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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.
Ateliê-Lavrado: A Wapichana Residency with the British Museum
From late May to early July 2023, Wapichana artist Gustavo Caboco and historian and teacher Roseane Cadete led a project-residency with the Santo Domingo Centre of Excellence for Latin American Research (SDCELAR) at the British Museum.
A Review of Right-Wing Populism in Latin America and Beyond
Scholars of populism in Latin America for much of the period of “the pink tide” in the region during the 2000s and early 2010s associated populism with governments of the left. Presidents such as Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Néstor and Cristina Kirchner (Argentina) and Rafael Correa (Ecuador) were prime examples of presidents who employed populist tactics and performances in their governing.
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.
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 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.
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 Exit Wounds: How America’s Guns Fuel Violence Across the Border
Of the millions of firearms produced in the United States annually, tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands are smuggled south to Mexico, Brown University professor Ieva Jusionyte writes in Exit Wounds: How America’s Guns Fuel Violence Across the Border. In the seven years she spent researching and writing the book, Jusionyte calculates that more than a million guns may have been trafficked into Mexico from the United States.
A Review of Alberto Edwards: Profeta de la dictadura en Chile by Rafael Sagredo Baeza
Chile is often cited as a country of strong democratic traditions and institutions. They can be broken, however, as shown by the notorious civil-military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). And yet, even a cursory view of the nation’s history shows persistent authoritarian tendencies.
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.
DRCLAS Podcast: Faculty Voices
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