Commerce, Coercion, and America’s Empire - 4 documents

The entire business with the UFCO and the banana industry is truly fascinating, but also disheartening. I see it as a reflection of the American economic expansion into Latin America, at the expense of Latin Americans and their independence and self-sustenance.
Augusto Sandino's Political Manifesto is a very heart-felt declaration, with clear and straight-forward statements. The sentence "The last of my soldiers who are soldiers for Nicaragua’s freedom, might die, but first, more than a battalion of you, blond invader, will have bitten the dust of my rustic mountains" shows how determined he is to fight for the independence of Nicaragua and the sovereignty of Central American countries from the United States, even if it means that by achieving peace and sovereignty, one must go through war.
The Journey to Banana Land film was very interesting to watch. It was educational, to an extent, teaching Spanish words to the viewer. However, it is quite propaganda-ish and paints a happy picture of the banana business, using stereotypes of both Latin Americans and US Americans.
In the film Silent War, we see the battle against malaria, the yellow fever, from an American perspective. It also turns into a war, imperialistic propaganda at the end of the movie and also a fight against fascism. They really snuck that one in.
In From the Noble Savage to the Third World  by Ariel Dorfman and Armand Matterlart, we see the relationship Disney had in the expansion of American interests. The line "According to Disney, underdeveloped people are like children, to be treated as such, and if they don't accept this definition of themselves, they should have their pants taken down and given a good spanking." It is something that you could imagine happening in a Disney movie, in a comical way, but it shows how American propaganda infiltrated something as popular as Disney movies.

Signs of Crisis in the Gilded Age

The one document that stood out to me in this section was the letter penned by Ruben Dario to Teddy Roosevelt. This is because it is in the form of poetry, which is new in the course. Dario, in a way, tells Roosevelt, that "Yes, you are strong and when the US shouts, "the sound is like the roar of a lion"." But he goes on to say that "our America lives. And dreams. And loves. And it is the daughter of the Sun. Be careful." By "our America", he is referring to Latin America. He is is saying "no" to the looming danger of North America taking over.
He also mentions poetry, which I find interesting ("But our own America, which has had poets since the ancient times of Nezahualcóyolt"). He goes on to talk about culture. By this, Dario shows that the strength of a group people is not based just on military power or financial status, but also on the richness of culture and traditions, which is what keeps people together. The Latin Americans are "A thousand cubs of the Spanish lion are roaming free", and a big number of cubs can easily take down a big monster lion like the United States, especially when they are connected by culture and tradition. He even manages to make North Americans come across as barbaric and primitive, with the line "O Men with Saxon eyes and barbarous souls," which is usually the opposite of what we've seen in history, where it is the indigenous in Latin America that are seen as uncivilized (barbaric also assumed).
His language is also that of poet: very ornate and almost mythical. I feel like the fact that he used poetry shows how strong culture can be in the strength of a people.

James Creelman, “Porfirio Díaz, Hero of the Americas"

I found the interviewer, James Creelman, to be completely captivated and enthralled by Porfirio Díaz, as we can see from the language he uses. The "master and hero of modern Mexico", with "dark brown eyes that search your soul, soften into inexpressible kindliness and then dart quick side looks—terrible eyes, threatening eyes, loving, confiding, humorous eyes", who has "transformed a republic into an autocracy by the absolute compulsion of courage and character"... and soon.
Creelman also paints an idyllic picture of Mexico and Diaz's castle: "And what an unforgettable vision of color, movement and romance it was!"
Diaz believes in true democracy, but only when the country is ready for it. Now that he finds Mexico more stable economically and more peaceful, he believes that he can step down from office and still have the country retain its stability. He believes in a forceful method of establishing peace, whether it's by capital punishment or by a very rigid school curriculum. This is not surprising, as he is an army General as well as president. His railways helped increase infrastructure and industry, spiking the country's economy. It seems that even the US Secretary of State Elihu Root could only conjure idealist and picturesque thoughts about Diaz and his Mexico. Creelman continues to reference the smooth beauty and loveliness of Mexico. He manages to marry the harshness of industry and the natural beauty of Mexico to create a perfect image of Diaz's legacy.

Ch. 3: the five documents

3.1 - The Fetishist Animism of Bahian Negroes by Raimundo Nina Rodrigues
Rodrigues, a mestizo himself, mentions how he had studied race and religion in Brazil with the "utmost neutrality and impartiality". However, at the same time, he quotes E.B Tylor who, referring to the slaves living in Bahia, says "It is not always easy to elicit from savages information on their theology". Describing someone else as a savage is an indication of one's lack of neutrality and impartiality. He is quite hypocritical in this aspect, especially as he mentions that mestizos follow similar religious traditions (including himself most likely - not impartial at all).
3.2 - Partido Indepiendente de Color
This document clearly expresses a more equality-based approach to the organization of society in Latin America, in this case Cuba. A few points seem even more "advanced" than some of today's laws of different countries (free elementary, vocational and university education?!)
3.3 - Manifiesto,“Santa Rita de Casia,” y “San Lázaro”, Sociedad de Protección Mutua, Canto y Baile
The line "As death is Nature’s justice, thus all we are is dust, smoke, and ashes here on this earth" shows the humility that was very prevalent in Catholicism. The document emphasizes the way a Catholic should live (living a healthy and working life, taking care of each other without expecting rewards).
3.4 - "Brushstrokes” by Maria Eugenia Echenique, and 3.5 “Women: Dedicated to Miss Maria Eugenia Echenique” by Judith (Josefina Pelliza de Sagast)
These two documents speak to the gradual but very present change in women's status in Latin America occurring. Echneique insists on changing the restrained lives of women and encouraging the independence of women. De Sagast, on the other hand, defends the status quo of women, bound to their husbands, following the path that God has given them.