New Books in Public Policy

Elena Jackson Albarran, "Good Neighbor Empires: Children and Cultural Capital in the Americas" (Brill, 2024)

Jun 26, 2025
Elena Jackson Albarran, a professor of history and Latin American studies, dives deep into the role of children in shaping cultural capital across the Americas. She discusses how child artists and refugees influenced hemispheric politics during the Good Neighbor era. Exploring themes of nationalism, she highlights the narratives surrounding Spanish children in Mexico and their impact on identity formation. The conversation also touches on children as empowered agents within diplomatic and cultural projects, challenging notions of innocence imposed by society.
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INSIGHT

Infantilization Shapes Latin America View

  • Infantilization frames Latin America as a lesser, immature region needing guidance.
  • Understanding childhood concepts helps explain these imperialistic justifications.
ANECDOTE

Spanish Children as Diplomatic Symbol

  • Mexico hosted 455 Spanish Civil War refugee children framed as orphans needing protection.
  • This reversed colonial roles, presenting Mexico as a caring parent replacing Spain's authority.
ANECDOTE

Children's Political Savvy in Mexico

  • Spanish refugee children directly wrote to President Cárdenas asking for improvements in their conditions.
  • They understood and leveraged their special political status in Mexico to their advantage.
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