What is Latin America?

Latin America is used to describe a large number of countries south of the United States border. But, What exactly makes this region Latin American or not? Should that term even be used to generalize such a broad region? In my opinion, there are the typical pros and cons scenario. In some ways, this term, “Latin America,” generalizes a multitude of groups of people and puts them in one slot. Tribes that have been unknown for centuries with their own dialects and cultures are thrown into the same category as the people of Mexico or Chile, when they could not be more different from each other. According to “Space, Power, and Locality: the Contemporary Use of Territorio in Latin American Geography”, the term may be used to politicize a region for space or power. This article also suggests that control could be embedded in the term. Another article, “Critical Geographies in Latin America ,” also suggests the use of the term in some sense of politics but believes it is in part because the region is heavily contested. It says, “This political-physical-cultural regional definition of Latin America has long functioned as an Othering mechanism.” I feel that this quote solidifies the theory that the term is used to divide these nations as others from the rest of the world. Typically, we hear people from Europe described as the country they are from. (i.e. French, Dutch, Irish) When people from Latin America are discussed, they are typically referred to as Latin Americans and not the actual country they are from. (i.e. Chilean, Peruvian, Bolivian).

The Idea of division based on where one is born is a hard concept to conceive because it sounds inherently wrong. However, this is something that takes place all over the world. The people of Latin America are put into a different category from the rest of the world. I think the alternative to saying Latin America or Latin American is to just use the name of the country. Specificity of the country can also give someone a deeper understanding of the diverse collection of cultures that are in the geographic region of Latin America. In defining who a Latin American is, if someone is born in Latin America that term can be used; Or the name of a particular country’s people could be used. There is never a reason to generalize the people of more than 33 countries that have undiscovered tribes and hundreds of languages and dialects that we do not know about. The ability of humans to do so readily and without hesitation is ridiculous. “Space, Power, and Locality: the Contemporary Use of Territorio in Latin American Geography” sees Latin America as a kind of undefined area with no real boundaries as to what defines it. Whereas, “Critical Geographies in Latin America” is looking at it from a view of division of one group from other groups. There is a sort of taxonomy to this. The groups get smaller and smaller as we go from Earth to Latin America to South America to Chile to Santiago to the Mestizo to an individual. A person within a group within a city within a country within a continent within a vast geographic region should not be grouped together with someone that lives a thousand miles away because individuality is important. The recognition of an individual culture and language is important. Every single culture is beautiful and should be celebrated individually, not as one giant group.