The name of my blog is, “Who says a Mapuche can’t have a blog?” I have proven that a “Mapuche” has much to say, but at the same time has much to learn about himself in order to have a good blog. During repeated occasions while I wrote, I learned and understood more of my own nature as a descendent of the Mapuche people. Even though we learned that we should not respond to the question of the origin of Latin America, I would dare to say that after the many analysis’s that we have done in this class, as well as with all the artistic and literary demonstrations, today I can say with pride that I am a descendent of the Mapuches , I’m Chilean, and Latin is my nationality!
Being Latin does not constitute being a descendent of Malinche, but does constitute being children of robbery, abuse and mistreatment from the Spanish Conquest. Being Latin does not mean growing up among the Rivera Murals, but among popular expressions of art that educate for the lack of a quality education in the schools. It does not mean having poetic genes like Neruda or Mistral, moreover to be inspirations of those who won Nobel Prizes for literature. Being Latin does not mean illegal in the United States, but more, a visionary immigrant in the land of opportunity that does not exist in their own lands. It doesn’t mean being a great salsa or merengue dancer, but the protagonist of its lyrics.
I believe that one of the main conclusions that I have come to of the study of Latin American culture is that no matter what culture you analyze, we cannot generalize, because the truth is relative when speaking of culture. Latin America has much to offer and all those who would want to know more about it, should reach for the essence of what it is made of, should get to know the people, the customs and traditions because in order to get to know Latin America we must not just be there, but we must find ourselves in it with a desire to know it to live it.
