> prominence on the global stage,

not...really a solid argument for how well they would combine, but clearly a major contributor to how how much you know about them.

And FYI those languages didn't disappear 400 years ago. They are spoken today. Guatemala alone recognizes 25 current spoken languages - Spanish and 24 languages that are completely unrelated to any European language.

> For what it's worth a lot of cultural differences are becoming increasingly (unfortunately) minor differences at best because of globalization and the Internet and other communication technologies.

Good news! Many of these languages are still spoken today because these people still live in societies without the internet and other communication technologies! They don't even speak Spanish, their national official language, because they don't know anyone who speaks Spanish.

You don't have to know history, but try knowing a little bit more about current politics and geography before the sweeping statements?