Another day, another question contributing to the already exceptional ambiguity of the idea of Latin America- now not just where, but also when? I think this weeks video raises an interesting point well before it begins to discuss the impact of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. Was Latin America only brought into existence by the arrival of the Italian? If so, why are lasting pre-colombian aspects of culture, like indigenous artwork or music, still considered important parts of Latin America today? Latin America seems like a sum of both parts old and new, with no one root or single ancestor, a mix, or clash, of cultures that seem distinct, but intertwined, bonded permanently by the trauma that was the arrival of Columbus. Columbus himself represents to me the worst of the European Powers of the day: mistaken, but self-assured, christian, but cruel. No matter how you look at him, Columbus seems very polar. Some believe he is a hero, some a villain. Sometimes he is referred to as a scientifically motivated explorer, sometimes a cruel conqueror. I have never heard of him described in terms less than absolute. He is a god, or he is the devil. Of course, Columbus would have thought of himself as only a man. As the video says, he would have had no idea how momentous his “discovery” would be, or any idea of the scale of events it would set off. In fact, as mentioned, he didn’t even know he had landed in the Americas, a fact I find very telling about his beliefs and personality. Actions on his part such as the persistence that he had discovered a new route to Asia despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary seem to me to be indicative of the fact that Columbus was not one to see the forest for the trees, although the video makes a good point when it reminds the viewer that Columbus was failing to deliver what he had promised to the Spanish Monarchy, so perhaps the constant self assurance and denial of evidence were simply necessary actions on his part to protect his interests and reputation. I don’t think we can blame Columbus for his “discovery” of the American Continent. The very fact that he set off to find a route to Asia and instead accidentally happened upon what is now the Bahamas is to me proof enough that he was not responsible for arriving in the new world. Put that blame on luck, or cosmic interference or whatever you want. I do, however, believe that we can hold Columbus responsible for the systematic abuse and destruction of the native people, and in that regard, Columbus is not a good guy. To finish off, I’ll include a link to a web comic which definitely villainizes Columbus, while at the same time strongly commending one of his contemporaries: Bartolome de las Casas. Be warned, some of the language in the webcomic is a little less than academic, and while the author does cite his sources, the comic did generate a fair amount of controversy when it was published. I do not wish to condone everything the comic has to say, but it does offer an interesting point of view. http:\/\/theoatmeal.com\/comics\/columbus_day<\/p>\n
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Enjoy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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