Blog.In 100 words describe the set of ideas, facts or events that most opened your eyes.That is, describe what you will remember most about what you learned in the course.
[5] What I will remember most about what I have learned in this course is all the circumstances that occurred in order for the Spanish to take control of the Incan Empire. From the civil war between half-brothers Huascar and Atahualpa, to the ingenious planned control by Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador, over the entire Incan Empire, the events that took place in order for Spanish control are quite remarkable. What I also learned throughout this course was to never judge a book by its cover. Before I dove head first into this course, I did not know the rich history present in Latin America. Now, after being part of this journey, I never wanted to know more about a civilization. I understand now, to some extent, why people of the world have certain stereotypes and prejudices they do for Latin Americans. The course opened my eyes not just to this culture, but to many others around the world and the prejudices and stereotypes we have for them. It is safe to say that this course taught me the history of Latin America, but more importantly what history means for modern day people, in terms of the implications from decisions made hundreds of years ago can have on today’s society.
[6] The facts that most opened my eyes about Latin America were the democratic structure of the government and the degree to which the United States has interfered with the political, economic, and social structure of the country. I was surprised to learn that Latin American politics were far less barbaric than my previous teachers’ methodology for presenting the subject has led me to believe. When I previously thought of the Latin American government, I envisioned images of violent and bloody revolutions, caudillos, and guerilla armies who sought to constantly replace one dictatorship with another. Now I realize that is not always the case. Latin American democracies have even accomplished what the United States democracy has failed to possess, women presidents. The fact that women can be democratically elected in Latin America gives us valuable insights into the psychological mind frames of their society and culture. Latin American democracies appear to be less subject to prejudices and the stereotypical hegemony of the ideal presidential mold. Another surprising fact about Latin America was how much the United States inhibited its progress in nation building and self-destiny by means of economic imperialism. At one point, the United States had Latin America dependant upon it for basic manufactured goods, depriving Latin America of the same goods during the U.S. distraction period of the war. However, the most intriguing fact about Latin Americans was that they were as educated as people of other countries. The stereotypical metaphor, which compares Latin Americans to children, is severely misleading. Overall, I learned from this course to never judge a country based on the propaganda of another.
[17] The information that will stick with me from this course is the cruel treatment Latin America had to go through. Latin America was taken advantage of by many countries, including America. Of course, you will not be taught in an American history class how your country treated another one unfairly. So, my whole life I was blinded to the way we treated Latin America. Also, since I had no knowledge of their history, I placed an unfair stereotype on them without any information to back myself up with. I now have a brief understanding of what the country has gone through and can make my own educated judgment. I am very happy I took this course and learned a lot about Latin American history.
[7] Within the contents of this course the influences that were held upon Latin American countries by the United States and Europe I found eye opening. After reading about and discovering the strongholds that America and Europe held in these countries it was shocking to me to see the manipulation put in place by these ‘big bullies’, to the point that I felt as if we took these under privileged countries for advantage and imposed our economic desires on their country. The time of abandonment by America and European countries following the crash of 1929 and WWII and the industrial revolution that was carried out in these countries was the most memorable thing for me in this course. The self-sufficient nature of the Latin American people was the take home message for me and within the industrial revolution it was obvious that they could make it on their own and not be dependent on foreign exports.
[4]What I was most amazed by, naive to and will take with me is the unethical involvement into Latin America by the United States government through the Cold War. It was repeatedly proven that the US would intervene without a rational reason to do so. They took want they wanted, did it for their economic gain, insisted the Latin American people wanted and needed help and did so under covert CIA operations. The ignorance of Eisenhower and his predecessors was unconscionable, the policy positions abhor able, and the rationale unreasonable. Legitimizing their police power, acting as dictators themselves, was truly an unbelievable eye opener.
