Mas Lecturas

Today we spent the entire day at the Universidad learning about Chilean history, literature, art, music, natural disasters, tourism, geography and culture. Chile has a very rich history and culture that the Chileans take much pride in. Professor Jose began by briefly explaining how Chile was discovered by the Spaniards in the Arauco War, in which the Spaniards conquered the native Mapuche Indians. Since then, Chilean government has developed into a colony, then a republic, then a military regime and now they are starting to develop into a more democratic government. Professor Jose also described how the current president of Chile is a very special and unique president in Chilean history. In 2010, Pinera took office as a rightist. This was significant because the four previous presidents were leftists. During his time as the president, Pinera encountered many crises that tested his leadership, such as the mining crisis and a devastating earthquake. Pinera was easily trusted and respected by the Chilean citizens because of his successful attempt to recover the trapped miners.

Professor Jose went on to speak about Pablo Neruda, one of the most famous poets in Chilean history. What surprised me about Neruda was that he was much more than just a poet. Neruda's legacy actually stems from politics, particularly the Winnipeg immigrant operation. In this operation, Neruda helped transport immigrants from all over the world (but mostly from Europe) and placed them in Southern Chile. This event is a main reason why Chile has a strong European heritage. We will actually be going to a tour of Pablo Neruda's house in Isla Negra on Friday.

Another topic of the lectures that I really enjoyed was the differences between American and Chilean societies. Some of the differences that I have noticed in my endeavors here are that Chileans accept power/authority more readily, Chilean society embraces collectivism over individualism, Chilean society is more family focused and Chileans do not identify themselves with their career. I have witnessed some of these differences when we go out to a restaurant or visit the Universidad. For example, you hardly ever see anyone eating alone (collectivism), and when I meet someone knew they never introduce themselves by telling me about what their job is (do not identify self with career).

Finally, one of the more intriguing topics we discussed was the disastrous earthquake that struck Chile in 2010. We saw live videos of how people reacted and of the destruction that occurred. Although this was a heavy subject to talk about since many people were injured and some even died, I gained a deeper understanding of how united the Chilean citizens really are. Rebuilding destroyed cities in such a short amount of time would not have been possible without team work and cohesiveness.

Although it was a long day of lectures, I learned a lot about Chilean culture which is one of my main goals for this study abroad program. Even though the lectures taught me so much, there's always more to learn.