Week 1

Blog Post #1: Week 1

*Because of my love of economics and math, I like to name things arbitrarily to maximize clarity. In this blog post, I will label the video on Marti as A and the video on the uncertain future of Latin America as B*

In this week’s videos, I was particularly moved by two subject matters. Namely, I enjoyed the videos labeled as “Marti and Cuba” (A) and “Towards an Uncertain Future” (B). I think these two videos work perfectly with each other because of my belief that Latin America needs influential leaders such as Marti to cause a change in these uncertain times.

Let’s analyze the first video, A. In A, I was moved by the allusions to my geographical Caribbean partner, Cuba and its patriotic icon, Jose Marti. Jose Marti, venerated as the father of Cuban independence, is one of Latin America’s most famous leaders. He lived in exile in New York, earning his living as a foreign correspondent. Throughout the 1880s and early 1890s, it was through Marti’s gaze that Latin Americans were able to see and understand the United States. In essence, he was one of the gatekeepers between the New World (the economic powerhouse of the US) and Old World (the economically developing Cuba). 

Then, in the second video, B, I enjoyed the economic data they provided about the history of Latin America. Particularly, the way the footage analyzed the critical question of “How in fact do you reform institutions with long histories of corruption and mismanagement?” was awe-inspiring. It reminded me of the striking finding in a World Bank study called Understanding the Income and Efficiency Gap in Latin America and the Caribbean. Here, economists try to pin numbers into the fact that Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean could have been twice as productive, had they enjoyed the same level of efficiency in the capital and labor use as in the US. In this study, they conclude that a possible answer to the regions efficiency gap is that the region’s workers produce on average just a fifth of the output of a US worker. 

So, how do these videos/studies relate to each other? I think that they meet in the intersection of economics and culture: we need more capable leaders in Latin America. Learning from Marti, and having a comprehensive view on the uncertainty in Latin America, is essential to cause a change in this troubled region. The members of the diaspora are imperative to cause economic well-being.  

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Week One

Hey everyone! My name is Jessica and I’m an exchange student for this semester from the ANU in Australia. I’m super excited to be undertaking this course, however, I’ll be the first to admit that my blogging and web skills … Continue reading →

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Introduction: Who is Felipe Grosso?

Hi everyone,
My name is Felipe Grosso, and I’m currently going into my third year at UBC pursuing a major in Honors Economics with a minor in Philosophy. I’m very excited to start this endeavor with all of you. I think the best way of getting to know me is to understand what I want to dedicate my life to. My dream is to become a researcher in the economics of education subdiscipline. I have always been fascinated by the interrelationship between education and the discipline of economics. I believe that the fact that I’m studying at a university such as UBC entails a commitment to my country of Puerto Rico. Specifically, I feel the need to give back to those that don’t have the opportunity to study and learn at world-class institutions. My dream is to explore new ways of thinking about educational systems to decrease educational inequality in Puerto Rico. 
Now, why am I taking this class? Because I want to grasp a solid understanding of the cultural, historical, and societal context of Puerto Rico. And what better way of doing so, than to have a class on Latin American Studies. Because of this reason, the opportunity of participating in this experience is one that I cannot pass on. I’m excited for the chance to flourish with people who are committed to learning about our society and motivated to grow as fellow students. 
Thanks for reading!

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Introduction: Who is Felipe Grosso?

Hi everyone,
My name is Felipe Grosso, and I’m currently going into my third year at UBC pursuing a major in Honors Economics with a minor in Philosophy. I’m very excited to start this endeavor with all of you. I think the best way of getting to know me is to understand what I want to dedicate my life to. My dream is to become a researcher in the economics of education subdiscipline. I have always been fascinated by the interrelationship between education and the discipline of economics. I believe that the fact that I’m studying at a university such as UBC entails a commitment to my country of Puerto Rico. Specifically, I feel the need to give back to those that don’t have the opportunity to study and learn at world-class institutions. My dream is to explore new ways of thinking about educational systems to decrease educational inequality in Puerto Rico. 
Now, why am I taking this class? Because I want to grasp a solid understanding of the cultural, historical, and societal context of Puerto Rico. And what better way of doing so, than to have a class on Latin American Studies. Because of this reason, the opportunity of participating in this experience is one that I cannot pass on. I’m excited for the chance to flourish with people who are committed to learning about our society and motivated to grow as fellow students. 
Thanks for reading!

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Characterization of Columbus

Christopher Columbus has long been celebrated as a hero, a brave adventurer, many cartoon exists showing him and his men who bear gifts to the indigenous peoples of the lands he “discovered”. Children’s books tell stories of friendship and growth. All the pictures show smiles and vibrancy. As society becomes more  culturally sensitive it delves […]

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Week 1: Latin America’s Essence

“Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it.” Beautiful, succinct and to-the-point; Gabriel Garcia Marquez opens his acclaimed autobiography, Living to Tell the Tale, with a simple sentence, that I believe, captures the essence of Latin America; Storytelling. All of Marquez’s books celebrateContinue reading “Week 1: Latin America’s Essence”

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About Me/ Student Videos Response

Hi there! A brief introduction: My name is Magalee and I am in my second year of Kinesiology. This is my first time taking a Latin American Studies class and I am super stoked to be here! I am especially excited to learn about Latin American history and culture through an academic perspective, as I …

Continue reading “About Me/ Student Videos Response”

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The Meeting of Two Worlds

Hello All, Back already you ask? Yes! I have some exciting and controversial opinions to share. I have just finished…

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Welcome to the Jungle

Hello All! My name is Olga Kochkareva, as you may have guessed from the name of this blog, and I…

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Thoughts on previous student’s videos

I watched five videos total: Citizenship and Rights in the New Republic I, II, and III, “The Meeting of Two Worlds”, and The Meeting of Two Worlds: Aztec Edition. The two that I liked the most were Citizenship and Rights in the New Republic II and Meeting of Two Worlds: Aztec Edition. The two that I liked […]

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