Introduction to Latin America II

HIS 267/LAC 267-XW81

M: 6:00-8:40
Prof. José L. Rénique
jrenique@aol.com

Spring 2009
CA 212
CA 298, ext. 4998
Office Hours: M 5:00-6:00

Course Description
This course surveys the historical formation of contemporary Latin America. It focuses on the
making of modern nations. After a brief review of the colonial era it concentrates on the process
began with the achievement of Independence. Then, it continues with an examination of the Latin
American struggle to create sovereign and cohesive nations. By the end of the semester,
students should be able to understand, critically analyzed and explain:

a. The geographic and demographic characteristics of Latin America.

b. How the colonial legacy has shaped the life of contemporary Latin America.
c. The central role played by international relations in general and by the US in
particular in the evolution of Latin America.
d. How factors such as class, race, and gender have influenced Latin American
development.
e. Key historical events, people, policies, and/or programs that have decisively shaped
the evolution of the region.
f. Key analytical concepts for the study of Latin America such as colonialism,
modernization, dependent development, capitalism, bureaucratic-authoritarianism,
imperialism, nationalism, revolution, neo-liberalism, and democracy.

Readings
These books are available at Lehman College Bookstore or can be purchased through AMAZON
or BARNES & NOBLE.
• Chasteen, John C.
Born in Blood and Fire. A Concise History of Latin America, New York: W.W. Norton
and Co., 2001.
• Ojito, Mirtha
Finding Mañana. A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus, New York: Penguin, 2006.
• Reed, John
Insurgent Mexico, New York: International Publishers, 1988.

Evaluation
1. Quizzes
DESCRIPTION: There will be quizzes at the beginning of EVERY class. These quizzes
count also as attendance. They will be based on the assigned readings for that particular
week. Be aware that there are NO MAKE-UPS on weekly quizzes, so be punctual and
be always prepared for them. There are going to be around 10 quizzes altogether (5
points each one) from which I will take the best 8 for calculating your final grade. Please
take a note that on February 9 the weekly quiz will include a MAP TEST.
FORMAT: Multiple-choice and/or short questions based on the weekly readings.
DURATION: 20 minutes.
 WORTH: A maximum of 50 points as a whole
2. Review Essay (2)
DESCRIPTION: Two separate essays based on (a) J. Reed, Insurgent Mexico and (b) M.
Ojitos Finding Mañana. Specific guidelines will be handed out later.
FORMAT: Typed, proof-read paper, 1,500 words paper or around 4 pages, 1.5 line
spacing, font size should be 12 pt, set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides
DUE DATES: March 30 and May 4
WORTH: A maximum of 30 points each.
3. Extra-Credit
DESCRIPTION: Students who contribute to the class with questions and commentaries
will be considered for an addition of up to 10 points or more to the final grade. The
instructor welcomes any proposal for an oral presentation provided that students submit a
detailed script in advance. This is the only “EXTRA-CREDIT” activity in this course.
4. Final Grade
Maximum number of points to be obtained for each activity:
Pop Quizzes…............................…...... 40 points
Book Review 1…… .......................……30 points
Book Review 2………………................ 30 points
TOTAL: 100 points
Extra Credit…………………….... 10 + points
Your final grade will reflect the following criteria:
100 to 91 = A.......... For outstanding work.
90 to 81 = B........... For good and satisfactory work.
80 to 71 = C .......... For fair or sufficient work.
70 to 51 = D.......... For poor or deficient work..
50 to 0 = F............For lack of work.
5. Incomplete
Incompletes will be granted only in exceptional cases to students unable to complete the
final requirements of evaluation because of an emergency. However, even in that case an
Incomplete cannot be granted when the applicant has less than a C as his/her average
grade.

Classes
Attendance:
Regular and punctual attendance is mandatory, especially on tests days. Absences will
inevitably hurt your final grade. Be aware that I usually give quizzes at the beginning of
the class.
Content:
Classes will always be based on previous knowledge of the assigned material. Therefore,
be aware YOU WILL FIND IT HARD TO FOLLOW THE CLASS IF YOU DON’T DO THE
ASSIGNED READINGS.
Participation:
Learning is not a spectator sport. Intellectual exchanges involving all students and the
instructor enrich learning for all. Your job is to be here, active and alive! You must be
ready to share your opinions in class.
Decorum and Courtesy:
1. Please keep cell phones or beepers silent and out of sight during class.
2. Please avoid taking your meals at class time.
3. Please do not perform any business not related to the class (such as homework for other
classes or reading magazines or newspapers) while class is in session.
4. If for any reason you find hard to stay awake in class please feel free to walk out of the
room and talk to me afterwards. But PLEASE do not take a nap during class.
 Schedule and Readings
January 26
Introduction: A Basic Profile of Latin America.
February 2
Encounter, Clash or Conquest? Readings: Chasteen, chapter 1.
February 9
Colonization: The Making of the Spanish and Portuguese America. Readings:
Chasteen, chapter 2.
February 23
Independence: Civil Wars and the Birth of Latin American Republics. Reading:
Chasteen, chapter 3.
March 2
Building Nations in a Post-Colonial Context. Readings: Chasteen, chapters 4 and 5.
March 9
Neocolonialism: Latin America and the “Colossus of the North.” Reading: Chasteen,
chapter 6.
March 16
The Mexican Revolution (1): Readings: Chronology, Mexican Revolution,
http://www.uoregon.edu/~caguirre/mexico.htm and/or Timeline Of The Mexican
Revolution,
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Bunker/7475/mexrevtimeline.htm Film: Paul
Leduc, “Reed: Insurgent Mexico” (1973)
March 23
The Mexican Revolution (2): Reading: J. Reed, Insurgent Mexico, all.
March 30
Nationalism, Populism and Radicalization. Reading: Chasteen, chapters 7 and 8 (to
page 264). Film: “Evita: The Woman Behind the Myth”
Deadline: Book Review 1 is due
April 6
The Era of the Cuban Revolution(1). Reading: Chasteen, chapter 8 and “Timeline:
Post-Revolution Cuba” http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/castro/timeline/index.html. Film:
“American Experience: Fidel Castro”
April 13
Spring Recess
April 20
The Era of the Cuban Revolution (2). Reading: M. Ojito, Finding Mañana. Film:
“Nobody Listen”
April 27
Reaction to Revolution: Dictatorships in the South Cone. Reading: Chasteen,
chapter 9
Mayo 4
The Struggle for Democracy and Human Rights. Reading: Chasteen, chapter 9 and
Jean Franco, “Gender, Death, and Resistance. Facing the Ethical Vaccum” Film: “The
Pinochet Case”.
Deadline: Book Review 1 is due
May 11
The Neoliberal Age. Readings: Chasteen, chapter 10.
 Review Essay: General Guidelines1
Length: 1,200 words or four pages minimum
Due Date: March 30 and May 6

