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Well, I just lived in Miami for a couple years until recently!.!.!.!.!.where there is a VAST population of South Americans (and have many friends from there)!. I'll see if I can help you a little bit from what I know firsthand!.!.!.!.!.

First comment, I do not agree w/your teacher if he/she is "generalizing" what a "typical" South American family looks like!. That would be the same as asking what a typical North American family looks like!.!.!.!.it's ridiculous! (We have people of all races and makeups in the US!. It's no different there!.) Especially since South America is composed of so many different countries and many European mixes there too!.

Anyway!.!.!.!.what I do know for a fact from my many South American friends!.!.!.!.!.(Colombian, Brazilian, Peruvian, Ecuadorian, Venezuelan, Argentinean, etc!.) are these things IN GENERAL (not apply to all):

1!.) There is no such thing as a typical South American family!. They're composed of all backgrounds just like in the USA (and rest of the world)!. However, many South Americans come from Spanish/Latin descent!. Therefore, many of them have slightly darker coloring than a Caucasian!.!.!.!.even so, their skin coloring even varies (cinnamon, caramel, etc!.)!. (NOTE: I do know many of my S!. American friends who also have Italian in their bloodlines as well as Spanish/Latin descent!.!.!.!.!.you may want to investigate any Italian influence via wars, etc!. to Brazil, Ecuador, etc!. now I'm thinking of what they said and I forgot!?!? Impacted their physical features somewhat!. :))

Many South Americans are very family oriented and seem to have many relatives they cherish and associate with regularly!. (We joke w/my closest Colombian friends - for a family party, it's as if they bring their 54 closest cousins!.!.!.!.and they do!!)

It is common in South American culture to be both married and have children!.!.!.!.!.also to NOT be married to another and have children!. It's also quite common for the persons of non-married union to call or refer to the other as "wife" (esposa in Spanish) or "husband" ("esposo") - especially if they've been together for a few years or more and have children together!. (Not the same as the States overall culture!.)

2!.) The government I can only tell you (from what I know) is that you may have to google/research into some of the countries in S!. America (Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, etc!.) because they are all different countries!. Therefore, you canno guess they all are run the same (or how average citizens are connected to each!.!.!.since they are citizens of those countries!.) See if you can find some items in common, as well as different!.

3!.) I'm not really sure what you're asking here re: icons (yes, very vague! haha)!. But many people of South America I know/experienced first hand are typically Christian in their spiritual beliefs (many Catholic)!. So, perhaps images of saints, etc!. cause immediate responses!. My Venezuelan and Colombian friends have typically been drawn to artwork / images such as these for their homes and "sense of security"!. (if that makes sense)

4!.) Well, w/re: to vacation and recreation - the South Americans I know are "human" just like us!. They enjoy a variety of things when having fun!. I'm not sure if it was just my own experience (instead of the "typical" your teacher is asking) but most of my S!. American friends love to travel and do quite often!.

In my opinion and experience, the South Americans I know are quite worldly and travel in various parts of the world / countries (as well as their own)!.!.!.!.and very educated!. I come from a family and group of people in my life that are quite world traveled and educated as well (more than most I think in the US - not good or bad)!. The S!. Americans I know make me/us feel like we stay home all the time! Haha!. (All relative!.) also, many S!. Americans I know are far more educated on global /world events and languages!.!.!.!.even since they were in elementary school!. ALL of my friends from there were REQUIRED to learn English from a young age (I'm 37)!. Funny - since our country assumes we are so educated and most educational programs here do not require things to the level they are normally!.

I don't know if this has helped you at all!. But definitely may benefit you to google / research particular countries in S!. America rather than the "typical" your teacher is asking you for!.

I do know that my Colombian friend, Ricardo, was showing my nephews (ages 9-13) where he was from on You Tube when they visited Miami and they were thrilled!. I mention it because you may also see some footage on You Tube of these countries (from their countries and tourism) and assess what you see to help you out as well!.

Good luck! Hope this at least was worth something!?!? Sorry if I didn't help on all!. :)

P!.S!. also, I do know as a result of S!. American being close to the Caribbean as well, there are also many mixes of Spanish/Latin w/folks from various Caribbean islands!.!.!.unless that was just in Miami!?!? :) ha

In addition, most South Americans use Spanish as their primary language except Brazil!. Brazilians speak Portuguese as their primary language!.

There are many S!. American families in the USA!.!.!.!.and to me, all "South American" and "North American" (etc!.) really refer to is citizenship!.!.!.not necessarily generalizing certain people!. If that makes sense!?!? :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Broad indeed!.

May I suggest visiting your library and scanning the titles of the National Geographic!. They intersperse a good human interest story or two in every issue and the series tries hard to touch broadly about the world!. It won't take long to find something that describes someone in South America in just a few minutes of flipping through the issues!.

Travel mags will pick up some neat tips!. I've read tantalizing stories in Travel and Leisure (like big vineyard owners in Chile and Argentina that will do the bed and breakfast thing just as you can find in France or Italy or Portugal), so flip through those issues too, if your library has them!.

Finally, be careful about the "typical" because it varies!. The monied class will have two directions, old wealth elegance and new wealth flash!. The poor can be so wretchedly destitute!. The middle class (especially careful here) can be so close to our pictures of poor here that you might miss the meaningful extremes!. Then too, there were the Native Americans in the South just as there were in North America!. There were those of colonial descent (Brazilians from Portugal; Guyana was an English colony, Suriname was Dutch, French Guyana was French, and most of the rest was Spanish)!. But then too there are the latter-day immigrants from places like Germany (look for them in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay), Japanese (Peru, one was even a recent president), and a fair smattering of others from various places including the U!.S!. (there are towns in Brazil where the Confederate battle flag is flown, and you can guess the historical where and when of those communities)!.

As for government, the major news magazines will periodically touch on things down there (U!.S!. News tends to give nice summaries) but the public information on the CIA factbook, which anyone can find online, will give you enough keywords to help you Google (and even a Yahoo search) to find oodles of political/politician info!.

Good luck, but with a little bit of effort along these lines it will be easy (you will struggle to wonder what all to omit from your report)!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Absolutely agree with the above!. There are South Americans who are as tall and blond as any Englishman or German, in Chile and Argentina especially!. Governments vary from Communist dictatorships in Venezuela to fairly free representative democracies!. I guess since the continent is overwhelmingly Catholic, crucifixes of Madonna paintings would be pretty universally respected!. Holidays, etc!., there are beaches, mountains, skiing, everything you have anywhere else in the world!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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