I have to say that the thing that opened my eyes the most had to have been the reoccurring themes that we saw keep popping up throughout this course. We saw the stereotypes and racial superiorities that many still believe in and practice today. This is especially seen during the time period of neocolonialism. There are still countries today including the United States, that impose their beliefs and cultures on smaller and inferior countries just because these dominate countries are large and powerful. It has shown me that many people in this world especially the ones running countries care only about money, power, and dominance instead of compassion, rights, and humanity. This lesson will most definitely stick with me especially during political situations because I have seen what past presidents have done to better the power hungry forces instead of the best interest of the people of that country. I have always been sickened by this world that is fueled by money and power, now I have even more desire to counter that greed with compassion and the real things in life.
[22]. Through the wide range of topics covered in this class, I found the majority of the information to be fascinating. I enjoyed learning about the rich cultures, history, and geography of the Latin American countries. One specific aspect I was very interested in was Peruvian history and the Europeans’ desire to conquer and take control over the country. The brutal acts directed towards the Peruvians by the Spanish were daunting. Another topic I was intrigued by was the Iran-Contra intervention. Before taking this class, I had never heard of this intervention in Nicaragua. I found it to be very surprising that the U.S. government could form such a loophole and manipulate another country’s government. Overall, this class opened my eyes and made me more aware of the world’s history and current events.
[18] The most memorable facts I will take from this course are undoubtedly the U.S. Cold War policies regarding Cuba. Throughout my life I have been "educated" in the contentious ways of Cuban Socialism, and it is frightening to think that I was so ignorant to Cuban and U.S. history to tolerate these theories without doing research on my own. The U.S. wrongfully exploited Cuban industry, and when Cuba peacefully acknowledged their independence from foreign controlled companies, the United States bitterly shunned civilized relations with Cuba. This left the newly independent and weak country no other choice but to become allies with the Soviet Union and adopt Communist policies into their government. It was largely eye-opening to learn that Cuba attempted peaceful relations with the U.S., and that the dismissal of these advances led Cuba to Socialist reform.
[24] One thing that I will take away from this course is the way that countries that claim to be “democratic” in nature treated Latin America. They were used for their land and resources. It was nice to see the way that Latin America felt for once. We also see what the emotions of the United States, and are taught to believe what we learn in our Social Studies and History class. The way that the United States had interfered in Latin America was unethical. We felt the need to create a government for them that they were not interested it. It was not right to shove our ideals at countries that were nowhere near ready for the changes that we had forced upon them. This had to be an uncomfortable time for the people in Latin America. It was also interesting to see that the United States felt superior to the “inferior” civilians in Latin America. I strongly believe that is the reason that the United States took advantage of the citizens.
[10] Over the past several weeks, I have had a chance to dive into a few books that I probably would never pick up and read on my own. “The Last Day of the Incas” was a very interesting story for me and I cannot wait to have free time on my hands again, so that I can read the book in its entirety. I never really did know much of how Spain came about owning most of Latin America and it was from what we have read very interesting to learn. The House of the Spirits was good novel. What I find most interesting from what I have learned and read in this class as well as other classes, is the similarity between the struggles of Latin America and all other culture’s past. Although people involved, situations and exact events are different the reasons seem to be the same throughout history. The old saying that history repeats itself certainly comes to life the more you read about history and learn the events of other’s past.
[21] The events that surfaced due to the many caudillo groups in Latin America will always resonate in my mind. Before the caudillo assignment, I had never heard the term or anything associated with it. During and after the caudillo assignment, I was speechless. The reading, Ribbon and Rituals, left me awestruck. I could not grasp how people can commit mass killings for "their cause" of Federalism. I cannot even imagine how terror stricken the Latin American people must have felt during this unstable time. If this situation arose in modern times, it would be classified as a devastating genocide. Also, I did not understand why this was the first time I was hearing of this monstrosity; however, now I know that the United States does not feel the need to share certain items with its people. In any case, the whole concept of caudillos and their irreparable actions makes it the most memorable topic for me.
