Taught in Spanish, this course presents a historical and cultural overview of Hispanic Latin America from its pre-Colombian origins to the present through works of literature, art, music, and videos.
In Spanish 306 we were introduced to Latin America and the countries that make up the continent. We learned about the culture, history, and the people of each particular region. To better understand its geographical origins and its relation or influence to the United States, we were put in small groups and asked to chose a specific Latin American country to research and present our findings to the class. While doing our research, we were better able to find similarities and differences between North and South America. By exploring the history and origins of various countries taught us how progressively, Hispanic culture evolved over time and the impact it had on the world as a whole. (Learning outcome 3). Latin American culture consists of a variety of rich and complex mini histories. In class, we also discussed the political and social aspects which attributed to the development of such a culture. By analyzing cultural works (such as film, novels, and news pieces or events), we were able to understand how different regions in Latin America were able to compete for power. This course is related to other courses that I have taken such as the study of Mexican literature and Hispanic literature, because it allowed me to compare works produced by different authors of different cultural backgrounds. For example, a literature piece written by Laura Esquivel reflects that of the Mexican culture and pieces produced by Antonio Buero-Vallejo demonstrate events relative to the culture of Spain. I wish to develop a deeper understanding of the traditions and customs of several Latin American cultures, so that I can compare them to those of the Mexican culture, finding similarities and differences. It would be important for me to find the element that unifies all Hispanic people, while also discovering what makes each subculture unique. This would be quite helpful to me when I go out into the work place and build relationships with people who share these cultural backgrounds, or if I decide to work in an environment that requires an understanding of these cultures.