Final Essay
The final assignment for this course is a 2500 words essay. The essay is an intellectual exercise
that facilitates the development of skills such as critical reading, critical thinking, and academic writing.
Reading, therefore, academic sources is essential if we want to write good essays.
INTRUCTIONS: Select one question. Develop a critical answer using academic sources. Do not use
news outlet reports, blogs, Wikipedia or other online source.
1. Is assimilation or the preservation of cultural differences more effective in achieving
values such as national loyalty, social solidarity, or economic redistribution? Discuss.
Include examples of the U.S. and your own country in your answer.
2. Are Latinos a centrifugal force in American society. Do you agree or disagree. Discuss.
3. What does the U.S. need to hold a multiethnic polity together in the 21st century?
4. Is Latin America winning the culture war to the United States?
5. America’s Monroe Doctrine (1823) is still valid in 2020. Discuss.
6. Samuel Huntington argues that ‘The persistent inflow of Hispanic immigrants threatens
to divide the United States into two peoples, two cultures, and two languages.’ Do you
agree or disagree with his argument?1
7. Following Gobat (2013: 13752
), would it possible that one day the entire American
continent (Western Hemisphere) may be remapped as Latino America?
8. What does the ethnic diversity of the U.S. imply for its national identity?
9. What is a coup d’etat? Use a Latin American country to exemplify your answer.
10. What is a Revolution? Use a Latin American country to exemplify your answer.
11. Is Democracy a political reality in Latin America?
1 Samuel P. Huntington (28 October 2009). The Hispanic Challenge – Foreign Policy (magazine).
2 Michel Gobat, The Invention of Latin America: A Transnational History of Anti-Imperialism,
Democracy, and Race, The American Historical Review, Volume 118, Issue 5, December 2013, Pages
1345–1375
Bibliographic Sources:
Final Essay: at least five academic sources should be read and
The bibliography should only include academic sources.
The university has access to the ProQuest database where you can find books, academic articles. Write
to the library regarding access. You can also search in Google Scholar. Note that you can register at
specialized sites like SAGE (https://journals.sagepub.com), Taylor and Francis
(https://taylorandfrancis.com), google scholar, jstor, wiley, and springer. At these sites you’ll be able to
access some academic articles related to your topics. Please do not use news outlets, blogs or Wikipedia.
Only use academic sources.
Grading policy: Only essays submitted via Platon will be graded. No email submissions will be
accepted.
Essay format:
Spacing: 1.5
Font: Times New Roman 12
Print: One side
Pages: Pages should be numbered
Stapled: the essay should be stapled.
Word count (at the top of a Word doc page, in the menus, locate the Review menu; once there, locate
the tab providing a word count. Click on it. Spot the option Word Count).
Submission date: 13. 05-27
Submission facility: PLATON
Grade value: 50%