[11]The thing that I learned the most was how negatively European countries, especially the US, treated Latin American countries. What really opened my eyes was Blog assignment 5. It discussed how groups of people would use ideology or theology to justify control over other people and their resources. It made me realize how this is a never ending cycle and so many people fall victim to this kind of behavior. It also made me realize that this just isn’t an act of racism; it’s an act of fear. This fear results in the effort of oppressing people. I was unaware as to how deeply the United States government was involved in attempting to control Latin American economies. Through the whole course I learned not only about Latin American history, but my own history as well.
[9] What I’ll remember most about this course is our Week Six WIKI and Blog, where we had to investigate the US interventions in 8 countries and during 3 operations. My partner and I had Guatemala, in which we found a horrid example of the US abusing the rights of the mentally ill in Guatemala citizens by purposely infecting them with sexually transmitted diseases and encouraging them to spread the disease through unprotected sex, all for what we called “research sake”. Who does this?? Quite honesty I was embarrassed that the US would stoop this low and can see how events like these form negative views of the US and our intentions.
[12] The treatment of Latin America by other countries is one of the facts that I remember most. Whether it was through the MLAH text or The Last Days of the Incas, both showed how the native people were treated. In the Last Days of the Incas, Pizarro and his men treated the natives nicely when they first entered their land, but when they wanted to start to take over they treated them cruelly. They slaughtered many people and they wanted the wealth the land had to offer and the gold that they Incas had. In MLAH it talked about how the US had intervened with military when they saw a possible threat from communism. While their intentions may have been good they had no right to send in the US military into stop what was going on on Latin America.
[2] I think the most important topic that I learned was how social class and race were key factors in how individuals were treated throughout the Latin American world. I feel, being a history major, that many people are ignorant to the events that have gone on within Latin America, and it is absolutely jaw-dropping whenever they catch a remote glimpse of what life was like whenever these events were occurring. Another topic that really interested me was again from our text The Last of the Incas. I, for one, only remember vaguely covering Cortez’s occupation of the Mayan Empire. It was interesting to find out that other explorers were trying to accomplish the same tasks throughout what would eventually be known as Latin America. Pizzaro was a very interesting character, and I will most likely read the rest of the book to hear the rest of his story. Finally, I thought it was interesting that with every topic that we covered, that every topic was repetitive to the previous weeks of study. This further supports my claim that events of history are re-occurring. I also thought the influence of European nations during the Communist times and other periods was interesting as well.
The event that most opened my mind was the research that I conducted on Operation Condor. That was such an interesting topic that although I felt prior to entering this course I knew quite a lot about. That was not the case.
I had no idea how long the planning process for this operation was, nor how many countries were actually involved. I was shocked to learn the details that led up to the “invasion”. The suffering that the Latin American people were subject to from so many different countries was quite upsetting. This invasion was based on several countries individual agendas and I find that quite disturbing. The reasons for the “invasion” were based on political and economic needs. The citizens of these countries were not considered. The ramifications for this operation are still being felt today.
(14) The set of ideas that really opened up my eyes was actually the design of the whole course, which essentially showed the class the real facts and events that have occurred between the United States and Latin America. Most of the events that the United States has been involved in throughout Latin America have not been to help the people of Latin America. What the media reports and what really happens is never the same here in America. In Latin America, the United States was more of a policing figure looking to expand their control and dominance rather than upholding democracy. Therefore, to understand and acknowledge how America intervenes with international issues on a factual basis is what really opened up my eyes and caught my attention.
[19]-The part of this course that will stick with me the most is the fact that although Latin American countries wished to be autonomous there have been many incursions by foreign countries in order to control the various resources these countries hold. Although the US is partially responsible for some of the incursions in Latin American countries, there have been numerous other countries that have forced their will onto these countries. To me it seems unjust that so many more powerful countries would try to control the less powerful Latin American countries. It seems that Latin American territory is a highly prized asset many countries seek, and I am not surprised that so many countries have fought for their independence. I believe these countries should fight for and be granted their independence.
