Nationalism in Modern Latin America

Abstract

This Article aimed to study (1) describe the concept of nationalism in the present, (2) present the concept of Latin American nationalism and the Inter-American system, and (3) analyze the alienation of Latin American nationalism in the context of global change or globalization. The research design employed a qualitative research approach using analytical frameworks and concepts in political science and public administration. The research site was the Latin American region. The research tools include documents, books, publications, and online media such as the internet, YouTube, and documentaries about the research topic. Electronic tools such as computers and smartphones are used to collect data. Data analysis was conducted using content analysis followed by descriptive narrative. The research findings revealed that

1. Regarding the first objective, the concept of nationhood originated in the issues arising from war. In Latin America, most of which were Spanish colonies except for Brazil, which was Portuguese, the issue of nationhood was first sparked during the wars of independence in the early 19th century. The wars gave rise to the creation of new national identities. The armies leading the liberation were made up of diverse people of different backgrounds, races, nationalities, classes, and from different areas. The process of building armies and fighting for independence brought about the emergence of a new, unified national identity.

2. Regarding the second objective, Latin American nationalism has developed as a form of resistance to the United States. While the United States, as a superpower, has many facets, one consistent theme in its foreign policy toward Latin America has been its efforts to open its markets for goods and investments to foreign investors, particularly from the United States. This US foreign policy toward Latin America dates back to the late 19th century, including the Pan-American policy that sought to establish the United States as the dominant power in the Americas. As a result, Latin American nationalism has clashed with the globalization process led by the United States.

3. Regarding the third objective, Latin American nationalism differs from nationalism in other regions, such as Europe, in the following ways: 1) Latin American nationalism was created or imposed by European-born leaders residing in Latin America, not by indigenous peoples such as the Indians. Nationalism is top-down, imposed from below. European leaders in Latin America forced indigenous Indians or Africans to speak Spanish or (in the case of Brazil) Portuguese. They also established European values as the core values in the region, including individualism, free land ownership, free trade, and political freedom. This elite coercion has occasionally led to resistance from those below, 2) although border wars have occurred in Latin America, Latin American nationalism was not born or directly influenced by the territorial wars that occurred in Europe, and 3) Latin American nationalism differs from other countries in that it incorporates indigenous nationalist ideas.

The findings from this research contribute to the study of nationalism in Latin America in various dimensions, which originally most of those studies focused on understanding the nationalism of the lower strata of society, the groups of people who have less power or influence than the middle class or the elite, is different from this research that tries to study the nationalism of all sectors of society in modern Latin America.