Why Are Only Certain People Called Peasants?

This morning’s Times (Feb. 25) had a front-page article that got me to thinking. It wasn’t the contents of the article but the reference to the word peasants. These particular peasants were from El Salvador. I searched my memory for other media references to calling some of the world’s inhabitants peasants. And this is what I came up with.

Most South American countries have peasants. England and France do not have peasants. There are Italian peasants as well as Chinese and Spanish peasants. We all know there are Russian peasants. I don’t recall hearing of Canadian, Australian or New Zealand peasants. And you know we don’t have peasants in the U.S.A.

How is peasantry bestowed on the peoples of the world? From my school days, I remember they were farmers who worked the nobles’ lands. Now these were definitely peasants. The school books said so. When France had its revolution, peasants became citizens.

I guess that is why we don’t have French peasants today. But, then, Russia had a revolution and that didn’t change the peasant’s status. Maybe the reason being that the French Revolution came before the advent of communism?

Are poor people peasants? Not all farmers are poor. Do we reserve peasantry for the Third World countries? Could the term apply to the homeless we’re hearing about in the U.S.A. today? Webster’s New World dictionary defines peasant as “in Europe, a worker who farms the land; agricultural worker; farmer; rustic.”

An obsolete definition: “A person considered inferior.” Perhaps the media will broaden their use of the word peasant to include all farmers, agricultural workers, and rustics regardless of national origin. We may even have some in our own country.

C.E. HILL

Huntington Beach