San José Ojetenam
Encyclopedia
San José Ojetenam is a municipality
in the San Marcos department
of Guatemala
.
San José Ojetenam is located deep in the mountainous highlands of Guatemala
. It is located 2 hours by road from the nearest major town, San Marcos
/San Pedro Sacatepéquez
, and is between 8-10 hours from Guatemala City
, which is 325km (200 miles) to the east. As of 2008 the municipality had a population of 28,000 inhabitants, 3,930 of which lived in the town center. Politically, it is divided into 6 different micro-regions, which are composed of 68 different communities of varying size. The town center is located at the altitude of 3,050 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level, which makes the average temperature 16° Celsius (61° Fahrenheit), quite cold for tropical standards. However, due to extreme variety of elevations within the municipality there are some very temperate communities in lower elevations, and very frigid communities at higher elevations. In January 2008, for the first time in recent history, snow fell on the Cotzic pass, which is the highest point in the entire municipality (3,700 meters/12,000 ft. above sea level) During the rainy season (mid-May to mid-November) the town is regularly subjected to white-out conditions and constant drizzle because of cloud accumulation. Despite the inclement weather, the town offers many great vistas and hiking opportunities, especially during the dry season. San José is perched above several very beautiful river valleys, as the Coatan and Cuilco rivers both have major tributaries born in San José. And on a clear day it is possible to view as far as Volcano Agua to the east, the Cumbre plateau in Huehuetenango to the northeast, and the Mexican/Guatemalan Coast and Tapachula to the southwest. The two tallest points in Central America, Volcano Tajumulco and Volcano Tacaná are also both very close and are regularly visible from San José. Additionally, San José is the home of “El Prado,” a trout hatchery, which is a short walk away from the town center. El Prado has a hotel, a conference center, a playground, and visitors can fish in the pond and take small pedal boats onto the water as well.
In regards to the population, there is a pocket of Ladino
(people who belong to the Hispanic culture, and speak Spanish
) Guatemalans that live in the town center, and there are a few communities on the fringe of the municipality that speak in Mam
, a Mayan language
, and dress in traditional indigenous clothing, but the majority of the inhabitants of San José fall into a gray area. Ethnically, they fall into the indigenous category, as their ancestors were indigenous. However, culturally and legally, they self-identify as Ladinos, as this is a social advantage in society. The change of identity originated in the Guatemalan Civil War
, when indigenous peoples in the highlands were military targets. Many indigenous people, in San José as well as other places, started dressing more like Ladinos and started speaking solely in Spanish to avoid scrutiny from the army. This change became permanent in San José, and today the only language spoken is Spanish, with the exception of the very few outlying communities who still speak Mam.
Ojetecos, as San José residents are known, are mostly subsistence farmers. Their main agricultural products include potatoes, wheat, oats, beans, maize
, squash, avocados, peaches, and apples to name a few. These crops are also traded and sold during bi-weekly market days. The majority of income however, does not come from the agricultural sector, but rather from remittances. Most San José families have one or more member working illegally in the United States, sending back money weekly or monthly. The poorest families, those that cannot afford to pay for passage to the United States, usually send a male representative across the border to Chiapas, Mexico once a year, where they can find work picking coffee. These family members also remit their money, making the economy of San José wholly dependent on remittances.
San Jose is located near the municipality of Tacaná
, San Marcos, which borders Mexico
.
A variety of non-governmental organizations operate in San Jose to assist its people in agricultural projects, forestry projects, small business development, childhood education, and municipal development. Examples of these organizations include: The United States Peace Corps, Intervida
, CARE International, and Creciendo Bien. During 2003, the Cuban government deployed two nurses to assist the Guatemalan doctor and two Guatemalan nurses already staffing the municipal clinic.
In July 2005, the medical resources of that clinic were overwhelmed when an overloaded bus on the way to market veered off the road and tumbled 200 meters down the hillside. The bus was carrying more than 90 people. More than 30 people died in the accident. 50 more were injured. San Jose's ambulance was not working at the time because it had broken down after being repeatedly used to transport the town's soccer team to and from regional games.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the San Marcos department
Departments of Guatemala
||Guatemala is divided into 22 departments :#Alta Verapaz#Baja Verapaz#Chimaltenango#Chiquimula#Petén#El Progreso#El Quiché#Escuintla#Guatemala#Huehuetenango#Izabal#Jalapa#Jutiapa#Quetzaltenango#Retalhuleu#Sacatepéquez...
of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
.
San José Ojetenam is located deep in the mountainous highlands of Guatemala
Guatemalan Highlands
The Guatemalan Highlands is an upland region in southern Guatemala, lying between the Sierra Madre de Chiapas to the south and the Petén lowlands to the north....
. It is located 2 hours by road from the nearest major town, San Marcos
San Marcos, Guatemala
San Marcos San Marcos San Marcos (elevation: 7,868 feet (2,398 meters) is a city and municipality in Guatemala.It is the capital of the department of San Marcos.The municipality has a population of approximately 45,000.-Sports:...
