Youth movements in Latin America: 20th century stories of age, struggle, and socio-political independence

Throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, the very nature and everyday functions of Latin American governments under dictatorship, authoritarian-like governments, and military regimes were questioned and challenged by many of its citizens, especially its young citizenry. Literary journals and books suggest that many young people in the late 1950’s to early 1980’s were very aware of their government’s practices, did not agree with such practices of the government, and therefore created youth movements in countries as the case in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Brazil to bring about change. This topic was brought about as an interest to analyze the phenomenon of the creation of such historical movements and political struggles towards socio-political independence, and to also shed light to the many stories of young men and women who helped create changes as reflected in today’s societies in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. The stories and data attained in this thesis were collected through the use of literary journals, books, documentaries, second-hand radio interviews and other historical documentation. This study aims to put forth age as the key factor in the successful implementation of change within the societies