World Geography

Reading from Today.... 

LATIN AMERICA

People and Culture

Latin America is a rich mix of peoples and cultures. Reflecting the area's history, this mix has three main elements—Indian, European, and black African. Each of these groups has added its own colors and patterns to the fabric of contemporary Latin American culture.

ORIGINS AND LANGUAGE

ETHNIC GROUPS

There are people of many different ethnic and racial backgrounds living in Latin America. The major ethnic groups are people of European descent, Indians, blacks, people of mixed European and Indian descent, and people of mixed European and black decent.

Most of Latin America's Indians live in Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Many of the Indian groups inhabit remote villages, apart from the rest of the population. They speak only their native language and take little part in the affairs of the country in which they live. Some of them live almost exactly as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago.

Blacks first came to Latin America as slaves during the colonial era. Forced to leave their homelands in Africa, they were imported by the Spanish and Portuguese colonists to work on the plantations and in the mines. It is estimated that more than 5 million black Africans were brought to Latin America as slaves between the early 1500s and late 1800s. About two-thirds of them went to Brazil. Today, people of African descent live in almost all areas of Latin America. The largest numbers are in Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, as well as on some of the islands of the Caribbean region.

The Spanish and Portuguese who colonized Latin America intermarried fairly freely with the Indian peoples they met there. As a result, about one-third of the population today are mestizos, (as you remember, people of mixed Indian and European ancestry), The majority live in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Large numbers of mulattoes, descendants of black slaves and white settlers who intermarried, live in Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and other areas. In southern South America, Argentina and Uruguay are predominantly European. Most of the inhabitants of these countries are descendants of the large numbers of Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese immigrants who poured in during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is estimated that between 11 and 12 million immigrants arrived in South America during this period.

Like the United States at this time, South America was seen as a haven from persecution and a land of opportunity. This sentiment was expressed by Ruben Dario, a Nicaraguan-born poet who had made Argentina his "second motherland." In "Hymn to Argentina," a poem written in 1910 to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Argentina's independence, Dario appealed to "all the disinherited of the earth" to come to Argentina where everyone was promised a full life.

The arrival of new immigrant groups in recent years has further enriched Latin America's population. Many

Japanese live in southern Brazil. Chinese live in Mexico, Peru, and Cuba. On some Caribbean islands, Indians

from Asia make up half or more of the population, while in several countries, there are sizable numbers of

people from Lebanon and Eastern Europe.

RACIAL GROUPS

Race plays a smaller role in Latin American life than in most multiracial areas of the world.

Generally, life-style, education, and occupation are more important than skin color in determining status.

However, prejudice based on color does exist. In all countries with large Indian populations, Indians remain near

the bottom of the social scale. Even in Brazil, which has a large, racially mixed population, there are serious

economic and social differences among racial groups. In Venezuela, however, a multiracial society enjoys a

great degree of openness with a minimum of discrimination.

LANGUAGE

Spanish is the language spoken by most of the people of Latin America. However, it is not the Spanish of Spain, but an American version that has developed over the years. In Argentina and Uruguay, for instance, the Spanish has been heavily influenced by Italian, the language of many nineteenth- and twentieth century immigrants to those countries. Indian dialects have affected the local Spanish of Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru. Many everyday words are derived from Indian languages: hamaca (hammock), huracan (hurricane), tabaco (tobacco), and chicle (chewing gum) are just a few.

Within Latin America, the Spanish spoken is not uniform either. Intonation and accent—even some words— vary from country to country, sometimes from region to region. For example, in Cuba, "bus" is guagua; in Chile, it is micro, in Mexico, camion, in Argentina, colectim. Ask for a torta in Mexico, and you will be served a sandwich. Ask for the same thing in Chile, however, and you will receive a slice of layer cake!

In Brazil, which was colonized by Portugal, Portuguese is the official language. English is the official language of Belize, Guyana, and a number of the Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas. It is also spoken by blacks who settled on the coast of Central America. French is the official language of Haiti and of the islands of the French Antilles, while Dutch is the tongue of Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, and Slavic languages are also spoken in some areas of Central and South America.

