Darianna Reyes Marquez ‘26

Professor Sofia Ortiz-Hinojosa

This past summer, I worked alongside Professor Ortiz-Hinojosa. We worked on a few projects that relate to ‘Latin American’ Philosophy. There is a lot of discourse around what is considered ‘Latin America’, and consequently what is considered to be ‘Latin American’ Philosophy’. We attempted not to define it, but rather to try and expand possible meanings and interpretations in this field of study. 

For the first portion of this project, I transcribed The Aztec-Spanish Dialogues of 1524. This document is filled with theological discussion between the Nahuas and the Spaniards, and more interestingly, it is made up of fragments of oral traditions from pre- and post colonial times. Though the document was already translated, we hope that this version is distributed and used for further dissemination—as a focus of this time period—to ground this old, but relevant and continuous discussion. 

For the second portion of the project I put together an annotated bibliography consisting of various primary, secondary, and other sources from pre-colonial, colonial, and post colonial times. Though they vary all the way from Indigenous documents to Afro-Caribbean discussion to first-hand accounts of Spaniards, the connection between these documents is that they have an interconnected history and significance to the field of ‘Latin America’. We hope that this source can help other scholars interested in learning more about ‘Latin America’ and can expand their understanding of what can be considered to be ‘Latin American‘ philosophy.

For the final portion of this project I set out to explore the relationship between Corridos, a music genre, and the sentiment of a nation, in this case, Mexico. In the same way that there is not one way to define ‘Latin America’ or how it is viewed or studied, the Corrido genre does not have one definitive sound. Corridos can come in the form of rancheras, mariachi, banda, norteñas, duranguense, and many other forms. While there are shared musical elements between these genres, what truly makes them Corridos is the stories of heroes and survival that they tell.