latin america assignment

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Online Introduction to Latin America

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History, Diversity, and Community in Texts, Images, and Sounds

William H. Beezley

The Online Introduction to Latin America  provides a primer that explores this fascinating region, demonstrating its absorbing histories of empires, colonies, enclaves, and nations; its vast diversity of peoples, landscapes, animals, plants, and cultures; and its multitudinous communities of nations, ethnicities, and localities. This syllabus offers a guide to readings and additional sources from the standard text Modern Latin America, Eighth Edition (Oxford, 2013), written by Thomas E. Skidmore, Peter H. Smith, and James N. Green.  The syllabus further explores the region’s diversity by drawing on video episodes from In the Americas with David Yetman (American Public Broadcasting),  and audio recordings and descriptions that deliver the sounds of it all, with links to musical selections from Oxford Music Online  (subscription required) ,  the Smithsonian Latino Center ,  and the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music .  These major sources are augmented with specific essays from the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History , additional videos and podcasts, and supplemental recordings. 

Each lesson follows the sixteen-chapter outline of the Modern Latin America text. Besides featuring the organizing principles offered by the text, the marvelous diversity depicted in the videos, and the sounds reproduced in the recordings, this Online Introduction places emphasis on the various communities that Latin Americans have built from shared nationality and ethnicity. Lessons also include two optional sections: “Added Dimensions,” which offer more complete political and economic information than what is available in the Modern Latin America text, and “For the Curious,” which illustrates the rich diversity, character, and heritage of Latin America. Successfully completing the Online Introduction will provide a bountiful source of information, experiences, and reactions, giving users valuable context for understanding the region.

For students using the Online Introduction as a course, or for individuals who belong to discussion groups about Latin America, each lesson includes a “Learner’s Practicum” that provides specific assignments suitable for individual study or collaborative work.

Part 1: Introduction to Latin America

READ Modern Latin America , Chapter 1: “Why Latin America?” pp. 3–15.

• Give particular attention to the section called “Ideas and Themes,” pp. 12–14.

       Added Dimension  “ State of Biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean ,” Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC) (2010).

For the Curious   Mary Kalin T. Arroyo et al., “ Biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Assessment of Knowledge, Research Scope, and Priority Areas ,” in Science for a Better Life: Developing Regional  Scientific Programs in Priority Areas for Latin America and the Caribbean, Volume 1 (2010); Laura Tlaiye, “ Expanding Financing for Biodiversity Conservation: Experiences from Latin America and the Caribbean ,” World  Bank Occasional Paper Series (2012).

WATCH   In the Americas with David Yetman

• Episode 301, “ ABC Islands: The Dutch Legacy in the Caribbean .”
• Episode 502, “ Trinidad and Tobago: Where East Meets West .” 
• Episode 603, “The Dominican Republic: Nation on a Divided Island” (episode forthcoming).

These video episodes of In the Americas demonstrate that the Caribbean region offers a microcosm of Latin America, with a megacity and rural life (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), ethnic and cultural diversity (Trinidad and Tobago), African ethnic and cultural influences (throughout the region), populations from outside Spain and Portugal (the Dutch islands), and biotic diversity (throughout the episodes).

LISTEN and VIEW   The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian Folkways, and the Smithsonian Latino Center have created a virtual exhibition featuring the diversity of Latin American and Latino music.

• “ Música Del Pueblo: A Virtual Exhibition of Latino Roots Music and Culture in the United States and Latin America ,” Smithsonian Latino Center and Smithsonian Folkways.

LEARNER’S PRACTICUM   For each lesson, please consider what the topic and sources mean to you, what information they provide, what new ideas they stimulate. Then, write at least 500 words or display in digital form your judgments with careful analysis and thoughtful revision, in one of the following formats: 

• An essay as a formal report.
• A personal blog that you may continue throughout the course.  This will enable you to write, if you choose, in a more informal style, and you can quickly review your thinking from various lessons. 
• An e-mail addressed to a friend or family member about your intellectual journey through Latin America. This format can allow you to adopt a friendly style and to write in the first person.
• Digital response : Using an online digital program such as 123D ,   SketchUp , Mapbox , Piktochart , StoryMap , or Moovly (all are available to users free of charge), create an interactive response, such as an interactive map of human, musical, or natural diversity, or an infographic that uses chronological and spatial changes to demonstrate relationships, or an animated example of the theme. This may be developed over several or all of the lessons. 

CONSIDER, WRITE, or CREATE

(Choose one of the following. Remember, you can devise a digital response to any of these exercises)

• Which of the themes discussed by the authors of the text, and alluded to by the host of the video episodes, seems the most relevant to providing an understanding of the region? Give specific examples that  demonstrate why it is appealing, and identify at least three reasons why it seems interesting, significant, and appropriate.  
• After reading, watching, listening, and thinking, do you believe the region is too diverse to be called Latin America? Why might the label be inappropriate? Do you have other suggestions?  Why is it accurate enough to serve? Use examples to support your conclusion.
• What surprised you about the introductory material on Latin America?  What five questions did this surprise inspire? What are supporting examples? Are there contradictory ones?
• Which of the themes seem most intriguing for a discussion with friends or family about Latin American diversity and identity? Give three reasons with examples that account for this conclusion.  

Part 2: Colonial Foundations

READ    Modern Latin America , Chapter 2: “The Colonial Foundations,” pp. 16–44.

     Added Dimension Interview with Terence D’Altroy by Peter Tyson. “ Rise of the Inca ,” NOVA (WGBH Educational Foundation, 2007).

• Episode 103, “ The Pride of Guatemala: Tikal of the Mayas. ” 
• Episode 204, “ Two Millennia of Mayas: Guatemala’s Cultural Legacy. ”

Read the “ Introduction to Latin American Music ” on  Oxford Music Online . Themes include 1. The conquest and the colonial period; 2. Indigenous music before and after the conquest; 3. Mestizo musics; 4. African-derived music; and 5. Iberian influences. 

Listen to the associated recordings described in this selection by choosing three musical performances representing indigenous, Afro-colonial, and Spanish music of the period. Recommendations include “ Hanacpachap cussicuinin ,”  “ Xicochi, xicochi ,” bata drumming and Orisha rhythms , música guajira , and the Gavotte in B Minor by J. S. Bach.