In addition, numerous native American languages are spoken by nearly 24 million Indians in Latin America. The most important are Nahuati, Quechua, Aymara, and Guaram. In Peru, both Spanish and Quechua are official languages. In Paraguay, although Spanish is the official language, Guarani is formally recognized as the everyday language spoken by most of the people.

DAILY LIFE

 As you have read, Latin America is a vast region of great cultural and ethnic diversity. However, certain patterns of living are common to a majority of the people.

The Family. In Latin America, the family is the single most important Social Institution. Each family member has a clearly defined role. In the traditional home, the father is the head of the household and is expected to support the family. The mother is responsible for raising the children and maintaining the family's links with the Church. Children are expected to care for their parents in old age. In many urban households, live-in servants help with the cooking and washing.

The Latin American family unit is usually an extended family. This means that households consist of grandparents, parents, children, and cousins. In addition, other relatives usually live nearby, and families spend holidays and vacations together. The interests of the family come first, and assistance is provided for any family member facing economic difficulty or illness. Most of a child's early years are spent with the members of the extended family.

A unique feature of the Latin American family is the concept of godparenthood. The godparent, or padrino,

assumes the role at the child's baptism. The padrino is loved, respected, and honored, and recognized as a family

member. In the event of the death of the child's parents, or padres, the padrino assumes the responsibility of

raising the godchild, or ahijado.

The Home .The home is the center of most social activity in Latin America. Birthdays, weddings, and saints'

days are all occasions for family get-togethers and celebrations. It is common for parties, with sumptuous sitdown

feasts served by the hosts, to last all night. Guests are welcomed with the greeting, "Mi casa es su casa,"

"My house is your house." Hospitality reaches its greatest heights in rural areas, where peasants treat visitors

almost as royal guests.

Houses in the rural areas of Latin America have undergone little change over the years. Most rural houses are

made of logs or sun-dried bricks of earth or clay. Roofs are of any available material—leaves, grass, or

branches. The interiors have earthen floors and lack water or sanitary facilities. Not all modern conveniences are

lacking, however, and it is not unusual to find a radio or television set next to a primitive stove.

In the cities, the older houses are modeled on the typical houses of Spain. Most of the houses are one-story

buildings. Adobe walls, painted white, keep out the heat. Most of the rooms open onto a central patio that serves

as a cool place for family activity. The patio is often decorated with lush gardens. Newer city houses are built

with modern materials and conveniences. Many urban Latin Americans live in high-rise apartment buildings.

Food.  Most Latin Americans eat their main meal at midday. This meal consists of several courses, including

soup, rice or beans with meat or fish, and dessert. Dinner, usually a simple dish or snack, is not served until 8 or

9 p.m. Given the size of the region, it is not surprising that food varies from place to place in Latin America.

However, tomatoes, beans, rice, potatoes, maize (corn), chicken, and cocoa are common to all countries. A wide

variety of fresh fruits is available, among them apples, pineapples, papayas, and mangoes. A special treat is the

cherimoya, or custard apple, a heart-shaped green fruit that tastes something like vanilla ice cream mixed with a

bit of strawberry, pineapple, and banana.

Dishes that are regarded as typically Latin American usually blend Spanish with indigenous, or native,

ingredients. One of the most popular is guacamole, mashed ripe avocados seasoned with hot peppers and

tomatoes. Another is seviche (say'VEE-chay), fish or shrimp that is cooked not over heat but by soaking it in

lime juice. This "cooking" technique was developed before the invention of refrigeration to prevent fish from

spoiling.

