The Typewriter Behind the Nikon

A Project Proposal

Situated on the back patio of my aunt’s home, the scent of carne, pollo, cerdo, morzilla and chorizo float through the heavy Georgian humidity. My dad and his brother-in-law guard the grill under my grandmother’s careful blue eyes, deliberately placing and timing the ingredients of our asado. Inside the house, my aunt and my mother carefully prepare the patacon pisado (or tostones) and the essential white rice along with our key vegetables: yucca, papas, and maiz. Soon, the components meet at the long white table with spoons ready to be served.

As we savor the goods on our laps, we sit around, content with the company of our grandparents. Now, 2,100 miles from their birthplace, Bogotá, Colombia, all of the Castro Sanchez children and their families have met and indulge in the presence of their parents: Alvaro Enrique Castro Alarcon and Flor Marina Sánchez Garcia.

My father and two aunts grew up in the urban metropolis of Bogotá, and all ended up in the rural Oconee County. Once a year, my grandparents, who live in Colombia, are able to visit their children and their families in America. Back here, we pause and line up under my grandfather’s direction for a snapshot of the moment as we are dressed in white.

For as long as I remember, my paternal grandparents have shared many Christmases, New Years, birthdays, and even snow days with us. More vividly, I recall my grandfather: dressed in a dry fit polo tucked into a black leather belt hoisting his khakis over his waist. His New Balances guiding his walk and a blue Adidas baseball cap tilted slightly to the left sitting on his full head of hair. Usually seen with a black and red strap around his neck connecting to his Nikon: my Abuelo, always with a new insight, a lesson, or joke.

I remember him documenting our events with his camera always in hand. My father always told me my Abuelo was a journalist and photographer. For my Quinceañera (fifteenth birthday), my grandfather gave me a photo album filled with pictures from the past year and blank spots for those to come. He has always been well versed in the political topics discussed at the dining table and recalls historical events with ease and excitement. Also, his aptitude as a writer also permeates our birthday cards and even poems for our pets. I always associate him with this role and often wonder how it might have influenced him as he matured and eventually raised a family.

New Year’s Eve, 1935. A night to celebrate the memories of the year and anticipate the moments to come in the next. Also, an anxious night for Antonio Castro and Rosa Maria Castro Alarcon, the soon to be parents of Alvaro Enrique Castro Alarcon. The first of twelve children, Alvaro Enrique, my Abuelo, eventually became a key supporter of the Castro Alarcon family.

My grandfather’s parents came from two small towns called Ubate and Cucunuba outside of the capital. They moved to Bogota and my grandfather grew up there and then raised his children there. My grandfather lived in Bogota almost for his entire life except for a few years when he lived in Bucaramanga, in the early 1960s. My abuelo has always seemed to keep the history of the world well in his head; he has always remembered key presidents and events from the 20th century in both Colombia and the United States.

In his childhood, my grandfather would have remembered the second world war. While Colombia was not directly involved, the news kept constant updates. More importantly, he grew up during a period of tension known as “La Violencia.” Colombia had been dangerously partisan and the straining tension between Liberals and Conservatives finally snapped when the news of the murder of Liberal Presidential Candidate, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, transmitted throughout Colombia. Downtown Bogotá erupted in riots and violence. “El Bogotazo,” as it would later be known as, resulted in hundreds of deaths. My Abuelo was twelve years old and most likely remembered the historic event as a critical moment in Colombia. For the next ten years, alternating power and constant violence permeated and continuing discord in Colombia stuck with the people who grew with the consistent news. Leaders like Laureano Gomez and Rojas Pinilla constantly abused power and often hindered the rights of citizens. Finally, in 1957, a military junta ended the Rojas dictatorship and called for the National Front. The agreement would result in four year alternations between Conservative and Liberal Leaders until 1974. This attempted to end the constant violence between the two parties. My Abuelo would have been 23 after nearly 200,000 deaths resulted from “La Violencia.” He practically spent his teenage years under constant news of violence and uncertainty while studying and working.

