The culture of Latin and Central America is often misunderstood. Perhaps this is because these regions were the first to be colonized by modern Europeans, and then the first to try to create postcolonial nations, a seemingly hopeless task. Their culture frequently seems trapped in an insurmountable dilemma: either it looks excessively colonized and is simply dismissed as of second-class modernity, or it is expected to fulfil the exotic dreams of Western culture. Seen through such a distorted lens, what is frequently missed is the complexity of cultural practice in a region that is still tending the wounds left by the brutality of colonization. To a great extent, Latin American culture is a network of personal narratives concerning historical battles and allegiances between different cultures, classes and peoples. One does not inhabit a culture, but a tale of spiritual and material differences. One does not own a soul, instead one lives an adventure of impossible dialogues.