Each country has its own food specialty. In Argentina and Uruguay, which produce fine beef cattle, this is the

asado (ah-SAH-doh), a mar-velous outdoor barbecue of spit-roasted meats. Chile is famous for its seafood as

well as for pastel de chocio, (PAH-stel day CHOK- loh), a hearty casserole of stewed chicken stuffed with meat

and topped with corn pudding. The national dish of Brazil is feijoada (fayZWAH-dah), black beans cooked with

sausage, beef, and bacon. Lla{}ingachos (lyah-pin-GAH-chos), enjoyed in Ecuador, consists of potatoes stuffed

with cream cheese and eggs and served with a sauce of onions and tomatoes. All over Latin America, small meat

pies called empanadas (errrpahn-YAH-thahs) are popular snacks, while flan, or baked custard, is a favorite

dessert.

DRESS

Most Latin Americans dress conservatively. In the tropics, the men usually wear white trousers and

shirts. The women wear loose white blouses and full dark skirts. In the cities, people dress more formally. The

men wear suits and ties, the women, the latest fashions from all over the world. Children usually wear smocks or

uniforms for school.

Garments of traditional design are still worn by many Indians in Latin America. In the Andes, the hats of the

Indian woman indicate the particular region in which they live. The quexquemel, worn in Mexico, is a long

piece of cloth with an opening for the head; it is worn over the shoulders as a cape. A similar garment, called a

poncho, is commonly worn as protection from the cold by Indian men of the mountain regions. The Indian men

of the Chiapas region of Mexico carry leather pocketbooks over their shoulders.

MARRIAGE

In the past, boys and girls could date only with parental permission. They were accompanied by a

chaperon, or older person who ensured proper behavior. Today, however, the traditional patterns are changing,

and young people are beginning to meet on their own. Most children live at home until they get married. The

wedding ceremony is elaborate and usually takes place in church. A Latin American girl does not give up her

family name when she marries. If Maria Leyva marries Jose Paso, she becomes Maria Leyva de Paso. All

children bear a given name, the father's family name, and the mother's family name, in that order. Thus, if Maria

Leyva and Jose de Paso have a son whom they name Ernesto, the child's full name would be Ernesto Paso

Leyva.

EDUCATION

 Most Latin American countries have a 12-year school program. This is divided into six years of primary and six

years of secondary instruction. Kindergartens are usually private and found only in urban areas. The school year

is from March to November. Vacation falls in December, January, and February, when it is summer in Latin

America. School is usually held six days a week, from 7 A.M. to 12 noon.

Education is controlled by a government agency, generally called the ministry of public education. This ministry

makes the major decisions about primary and secondary education in both public and private schools. All

students must pass official examinations prepared by the ministry.

By law, school attendance is required for all Latin American children. In actuality, however, only about half of

the children ever attend school. A principal reason for this is poverty. In poor rural areas, children often have to

help support their families by working in the fields and cannot go to school.

LITERACY

As would be expected in so large a region, educational facilities and achievement vary widely in Latin

America. The literacy rate—the proportion of people who can read and write—ranges from about 90 percent in

Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, and Costa Rica, to less than 60 percent in Guatemala and Honduras, and 21

percent in Haiti.  Several countries have made tremendous strides in recent years in increasing the literacy rate.

Most dramatic is the case of Mexico. In 1970, almost 35 percent of Mexicans were illiterate, or unable to read

and write. Today, only 12 percent are illiterate. This change came about as a result of government efforts to

improve adult education.

THE INDIANS

For many Indians, especially those living in remote areas, the tribal village is the center of their

lives. They take little or no part in the political or economic activity of the larger nation in which they live, and

they rarely participate in formal schooling. Several countries, particularly Peru, Mexico, and Brazil, are trying to

encourage their Indian populations to become active citizens. To achieve this goal, the governments of these

nations have undertaken large-scale programs of Indian education.

Mexico's Indian-education program is typical. Specially trained teachers are sent to the Indian villages. At first,

they teach in the local Indian language, then gradually switch to Spanish. Each Indian man or woman who is

taught to read or write promises to teach someone else in their family or in their village. The government of

Mexico hopes that knowledge of the national language—Spanish—will provide a stepping stone for the entrance

of the Indians into the nation's mainstream.

