Developing World Focus

Study Abroad in South America

Discover the New World of the Next Century

By Linda Farthing

A conglomeration of radically different societies, Latin America and the Caribbean have long had bittersweet relationships with their neighbor to the north. On the one hand, the U.S. has symbolized modernity, progress, and material comfort. On the other hand, U.S. policies, which have often been heavy-handed and self-interested, have generated resentment and distrust.

Why study in South America and what can students who go there expect?

Perhaps the greatest attraction of the region is the tremendous warmth of its people; students are welcomed into families and communities, often making friends for life. Rather than being treated as an “ugly American,” visitors who show both interest and respect will be received with delight.

In the coming century, our neighbors to the south will be more important than ever in the U.S. domestic and international political, economic, and socio-culture scene.

Latin America is the fastest growing U.S. export market in the world, and the U.S. is the largest trading partner of every country in the region (except Cuba). Indeed, this is the only area in the world where the U.S. currently enjoys a trade surplus. Our exports to the region have doubled in the last decade and by the turn of the century are expected to surpass exports to Europe and Japan combined.

Spanish, the region’s principal language, is now spoken by 310 million people in the world. Portuguese is also important: Brazil is by far the continent’s largest country and economy.

Physical attractions abound in Latin America. Tropical rainforests, volcanoes, the world’s second largest barrier reef, the world’s driest desert, and incredible waterfalls lure students to explore and to try to understand the complexities of the environmental challenges facing countries struggling to balance improving living standards with the preservation of the natural environment.

Despite the appearance of an emerging politico-economic homogeneity in the region, great cultural diversity and economic inequality persists. Especially at the grassroots, new social movements of women, environmentalists, artists, and community development organizations are emerging at a rapid pace.

The opportunity to study abroad in the hemisphere has special meaning to many African-American and Hispanic-American students. However, in many cases such students must be even more prepared than others to confront their own myths and prejudices about their respective heritages. Being considered “foreigners” and a privileged minority, despite their own feelings of solidarity and identity, is sometimes difficult to come to grips with in the beginning. However, for those who remain open-minded and open-hearted, the personal rewards can be without parallel.

The type of study abroad program you choose will depend in large measure on your available resources, time, initiative, and educational purpose. The major alternatives are 1) direct enrollment programs in a university as a regular, non-degree student side by side with host country national students or in special courses in language and culture for foreign students, 2) specially organized programs which utilize host country national professors and other resources but are not formally integrated into any one university, and 3) work and work-study programs which have training or practicum components in addition to classroom study.

Living arrangements vary from university dormitories to family homestays and independent apartments shared with other U.S. or host country national students. Program costs also vary widely. Careful advance research is advisable to determine full costs and arrangements with your own school. Consult the academic and study abroad advisers on your campus.

Health concerns may arise for some considering studying abroad in the hemisphere, but sound information is available. The most important factors that determine your health and well-being while studying abroad are things over which you have a great deal of personal control.

For U.S. students, a semester in Latin America and the Caribbean offers an excellent opportunity to learn first hand about subjects important to the hemisphere as a whole and to expand their understanding of what it means to be a U.S. American among all the other residents of the hemisphere. You have much to learn from and contribute to this “new world” in the coming millennium. You owe it to yourself and others to become an educated and concerned global citizen.

Literature can offer the most engaging introduction to the rich and varied cultures in the region: For Latin America, start with works by Garcia Marquez, Eduardo Galeano, Vargas Llosa, Isabel Allende, Manuel Puig, Carlos Fuentes, and Pablo Neruda. For the Caribbean: V.S. Naipul and Jamaica Kincaid.

LINDA FARTHING is the Regional Director for the Americas for the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT.