La historia del espanol (By husband and wife team Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow, who also wrote
The History of French) is a great history lesson. Beginning with the Iberian peninsula, it talks about all of the different
groups going in and out, and then moves into the
colonization of Latin America.
During my freshman year Intro to Theatre class the prof of the course would constantly say,
'Theatre doesn't happen in a vacuum, folks!' Well, she would love
La historia because it tells you that neither does language. It's focus is how Spanish has formed and changed, why it took hold when
other languages didn't, and why it is so widely spoken today.
There have been many points in this book at which I've literally gaped in amazement and said, 'Whoa, that is so interesting.' Below are two I could immediately recall.
The idea that mariners at the time of Columbus thought the earth was flat is a myth. Portugal was extremely advanced in astronomy, trigonometry and algebra and had calculated the size of the earth quite accurately. They turned down Columbus' westward voyage to India because they knew such a journey would be five times longer than his estimated 2,500 miles. No ship could carry enough food and water. Portugal missed out on a great discovery because they knew too much. Discouraging.
The idea that Tex-Mex, or Mexican American cuisine, is an adaptation of authentic cuisine is also inaccurate. It developed in the same grassroots manner as other foods with indigenous roots, before the U.S.-Mexican border reached is present day line. '
When Americans put cheddar cheese and sour cream on their nachos they aren't distorting an authentic custom. No one else eats nachos.' The word Tex-Mex dates back to the 1850s.
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