THE UNIVERSITIES

The university system of Latin America has long been the training ground of the professional

classes. Entrance to the university is based on an examination taken upon completion of an academic secondary

school program. In the past, entrance was limited to the upper classes of Latin American society. However, in

recent years, young people from the urban middle class have begun to attend the universities. Many countries

have actively worked toward this expansion of educational opportunity. In Argentina and Chile, for instance, the

government passed university reform laws. In other nations, the number of state universities was increased.

In many Latin American countries, the universities play an important political role. Students are active in

politics and often form a center of opposition to oppressive dictatorships or military governments. In several

instances, students have banded together and have taken part in the successful overthrow of a nation's

government. Sometimes, a nation's leader who feels threatened by student political groups will shut down the

university.

URBAN AND RURAL LIFE

 Latin America has many large cities, which are home to the majority of its population. Many of these urban

metropolises are very modern, with futuristic skyscrapers, bustling superhighways, and busy international

airports. They are in sharp contrast with the remote rural villages that are almost unchanged from colonial and

pre-colonial times.

CITIES

Latin America has more than 20 cities with populations that exceed one million people. About two-thirds

of the population lives in cities, and one out of every four Latin Americans lives in a city of over one million

people. The urban population continues to grow as more and more people flock to the cities from farms and

villages. In the 1980s, Latin American cities are growing at a rate of 12 million persons a year.

In many Latin American countries, the urban population is concentrated in a single city. These cities also are the

site of the country's government offices, major transportation lines, and industrial services. Demographers,

people who study population growth and patterns, call these cities primate cities. Some of Latin America's

primate cities are Caracas, Venezuela, with a population of over 3 million, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with around 6

million, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Mexico City, Mexico, with populations ranging

from 10 to 17 million. The concentration of population and services in a single place has led to many problems

in recent years, and efforts are under way to develop other urban centers. In Brazil, for example, the government

built an entirely new capital city, Brasilia, and encouraged government officials and diplomats to move there.

Many present-day Latin American cities were originally established by the Spanish in the sixteenth and

seventeenth centuries. The government of the time set forth elaborate rules for the establishment of such cities.

Each town had to have a central square, arcades, a church, a jail, and a government house. The instructions were

so detailed that the Spanish settlers were even told how to locate buildings to take advantage of prevailing wind

patterns. Consequently, the downtown sections of almost all older Latin American cities have exactly the same

layout.

Today, however, the order of the Spanish colonial towns has vanished. Latin American cities are infamous for

gigantic traffic jams and high levels of air pollution. Industrial zones are often located dangerously close to

residential housing, while highways pass through the centers of many of the major cities. Urban squatters live in

shacks sandwiched between modern skyscrapers and enormous public housing complexes.

THE BARRIO

The cities are divided into neighborhoods, or barrios. The barrios are usually segregated by income

levels. Because of the tremendous traffic congestion, it is not uncommon for workers to spend two or three

hours riding the bus from the barrio to their place of work. Some cities have tried to ease the congestion by

building subway systems, but without great success. During rush hours, the streets are still jammed, and people

are squeezed inside the buses and hang out the doors and windows.

SLUMS

Approximately 20 to 30 percent of Latin America's urban population live in squatter developments.

Many of these squatters are workers with low-level jobs or recently arrived immigrants from rural areas. Moving

in during the night, they illegally occupy sites on public land. They hurriedly construct makeshift shacks before

dawn from whatever material is either available or affordable—sheet aluminum, scraps of lumber, or, if they are

lucky, cement blocks. There is no water and no sanitary facilities. Cooking is done with kerosene or bottled gas.

These shantytowns have different names in different countries—villas miserias in Argentina, favelas in Brazil,

callampas in Chile, and ranchos in Venezuela—but few Latin American nations have escaped their blight.

