Culturas Latinoamericanas INTRODUCCIÓN El mapamundi de Waldseemüller (1507) This sixteenth-century world map is the first to inscribe the New World as “America.” Students learn of its genesis and examine a high resolution scan. “El Grito” (1922) Peace treaty (1648) which helped to define European territories and set up state sovereignty. Mapas de América Latina What was the Cold War all about? Was it a struggle for ideological dominance, territory acquisition, communism? These articles explore the reasons behind the conflict.
EL NUEVO MUNDO Selecciones de “Carta a Luis de Santángel” (1493) Excerpted from the only document by Christopher Columbus published in his lifetime, this letter publicized the Admiral’s discoveries of a new route to the “Indies.” “Cantos tristes de la conquista” (s.XVI) Translated from sixteenth-century indigenous manuscripts, these three poems from Miguel León-Portilla’s Visión de los vencidos verbalize the trauma inflicted by the conquistadors of Tenochtitlan. El “Requerimiento” (1512) What legitimizes a “just” war? Students engage this iconic script that was spoken aloud to indigenous peoples as a last chance for them to declare loyalty to Spain.
“Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias” (1552) “For every single Christian killed by Indians, the Christians killed 100 Indians,” wrote Bartolomé de las Casas. Selections from his treatise to King Philip II demonstrate the friar’s adamant defense of indigenous peoples’ rights. Nueva corónica y buen gobierno (1615/1616) This interactive search of images provides an illustrated political and cultural history through the eyes of its multi-lingual author. Scans of the original text in Copenhagen match iconic images with Guaman Poma’s text. “Respuesta a la muy ilustre Sor Filotea de la Cruz” (1691) Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was not only a dedicated and cultured nun but also a writer of poetry, prose, and theater. Her cunning self defense carves out a unique place for her in colonial Latin American culture.
EL SIGLO DE LAS LUCES La expulsión de los jesuitas (1767) Until 1767, the Jesuits were one of the most powerful educational, scientific and cultural communities in the Spanish Americas. Selections from the orders of expulsion handed down by Charles III sketch out the impact their absence would leave. Selecciones de “A la arma, a la arma, guerra, guerra” (1768) This controversial poem was written the year after the Jesuits’ expulsion. What did Pedro José Velarde express in this poem that would send him to prison?
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Culturas Latinoamericanas Real expedición botánica del Nuevo Reino de Granada (1783) An online museum exhibit in Colombia celebrates the expeditions led by the famed botanist José Celestino Mutis.
“El grito de la libertad en el pueblo de Dolores” Acto segundo (1825) After establishing the good-hearted nature of Father Hidalgo in Act One, the second act depicts Hildadgo as a champion of independence from Spain.
Dos piedras: México (1790) During a series of renovations to Mexico City in 1790, valuable indigenous artifacts were uncovered, paving the way to greater knowledge and understanding of Aztec culture. León y Gama’s descriptions illuminate two of Mexico’s most treasured artifacts.
“La malinche de la Constitución” (1820) Originally published in 1812 during a time of political changes and the establishment of a new constitution in Spain, this tract explains new liberties afforded to indigenous peoples by the Constitution of Cádiz.
HACIA LA NACIÓN
RELIGIÓN
“Carta de Jamaica” (1815) What is the Bolivarian Dream? Writing to Englishman Henry Cullen, soldier, political thinker, and liberator Simón Bolívar explains the independence process and a plan for a new government.
Popol Vuh (2006) This eleven-minute animated film is based on the Mayan creation story, and synthesizes the triumph of brothers Hunahpú e Ixbalanqué over the oppressive underworld.
Disposiciones dictadas por Don Pablo Morillo (1816) Morillo was sent by King Ferdinand VII of Spain to pacify Bolívar’s revolutionary campaigns. This document provides a snapshot of the Spanish state looking to maintain imperial power in times of growing independence. “El grito de la libertad en el pueblo de Dolores” Acto primero (1825) In José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi’s two-act play, a war of independence is ignited by the words “Long live Mexico, Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe, Long live Ferdinand VII, Death to evil government!”
Presentación multimedia de Las Apariciones de la Virgen de Guadalupe Published by the official website of the Basilica of St. Maria of Guadalupe in Mexico, this audiovisual narration recounts the story of the Virgin Mary’s encounter with Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana Each year, thousands gather between Mexico and New York to run a race in commemoration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The event demonstrates how religious culture intersects with civic and political life. “Salmos” (1964) In the tradition of liberation theology, Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal reinterprets Biblical psalms in the context of Central American political conflict against neocolonialism in the twentieth century.
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Culturas Latinoamericanas RAZA Y CASTA Cuadros de Casta (s.XVIII) These eighteenth-century paintings provide visual insight to the complex racial and social stratifications of Spanish, African and indigenous peoples. Prólogo de La raza cósmica (1925) José Vasconcelos argued that the racial mixing of Latin America (with specific reference to México) was the foundation of a new cultural identity of strength and optimism. Susana Baca y la cultura afroperuana Afro-Peruvian singer Susana Baca became one of most important figures in the field of Afro-Latina music. Documentary footage and music videos visually contextualize her rich melodies and rhythms.
