Abstract
This article analyzes aspects of the construction of Latin American identity in the nineteenth century and argues that this process was based on the contrast between an idealized personality, which circulated among peoples of Latin origin, particularly Hispanics, and an imagined vision of the Anglo-Saxon character that was especially strong in the United States. This opposition, which has been much studied in the context of the late nineteenth century, was already present in the early part of the same century and over time it gained particular dimensions depending on specific conceptions. These travel accounts - which were the main sources used in this article - were instrumental in the circulation, appropriation and selection of these conceptions.
Keywords:
- Identities; travel accounts; national character; Latinos versus Anglo-Saxons.