Bringing Life to the Maps of Latin America

The population of California is 40% Latinx. Californian culture is endlessly influenced by Latino cultures. We love that Spanish is spoken in so many places – whether it is in our homes or out in the community. But do we really understand the diversity of places where our Latino-Californian cultures have roots geographically?

We want to inspire our students to see the value in seeking to better understand the geography of Latin America and how it uniquely shapes each immigrant and their family’s story here in the U.S.

Academic resources to understand geography are essential but our neighbor’s stories bring life to the maps.

Bringing Geography into the Conversation

As socially conscious students of Spanish, we know that native Spanish speakers in the U.S. are incredibly diverse. Let's act on that knowledge by using geography as a regular topic of conversation.

What's the difference between being from Costa Rica or Guatemala? From Mexico or Chile? Geography plays such an important role in beginning to understand the answers to these big questions. With an understanding of geography, you can see how access to resources, immigration patterns, and politics have affected a culture.

Remember that immigrants may not feel comfortable sharing their stories, particularly with people from outside of their own culture. It may take time and genuine friendship to understand how being from a mountainous region in Ecuador has greatly shaped your friend or relative.

Let’s Dig Deeper than “Where Are You From?”

As we build relationships in Spanish and work to create more welcoming communities that embrace the diversity that Spanish-speaking immigrants bring to California, take an active role in understanding where your friends are from. Don’t stop at “¿De dónde es usted?” or “Where are you from?” Take it a step further and show genuine curiosity about the details of how their particular country, state, region and pueblo have shaped their culture and who they are. 

Although asking where someone is from in El Salvador might feel forced or irrelevant because you aren’t familiar with the geography within the country, look for something you can try to relate to – are they from a big city, coastal town or rural village?

Imagine if someone asked you what it's like to live in California. Depending on how open and curious you perceived this person to be you might say something like “Well, living in Northern California is different from living in Southern California…” or you might reference living in the North Bay or San Francisco in particular. Oftentimes it is most compelling to compare where you’re from with another microcosm within your state, not just how one country or state varies from another. 

Even the neighborhood you live in within your city can affect your life experience greatly. Keep this in mind the next time you ask someone where they are from.

When we ask these questions and really pay attention to the stories they inspire, we learn so much about the regions of Latin America, their vast differences and distinctive histories. And here in California, this knowledge helps us better relate with nearly half of our neighbors.

Do you know where Guatemala is?

Check Your Knowledge with this Map Game!

Try this simple map game to help you master the basics of country geography in Latin America. There are over 20 countries, each with their own history and culture. Can you locate them all?

Share this challenge with your friends!