Factors That Shaped Latino Culture

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There is not question that the main factor that shaped Latino identiity is the "discovery" of mesoamerica by the Spanish settlers. According to Mexico Profundo, humans have been living in Mexico for atleast thirty thousand years. A civilization already thriving and exsisting with it's own rules and beliefs. It was when the Spanish conquest in the 16th century came into the picture changing everything. Deindianization began by taking the indian out of the indian and adding more resemblance of white. By destorying all things that was custom to the native people, burning any knowledge of their past and literally writing them a new one. Killing any and all that were against them, without question. Millions of people "erased". In a attempt to …show more content…

The corn we see today is not how it origanlly looked. It was basically grass, ancient corn is very small like weed. They learned how to select the mutated corn for their desired traits. A sophistcation of genetic modifcation by "naked savages". The lack of game influenced the increased algerculture on natives. There knowlege of algerculture was exquisite. As mesoamerica developed so did corn. They strongly believed 'corn was life', and almost worshiped it's exsistace. In addition, the Casta System is important for showing how the past can affect the present and the shaping of identity of Latinos. By earsing who they are and trying to be more European, more white meant more pure. Casta meaning purity of blood. The more white the more right. Sistema de castas: A hierarchical ordering of people based on race and social economic rank. As well as, their class, occupation and cultural behavior (how well they can resemble whites). This system was establish not for everyone, at least not for actual white …show more content…

Social labels limited people's rights and privileges. The race you are determined who and what you could be, imtametly tying job and race togehter. Ones occupational generally corresponded to racial and ethnic catagorizing. Placeing animal like names along to their names devaluing the people. Going down the list on the system, the race get's darker as well as the ranking. At the top, were people who could pass as being white also establishing more previlege. Although the Casta was made illegal in the 1820's, I believe the ideololgy behind the Casta system still exsist, and not only in Latin America but all over the world Europeans have spread this idea of race identity over human

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