[8] Throughout this course, I have learned many fascinating things. I’ve learned many things about Latin America’s history that I was never even aware of. If I had to pick one set of facts or ideas that most opened my eyes in this course, I would have to say it was learning new things through all of the new literature that I was exposed to. In all honesty, I would have never chosen to read the books we were assigned on my own. But, after reading them all I was open to new facts and ideas. By reading the assigned texts for homework and papers that we had to complete, I learned so much about the culture and things that have happened in Latin America. It really made me aware of all the hardships and things that the people of this region have gone through and made me appreciate the traditions and diversity of others in Latin America and the rest of the world.
[3] It is difficult to decide on one aspect of the course that has had the greatest affect on me. I will remember so much about this course, but I believe the most valuable lesson that I learned is the importance of understanding the impact our government's policies have on other people of the world. I consider myself to be very patriotic, however I have a new-found understanding after this course of how the United States policies in Latin America have negatively affected so many people. The values that the United States was built on seems to have been forgotten by recent policy makers. This is why it is so important for my generation to understand the importance of acting ethically when making polices. Because, soon enough we will be the ones in the position to change these polices and remind ourselves of the importance of human rights in policy making.
[13I have learned a great deal about the United States and Europe and the ties between them and Latin America. I also became aware of the array of climates and terrains in Latin America and thanks to the website I now know more about Latin America geographically. I am not likely to forget that the conquistadors and Pissarro used the title “Christian” as an excuse to take over the Inca Empire, in the least Christian manor that I could think of. It seemed to be all in the name of greed and self – serving motives. I will not forget this because I call myself Christian and I think that it spoke to me personally. Often we carry a label, but only talk the talk and can come across as a hypocrite.
[5] What I will remember most about what I have learned in this course is all the circumstances that occurred in order for the Spanish to take control of the Incan Empire. From the civil war between half-brothers Huascar and Atahualpa, to the ingenious planned control by Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador, over the entire Incan Empire, the events that took place in order for Spanish control are quite remarkable. What I also learned throughout this course was to never judge a book by its cover. Before I dove head first into this course, I did not know the rich history present in Latin America. Now, after being part of this journey, I never wanted to know more about a civilization. I understand now, to some extent, why people of the world have certain stereotypes and prejudices they do for Latin Americans. The course opened my eyes not just to this culture, but to many others around the world and the prejudices and stereotypes we have for them. It is safe to say that this course taught me the history of Latin America, but more importantly what history means for modern day people, in terms of the implications from decisions made hundreds of years ago can have on today’s society.
ReplyDelete[6] The facts that most opened my eyes about Latin America were the democratic structure of the government and the degree to which the United States has interfered with the political, economic, and social structure of the country. I was surprised to learn that Latin American politics were far less barbaric than my previous teachers’ methodology for presenting the subject has led me to believe. When I previously thought of the Latin American government, I envisioned images of violent and bloody revolutions, caudillos, and guerilla armies who sought to constantly replace one dictatorship with another. Now I realize that is not always the case. Latin American democracies have even accomplished what the United States democracy has failed to possess, women presidents. The fact that women can be democratically elected in Latin America gives us valuable insights into the psychological mind frames of their society and culture. Latin American democracies appear to be less subject to prejudices and the stereotypical hegemony of the ideal presidential mold. Another surprising fact about Latin America was how much the United States inhibited its progress in nation building and self-destiny by means of economic imperialism. At one point, the United States had Latin America dependant upon it for basic manufactured goods, depriving Latin America of the same goods during the U.S. distraction period of the war. However, the most intriguing fact about Latin Americans was that they were as educated as people of other countries. The stereotypical metaphor, which compares Latin Americans to children, is severely misleading. Overall, I learned from this course to never judge a country based on the propaganda of another.
