Modern Latin America 2020

History 216

Azuela

How do the male and female characters treat Camila differently from each other throughout the novel?

The men in The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela primarily treat Camila as an object that can be one, discarded, or traded. From the very first time Demetrio Macias met Camila on page 17 of the novel, he wanted to have her, but when he made an advance, he scared her away and was told by the other men that he would have to break her in first. Even though Luis Cervantes does not like Camila, he also treats her as an object that can be bartered in order to make him better off. Towards the end of the novel, he offers to go back for Camila in exchange for a gold watch from Macias (p. 93). Cervantes tricks her into thinking that he has come back for her, and then takes her back to Macias, betraying her trust.

While the other female characters in the novel do not objectify Camila in the same way, they still treat her like she is ignorant and foolish for her choices and feelings towards the men. War Paint, Maria Antonia, and Senora Agapita all treat Camila with kindness at first, but then turn on her when she makes choices that they would not have made. Towards the beginning of the novel, for example, Senora Agapita covers for Camila when she chooses not to attend the dance, but when she is still heartbroken in the morning yells at her to get on with her life (p. 47). In the same passage, when Maria Antonia finds her crying, she beats Camila to try and rid her of bad spirits and her lovesickness (p. 47). At the end of the novel, War Paint tries first to protect Camila and makes plans for her to return home, but when Camila chooses to stay and begins to fall for Macias, War Paint turns on her, becoming increasingly coldhearted until she ends up killing her to spite Macias on page 108.

These attitudes towards Camila stem from her low position as an unmarried girl during this period. While the older women in the novel might sympathize with her somewhat at first, they also are influenced by the misogynistic society that treats young women as objects without their own real thoughts or opinions. Her presence in the novel is also not to provide her with her own story arc but rather to use her to further the story arcs of both Macias and War Paint, giving her character a low status within the mostly male-centered plot.

Azuela

My discussion question is: What motivated Demetrio and his men to join the revolutionary cause?

Throughout the novel, Demetrio and his men offer several different reasons to explain their motivations behind deciding to fight for the revolution. In Demetrio’s case, he claims he joined the revolution because he was involved in a conflict with Don Monico and needed to flee Moyahua to avoid attacks from the federal government (Azuela 40). However, Luis Cervantes, who Demetrio revealed his motivations to, refused to believe Demetrios’ reasoning and instead insisted that Demetrio joined the revolution to fight against the malicious government that controls Mexico (Azuela 42). Similarly, Cervantes declares that he joined the revolution to fight against the tyrannical government and even proclaims that all of Demetrios men are fighting for this same purpose as well (Azuela 42). Despite the different explanations offered by Demetrio and his men to explain their reasons for joining the revolution, Cervantes’ statement provides an explanation that seeks to connect all the mens’ motivation into one cause: the destruction of the unjust government.

Class Notes 2/19/20

To begin class, Peyton discussed the story of two people that had been found dead at butterfly reserves in Michoacan, Mexico. The first man, Homero Gomez, was found dead in the bottom of a well with blunt force trauma. A tourist was later found with stab wounds at another nearby butterfly sanctuary. It is speculated that these murders are linked to the cartel, as there are resources on the butterfly reserves that are very valuable. To obtain those resources, the cartels are trying to scare off tourists and staff. Environmental activists have also been killed by cartels to secure the natural resources. Overall, the article shows us more on corruption and organized crime in Mexico.

We then talked about nationalism and the Spanish empire in the 19th century, which was still present in Cuba and Puerto Rico. We talked about Jose Marti, one of the greatest fighters against the Spanish colonization of Cuba, and his thoughts on nationalism. They were central to our discussion, as he believed in “Our America”, meaning you must know the land you are governing, thus Latin America’s leaders should come from within, not Europe or the US. In relation we also discussed Ada Ferrer, who wrote about how the anti-slavery movement in Cuba became a part of the anti-colonial movement.

After, we looked at two political cartoons showing US imperialism in Latin America. One depicted an unshackled Cuba being invited to join the US as a state, and the other showed Uncle Sam holding reckless babies each labeled as Latin American countries. The first cartoon shows the US’s reach into Latin America during that time period, and the second shows the perception of Latin America by people from the United States and that the US should be the parent to those countries.

To end class, we talked about individual primary sources from our book, my group’s being “Education and the Mexican Revolution” by Octavio Paz. He analyzes thoughts of “The Cosmic Race” by Jose Vasconcelos, which discusses the resurgence of nationalism in Mexico through the arts and dance. He also states that Mexican nationalism, once Catholicism and liberalism were no longer serving them, became centered around race.

Azuela

My discussion question for Azuela’s Underdogs is How do Demetrio and his men’s views of Luis Cervantes change throughout the novel?

Cervantes is first introduced on page 20, in which he describes himself as a revolutionist, as well as a medical student and journalist. Demetrio’s men are immediately suspicious of him, and assume he is a Government soldier. When he is first brought to Demetrius, he informs him that he wrote a piece in favor of the revolution. Cervantes claims he is one of their coreligionists, in which he defines as “a person who possesses the same religion, who is inspired by the same ideals, who defends for and fights for the same cause you are now fighting for” (Azuela, 20). Demetrius then asks him what they are fighting for, in which Cervantes has no answer for. This leads to further distrust of Cervantes and the men refer to him as “Tenderfoot.”

