America in Ecuador

Of all the observations you can make about the people of Cuenca and Ecuador in general, one of the most obvious is the prevalence of American brand names such as Fox, Abercrombie, and Aeropostale. This is shocking when you see how much these outfits cost, which is usually double what we would likely pay in the United States for the clothes, and many obvious bootleg “American brands” as well. This consumerism is not limited to clothes, however. Electronics are also in high demand, the Blackberry appears to be a necessary fashion statement in this country and with the standard Blackberry going for around 300 dollars it is a mystery as to how some people can afford them. The shocking cost of products can also be seen in appliances, such as televisions which are much more expensive that in the United States. From what I have observed and been told by Cuencanos, there is a false perception that Ecuadorian products are inferior, and therefore you will see many products made in South American countries, with an Italian or American label on them. It is certainly something that will be hard to overcome, but needs to change. Living with my host family, I was shocked to see the host brother and how much money he appeared to have. Every time he comes to the house he is showing me one of his very nice, tricked out cars with upgraded everything. I recently learned that he is in business with his uncle in the United States, buying and more or less flipping cars for profit. In the United States, we have always been considered a consumerist culture so observing the same thing in Ecuador was quite surprising. The idea of young people buying nice, stylish clothes is nothing new, but considering how much money they earn I wonder how it is possible. With people only making between 2.50 and 5 dollars an hour for a standard job, it seems as though it would be almost impossible to spend 300 dollars for a new phone and 30 or more dollars for a new t-shirt through the use of a payment plan.This shift towards consumerism appears to be more of a generational phenomenon, and one that primarily effects the younger generation. With the spread of the internet and Facebook, you can definitely see the detrimental effects of globalization. As the world begins to shrink and companies see an emerging market for their products it is possible to notice a cultural shift that will hopefully not change Ecuador too much. Hopefully Ecuador will be able retain its beauty and authenticity in the future.