On Sunday, March 23, 2025, we hosted a screening and teach-in of Harvest of Empire at La Celia Building, focusing on the historical and political roots of Latin American migration to the United States. The event featured clips from the film Harvest of Empire and explored the history of Puerto Rico, Mexico, and El Salvador, emphasizing how U.S. intervention has driven migration from these regions. Watch Harvest of Empire for free here.
Puerto Rico
We learned of Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. colony (euphemistically called a “territory”) and the aftermath of several natural disasters, most recently Hurricane Maria (2017), all of which have led to mass migration due to economic collapse and privatization of essential services. Invited speaker Dr. Jesse Mumm highlighted that U.S. exploitation of the island began long before the US invasion of PR in 1898. He discussed how U.S. economic policies displaced subsistence farming, reduced Puerto Ricans to a source of cheap labor, and ultimately facilitated emigration.
Mexico
Our exploration of Mexico detailed how the Mexican Revolution and U.S. labor demands during WWI fueled early migration, but the foundation of exploitative labor continues. The Bracero Program (1942) formalized this dependency, but deportation programs such as Operation Wetback (1954) demonstrated that Mexican labor was only valued when convenient for U.S. economic interests. Invited speaker Dr. Joe Tafoya explored why Chicago became a hub for Mexican migration, emphasizing its ties to industrial labor and chain migration. He highlighted how coloniality and U.S. imperialism unite Latinx communities but also warned that internal divisions based on status and arrival dates weaken collective advocacy, encouraging the most established Latine immigrant communities to aid in the charge to keep immigrant communities united.
El Salvador
We learned of U.S. intervention during El Salvador’s civil war, where the U.S. funded and trained right-wing forces responsible for the violent repression of civilians. We watched how this militarization displaced thousands, forcing many to flee to the U.S. Despite El Salvador’s small size, Salvadorans now form the third-largest Latine group in the U.S.
Conclusion
This event provided a powerful exploration of the long-term consequences of U.S. intervention in Latin America and underscored the importance of understanding history to advocate for immigrant communities today. Together, we bore witness to how the U.S. has actively created the conditions from which our immigrant neighbors escape their home countries. As we confront this legacy, we must remain conscious of how U.S. imperialism shapes migration patterns and perpetuates inequality. Our work does not end with awareness—we are called to transform this knowledge into action, building tools for solidarity, dismantling divisions within our communities, and forging pathways to fight for all of our neighbors.
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