Rural Villages . For the Latin American peasant, or campesino, life continues much as it has for centuries. Most

villages have fewer than 400 people, and the pace is slow. Pigs, dogs, and chickens roam the streets. At midday,

when the sun is hottest, no one is to be seen. There may be no school or, if there is, children must often walk

miles to attend. Very few people can read or write. They learn about the outside world by listening to the radio

or attending movies, mostly imported from the United States.

LAND REFORM

Agriculture is the way of life for many of the people of Latin America. However, despite the fact

that agriculture is a major economic activity, most Latin American countries have to import food.

The problems of Latin American agriculture have numerous causes. Among them are the lack of modern

technology and the continued use of inefficient farming techniques. However, the most important cause is rooted

in the region's history. It is the traditional pattern of land-holding.

In colonial times, favorites of the Portuguese or Spanish king were often granted huge tracts of land in Latin

America. Land ownership soon became concentrated in the hands of a small group of wealthy people. The

landowners, or terratenientes, organized their land into vast agricultural estates called latifundia. They employed

peasants under slavelike conditions to work the land with primitive agricultural implements.

The latifundia system, established more than 300 years ago, continues into the twentieth century. Today, as in

the 1600s, a privileged few own most of Latin America's fertile land. The remainder of the rural population

work subsistence farms on small plots of land, growing barely enough food to feed their families.

During the past 50 years, the pattern of land ownership has been one of the most controversial issues in Latin

America. Some people feel the solution to the problem is land reform. Under land reform, the government

breaks up the large plantations and distributes the land among the peasants.

The first Latin American nation to undertake a formal program of land reform was Mexico, in 1927. Today,

most Latin American nations have established some kind of land reform. The most significant programs, besides

that in Mexico, are in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cuba, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia.

The controversy surrounding land reform still rages. Supporters of land reform believe redistribution of the land

will result in improved crop yields. They also believe that by giving a larger number of people a stake in society,

land reform will help prevent revolution. Those who oppose land reform say that large estates are more efficient

in terms of production than a lot of small farms. Perhaps the greatest problem of land reform, however, is

enforcement.

RELIGION

The overwhelming majority of Latin Americans are Roman Catholics, and the Roman Catholic

Church plays a major role in the region. Today, church attendance is generally low, and the practice of the

religion centers around the traditional ceremonies relating to birth, marriage, and death. Other religious groups

are also present, although the number of their members are relatively few.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Roman Catholicism, the religion of Spain and Portugal, was carried to America by the friars who accompanied the conquistadors across the Atlantic Ocean. These Catholic missionaries spread out over the continent. They worked intensively among the Indians, and by the end of the sixteenth century, numerous converts had been made. Today, more than 90 percent of all Latin Americans are Roman Catholics.

Over the years, the Church in Latin America became very wealthy. As its wealth grew, it became more

conservative. In the past, the missionaries and priests had fought for the rights of the Indians and other exploited

people. Now, however, Church leaders began to lend support to the privileged and moneyed classes. They

taught that the poor should accept their condition without complaint as God's will. In many ways, they were

successful in imparting this idea. But eventually, some people began to question the Church's position. These

individuals tried to find ways to reduce the power of the Church and the clergy.

Beginning in the 1960s, the Roman Catholic Church began to rethink its role. A group of Latin American priests

proposed a new doctrine that came to be known as liberation theology. According to this doctrine, the condition

of poverty is not something to be accepted by the poor humbly and uncomplainingly. Rather it is a condition

caused by those with power in society, who stand to profit from its continuation. It is the responsibility of the

Church, said the liberation theologists, to take an active role in helping to change the conditions that lead to

poverty. They tried to move the Church into the forefront of the struggle for social justice in Latin America.

Liberation theology created some problems within the Roman Catholic Church. In 1979, Pope John Paul

addressed a meeting of Latin American bishops in Mexico. He agreed that the workers and peasants had the

right to organize to better their economic condition. At the same time, however, he urged that priests avoid

becoming too involved in social and political issues. In 1983, the Pope strongly condemned the activist position

of certain Latin American priests with regard to social issues.

