Robert G. Mead

A Guide for the Spanish Major

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the following colleagues for their careful reading of the manuscript and their valuable suggestions in regard to this Guide: Dean Henry Grattan Doyle of George Washington University; Professors E. Herman Hespelt of Ithaca, New York; Lawrence B. Kiddle of the University of Michigan; Sturgis E. Leavitt of the University of North Carolina, and Donald D. Walsh, Editor of Hispania, who also kindly consented to write the Foreword. They are in no way accountable, however, for any shortcomings the Guide may possess. For such defects the authors themselves assume full responsibility, and they will be grateful to receive criticism from all readers of the Guide, whether students or teachers, in the hope that a future edition can remedy its present defects.

Imágenes interamericanas: Hacia una mejor comprensión intercultural en el Nuevo Mundo

El transcurso del tiempo ademais de desarrolilar estas imigenes tambi6n trajo consigo el perfeccionamiento progresivo de la t6cnica humana, el cual, a su vez, transform6 el transporte terrestre, maritimo y a6reo. El hombre viajaba mis, sea por motivos comerciales, personales, o militares, y coetaineamente con estos contactos crecian las imaigenes que una cultura formaba de otra. Se alteraban las imaigenes del pasado, mayormente superficiales y err6neas, exageradas y hasta denigrantes debido a la ignorancia y credulidad de tanta gente. El gran aumento de los contactos interculturales, las comunicaciones mejores y la mayor difusi6n de las percepciones resultantes en los medios masivos (libros, peri6dicos, revistas, radio y televisi6n) inevitablemente corregian las mais exageradas y disparatadas, ajustindolas mais a la realidad sin Ilegar casi nunca, claro estai, a comunicar imaigenes enteramente exactas y aut6nticas. Huelga decir que en la historia humana estas imaigenes interculturales han tenido un papel importantisimo en la genesis de las relaciones y la politica internacionales, sobre todo en las naciones democriticas donde la opini6n popular influye tanto en las decisiones gubernamentales. El concepto que forma una naci6n de otra es sin duda el factor mais determinante de su conducta hacia ella.

The Mexican Literary Scene in 1956

During the last two or three decades even the most casual observer of Mexico could not have failed to note the economic, social, political, and cultural changes which have taken place in that country. The more penetrating observer, especially if he has resided for long periods in Mexico, cannot but be amazed at some of the developments which have occurred in these past decades. This is not the place to enter into a detailed analysis of the economic, social, and political progress, but a few salient facts will give some idea of the national growth. The population of the country has doubled since the 1920s, that of its capital tripled, while most of its larger cities have grown correspondingly. Heavy industry has been firmly established and light industry diversified. Electric output has increased enormously. There has been a growing mechanization of agriculture, and the highway network and internal trade have mushroomed. Radio and