Latin America Essay - 949 Words

Latin America Distinguishing cultures from one another has become increasingly difficult as various societies continue to intertwine and share their aspects of popular life. Constant exposure to US and other world cultures has changed the cultures of Latin American countries somewhat, but much of society remains unchanged. Moving to the United States from Latin America alters life a great deal, and keeping touch with one’s original culture may sometimes seem unimportant or simply impossible, but those who remain Latino instead of becoming â€Å"Americanized† are those who care the most for and have the strongest tie to the culture. Because the United States has long been involved in Latin-American affairs, â€Å"American† and â€Å"Latin†¦show more content†¦Keeping family close with several generations living in the same household is a tradition that continues to be maintained in Latin America, as does respect for elders; these are simply givens to Latin American children, much like wearing a uniform to school every day. Yet there still exists blurry line between the state of being, or not being, a Latino. Saying that a person must speak Spanish (or Portuguese) to retain his or her status as a Latino, for example, may be a bit harsh, but it contains an undeniable grain of truth. The common language somewhat levels the playing field by allowing social interaction between different groups of Hispanics; this fact remains true whether the setting is the United States or a Latin American country. Language also serves as a tie to the motherland—one’s own motherland, or that of his or her parents—that can’t easily be taken away. Another important factor is how hard a person genuinely tries to retain his or her culture. Living in Latin America, there is constant exposure to all things United States-an, but obviously living in the United States, in the hotbed of all the activity, makes losing one’s culture and adopting the United States ways of life easy. Though shunning al l things â€Å"American† is not necessarily the answer, resisting getting completely sweptShow MoreRelatedThe Culture Of Latin America Essay1630 Words   |  7 Pagesculture of Latin America is multi-faceted and rich. More than 300 million Spanish speakers reside in Latin America and are spread across a vast geographic region; this makes it tough at times to explain Latin American culture. Though, there are some living standards and ways of observing life which is in common all over the majority of the area. Latin America comprises of 21 main countries. Major languages spoken in Latin America are French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The Latin America region is aRead MoreThe Impact Of Latin American Culture On Latin America1656 Words   |  7 Pagesactive war zone, living in Latin America would be much like that. The war being fought here is very different, instead of fighting another country, they are fighting drugs. Although war is generally a negative thing, this one is not. In this war there are negatives, but the positives far outweigh them. Latin American countries have witnessed the very noticeable benefits of the drug trade in many aspects of everyday life. The use and production of drugs is important to Latin American culture, bringsRead MoreEssay on Women in Latin America1114 Words   |  5 Pages Women in Latin America were expected to adhere to extreme cultural and social traditions and there were few women who managed to escape the burden of upholding these ridiculous duties, as clearly shown in â€Å"Chronicle of a Death Foretold†. First, Latin American women were expected to uphold their honor, as well as their familys honor, through maintaining virtue and purity; secondly, women were expected to be submissive to their parents and especially their husbands; and lastly, women were expectedRead More US-Latin America Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pagesconceded to the United States their right of any intervention in the Western Hemisphere and allowed the United States to do whatever they wanted. The United States took this newly bestowed power and abused it. The United States intervened in many Latin American countries and imposed their policies on to these countries against their will. A perfect example of this aggression is what occurred in the Dominican Republic in 1904. The United States intervened in this sovereign nation and took controlRead MoreThe Latin America Debt Crisis1002 Words   |  5 PagesThe Latin America debt crisis What Happened Both internal and external for Latin Americas roller coaster economic performance in what was known as the crisis. During the 50’s and 60’s there was favorable conditions in place to maintain steady employment creation, capital investment and overall economic expansion. But this period ended in 1973 amid the first world oil crisis rocked the world economy and caused an era of debt-led growth among the oil importing Latin America countries. Latin AmericanRead MoreLatin America Revolutions Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesVienna, revolts plagued many European countries as well as several areas in Latin America. France was driven from Haiti, Portugal lost control of Brazil, and Spain was forced to withdraw from all its American empire except for Cuba and Puerto Rico. Colonial government in South America came to an end. Three countries where revolts were successfully established were Haiti, Venezuela, and Brazil. The countries in Latin America benefited from the revolts becau se they became free from colonial rule, butRead MoreThe Spanish Colonization Of Latin America Essay1270 Words   |  6 PagesBecause the Indians and Spanish lived in different areas in Latin America, the Indian culture and society did not change significantly. Or did there society change? The Spanish colonizers had a huge influence on the indigenous peoples of Mexico and Peru’s, culture, language, traditions, religion, even on their native food. One can say that this came into being shortly after Columbus discovered the New World. The Spanish conquistadors, who sailed with Columbus to the New World, were the first toRead MoreThe Economic Situation Of Latin America2506 Words   |  11 PagesLatin America is filled with countries that have such great richness in environmental, agricultural and cultural goods but unfortunately it is also the place where the majority of the countries have high levels of poverty and social inequalities. Latin America is the place where we find many natural wonders like the Amazon rainforest, the Andes, the Iguazu Falls and many other natural resources. However, the economic situation is one of the poorest in the world. According to the article, The PoliticsRead MoreThe Political Landscape Of Latin America Essay1471 Words   |   6 PagesGovernance in Latin America is punctuated with frequent periods of revolt and reform. The relationship between leaders and followers in Latin America is varied because the political landscape of Latin America is so diverse. This essay will focus on the relationship of leaders and followers in the caudillo leaderships of Juan Perà ³n, Simon Bolà ­var, and Aparicio Saravia. Juan Perà ³n was born in 1895 in Buenos Aires. He began military school as a young man and progressed through the officer ranks. HeRead MoreThe Spanish Colonization Of Latin America1270 Words   |  6 PagesBecause the Indians and Spanish lived in different areas in Latin America, the Indian culture and society did not change significantly. Or did there society change? The Spanish colonizers had a huge influence on the indigenous peoples of Mexico and Peru’s, culture, language, traditions, religion, even on their native food. One can say that this came into being shortly after Columbus discovered the New World. The Spanish conquistadors, who sailed with Columbus to the New World, were the first to