Midterm 2 RAFA

Thesis:

Learning the history of the Latinx Caribbean diaspora challenges the dominant U.S. narrative of the Spanish-American War by highlighting the enduring struggles caused by U.S. intervention. This essay will show how Latinx politics in the U.S. are shaped by colonialism, racial ideologies, exile politics, and transnational activism, revealing the continued influence of U.S. imperialism on these communities.

Hook:

The U.S. intervention of Spanish colonial rule has been depicted in U.S. history as a positive and heroic action from Americans towards territories that were once under Spanish rule. The U.S. portrayed themselves as heroes who were helping free Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam from Spanish oppression.

Roadmap:

This paper will disprove the notion of the United States being a global power whose sole purpose during and after the Spanish colonialism was to help the Caribbean countries prosper and steer towards a more free and democratic state by using the example of the U.S. intervention in the Dominican Republic in 1916 and 1965, the impacts of the Platt Amendment and embargo on the island of Cuba, and it's complicated relationship with the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

Example 1: Operation Power Pack (Dominican Republic)

• Operation Power Pack- U.S. sent 40,000 troops to DR to intervene under the pretext of preventing the island from falling into communist rule and become ¨ another Cuba.¨

• Installed a government that favored and was influenced by it´s political views.

• Presented as a mission to RESTORE DEMOCRACY but it also served as a way for the U.S. to solidify American control over the island

• Operation also established deep economic ties between the DR and U.S., making the D.R. very dependent on the U.S. and made the U.S. the DR´s greatest trading partner.

Example 2A: Platt Amendment (Cuba)

• Historical Context: Cuba became independent after the Spanish American War but U.S. troops negated leaving the island unless Cuba agreed to add the Platt Amendment to their Constitution, so Cuba forcibly agreed.

• Platt Amendment- Restricted Cuba´s ability to make treaties with other countries, allowed the U.S. to intervene in Cuban affairs, and required Cuba to sell or lease their land for military use.

• Elaboration: Amendment shows how the U.S. used legal and economic power to control newly independent Cuba, highlighting a side of U.S. influence that restricted the self-determination of it´s Latinx Caribbean neighbors

Example 2B: Embargo (Cuba)

• Established in 1960s

• Embargo- Forbade U.S. companies to export to Cuba, expect for food and medicine.

• Codified in 1966: Barred foreign countries that traded with Cuba, from trading with the U.S.

• Still in place today

• Elaboration: Highlights how U.S. foreign policy has been used as a tool of coercion, not just diplomacy

Example 3: Foraker and Jones Act (PR)

Historical Context: Spain ceded PR to the U.S. under Treaty of Paris.

Foraker Act (1900)- Established Puerto Rico as an official U.S. territory

Jones Act (1917)- Imposed U.S. governance by granting Puerto Ricans ¨ U.S. citizenship¨

Elaboration: A façade that makes it seem as though the U.S. is acting benevolently by granting rights to Puerto Ricans, when in reality, they are denied full rights.

Week 9 Lecture: Boricuas, although U.S. citizens, lack full citizen rights, such as voting. Puerto Ricans that live on the island are not allowed to vote in U.S. elections, only the ones living in the U.S. can.

Elaboration: Exposes the contradiction of the U.S. promoting democracy abroad while maintaining colonial rule over Puerto Rico

Example 3B: Operation Bootstrap

• Operation Bootstrap- Operation in which the U.S. performed changes to Puerto Rico´s economy to convert it from an agrarian economy to an industrialized one.

• Result: U.S. argues that it modernized and benefited Puerto Rico´s economy but in actuality it caused low wages, high unemployment rates, mass migration, and PR highly economically dependent on the U.S.

• Mention Puerto Rican Young Lords

Individual 1: Bad Bunny

• Advocates for Puerto Rican Sovereignty and highlights issues that Puerto Ricans faced and still continue to face in his music. He also uses his social media platform to bring awareness to these issues.

• Songs:

  • El Aragon- critiques U.S. colonialism by highlighting the economic struggles, displacement, and inadequate government response to disasters like Hurricane Maria.

  • Lo Que Le Paso A Hawaii- A song that talks about the fear of Puerto Rico to fall down the same path as Hawaii- become an annexed state

• Music Videos: La Mudanza and Debi Tirar Mas Fotos:

  • Visually represent the transformation of Puerto Rico due to U.S. influence and domination.

• Short Video of Debi Tirar Mas Fotos:

  • The hidden message behind the video is that Puerto Rico is no longer the Puerto Rico that it was before. It is losing its culture because of American imperialism and Americans taking over the island. The video highlights the realities of colonialism, especially In the scenes where the old man is struggling with modernization. These scenes symbolize how U.S. imperialism continues to reshape and erase PR identity.

Individual 2: Puerto Rican Young Lords

• Documented and exposed the struggles of Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. and living on the island in the 1960s-70s by publishing pamphlets, newspapers, and manifestos

  • Operation Bootstrap being one of the things they tried to shine light on

• Challenged mainstream narratives that framed U.S. intervention in PR as a benevolent act by highlighting the ongoing issues effects of colonialism, displacement, and systemic oppression faced by Puerto Ricans both on the island and in the mainland.

Conclusion:

• Cases of the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Puerto Rico reveal a legacy of U.S. intervention that prioritized imperial interests over true freedom.

• Thanks to individuals like Bad Bunny, who are bringing more attention to these issues today, we are beginning to challenge the long-standing narrative about U.S. power and diplomacy, gaining a deeper understanding of its full historical impact beyond the U.S. perspective.