Ruben Dario's In To Roosevelt

that people come together and try to improve and perfect this world, but it is

To me this meant that one should be able to act nice towards others despite any preconceived notions of flaws.

For decades, the history of Latin America has been shrouded in a cover of Spanish glory and myth that misleads and complicates the views of historians everywhere. Myths such as the relationship between natives and conquistadors, and the individuality of the conquistadors themselves stand as only a few examples of how this history may have become broken and distorted. However, in Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest Matthew Restall goes to great lengths to dispel these myths and provide a more accurate history of Latin American, in a readable and enjoyable book.

The author pleads to the political powers to give countries their fair chance and govern their own countries. “Lower yourselves to the unfortunate and raise them up in your arms…let the country’s natural blood surge and throb through its veins,” (Martí 287). The author asks the people in a higher social positon to be an even level of humanity and celebrate a triumph rather than subject Latin American countries under submission. Martí inquires once again freedom for nations that have been under a certain sovereign power. On a rhetorical level, he is also canvasing for equality through the learning of native languages and culture once again. Writer Carlos Urzaiz proclaims that Martí had centered his writings, “concerned with American indigenous populations, emphasizes their capacity to animate their respective cul-tures and associates the restoration of their respective soul— “identity” in modern terms.” Conserving primitive civilizations had become important to Martí and saw the seriousness of bringing back the abandoned cultures back to the surface as revolutions throughout Latin America were

During Roosevelt’s time in office, he strengthened the United States’ ties to countries around the world. T.R. was a foreign-policy activist. He involved himself in the relations between the Dominican Republic and the European nations that the country owed money to. The president was afraid that European powers would start to collect their money by using force and Roosevelt didn’t want that to happen in Latin America. He asserted the United States’ power in the Western hemisphere by creating what is known as the ‘Roosevelt Corollary’ in 1904. This corollary states that “although the United States had not territorial ambitions in this hemisphere, cases of “chronic wrongdoing” on the part of a Latin American country that might invite occupation by a European

“Individual human beings are all tools, that the others use to help us all survive”

parts of the earth was one of the works of eminent social usefulness and that this should be down in part by

a.This passage adds to Beah’s message reminding people to try to be the best person they can be. This quote advises people to strive to make others happy not only please themselves. This section lays it out obtrusively telling the reader “to be good to others” and that is one of the most important life lessons to learn.

When the United States, “rechristened their properties,” in line eleven, it is an allusion to a Christian baptism (Hawkins 42). Latin America has now been given the new identity of the “Banana Republics” serving as a metaphor for the exploitation Latin America will be put through under the propaganda of entering a modern democracy symbolized by the baptism just mentioned (Hawkins 42; line 12). This is especially true considering that the poem is a symbol for the United States’ journey of

  'For the first time, perhaps, since that land emerged from the waters of the geologic ages, a human face was set toward it with love and yearning'

humanity is our burden, our life; we need not battle for it; we need only to do what

"Fueled by the Cold War and transnational corporate interests, the U.S. has covertly tinkered with the governments of Latin American countries since World War 2, producing an extremely violent and unstable political climate."

Galeano portrays this moment in Latin American history as the instant U.S investors took control over the industries. He details the dangers they went through when producing one item to export for the benefit of foreigners, and how they later imported the processed goods from those same foreign countries, injecting money only overseas. The fact that Latin America needed imports to survive initiated the imperial link the U.S has upon it. As stated by Galeano, “The growing dependence on foreign supplies produces the growing identification of the interest of U.S. capitalists operating in Latin America with U.S. national security”11, bluntly showing the relationship between the United States and Latin America. “With petroleum, as with coffee or meat, rich countries profit more from the work of consuming it than do poor countries from the work of producing it”12. Because profit was not being retained in the Latin American countries, nationalization of the industries became of importance. The United States offered intervention in order to protect everyone’s interests with the proposal of free trade, but this was no more than another manipulation to continue having power over Latin America and its resources: “Latin America’s big ports, through which the wealth of its soil and subsoil passed en route to distant centers of power, were being built as instruments of the conquest and domination of the countries to which they belonged, and as conduits

The Master replied: 'How about reciprocity: never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself?'” (Analects, David Hinton translation).

"We are all here on earth to help others. What I can't figure out is what the others are here for." --W. H. Auden (1)