Unlike a “book report” (which consists of a summary and an external description of the book
under review) a book review is an analytical piece that comments on and evaluates a book
under the light of certain specific issues or concerns.

The two books to be reviewed in this course are about individuals (John Reed and Mirtha Ojito)
whose lives, somehow, were touched by revolutions (Mexico in the 1910s and Cuba in the
1970s). Their books (Insurgent Mexico and Finding Mañana) are written testimonies of those
experiences. Your task is to explore the Mexican as well as the Cuban revolution through their
singular personal experiences in two separate papers that are due on March 30 (Reed) and May
4 (Ojito). Please take a note that, under any circumstance, I CANNOT ACCEPT E-MAILED
PAPERS.

Some fundamental elements you should have in mind as you develop your paper:
(a) To have a clear concept of what a revolution is.
(b) To understand the revolutionary processes occurred in Mexico and Cuba so you can
understand what kind of situations Reed and Ojito had to confront.
(c) Having enough information about the authors themselves so you can explore their
respective viewpoints, in other words, from what perspective they were observing and
experiencing these revolutionary contexts.

In writing your paper, take into account the following points:

(a) Find a title for your paper that reflects the spirit or the main theme of your work.
(b) Use the MLA style in case you want to quote either from the books under review or any
other source. Be particularly careful in not committing plagiarism.
(c) Besides the books you must incorporate the films “Reed: Insurgent Mexico” and “Nobody
Listen” as sources for these papers. For background on John Reed see David Milholland,
“John Reed in Mexico & Latin America” http://www.ochcom.org/reed/
(d) In assembling your paper followed the three-part structure (introduction-argument-
conclusion) where each part plays a crucial role in conveying effectively your ideas. And
of course, write clearly and persuasively.
(e) Do not use illustrations unless they are an important part of your argumentation.
(f) Do not use a plastic cover. A separate page for the title is also unnecessary.
(g) Proof-read and edit your paper before deliver it. Typed, proof-read paper, 1,500 words
paper or around 4 pages, 1.5 line spacing, font size should be 12 pt, set the margins of
your document to 1 inch on all sides

Take into account that writing an effective paper starts with an effective critical reading:
(a) To read critically is to make judgments about how a text is argued. In other words, more
than reading primarily to extract information do read looking for ways of thinking
about the subject matter. That means
(b) Asking questions such as How this text is argued? How is the evidence (the facts,
examples, etc.) used and interpreted? How does the text reach its conclusions?
(c) Begin to make some judgments about context: What audience is the text written for?
Who is it in dialogue with? In what historical context is it written? All these matters of
context can contribute to your assessment of what is going on in a text.
(d) Distinguish the kinds of reasoning the text employs. What concepts are defined and
used? Does the text appeal to a theory or theories? Is any specific methodology laid out?
1
Guidelines written by Deborah Knott for the New College Writing Centre of the University of Toronto by
Deborah Knott has been extensively used in here. See http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/bkrev.html
 If there is an appeal to a particular concept, theory, or method, how is that concept,
theory, or method then used to organize and interpret the data? You might also examine
how the text is organized: how has the author analyzed (broken down) the material?
(e) Examine the evidence (the supporting facts, examples, etc) the text employs: What
counts as evidence in this argument? Is the evidence statistical? literary? historical? etc.
From what sources is the evidence taken?
(f) Critical reading occurs after some preliminary processes of reading. Begin by skimming
research materials, especially introductions and conclusions, in order to strategically
choose where to focus your critical efforts.
(g) When highlighting a text or taking notes from it, teach yourself to highlight argument:
those places in a text where an author explains her analytical moves, the concepts she
uses, how she uses them, how she arrives at conclusions. Look for the large patterns
that give purpose, order, and meaning to those examples. The opening sentences of
paragraphs can be important to this task.
(h) When you begin to think about how you might use a portion of a text in the argument you
are forging in your own paper, try to remain aware of how this portion fits into the whole
argument from which it is taken. Paying attention to context is a fundamental critical
move.
(i) When you quote directly from a source, use the quotation critically. This means that you
should not substitute the quotation for your own articulation of a point. Rather, introduce
the quotation by laying out the judgments you are making about it, and the reasons why
you are using it. Often a quotation is followed by some further analysis.
(j) Critical reading skills are also critical listening skills. In your lectures, listen not only for
information but also for ways of thinking. Your instructor will often explicate and model
ways of thinking appropriate to a discipline.