A letter to Bartolome de Las Casas
Date: August 25, 1501
Dear Bartolome,
The order of the Spanish Crown has recently pulled me away from you. I fear that they are not to be reasoned with. They speak with a quick, harsh tongue, and it's quite hard for me to piece together what they're saying. Their actions, however, are words enough for me to understand their intentions. The punishments they give to any who fail to comply are the kind that my mother would be ashamed of me for repeating. After much begging, however, they have allowed me one last letter. This letter shall not be wasted on explaining my situation at the current moment, but rather on something of much more importance.
I've been wanting to talk with you about this for quite a while now, but have never quite had the courage. Since this will most likely be my last communication with you, I've decided that it would be best to put my mind to rest and share the thoughts that have occupied my mind for quite a while now.
After they managed to convert me to Christianity, I've been to church every Sunday without fail. The pastor at church always repeats something along the lines of how "all men are created equal by God". Lately, that phrase has been pounding in my mind, clutching my consciousness and forcing me to think about it every minute. Are us Tainos also considered as people, as men? Were we not created equal? Does this concept of equality not apply to other races?
It seems logical to think that we are men. Our build and stature might be a bit different from the likes of the people of the Spanish Empire, however our features are quite similar. We also have our eyes on top, the nose in the middle, and the mouth on the bottom. We, even though our cultures remained out of contact for thousands of years, all communicate with our mouths, even though the language is different. Yes, I think that it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to call us men as well.
The system we are currently in, the 'encomienda' system, I believe it's called, goes against that logic, I feel. Here, we are treated like dogs, like mere animals. I feel like all the lessons we learn in church are a double standard, all the rules apply to us, but the rules don't really apply to them. They can treat us like animals, but we must respect them as 'men'.
Bartolome, please do me a favor and look at this from a different perspective. You are a reasonable man, and I am grateful for how well you treated us compared to how they treat us here. I would be the most grateful man - as I quite believe I am one - in the world if you could look into this matter. Maybe you won't be able to help me specifically , but maybe you will be able to help the many who aren't yet in a situation like mine.
Yours, Juanico
Dear Bartolome,
The order of the Spanish Crown has recently pulled me away from you. I fear that they are not to be reasoned with. They speak with a quick, harsh tongue, and it's quite hard for me to piece together what they're saying. Their actions, however, are words enough for me to understand their intentions. The punishments they give to any who fail to comply are the kind that my mother would be ashamed of me for repeating. After much begging, however, they have allowed me one last letter. This letter shall not be wasted on explaining my situation at the current moment, but rather on something of much more importance.
I've been wanting to talk with you about this for quite a while now, but have never quite had the courage. Since this will most likely be my last communication with you, I've decided that it would be best to put my mind to rest and share the thoughts that have occupied my mind for quite a while now.
After they managed to convert me to Christianity, I've been to church every Sunday without fail. The pastor at church always repeats something along the lines of how "all men are created equal by God". Lately, that phrase has been pounding in my mind, clutching my consciousness and forcing me to think about it every minute. Are us Tainos also considered as people, as men? Were we not created equal? Does this concept of equality not apply to other races?
It seems logical to think that we are men. Our build and stature might be a bit different from the likes of the people of the Spanish Empire, however our features are quite similar. We also have our eyes on top, the nose in the middle, and the mouth on the bottom. We, even though our cultures remained out of contact for thousands of years, all communicate with our mouths, even though the language is different. Yes, I think that it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to call us men as well.
The system we are currently in, the 'encomienda' system, I believe it's called, goes against that logic, I feel. Here, we are treated like dogs, like mere animals. I feel like all the lessons we learn in church are a double standard, all the rules apply to us, but the rules don't really apply to them. They can treat us like animals, but we must respect them as 'men'.
Bartolome, please do me a favor and look at this from a different perspective. You are a reasonable man, and I am grateful for how well you treated us compared to how they treat us here. I would be the most grateful man - as I quite believe I am one - in the world if you could look into this matter. Maybe you won't be able to help me specifically , but maybe you will be able to help the many who aren't yet in a situation like mine.
Yours, Juanico
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