Converse and a Poncho

Traveling for 3 weeks and having been in several different regions of Ecuador, I've found the clothing worn by Ecuadorians very interesting.  I didn't realize you can tell where a group is from based on the traditional clothes they are wearing.  For example, Ecuadorians from different tribes can be distinguished by their unique hats.  Many groups, such as the Otavalenos, have a very distinct way of dressing.  What surprised me even more, however, was the presence of American brands in Ecuador.  At the Saturday market in Otavalo, there are rows and rows of traditional Ecuadorian apparel. However, there were also stores that just sell brands such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, and Aeropostale. “New York” and “California” are printed on some of the shirts which made me curious as to how many Ecuadorians could even locate these states on a map. There were also little booths selling apparel that is traditionally American, such as Converse (what I did my globalization paper on!).  One day, in a market, I saw a woman wearing traditional Ecuadorian clothes.  However, I noticed her socks, which were not completely covered by her skirt.  The sides, in big letters, said "U.S.A." and had pictures of an American flag.  This clearly represents cultural hybridization; the tradition indigenous clothing is being mixed with United States symbols.  In Cuenca on my way to school, I walk through a market that sells children's clothes, may of which have English words printed on them. Yesterday, my host sister's daughter was wearing a shirt that said something like “when you wish upon a star...” I was confused by this; no one in the family knows enough English to be able to translate that phrase. Today, her shirt also had English words on it: “mystic girl” and “free time.”  These words, accompanied by pictures of flowers, make no sense.  Ecuadorians seem to wear brand names such as Hollister and clothing with phrases in English because that is what's popular in the United States.  It also allows them to distance themselves from the indigenous image, which is not seen as "popular" or "cool."  Because the demand for clothing representing the "cool" North American image is so high, clothing with English seems to be readily available.  And even though many of the consumers of these clothes have little to no idea what the words on their clothing mean (like in the example with my host niece), they buy it to "fit in."  And when "fitting in" means that native South Americans are wearing more North American clothing instead of traditional clothing indigenous to their country, the only explanation is cultural imperialism.