AAUW Forum Series

LATIN AMERICA'S GREAT URBAN CENTERS Why might we consider Paris, London, and Rome to be among the great cities of the world? How do we determine a city?s ?greatness?? Great cities of Latin America -- Buenos Aires, Lima, Havana, Mexico City -- are the fascinating focus of this course. On the surface (and through the eyes of many tourists) these cities largely reflect Spain's or Portugal's past colonization. Deeper scrutiny reveals definitive political, economic, social, and cultural influences from other world powers, such as that of Britain on Buenos Aires, and of the U.S. and former USSR on Havana. How can we explain the cosmopolitan nature of Mexico City?s culinary world despite its divisive inequities? How did Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo negotiate and reconcile their colonial past with their modern, contemporary present? What underlies the imaginary of Rio vs. the vibe (samba anyone?) of Sao Paulo? Why are gauchos, tango and cricket so prevalent in Buenos Aires? Why and how does ?Indiannes? endure in Lima? Which social and cultural cues in Havana reveal influences from an African presence and that of Cubans in the U.S? See the sites, hear the music, and treat your senses to the lesser known influences that place these cities among "The Greats." Instructor: UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus Alex M. Saragoza earned his Ph.D. in modern Latin American History from UC San Diego, focusing on Mexico and Cuba. He has served as Chair of Berkeley?s Latin American Studies Center, Director of the UC Center in Mexico City, 2012 Sorbonne visiting professor and has earned UC Berkeley's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award.