Today, the Roman Catholic Church is acknowledged as the chief protector of human rights in Latin America. It

is one of the few institutions in the region with sufficient prestige to check the power of the state. In Chile, in the

1970s and early 1980s, it was the Church that led the opposition to the oppressive military regime of General

Augusto Pinochet.

PROTESTANTS AND JEWS

Protestantism first came to Latin America with the large numbers of immigrants who

arrived from Europe in the nineteenth century. Liberal leaders who were unhappy about the growing power of

the Catholic Church encouraged the establishment of Protestant missions. The Protestant Church has been

successful in many regions. Most notable, perhaps, is Nicaragua, where today 10 percent of the population is

PROTESTANT

In the 1930s, many Jews fleeing persecution in Europe found a haven in Latin America. Today they freely

practice their religion there.

AFRICAN-INFLUENCED RELIGIONS

In the Caribbean and in Brazil, the African influence has led to the development

of a variety of religious rituals that combine African and Catholic traditions. These rituals have various names:

in Haiti, voodoo; in Cuba, santeria; in Trinidad, sango; and in Brazil, candomble and macumba.

RECREATION AND THE ARTS

 We can learn much about Latin America from its writers, artists, and philosophers. In their works, they share

their vision of the land in which they live. The Latin American artist often portrays a world where nothing is

secure, where force rules and civil war is an everyday occurrence. Frequently occurring natural disasters and the

enormous contrast between rich and poor are central themes. Sometimes the poor are seen as having no

salvation except death. In one of the classic novels, Pedro Paramo, by the Mexican writer Juan Rulfo, all the

characters are dead.

LITERATURE

The first Latin American colonial authors were the Spanish explorers and conquistadors. Writing of

their experiences, they produced a literature about heroes, wars, Indian civilizations, and the New World. The

most notable was La Auracana, by a Spanish captain named Alonso de Ercilla y Zunega. In this epic poem,

Ercilla y Zunega praises the heroic resistance of the Araucanian Indians of Chile against the Spanish.

Perhaps the most important work to appear in the years following independence was Martin Fierro, by Jose

Hernandez, which celebrated the life of the Argentine gaucho (see Chapter 8). In the later part of the nineteenth

century, a new artistic movement developed in Latin America. This movement was called modernism. Led by

such writers as Ruben Dano of Nicaragua, the modernists denounced the concern with material things and

championed the doctrine of art for art's sake.

TWENTIETH-CENTURY NOVELISTS

By the first quarter of the twentieth century, the United States had emerged as a

world power. The fear, resentment, and jealousy felt by many Latin Americans for their powerful Yankee

neighbor was expressed by the Uruguayan novelist Jose Rodo in a work called Ariel. In this book, Rodo

contrasts North and South Americans. He portrays North Americans as lacking in culture and interested only in

money and the things money can buy. Latin Americans, on the other hand, although economically poorer, are

seen as spiritually richer than their North American rivals. This book influenced the thinking of Latin Americans

for generations.

Latin Americans also began looking inward at their own culture. Writers such as Jose Carlos Mariategui of Peru

wrote of the problems of integrating the Indians into society. Regionalist writers from northeastern Brazil,

including Jorge Amado and Rachel de Queiros, wrote about subjects such as plantation life, the role of Brazilian

women, and social problems. In Mexico, Rosario Castellanos wrote about the clash of cultures between the

Indians and Europeans, while in Cuba, Nicolas Guillen described the life and sufferings of blacks.

Writers also began focusing on the problems of Latin American cities. Juan Carlos Onetti and Mario Benedetti

of Uruguay, Julio Cor-tazar of Argentina, Octavio Paz and Carlos Fuentes of Mexico, and Guillermo Cabrera

Infante of Cuba describe the complexities of urban life. Loneliness and despair are familiar themes in their

writing.

THE LITERARY BOOM

Two giants of Latin American letters emerged in the early years of the twentieth century.

