Hispanismo


Hispanismo or Hispanicism is an ideology, school of thought and historiographic current centered on Spanish heritage. In Hispanic America it is similar to but very distinct from indigenismo. A broader definition describes it as studies of Spanish art, music, and folklore by foreigners. The term is also associated with Hispanism, which refers to a movement that reasserts the cultural link between Spain and Latin America.

Concept

An account cited the defeat of Spain in 1898 as the precursor of Hispanismo. After the country lost its empire, calls for cultural regeneration began to emerge and the school of thought became one of its important components. The view of hispanismo holds that "countries" should not deny their cultural roots because in doing so they are denying themselves. In the case of Hispanic America these cultural roots are Spanish and indigenous. An important detail is that in hispanismo the Spanish roots are implicitly more important than the indigenous roots. Hispanismo consist of Hispanic American countries building upon their "own heritage" which would be the same as Spanish heritage.
An interpretation consider the emergence of Hispanismo as a way to resurrect Spain's lost empire.

Hispanistas

The ranks of notable supporters of hispanismo include Chilean historian Jaime Eyzaguirre, who rejected liberal historiography in favor of traditionalist hispanismo. Another hispanista was Víctor Andrés Belaúnde a Peruvian diplomat who held that Peru was essentially a mestizo and white nation and due to this its people "gravitated" towards what was "hispanic". In the late 19th century Uruguayan José Enrique Rodó and Cuban José Martí both were hispanistas in stressing the value of Spanish heritage, albeit the latter worked against Spain to liberate Cuba.