Monuments, Empires and Resistance wins Society of American Archaeology book award

Chilean natives resisted Spanish conquest for more than 300 years

From Vanderbilt University:

Anthropologist Tom D. Dillehay's book Monuments, Empires and Resistance has received the Society of American Archaeology's highest book award for 2008.

In the book, Dillehay, who is the Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Vanderbilt University, examines the methods that the Araucanian people of southern Chile used to resist Spanish dominance for more than 300 years.

In 1550, when the Conquistador Pedro de Valdivia attempted to conquer southern Chile, he ran into stiff opposition from the scattered population of the Araucanians who had successfully resisted Incan conquest. Before disease and fighting reduced their numbers, the Araucanians earned the nickname of the Apache of South America by defeating Valdivia and his followers and nearly capturing Santiago. Subsequently, the Spanish pushed the resisters into a forest region south of the Bio-Bio River, which remained the boundary between the two peoples for three centuries. It wasn't until the late 1800's that the Chilean army defeated the Araucanians and settled them on reservations farther to the south.

Dillehay's book draws on 30 years of anthropological, archaeological and archival research to investigate the manner in which the Araucanians successfully resisted the Spanish and actually flourished in the process, including their use of sacred monuments to help form widespread alliances and adoption of the use of horses in battle.

Image credit: Patricio Valenzuela. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: chile, education, history

From Luke 24:46-47 (version - the Message):

"You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem!"

Photo of Easter Island, Chile by Rodrigo Garcia. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: chile, faith

Co-sponsored by the Office of Student Unions and Programming and the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

Laura Fuentes y Calicanto will bring their Latin urban and roots stylings to MTSU with a performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. The concert is free and open to the public.

Earlier in the day, Fuentes will be at a brown bag lunch at 12 noon in the SunTrust Room of the Business and Aerospace Building. MTSU students, staff, faculty and administrators are welcome to attend. Reservations can be made by calling the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or sending an e-mail to jawc@mtsu.edu.

Fuentes, who was born to North American parents in Santiago, Chile, is a classically trained guitarist and vocalist. She lived in Chile until 1973, the year Army Commander-in-Chief Augusto Pinochet overthrew President Salvador Allende in a coup d’etat. The coup and its aftereffects had a great impact on Fuentes’ social consciousness

According to the Web site http://www.realpeoplesmusic.com, “Calicanto is a bridge of warmth and song between musicians from Latin America and audiences from all over the world. Founded by Laura Fuentes in 1996, the Calicanto project gets its name from the historic landmark that once united the shores of the Mapocho River in Santiago, Chile. The core duo of Laura Fuentes and Pedro Villagra join together to light a new fire, celebrating the rich diversity of Latin American music from Chile, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.”

Calicanto is: Fuentes on lead vocals, guitar, cuatro and percussion; Villegra on quena, quenacho, sikus, flute, charango, saxophones and vocals; Patricio Acevedo on guitar, vocals and percussion; Orlando Cabrera, percussion; Raquel Gonzalez Paraiso, violin, mandolin, sikus and vocals; and Robert Schoville, percussion and drum set.

The concert is co-sponsored by the Office of Student Unions and Programming and the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. For more information, contact Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2987.

Labels: arts, chile, mexico, peru, puerto rico, venezuela

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center will host Ramon Romero and Cuerdas de Fuego ("Strings of Fire") this Saturday, February 10, at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for children.

From the TPAC web site:

Strings of Fire ("Cuerdas de Fuego") is a lively, interactive show with Ramón Romero on the harp, the national instrument of his native Paraguay, Santiago Maldonado of Mexico (guitar and vocals) and percussionist Carlos Caro of Cuba. Much smaller than its cousin in the orchestra, the Paraguayan harp often sounds like a guitar, from rapidly picked melodies to rich combinations of chords. The internationally renowned artists use a variety of fun-to-watch techniques to play traditional and contemporary music from Latin America.

The City Paper published an advance review here, mentioning that "the lineup also includes equally marvelous Chilean guitarist and vocalist Rafael Manriquez."

Hispanic Nashville Datebook

Labels: arts, chile, cuba, mexico, paraguay

Merry Christmas from the Hispanic Nashville Notebook, and saludos navidenos to our friends across Latin America.

Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace
good will toward men

Gloria a Dios en las alturas
y en la tierra paz
buena voluntad para con los hombres



El Salvador
Photo by Calero

Ecuador
Photo by jremigio

Peru
Photo by Jeff Barry

Argentina
Photo by blmurch

Chile
Photo by Ryan Greenberg

Colombia
Photo by Montanero

Venezuela
Photo by Spanner Dan

Mexico
Photo by Suchy

Labels: argentina, chile, colombia, ecuador, el salvador, mexico, peru, venezuela

The Nashville Business Journal reports in this article that Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas announced the retirement of Jorge Gonzalez, president of Bridgestone/Firestone Latin American Tire Operations (BFLA) and an executive vice president and board member of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. Moving into Gonzalez's position will be Eduardo Minardi, president of Bridgestone/Firestone de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (BFMX). In a 2002 press release issued after Minardi succeeded Gonzalez in Mexico, González described Minardi’s "broad range of experience and excellent ‘people skills’ as factors that will serve Eduardo and BFMX well in his new position, as he works to continue our strong progress in making our business in Mexico a source of sustainable pride and profits for Bridgestone/Firestone."

That press release described Minardi as a native of Argentina who graduated from the University of Buenos Aires with a degree in economics. He joined the company in 1989 and climbed the ranks in Argentina before assuming the presidency of Bridgestone's Mexican subsidiary.

Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BFAH, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies also produce Firestone air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber, and industrial fibers and textiles and operate the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and services centers. Bridgestone/Firestone Latin American Tire Operations is an operating unit of BFAH comprised of tire manufacturing and sales subsidiaries located in Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

Labels: business, chile

Director and producer Ellen Perry to attend

The Vanderbilt News Service issued this press release announcing the screening of the movie The Fall of Fujimori, which follows the man who led Peru from 1990 through 2000. The movie will be shown at September 27 at 7:00 p.m.:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Fall of Fujimori, the complex story of a former Peruvian president who is fighting extradition from Chile on charges of corruption, murder and human rights abuses, will be screened Sept. 27 at Vanderbilt University. Ellen Perry, director and producer of this award-winning documentary, will attend the screening, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Wilson Hall’s Room 103.

Fujimori, the son of Japanese immigrants, had remained virtually silent after leaving Peru in disgrace in 2000, but he did talk extensively with Perry while he was hiding out in Tokyo as a fugitive ex-president. During the interview, he describes his meteoric rise to power through a grassroots campaign that built a strong connection to Peru’s poor citizens. He said that he took strong action to avoid a violent revolution and save democracy in Peru – even though he had to suspend democracy to seize dictatorial powers in his “self-coup.” He blames his lieutenants for the instances of corruption.

Nearly five years after leaving Peru for Japan, Fujimori suddenly appeared in Chile on a tourist visa in 2005, vowing to return to Peru and run for president again. Peru’s National Election Board rejected his bid in January of this year, and he faces extradition to Peru for charges that include authorizing a paramilitary death squad accused of 25 murders.

Also interviewed in the documentary are Peruvian journalists, Fujimori’s oldest child, the former head of Peruvian National Intelligence, a former U.S. ambassador to Peru and others. The Fall of Fujimori, which has been screened in more than 40 film festivals with its world premiere at Sundance in 2005. It received a documentary screenplay nomination from the Writers Guild of America this year.

Edward Wright-Rios, assistant professor of history, was instrumental in bringing Perry to campus. “We wanted to show The Fall of Fujimori because it is a very accessible entrée into complex problems in Latin American Studies,” he said. “On the deepest level we have a society that is still riven by ethnic and class divisions largely rooted in the colonial period, and these have been carried over into powerful leftist revolutionary movements employing terrorist tactics.”

He noted that until Fujimori was in power, the Peruvian political establishment was not capable of coping with the spread of these movements. “To tame these revolutionary movements and bring economic stability, Fujimori turned his back on democracy and adopted harsh authoritarian measures. Moreover, the corruption and human rights abuses carried out behind the veil of anti-democratic politics undid his presidency and threatened to undo his achievements. In short, it forces us to think hard about what shelving democracy in the name of security produces.”

The screening of The Fall of Fujimori is the first in a series presented by Vanderbilt’s Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies. Co-sponsors of the series, which is free and open to the public, include the Department of Political Science, Center for the Americas, Film Studies Program and University Lectures Committee. All films are in English or subtitled in English. For more information, call 615-322-2527.

