HUMN 3981 A1

Part A- Two Short Critical Reflections

Definitions

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America

Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas comprising multiple nation-states where

Romance languages—languages derived from Latin, i.e., Spanish, Portuguese, and French are

predominantly spoken.

Merriam Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Latin-American

Based in or relating to the American countries south of the U.S., where people speak Spanish and

Portuguese.

Evaluation and Critique of Websites

Wikipedia and Merriam-Webster dictionary are top-rated cites in providing information,

including the definition of terms, their usage, and unique usage. Wikipedia offers a glossary of

terms, the context of their use, and interrelationship with other similar terms or the contrasts with

their antonyms. The website also focuses on the growth of general vocabulary and alerts readers

when terms become obsolete. Merriam-Webster dictionary is a credible and highly authentic

website that provides comprehensive definitions of words and possible translations to other

languages (Merriam-Webster Inc.). The two websites are not endorsed by any learning institution

and depend on the contributions of various content editors who have sustained the online

encyclopedia. The two definitions of Latin America are anchored upon cultural and geographic

artifacts associated with the ethnic group. The definition by Wikipedia is more comprehensive

and complete with an example of nations where Latin Americans can be found (Wikipedia). The

definition by Merriam Webster is less comprehensive and, simply put, without examples. But it
has a geographic component that ties the ethnic group to specific geographic places like “South

of U.S.”

Module 1 Short Critical Reflection

Identities differentiate groups of people from others by making a certain group

outstanding. Identities can also be used as metrics or to judge and misunderstand a group based

on the tenets or defining values that complement their identity. The publication by Xavier Albo,

“Our Identity from Pluralism in the Base,” conceptualizes the shortcoming of the American

identity in what the author describes as a grave historical error (Albó 18). The name itself has

bred misunderstandings and stereotypes in its usage and applicability.

The publication presents the major idea of providing a positively skewed description of

the U.S. to appease the spirits of those mistreated under the current definition of identities in the

U.S. social and political contexts. The previously borrowed identities are slowly disintegrating

and weathering. In a matter of time, the country might find better definitions of identities that are

not motivated by racism and discrimination but by the history and diversity of the American

culture. I agree that it is time for America to shed its old ethnical skin that used cultural identities

to segregate and discriminate against minority groups. However, delimitating the American

population along social classes does not make sense in the contemporary world since it is the

easiest way to return to the old racial inequality norm.

It is evident that identities in America have been greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted, just

like in other first-world regions like Europe. Uniqueness should be rethought to incorporate

liberal attitudes and perspectives. This way, the country can think of social growth and progress.

Part B: Essay
 Colonization is a broad context word that has attracted differing sentiments over the

world regarding the actual motives of colonialists. In many parts of the world, colonialism was

viewed as an oppressive regime that focused on plundering the native resources while

domineering the native communities. In other aspects, colonialism was the eye-opener that

introduced regions to farming, industrialization, and better leadership. The concept has since

been taken up by the catholic church in what is called the acculturation effect.
 Works Cited

Albó, Xavier. "Our Identity Starting from Pluralism in the Base." The Postmodernism Debate in

Latin America, 1995, pp. 18-33.

Green, Duncan, and Sue Branford. Faces of Latin America (Revised). 4th ed., NYU P, 2012.

P.13-20

Merriam-Webster Inc. "Definition of LATIN-AMERICAN." Dictionary by Merriam-Webster:

America's Most-trusted Online Dictionary, 2022,

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Latin-American.

Wikipedia. "Latin America." https://www.wikipedia.org/, 2022,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America#:~:text=Latin%20America%20is%20the

%20cultural,and%20French%20are%20predominantly%20spoken.