Listen to Bernard Gordillo’s Music of Spanish Colonial Latin America and Luann Johnson’s A Baroque Christmas in the New World . 

For the Curious  Examine and listen to the music discussed in Mexico: Music of Pre-Columbian Origin .  This collection surveys the archive of indigenous Mexican records housed at the National Indigenous Institute, (Instituto Nacional Indigena—INI). Its focus is the musical traditions that have remained intact since pre-Columbian times.

LEARNER’S PRACTICUM

CONSIDER, WRITE, OR CREATE

(Remember, you can devise a digital response to any of these exercises.)

• Did music make the conquest more than military victories and forced conversions? Or did music provide a method of resistance against European domination? Or did it serve in both ways, even in some cases for the same individuals? 
• How do the video episodes demonstrate the character of Maya culture and its legacy, or the Inca culture and its legacy?
• Were there characteristics of the Maya or Inca civilizations that contributed to the manner of Spanish conquest? What characteristics of Maya or Inca culture contributed to Spanish and European awe for these societies?  Does the survival of the Maya or Inca cultures demonstrate that the conquest was only superficial and little more than cursory political domination?
• What did the colonizing peoples bring to the Americas? What did the Americas send back to Spain, Portugal, and Europe?
• How did the conquest and colonial years change European understanding of the world? Did it increase understanding of diversity, or did it hinder thinking about the world’s fantastic features?

Part 3: Mexico: The Taming of a Revolution

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 3: “Mexico: The Taming of a Revolution,” pp. 47–78.

     Added Dimension  Jürgen Buchenau, “ The Mexican Revolution, 1910–1946 ,”  Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History.

WATCH   In the Americas with David Yetman 

• Episode 109, “ The Cry for Mexican Independence. ”
• Episode 201, “ Tultepec: Mexico’s Skyrocket Central .”
• Episode 503, “ Mexico City’s Markets: a Millennium of Trade .”

LISTEN   Oxford Music Online entry “ Latin America ”. 

Section I: “Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean,” and Section III: “Afro-American Music.” Watch and listen to “ A Mexican Sound: A Documentary about Mexico's Mountain Music ,” directed by Roy Germano (2013), and “ Mexico: Days of Struggle ,” by Judith Reyes (1973), courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways. Be certain to download the liner notes. 

For the Curious   Mexican life has been recorded in numerous collections of photographs. For additional information about one such collection available online, see Jonathan Saxon,“ Digital Resource: Getty Research Institute Digital Exhibitions and Portals for Mexico ,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History.

(Remember, you can devise a digital response to any of these exercises)

• Explanations of the course of Mexican history examine the intense regionalism of the nation, the intervention of foreign powers such as France and the United States, corruption of the political system, and the asymmetry of wealth and poverty, among other arguments. Based on the readings, videos, and audio material, discuss in some form the dimensions of Mexico’s history.
• Mexico is regarded as a Roman Catholic society. Discuss the role of the church in the nation’s history, with specific examples. 
• Fireworks, music, and markets festoon everyday Mexican life. Consider whether these and other aspects of popular culture reflect the national history and culture. If you conclude they do not, what do they     represent? 
• Consider the title of the text chapter, “The Taming of a Revolution,” and discuss whether it adequately describes the sequence of Mexican history. 
• An alternative question for the curious who consulted the Getty Research Collection: select and write an analysis of one the photographs from this portal.  (For the inexperienced, Jonathan Saxon’s detailed instructions on how to do this are included in the Appendix).  

Part 4: Central America: Within the U.S. Orbit

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 4: “Central America: Within the U.S. Orbit,” pp. 79–111.

      Added Dimension “ Augusto C. Sandino ,” available at Vianica.com.

• Episode 207, “ Panama: A City and a Canal .” 
• Episode 307, “ Nicaragua: Land of the Shaking Earth Emerges .” 
• Episode 401, “ Reefs, Ruins, and Revivals:  Belize’s Melting Pot .” 
• Episode 601, “Costa Rica” (episode forthcoming).

LISTEN   Oxford Music Online entry “ Latin America ” 

Section III: “Afro-American Music,” subsection 1. Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Listen to “ Songs and Dances of Honduras ,” and download the liner notes; listen to “ Music of the Miskito Indians of Honduras and Nicaragua ,” and download the liner notes. 

For the Curious   “ The Pros and Cons of Ecotourism in Costa Rica ” by Julie Dasenbrock, in TED Case Studies (2002). 

• Discuss the positive, negative, and at times counterproductive results of U.S. individuals and influences on the countries of Central America.
• Discuss how the sources (reading, listening, and viewing) illustrate the diversity of Central America. 
• Can social media contribute to mobilization of political or environmental groups in Central America? If so, how?
• Julie Dasenbrok wrote the TED essay on ecotourism in 2002. After reading it carefully, search for more recently published articleson ecotourism, and discuss how to revise this essay. Are the major conclusions, both pros and cons, still valid?
• How can the legacy of coffee, bananas, and Sandino in Central America be represented in a mosaic infographic? 

Part 5: Cuba: Key Colony, Socialist State

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 5: “Cuba: Key Colony, Socialist State,” pp. 112–142.

     Added Dimension  The Castro Speech Database , available from the LLILAS Benson Digital Collections, the University of Texas, provides full texts in English-language translation of speeches, interviews, and press conferences by Fidel Castro This archive stores the records of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS),  the government agency that monitored broadcast and print media around the world. There are more than 2,000 texts covering the 37 years from1959 to 1996. For an introduction to this and other digital sources in this library, see Kent Norsworthy, “ Digital Resources: The Digital Initiatives of LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, University of Texas at Austin ,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History .

• Episode 602, “Cuba: Havana,” (episode forthcoming).
• Episode 603, “Cuba: The East of the Island,” (episode forthcoming). 

LISTEN   “ History of Cuban Music ” from the World Music Network  

For the Curious  “ Rumberas y Vedettes .”  Jennifer Molina wrote, directed and produced this program about  Cuban women (mostly from Havana) who briefly became stars in cabarets and Mexican films during the 1940s and 1950s. The women had a significant, but understated influence in Cuban popular culture. The genre of the Vedettes/Rumberas ended with the Cuban revolution (2013).

