Assignment 7- Modern Latin AmericaBy Talitha Skarnas

Americas: Mirrors of the Heart: Race and Identity

Bolivia When the Spanish came to

South America they took over the Incan Empire.

They considered the indigenous people to be second-class citizens at best, and treated them as such.

The Indians were pressed into slavery, working in inhumane conditions both in silver mines and in the fields. This lasted as late as the 20th century in some areas.

In 1952 there was a revolution, which brought around a lot of changes. The indigenous people were made citizens and given the right to vote.

Mirrors of the Heart cont.

Dominican Republic Most of the people are a mix of African slaves and Spaniards. Being black is associated with their neighboring country, Haiti. It is

considered an undesirable thing. Part of their hatred of being black stems from an attempt in 1822 by Haiti

to invade the Dominican Republic. This invasion was associated with black people, aiding with the belief that being black is undesirable

Mulattos call themselves white or light Indian, instead of black. Blacks call themselves dark Indian, instead of black. The term “improve the race” refers to wanting your offspring to be more

white.

Mirrors of the Heart cont.

Haiti In the 1700’s French colony Haiti was the richest

colony in the Americas. It obtained this status as a direct result of its

African slave labor. In 1791 the slaves revolted, ultimately gaining

independence from France. This independence made it the first black republic

in the Western hemisphere. Haitians have a different perspective on race than

their Dominican Republic neighbors. They celebrate their ancestry, considering their

dark skin to be a desirable trait.

Mirrors of the Heart cont. The Spanish invaders found multiple

ways to force the native population to submission.

They forced them into slavery. Sometimes this slavery was in the form

of manual labor, sometimes it was as a pongo- basically a never ending indentured servant. The pongo was considered a living part of the hacienda (estate).

Women living in the hacienda were under the derecho de pernada. They were the hacienda owners property, and as such he had rights to any women on his estate.

They forced the women to wear Spanish clothing, such as the pollera dress.

Being white and in power, the indigenous people soon associated power and success with being white. Soon it was undesirable to be dark skinned.

The Second World - Part IIIChapter 14

South American had been colonized by Spain and Portugal.

North America supported the push for independence from colonial rule, mostly as a means of self defense.

The United States wished to expand their power, but not in the traditional way of overpowering the nation.

Instead, they intended to be more subtle, using their support of the rejection of colonialism as a way of getting their foot in the door.

The Second World - Part IIIChapter 15

Mexico’s proximity to the United States has been both a blessing and a curse to both nations.

The shared border offers Mexico protection. As a Mexican diplomat said “nobody is going to invade Mexico”.

However, with the growing trend of businesses and factories moving to cheaper locations in Asia, it has resulted in the loss of Mexican jobs, driving up illegal immigration into the US.

Mexican immigrants living in the US provide Mexico’s primary source of national income in the form of remittances.

The Second World - Part IIIChapter 18

Brazil

Brazil is South America’s largest nation by landmass.

It has a variety of agricultural exports, and is a world leader in airplane design and production.

Three-quarters of the country is urban, which inevitably lead to its statistic of having the highest rate of gun deaths in the world in 2003.

Like other South American nations it has a large disparity between classes.

This disparity between people living a first-world versus a third-world lifestyle, all within the same borders, balances out to a second-world nation that has big dreams of being a first-world nation.

The Second World - Part IIIChapter 19

After the initial European conquest of South America, Argentina was one of the most prosperous nations.

In fact by 1920 is was amongst the top 10 wealthiest nations in the world.

The nation emulated itself after its European settlers, earning it a reputation of beauty, sophistication, and arrogance.

Despite it’s attempts to be a first-world county, it has yet to succeed due to civil unrest, poor economical planning, and refusal to take responsibility for itself as a nation, instead depending upon other, richer nations to bail them out.

Isabl Allende Peruvian born Isabel Allende is a world famous

author. Her father was the Chilean ambassador to Peru, and

her stepfather was the Chilean ambassador to Argentina.

In 1973 she had to flee Chile after receiving death threats, and lived in Venezuela for 13 years.

She’s known for her books “The Hose of the Spirits” and “Ines of my Soul”.

She is considered the most renowned Spanish-language author, with books translated into more than 30 languages.

She has received multiple awards for her books, including Chile’s National Literature Prize, Author of the Year, and Novel of the Year- from several countries.

Gabriel Garcia Márquez Gabriel Garcia Márquez was born in Columbia in

1927. He was raised by his grandparents, who greatly

inspired the themes to his books. He is known for his short stories and novels,

including “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “Love in the Time of Cholera”.

He started out as a journalist, and was well known for being outspoken on political matters.

He was denied a visa to the US for many years due to his political views and famed friendship with Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

In 1982 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Allende#Awards

http://www.isabelallende.com http://www.notablebiographies.com/A-An/

Allende-Isabel.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Garc

%C3%ADa_M%C3%A1rquez http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/

laureates/1982/marquez-bio.html http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/

gabo_biography.html