They were Jorge Luis Borges of Argentina, and Miguel Angel Asturias of Guatemala. Borges, born in 1899, was

blind. His highly imaginative poems and short stories range from fantasies to sophisticated detective yarns.

Asturias, also born in 1899, was an avid student of Mayan religion and society. Two of his novels, Guatemalan

Legends and Men of Maize, explore the Indian culture and its tremendous influence on Latin America. Asturias

received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1967.

In the last 25 years, the novelists and poets of Latin America have experienced a great surge in international popularity and recognition. Perhaps the most popular author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Born on the steamy

Caribbean coast of Colombia in 1928, Garcia Marquez was one of the 16 children of a poor telegraph operator.

Raised by his grandparents, he grew up listening to his grandmother's tales of civil war, ghosts, and vanished wealth. His epic novel. One Hundred Years of Solitude, incorporates some of these elements. Full of imagination and magic, it traces the lives of the eccentric Buendia family in the mythical town of Macondo over a period of 100 years. The work of Garcia Marquez—and many other modern Latin American writers—is characterized by a technique

known as magic realism. This technique mixes dreams with reality. Myth, fantasy, and humor are used to

chronicle everyday life. Dead husbands return as ghosts to frighten and embarrass their wives. People fly off

into the darkness, and women live on a diet of dirt. Strange animals fill the landscape, and it rains for four years.

In addition to Garcia Marquez, two of the best known magic realists are the novelists Demetrio Aguilera Malta

of Ecuador and Isabel Allende of Chile.

Another major group of modern novelists explores the events of Latin American history. Alejo Carpentier of

Cuba writes of the conflict of modern and primitive cultures in Latin America. Eduardo Galeano of Uruguay has

produced a creative narrative of Latin America from its origins to the present day.

POETRY

Latin America has also produced its share of world-renowned poets. The most famous, Pablo Neruda,

was born in Chile in 1904. The son of a poor railroad worker, his success as a writer allowed him to escape

poverty. Another Chilean poet is Gabriela Mistral. Whereas Neruda's poetry is of an epic nature, Mistral, a

teacher, describes the children with whom she worked. Mistral received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945

(the first Latin American to be so honored), Neruda, in 1971. Other poets of stature include CesarVallejo of Peru

and Ernesto Cardenal of Nicaragua.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Graphic arts and drawing have traditionally flourished in Latin America. The bestknown

Mexican illustrator, Jose Guadalupe Posada, drew cartoons poking fun at everyday life. His caricatures

of contemporary revolutionary and government leaders earned him immense popularity with the masses of

Mexican people.

Perhaps the best-known works of modern Latin American art are the murals produced by Mexican artists after

the Mexican revolution of 1910. The Mexican muralists combined traditional Indian designs with modern forms.

They created a vigorous national style that influenced artists throughout the world. The "Big Three" who led the

muralist movement were Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. For these men, the

purpose of art was to educate. Although each emphasized different aspects, their paintings all told the story of

the Indians, their enslavement by the Spanish, and the struggle of the modern working class. Murals by these

artists adorn the walls of many public buildings in both Mexico and the United States.

Some Latin American artists moved away from nationalist themes and realist techniques. Roberta Matta of Chile

and Wilfredo Lam of Cuba were identified with surrealism. This artistic style, related to the literary technique of

magic realism, seeks to portray life as if it were a dream. Two fine artists from Uruguay are Pedro Figari and

Joaquin Torres Garcia. Modern Argentine artists include Romulo Maccio, Antonio Segui, Julio Le Pare, and

Luis Felipe Noe. Well-known women artists are Raquel Forner of Argentina and Frida Kahio of Mexico.

Latin American art owes much to the area's rich folklore and the African influence. Haiti is recognized for its primitive painters whose work is influenced by the rituals of voodoo,

Latin America, particularly Mexico and Brazil, has pioneered in the integration of art and architecture. One

hundred architects worked together to produce the magnificent buildings of the National University in Mexico

City. Perhaps most impressive is the central library, designed by Juan O'Gorman. The architects of Brazil have

made that country's public buildings the envy of the world. Best known are the futuristic constructions of the

capital city, Brasilia, designed by Oscar Neimeyer.