• Randomly select five speeches by Fidel Castro from different dates, and determine if they contain common themes (a revolutionary discourse, you might say). How does Castro demonstrate knowledge of both domestic problems and international politics? Discuss these themes. 
• How do the videos show the effects of the U.S. embargo of Cuba?
• Describe the diversity and international appeal of Cuban culture, especially through its music.
• Discuss Cuban-United States relationships prior to the 1959 revolution.
• Develop a Cuban map with points that can be clicked to provide historical, cultural, revolutionary, or biodiversity information.

Part 6: The Andes (Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador): Soldiers, Oligarchs, and Indians

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 6: “The Andes (Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador): Soldiers, Oligarchs, and Indians,” pp. 143–183.

     Added Dimension “ Shining Path, Tupac Amaru (Peru, leftists) ” by Kathryn Gregory, Council on Foreign Relations (2009).

• Episode 106, “ Peru: A Train to the Clouds .”
• Episode 110, “ Peru: People of the Altiplano .”
• Episode 604, “Ecuador: Amazonian Region” (episode forthcoming).

Oxford Music Online entry “ Latin America .” 

Section IV. “Urban Popular Music,” subsection 2. “Specific Genres,” (ii) The urbanization of the huayno.”

Listen to “ Perú: Lista de Canciones ,” Bolivian Music Performance by Los Masis, and Traditional Music of Peru, Vol. 6: The Ayacucho Region ; download the liner notes.

For the Curious  “ The Great Peruvian Guano Bonanza: Rise, Fall, and Legacy .”

LEARNER’S PRACTICUM 

• Discuss how food, clothing, hats, and music define Andean communities.
• Discuss the effects and costs of wars on the Andean nations.
• Describe some of the common traits that compose an Andean culture within these three nations.
• Discuss the raw products exports from the Andean region and the markets for them.
• Create a digital infographic that provides the history of rebellion and of ethnic rights in the Andes.

Part 7: Colombia: Civility and Violence

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 7: “Colombia: Civility and Violence,” pp. 184–211.

     Added Dimension Óscar Parra, “ Digital Resources: Massacres and the Evolution of the Colombian War, ” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History .

  WATCH In the Americas with David Yetman 

• Episode 303, “ Colombia: Capital and Coffee .”
• Episode 407, “ Bogota to the Amazon: A Trip across Colombia .”
• Episode 508, “ Cartagena and a Hidden Palenque .”

LISTEN   “ Music of Colombia ,” courtesy of Wikipedia

 This article has examples of regional styles of music embedded in it. Listen to samples at Music of Colombia Various Artists . These recordings were made in 1951 by Dr. Andrew H. Whiteford in Popayán, in southwestern Colombia. 

For the Curious   A fantastic project of the National Library in Bogotá is entitled “ Cartografía de Prácticas musicales en Colombia ” (Cartography of Musical Practices in Colombia). The website is in Spanish, but even   those who cannot read Spanish can click to see and hear different regional musical genres of the nation. (Select specific music practices—e.g., “traditional,” “festivals,” etc.—using tabs on the introductory page. By   clicking, you will be re-directed to a map, and then double click on a specific spot featured on the map; this will take you to a different window in which you can listen to regional varieties and genres).

• Evaluate how political, economic, and cultural activities demonstrate the intense regionalism of Colombia. 
• Read this report on Colombia as one of the world’s five mega-diverse countries .  What surprises you the most about this report? Now compare this plant and animal diversity with the regionalism identified in the other selections on Colombia, and write about the relationship. 
• How do you evaluate Colombia’s political and economic violence in comparison with achievements in music (Shakira, Juanes, and Vallenato), literature (Gabriel García Márquez), television (“Beti la fea”—“Ugly Betty”) and international beauty pageants? 
• Show how you can add biodiversity, or political or economic regionalism, to the music maps.
• Is the violence (with the number of persons murdered) in Colombia interpreted differently than the murders and disappearances of persons in Argentina, Chile, and Guatemala?  If so, how and why? 

Part 8:  Venezuela: The Perils of Prosperity

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 8: “Venezuela: The Perils of Prosperity,” pp. 212–235.

      Added Dimension “ Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's Firebrand Dictator ” by  Christopher Minster in About Education (2016).

WATCH   Venezuela Vacation Travel Video Guide from Expoza Travel.

LISTEN   Oxford Music Online entry “ Bolivaran Republic of Venezuela ” 

Under "Selected recordings" listen to: Música folklórica de Venezuela , coll. I. Aretz, A. Fernaud and L.F. Ramón y Rivera, rec. 1959–68, OCORA 78 (c1975) [incl. disc notes]; Tierra de Cacao : Afro-Venezuelan music and dance , PAN 20363D (1999) [incl. disc notes by B. Duysens].

For the Curious See video and podcasts of Afrovenezuelan music .

• The authors of the text conclude that Hugo Chávez had a great resemblance to Venezuela’s nineteenth-century caudillos. How can you support this conclusion or dispute it?
• The Chávez regime claimed “discernibly positive effects” (p. 234). What does the list reveal about the programs of previous regimes in the Petro era? Discuss this, if possible, in terms of different governments. 
• How did oil define Venezuela, in both the domestic and the international imagination, and in terms of its culture?
• Discuss the Orinoco river system in Venezuelan history.
• How can the industria petrolera be presented through digital media to illustrate its significance to Venezuela?

Part 9: Argentina: Progress, Stalemate, Discord

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 9: “Argentina: Progress, Stalemate, Discord,” pp. 236–267.

      Added Dimension View the documentary “ Las Madres: The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo ” with Susana Muñoz (1986).

• Episode 404, “ From the Steppes to the Lakes .”
• Episode 408, “ Gift from the Andes, Mendoza Argentina and Its Wines .”

LISTEN Oxford Music Online entries Tango and Tango (ii)

At the website for “ Todo Tango ,” listen to the music and read about the history, stars, and songs of Tango. 

For the Curious  " The History of Tango " and its world popularity, (includes video and music inserts); Timothy Wilson and Mara Favoretto, “ Rock Nacional in Argentina during the Dictatorship ,”   Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History.

  LEARNER’S PRACTICUM

• Discuss the government of Juan Peróőn and indicate the role of Evita in his regime.
• Describe tango and soccer (this will require some Internet research) as the axis of Argentine culture, and how they represent the nation’s history. 
• Evaluate the history of the military in the nation’s history. Is it possible to discuss the military as a monolithic institution, or is it necessary to refer to the military within different contexts?
• Discuss the impact, with specific examples, of how Italian immigration helped to shape Argentine culture.
• Use digital means to represent the Pampas in Argentine history and culture. 

