Topic: Latin American

History and Culture

The Big Question

What has the impact of multiculturalism
had on Latin American culture?

Aztecs

PYRAMIDS
Steep sides, flat
top with temple

Mayans

TIKAL
Spectacular
Mayan city in
Guatemala

Incas

MACHU PICHHU
Ancient Incan
city

EUROPEAN INFLUENCES
1494: SPAIN and PORTUGAL signed a TREATY
to divide control of SOUTH AMERICA.
Portugal gained BRAZIL (Portugals largest
COLONY)

 In the 1500s, Europeans

arrived and CONQUERED
the AZTECS and INCAS
Aztecs conquered by
HERNANDO CORTES and
Spanish CONQUISTADORS
Incas conquered by
FRANCISCO PIZARRO

By the 19th century, the Caribbean

islands were claimed by FIVE different
EUROPEAN nations:
SPAIN
FRANCE
GREAT BRITAIN
NETHERLANDS
DENMARK

When Europeans colonized Latin America

and the Caribbean, they brought with
them their:
1. LANGUAGE: mostly SPANISH &
PORTUGUESE, but also ENGLISH,
FRENCH, and DUTCH
*There are also hundreds of
INDIGENEOUS languages
still spoken in Latin America today

2. Religion: ROMAN
CATHOLICISM
Dominant in MEXICO and
CENTRAL AMERICA
BRAZIL =LARGEST Catholic
population in the world
Many CATHEDRALS

AFRICAN INFLUENCES
After establishing colonies, Europeans
ENSLAVED native peoples in the
CARIBBEAN and BRAZIL to work on
SUGAR PLANTATIONS
After many natives DIED from DISEASE
and MISTREATMENT, Europeans brought
AFRICANS over the ATLANTIC OCEAN
by force to REPLACE the natives this
began the ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

Atlantic Slave Trade

 More Africans were brought to BRAZIL

than to any other area in the Americas
an estimated 3.6 MILLION total (nine
times as many brought to the English
colonies)
By 1820, EIGHT TIMES as many Africans
as Europeans had arrived in the
Caribbean and SIX TIMES as many
Africans as Europeans had arrived in
Brazil.

SOCIAL
STRUCTURE
NATIVES,
EUROPEANS, and
AFRICANS began
to INTERMARRY.
This led to a very
rigid SOCIAL
STRUCTURE

Europeans
MEZTIZOS
Pure Native Americans
AFRICAN SLAVES

MESTIZO: Someone
who is part NATIVE
(Indian) and part
EUROPEAN (Spanish)

MUSIC

CALYPSO
(TRINIDAD)
STEEL DRUMS
(TRINIDAD)

REGGAE
(JAMAICA)

TRADITIONAL DANCES
BOLERO Spanish in origin, adapted in Cuba
CHA-CHA Cuban, derived from the mambo
MAMBO Cuban, grew popular at end of

WWII
MERENGUE origins in Haiti and D.R.

 SALSA developed by Puerto Ricans in

New York
SAMBA native Brazilian dance
TANGO originated in Argentina

FUTBOL
The game of FUTBOL (Spanish) or
FUTEBOL (Portuguese) is
played throughout Latin America
and the Caribbean. In the United
States the game is called
SOCCER
PELE is one of the most famous
soccer players in history. He
scored 1,281 goals in his 22-year
career. Highlights

FOOD
Caribbean = SPICES, BEANS, RICE,
FRUIT, and COCONUT MILK.

Popular Caribbean dishes include ARROZ

con POLLO (chicken with rice), Jamaican
JERK CHICKEN, and CURRIED GOAT
STEW.

Ingredients in Mexican = CORN,

TOMATILLOS, FRIJOLES, and CHILES

Popular Mexican dishes are TACOS,

ENCHILADAS, EMPANADAS,
and QUESADILLAS

ART & LITERATURE

DIEGO RIVERA
FRIDA KAHLO
GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ

POPULATION & CITIES

Years of colonization led to a DISPARITY
(GAP) of income DISTRIBUTION and
contributed to an extreme DIVIDE between
the RICH and those in POVERTY
In Latin America
there is NOT a
large MIDDLE
CLASS

 Part of the reason for the DISPARITY OF

INCOME DISTRIBUTION is because a very
SMALL % of the population owns MOST of the
land in Latin America
Since most people do not own a lot of land, they
can only grow enough food to survive on. This
is known as SUBSISTENCE FARMING.
Some people in Mexico work on EJIDOS
(COMMUNALLY OWNED and operated farms)

 Latin America has been experiencing

RAPID POPULATION GROWTH in recent
years because of IMPROVED standards
of living.

POVERTY in RURAL areas = rapid

urbanization (people move to the CITIES
to find JOBS and have a better life. )

 Many of the islands in the Caribbean are

densely populated
More than 85% of people in ARGENTINA,
CHILE, and URUGUAY live in cities
The steady flow of people into cities has
caused several MEGACITIES to form - a
megacity has at least 10 MILLION people
living there

MEXICO CITY, Mexico

SANTIAGO, Chile

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina

 Problem = POLLUTION. Mexico City has

a problem with SMOG because the city is
surrounded by mountains which trap the
polluted air.

 Another major problem associated with

Latin American megacities is that the
INFRASTRUCTURE (systems that serve
a city communication, transportation,
schools, etc.) cannot keep up with the
growing populations.
This leads to people moving out to places
called SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS.

 Squatter settlements are called by several

names:
- FAVELAS (Brazil)
- ranchos (Venezuala)
- barriadas (Peru)
- colonias letarias (Mexico)
A SQUATTER is a person who lives in
these settlements because they cannot
afford to buy land LEGALLY

 Squatter settlements lack services and

infrastructure such as CLEAN WATER,
ELECTRICITY, SCHOOLS, and market
places