This was the web page for the second class of the 2019 course “Peoples & Cultures of Latin America.” There were two readings:
- Restall, Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest, 1-63
- Ana M. Alonso, “Borders, Sovereignty, and Racialization” in A Companion to Latin American Anthropology
Possible focus points for student comments:
- Choose one of Restall’s first three myths. What is the myth, how does Restall challenge it, and why is it important to rethink that myth? (See also my blog-post reflections on how Restall’s version of the Spanish Conquest is important for contemporary understandings.)
- In many ways, Alonso’s chapter complements the Lynn Stephen chapter on “Reconceptualizing Latin America.” What does Alonso add or bring to the previous discussion?
We also finished the film The Milagro Beanfield War, thinking about two questions:
- To what degree does the film illustrate the themes of “Reconceptualizing Latin America”?
- How does the film challenge stereotypes and caricatures about the US southwest? (Alonso reading)
This class was part of the 2019 course outline for Peoples & Cultures of Latin America and see Teaching Latin America 2019 for course reflections. The larger series includes:
- The most recent Latin America & Caribbean Anthropology 2021 which blogs through the second edition of The Anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean by Harry Sanabria.
- The 2016 Teaching Latin America and Caribbean Anthropology and the Student Projects.
- Anthropologists Studying Immigration in the United States (2013).
- The first post that launched the series, from 2012: Teaching: Latin America & Caribbean.
These posts are all cataloged in the Latin America index tag for the site, which also includes related blog-posts.