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This is what I don't get...why do people assume that Latin America is one giant monolith? Just because most countries speak Spanish doesn't mean that they're all similar. Nigeria, Guyana, and England all have one language, doesn't make them the same culture. Of course people conveniently forget that not even all of Latin America speaks Spanish, a huge portion speaks Portuguese, and there are large indigenous-speaking minorities scattered around.
Even economically all the countries are really different. Chile and Argentina are on similar economic level to some Central European countries like Hungary or Poland, while Nicaragua and Honduras are on level with India or Nigeria...
The cuisine is totally different too. Good luck trying to find tacos in Peru, or aji de gallina in Brazil, or feijoada in Dominican Republic, or mofongo in Mexico
Culture is of course completely different depending on where you go as well. Buenos Aires is completely different from Cuzco, which is completely different from Tijuana, which is completely different from Antigua Guatemala, which is different from Rio de Janeiro. In fact culture in many Latin countries changes even just by going from state to state, and the difference is a lot more noticeable than in the United States or even some European countries
It seems lazy to stereotype Latin America as just one large monolith. Why do people keep doing it?
in Maine a university asked to readers about ideas for a second Latin Motto for the state, and many readers answered that the state did not need a Mexican Motorcicle...home schooling.
Yeah, people in America think that if you speak Spanish, then you are Mexican (or tag you as a Latino which would mean for them you are the same as a Mexican, lol).
That would be like saying if you speak English then you are British.
A lot of Latin Americas would also assume that, dunno, China, or East Asia, is all the same. because a lot of people don't care much about that region of the World, or think they don't have reason to care.
Quote:
Even economically all the countries are really different. Chile and Argentina are on similar economic level to some Central European countries like Hungary or Poland, while Nicaragua and Honduras are on level with India or Nigeria...
Poland, and probably Hungary too, has a much more advanced economies than both Chile and Arg, much better education systems, etc.
Latin America doesn't have such huge development gaps as other other continents.
pd: I thought mofongo was Puerto Rican.
Last edited by joacocanal; 02-23-2018 at 08:57 AM..
Latin America can divded into two areas. Ugly indigenous poor central Americans from hell hole and ****shole as has been refered to by people on here and else where. And Beautiful white countries with their beautiful andean landscapes and sunset in South America.
While I have a much more nuanced view of Latin America now, especially having traveled through some of it, I would say that my impressions which developed from my childhood through High School (late 70s-80s), followed these broad stereotypes gleaned from tv, movies, National geographic, documentaries, encyclopedias, etc.:
<Caution: potential offensive ideas below. I knew most of my ideas came from my own ignorance, but this is what I "knew".>
Latin Caribbean: Rice and Beans, tropical, a mullato look in many people. Salsa music. Everything was basically a shade of what I knew about Puerto Rico.
Mexico: Deserts, Sombreros, Donkeys, white-stuccoed forts being invaded by a mixture of Anglos and Mexicans who wanted the gold the army was hiding inside.
Central America/Yucatan: Tropical Jungles. Kind of like Mexico, but humid, parrots, Mayan pyramids.
Colombia/Venezuela: Romancing the Stone. Endless jungle covered mountains with some Spanish Colonial cities that were similar to the Caribbean in flavor.
Brazil: Portuguese, not Spanish. Carnival. Bossa Nova. Naked indigenous people with minimal contact with the outside world. Big cities filled with White and Black people.
Ecuador/Peru/Bolivia: Giant Andean mountains populated by short women with bowler hats and colorful woven shawls that they could use to carry huge bundles.
Chile: Patagonia
Argentina: Buenos Aires, Tango, Sophistication, European influence.
Parguay: Pampas, gauchos, mate.
Everything else: Probably like the country next to it.
So, not exactly a monolith, but a fairly limited view informed by pretty broad stereotypes.
Poland, and probably Hungary too, has a much more advanced economies than both Chile and Arg, much better education systems, etc.
Latin America doesn't have such huge development gaps as other other continents.
Definitely helps being close to Germany and Western Europe, but by GDP per capita the four countries are pretty much equal. If you go by HDI, which measures education and life expectancy, than Chile is two spots behind Poland, and Argentina is two spots behind Hungary. It's not everything, but it shows that the living standards in those countries are very similar
The gap between development is not as big as some other continents, but still pretty big. The GDP per capita of the richest Latin countries is about 6x-7x of the poorest countries
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