9781422277492

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C onn ect i ng C u ltu r es T hrough F am i ly and F ood

Introduction

I n South America, penguins flock on the far southern coast, which is not far fromAntarctica. Piranhas swim in the wide waters of the Am- azon, the largest river in the world. Llamasgrazeontheslopesof thelofty Andes Mountains. Countless birds, frogs, snakes, and other creatures populate the dense rain forests. As for the SouthAmericanpeople, they are as diverse and vibrant as their geography. On this continent, many cultures have mixed. Inthe15thcentury,nativeciviliza- tionsflourishedacross theAmericas. Then, in1492,ChristopherColumbus arrived. Starting in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, the Spanish began taking over the land from local populations. The Aztecs, Incas, andmanyothernativepeoples

fell toEuropeandiseasesandarmies. Spain gradually took control of the entire western coast of the newly named continent of SouthAmerica. Meanwhile, Portugal conquered the landinthenortheast, includingmost of what is now Brazil. The Spanish andPortuguese languages, Catholic religion, and Southern European cooking techniques spread through- out the area, which became known as Latin America. The Europeans forcedmany na- tive people to work as slaves. They also brought in slaves from Africa. Thesepopulations alreadyhad their own cultures, languages, religions, and foods. Though many native tra- ditionswere suppressed, someman- aged to survive, especially in rural areas. And somenative foods spread