Life under a dictatorship: Crash Course Latin American Literature #5
video description
Date: 2025-12-12
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 14
ateil
My parents were teenagers during the dictatorship in Argentina. It marked those years of their lives with fear, secrecy, and censorship. My uncle was arrested for having long hair. My dad's first year of college, students (18, 19 years old) would be there one day and gone the next, never to be seen again. People would go to the authorities trying to find out where their loved ones had been taken after their arrests and were never given answers, would never see them again. To this day illegal adoptees are finding out their true origins. It is not history for us, it has marked us and reshaped us. I was astonished when I grew up and went on online spaces only to discover most US Americans have never even heard of Operation Condor and have no idea of the role of their country in the violence that still haunts so many LatAm countries.
reply
My parents were teenagers during the dictatorship in Argentina. It marked those years of their lives with fear, secrecy, and censorship. My uncle was arrested for having long hair. My dad's first year of college, students (18, 19 years old) would be there one day and gone the next, never to be seen again. People would go to the authorities trying to find out where their loved ones had been taken after their arrests and were never given answers, would never see them again. To this day illegal adoptees are finding out their true origins. It is not history for us, it has marked us and reshaped us. I was astonished when I grew up and went on online spaces only to discover most US Americans have never even heard of Operation Condor and have no idea of the role of their country in the violence that still haunts so many LatAm countries.
reply
analucardosoa
I know we’re in the literature world here, but that kind of narrative is brilliantly shown in I’m Still Here. It’s a Brazilian movie that won the oscar for best international picture last year. It portraits what happens to a family when it’s patriarch is taken, without explanation, by the militaries. It’s based on a real story and the director of the movie was friends with the younger children of the family. So the movie is a junction of his memories of the time as a kid, what he learned about that period when he got older and the answers we still don’t have and the things we still don’t know about the military regime in Brazil. I couldn’t recommend it enough.
reply
I know we’re in the literature world here, but that kind of narrative is brilliantly shown in I’m Still Here. It’s a Brazilian movie that won the oscar for best international picture last year. It portraits what happens to a family when it’s patriarch is taken, without explanation, by the militaries. It’s based on a real story and the director of the movie was friends with the younger children of the family. So the movie is a junction of his memories of the time as a kid, what he learned about that period when he got older and the answers we still don’t have and the things we still don’t know about the military regime in Brazil. I couldn’t recommend it enough.
reply
LBVED
as a salvadorean born and raised, I was born right after the peace accords and its so strange and painful to see how everyone is traumatized. It has taken a lot for my parents to open up to all the horrible stuff they saw as the generation that was born and came of age all during armed conflict.
reply
as a salvadorean born and raised, I was born right after the peace accords and its so strange and painful to see how everyone is traumatized. It has taken a lot for my parents to open up to all the horrible stuff they saw as the generation that was born and came of age all during armed conflict.
reply
crash_course
An intermediate stage would be the testimonies of children who were old enough to remember the world of before, experienced the coup/takeover/start of civil war, and grew up under authoritarianism.
We are still around, watching history repeating over and over.
reply
An intermediate stage would be the testimonies of children who were old enough to remember the world of before, experienced the coup/takeover/start of civil war, and grew up under authoritarianism.
We are still around, watching history repeating over and over.
reply
MarioHenriquez-y8p
Thank you. Space Invaders by Nona Fernandez is the (very short) book you need to read. It talks about this exact topic. Children living under a dictatorship (Chile in the 80s) not knowing this until much later in life.
reply
Thank you. Space Invaders by Nona Fernandez is the (very short) book you need to read. It talks about this exact topic. Children living under a dictatorship (Chile in the 80s) not knowing this until much later in life.
reply
karla_k
Thank you for putting together this whole course. As a Salvadoran myself, I never even knew about Claudia Hernandez. My parents lived through the war, and I was born right after, but I still don't know that much about it.
reply
Thank you for putting together this whole course. As a Salvadoran myself, I never even knew about Claudia Hernandez. My parents lived through the war, and I was born right after, but I still don't know that much about it.
reply
NicoxBass
You should review Alfredo Molano from Colombia, he has written novels about all the conflicts in Colombia since long and it has a lot of the same personal histories told by the victims, but in a way of telling a story.
reply
You should review Alfredo Molano from Colombia, he has written novels about all the conflicts in Colombia since long and it has a lot of the same personal histories told by the victims, but in a way of telling a story.
reply
JosuéMedina-m4o
Even though I'm peruvian I didn't know about Claudia Salazar and La sangre de la aurora. Thanks for sharing new authors and books, and not only the most well known ones. Great job!
reply
Even though I'm peruvian I didn't know about Claudia Salazar and La sangre de la aurora. Thanks for sharing new authors and books, and not only the most well known ones. Great job!
reply
miriamzajfman4305
I simply love this segment of Crash Course referring to South America. Especially that with my retirement I am going to spend my Winters there. P. S. This Host is great
reply
I simply love this segment of Crash Course referring to South America. Especially that with my retirement I am going to spend my Winters there. P. S. This Host is great
reply
vitoravila9908
I’d like to make a honorable mention to the book Ainda estou aqui, that was adapted to the movie I’m still here, that got the Academy award for best international film
reply
I’d like to make a honorable mention to the book Ainda estou aqui, that was adapted to the movie I’m still here, that got the Academy award for best international film
reply
samipiver7765
I'm currently writing my thesis on US intervention in Cold War Latin America, specifically focusing on Chile. This is a great video, will definitely be sharing!
reply
I'm currently writing my thesis on US intervention in Cold War Latin America, specifically focusing on Chile. This is a great video, will definitely be sharing!
reply
rauldjvp3053
Everyone who loved I'm Still Here knows it tells the real story of Eunice Paiva adapted by her youngest son's memoir! I cried oceans watching it.
reply
Everyone who loved I'm Still Here knows it tells the real story of Eunice Paiva adapted by her youngest son's memoir! I cried oceans watching it.
reply
anaclaudiamaia2911
I would add the book La composicion, the Composition, by Antonio Skarmeta. Children’s books are underrated and underestimated.
reply
I would add the book La composicion, the Composition, by Antonio Skarmeta. Children’s books are underrated and underestimated.
reply
N1cole5645
I love all the books being added to my TBR. Thanks for doing this series I love the recommendations for Latin American literature!
reply
I love all the books being added to my TBR. Thanks for doing this series I love the recommendations for Latin American literature!
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