ReplyDelete[17] The information that will stick with me from this course is the cruel treatment Latin America had to go through. Latin America was taken advantage of by many countries, including America. Of course, you will not be taught in an American history class how your country treated another one unfairly. So, my whole life I was blinded to the way we treated Latin America. Also, since I had no knowledge of their history, I placed an unfair stereotype on them without any information to back myself up with. I now have a brief understanding of what the country has gone through and can make my own educated judgment. I am very happy I took this course and learned a lot about Latin American history.
ReplyDelete[7] Within the contents of this course the influences that were held upon Latin American countries by the United States and Europe I found eye opening. After reading about and discovering the strongholds that America and Europe held in these countries it was shocking to me to see the manipulation put in place by these ‘big bullies’, to the point that I felt as if we took these under privileged countries for advantage and imposed our economic desires on their country. The time of abandonment by America and European countries following the crash of 1929 and WWII and the industrial revolution that was carried out in these countries was the most memorable thing for me in this course. The self-sufficient nature of the Latin American people was the take home message for me and within the industrial revolution it was obvious that they could make it on their own and not be dependent on foreign exports.
ReplyDelete[4]What I was most amazed by, naive to and will take with me is the unethical involvement into Latin America by the United States government through the Cold War. It was repeatedly proven that the US would intervene without a rational reason to do so. They took want they wanted, did it for their economic gain, insisted the Latin American people wanted and needed help and did so under covert CIA operations. The ignorance of Eisenhower and his predecessors was unconscionable, the policy positions abhor able, and the rationale unreasonable. Legitimizing their police power, acting as dictators themselves, was truly an unbelievable eye opener.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that the thing that opened my eyes the most had to have been the reoccurring themes that we saw keep popping up throughout this course. We saw the stereotypes and racial superiorities that many still believe in and practice today. This is especially seen during the time period of neocolonialism. There are still countries today including the United States, that impose their beliefs and cultures on smaller and inferior countries just because these dominate countries are large and powerful. It has shown me that many people in this world especially the ones running countries care only about money, power, and dominance instead of compassion, rights, and humanity. This lesson will most definitely stick with me especially during political situations because I have seen what past presidents have done to better the power hungry forces instead of the best interest of the people of that country. I have always been sickened by this world that is fueled by money and power, now I have even more desire to counter that greed with compassion and the real things in life.
ReplyDelete[22]. Through the wide range of topics covered in this class, I found the majority of the information to be fascinating. I enjoyed learning about the rich cultures, history, and geography of the Latin American countries. One specific aspect I was very interested in was Peruvian history and the Europeans’ desire to conquer and take control over the country. The brutal acts directed towards the Peruvians by the Spanish were daunting. Another topic I was intrigued by was the Iran-Contra intervention. Before taking this class, I had never heard of this intervention in Nicaragua. I found it to be very surprising that the U.S. government could form such a loophole and manipulate another country’s government. Overall, this class opened my eyes and made me more aware of the world’s history and current events.
ReplyDelete[18] The most memorable facts I will take from this course are undoubtedly the U.S. Cold War policies regarding Cuba. Throughout my life I have been "educated" in the contentious ways of Cuban Socialism, and it is frightening to think that I was so ignorant to Cuban and U.S. history to tolerate these theories without doing research on my own. The U.S. wrongfully exploited Cuban industry, and when Cuba peacefully acknowledged their independence from foreign controlled companies, the United States bitterly shunned civilized relations with Cuba. This left the newly independent and weak country no other choice but to become allies with the Soviet Union and adopt Communist policies into their government. It was largely eye-opening to learn that Cuba attempted peaceful relations with the U.S., and that the dismissal of these advances led Cuba to Socialist reform.