Part 10: Chile: Repression and Democracy

READ Modern Latin America , Chapter 10: “Chile: Repression and Democracy,” pp. 268–295.

      Added Dimension Watch “ Arpilleras of Chile: Stitching the Truth ,” with Marjorie Agosin; read Scraps of Life: Chilean Arpilleras: Chilean Women and the Pinochet Dictatorship (various editions).

WATCH   In the Americas with David Yetman.

• Episode 108: “ Chiloé and Chilotes: Proud Islanders of Chile .”
• Episode 202: “In the Shadow of the Volcanoes: Chile’s Melting Pot.”

LISTEN   Oxford Music Online entry “ Chile .” 

Martina and Maria Eugenia Diaz, “ Songs of Chile ,”  2004 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / 1957 Folkways Records (download liner notes); " Chile: Cueca " with Olga Guzman and Juan Negret (1974).

For the Curious “ La Nueva Canción : The New Song Movement in South America ,” with videos and music; Oxford Music Online entry “ Jara, Victor .” 

• Why did Chileans become known as the “Yankees of South America?”
• Use an image of an arpillera to create an interactive representation of the military regime’s repression of opponents or suspected opponents to the government.
• Discuss how music captured popular views of the Chilean people.
• Describe the different geographic zones and how they contributed to Chile’s national history.
• How has the Pinochet regime become a major example of efforts to correct, place on trial the guilty, and create an appropriate memory of Human Rights abuses in Latin America. 

Part 11: Brazil: The Awakening Giant

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 11: “Brazil: The Awakening Giant,” pp. 296–340.

       Added Dimension Politics of the Amazon Rainforest: “ About the Amazon ,” and " Look at This: Rain Forest Was Here " from National Public Radio.

  WATCH   In the Americas with David Yetman

• Episode 102, “ In the Mouth of the Amazon .”  
• Episode 105, “ Brazil: The Diamond Range .”
• Episode 208, “ Bahia: Brazil’s African Connection .”
• Episode 302, “ Bahian Reconcavo of Brazil: Quilombos, Candomblé, and the Mata Atlântica .”

LISTEN   Oxford Music Online entry “ Brazil .” 

Listen to Luiz Bonfá ’s album Solo in Rio 1959 and download the liner notes. Courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways.

For the Curious Brazilian Popular Music , in three parts: Part I. The Roots of Brazilian Music discusses the three major contributions to Brazilian culture (Indian, Portuguese, and African);  Part II. From the eighteenth-   century "música de barbeiros" (barber music) to the choro; Part III. A Brief History of Carnival and Its Music. For DVDs, check this site and the Sheila Thomson Collection of Brazilian Culture at Florida International University. 

• Discuss the role of the Afro-Brazilian population in the nation’s history.
• How can the Amazon River and Rainforest be represented in a digital medium?
• Discuss regionalism in Brazilian history.
• Discuss the regime of Getulio Vargas and how it changed the nation’s history.
• How did the 2016 Olympic Games illustrate the successes and problems of contemporary Brazil?

Part 12: Strategies for Economic Development

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 12: “Strategies for Economic Development,” pp. 343–369.

      Added Dimension “Colombia Takes Lead in Latin American Biodiversity Offsetting.”

• Episode 203, “ The Rainforest Nisei: Japanese Immigrants in the Amazon .” 
• Episode 504, “ Brazil’s Pernambuco: The Forgotten Interior .” 
• Episode 410, “ Favelas & Samba: Brazil .”

LISTEN “ 1776 Podcast: Emerging Entrepreneurship in Latin America ;” University of Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson School of  Public Affairs, “ Inspiring Social Entrepreneurs ,” Episode 26, “Interview with Mark Clayton Hand, Venture Partner, UnLtd USA and Adjunct Professor of Social Entrepreneurship."

For the Curious  View Dan Duncan’s “Carioca Entrepreneurs: Masters of the Micro Economy,” (selected clips are translated, and all of the interviews are transcribed). Available from the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Arizona .

• Discuss how the micro-entrepreneurs in Rio reflect or understand a sense of their local community. 
• Import-substitution industrialization on its face seems to be a logical policy for economic development. Discuss its successes and its ultimate failure in Latin America. 
• Is there a relationship between biodiversity and entrepreneurial success?  Give examples.
• How can programs to alleviate or to eradicate social inequality and asymmetrical distribution of income be modeled using digital programming?

Part 13: Dynamics of Political Transformation

READ Modern Latin America, Chapter 13: “Dynamics of Political Transformation,” pp. 370–395.

      Added Dimension “ Latin America’s Digital Divide ,” from Latin American Science, and “ Gaping Digital Divide Remains in Latin America .”

WATCH   The “ Democratizing Mexico’s Politics ” series of video interviews with Mexican political leaders, conducted by Roderic Ai Camp, on the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History website.

LISTEN   “ Uruguay: ¡A desalambrar! Tear Down the Fences! ” (2004) Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and download liner notes.

For the Curious Social Media and Political Mobilization: “ Mexican Presidential Elections: ‘Yo Soy 132’ Movement Shows How Social Media Has Changed Politics ,” courtesy of Policy Mic.

• Search the Internet for more up-to-date reports on the issue of the digital divide, and discuss what has changed from the readings listed in the section “Added Dimension.” What solutions are now being proposed? 
• Discuss the use of music for political mobilization and opposition to repressive regimes. (Read Timothy Wilson and Mara Favoretto’s essay “ Rock Nacional in Argentina during the Dictatorship ” in the Oxford  Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History ).
• Can you find other examples of the use of social media for mobilization? Give examples and discuss the success of the efforts. 
• Discuss the justifications used by political leaders for what the authors of the Modern Latin America text call “illiberal democracy.”
• How have leaders used popular culture, including music, to create populist regimes of both the right and left side of politics?

Part 14: Culture and Society

READ   Modern Latin America , Chapter 14: “Culture and Society,” pp. 396–430

WATCH In the Americas with David Yetman 

• Episode 101, “ Day of the Dead: A Mexican Celebration .”
• Episode 308, “ Pernambuco: Brazil’s Other Carnival .”