Other movies in the series will include The Motorcycle Diaries (2004, Walter Salles) (October 11), Fidel: The Untold Story (2003, Estela Bravo) (October 25), and The Panama Deception (1992, Barbara Trent) (November 8)

Hispanic Nashville Datebook

If you know of an event that should be listed in the Datebook, or if you are computer-savvy and want to help keep the Datebook current, pleas contact the editor.

Labels: chile, english

In this article in the Tennessean, Nashvillian Lauren Turner describes her July mission trip to Chile. In this accompanying article, the Tennessean reports that Turner's activities involved "buil[ding] houses, door-to-door missionary work and group activities intended to 'create a community between the students and become closer to God.'"

Turner is a senior at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.

Labels: chile

Merry Christmas from the Hispanic Nashville Notebook, and saludos navidenos to our friends across Latin America.

Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace
good will toward men

Gloria a Dios en las alturas
y en la tierra paz
buena voluntad para con los hombres


Chile


Colombia


Mexico


Panama

Labels: chile

In this press release, Nashville-based Louisiana Pacific announces expanded operations in Chile:

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation announced that it will be expanding operations in Chile to serve growing markets for oriented strand board (OSB) based building products outside of North America.

Under the expansion plan, LP will move and upgrade the equipment in a previously closed OSB mill in Montrose, Colorado to Chile. The new mill will have an annual OSB production capacity of approximately 160 million square feet, and serve customers in Chile, as well as other countries in South America and growing international markets outside of North America.

LP Chile currently operates an OSB panel and specialty products facility in Panguipulli, Chile with a sales and support office in Santiago. The Panguipulli mill began operations in 2000, and has an annual production capacity of 135 million square feet.

"We have been very pleased with the success of our Chilean operations," said Harold Stanton, Executive Vice President, Specialty Products and Sales. "LP Chile has been a catalyst for migrating building practices from masonry to wood-frame construction. Frame construction using LP OSB structural panels provides homes at 70 percent of the cost of traditional masonry."

Stanton concluded, "Our established production and marketing presence in Chile provides a solid platform for the expansion of LP's international business strategy."

Labels: business, chile, statistics

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce announced its October 12 meeting will be a celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month:

Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will dedicate its traditional monthly “Business After Hours” to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. First instituted in 1968 by the US Congress, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed a week in September to be recognized as National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a month long celebration (Sept. 15-Oct. 15).

The NAHCC joins the nation in celebrating the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

“We celebrate the contributions of Hispanics to this country, but also in a very profound way, we acknowledge and reaffirm our loyalty to the meaningful values and foundations that have made the United States of America our new home” said Yuri Cunza, president of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “A new chapter in our history begins here, with every new brick placed, every degree earned, every new life created and every life saved. Our values, are not so different after all, we also believe in justice, in freedom and respect for one another. If we are here, it is because we believe those values are at the heart of your nation. As you would also do, we want the best for our families and in many ways we are placing our lives and our futures in your hands. I was glad to read president’s Bush proclamation that reflects how important it is to the country: our presence, our efforts and our contributions”.

Recent Census data released for Hispanic Heritage Month indicates that the population of Hispanics in the US has reached over 41 million. According to Cunza, the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002, grew up to 1.6 million, that equals to 31 percent more from 1997. Their receipts were $226.5 billion, up 22 percent from 1997. A total of 199,725 such firms had paid employees, with receipts of $184 billion, or about $921,090 per firm.

The celebrations will start at 5:30 pm on October 12th at the new La Hacienda Restaurant,
1100 Hillsboro Rd. Franklin, TN 37064 (Hillsboro Rd & Mack Hatcher)
For more information please call 615-332-9777 or e-mail us at: nashvillehispanicchamber@yahoo.com

The NAHCC represents the interests of near 200 businesses and other organizations with interest in Nashville’s Hispanic market. The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce promotes actively the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs. Our interest and ongoing participation in the State legislative agenda helps promote legislation and policies that positively affect the Hispanic business community. For more information visit us online at: www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com

Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 40541 Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: 615-332-9777 / 615-582-3757
Email: nashvillehispanicchamber@yahoo.com
Website: www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com

