Ever Since the first column with this topic, friends have been commenting and giving me suggestions on signs of a True Sanpedrano. There seems to be a lot of pride in considering oneself a Sanpedrano or Sanpedrana. And there is very good reason for this because in the 1950’s or thereabout, there were those Belizeans who tried to lower our self esteem by giving an air of superiority over the humble fishermen and coconut farmers. But it is these same humble people who bought San Pedro to where it is today and thus the pride of being a Sanpedrano.
NOTE: If today you find that you are a bit different, don’t worry about that. I am giving you the signs as it was 25 years ago. Here is another sign. Sanpedranos are a very united people. Whatever hurts one Sanpedrano hurts everyone. We just can’t see a Sanpedrano suffer. If his house gets burnt down, we will unite to help him build back his house as soon as possible. When a Sanpedrano dies, there is a sense of community mourning and everyone wants to go to the wake and assist the family in one way or another. Have you noticed that San Pedro is the only community in Belize where a coffin is not laid and transported in a vehicle? Rather it is carried by six men on shoulder and there are no selected Paul Bearers because everyone wants to volunteer to carry the body to the cemetery. That is the “United San Pedro” that I am talking about. Reminds me of this song: “NO man is an Island. No man stands alone. Each man’s joy is joy to me. Each man’s grief is my own?
Sanpedranos are very proud people. I mean very…very proud. Don’t say one bad thing in general terms about San Pedro because you get all Sanpedranos upset. Don’t say Sanpedranos are lazy, or thieves, nasty, dumb or anything like that because Sanpedranos will get upset. They always feel that their community is the best. In fact we in San Pedro do not even like it when a crime is reported in San Pedro and the media inadvertently reports a crime committed by a resident of San Pedro because we feel that it casts aspersions on all Sanpedranos. We would rather like to hear something like a crime was committed by a native of (name of community) who is living in San Pedro. Oh yes sir, that is how proud Sanpedranos are! I just love it, don’t you? I wish every community were so proud of their roots. We are so different in cultures and special in every way.
– by Angel Nuñez, Columnist
