In lak’ Ech—You are my other me and the American Dream Game

Powerful image by the cartoonist, Horsey, that represents the African American trajectory toward the so-called American Dream—and how divergent and unfair for African Americans in this country. As a teacher, I see this as both useful to instruction on the history of African Americans, but also as a potential classroom activity that could be done for other marginal groups in the U.S. like Mexican Americans, Asians Americans, Puerto Ricans, Central Americans, and Native Americans.

The ultimate point of understanding these histories is for all of us to acknowledge our shared humanity that the Mayans expressed as In Lak' Ech, meaning your are my other me. It includes the Golden Rule of do unto others, but expresses a deeper relationship to all life, including Mother Earth and the universe itself.

In lak’ Ech (Spanish)

Tú eres mi otro yo.
Si te hago daño a ti
Me hago daño a mí mismo.
Sí te amo y respeto,
Me amo y respeto yo.

In lak’ Ech (English)

You are my other me.
If I do harm to you,
I do harm to myself.
If I love and respect you,
I love and respect myself.

I suspect that the Golden Rule as expressed in the Bible and which is core to most, if not all, faiths always included this, but that culture in the span of time eviscerated this deeper understanding to which so many of us are now connecting, given an increasing awareness of potential biocide and ecocide thrust upon us by climate change and the pandemic.

Let's not mince words here, my friends. I am you. You are me. And we are all one with Source, meaning God, Creator, Pachamama, Wakan Tanka, Jehova, or the Supreme Being of your understanding. 

Pedagogically, particularly as taught in the Ethnic Studies classroom, this means decolonizing and disavowing white supremacy that is an ideology that has left no one untouched. That's what a good and virtuous education should ultimately teach—this ancient, life-saving wisdom that we are one with Source. It is with such a foundational understanding that we can all reach, individually and collectively, our greatest and highest good.

-Angela Valenzuela

#EthnicStudiesNow