Harvest of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America

The recent reemergence of immigration as a pressing matter in U.S. politics—particularly regarding Hispanics—makes Harvest of Empire an especially timely documentary. Based on the same-titled book by Juan González, this film by Peter Getzels and Eduardo López opens with cable news footage illustrating the volatility of the issue, before offering thumbnail historical sketches of seven places—Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. The overarching theme—enunciated by González in observations periodically inserted into the flow of archival footage, interview excerpts, and graphics—is that interventionist U.S. policies since the 1950s, often in support of private business interests but frequently stemming from ideological motives, were instrumental in emigration from those territories to the United States, which then used the outflow as a “safety valve” to alleviate local resistance to oppressive pro-U.S. regimes. A further point, especially relevant to Mexico, is that America has historically turned to its southern neighbor as a source of needed manpower, only to take a much less welcoming stance during times of economic hardship. Harvest of Empire ends by returning to the U.S.-Mexican border, where an activist group commemorates those who lost their lives crossing illegally. Although it will be difficult in the present political climate to persuade some hardliners to consider a more balanced view, Getzels and López's intelligent film should broaden the discussion. DVD extras include expanded interviews and a poetry reading by Puerto Rican lawyer Martin Espada. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)