As the novel continues, Cervantes’ supposedly true feelings of the revolution are revealed. He claims to have a hatred of the officers and of his superiors, which shows evidence of his loyalty towards the rebels (24). Soldiers even begin coming to him with their confessions of their true feelings of their superiors. This shows the shift of feelings towards Cervantes, which are more positive. However, there is still a sense of uneasiness around Cervantes since he has still not shown his intentions. He is visibly distraught by this, and fails to eat and sleep.

Demetrius is later badly wounded in battle, and since Cervantes is a medical student, he seeks him out for treatment. This shows how he starts to accept Cervantes, and he even compliments his work. However, Venancio, one of Demetrius’ men states, “But don’t forget that tenderfoots are like moisture, they seep in everywhere. It’s the tenderfoots who stopped us reaping the harvest of the revolution” (34). While Cervantes has a more positive reputation, he is still not trusted by the men he wants to be trusted by.

Ironically, a week later, Venancio’s view of Cervantes drastically changes. Cervantes tells him he can easily get a degree to pursue a medical profession, claiming that it only requires a few weeks of assistant work at a hospital and a letter of recommendation from his chief (35). From that night onwards, Venancio begins to call him “Louie,” instead of “Tenderfoot.” This is a step in the right direction for Cervantes, and he is asked to join Demetrius and his men in fighting against the Federals.

At the end of the novel, Cervantes leaves to finish school and get his medical degree before Demetrius and his men are done fighting in the revolution. He sends a letter to Venancio, in which he mentions that it will not be easy for Venancio to become a doctor in that country. Instead, he asks Venancio to join him as a business partner and set up a Mexican restaurant in the town he is in, “making him rich in no time” (118). This causes the reader to question Cervantes’ true intentions. If Cervantes would not have told Venancio how easy it would be to become a doctor, would Demetrius and his men ever accept him as one of their own? It appears that Cervantes is out to get what he wants from others for his own good, and now needs a business partner. With that in mind, was Cervantes ever a true revolutionist?

Class Notes 02/17/2020

Peyton O’Laughlin

Firstly, Giovanny discussed the Venezuelan migrant crisis. Important highlights of this project were xenophobia that accompanies mass migration incidents as well as the political and economic factors that occur from this situation. Through this news event, Giovanny called upon the theme of “Americanos” and nativism during the Latin American wars of independence in comparison to rhetoric regarding the Venezuelan migrant crisis, “Somos planas.” 

Next, we narrowed our historical focus to neocolonialism in Latin America from the late 19th century to the Great Depression. The main topic of focus was defining neocolonialism and how this historical facet affected the lives of Latin American people. A large portion of the class revolved around examining photos of Latin American workers under neocolonial as primary sources. Importantly, this activity provided us to think critically about the cultural, political, and economic factors that shaped the lives of Latin American people during this period. Not only were Latin American people affected, but their economic structures were altered due to foreign influence. Likewise, Latin America experienced a large influx of European immigrants, this resulted in continued cultural changes and a shift in political ideologies, liberalism to consolidated authority and oligarchies. Finally, through the photos, we discussed familial, socio-economic, and racial dynamics of the world of work, mainly agricultural, in Latin America during the period. This last piece of the class was largely developed through observations of clothing, how individuals were placed in photos, the type of work that was being represented, racial tones, types of agricultural or natural resources, and the locations the photo presented. 

In terms of understanding neocolonialism, from the neocolonizers perspective, one can take precedence from Woodrow Wilson’s Mobile Speech (1913). Through Wilson’s speech, one can observe the views and sentiments of the United States towards Latin American countries under neocolonialism. Wilson details how Latin American countries were apt to foreign, mainly the United States, the influence due to their lack of industrial development. Latin American countries vied outside the limits of utility to the world economy and this ideology was the justification for imperialized invasion and economic control by the United States during neocolonialism. 

Key terms 

  • Neocolonialism: the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies. 
  • Oligarchy: a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution. 
  • Debt Peonage: a system where an employer controls the physical and economic mobility of a worker by limiting their access to supplies not sold by the owner which results in a burden of debt to the worker. 

Reputable Sources 

Questions 

  • What was the justification for the economic intervention of Latin America by foreign influences? 
  • Briefly describe the system of Debt Peonage. 
  • Explain why a Latin American country under neocolonial rule would produce low-cost exports? 
Image result for latin america colonialism political cartoon
The Ones Who Began It: The Spanish-American War of 1898 (Part 2)

GLIS Majors: Join us for the celebration Wednesday at 4!

Global & International Studies Majors: Please join us for our celebration on Wednesday, February 19 from 4pm to 5:30 in Old Main Café. We will have snacks provided by Spoon, and trivia led by our resident trivia master Dr. Welsch! 🎉🎊 We hope to see all of our G&IS majors-old and new-at the party!

