Chapter 1 – Welcome to Latin America

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, ideologies, demographic terms, and historical interpretations introduced in the lecture’s first chapter on Latin America.

Conquest and Slavery

The foundational processes through which Europeans subdued Indigenous peoples and imported enslaved Africans, creating Latin America’s core historical conflict.

Global South

A term for less-industrialized regions; Latin America belongs here, still striving for the living standards of Europe or the United States.

Indigenous Cultures

Native American societies whose descendants make up much of Latin America’s population, especially in countries like Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and Guatemala.

Mestizo

A person of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry; most Latin Americans self-identify this way, making mestizaje a key historical concept.

Postmodern Megacity

An urban area exceeding 10 million inhabitants—e.g., Mexico City, São Paulo—typical of modern Latin America’s rapid urbanization.

Southern Cone

Geographic term for Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay, countries south of the tropics with climates similar to parts of the United States.

Social Inequality

Latin America’s extreme gaps in wealth and well-being, among the widest in the world, rooted in colonial hierarchies.

Racial Diversity

Result of European, African, and Indigenous gene pools mixing; every Latin American country shows all three elements.

African Diaspora in Latin America

Region that received the majority of enslaved Africans (e.g., Brazil ~3.5 million), shaping demographic and cultural life.

Constitutional Republics of the 1820s

New nations formed after independence from Spain and Portugal, among the world’s first constitutional republics.

Classical Liberalism (Latin America)

Ideology favoring limited government, free markets, progress, and individual rights—distinct from U.S. modern ‘liberalism’ focused on social welfare.

Nationalism (Latin America)

Belief that nations should rule themselves and protect their own people, often challenging liberal free-trade policies and foreign influence.

Neoliberalism

Contemporary pro-market stance urging Latin America to embrace globalization, privatization, and reduced state intervention.

Dependency Theory

1960s–80s view that Latin America’s underdevelopment stems from its peripheral position in a world economy dominated by Europe and the U.S.

Modernization Theory

Post-WWII interpretation that blamed traditional social structures and ‘backward mentalities’ for Latin America’s failure to develop like the West.

Cold War in Latin America

Era when U.S.-backed militaries fought Marxist guerrillas, turning the region into a geopolitical battleground.

Population Explosion

Mid-20th-century surge in Latin American births coupled with longer life spans, once feared to cause social catastrophe.

Rural-Urban Migration

Large-scale movement from countryside to cities, fueling growth of urban shantytowns and informal housing.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

High-capacity bus systems with dedicated lanes, pioneered in Curitiba, Brazil, later adopted across Latin America.

NAFTA

1994 North American Free Trade Agreement linking Mexico, the United States, and Canada, exemplifying regional liberal trade blocs.

Mercosur

South American customs union (e.g., Brazil, Argentina) promoting intraregional trade and economic integration.

1960s Revolutionary Wave

Period when Latin American guerrilla movements and socialist ideas, inspired by Cuba, challenged existing regimes.

Liberalism vs. Nationalism Rivalry

Recurring 20th- and 21st-century contest between free-market, pro-U.S. policies and inward-looking, social-justice-oriented nationalism.

Old Thinking on Latin America

Outdated U.S. stereotypes attributing Latin America’s ‘failure’ to race, culture, climate, or laziness rather than historical power relations.

Wealth Stratification

Colonial legacy whereby lighter-skinned elites hold power and darker-skinned people remain disproportionately poor.

Middle-Class Expansion

Recent growth of urban Latin American middle classes, though still small compared with elites and the poor.

Remittances

Money sent home by Latin Americans working abroad, now a major income source for countries like Mexico and Central America.

Tropical Highlands

Elevated, temperate zones (e.g., Mexico City, Bogotá) that have historically supported dense populations despite Latin America’s overall tropical location.