ReplyDelete[24] One thing that I will take away from this course is the way that countries that claim to be “democratic” in nature treated Latin America. They were used for their land and resources. It was nice to see the way that Latin America felt for once. We also see what the emotions of the United States, and are taught to believe what we learn in our Social Studies and History class. The way that the United States had interfered in Latin America was unethical. We felt the need to create a government for them that they were not interested it. It was not right to shove our ideals at countries that were nowhere near ready for the changes that we had forced upon them. This had to be an uncomfortable time for the people in Latin America. It was also interesting to see that the United States felt superior to the “inferior” civilians in Latin America. I strongly believe that is the reason that the United States took advantage of the citizens.
ReplyDelete[10] Over the past several weeks, I have had a chance to dive into a few books that I probably would never pick up and read on my own. “The Last Day of the Incas” was a very interesting story for me and I cannot wait to have free time on my hands again, so that I can read the book in its entirety. I never really did know much of how Spain came about owning most of Latin America and it was from what we have read very interesting to learn. The House of the Spirits was good novel. What I find most interesting from what I have learned and read in this class as well as other classes, is the similarity between the struggles of Latin America and all other culture’s past. Although people involved, situations and exact events are different the reasons seem to be the same throughout history. The old saying that history repeats itself certainly comes to life the more you read about history and learn the events of other’s past.
ReplyDelete[21] The events that surfaced due to the many caudillo groups in Latin America will always resonate in my mind. Before the caudillo assignment, I had never heard the term or anything associated with it. During and after the caudillo assignment, I was speechless. The reading, Ribbon and Rituals, left me awestruck. I could not grasp how people can commit mass killings for "their cause" of Federalism. I cannot even imagine how terror stricken the Latin American people must have felt during this unstable time. If this situation arose in modern times, it would be classified as a devastating genocide. Also, I did not understand why this was the first time I was hearing of this monstrosity; however, now I know that the United States does not feel the need to share certain items with its people. In any case, the whole concept of caudillos and their irreparable actions makes it the most memorable topic for me.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete[11]The thing that I learned the most was how negatively European countries, especially the US, treated Latin American countries. What really opened my eyes was Blog assignment 5. It discussed how groups of people would use ideology or theology to justify control over other people and their resources. It made me realize how this is a never ending cycle and so many people fall victim to this kind of behavior. It also made me realize that this just isn’t an act of racism; it’s an act of fear. This fear results in the effort of oppressing people. I was unaware as to how deeply the United States government was involved in attempting to control Latin American economies. Through the whole course I learned not only about Latin American history, but my own history as well.
ReplyDelete[9] What I’ll remember most about this course is our Week Six WIKI and Blog, where we had to investigate the US interventions in 8 countries and during 3 operations. My partner and I had Guatemala, in which we found a horrid example of the US abusing the rights of the mentally ill in Guatemala citizens by purposely infecting them with sexually transmitted diseases and encouraging them to spread the disease through unprotected sex, all for what we called “research sake”. Who does this?? Quite honesty I was embarrassed that the US would stoop this low and can see how events like these form negative views of the US and our intentions.
ReplyDelete[12] The treatment of Latin America by other countries is one of the facts that I remember most. Whether it was through the MLAH text or The Last Days of the Incas, both showed how the native people were treated. In the Last Days of the Incas, Pizarro and his men treated the natives nicely when they first entered their land, but when they wanted to start to take over they treated them cruelly. They slaughtered many people and they wanted the wealth the land had to offer and the gold that they Incas had. In MLAH it talked about how the US had intervened with military when they saw a possible threat from communism. While their intentions may have been good they had no right to send in the US military into stop what was going on on Latin America.
