| Two
Americas opens with two provocative questions: |
| “Why
has Latin America persisted in a political tradition of strongmen who seize power by force ... while in North America transitions in power have been consistently
peaceful?” |
| “Why has the
U.S., a North American nation with strong democratic traditions, been plagued
by racial tensions and hate crimes...while in Latin America racial tensions
have rarely flared into violence involving those of African descent?” |
| Using the characters
as reference points, answers from a variety of perspectives are presented
by the film’s diverse team of scholars and the descendants of the
film’s featured characters. This film weaves personal interviews,
historical news footage, archival stills and location shooting with voice-over
narration to create a rich and fast-paced cinematic tapestry that probes
the issues of power, race and immigration within our hemisphere. |
| While answering the
opening questions, Two Americas reveals some startling and little-known
facts: |
| 1. About half a million
Africans were brought to North America as slaves, while in the Caribbean
and South America that number was more than seven million—over fourteen
times higher. |
| 2. The importation
of African slaves began in Latin America and the Caribbean nearly a century
earlier than in North America. |
| 3. Immigration during
the 19th and 20th centuries to Latin America from all parts of the globe
has created much greater diversity in the region than most North Americans
realize—including several Latin American nations where the racial
composition closely mirrors that of the United States. |
| The film’s closing
message is inspiring and hopeful, stressing the virtues of a greater understanding
of the “other Americans” of our hemisphere. For schools, civic
organizations and corporations, the film is an ideal platform to launch
further discussion on the topics of diversity, political traditions and
immigration. |
| For more information,
please contact us. |
Related Links |
| My
Immigration Story.com |
| Author's Diary - News and Notes from the author of AMERICA LIBRE and EL NUEVO ALAMO |
Ropewalk - 150 years of ropemaking in Xenia, Ohio
A documentary film |
| BRC Marketing.com |
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