MUSIC AND DANCING

The music of Latin America mingles European, African, and Indian influences. Since the

early 1960s, there has been a revival of interest in the area's folkloric traditions. Each country has its national

dance. A characteristic step is the zapateado, or heel-beating, which is incorporated into the cueca of Chile, the

sanjuanito of Ecuador, the maninera of Peru, and the seis zapateo of Puerto Rico. Perhaps the most famous Latin

American dance internationally is the Argentine tango, which became a world craze in the 1920s. Other Latin

American dances that have enjoyed popularity in the United States are the cumbia from Colombia, the samba

from Brazil, and the merengue and salsa of the Caribbean.

In addition to folk and dance music, musical life also flourishes in concerts, operas, and symphony orchestras.

Large cities, such as Buenos Aires, have some of the finest opera houses in the world. Many Latin American

composers have won international fame. Among the best-known is Heitor Villa Lobos of Brazil. Inspired by

Indian and black folk music, Villas Lobos composed a series called Choros that is based on the popular urban

music and dance of the time. Other important musicians include the pianist Claudio Arrau of Chile and the

composers Silvestre Revueltas and Carlos Chavez of Mexico and Amadeo Roldan of Cuba.

SPORTS

There is no question that futbol, as soccer is called in Spanish, is the most popular sport in Latin

America, Indeed, for many Latin Americans, soccer is more than a game; it is almost a way of life. Each year,

contests pit one country's best players against another's. The rivalries are so intense that victory is accompanied

by a national celebration. Defeat brings practically a day of national mourning. In the 1930s, Argentina and

Uruguay dominated Latin American soccer, but Brazil has recently also had winning teams. Perhaps the greatest

soccer player who ever lived was born in Brazil. He is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to the world as

Pele.

Several of the more northern Latin American countries have adopted baseball (beisbol in Spanish) as their national sport. Among these countries are Cuba, Venezuela, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. Many professional baseball players in the major leagues in the United States come from Latin America.

Several sports, introduced by the Spanish, date from the colonial era. Bullfighting is popular in Mexico and

Panama. Cockfighting is a popular spectator sport throughout the Caribbean. Betting on the winner is an important part of this sport, in which specially trained gamecocks fight to the death. Jai-alai (hy-UE), a game resembling handball and played by two or four players with a ball and a long curved basket strapped to the wrist, is another favorite sport.

Life in Latin America is a rich blend of social and cultural traditions. Although they may vary somewhat from

country to country, these traditions form a tie that binds together the people of the region.

QUESTIONS

People and Culture

1. What are the major ethnic groups in Latin America?

2. What are mestizos?

3. How many immigrants arrived during the 19th and 20th centuries?

4. What are the two primary languages spoken in Latin America?

5. What is the role of the father in a traditional home? What is the role of the

mother?

6. What are many of the houses in rural Latin America made of?

7. When is the main meal? What does it consist of?

8. Give some examples of dress worn in Latin America

9. What is a quexquemel?

10. When is the school year in Latin America? Why?

11. What is the primary reason children do not attend school?

12. Who goes to Universities? Why do students get involved in politics?

13. How much of the population lives in cities? How many cities have a population

of over 1 million people in Latin America?

14. By whom and when were most cities established?

15. What is a barrio? How are they divided?

16. Name two problems with Latin American agriculture.

17. What is the primary religion in Latin America and how did it come to be there?

18. What is liberation theology?

19. Name three Latin American writers and three important pieces of literature.

20. Who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 and what did he receive it for?

21. Who was Pablo Neruda?

22. Who are the “Big Three”?

23. What the city of Brasilia known for? Where is the city located? Who designed

it?

24. Name three dances that came out of Latin America that are popular in the rest of

the world.

25. Who do some consider the greatest soccer player? Where is he from?

26. Other than soccer name two other popular sports.