Narrowed Research Topic: How did US and Russian foreign policy during the Cold War help shape Cuban national identity?

I want to look at the foreign policy pursued during the Cold War, specifically in the Caribbean, and see how it led to a growth in national identity for Cubans. On one side, there was mass aggression by the United States against Cuba through embargoes and the Bay of Pigs invasion, and on the other, Russia had a strong influence over Cuba at the time. I hypothesize that both the aggression of the United States combined with the Russians’ political control over Cuba will lead to the development of a strong Cuban identity. I believe those two factors, combined with Fidel Castro’s fiery leadership, is a recipe for a surge nationalism.

Primary Source:

Castro, Fidel. “Fidel Castro Denounces Aggressions Against Cuba.” The Black Scholar 8, no. 3 (1976): 10-17.

Secondary Sources:

Bain, Mervyn J. “Russia, Cuba and Colonial Legacies in the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Transatlantic Studies 15 (2017): 1-17.

Dunne, Michael. “Perfect Failure: The USA, Cuba and they Bay of Pigs, 1961.” The Political Quarterly 82, no. 3 (2011): 448-458.

Fagen, Richard R. “Mass Mobilization in Cuba: The Symbolism of Struggle.” Journal of International Affairs 20, no. 2 (1966): 254-271.

LeoGrande, William M. “A Policy Long Past Its Expiration Date: US Economic Sanctions Against Cuba.” Social Research: An International Quarterly 82, no. 4 (2015): 939-966.

Latin America In The News: Death and Butterflies

Peyton O’Laughlin

In January of 2020, the body of a well-known environmental activist, Homero Gómez, was found in a well at the Michoacán Butterfly Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico. Gómez’s body was said to have received blunt trauma to the head in the autopsy. Two weeks later, the body of a part-time reserve tourist, Raúl Hernández Romero, was found on a nearby butterfly sanctuary with “injuries possibly inflicted with a sharp object.” Neither situation has yet to be declared a case of murder by local police.  

Many Reserve staff and community members believe that the deaths are the result of organized crime in the region. Gómez was very active in the region for the protection of the trees in the Butterfly reserve from the illegal loggers, who some say are in connection to the Mexican Cartels. Through his activism and his time as commissioner of the Ejido that the reserve is portioned on, Gómez advocated for ecotourism and called for many local and state intervention to protect the world-famous reserve. 

The article touches on other issues such as organized crime in the Michoacán region, and the greater expanse of Mexico, corruption on the Ejido that the butterfly reserve is located, Mexican environmental activism, and the state of the global climate crisis. 

Many of the articles depict Homero Gómez very positively and almost like that of a saint. He is known as a jovial and generous person that dedicated his life to protecting the butterflies, and he stood with upstanding morals against the tyrannical cartels and loggers. The Guardian article was the only article to show a darker aspect of Gómez, stating that politics on the Ejido were known to be corrupt and when he was commissioner, Gómez was not the cleanest. This claim to “shady” activity was said to possibly draw enemies, but for the most part, Gómez was considered a genuinely liked individual. The immediate connection to the cartel does not seem farfetched in all happenstance as the bodies exhibited injuries that would detail homicide and the recent developments of organized crime in Mexico branching into illegal logging as global timber prices rise. Likewise, the regional police force of Michoacán has a lackluster record for solved murder cases (3% total closed cases), which adds to the seemingly lawless and corrupt depiction of Mexico in the articles. 

Ultimately, these articles declare that we consider themes similar to those of Latin America under neocolonialism. The cartels, or at least the loggers and others that show interest in the taking advantage of the resources of the reserved land, draw similarities to the foreign powers that sought to take control of the natural resources of Latin American land for profit. Importantly, the Mexican government, in this case, parallels with the Latin American governments under neocolonialism as they have proceeded to take little to no action following the astoundingly high number of deaths of Mexican environmental activists (14 in 2018, and the two deaths on the reserve that occurred two weeks apart). Many of these deaths have been claimed to have involvement with the cartels, as the activists were highly critical of efforts of organized crime to illegally control and gain monetary benefit of protected Mexican resources. To clarify, the Mexican government has taken a stance of no action, which places the Mexican activists, communities, and resources at risk, similar to that of the obedient neocolonial governments that sought to assist in the foreign economic interests rather than to the assistance of the Mexican people and their aspirations of Mexican land. 

Agren, David, and Oliver Milman. “Fear in Mexico as Twin Deaths Expose Threat to Monarch Butterflies and Their Defenders.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, February 8, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/08/monarch-butterflies-under-threat-mexico-aoe 

Wamsley, Laurel. “Sadness And Worry After 2 Men Connected To Butterfly Sanctuary Are Found Dead.” NPR. NPR, February 3, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/02/03/802359415/sadness-and-worry-after-2-men-connected-to-butterfly-sanctuary-are-found-dead 

Gallón, Natalie. “A Second Monarch Butterfly Conservationist Has Been Found Dead in Mexico.” CNN. Cable News Network, February 4, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/03/americas/second-butterfly-conservationist-dead-mexico-trnd/index.html 

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