Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of how Ruben Dario's poem "To Roosevelt" and the music and dance form known as "tango" are representative of the Latin American struggle to forge an identity.

From the Paper
"If the history of Latin America can be described as a search for a viable identity, then without doubt two expressions of that identity come in the form of Ruben Dario's poem "To Roosevelt" and the dance and music form known as tango. Having won independence from, Spain having survived an umber of civil wars and having to contend with its increasingly powerful neighbor to the north, Latin Americans continued to struggle to formulate a viable identity. Because of both internal and external oppression..."

Tags:Theodore Roosevelt, Monroe Doctrine, Spain, civil war, imperialism, art, love, dualism, anger

Abstract
This paper states that, although inequality and high levels of income disparity represent major challenges confronting economists and leaders in many parts of the world, the problem is particularly severe in the Latin American countries. The author believes that the root of this phenomenon lies in the region's colonial history and the exploitation of the indigenous population as slave labor for agriculture and tapping the mines. The paper concludes that these stubborn patterns of inequality can be overcome if determined efforts are made to open political and social policies to all and to provide access by the poorer sections to social services. Footnotes.

Table of Contents
Income Disparities in Latin America
Measuring Inequality: Some Recent Studies
Latin America: How Unequal?
Income Disparity in Latin America: Getting Worse?
Is Poverty and Income Disparity Related?
Historical Roots of Inequality in Latin America
Comparison with Colonization of North America
Persisting Patterns of Inequality
Social, Economic and Political Changes in the 20th Century
Roles of Race, Ethnicity and Gender in Income Disparities
Racial Identification
Ethnic Identification
Identity Formation and Discrimination
Assets of Households
Access to Services
Average Incomes
What do the Race and Gender-Related Income Statistics Mean?
The Consequences of Inequality
Considered Unfair
Results in Greater Poverty
Affects Economic Growth
Current Backlash
Solutions for Reducing the Inequality in Latin America
More Open Political and Social Institutions
More Equitable Economic Institutions and Policies
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Poverty and income disparity are not the same concepts. Poverty may decline in a country or region where income disparity is increasing. However, experience has shown that such a situation occurs rarely and inequality and poverty are closely related. This is because in a growing economy with stable levels of inequality, poverty invariably falls. As a result the Latin American region showed significant reduction in poverty levels in the 1970s, when its economies were growing with a corresponding drop in inequality. On the other hand, the 1980s saw a fall in incomes and more unequal income distribution resulting in accelerated increase in poverty."

Tags:inequality, colonial, slave, indigenous, discrimination

Abstract
This paper examines that Latin American economic development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was hindered by a number of geopolitical and socioeconomic impediments. The author points out that Latin American nations were all struggling with the negative legacy of colonialism and imperialism at this time and their governments encountered significant difficulties as they sought to establish modern economic systems. The paper stresses that one major impediment was that despite their wealth of resources, these emerging countries lacked sufficient capital and labor to build land transportation networks.

From the Paper
"Latin American economic development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was hindered by a number of geopolitical and socioeconomic impediments. Latin American nations were all struggling with the negative legacy of colonialism and imperialism at this time and their governments encountered significant difficulties as they sought to establish modern economic systems. One major impediment was that the emerging countries of the Western Hemisphere, despite their wealth of resources, lacked sufficient capital and labor to build land transportation networks. (Conde 90) Without such an internal communications infrastructure, economic progress is difficult to attain."

Tags:latin, american, economy

Abstract
The paper explores countries like Paraguay, Chile, Argentina and Ecuador and attempts to find answers to the following four questions: what role has the Church - and the Catholic faith - played during dictatorial times; how has the church's role changed over time despite being confronted by dictatorial regimes; to what extent can the Church be considered a monolithic and/or heterogeneous entity; and what has been the influence of the Church upon Latin American politics? The paper discusses how some countries saw the church almost entirely eclipsed (Paraguay being one under Francia) whilst others saw the church assume a greater role (Chile being the best example). Moving onward, the paper discusses how there were national churches that saw an abrupt end to the traditions of the past (Paraguay) whilst others were able to maintain their status as an effective lobbyist for the down-trodden and defenceless in the face of dictatorial oppression; it appears as though some churches had stronger and more resilient leadership than others. The paper shows how the role of the Church during dictatorial times in Latin America seems directly proportional to the resolve of the dictator in question, the toughness and resilience of the national church, and the sort of leadership which guided the church in question.

From the Paper
"This essay will look at the relationship between the Catholic Church and Latin American dictatorships over the course of the nineteenth - and especially twentieth - centuries. The paper will explore countries like Paraguay, Chile, Argentina and Ecuador and attempt to find answers to the following four questions: what role has the Church - and the Catholic faith - played during dictatorial times; how has the church's role changed (and also not changed) over time (and why these changes or continuities have taken place) despite being confronted by dictatorial regimes; to what..."

Tags:american, latin, dictatorships

Abstract
The paper discusses how even where newly independent countries in the region explicitly disavowed the influence of the imperial powers that had shaped Latin America, their means and vocabulary of resistance were inescapably shaped by policies and discourses emerging from Europe and the United States. This paper offers an overview of how the very possibility of a truly 'indigenous' Latin American decolonization was pre-empted by colonialism, and then considers the individual cases of Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia as specific examples of this phenomenon.

