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Is Costa Rica Different?
Read the Spring/Summer 2024 issue
Recent Articles
Platanos and Polychronic Time: How Puerto Rico Transformed My Clock
Growing up in New York, the boiling and frying and smashing and refrying of platanos was a tradition that tied me to my family and to Puerto Rico, an island I had seldom visited, but I knew was home.
Reticulárea With a Bullfighter in the Background
His torso is nude, and he’s wrapped in his cape, posing with the grace of a matador, before the gaze of the photographer. They come from very different worlds and nevertheless manage to be accomplices in regards to the camera.
A Review of Labor Power and Strategy
Intended as a “back pocket reference and discussion tool” to help a new generation of labor organizers run smart, strategic, effective campaigns, Labor Power and Strategy revolves around an interview with John Womack, the Harvard historian best known for his pathbreaking book, Zapata and the Mexican Revolution (1968). The interview, conducted by the book’s editors, long-time labor organizers Peter Olney and Glenn Perušek, is a provocative read for union members, labor-friendly scholars and fellow travelers on the left.
From Our Current Issue
Youth Unemployment Crisis in Costa Rica: A Call to Action
As a Costa Rican student at Harvard, I discovered an alarming situation back home when I returned to my country for winter break: youth unemployment.
Yes, Costa Rica is Different: A Successful Experience at Risk
Everyone knows her as “Doña Nena.” At 75 years old, she has been a leader for half a century in the community of Luzón, in Matina—one of the poorest counties in Costa Rica—on the Caribbean coast, 84 miles northeast of the capital: San José.
Voices of the Caribbean: Afro-Costa Ricans Move Towards Empowerment and Equality
Dawn begins to appear on the coast of Cocles in the Costa Rican Caribbean and the first rays of the sun reflect on the sea. With an invitation from the Brown Hudson family, local residents who are proud Afro-Caribbeans, I am on my way to a journey of discovery and connection
Spotlight
Perspectives in Times of Change
Check out these reflections on social, economic, cultural and political transformations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Latinx communities in the United States.
A Playground for International Spies: A Look at Mexico
Throughout contemporary history, Mexico has been a key global player because of its natural resources, economic weight, relative sway in international organizations, geography and, most important, its proximity to the United States.
Climate Crisis in the South of Brazil: A Foretold Catastrophe Amidst State Dismantling
The recent climate catastrophe in Porto Alegre and Rio Grande do Sul is a grim reminder of the urgent need to address the systemic dismantling of public structures. The neoliberal policies, fiscal austerity and the subsequent weakening of the state’s capacity have exacerbated the impact of extreme weather events, culminating in the devastating consequences of the floods of May 2024.
Natural Resource Extractivism: Deepening Poverty in La Guajira
It’s easy to be blinded by the unique, physical beauty of La Guajira, a department (like a state) in northeast Colombia. The stark rocky cliffs at Cabo de la Vela rise above ocher-colored beaches, against a backdrop of stunning aquamarines.
StudEnt Views
A Shift in Paradigm: Harvard’s Trailblazing Course in the Brazilian Amazon
Former Harvard President Claudine Gay had all it would take to be a tremendous leader of the institution. Her vision, bold humility and intellectual vibrancy were deeply appreciated by the community of university affiliates, as shown by the mobilization of more than 700 Harvard faculty in support of her presidency.
Eyes Closed, Eyes Open: The Puerto Rico Winter Institute
¡Ojos cerrados! On my fifth day in Puerto Rico as part of the 2024 Harvard Puerto Rico Winter Institute (HPRWI), my peers and I went to a workshop at a small but mighty theater collective called Agua, Sol y Sereno.
Fibers of the Past: Museums and Textiles
Every place has a unique landscape.
Book ReviewS
A Review of Llamas beyond the Andes: Untold Histories of Camelids in the Modern World
Marcia Stephenson’s Llamas beyond the Andes is about humans making use of another animal. With a dustjacket image of Llinda Llee Llama riding in the back of an automobile in mid-20th-century Times Square, this book illustrates how sentient nature has been engulfed by human cultural objectives since Columbus’ arrival in the Americas and the rise of Europe’s global imperial ventures. The window on all this is American camelids: llamas, alpacas and their wild relations, guanacos and vicuñas.
A Review of Born in Blood and Fire
The fourth edition of Born in Blood and Fire is a concise yet comprehensive account of the intriguing history of Latin America and will be followed this year by a fifth edition.
A Review of El populismo en América Latina. La pieza que falta para comprender un fenómeno global
In 1946, during a campaign event in Argentina, then-candidate for president Juan Domingo Perón formulated a slogan, “Braden or Perón,” with which he could effectively discredit his opponents and position himself as a defender of national dignity against a foreign power.
DRCLAS Podcast: Faculty Voices
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