Labels: business, chile, el salvador, spanish, statistics

Business Tennessee profiles several immigrant entrepreneurs from across the state:

"First generation Americans always have had to depend more on their wits and scrappiness than have their descendants. So it’s not surprising then that their paths to success make for some remarkably inspirational business stories.
In our first statewide look at some of Tennessee’s most successful immigrants, we tell some of these stories. Hailing from such places as Vietnam, Cuba and Iran - we seem to be blessed with talented folks who fled politically repressed nations - our immigrants have brought with them ample amounts of pluck and knowledge. While several that we profile began their American odysseys washing dishes and pumping gas, many brought with them technical skills that immediately boosted our economy and standard of living."

"Tennessee is lucky that these productive souls chose the Volunteer State as the field on which to play the American game of capitalism. Their successes contribute to the vitality of the state and are wonderful inspirations for those of us whose ancestors had the moxie to leave their home nations and settle in Tennessee."

The profiled entrepreneurs include Erly and Maria Alonso of Cuba, creators of Flight Support Solutions at the Memphis International Airport; Manuel Cuevas of Mexico, Nashville's tailor to the stars who was recently the subject of an exhibition at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts; Susana Navarro-Valenti of Mexico, whose $20 million Oak Ridge business does hazardous waste cleanup for the U.S. government; Hernan Montalvo of Chile, founder of InterSky Inc., a successful Memphis airline parts repair and supply company; and Colombian Fuad Reveiz, former UT football star and NFL pro-bowler who became a forward-thinking Knoxville developer with additional ventures in broadcasting and custom embroidery.

Labels: business, chile

Hispanic Magazine reviews the movie Mar Adentro, or The Sea Inside, which tells the true story of a Spaniard quadriplegic who fought for years for the power to end his life. The movie was released in theaters in 2004 and will be available on DVD in May.

"He wanted to die in order to be free again. Ramón Sampedro, a former ship mechanic from the northwestern Spanish province of Galicia, waged a 30-year battle to end his life with dignity after a diving accident left him paralyzed from the neck down."

"Mar Adentro unites a real confluence of talents. Director Alejandro Amenábar (The Others starring Nicole Kidman, Open Your Eyes starring Penélope Cruz and later re-made into Vanilla Sky, and Thesis) is a young cinematic genius who continues to stretch his abilities. The 32-year-old, who was born in Santiago, Chile, and moved to Spain with his family when he was barely a year old following the 1973 coup that overthrew Salvador Allende, says he was drawn to telling Sampedro’s story after happening on his book, Letters from Hell."

Labels: chile, spanish

Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15 - October 15, 2004

"In 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim a week in September as National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a monthlong celebration (Sept. 15-Oct. 15). During this month, America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively."

"The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2003, is 39.9 million, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest race or ethnic minority. Hispanics constitute 13.7 percent of the nation’s total population. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.)"

"Forty percent (40%) of the Hispanic population was foreign-born in 2002. Among the foreign-born Hispanic population that year, 52 percent entered the United States between 1990 and 2002."

"The number of Latino veterans of the U.S. armed forces numbers 1.1 million. About 63,000 Hispanic-origin people were on active duty in 2002 in the United States."

U.S. Census Bureau

Labels: chile, el salvador, spanish, statistics

December 9 Lipscomb Christmas Concert theme: "Music from Hispanic Cultures"

"The Lipscomb University Department of Music presents the Early Music Consort's Christmas Concert Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 900 Broadway. Admission is free. The theme for the Early Music Consort's Christmas Concert is Christmas Music from Hispanic Cultures. The concert will feature music from a number if countries including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and the Aztec and Inca cultures. For more information, call 279-5794."

Labels: arts, chile

Vanderbilt MBA students receive top honors at National Society of Hispanic MBAs competition

"These students of Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Business placed first at this year's National Society of Hispanic MBAs Dell-Microsoft Marketing Case Competition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida"

"Gustavo Nucci of Brazil, Rene Vuskovic of Chile, Javy Canas of Costa Rica and Luis Mirabal of Venezuela - all members of the Owen Latin Business Association - were among teams of MBA students from other business schools nationally chosen to compete in the final round. The case assignment was to develop a marketing strategy for a new product for Dell Inc."

Labels: business, chile, education