1. Latin America? Depending on when and who opens the 'box' Latin America means something different. Remember: It's a concept rather than a place. It's a variable rather than a constant. It's more diverse than it is uniform.

2. Calle 13 Latinoamerica http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkFJE8ZdeG8 A series of actions completed by different people to show diversity & unity of Latinoamerica Chorus  You can't buy sun, wind, rain, my happiness etc they're not for sale Conclusion  Here we suffer together, share together, cooperate,  Despite difficulties, we keep moving forward

3. Latin America: A nineteenth century invention Invented in an effort to oppose 'Latin' America to 'English' America – or Anglo-Saxon America (= USA). Interestingly doesn't include Quebec – the 'Latin' part of Canada Does include countries south of US including the Caribbean Does include different languages:  Spanish  Portuguese  French These are all ROMANCE ('Roman') languages

4. Latin America General Characteristics  >8,000,000 sq miles  >570 million people  Settled by Native peoples 12,000 years ago  Spanish/Portuguese 500 yrs ago  Africans (forced settlement via slave trade)  Other European powers 400 -200 yrs ago

5. The Indies (Spain and her Colonies) Peninsular War(s) – England vs France (Napoleon)  European rivalry = instability in Indias Big push for independence in early 1800s (Simon Bolivar) Numerous wars, insurrections, juntas, conflicts (1808 -1830s) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hisparevol.gif

6. Three major areas of concern relating to Latino Population of the US: Mexico  Because it's closest to US (Shares border)  Shares distinct and related history and economy with US  Many Latinos are of Mexican origin Cuba  Because America intervened in its war of independence  Because America was interested in gaining a colony for geopolitical reasons  Because of Fidel Castro  Because it's expatriate population is a big part of Florida pop. Puerto Rico  Because it's a Spanish speaking (Latino) part of the US  Because it's expatriate population is an important part of N.E. US pop.

7. Mexico Important Dates  Independence 1811 more or less  1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo  Mexico lost half its territory to the US  'seed' for the idea of Aztlan = lost lands  1806 -1872 Benito Juarez*  1911 – 1915 Mexican Revolution

8. Benito Juarez 1806 - 1872 President of Mexico: 1858–1861 1861–1865 1865–1867 1867–1871 1871–1872 Resisted the French occupation Overthrew the (French) Empire Restored the Republic of Mexico

9. Mexican territory taken by the US Northern part of Mexico including Texas, N.Mexico, Arizona, California, (Gold Rush 1848), Utah, Nevada, Colorado

10. Cuba Largest island in the Caribbean – some 50 miles from Florida