Course Description

HI 208 THE PRICE OF PARADISE: EXPLOITATION, CONSUMPTION, AND THE MAKING OF MODERN LATIN AMERICA   3.0 Credit(s)
What's the hidden story behind your morning latte, your spring break getaway, or the gas in your car? For centuries, Latin America has been sold as a global "paradise" of coffee, sugar, bananas, oil, and beaches, but the true cost has fallen on its lands and peoples. This course explores how global demand built plantation economies, oil booms, and tourist industries, while shaping everyday life through land and labor systems. Weekly case studies range from Brazil's coffee empire and Central America's "banana republics" to Venezuela's oil wealth and Caribbean tourism. Finally, students will connect these histories to present-day issues such as climate change, sustainable tourism, fair-trade coffee, and global consumption. By semester's end, you'll never look at a cup of coffee, a beach vacation, or a gas pump the same way again. Prerequisite: Take HI-100 or HI-102 or HI-110 or HI-115
Offered: As Needed Contact Department