US Foreign Rel & Mod Lat Amer

This course is about relationships, exchanges, and tensions among the people and nations of the Americas from the mid 19th century to the present. The most powerful foreign influence (political and otherwise) in Latin America has consistently been the US, often with quite negative consequences. In the 21st century relations between the US and Latin America have changed dramatically. China has replaced the US as the most important trading partner for several countries, particularly Brazil, the largest economy of Latin America. In addition, the US is experiencing a demographic transformation with an increasing number of immigrants from Latin America making up the populations of just about every state. The history of the US and Latin American is increasingly a shared history. In this course we will look at interconnections, comparisons, and the common links between Latin America and the US in what is now a history of both foreign and domestic relations.