ReplyDelete[2] I think the most important topic that I learned was how social class and race were key factors in how individuals were treated throughout the Latin American world. I feel, being a history major, that many people are ignorant to the events that have gone on within Latin America, and it is absolutely jaw-dropping whenever they catch a remote glimpse of what life was like whenever these events were occurring. Another topic that really interested me was again from our text The Last of the Incas. I, for one, only remember vaguely covering Cortez’s occupation of the Mayan Empire. It was interesting to find out that other explorers were trying to accomplish the same tasks throughout what would eventually be known as Latin America. Pizzaro was a very interesting character, and I will most likely read the rest of the book to hear the rest of his story. Finally, I thought it was interesting that with every topic that we covered, that every topic was repetitive to the previous weeks of study. This further supports my claim that events of history are re-occurring. I also thought the influence of European nations during the Communist times and other periods was interesting as well.
ReplyDeleteThe event that most opened my mind was the research that I conducted on Operation Condor. That was such an interesting topic that although I felt prior to entering this course I knew quite a lot about. That was not the case.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea how long the planning process for this operation was, nor how many countries were actually involved. I was shocked to learn the details that led up to the “invasion”. The suffering that the Latin American people were subject to from so many different countries was quite upsetting. This invasion was based on several countries individual agendas and I find that quite disturbing. The reasons for the “invasion” were based on political and economic needs. The citizens of these countries were not considered. The ramifications for this operation are still being felt today.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(14) The set of ideas that really opened up my eyes was actually the design of the whole course, which essentially showed the class the real facts and events that have occurred between the United States and Latin America. Most of the events that the United States has been involved in throughout Latin America have not been to help the people of Latin America. What the media reports and what really happens is never the same here in America. In Latin America, the United States was more of a policing figure looking to expand their control and dominance rather than upholding democracy. Therefore, to understand and acknowledge how America intervenes with international issues on a factual basis is what really opened up my eyes and caught my attention.
ReplyDelete[19]-The part of this course that will stick with me the most is the fact that although Latin American countries wished to be autonomous there have been many incursions by foreign countries in order to control the various resources these countries hold. Although the US is partially responsible for some of the incursions in Latin American countries, there have been numerous other countries that have forced their will onto these countries. To me it seems unjust that so many more powerful countries would try to control the less powerful Latin American countries. It seems that Latin American territory is a highly prized asset many countries seek, and I am not surprised that so many countries have fought for their independence. I believe these countries should fight for and be granted their independence.
ReplyDelete[8] Throughout this course, I have learned many fascinating things. I’ve learned many things about Latin America’s history that I was never even aware of. If I had to pick one set of facts or ideas that most opened my eyes in this course, I would have to say it was learning new things through all of the new literature that I was exposed to. In all honesty, I would have never chosen to read the books we were assigned on my own. But, after reading them all I was open to new facts and ideas. By reading the assigned texts for homework and papers that we had to complete, I learned so much about the culture and things that have happened in Latin America. It really made me aware of all the hardships and things that the people of this region have gone through and made me appreciate the traditions and diversity of others in Latin America and the rest of the world.
ReplyDelete[3] It is difficult to decide on one aspect of the course that has had the greatest affect on me. I will remember so much about this course, but I believe the most valuable lesson that I learned is the importance of understanding the impact our government's policies have on other people of the world. I consider myself to be very patriotic, however I have a new-found understanding after this course of how the United States policies in Latin America have negatively affected so many people. The values that the United States was built on seems to have been forgotten by recent policy makers. This is why it is so important for my generation to understand the importance of acting ethically when making polices. Because, soon enough we will be the ones in the position to change these polices and remind ourselves of the importance of human rights in policy making.
ReplyDelete[13I have learned a great deal about the United States and Europe and the ties between them and Latin America. I also became aware of the array of climates and terrains in Latin America and thanks to the website I now know more about Latin America geographically. I am not likely to forget that the conquistadors and Pissarro used the title “Christian” as an excuse to take over the Inca Empire, in the least Christian manor that I could think of. It seemed to be all in the name of greed and self – serving motives. I will not forget this because I call myself Christian and I think that it spoke to me personally. Often we carry a label, but only talk the talk and can come across as a hypocrite.
ReplyDelete