Lethem: Enterprise, multilingualism and the ‘GuyBraz’ effect

By Carolyn Walcott  –

If you speak only one language as a Guyanese who is aspiring to become a global citizen, just consider Guyana’s frontier neighbours. We are flanked by dutch-speaking Suriname to the east, Venezuela, our Spanish speaking neighbour to the west, and Brazil, whose native language is Portuguese, to the south.

It is perhaps fortuitous that Guyana sits as the only English-speaking country on the continent of South America, yet we are also experientially Caribbean. In addition, we are the Caribbean connection to the rest of South America. I believe that these are unique truths that often evade us as a people, who, too often, engage in physical and or mental escapism to the “developed world” where it is perceived that “milk and honey” awaits us as aliens who have actually left behind pots of undiscovered gold.
While I fully support the free movement of people as a means of socio-economic improvement, I do believe that awareness of one’s national terrain, including spacial features, makes one a better ambassador abroad. Basic knowledge about our national anthem and key attainments such as independence ought not to evade us even years after we depart these shores. However, my patriotic ramblings may not resonate so well with the younger generation who, having received very little socialisation, have limited reference from which to draw on.
Notwithstanding my latter treatise, I am also a believer in regional integration that redounds to the socio-economic benefit of all sides involved in the process.
There are times when I believe too that as a people, we also tend to ponder on what we do not have in terms of individual material wealth rather than consider the big picture called Guyana as a national and natural treasure. If not, why then do researchers, including anthropologists and ecologists, continue to find fertile ground for study?
The fact that our southern neighbour is the most populous and largest country on the continent, in addition to being an economic giant, puts us in an enviable position. After all, Guyana provides an interior gateway to the Latin American region with the potential to facilitate national and regional trade, and the free movement of people and goods particularly between Guyana and Brazil. For the purpose of this article, I’d like to linger for a bit on Guyana-Brazil relations at the level of people. I’m particularly interested in the enterprising activities that have emerged in the Lethem area, to the steady flow of Brazilians into Lethem for shopping purposes, and the creation of jobs for the migratory indigenous Guyanese population who commute from Bonfim to Lethem for work daily, and happen to be multilingual.

Enterprise in Lethem
After years of collaboration, discussion, mapping and perhaps bouts of exasperation, the Takutu Bridge that links Guyana and Brazil was officially opened in September 2009, thus paving the way for the regulated movement of Guyanese and Brazilians over the border. However, Guyanese and Brazilians have been enjoying cross-border transience and interrelations decades before the bridge became a reality.
On Friday, March 1, I made my maiden visit to Lethem, Region Nine, to explore the cultural integration that has come to characterise the Central Rupununi area, home to many of Guyana’s indigenous peoples, a growing number of coastlanders and a modest population of Brazilians. My journey to Lethem was also motivated by a curiosity to explore the GuyBraz phenomenon and its attendant features that include cultural intermingling of mainly indigenous Guyanese with Brazilians, whose offspring identify as Guyanese-Brazilian, hence the coinage ‘GuyBraz’.
The experience was enriching from the dimension of the emerging township that Lethem has clearly transformed into, and it was culturally inspiring from a linguistic perspective.
Among the many opportunities that the Takutu Bridge has evidently opened up, is the free movement of both Guyanese and Brazilians to conduct business with minimal hassle or language barrier.
At least 10 new businesses have sprung up in the last two years, thus creating jobs for residents of Lethem, including those who formerly resided in St Ignatius village but crossed the border to Bonfim in search of job opportunities.
Of the 10 stores I visited along the commercial zone, each attendant was a friendly GuyBraz.

Multilingualism and the GuyBraz effect
Based on my encounters with at least 20 persons who identified themselves as GuyBraz, they represented the younger generation offspring of Guyanese and Brazilian unions. Thankfully, I was accompanied on my trip by a colleague who is fluent in Portuguese, having completed her first degree in Brazil.
For this group, the ability to converse with Brazilians who traverse the commercial zone came with ease.
However, what may be considered an opportunity for some through language, is otherwise perceived as a threat to losing one’s indigenous culture and national identity as expressed by one elderly villager of St Ignatius and a teacher who formerly resided in South Rupununi but now lives in Boa Vista. They both believe that the cross-border migration is causing many to lose their native Macushi dialect and their sense of identity. However, there are those who have maintained their dialect, speak fluent Portuguese and communicate clearly in the English language.
But the loss of one’s language and sense of identity is not confined to the GuyBraz effect. It is a reality for others who have experienced very little socialisation in their country of birth, or migrated to shores where there is no strong sense of community among the migratory population.
Language forms part of that identity. Once I got over the border in a matter of minutes, I was pleasantly surprised to meet four Guyanese shop owners who have made Bonfim home for close to two decades. I quickly did an “independence test” to find out whether they could recall the date Guyana gained its independence or republic status, but neither of my GuyBraz friends could recall.
These encounters were a microcosm of a larger number of indigenous Guyanese who, through migration, appeared to be more ‘Braz’ more than ‘Guy’, having adopted a new home and assimilated within the new culture.
In my modest estimation, fluency in Portuguese equals increased job opportunities for persons like Francinette Antone, who manages the Lethem Digicel Office located along the commercial zone.
Antone’s dad is Brazilian and mom Guyanese, but she struggles to speak English.
However, her knowledge of both languages helps in the conduct of business for the telephone company which enjoys a favourable customer base that extends to Bonfim.

Emerging town
As a central business hub, Lethem’s residents are concentrated mainly in St Ignatius village, Culvert City and Tabatinga where housing development is on the rise. There is no doubt that the area is an emerging township that has a transient indigenous population that traverses the Takutu Bridge daily to work in new businesses along the commercial zone of Lethem.
This was evident from my interactions with at least 10 store attendants for whom job opportunities had opened up much to their advantage because they speak Portuguese. Business for the small pool of taxi operators is also lucrative due to daily air traffic services provided by domestic operators, including Air Services Limited (ASL). One driver intimated that he makes around Gy$40,000 on a “good” day.
In terms of information infrastructure, some residents enjoy cable television, while others view purely Brazilian programmes.
Digicel enjoys a substantial customer base, but the telecommunications company is also aware that it is competing with counterfeit brands that many are unaware of.
As I prepared to leave Lethem via ASL two days later, I could not help but ponder on the vastness of Guyana’s interior and the quiet of the community.
Thanks to Digicel, Air Services Limited and Youth Challenge Guyana, I was able to communicate effectively while visiting one of Guyana’s most traversed corridors, the gateway that promises to brighten our economic future.