  LISTEN   “ In Brazil, Soccer Is a Way of Life ” reported by Melissa Block, NPR (2013).

For the Curious MTV Tres (stylized as tr3´s)

• Discuss the religious (especially Roman Catholic) inflection in Latin American culture. Your analysis  might consider the difference between formal and popular faith, expressed in music, instruments, meaning, and celebrations, and in popular groups such as the Folias de Reinos in Brazil, or the marujada, that combine and celebrate Portuguese maritime feats and the confrontation of Christians and Moors in which black performers dress in the white navy uniforms of Brazil. 
• Sport has a tremendous presence in Latin America (soccer, baseball, boxing, and professional women’s wrestling).  Compare the conclusions of the reading on Brazilian soccer with a reading on another sport (such as April Yoder, “ Dominican Baseball and Latin American Pluralism, 1969–1974 ,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History ).
• Use the Getty Research Institute portal to select a painting or group of paintings, and perform a visual analysis as described in the exercise for photographs. 
• Watch one of the movies from the Mexican Golden Age (these are available in numerous locations with subtitles), and discuss how the director and the actors provide the viewers with aspects of Mexican culture. For example, watch the classic “Vamanos con Pancho Villa!” available on YouTube . 
• Have developers used various Latin American cultures and stereotypes in their video games?  How successful are these games at presenting Latin American manners and mannerisms? 

Part 15: Latin America in the World Arena, 1800s–1980s

READ Modern Latin America , Chapter 15: “Latin America in the World Arena, 1800s–1980s,” pp. 431–459.

       Added Dimension The Guatemalan National Police Historical Archive Project. LLILAS Benson at the University of Texas is part of the collaborative venture that, in December 2011, resulted in the public launch of  the digital archive of the Guatemalan National Police Historical Archive (AHPN). This is an essential resource available for family members of those who were disappeared, legal authorities, human rights activists, and scholars interested in Guatemala’s era of military repression from 1960 to 1996.For an introduction to this and other digital sources, see Kent Norsworthy, “ Digital Resources: The Digital Initiatives of LLILAS Benson   Latin American Studies and Collections, University of Texas at Austin ,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History .

WATCH   The Modern Latin America text does not consider specifically environmental questions. Watch the In the Americas with David Yetman episodes for Brazil: 

• Episode 505, “ The Mata Atlantica: Brazil’s Other Rainforest .”
• Episode 305, “ Brazil’s Land of Sand .”

LISTEN   Sounds of the Cold War: “ Radio Moscow and the Western Hemisphere ,” (2004).  Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. 

For the Curious  Music, since the Cold War, has served to express political and social opinions, especially when other media have been closed because of censorship or repressive policies. For both this and the following chapter, listen to and watch the videos of the following performances: Mexican musical group Maná’s song “Cuando los angeles lloran;” Sting, “They Dance Alone;” Charly Garica and Serú Girán of Rock       Nacional Argentino. Listen to “ Brazil: Songs of Protest ” Zelia Barbosa MON00717, Smithsonian folkways (download liner notes).  For a discussion of music as a voice against political repression, see Timothy Wilson and Mara Favoretto, “ Rock Nacional in Argentina during the Dictatorship ,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History .

• Discuss the U.S. and Soviet efforts to shape attitudes in Latin America during the Cold War. 
• Discuss the interpretations of the Monroe Doctrine by U.S. presidents to justify their policies in Latin America. How did these policies assist the U.S. government in its efforts to consolidate its influence in the  region? 
• Review the Radio Moscow broadcasts to Latin America. What are the common themes of the programs? How do they attempt to give a persuasive interpretation?
• Select one of the musical selections from this lesson and write about it in historical context. 
• Discuss ways to make a digital presentation of information from the Guatemalan police archives. 

Part 16:  Latin America in the World Arena, 1990s–Present

READ Modern Latin America , Chapter 16: “Latin America in the World Arena, 1990s–Present,” pp. 460–485.  

      Added Dimension Administering justice for victims of the wholesale desecration of Human Rights has become an essential feature of contemporary Latin American society and politics.   The Human Rights Documentation Initiative at the LLILAS Benson at the University of Texas at Austin provides one of the most significant archives for the struggle for Human Rights around the world. It includes records   from Latin America, preserved in many cases with Latin American partners. For an introduction to this and other digital sources in this library, see Kent Norsworthy, “ Digital Resources: The Digital Initiatives of LLILAS   Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, University of Texas at Austin ,” O xford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History . 

WATCH “ Charting a New Course on Cuba ” (includes embedded video); “ The U.S.-Cuba Thaw .” 

LISTEN   “ Rio 2016 Olympic preparations damned as ‘worst ever’ by the International Olympic Committee ,” with embedded video.              

For the Curious Communities in Transnational migrations: Christian Krohn-Hansen, “ The Dominican Colmado from Santo Domingo to New York ,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History ; visit the website for El Museo del Barrio in New York. 

• Describe the new relationship between the United States and Cuba.. Does it suggest changes for all of Latin America?
• Discuss how families from different Latin American nations with members in the United States, Europe, or other countries have created transnational families and communities.
• Discuss human rights as one principle that must be included in the United States’ diplomatic relationships with Latin American countries. 
• Migration into the United States across the border with Mexico has created numerous issues of violence and crime. Read “ Violence and Migration on the Arizona-Sonora Border ” by Jeremy Slack and Scott Whiteford, and discuss this issue.
• Imagine and describe a digital program to represent the diversity of Latin America. 

Primary Source Research Analysis of Photographs 7

What is a primary source? Primary sources provide firsthand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Often these sources are created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring, but primary sources can also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later. Primary sources are characterized by their content, no matter if they appear, in micro?lm/micro?che, in digital format, or in published format. 8

Steps for Finding an Image on the Getty Portal

• Go to the Getty Research Institute’s online exhibition, Mexico: From Empire to Revolution .
• Click on the “History” tab on the left side of the screen. 
• Scroll through the images under the “Empire & Nation” tab or the “Revolution” tab displayed on the left side of the screen. 
• Each numbered tab under these headings will display a series of images at the top of the screen.
• Click on any thumbnail image to view a larger version of that image. 
• Copy and paste the following information into your Word document: Image, Citation information, URL (web address) 

What Your Assignment Should Include 

• Cover page. 
• Page with image and citation information. 
• 3. 1½ – 2 page primary source analysis.

ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY SOURCE 

Think about the significance of the primary source. Ask yourself the following questions to generate ideas for your analysis of the primary source. Is the photograph tied to a specific person, event, or theme? Why do you think the photograph was produced? Who was the intended audience? What can you learn from examining the photograph? How does the source assist you in developing an understanding of a particular topic covered in the course? Is there any text in the image? Why is the image important? Is there a person in the photograph? If so, how old might they be? What is the significance of their clothing, items they may have, or their surroundings? What questions might you have about the image (who, what, when, why, or how)? All analysis information must be answered in paragraph form. 1½ - 2 pages.

1. Thomas E. Skidmore, Peter H. Smith, and James N. Green, Modern Latin America, Eighth Edition (New York: Oxford, 2013).

2. David Yetman, In the Americas with David Yetman (Tucson, AZ: The Southwest Center, University of Arizona and American Public Broadcasting: 2016).

3. Deane Root et al., eds., Grove Music Online (New York: Oxford, 2016).

4.   The Smithsonian Latino Center . Capital Gallery, 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 7042 MRC 512, Washington, DC 20024. July 11, 2016. 

5. “ UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music ,” Smithsonian Folkways, accessed July 11, 2016.

6. William H. Beezley, ed., Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History (New York: Oxford, 2016).

7. An exercise developed by Jonathan Saxon, Antelope Valley College, CA. Used with permission.

8. primarysources.yale.edu  

Printed from Oxford Research Encyclopedias, Latin American History. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a single article for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 09 May 2024

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Kamala Harris’ biggest assignment is in Latin America. But she hasn’t gone there much

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Vice President Kamala Harris has spent just three days in Latin America since President Biden assigned her 15 months ago to tackle migration issues in Central America — half as long as First Lady Jill Biden devoted during a single trip to the region last month.

The lack of travel is a reminder of what some observers see as ambivalence from Harris toward a high-profile issue that is politically fraught at home and challenging abroad as she embarks Monday on a week of diplomacy at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. The issue of migration is certain to take center stage at the conference, a meeting of nations across the Western Hemisphere intended to showcase U.S. leadership in the region as the Biden administration seeks to tackle such complex challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Harris and other top U.S. officials have been scrambling in recent weeks to shore up attendance at the summit, which some countries have threatened to boycott over the Biden administration’s decision to exclude leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

“I don’t know if Central America is still a priority in the U.S. agenda ... in this electoral year,” said Alvaro Montenegro Muralles, one of the founders of a group called Justice Now in Guatemala, who met with Harris last year. That lack of consistent focus, which predates Harris, has been one of America’s problems in sustaining a long-term strategy, he said.

Specialists say Harris’ lack of engagement in the region — partly the result of unreliable governments she has to deal with there — has stymied her ability to cajole its leaders on a raft of policy challenges. Harris has also not been a key player in the intensive effort to persuade Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to drop his summit boycott threat, nor has she been deployed to Latin America like Jill Biden, who recently spent six days in Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica promoting the summit.

“She is not perceived as a credible person on Latin America,” said Michael Shifter , past president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. “She has not established herself with the Latin Americans.”

Kamala Harris sees solution to migration crisis in coffee beans, credit cards and Wi-Fi

Kamala Harris was asked to find ways to slow migration from and curb corruption in Central America. But it could take years.

Sept. 29, 2021

Biden asked Harris last year to address the so-called root causes of migration from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador as people in those countries, including children and families, fled in record numbers. Migration from the region has spiked due to a web of factors, including poverty, corruption, racism, disease, natural disasters and gang violence.

It’s a daunting task, one that Biden himself took on in 2014 when he was vice president under President Obama. Despite Biden’s vast experience as a leading foreign policy player in the Senate, he also failed to stem migration from the region or contribute appreciably to improving conditions there.

Though the issues are tougher today than a decade ago, many veterans of Latin American policy saw the opportunity for Harris to expand the assignment and position herself as a key player throughout the hemisphere, just as Biden had done, even before he was officially asked to work on Central America. The then-vice president traveled to Latin America 16 times over eight years.

“He was doing some tough diplomacy. ... It wasn’t go and show the flag and eat the local cuisine,” said Eric Farnsworth, who leads the Washington office of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society, a think tank focusing on the region. “That type of role is what many of us anticipated that the current vice president would be doing.”

Farnsworth credits Harris with bringing “high-level attention to some really difficult issues” in the three countries she was tasked with improving. But he also noted there hasn’t been much progress.

“Have we seen dramatic change in Central America?” he added. “The answer is no.”

Agenda for next week’s Summit of Americas in Los Angeles has firmed up. But not its guest list.

The Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles next week will highlight migration, COVID-19 and climate change. But its guest list remains a mystery.

May 31, 2022

A White House official who declined to be named said Harris has dug into the job, at least as it has been defined by Biden. The vice president has helped direct $1.2 billion in private investment to the three countries, announced an anti-corruption task force established by the Justice Department and a federal human trafficking task force, along with strategies aimed at better spending U.S. development dollars. The official said she has also played a key role in urging Caribbean countries to participate in the summit, where she plans to introduce climate and energy programs intended to help them.

The official said Harris will meet with business and civic leaders and expects to announce more private investments in the region at the conference. The official pointed out that the vice president has spent a day each in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, noting that it’s rare for an official at her level to visit the same place twice in a short period.

Harris’ travel has been limited in part by the pandemic and a series of unreliable partners. She made her biggest bet in Guatemala, spending a day there in June last year to meet with President Alejandro Giammattei. She pressed him publicly to support anti-corruption prosecutions, but the lead anti-corruption prosecutor, Juan Francisco Sandoval, was fired just six weeks after Harris and Giammattei exchanged smiles and handshakes.

The dismissal infuriated and embarrassed American officials who had put stock in Giammattei’s assurances that he wanted to combat corruption as much as Harris did.

It also deeply frustrated human rights and anti-corruption activists who met with Harris in Guatemala.

“The government is like the central piece of the corruption now,” said Montenegro of Justice Now. “They’re the ones that are attacking judges. They’re the ones making business with Russian guys.”