The 60s came with drastic changes for my grandfather and even for the country. In the spring of 1962, my grandfather earned the opportunity to study journalism in Washington D.C. through a program in Colombia. Later in the year on September 29, my grandfather married Flor Marina Sanchez Garcia, my grandmother, in a Catholic Church in Bogotá. The following year, my grandparent’s first child, Alexandra, was born. Then they moved to Bucaramanga and later my grandfather again was offered to study in Washington D.C., and he would later come frequently to the U.S.

Then the second child, my father Alvaro Enrique, was born in 1965. Back in Bogotá, my grandparents worked and raised their children; however in the rest of Colombia, during Conservative President Valencia‘s term, the rise of guerrilla groups began. In 1964, Marxist guerrilla group, National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional; ELN) formed following the ideas of Che Guevara. Then in 1966, The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia; FARC) began to evolve from the resistance groups that formed during “La Violencia.” In 1966, Carlos Llegas Restrepo, the third National Front president, began his presidency, and in 1970, the last National Front president, Pastrana, was elected. At this point, general discontent with the National Front began to spread throughout Colombia especially in urban areas. In 1973, another prominent guerrilla group erupted, the M-19 (Nineteenth of April Movement). These groups were threats to society, committing crimes such as kidnappings, murders, and scare tactics. Also, constant news of drug trafficking spread throughout the nation. Cocaine cartels in Cali and Medellin controlled much of the country through bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings. These groups dominated the 70s, 80s, and even the 90s.

My grandfather and grandmother worked and provided for their family during all of this. They had their third child in 1974, while their two oldest children went to school in Bogotá. They went through multiple jobs and lived like most Colombian families would. Eventually, all of their children attended universities and graduated in Bogotá in the late 80s and early 90s. However, an opportunity in the United States arose for the two eldest: possible work in the land of opportunity. First, my Tia Alex left, then my father, both with their spouses. My grandfather stayed with my grandmother and their youngest child, Tia Cathy. Then in 2006, my aunt voyaged to America for a potential job and my grandmother moved to Madrid leaving my Abuelo in Bogotá.

This past summer, I traveled to my parent’s birthplace: Colombia. I visited my mother’s five siblings and aunts and uncles. I reunited with my paternal grandmother’s family in restaurants and homes. However, in our time there, we never made it to any of my Abuelo’s family. During my eighteen years, I have only heard stories of my grandfather’s family, but I have never met any of them.

Unlike most grandparents who travel together, mine are divorced. As a result, my Abuelo always resides with the Castro Padilla Family (my home), while my Abuela settles in with either of my two aunts. For several months, my grandfather becomes a fifth resident. He comes to parent-teacher conferences, soccer games, and band concerts; we play parques, chess, and cards. Yet, even after nearly eighteen years, all I knew of his past was his journalism and photography.

Through my project, I hope to gain a greater knowledge of my grandfather’s life growing up in Colombia. I will interview my paternal grandfather while he is visiting us from Colombia. Analyzing the historical events which may have prompted his interest in journalism and how they may have affected his daily life may provide a clear picture of my grandfather’s past as well as my father’s childhood. Also, learning about my grandfather’s upbringing will allow me to truly understand how his current personality has been morphed and adopted into what I see today. Like an asado, I aim to see how all these ingredients came together to form my family.

His interview will be arranged through these questions:

Working Bibliography

“Colombia.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica. britannica.com/place/Colombia/Conservative-Liberal-struggle-1840-80#ref25340. Accessed 25 Aug. 2018.

Related posts:

By all intensive purposes: a man appearing at times to be a woman, but anatomically speaking — a man. We are a team of six with multiple degrees, extensive veterans of ancient sites, working…

How dare I? How dare I judge others who are putting hard working into themselves. It is because of my envy. I yearn to have the dedication and skill of these jocks and jockettes. How dare I…

Digital marketing obviously makes heavy use of websites. but it seems most of the information you see online is more about writing blog posts for SEO and content marketing, not really how to optimize…