latin america 101 vanderbilt university center for latin american studies august 10, 2010 mnps...
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Latin America 101
Vanderbilt UniversityCenter for Latin American Studies
August 10, 2010MNPS Inservice
A little bit about CLAS…
• Designated NRC on Latin America in 2006 by US Dept. of Education, funding renewed in 2010.
• CLAS goal is to educate teachers, businesses and community about Latin America
• K-16 Outreach program offers workshops, institutes for all teachers. Teachers receive professional development credit and curriculum materials.
Why Does Latin America Matter?
Immigration Drugs Trade Energy Resources - Brazil world’s leading producer of ethanol - US imports more oil from Latin America than
from the Middle East
Where is Latin America?
44 countries in all
Countries where romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and French) are spoken
568 million people
What does latin america sound like?
Tremendous linguistic diversity
Hundreds of indigenous languages spoken
Indigenous languages co-official languages with Spanish in several countries
Languages of Latin America Portuguese is most
commonly spoken language in South America (193 million)
6th most commonly spoken language; 3rd most widely spoken European language
Brazil larger than continental United States (land area)
What does Latin America look like?
Fusion of European, Indigenous and African heritage
Guatemala & Bolivia - indigenous majorities
Argentina – 86% of European descent
Haiti – 90% Afro-Caribbean
Diversity in Art
Art of Latin America
Music
Film
Sports
Food
Mexican Rice & Beans ≠ Caribbean Rice & Beans!
Tortilla (España) Tortilla (México)
Food in Latin America
• Argentina eats more beef per capita than any country in the world (150 lbs. per person per year)
• Leading exports include coffee, bananas, sugar, fruits
CLAS Teacher Workshops Fall 2010
• 15 September “What Moves Them: Immigration and the Push Factor”
• 13, 16 October “A Celebration of Remembrance: Exploring the Historical and Cultural Traditions of Día de los Muertos”
• 10 November “The Maya: Language, Culture and History”
• For registration and more info go to www. vanderbilt.edu/clas/outreach/outreach-opportunities/
Claire P. González Outreach Coordinator, CLAS
www.vanderbilt.edu/clas