Blogs

Casta Paintings To me, one of the patterns that repeat itself the most in the Casta Paintings is the one where the rest of the characters in the painting are turned towards the light-skinned, Spanish person who’s more often than not a man. It makes sense for the painting to be organized in this wayContinue reading "Week 3" read full post >>

After reading the journal of Christopher Columbus documenting his accounts of his discovery of what know today as Latin America, my personal opinion of him has stayed the same in not diminished in the solid proof that he was the gateway for the colonisation that ensued after his death. Growing up, I was not educatedContinue reading "Week 2: The Collision of Two Worlds" read full post >>

Dear All, What an interesting week. It is difficult to say where my mind is at regarding the right and... read full post >>

Before attending my first Latin American studies 100 class, my knowledge of Latin America was small while curious. The little that I did know about it was from friends from Chile, Costa rica and Mexico. To have a place that encompasses so many different countries, cultures and tradition yet all being held under the umbrellaContinue reading "Week 1: Places that exist beyond Geography" read full post >>

Hi all. For this week’s blog entry, I will discuss some elements that caught my attention while listening to this week’s lecture from Jon Beasley-Murray. To commence, one thing that I find interesting about Empires and Imperialism is how such empires believe that conquest and territorial expansion will prove their culture and nation as victorious […] read full post >>

Today, almost every street in El Salvador will be the center of a great celebration: Independence. Big parades full of music, dances, colourful costumes, fireworks, and floats are planned every single year to commemorate the establishment of a “free nation”. When I ask myself, is El Salvador a really free nation? Are we owners ofContinue reading "Week 3| Independence: The Beginning of a New Colonial Period?" read full post >>

Like many of the mestizaje from Latin America, I am of mixed ethnicity; I am a Japanese-Irish-Danish-Czech Canadian. Born and raised in Canada, but with ancestors from different countries around the world, I heavily relate to the identity anxiety Latin America people hold within their history, culture and society.  Watching this week’s lecture was veryContinue reading "Week 3: Identity Anxiety" read full post >>

Catalina de Erauso is really a story of more than just gender, but she is also a story of the New World following the influx of conquistadores. Her ability to perform a variety of jobs such as lieutenant, merchant, and farmer reveal the pure amount of ... read full post >>

Catalina de Erauso is really a story of more than just gender, but she is also a story of the New World following the influx of conquistadores. Her ability to perform a variety of jobs such as lieutenant, merchant, and farmer reveal the pure amount of ... read full post >>

This Week’s Blog post discusses the myth surrounding Christopher Columbus’ discovery of Latin America in 1492 based on excerpts from his journal.  After having read his account and watched the accompanied lecture I was mostly interested in the argument that Columbus supposedly has had different expectations about his new discovery and that he might have […] read full post >>