Latin-American Studies

Aztec refers to Nahuatl speaking people from the central region of Mexico. There are other groups who are related to this community they include the Acolhua and the Tepanic. This essay analyses the history of the Aztec people, their culture and how they survived the Spaniard conquest. The Aztecs were located in the south central region of Mexico. They lived in Mesoamerica highlands in the area of basins which are separated by dissected mountain ranges and eroded volcanic peaks. The Aztecs originated...

This paper draws on the view that migration has played an important role in the culture and history of the Haitian society. This has been characteristic of the settlement patterns through slave rebellion, therefore making Haiti the first black republic in the Caribbean. To understand the role of migration in this light, it is significant to note that since 1980, Haiti has seen its population increasing tremendously a factor that has been characterized by urbanization that favored migration of the...

According to Chasteen (2006), Latin America can be regarded as either having a single history or not. The twenty countries can be said to have a common history due to them being similar in more ways than one. When looked at from a different perspective, they can also be said not to have a single history because these countries history cannot be accurately and fully described in one story. This article will explore Chasteens views with the aim of establishing if his views are accurate. Jose Maria...

Research Proposal For my research, Id like to study the Landless Workers Movement (MST) of Brazil and how this group has impacted the land reforms and agriculture policies in the country.  I looked at the website of this organization and found that the group, as of May 27th, 2010, is switching its goal toward sustainable farming and agriculture. Due to this change, my propose thesis is In light of the MSTs future goals and past campaigns, a new struggle for more sustainable agriculture will...

It should be noted that Latin American Literature of the 20th century demonstrates perfect connection between the generations the Ancient and the Modern. The most noticeable literary figures use the rich history, mythology and spiritual bound between the generations in order to demonstrate strong connection of their nation with the events and people who lived in the Ancient times and differed a lot from the present day realities. Many authors want to reveal that the spirit of the Ancient tribes...

In her book, Junia Ferreira Furtado comes up with a fascinating research on the study of the world of a freed woman of color from a small town in Brazil where former slaves, itinerant merchants, concubines and Portuguese administrators interact across cultural and social lines. She represents Chica da Silva who is a child from a mixed marriage between a Brazilian military noblemen and an African slave from Costa da Mina and Chica da Silva won her freedom by using her marital and social strategies....

Providing useful insights about Peru as a country, nation, and society were the main facets of the lecture provided by Ambassador Marcela Lopez Bravo. The presentations showcased new perspectives in allowing viewers to recognize the evolution of Peru from its historical perspective and the different resources that makes it unique from other countries in Latin America. By providing these inputs accordingly, Ambassador Bravo provided increased not only the ideas of participants in the lecture but...

The films Cuba Va The Challenge of the Next Generation and Strawberry and Chocolate represent Cuban identity since the two decades of the Soviet Union collapse. This period is important because Cuba, an important ally of erstwhile Soviet Union, experienced transition in its identity, as represented by views of younger generation. Cuba also faced ire of the United States during the Cold War era. In the post Cold War era, Cuba showed changes in its identity. One particular section in the society began...

The earliest documented history of Haiti features foreign intervention, and such has remained consistent all through the centuries to date. The hand of foreign rule, occupation, and international tension has been heavy in shaping everything in Haiti, from the composition of its population to the social and political structures. Any developing nation has to grow through some measure of self-discovery by itself that features turmoil. However, when the process is perpetually interrupted and forced...

Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service, and its Centre for Latin American Studies, is undeniably, one of the nations most prestigious institutes for gaining knowledge on foreign relations. I have a keen inclination towards international relations and Latin American Studies, largely attributable to the events and experiences in the course of my life. I believe my knowledge, inquisition and interest on the subject to be the key reason in being awarded a coveted fellowship for graduate studies...

The 2000 film Thirteen Days, directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Kevin Costner and Bruce Greenwood, depicts the thirteen tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 during the presidency of John F. Kennedy. What made this event significant in world history was the crisis nearly brought the world at the brink of nuclear war, a war that everyone feared no one will win, let alone survive. The establishment of a communist regime on the island of Cuba approximately 90 miles from the continental...

The Lost City is a movie which tackles the situation of Cuba during the time of the pre-revolution up to the time of Fidel Castro.  The setting is in Havana in the year 1958, and the story is about Fico Fellove, the main character portrayed by Andy Garcia.  Fico is the owner of the night club called El Tropico, which is known to be one of the classiest clubs in Havana at that time.  This presentation of Havana depicted the economic and social status enjoyed by the Cubans before the...

The ongoing civil war and the ever spreading drug trade in Colombia are factors contributing to the gradual decline of the coffee economy in the country. Bean production has repositioned between different countries over the past half century, with effects of the phenomena varying from the making of supernormal profits by large multinational companies, to the almost opposite state of affairs amongst the smallholder coffee farmers themselves, not to mention the vast amount of environmental degradation...

Latin America is a vast region in the Americas where the main languages spoken include Portuguese, Spanish and some French. The region covers a geographical area of approximately 21,069,501 square kilometers. Latin Americas total population was estimated at over 586 million people in 2009 and its combined GDP at  4.26 trillion. The expected economic growth rate is more or less 4 for the year 2010. Latin America includes countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela among...

Political ideology, spirituality, the interconnectedness of life An Analysis of Ana Castillos So Far From God Ana Castillos So Far From God uses humor, burlesque to challenge the cultural stereotypes, perceptions that are dominantly held by people in Chicana. Through the weakening of her marriage, the death of her daughters and her aspiration for social activism, Castillo creates an image of a Mexican-American woman who defies all the olds against her and comes far stronger than ever before. To...