N-terminus

One of the strategic challenges outlined in the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), was that of the transnational criminal organizations. “Transnational criminal organizations are increasing in strength and capability, driving risk in counterfeit goods, human trafficking, illicit drugs, and other illegal flows of people and goods.” (QHSR, 2014, p.28) Out of the various transnational criminal organizations that operate within the United States and abroad, the Mexican drug cartels…

An Ambitious Criminal Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was one of the most remarkable drug traffickers that has ever lived. Pablo was born in a little town called Rionegro, located close to Colombia’s capital which is Medellin. One of Pablo’s famous known quotes was “plata o plomo” which means money or death. In this motto Pablo stated that if people were against him or did not do what he asked to do, he would kill them. Pablo Escobar was considered a criminal because he was the leader and founder…

The book I read was Always Running by Luis Rodrigues. The book was published in 1993 and it a memoir. This genre is set in America during the 1960’s to 1970’s, more specifically it is set in Los Angeles. Most of the book highlights gang life and inequalities in America, such as housing inequalities, racism and education. However, in the later of the book it focusses on the Chicano movement during the 1970’s. A common theme in Always running besides gang life is police brutality. In one of the…

Intro In 1522, the Aztecs was a Mesoamerican civilisation at the height of its power, atop its pedestal conquering neighbouring territories back and forth. A far cry from the downfall they would experience soon after. Despite the fact that they were at the height of their power, more than a few factors were already leading to the culmination of their demise even before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. The ever so-popular ‘tradition’ of human sacrifice with Mesoamerican civilizations due…

Latin America is an area on the map that is denoted as the countries that speak Spanish and Portuguese within the Americas. This area encloses 20 states starting from the border of North America to the end of South America. This region was first known as the home of a group of people who had one of the most advanced civilizations, the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans. This was before the arrival of the Europeans during the end of the 15th and peak of the 16th centuries. There were many vital events…

The New World had many encounters, but two remarkable interactions with natives and explorers are that of Christopher Columbus and Hernando Cortes. Christopher Columbus was on orders from the King of Spain to travel a new route to find India and introduce them to a new religion. In 1492, Columbus reached what he thought was India; however, he was mistaken so now it is known as the West Indies because of this belief. At the beginning of the 16th century, Cortes set sail for Meso-America also for…

As conqueror of the Aztec Empire in Mexico, explorer of Guatemala and Honduras, and leader of the first expeditions to California, Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés contributed significantly to the establishment of European domination in America. More particularly we see his contribution to Spanish prominence in both Central and South America. His conquests helped shape the origins and history of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Spaniards initially occupied the New World in order to…

Unit 1 Vocab Exchange & Interactions (WXT,ENV) Corn - One of the many crops from the Americas that was brought over to Europe through the Columbian Exchange as a result of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World. Horses - A form of transportation and livestock from Europe that brought itself to the Americas via the Columbian Exchange. Horses heavily aided in the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and Incas. However, the Aztecs and Incas would later utilize horses for transportation and…

In the passage “India”, Richard Rodriguez argues that rather than being an act of conquest, the Indian/European interaction as not always uniformly violent or exploitative; instead [he argues], it was a complex series of profit and transformative exchanges. Both the Indian and European cultures made visible advancements by coming to the new world. The Europeans had begun global trading network, and therefore, trading with other cultures became easier. Rodriquez argues that the Indian people…

The advancement of Aztecan society is known as one of the most magnificent developments in history. In the words of the column, “Aztec Culture and Society,” this group’s rise to power is one of the most remarkable. Originating from a land classified as Aztlan— or better translated as the White Land (History.com Staff, 2009)— the Aztecs began as a simple system of peoples. Historians believe they were possibly nomadic, traveling from the northern valleys. Their conditions were explicitly scarce.…