Hispanic Culture

This is another topic that entire separate blogs can and have been written about, but I'm going to try and do my best to summarize it as concisely and accurately as I can. Hispanic culture really is beautiful. The language, the art, the music, and the vast amounts of history therein could be written about all day. Of course Hispanic culture traces its roots back to Spain, particularly the old Spanish empire, but the numerous cultures that sprung from their influence have grown and evolved into a vast swath of unique and vibrant cultural identities. Throughout the few Spanish classes I had in high school and college, I was given the unique and valued privilege of being introduced to a fair amount of those cultures. While they all share a common language, the dialect, ways of life, and cultural concept vary significantly, and how could they not? Hispanic nations span from the North American continent, to the very southern tip of South America, to the Caribbean, to the Philippines, and all the way back to Spain. In other words, Hispanic culture quite literally spans the globe. Unfortunately, I've only had the pleasure of visiting one Hispanic country; Mexico, and even there I just had the very limited experience centered around the Cozumel region. As small as the area I was exposed to might have been, the vibrant and explosive culture I was shown had a deep and profound impact on me. The history of Hispanic culture is vast and fascinating. I particularly enjoyed learning about the Aztec Empire and the way that their history became intertwined with the Spanish conquistadors to form the basis of what would become modern Mexico. It's easy to see how Mexicans are so proud of their history and national identity. From the old days of the Aztecs and Mayans, to the revolution, and into the modern era, Mexico has a rich and fascinating culture. South America is definitely a place on my bucket list to visit. I particularly want to see Argentina. Simply from the pictures I've seen of Buenos Aires, I witnessed the beautiful and majestic architecture and layout of the city. Argentina has much more European influence than I previously understood before learning more in depth about it, and it's from that influence that the modern nation came about. Spain is another culture worth talking about. Spain is where it all started, it's where the language that now spans the globe comes from. It was quite interesting to learn about how all of the surrounding cultures impacted what is now the modern nation of Spain, particularly the moors of Morocco just to the south, as well as the French to the north. I didn't realize how much of an Islamic influence there was on Spain. Of course there are many dark times and events that occurred throughout the Hispanic world; the Spanish Inquisition, the numerous bloody revolutions throughout Latin America, and the many brutal and oppressive regimes that have risen and fallen throughout history. I could go on forever about the vast topic of Hispanic culture. In this entry I haven't even scratched the surface of the massive expanse of the subject, but like I've said before, I try to do my best to keep things brief. Hispanic culture is one of the most prominent on the world stage and I'm sure it will continue to have a significant impact on humanity for many centuries to come as it has for many centuries that have passed.