ESTADOS UNIDOS EN LATINOAMÉRICA 1898, “La mano del Coloso” (2005) As a reflection on colonial and neocolonial history, this comic book interprets the 1898 bombing of the USS Maine as a pivotal moment in U.S. and Latin American relations. “A Roosevelt” (1905) Writing during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío reflects on the invasive extension of the Monroe Doctrine. Listen to this recording and read along as the author celebrates the spirit of Spanish Americans against the impending threat of U.S. imperialism. Del buen salvaje al buen revolucionario (1976) Venezuelan intellectual Carlos Rangel interprets the political realities of Latin America, especially in relation to the United States. This introduction and first chapter present Rangel’s case for the region’s political realities and myths.
Las venas abiertas de América Latina (1971) At the 2009 Summit of the Americas, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez handed Barack Obama a copy of this classic text by Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano. This selection presents part of his critique of globalism and U.S. dominance in Latin America.
LOS AÑOS 60 “Lo que aprendimos y lo que enseñamos” (1959) On January 1, 1959, two and a half years after the conflict began to oust Cuban dictator Fulgencio Bautista, Ernesto “Che” Guevara celebrated victory with this letter. Ernesto “Che” Guevara: discurso ante la ONU (1964) In December of 1964, Guevara represented Cuba to the United Nations. This montage of selections from his speech exemplify the Revolution’s antiimperialist rhetoric. La novela del Boom Selections from the television program “En Memorium” recount a narrative of how the boom in Latin American fiction redefined a generation of cultural production. Authors such as Luisa Valenzuela and Tomás Eloy Martínez give their perspectives. El realismo virtual de Cien años de soledad (2007) The Chilean newspaper El Mercurio celebrates the fortieth anniversary of Gabriel García Márquez’s monumental novel Cien años de soledad. Learn about the author, the story’s main characters, and selections from the novel read by prominent Chileans.
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Culturas Latinoamericanas Selecciones de La noche de Tlatelolco (1971) Three years after the massacre of student protesters at Tlatelolco, Elena Poniatowska composed a selection of accounts, poems and newspaper articles in a testimonial history of the events of October 2, 1968. “Student Violence and Attitudes in Latin America...” (1968) Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, a robust collection of once classified U.S. government documents is now available. This document from the Department of State reveals its concern for student unrest in Latin American during the 60s.
RITMOS LATINOS ¡Azúcar! La vida y música de Celia Cruz (1925-2003) Celia Cruz prides herself on her Cuban culture with her trademark phrase “¡Azucar!” The link to the Smithsonian Institute gives a full panorama of the sweet success of the artist’s life, music and wardrobe. Víctor Jara (1932-1973) Following the September 11, 1973 coup in Chile, folk singer and political activist Víctor Jara was executed in a soccer stadium in Santiago. But Pinochet’s military dictatorship could not erase Jara’s legacy. Historia del Tango (s.XX) The tango’s evolution in twentieth-century Buenos Aires mirrors that of the Argentine capital city as an urban culture shaped by immigrants. Music, lyrics and dance blend to represent the complexities of this port city.
NUEVOS INDIGENISMOS El Subcomandante Marcos (2007) The masked Subcommander Marcos, leader of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), delivers a speech at the 2007 Encuentro de Pueblos Indígenas de América in Vicam, Mexico. Evo Morales en las Naciones Unidas (2006) Evo Morales became the first indigenous president of Bolivia in 2006. This speech before the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly is an artifact of his presidency. Textiles del Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú Weaving intricate textiles was one of the highest art forms for ancient peoples of the Andean region. This museum’s website showcases a collection of textiles, some hundreds of years old, from various time periods.
LA GASTRONOMÍA LATINOAMERICANA “Las tortillas de Lidiette” (2009) Corn is one of the most common foods of many Latin American nations. This video follows stepby-step directions of a Costa Rican woman making corn tortillas from scratch. Sabores de Lationamérica: un guiso argentino tradicional Quinoa is a seed that has been a staple carbohydrate for centuries in many parts of South America. As a food still associated with indigenous culture, quinoa is the defining ingredient of this traditional stew from rural Argentina. Recetas de GOYA Since in 1936, Goya Foods has brought the flavor of Latin food to the United States. Its website provides a set of recipes organized by region.
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Culturas Latinoamericanas CULTURA USA “Bilingual Blues” (1995) Poet Gustavo Pérez Firmat explores the ambiguity of “life on the hyphen” as a Cuban-American in the United States. Sonia Sotomayor These video reports from Univision tell the story of the first Latina to be nominated the the U.S. Supreme Court, and reflect on Sotomayor’s journey to this distinguished honor. Contando Historias In this documentary project, students from Centre College explore the stories of Latino families in Danville, Kentucky. Store owner Reynaldo Valencia, legal advocate Marilyn Daniel, bilingual newspaper editor Andrés Cruz, and Sheriff LeeRoy Hardin all share their experiences revolving around the Latino community in this rural town.
www.culturaslatinoamericanas.com © 2009 Soomo Publishing
