What particularly struck me of this week’s readings and lecture video was the discussion of casta paintings. I had never heard of the casta paintings and so this art was completely new to me. The intricacy in which each racial mix was analyzed and named was shocking to me. I find it puzzling that the colonizers would be this keen on making paintings of and naming racial mixes. At the same time, these casta paintings explain a lot of attitudes towards race that still exist in Latin America. The colonizers brought racism to Latin America. Growing up, I have visited Mexico often. I have always noticed the sly racial remarks, or the outright racism that still exists in Mexican society. Of course, these attitudes take root in history and so it is interesting to link the ideas behind the casta paintings to the present day attitudes in many parts of Latin America. Another thing I noticed in the casta paintings, was the violence against women. Again, I connected these images to what is lived in present day Latin America. Unfortunately, violence against women continues to be a major issue in Latin American countries. It is evident that these misogynistic attitudes have been passed down through history.

I also found it interesting when the video discussed that Latin America has an identity crisis. Since it is such a mixed area/idea, people are left confused as to what they really are. I totally agree with this statement. I have witnessed it when talking to Latin Americans that are mixed race. Some identify with their Indigenous side and completely ignore their European side. While others identify with their European side and completely ignore their Indigenous side. There are many Mexicans that do not want anything to do with their Spanish ancestry because of the atrocities the Spaniards committed against the Indigenous people. It was also very intriguing to real about Catalina De Erauso. I had no idea about this story and it is shocking that she was able to become a colonizer without anyone discovering her true identity. I have conflicting feelings towards her action. On one hand, she challenged gender norms by showing that women could engage in military activity as well. On the other hand, she participated in brutal violence in the Americas. For these reasons, I see Catalina in a positive and a negative light. In class, I would be interested in discussing the links between casta paintings and modern day Latin American society. Do we think that art such as the casta paintings had profound effects on Latin American society?