Spain and the Americas

There is a flipside to every coin, a dark side for every light, and the discovery of the Americas is no exception for Spain. While the discovery is known as a key player in the economic history of Spain, it is also acknowledged as a black mark in her treatment of the conquered. It is acknowledged, but not overly dwelt on. Like most historical events, the discovery of the Americas and the treatment of her peoples is simply an event of the past – it serves as a lesson, and at times leaves a scar.

In my first days of literature classes at the University of Salamanca, someone touched on Latin American writers and asked our professor what she thought of them. Our professor hesitated to say much but commented that, often times, Latin American writers are overly fixated on the maltreatment of the native peoples by the Spanish conquistadors. It seems that for many, the time of bereavement has long since passed, leaving the balm of centuries to assuage any hard feelings.

Perhaps Latin American writers dwell on the travesties of Spain, but many Latin American people look on their Spanish heritage as a status symbol. The feelings of the Latin American students with whom I worked was definitely a favorable one. Those with Spanish heritage were always to be envied and if you were graced with the lisp of Spain, better to exaggerate it than to leave any shadow of doubt as to your heritage. A girl with both a Mexican passport and Spanish passport thanks to the happenstance of birth was to be envied as much as one with both Mexican and American passports thanks to the situation of their birth on the Mexican-American border. One lucky girl enjoyed the prestige of Spanish blood while another enjoyed the ease of United States citizenry.

Like the unfinished La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, perceptions continue to change and evolve concerning the relationship between Spain and the New World. However, as it stands, it seems that Spain would move past their controversial relationship with the Americas, and Latin America would hold onto the legacy of Spain as a sign of their own worth or of their own misfortune.