creolization in latin america
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According to the Oxford Classical Dictionary, "creolization is a term referring to the process by which elements of different cultures are blended together to create a new culture." The history of today's multi-ethnic world is directly connected to the colonial history of inter-mixing, known as creolization. Creole cultures extend from the Caribbean and Latin America to West Africa. Creole cultures derived from different mixes of French, Spanish, and Portuguese colonizers with West African and Native American subjugated peoples. Creoles created completely new cultural practices over this massive area on a very short time, between colonization of the Americas in the 16th century and the thriving creole cultures we see today.
Mexican culture, like most cultures throughout Latin America mix indigenous traditions that are thousands of years old with the Spanish culture forced on people through colonization in the 1500’s. This mixing of indigenous and European Spanish culture is best seen in the symbols and ceremonies of religion in Latin America. For this assignment you will read two articles (scroll to bottom of page); one on how Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) became a celebration that mixed indigenous and Catholic meanings the other article on how le Virgen de Guadalupe became a symbol of Mexico’s mixed history. |
Wifredo Lam [no title] 1975–6
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Aubrey Williams,
Death and the Conquistador 1959