History Essay

These two texts engage on the concept of Latin America and what the term means historically and contemporarily. After 10 weeks of exploring some of the details of this history, and discussing them in section, we would like to get a sense of your understanding of the arc of history in this region, and how you relate to it.

You may have personal experience with some aspects of what has been discussed in the lectures and section for example, the Cold War relationship between the US and Latin America caused many of us to have to migrate to the US. Or you have heard your family talk of revolutions at home, and the sacrifices they made to come here. Or you have experienced acts of racism that have their roots in the same frameworks that produced images like the casta paintings. In other words - Latin American history is both a course you took and a lens into your own history. Even if you do not have any personal connection to Latin America, as a citizen of California, you are on native land - native land that was colonized by Spaniards just as it was in what is now Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia and Argentina - the legacy of colonialism reaches all of us.

If you are writing your answer as a formal essay, remember to introduce your argument/thesis statement, develop your evidence and argument in the body of the essay and write a thoughtful conclusion. DO NOT FORGET to cite your sources and meet the minimum word-requirement! The rubric is a minimalistic checklist of things you should not forget to do before submitting your final essay. If you are submitting your answer in another format, make sure you follow this guide - it is wise to help your audience understand what you will do (intro & thesis), explain how you are doing it (evidence), be clear in your argument and provide some concluding remarks.