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It’s strange that I have almost completed my first year of university without ever stepping foot on campus. I have enjoyed most of my first-year classes. I am Colombian but was raised in Vancouver. As a discipline Latin American studies interest me as it provides insight into a world that I feel both connected toContinue reading "LAST 201 Week 14: Conclusion" read full post >>

Well, this was a strange term, to say the least! Although this course occurred during a less than ideal time in human existence, I would say that it was still  really fun! Learning about Latin American history and popular culture in this class has truly helped calm some of that home sickness I feel for …

Continue reading "Reflections On One of the Weirdest Terms of My Life :)"

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Wow! I can’t believe it has already been 14 weeks since we first got together (virtually) and talked about popular culture. I have learned so much from this course and I’m very excited to share my knowledge with others – especially if it means I can tell them about why Latin American stamps are moreContinue reading "Week 14: The Final Goodbye :'(" read full post >>

This week, I was fascinated by the article “La Revolución Digital: Mobile Media Use in Contemporary Cuba”. Back when COVID-19 didn’t restrict travel (what feels like a lifetime ago), I went to Cuba with my family for a week. It was strange to be in a country that was so detached from the world. IContinue reading "Week 13: TV and The Internet" read full post >>

Nick Morgan’s take on Sin tetas no hay paraíso is particularly interesting to me this week. One of the most interesting points Morgan makes in his article is that film noir and narconovelas are similar in style and roles within society. In this article, the author remarks how film noir was originally viewed as sensationalist and …

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Sex, Soap, and Society: Telenovela Noir in Alvaro Uribe’s Colombia Growing up I remember my mom watching Colombian telenovelas all the time. Her favourite being Cafe con Aroma de Mujer (which literally translates to Coffee with the Scent of a Women). I was never allowed to watch with her so I never really got interestedContinue reading "Week 13: TV and The Internet LAST 201" read full post >>

I was excited to start looking into comics this week. As a kid, my parents would read me Turma da Monica every night before I went to bed. Although Turma da Monica doesn’t compare to Mafalda, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I really liked how each comic is very distinct from one another; forContinue reading "Week 12: Comics" read full post >>

Ever since I was little, my mom has been sharing Mafalda comics with me! We have entire books in our house full of Mafalda comics. This weeks’ readings on Mafalda and other Argentine comics are especially interesting to me because I have never realized how significant comics are to Argentinian society as a whole – …

Continue reading "Mafalda and Argentina’s Middle Class"

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Mafalda: Middle Class, Everyday Life, and Politics in Argentina, 1964-1973 The part I was most interested in from the readings was the idea of a constructed middle class. Who is the middle class? It feels like such a broad category, similar to the difficulties of defining who makes up the ordinary people in popular culture. Continue reading "Week 12: Comics LAST 201" read full post >>

The topic of this week made me feel pretty nostalgic, especially after watching “Moro No Brasil”. Since I moved away from Brazil at such a young age, I’ve always felt more connected to my home when I listen to music. Thinking back on it, I’m so grateful that my parents tried their best to exposeContinue reading "Week 11: Music" read full post >>