Harvest of Empire Film Analysis

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Harvest of Empire Film Analysis
Answer 1
The entanglement between America and Puerto Rico is complex, marked by colonialism, exploitation, and the struggle for self-determination. The US took possession of the island in 1898, considering the Spanish-American skirmishes, and since then, Puerto Rico has been in the vicinity of the USA. This means that Puerto Ricans are US citizens but do not have full rights and representation in the US government. After World War II, many Puerto Ricans came to the US mainland for economic opportunities and a better life (Youtube). This migration was furthered by the US government, which perceived Puerto Ricans as a medium of the easily available workforce for industrial sectors, including agriculture and production. In the film, some illustrations manifest Puerto Rican workers hired by American companies to work in industries in urban areas like New York and Chicago. However, these jobs often paid low wages and had poor working conditions, leading to poverty and hardship for many Puerto Rican migrants. Despite these challenges, Puerto Rican communities in the US have thrived, creating vibrant cultural and political movements that have challenged the colonial status quo and fought for greater rights and representation. Today, Puerto Ricans continue to face struggles for self-determination as they fight for the right to decide their political status and determine their future.
Answer 2
According to Robert White, former US Ambassador to El Salvador, 1954 considers the moment where US foreign policy towards Latin America “went wrong” because that was the year of the CIA-backed coup in Guatemala that overthrew the democratically elected president Jacobo Arbenz. White argues that this intervention set a dangerous precedent for US involvement in the region, leading to a series of other interventions and coups that destabilized Central America and led to human rights abuses and political violence. After 1954, the US became increasingly involved in the politics of Central America, often supporting authoritarian regimes that were friendly to US interests, even if they were repressive towards their people (Youtube). One example mentioned in the film is the US support for the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua, which lasted from 1936 to 1979. The Somoza family was notorious for its corruption and human rights abuses, but the US continued to support the regime because it was seen as a bulwark against communism. Another example is the US aid for the army regimes in El Salvador and Guatemala during the 1980s, which led to brutal civil wars and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
Answer 3
The Mexican-American War occurred between 1846 and 1848, strangled between the United States and Mexico. The primary reason for the battle was the disagreement between the two nations over the border between Texas and Mexico. The United States believed the march was the Rio Grande, while Mexico insisted the border was the Nueces River. The United States also wanted to expand its territory westward, known as Manifest Destiny (Youtube). The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo inscribed in 1848. Under the treaty, Mexico freed California, Nevada, Utah, and sections of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma to the United States. The United States paid Mexico $15 million and agreed to receive $3.25 million in debts furthered by Mexico to US citizens.
Answer 3 (a)
The United States only kept the northern part of Mexico because the southern part was too difficult to govern and lacked valuable resources. The Bracero program was a visitor labor plan started by the US government in 1942. The program brought Mexican workers to the United States to work on farms and railroads. The Braceros were Mexican men who were contracted to work in the United States for a certain period (Youtube). The program was created to handle the dearth of workers during World War II and was sustained until 1964. The Bracero program is an important moment when revolving around labor needs in the United States because it highlights the dependence of the US economy on migrant labor. The program also significantly impacted Mexican society, as many Braceros left their families behind to work in the United States. The program has been criticized for its poor treatment of workers and for contributing to the exploitation of migrant labor.
Answer 4
America has played a pertinent role in Cuban matters since the 1930s. In the 1950s, the US supported the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who was known for his human rights abuses. American companies, such as United Fruit, also had significant interests in Cuba, particularly in the sugar industry. The United States imposed a trade blockade on Cuba after the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power, which further strained the entanglement between the two countries. In 1961, America sponsored a failed invasion of Cuba known as the Bay of Pigs (Youtube). This event further escalated tensions between the US and Cuba, and cemented the Cuban government’s anti-American stance. This relationship has shaped the migration of Cubans to America. In the revolution’s early years, many Cubans who opposed the Castro regime fled to the United States, particularly to Miami. The US government provided political asylum to thes...