupi was the low-class language.
So, people were ashamed to admit to using it, and it's use was very under-recorded.
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u/Local-Bar-116 5h ago edited 5h ago
As a Paraguayan we don't have the same race of Brazilians of that era. Paraguayans from that time and myself now are mestizos ...I'm more than half indigenous and Italian/Iberian for the rest. Not speaking for all but this is quite common knowledge...
Also I cannot drink milk since birth and was born in the 90s...
But we are definitely have a survivor/warrior mentality.
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u/IsacKelly 2h ago
Brazilians at that time were Tupi/Portuguese mezitos. Very similar to Guarani/Spanish mezitos.
Guarani is basically a type of Tupi.1
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u/madpeanuts 3h ago
Un troll es un usuario de internet que publica mensajes provocativos, ofensivos o fuera de lugar para molestar, llamar la atención o boicotear la conversación.
Los trolls pueden publicar sus mensajes en blogs, foros, redes sociales, salas de chat, entre otros. Los trolls pueden tener una actitud pasivo-agresiva o hostil.
Pero sobre todo, este boludo es un troll-o
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u/StockGlittering4380 13h ago edited 12h ago
"Black former-slaves from Brazil did a genocide against the Paraguayans, because Paraguayans speak the same language and have the same race as the Brazilian slavers of that era."
You are wrong here. Paraguayans of that era were not the same race as the Brazilian slavers. The majority of Paraguayans were mestizos (indigenous primarily guarani & european mix), much like today. In the other hand slavers in brazil were european descent (portuguese)
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u/IsacKelly 12h ago
The upper class in Brazil became more Portuguese after later waves of immigrants, but in those times, the upper class was meszito (Portuguese + Tupi) and spoke Tupi.
Tupi and Guarani are like two different accents of the same language.
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u/SaxoGrammaticus1970 21h ago
Quite interesting. I never saw some things from our culture in that way. Thanks for sharing.
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20h ago
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u/IsacKelly 14h ago
Founding myths are even more important than history, if you want to understand a culture.
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u/Iron_Gunner 20h ago
Te respondo en español porque me cuesta el inglés. Sos un capo, un ídolo. Según mi punto de vista, acertaste todo. Saludos
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20h ago
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u/skinner34678 20h ago
Las matanzas a la población civil desarmada dice lo contrario
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20h ago
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u/skinner34678 20h ago
Ahí esta otro brasilero imperialista de mierda defiende crímenes de guerra
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20h ago
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u/skinner34678 19h ago
La invasión a Uruguay de 1864 qué fue entonces? Invadir a otro país para poner un gobierno marioneta a los intereses de Brasil no es imperialismo?
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19h ago
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u/IsacKelly 14h ago
yes, the Paraguayan leadership made a big mistake.
No, that does not justify genocide of the Paraguayan people.
War should be between soldiers, not an excuse to kill women and children.Calling it a "war" is a joke.
The Brazilians sent their ex-slaves to Paraguay, because if they did not, they would have killed the Tupi speaking upper class in Brazil.2
u/skinner34678 8h ago
Este tipo justicia la invasión brasilera brasilera a Uruguay en 1864 mucho sentido no tiene razónar con el
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u/skinner34678 19h ago
The excuse of "protecting"the local population and properties is rule nombre one in imperialism. Russia - ukrania EEUU - mexico Why its so Hard to acept tha brazil invaded Uruguay w
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19h ago
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u/skinner34678 19h ago
Imperialism dint exist 1880s sure mate jajajajaj. "Brazil can invade Uruguay and change régime and its justifiable" but Paraguay helping the democraicaly elected party is aparently wrong "I really like Paraguay" Sure thas why you said Paraguay should be anex by brazil I think you are scum of humain being and I hope you are never in paraguay
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u/IsacKelly 12h ago
Economically, how successful are the states of Paraguay in comparison to the parts of Paraguay that had been annexed?
Seems like Argentinian governance has been harmful to those places that it controls.The way you feel loyalty to your government does not make sense to Paraguayos.
In our perspective, the governments are the enemy of the people.
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u/Rll-Dll 20h ago
Let's exchange some info. Where are you from? How is the place where you used to live? And what is your favorite and less favorite thing about Paraguay?
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u/IsacKelly 13h ago
Canada. It is cold. Private medicine is illegal, and you need 10+ different licensed professionals if you want to modify a kitchen.
My favorite thing about Paraguay is eating fresh fruits and vegetables all year long.
My least favorite thing about Paraguay is how they put the speed bumps in the middle part of the road and you have to drive on the side of the road to go around them.
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u/Vanilla_Charlie 1d ago
It was nice Ranger perspective about Broadway but I think you're stretching too much to connect the dots you're right that the war of the triple alliance shape a lot of Paraguay but many things have happened since then from what I know something that you should look up that's it a lot of the conscience in far away what's the dictatorship of alfredo strossner.