RIGOBERTA MENCHÚ

Fuente: Wikimedia

She was born in Guatemala in 1959 andbelongs to the Quiche branch of the Mayanculture. She was very poor and suffered fromracial discrimination. Menchú received aprimary-school education as a student atseveral Catholic boarding schools. When shewas a teenager, she started participating insocial reform activities.

Then, she campaigned against theabuses committed by the Guatemalanarmed forces. She also encouraged theIndian population to protest for better lifeconditions. Several members of her familysuffered persecution, tortures and werekilled.

In 1981, she had to go into exile in Mexico.

Two years later, her life was published in a

book called "I, Rigoberta Menchú". In 1992,

she was the first indigenous person to get the

Nobel Peace Prize. She also received the

Prince of Asturias Award in 1998. Menchú is a

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

In 1995, Menchú married Angel Canil, a

Guatemalan. They have a son, Mash Nahual

J’a ("Spirit of Water".)

Vocabulary:

has devoted: ha dedicado - human rights(derechos humanos) - was born (nació) -belongs (pertenece) - branch (rama) - poor(pobre) - boarding schools (escuelas internado) -against (en contra) - encouraged (alentó) -better (mejor) - several (varios) - killed(asesinados)

Fuentes:

Wikipedia. (2016) Rigoberta Menchú. Recuperado de https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigoberta_Mench%C3%BA

Nobel Prize.org. (2016). MLA style: "Rigoberta Menchú Tum - Biographical". Recuperado de http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1992/tum-bio.html

(Diciembre de 2007). Peacemakers. The Teacher's Magazine. (98), p. 18.