“I spent a good chunk of the last year and a half working on a documentary series covering contemporary Latin American history for the National Geographic Channel. It has started to air in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, and will soon air in other languages. I have been asked a few times what I learned from this experience. I think the most important lesson was that Latin Americans don’t consider themselves Latin Americans. Despite the increased migration, trade and political connections among countries of the region, most citizens are unaware of the recent and not-so-recent histories of their neighboring countries. Which is why so many nations keep repeating the mistakes of the past — and why in those countries that seem to be on the right track, the forces pushing in the opposite direction are so powerful.” (10/15/08)