Yankee No!: Anti-Americanism in U.S.Latin American Relations

About this book

In 1958 angry Venezuelans attacked Vice President Richard Nixon in Caracas opening a turbulent decade in Latin AmericanU.S. relations. In Yankee No! Alan McPherson sheds much-needed light on the controversial and pressing problem of anti-U.S. sentiment in the world. Examining the roots of anti-Americanism in Latin America McPherson focuses on three major crises: the Cuban Revolution the 1964 Panama riots and U.S. intervention in the Dominican Republic. Deftly combining cultural and political analysis he demonstrates the shifting and complex nature of anti-Americanism in each country and the lovehate ambivalence of most Latin Americans toward the United States. When rising panic over Yankee hating led Washington to try to contain foreign hostility the government displayed a surprisingly coherent and consistent response maintaining an ideological self-confidence that has outlasted a Latin American diplomacy torn between resentment and admiration of the United States. However McPherson warns U.S. leaders run a great risk if they continue to ignore the deeper causes of anti-Americanism. Written with dramatic flair Yankee No! is a timely compelling and carefully researched contribution to international history.