Arts Innovator: Favianna Rodriguez
Speaking out against injustice is nothing new for Favianna Rodriguez. In high school, the Oakland native led marches and walk-outs against California’s Proposition 187, a ballot initiative that prohibited undocumented immigrants from accessing state services. Today, Rodriguez’ butterfly imagery, together with the slogan “migration is beautiful,” has become a national symbol for the immigration reform … Read more
From the Think Tanks
Despite record economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2003 and 2010, the region has not yet succeeded in overcoming external constraints. In Regional Integration: Towards an Inclusive Value Chain Strategy, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) details how the rise of geographically defined value chains has made … Read more
A Dash of Color: Latin America’s Color Runs
Chalk it up to the running craze in Latin America. Or to the revitalization of the region’s cities. Either way, the U.S.-based Color Run is turning the hemisphere’s streets into a rainbow of vibrant color. The urban running events—which are billed as “the happiest 5K on the planet”—involve a 3.1-mile sprint through a city while … Read more
10 Things to Do: Yucatán Peninsula
Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, also called the Mayan Riviera, is home to extraordinary pre-Columbian ruins and stunning beaches. Spanning three Mexican states and parts of Belize and Guatemala, the Yucatán is also turning into one of the premiere music and nightlife meccas. All prices are in U.S. dollars.— Wilda Escarfuller 1. Climb a pyramid. The Chichén … Read more
Patron Saint Festivals in the Americas
In Latin America, the party doesn’t end between Christmas and Carnival; the first three months of the year are also dedicated to numerous fiestas patronales, or patron saint festivals. The celebrations reflect a common Catholic heritage, but also incorporate elements of the region’s African and Indigenous roots. In Puerto Rico, the merriment kicks off after … Read more
Film Review: Casa Grande
In the locker room of his private, all boys high school, 17-year-old Jean bickers with his classmates over an unpaid debt. “Like father, like son,” says one of Jean’s friends before the boys collide in a classic locker-room brawl. It’s an emotional and revealing scene in Casa Grande (literally “the big house,” but released under … Read more
Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants
Latin America’s restaurant scene and its chefs are enjoying their moment in the spotlight. From Mexican chef Enrique Olvera’s New York outpost, Cosme, to Brazilian chef Alex Atala’s 150,000+ Instagram followers, these chefs are joining the ranks of culinary rock stars. Nothing confirms the region’s place in the global foodie scene like hosting a spinoff … Read more
Panorama
Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and events from around the hemisphere with AQ‘s Panorama. Each issue, AQ packs its bags and offers readers travel tips on a new Americas destination.
Innovators
Some of our hemisphere’s emerging leaders in politics, business, civil society, and the arts.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays! The AQ team is on vacation until January 5. Until then, readers eager for analysis on the region can always catch up on our print issues and remember to give the gift of AQ to their loved ones for the holidays.
Happy Thanksgiving from Americas Quarterly!
Happy Thanksgiving! The AQ team is on vacation for Thanksgiving and will return on Monday, December 1. Until then, readers eager for analysis on the region can always catch up on our recent Fall 2014 issue.
Why I Wasn’t a Fat Kid in Mexico
I grew up in Manzanillo and Monterrey, two Mexican cities that are opposites in many ways. Manzanillo is on the southwest coast of Mexico; Monterrey is in the dry northeastern desert. Manzanillo is a small town; Monterrey is one of the country’s most important urban industrial centers. In Manzanillo, people are laid back and relaxed, … Read more
Luis Suárez: Vilified Worldwide, Beloved in Uruguay
On November 13, as Uruguay’s national soccer team, La Celeste (The Sky Blue), ran onto the pitch at Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario, the biggest cheer came for the most scandalous of soccer heroes. Luis Suárez, who has earned the enmity of players, fans, and at least one prime minister for his race-tinged language and taste for … Read more
Arts Innovator: Matika Wilbur
Matika Wilbur left a budding career as a Seattle photographer two years ago to embark on an American road trip unlike any other. Her destination: the diverse lands and communities of the now 566 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States. “I was 28 years old and had a fabulous gallery and a … Read more