Myths About American Civilization:

The European conquerors of South and Central America not only destroyed practically all the records and literature of AsioAmerica, but created an utterly distorted image of the American past by taking some of its ugly features out of context and magnifying them out of proportion.
For instance, human sacrifice practiced by the Aztecs was repeatedly stressed without explaining its extenuating features, and without pointing out that human sacrifice had not been unknown to other peoples, such as in Egypt , Rome and in the Bible . Taking their technique a step further they contrasted this picture with that of their own deeds in Asioamerica in which European misdemeanor, caprice, and criminality were soft-pedaled and civilized and humane behavior emphasized.
Most people believe that Asioamericans were uncivilized hordes with an occasional freak of knowledge, who had contributed nothing of permanent value to civilization by 1492. Despite a good deal of information to the contrary, there is resistance to accepting a change in this image. Misconceptions multiply fast but die slowly.