Latin America 101

Vanderbilt UniversityCenter for Latin American Studies

August 10, 2010MNPS Inservice

A little bit about CLAS…

• Designated NRC on Latin America in 2006 by US Dept. of Education, funding renewed in 2010.

• CLAS goal is to educate teachers, businesses and community about Latin America

• K-16 Outreach program offers workshops, institutes for all teachers. Teachers receive professional development credit and curriculum materials.

Why Does Latin America Matter?

Immigration Drugs Trade Energy Resources - Brazil world’s leading producer of ethanol - US imports more oil from Latin America than

from the Middle East

Where is Latin America?

44 countries in all

Countries where romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and French) are spoken

568 million people

What does latin america sound like?

Tremendous linguistic diversity

Hundreds of indigenous languages spoken

Indigenous languages co-official languages with Spanish in several countries

Languages of Latin America Portuguese is most

commonly spoken language in South America (193 million)

6th most commonly spoken language; 3rd most widely spoken European language

Brazil larger than continental United States (land area)

What does Latin America look like?

Fusion of European, Indigenous and African heritage

Guatemala & Bolivia - indigenous majorities

Argentina – 86% of European descent

Haiti – 90% Afro-Caribbean

Diversity in Art

Art of Latin America

Music

Film

Sports

Food

Mexican Rice & Beans ≠ Caribbean Rice & Beans!

Tortilla (España) Tortilla (México)

Food in Latin America

• Argentina eats more beef per capita than any country in the world (150 lbs. per person per year)

• Leading exports include coffee, bananas, sugar, fruits

CLAS Teacher Workshops Fall 2010

• 15 September “What Moves Them: Immigration and the Push Factor”

• 13, 16 October “A Celebration of Remembrance: Exploring the Historical and Cultural Traditions of Día de los Muertos”

• 10 November “The Maya: Language, Culture and History”

• For registration and more info go to www. vanderbilt.edu/clas/outreach/outreach-opportunities/

Claire P. González Outreach Coordinator, CLAS

615.343.1837claire.p.gonzalez@vanderbilt.edu

www.vanderbilt.edu/clas