Latin American Culture

What does this image tell you about Latin America’s culture?

Diversity in Latin America Latin America’s cultures are diverse. Each region has its own history, languages, customs, beliefs, foods, music, etc. Latin America also has diversity in its races: Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans are the largest groups. Members of these groups have intermarried and developed unique cultures over time.

Native Americans Europeans began colonizing the Americas in the 1500s. The forced the natives to work as slaves on plantations & in mines. Many native populations were completely wiped out by European weapons and diseases. Some natives were able to preserve their cultures by moving to remote regions. Many people in Venezuela are mestizos (ancestors were both European and Native American).

Africans Europeans brought Africans to the New World and forced them to work as slaves. Descendants of these people live in Latin America today and are called Mulattos (ancestors were both European and African). Many live in Brazil, Panama, and the West Indies.

Religion The main religion in Latin America is Roman Catholic. However, practices of Native Americans & Africans have blended with Christian beliefs. Example: “Day of the Dead” in Mexico—blends Native American beliefs about the afterlife with Christian beliefs.

Cultural Controversy… People with European ancestors often have better paying jobs, better education and health care, and more money than others. Other culture groups have begun to demand equality in their countries. Example: In Bolivia in 2005, a Native American was elected president for the first time.

Literacy and the Standard of Living in Latin America

What is Literacy Rate? A literate person is one who can read and write. Major factor in whether a person can get a job and be successful in the workplace. A country’s literacy rate is the percentage of the population over age 15 that can read and write.

Literacy in Latin America The countries of Latin America have improved the literacy rates of their people in the past decade. On average, 89% of Latin Americans are literate. Unfortunately, this means that the illiteracy rate is 11%.

The standard of living (“economic level” achieved by a person, family, or country) is often higher in countries where the literacy rate is high. High Literacy Rate = High Standard of Living

Boys Vs. Girls In some Latin American cultures, it’s more important for boys to have an education than girls. They believe that it is not as important for girls to learn to read/write as it is for boys. Literacy Rates in the Region: Girls: 88% Boys: 91% In some countries, the difference between boys & girls is much larger.

The goal of every country is to have 100% literacy rates among its people. One reason that many people cannot read/write is that their communities cannot afford to pay for teachers or schools. Many governments, missionaries, & aid groups come to the poorest countries in Latin America & are assisting the people in educating their children.

Cycle of Poverty Having basic reading & writing skills is very important Without skills, workers are stuck in the lowest-paying jobs A cycle of poverty can develop when people cannot get an education… Uneducated are forced to get low-paying jobs, so they cannot get enough money to pay for their children’s education…cycle continues for generations The standard of living remains low for these families because their education level is low