Blogs

I thought this week’s content was very interesting and in particular I enjoyed reading the Ruben Dario Poem to Roosevelt. As Dawson says, it resembles some ideas that can be found in Jose Marti’s “Our America” of Latin American excellence and I too would agree that Marti’s message is echoed in this piece. Personally, I … read full post >>

This Chapter focused on Latin Americas booming export industry and the changes it brought to Latin America. I found interesting on this chapter was the invention and use of photography. The photographic medium was invented in the nineteenth century and is strongly linked to modernity. “Photographs offered a powerful means with which to capture rality, … Continue reading Week 7: The Export Boom as Modernity read full post >>

I had never heard the term “Gilded Age” until recently. The title of this chapter alone tells us a lot. Gilded Age was an era where there were many serious social problems, which were all disguised with a thin gold gilding. In the previous chapter before this we are able to see the positive view […] read full post >>

From previous knowledge, I was led to believe that modernization for any nation would be a beneficial process. During the Industrial Revolution, which was a form of modernization, I was focused on the benefits rather than the harm is brought to Great Britain. For example, the Industrial Revolution resulted in cheaper means of production and […] read full post >>

This chapter helped me see that this economic boom in Latin America didn’t really help many Latin Americans and was only exploited by the rich. At the first glimpse of it, Mexico was stable without any powerful struggles within itself. However, with the middle class and its political needs leaning toward democracy, it was no wonder… Continue reading Week Eight – Sign of Crisis in a Gilded Age read full post >>

This chapter talks about the consequences that came along with the economic boom and technology advancement in Latin America. While the last chapter focuses on the positive aspects of Latin America’s economic boom and how they increased their exports and investments, this chapter focuses on the local conditions of how things have changed within the… read full post >>

The reading for this week revolved around the economic growth in Latin America during the 19th and the 20th century. As a person who has had next to no interest in economics, for the most part, I could hardly develop any interest reading 25 pages of text. But what I did like about the reading… read full post >>

I found this chapter really interesting as I had no previous knowledge about the Mexican Revolution or other uprisings in LA during that period. My initial impression of Porfirio Díaz was that he was a successful leader who introduced many positive changes to his country, but through this chapter I’ve learned that his leadership was […] read full post >>

This week’s reading tells the story of the crisis which often remains hidden in the shadows of wars. Due to such contrasting images created by the narrative, it is difficult to believe that the period of the crisis was the same as that of the export boom. The reading highlights the brutality towards the rural… read full post >>

While it is true that early 20th century Mexico fell into economic, social, and political crises after the fall of Porfirio Diaz in 1911 I believe it is unfair to portray all of Latin America as going into crisis when only one country starts to revolt. While it is true that the Mexican Revolution started […] read full post >>