Latin American Culture

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Latin American Culture

• Unit 6 Notes

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What does this image tell you about Latin
Americas culture?
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Diversity in Latin America

• Latin Americas cultures are diverse.
• Each region has its own history, languages,
  customs, beliefs, foods, music, etc.
• Latin America also has diversity in its races
• Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans are the
  largest groups.
• Members of these groups have intermarried and
  developed unique cultures over time.

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Native Americans

• Europeans began colonizing the Americas in
  the 1500s.
• They forced the natives to work on plantations
  in mines.
• Many native populations were completely wiped out
  by European weapons and diseases.
• Some natives were able to preserve their cultures
  by moving to remote regions.
• Many people in Venezuela are mestizos (ancestors
  were both European and Native American).

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Africans

• Europeans brought Africans to the New World and
  forced them to work as slaves.
• Descendants of these people still live in Latin
  America today.
• Many live in Brazil, Panama, and islands in the
  Caribbean.

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Religion

• The main religion in Latin America is Roman
  Catholic.
• However, practices of Native Americans Africans
  have blended with Christian beliefs.
• Example Day of the Dead in Mexicoblends
  Native American beliefs about the afterlife with
  Christian beliefs.

El Dia de los Muertos
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Cultural Controversy

• People with European ancestors often have better
  paying jobs, better education and health care,
  and more money than people of Native American or
  African descent.
• Other culture groups have begun to demand
  equality in their countries.
• Example In Bolivia in 2005, a Native American
  was elected president for the first time.

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Cultural Collage!

• You are going to create a collage of cultural
  information regarding Latin America.
• You may include words on your collage, but the
  majority of space must be filled with interesting
  and vivid pictures. It is important that all
  aspects of culture are represented in your
  collage, so you must include pictures for each of
  the following examples of culture
• art
• music/dance
• food
• language
• religion

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Cultural Collage

• You can use your class notes, the Coach Book, and
  People, Places, Change textbook to find
  information for your collage. The following pages
  can be used to find information about the diverse
  culture in Latin America
• Textbook -
• Mexicos Culture Regions pages 200-201
• Cultures of the Caribbean page 214
• Brazil's People Culture page 242
• Venezuela's Cultural Life page 230
• Coach book
• SS6G4(a)(b) pages 32-33