The trip quickly turned into a domestic political headache too. Harris was blasted by liberals and activists for telling would-be migrants to “not come” north because they would be “turned back” at the U.S. border. Republicans, meanwhile, sharply criticized her for not visiting the border when she traveled to Mexico after Guatemala. (She went weeks later.)

News Analysis: Biden trying to keep India close, even as it bucks him on Russia

India is rebuffing President Biden’s efforts to persuade it to join the U.S. and its allies in isolating Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

May 22, 2022

Harris has since pivoted to Honduras, making a brief trip to attend the inauguration in January of President Xiomara Castro in hopes that she will offer a more stable partnership. But that country’s problems also run deep. Former President Juan Orlando Hernández was extradited to the U.S. in April to face a slew of federal weapons and drug charges, a sign of how deeply embedded the drug trade is in the government.

Even if Castro proves to be on the same page with Harris in fighting that corruption, Harris’ engagement appears to have limits. A day after the vice president spoke with Castro by phone last month to discuss cooperation on economic and migration issues, Castro tweeted that she would not attend the summit unless everyone was invited.

The Times has covered the vice president’s political career since 1994. Since then, we’ve written over 2,500 articles on Harris, who is a California native and the first female, Black, and South Asian American U.S. vice president.

It is not clear whether Giammattei and Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, will attend. If they join the boycott, Harris’ reputation in the area is likely to suffer.

Human rights and anti-corruption activists in Central America have wondered why Harris was given such a difficult assignment. Some have speculated it was to undermine her political prospects. Others worry the political situation in the U.S. and in their countries has tempered her enthusiasm to wade into the region’s intractable challenges. Either way, such talk has eroded the faith of some reformers that Harris has the sway, or time, to create lasting change.

Manfredo Marroquin, a Guatemala-based human rights advocate, said he believes Harris has pulled back since her early trip to Guatemala because “she doesn’t want to expose herself” to the potential embarrassment of having her attempts at reform undermined by the region’s anti-democratic leaders.

“She knows the risk of having a setback,” he said.

Carmen Rosa de Leon, a human rights activist who is now living in Spain because she fears being jailed by the Giammattei government, said she likes some of the changes she has seen under Harris, including a greater focus on working with local groups to distribute humanitarian aid. Such programs can take years to develop.

The countries’ leaders, meanwhile, “are expecting that the Republicans are going to win” in the 2024 presidential election, Rosa de Leon said. “They’re expecting that they just have to wait” for a change in administrations.

Times staff writers Courtney Subramanian and Tracy Wilkinson and staff researcher Cary Schneider contributed to this report.

More to Read

Vice President Harris and Guatemalan leader Arévalo discuss immigration

March 25, 2024

Kamala Harris marks first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president, drawing some protests

March 22, 2024

Kamala Harris was tapped to fix the immigration crisis. Then the problem shifted

Feb. 5, 2024

Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter

Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Noah Bierman is an enterprise reporter focusing on clashes between red and blue states in the Washington bureau for the Los Angeles Times. He previously covered the White House and wrote for the paper’s national desk.

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Latin American Revolutions

Assignments

I make extensive use of the Moodle Gradebook : this gives you the ability to check your course standing at any time.  I’m happy to discuss your grade with you during my office hours.  Please just take the time to calculate your current standing using the grade allocation outlined below first.  While the individual grades and comments in the Moodle Gradebook reflect my evaluation of your course performance to date, you cannot rely on Moodle’s calculation of your course average.

Grade Components:

Professionalism & participation (10%):, participation.

Your active participation in class activities and discussion are crucial to the success of the course.  You are expected to come to class fully prepared to discuss the day’s texts; this includes bringing copies of your reading assignments so that you can support your ideas with specific examples, your completed historical analysis worksheets, and your notes and questions on the material.  You will be graded on the quality of your contributions to our class discussions.  Simply attending class without any further involvement in our discussions will result in a participation grade of “C” or “Satisfactory.”

You will be given the chance to evaluate your participation and make a case for what participation grade you deserve several times during the semester.  This is a chance for you to reflect on your involvement in the class, and to let me know how you feel you are doing.  I take your personal assessment very seriously.  Self Evaluation of Participation

Classroom exercises will include debates, primary source analysis, peer review, and short creative non-fiction. You will take a Map Quiz at the beginning of class on Monday, September 2 .   You must pass this map quiz (score of 75% or higher) to pass the class.  Anyone needing to take the quiz more than once may make arrangements to do so during my office hours.

Wikipedia Exercises

A few times during the semester you’ll write short blog posts about your developing Wikipedia research project.  In addition, you’ll be graded on keeping up with the Wikipedia training and research assignments.

Two Formal Blog Posts (6% Total)

Class notes blog post.

Class notes blog posts serve as a place for you all to synthesize the work of our intellectual community. You are all authors building a common understanding of our class work.

Latin America in the News Blog Post

Thoughtful analysis of a recent (past month) article about Latin American history or culture, which places the topic in historical perspective.  You’ll also do an informal, 3-4 minute presentation about your post.

Historical Analysis Prep (15%)

Studies suggest that interteaching – in our case, student completion of short, targeted historical analysis assignments before seminar, coupled with shorter, student-tailored lectures – can help students focus their attention and better prepare for class discussions.  They give me a sense of what you do and don’t understand from the day’s reading.  In addition, they let us devote more time in class to active learning.  As you read each day’s materials, please complete the corresponding Historical Analysis Prep.  These will form the basis of our active discussions.  I’ll randomly check one third of the class’ work every session, grading for completion and good effort.  On other days, I’ll collect all the sheets to give more detailed feedback on your work.

Primary Source Essay: Revolutionary Mexico (10%)

This short paper (750-1000 words) will allow you to hone your skills as a historian analyzing a revolutionary leader’s description of the political and social climate in Mexico.  Upload your pdf to Moodle by 9am on Friday, September 13.

Wikipedia Entry (14%)

For this project, you’ll identify a missing/overlooked topic in the history of Latin American Revolutions on Wikipedia that merits further coverage to expand the depth and breadth of articles on Wikipedia, and counter its systemic biases .  You must pick a topic related to class themes, and that has sufficient resources available to demonstrate your skills of research and writing.  Final project due on Friday, November 27 .

Midterm Exams (25% total; 12.5% Each)

Identifications, primary source analysis, and short answer. Exam #1 will be given in class on Wednesday, October 2 and Exam #2 will be on Friday, November 8 . These are the only times the exam will be administered.

