Martí, “Our America”

1. What does Martí mean by the term "our America"?
   
   
   
2. Please discuss the following paragraph:

   And the able governor in America is not the one who knows how to govern the Germans or the French; he must know the elements that make up his own country, and how to bring them together, using methods and institutions originating within the country, to reach that desirable state where each man can attain self-realization and all may enjoy the abundance that Nature has bestowed in everone in the nation to enrich with their toil and defend with their lives. Government must originate in the country. The spirit of government must be that of the country. Its structure must conform to rules appropriate to the country. (112)

3. What does Martí mean when he states:

   “The native half-breed has conquered the exotic Creole”
   
   “The struggle is not between civilization and barbarity, but between false erudition and Nature”

4. Martí appeals constantly to the "natural": e.g.""natural man," "natural elements." What do you think he means by the term?
   
   
   
5. Please discuss the following statements:

   America began to suffer, and still suffers, from the tiresome task of reconciling the hostile and discordant elements it inherited from a depotic and perverse colonizer, and the imported methods and ideas which have been retarding logical government because they are lacking in local realities. (115)

   "There can be no racial animosity because there are no races."

Rolando J. Romero



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