Tags:latin, america, politics

Abstract
This paper uses extensive information about colonial America and discusses the issue of an American identity. Analysis of the film 1776 and Thomas Paine?s Common Sense is used to demonstrate the strength of this identity. The thesis is as follows: As the film 1776 clearly demonstrates, during the American Revolution an American identity was stronger than it had ever been.

From the paper:

"Early American colonies were viewed as very individual and indeed in many instances had much closer ties to England than they did with each other. However, ties with England began to fray due to the poor of the colonies by England. Early examples of this were the Navigation Acts of 1660, which regulated commerce and ensured that ?everything went through England.? From this time, an American identity began to form. As tensions between England and the colonies grew stronger other factors arose to further the development of an American identity. ?Choice? in shopping and material possessions and the ?standardization of consumer behavior? (similar goods being available throughout the colonies ) enhanced unity throughout America. As the film 1776 clearly demonstrates, during the American Revolution an American identity was stronger than it had ever been."

Tags:1776, american, common, fathers, founding, independance, revolution, sense

Abstract
The paper discusses how African-American identity since 1865 has been constantly shaped by the cultural, political and social shifts in American identity and thought.

From the Paper
"Langston Hughes' seminal poem, "I, Too, Sing America", talks for generations of silenced African Americans. It talks about how Blacks, though they are marginalized and degraded as a part of standardized social oppression, grow strong in waiting. The poem asserts that "tomorrow/I'll be at the table/When the company comes (Hughes, 2001)." Hughes demands of America that Blacks get a better future, one of dignity. "Besides/They'll see how beautiful I am/And be ashamed./I, too, am America (Hughes, 2001)." Hughes yearns for America to see the beauty in his identity, an identity that is constantly being redefined by American standards. African American..."

Tags:african, american, history

Abstract
This paper looks at Hispanic culture and how it has helped shape and mold American culture. The great extent to which Latin American dance, music, and food have become an intrinsic part of the overall American culture is cited as an example of this influence. The paper concludes by suggesting that American culture truly is a blend of cultures from all over the world.

From the Paper
"America has often been referred to as the great melting pot, a smorgasbord of people with various racial, cultural and ethnic identities and traditions. Tied to this view is the idea that the culture of the American people should be defined as a cornucopia of different cultures melded into one to form a new, hybrid culture. Many different cultures have influenced the overall culture within the United States particularly that of the Latin American people with whom I associate."

Tags:melting, pot, ethnic, cultural, identities, traditions, united, states

Abstract
This paper discusses the rationality of creating a social institution for Latin American countries, resembling the mechanisms of the European Union. The paper starts by discussing the role of international institutions and organizations in the present world order. Next, the paper provides a complete, yet concise, review of literature relevant to the discussion and then provides the rationale for the creation of a social institution in Latin America. The paper argues in favor of such an institution's formation by revealing the failures of the international institutions and global organizations and by highlighting the dilemmas of the national governments in the present world order. Lastly, the paper provides a brief, yet concise mechanisms of the social institution that will assist the Latin American countries in resolving the present discrepancies and problems confronting them.

Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction
Review of Related Literature
The Rationale for the Creation of a Latin American
Social Institution
An argument in Favor of the Creation of a
Latin American Social Institution
The Possible Mechanisms of the Latin American
Social Institution
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The thought of creating an international social institution in Latin America, resembling The European Union structure needs careful examination as it is clear from the above mentioned facts that research and study on this subject is neither very extensive nor very comprehensive. However, before we assess the justification and the possible working structure of an international institution in Latin America, it is imperative we briefly review the theories pertaining to this subject so that we may be able to clearly evaluate not only the workings of the Latin American social institution but also the fundamental reasons and motivations underlying such a development."

Tags:brazil, argentina, inter-state, inter-regional, inter-continental, trade, commerce

Abstract
The Latin American recording industry has always been a unique industry that blends economics, entertainment, and culture. The majority of its entertainers depict the variety of ethnicity that is part of Latin American culture. This paper investigates the Latin American recording industry, the genres of music and hybrid styles, and the role label companies play in producing and managing the artists. It also looks at how music interacts culturally, politically, and economically, affecting social identity Research in this paper shows that there is a complex relationship between the industry itself and the development of pan-Latin identities, as well as a more intricate relationship between economics and culture. In addition, the research demonstrates that the Latin American recording industry is a powerful medium for creating images among consumers, which impacts the desire to be like their idol. Finally, this paper summarizes the potential changes created by a new business model for the Latin American recording industry.

From the Paper
"Aside from the confusion between Latin American and Latino music, the U.S. Latino market is undergoing a crucial transformation, perhaps more in taking stock of reality than in reality itself. It is no secret that U.S.Latino music has largely meant the kind of pop associated with Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin and the like, or with so-called tropical music (salsa and kindred genres). New York and Miami are the capitals of this kind of pop and tropical, but when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) "the music industry's trade organization" began dividing Latin music sales by genre in 2000, they discovered the overwhelming sales dominance of the Mexican regional market, which is based in California and the Southwest, particularly Texas, and generates 60 percent of the US$640 million market for Latin music sales."

Tags:RIAA, Gypsey, Kings, Warner, Sony