Commonwealth School teachers bring an infectious intellectual energy to their classrooms, fueled, in part, by their own innate curiosity. What happens when that curiosity is unleashed? The Hughes/Wharton Fund for Teachers aims to do just that, ensuring faculty can pursue their academic passions, access fulfilling professional development opportunities, and have the latitude to create new courses and reinvigorate existing ones. 

The film En el tiempo de las mariposas, about the Mirabal sisters who resisted Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. The testimony of Reinaldo Arenas under the Cuban regime. The writings of Rodolfo Walsh, who died trying to expose the Argentine dictatorship. These are just a few of the resources assembled by Spanish teacher Mónica Schilder for her most recent Hughes/Wharton project, injecting new life into her Spanish 4 class on the topic of dictatorships in Latin America. Focusing on the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Argentina, and Chile, Ms. Schilder aims to introduce students to both the “historical reality and the human experience” behind these regimes, and help them reflect on the dangers of authoritarian governments. 

This summer I created a new sourcebook for my Spanish 4 class on the topic of dictatorships in Latin America. The book is divided into four units that focus on the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Argentina, and Chile. 

The sourcebook combines a wide variety of materials: fictional stories, personal testimonies from those who lived through dictatorship, films, and music that gave voice to resistance. Each resource was chosen to help students see both the historical reality and the human experience behind these regimes. For example, Mario Vargas Llosa portrays the Dominican dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in La Fiesta del Chivo, while Reinaldo Arenas tells his own story of persecution under the Cuban regime. Rodolfo Walsh’s attempt to expose the Argentine dictatorship cost him his life, making his writing especially powerful, and Roberto Bolaño offers a glimpse into the mindset of young people who, sometimes blindly, put their faith in regimes that caused deep pain.

Film also plays an important role in the course. En el tiempo de las mariposas tells the story of the Mirabal sisters, whose resistance to Trujillo’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic made them symbols of courage and sacrifice. Fresa y chocolate explores the Cuban Revolution through the unlikely friendship between a young communist and a gay intellectual, highlighting the clash between revolutionary ideals and individual freedoms. In La historia oficial, students will learn about the children in Argentina who were taken from political prisoners and given to military families, a painful chapter of the dictatorship that still echoes today. Finally, No presents the story of the Chilean plebiscite that ultimately helped end Pinochet’s regime, showing the power of media, creativity, and collective action in the face of authoritarian rule.

A central goal of this sourcebook is not only to read and analyze these works, but also to give students opportunities to present their ideas and debate them. Oral presentations and class discussions will be a major part of the course, encouraging students to think critically, listen to multiple perspectives, and reflect on the dangers of authoritarian governments.

I am deeply grateful for the Hughes-Wharton grant, which gave me the time and freedom to explore, read, and fully immerse myself in this work. That support made it possible to create a sourcebook that will guide students in exploring these histories and voices with depth and purpose.

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