• LA Rev Midterm 1 Review Guide FA19
• LA Rev Midterm 2 Study Guide FA19

Comprehensive Final Exam (20%):

Identifications, very short answer, and two take-home essays.  The final exam will be on Tuesday, December 10 at 9am .  This is the only time the exam will be administered, so please take this into account when making your travel plans.  LA Rev Final Exam Study Guide Fall 2019

Browse Course Material

Course info.

• Prof. Jeffrey S. Ravel

Departments

As taught in.

• Latin American History
• Modern History
• Cultural Anthropology
• Latin and Caribbean Studies

Learning Resource Types

Modern latin america, 1808-present: revolution, dictatorship, democracy, course description.

You are leaving MIT OpenCourseWare

• Hostos Community College Library

POL 207 - Politics of Latin America

• 0: Library and Citation Skills
• 1: Introduction to Latin America
• 2: Historical Overview Early History and from Independence to the Present
• 3: Historical Legacies
• 4: Political Economy
• 5: Political Culture
• 6: Political Actors and Structures
• 7: Midterm Exam and Writing Workshop
• 8: Revolution and Social Movements
• 9: US-Latin American Relations
• 11: Venezuela
• 13: Argentina
• 15: Final Exam and Final Paper

P OL 207 Politics of Latin America

Compiled by Dr. Helen Chang

This work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Course Catalog Description: This course analyzes and compares the history and political structures of capitalism and socialism in Latin America. Case studies include Brazil and Cuba.

Prerequisites : ENG 110

Learning Outcomes

The fundamental purpose of this course is to help you understand the historical background and the political, economic, and social structures prevalent in Latin America. At the end of this course, students will be able to:

• describe how the heritage of Western colonial and post-colonial exploitation of Latin America has led to current underdevelopment in the region
• explain how the nationalist period of the 1930s to 1950s was a response to Western exploitation, and led to the military dictatorships that were prevalent in Latin America from the 1960s to the 1980s, which led to the introduction of neo-liberalism
• communicate how some countries, led by Cuba and Venezuela, have searched for an alternative to neoliberalism
• discuss the above listed points with specific references to the experiences of the Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico

Along the way, you will develop several transferable skills that will help you beyond this classroom to reach your future academic and career goals. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Ethically cite all evidence and information that you use in your informal and formal writing in APA style
• Summarize and analyze what information is important and necessary to understand course readings, videos, and podcasts and what information is less important
• Locate and critically evaluate information in online news media and peer-reviewed articles
• Present strong written arguments supported by reputable evidence in your WI assignments
• Next: 0: Library and Citation Skills >>
• Last Updated: May 6, 2024 1:54 PM
• URL: https://guides.hostos.cuny.edu/POL207

Library Info and Research Help | [email protected] (718) 518-4215 Loans or Fines | [email protected] (718) 518-4222 475 Grand Concourse (A Building), Room 308, Bronx, NY 10451

Latin American Literature - Prof. Rodriguez Spring 2017: Your Assignment

Your assignment.

• Books/E-Books
• Academic Journals
• Web Resources

Choose ONE of the following prompts for your second essay:

• “The Latin-Americans found nature inextricably bound up with human problems.”
• (From Spanish Stories: a Dual Language Book , ed. Angel Flores, p.x)

Nature, of course, can mean many things.  What do you think the critic cited above means by the word?  Certainly nature is found in many forms in the stories we have read.  Write an essay in which you consider the applicability of this quote to at least two of our stories.  Be sure to engage with specific passages from the texts under consideration.  Try to examine the stories from as many relevant angles as possible (plot, theme, character, point-of-view, setting, symbolism, imagery, etc.) in support of your observations.

• Write an essay in which you consider the impact of religion on the Latin-American world.  You should examine this issue through the lens of at least two or three of the stories we have read to date.  Remember: religion can mean Christianity, or it can mean the belief systems of the indigenous peoples encountered by the conquistadores, or , it can refer to what happened when the two came together.  Be clear in the essay as to how you are using the word.
• The history of gender roles is substantially different in Latin-America from what it has been here in the U.S.  Select two or three stories that take up this issue and formulate a thesis about it.  Support your thesis with a close reading of the stories.

Regardless of which option you select, I would like your essay to be informed by research – either books from our library or sources found in our library databases .  Be sure to cite and document your sources properly, following MLA (7 th or 8 th edition) guidelines.  I encourage you to seek Prof. Tagliaferro’s assistance with the research component of this assignment.

NOTE: For guidelines about how to quote and cite sources properly in an essay about literature, I urge you to review the following links that have been provided by our library:

http://www.sunywcc.edu/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Parenthetical_Werner_1.17.pdf  

http://www.sunywcc.edu/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/mla_lit2.pdf

Due date: Due Wednesday, April 12 (posted by Noon).  Late papers will receive a grade penalty. 

Length: 6-8 pages (2,000 to 2,500 words).   (Add a Word Count to the end of the essay.) 

Format: Follow guidelines for essays to be submitted to the Beacon Conference.  (See Beaconconference.org.)  Double space and use 12-point Times New Roman font. 

Submission guidelines: Post to Blackboard; no hard copies required.

Point value: 50 points.

Representative Sources

1.) Latin American Literature and "Nature"

natur* latin america* liter*

Boling, Becky. "The Trope of Nature in Latin American Literature: Some Examples." Studies in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Literature , no. 2, 2006, p. 245. EBSCO host , lib-proxy.sunywcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.162620669&site=eds-live.

2.) Latin American Literature and Gender

Venkatesh , Vinodh. "Gender, Patriarchy and the Pen(Is) in Three Rewritings of Latin American History." Chasqui , no. 2, 2011, p. 95. EBSCO host , lib-proxy.sunywcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.280386777&site=eds-live.

3.) Latin American Literature and Religion

religious symbol* latin america* liter* (Also try "spirituality" or "existentialism")

Rubin, Jeffrey W., et al. "Lived Religion and Lived Citizenship in Latin America's Zones of Crisis." Latin American Research Review , vol. 49, 2014 Special Issue, p. 7. EBSCO host , lib-proxy.sunywcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=100986228&site=eds-live.

Assistant Professor/Electronic Resources and Technical Services Librarian

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• Last Updated: Feb 19, 2024 2:38 PM
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