Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America

Nations of Latin America do share much in common with one another; however, they differ from each other in significant ways as well. Mexico and Argentina, for example, differ at least as much as the United States and the United Kingdom and Ireland in language, culture, and history. Even the unifying Spanish language, which all Latin American countries have in common (excepting Brazil) differ tremendously in how it is spoken. Although both Argentina and Mexico, for example, speak Spanish, they have distinctive dialects. In Argentina, they speak a form of Spanish called Castellano. A distinctive aspect of Argentine Castellano is the use of vos in place of tú; and Mexican Spanish differs in many ways from other Spanish, most notably in its name. The “x” in Mexico (México) is derived from a Nahuatl word, even though the pronunciation in Spanish is May-he-co (i.e., Méjico). Furthermore, there is little Indigenous language left in Argentina, with much more European influence than other Latin American nations. Peru, on the other hand, has the largest population of native speakers of Quechuan. It is even a co-official language there. In Mexico, Nahuatl is still spoken by an estimated 1.7 million.

The landscape itself causes many distinctions between the various nations in Latin America, economically and culturally. The mountains of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile promoted mining, whereas the tropics of Brazil and Cuba were prime for sugarcane. The Pampas of Argentina provide vast grasslands for herds of cattle, and the Argentine cowboy, the gaucho, is as important a symbol of the region as the cowboy is for the western United States. These differences in landscape affect the cuisine of the regions as well. In Argentina, for example, the cuisine is much more European in taste and appearance, featuring a lot of beef, whereas the arid regions of Mexico are ideal for chilies, which are distinctive in Mexican cuisine. Despite all their differences, which are too many to list, they all do share a distinct Spanish, Portuguese, or European influence, which, combined with native foods, creates the uniqueness found in all Latin American nations.

Although the nations of Latin America are very different from one another, it is the fact that they were all conquered and colonized by the Iberian nations that links them together and provides the many similarities they also share. The Spanish fully dominated their colonies as did the Portuguese in Brazil. Thus, at one point, for example, the regions that differed so much from one another prior to the Spanish were unified politically under the Spanish crown, and, although there are minute differences in the way Latin Americans speak Spanish (or Portuguese) it is, nevertheless, a unifying element, as all speak mutually intelligible dialects of the Spanish language. Furthermore, Catholicism served as a unifying force not only in Spanish America but also in Portuguese Brazil. It is primarily these elements that allow Chasteen the ability to provide an encompassing history of Latin America.

In this opening chapter, Chasteen draws the reader’s attention to many of the changes that have transpired in Latin America since his first visit there in the 1960s. Many of these changes he discusses in further detail later on in the closing chapters, but, most importantly, he addresses these changes as a way to justify the need for his book and thus a new perspective on narrating the history of the region. Furthermore, he introduces these changes as a way to garner the attention of his target audience, which is college and high-school students. The idea is to highlight the modernity that Latin America has been experiencing and the changes brought about by the globalized economy (the advent of American fast-food chains, for example). However, it is also to point out that many nations are not as violent and unstable as they were during the Cold War era, which saw the rise of many dictators and revolutions. As an eminent scholar in, and professor of, Latin American history and culture, Chasteen is well aware of the preconceived notions his students probably have of Latin America.