/San Pedro Sacatepéquez
San Pedro Sacatepéquez, San Marcos
San Pedro Sacatepéquez is a municipality in the San Marcos department of Guatemala with territory of 148 km2 at 2033 m altitude. The population is 63 688....
, and is between 8-10 hours from Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, which is 325km (200 miles) to the east. As of 2008 the municipality had a population of 28,000 inhabitants, 3,930 of which lived in the town center. Politically, it is divided into 6 different micro-regions, which are composed of 68 different communities of varying size. The town center is located at the altitude of 3,050 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level, which makes the average temperature 16° Celsius (61° Fahrenheit), quite cold for tropical standards. However, due to extreme variety of elevations within the municipality there are some very temperate communities in lower elevations, and very frigid communities at higher elevations. In January 2008, for the first time in recent history, snow fell on the Cotzic pass, which is the highest point in the entire municipality (3,700 meters/12,000 ft. above sea level) During the rainy season (mid-May to mid-November) the town is regularly subjected to white-out conditions and constant drizzle because of cloud accumulation. Despite the inclement weather, the town offers many great vistas and hiking opportunities, especially during the dry season. San José is perched above several very beautiful river valleys, as the Coatan and Cuilco rivers both have major tributaries born in San José. And on a clear day it is possible to view as far as Volcano Agua to the east, the Cumbre plateau in Huehuetenango to the northeast, and the Mexican/Guatemalan Coast and Tapachula to the southwest. The two tallest points in Central America, Volcano Tajumulco and Volcano Tacaná are also both very close and are regularly visible from San José. Additionally, San José is the home of “El Prado,” a trout hatchery, which is a short walk away from the town center. El Prado has a hotel, a conference center, a playground, and visitors can fish in the pond and take small pedal boats onto the water as well.
In regards to the population, there is a pocket of Ladino
Ladino people
Ladino is a Spanish term used to describe various socio-ethnic categories in Latin America, principally in Central America.The term Ladino is derived from "latino" and usually refers to the mestizo or hispanicized population...
(people who belong to the Hispanic culture, and speak Spanish
Guatemalan Spanish
Guatemalan Spanish is the national variant of Spanish spoken in the Central American republic of Guatemala. About 9 million of the 13 million population speak Spanish...
) Guatemalans that live in the town center, and there are a few communities on the fringe of the municipality that speak in Mam
Mam language
Mam is a Mayan language with almost 480,000 speakers as of 2002, spoken in the Mexican state of Chiapas and the Guatemalan departments of Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango and San Marcos....
, a Mayan language
Mayan languages
The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras...
, and dress in traditional indigenous clothing, but the majority of the inhabitants of San José fall into a gray area. Ethnically, they fall into the indigenous category, as their ancestors were indigenous. However, culturally and legally, they self-identify as Ladinos, as this is a social advantage in society. The change of identity originated in the Guatemalan Civil War
Guatemalan Civil War
The Guatemalan Civil War ran from 1960-1996. The thirty-six-year civil war began as a grassroots, popular response to the rightist and military usurpation of civil government , and the President's disrespect for the human and civil rights of the majority of the population...
, when indigenous peoples in the highlands were military targets. Many indigenous people, in San José as well as other places, started dressing more like Ladinos and started speaking solely in Spanish to avoid scrutiny from the army. This change became permanent in San José, and today the only language spoken is Spanish, with the exception of the very few outlying communities who still speak Mam.
Ojetecos, as San José residents are known, are mostly subsistence farmers. Their main agricultural products include potatoes, wheat, oats, beans, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, squash, avocados, peaches, and apples to name a few. These crops are also traded and sold during bi-weekly market days. The majority of income however, does not come from the agricultural sector, but rather from remittances. Most San José families have one or more member working illegally in the United States, sending back money weekly or monthly. The poorest families, those that cannot afford to pay for passage to the United States, usually send a male representative across the border to Chiapas, Mexico once a year, where they can find work picking coffee. These family members also remit their money, making the economy of San José wholly dependent on remittances.
San Jose is located near the municipality of Tacaná
Tacaná
Tacaná is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of San Marcos....
, San Marcos, which borders Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
A variety of non-governmental organizations operate in San Jose to assist its people in agricultural projects, forestry projects, small business development, childhood education, and municipal development. Examples of these organizations include: The United States Peace Corps, Intervida
Intervida
Intervida is a non-partisan, non-denominational and independent Spanish development NGO. The organization is based in Barcelona.- Mission :...
, CARE International, and Creciendo Bien. During 2003, the Cuban government deployed two nurses to assist the Guatemalan doctor and two Guatemalan nurses already staffing the municipal clinic.
In July 2005, the medical resources of that clinic were overwhelmed when an overloaded bus on the way to market veered off the road and tumbled 200 meters down the hillside. The bus was carrying more than 90 people. More than 30 people died in the accident. 50 more were injured. San Jose's ambulance was not working at the time because it had broken down after being repeatedly used to transport the town's soccer team to and from regional games.