The project’s first name was ‘From There To Here,’ highlighting the fact that Hispanic immigrants came from other parts of the world and still chose to live in the United States and in Northwest Arkansas.
But it didn’t stick. I wanted something memorable—something that resonated in both Spanish and English.
Through further research, however, I discovered the Good Neighbors Policy and its significance.
The Good Neighbors Policy was a diplomatic plan initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) in 1933, with the mission to improve relations between the United States and the Latin American countries.
The history between both parties is a troubled one. There have been many interventions from the United States in several countries, like bringing U.S. military occupation in Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic to maintain political stability and protect the U.S.’s interests, the subtle interventions in Mexico during its Revolution, and especially the “Banana Wars” that brought many Central American and Caribbean countries to ruins.
The purpose of the Good Neighbor Policy was to prevent the U.S. from intervening further in such countries and to encourage trade agreements. It aimed to reduce tensions between the U.S. and the countries in Latin America.
This act sparked confusion among many Latin American countries, and they were rightfully skeptical of the decision. Still, they listened to the U.S.’s intentions and accepted the changes, hoping it would improve relations on the American continent moving forward.
And it did.
The results were evident: Latin American countries were finally given the breathing room to pursue their own political and economic agendas without feeling external pressure. This flexibility encouraged the development of necessary policies that helped address issues specific to each country’s needs.
And the trade agreements and cultural exchanges were exceptional. Many Latin Americans appreciated the idea of partnership instead of domination.
Countries in Latin America prospered under the new policy, and the Americas as a whole became more affluent, exemplifying how a continent can become great when cooperating rather than competing.
At least, that’s how it should’ve been. But that didn’t happen.
The Good Neighbor Policy ended after World War II, and the U.S. shifted its focus to the start of the Cold War, ending what may have been the U.S.’s last chance at saving grace.
Because right after the ending of the Good Neighbor Policy, many U.S. direct and indirect, as we would later discover, interventions occurred in Latin America that would become the tipping point for many Latin Americans to leave their home countries for a better life in the United States, including my family.
According to the various sources that Perplexity provided, these were some of the major conflicts:
- Guatemala (1954): CIA-backed coup overthrew President Jacobo Árbenz, ending democratic governance and beginning decades of civil conflict.
- Cuba (1961–1962): Bay of Pigs Invasion (failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro) and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
- Dominican Republic (1965): U.S. military intervention to prevent what it claimed was a communist takeover during a civil war.
- Chile (1973): The U.S. supported the military coup that ousted President Salvador Allende, leading to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
- Nicaragua (1980s): Funding and arming of Contra rebels against the Sandinista government, culminating in the Iran-Contra Affair.
- Grenada (1983): U.S. invasion to overthrow a Marxist government and restore a pro-Western regime.
- Panama (1989): Invasion to depose Manuel Noriega and reestablish U.S. influence in the Canal Zone.
- Ongoing: Economic sanctions, covert operations, and support for opposition groups in countries like Venezuela and Cuba throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries
What was once an opportunity to become good neighbors and create a culture of cooperation and understanding became a nightmare for many people in the Americas, forcing them to leave their homes and resulting in the issues that are happening in all of America, from the United States to Argentina. The legacy and dreams that these people left behind in pursuit of something they didn’t plan for.
That legacy of broken trust and unrealized promises lives on in the stories of those who left their homelands in search of something better. It’s those stories I now seek to share
So why am I bringing this up now? And what does it have to do with my project of sharing the stories of Hispanic immigrants in Northwest Arkansas?
Well, it’s the name of the policy: Good Neighbors. Since the introduction of this policy, the term was a deliberate choice by FDR to frame the relationship as one of respect and partnership; just like living in a neighborhood, we want to be on good terms with our neighbors, for their home is next to ours and we want to support and protect each other.
It was a good idea to brand the policy as something warm and welcoming.
But since the end of the policy, the term ‘neighbor’ to refer to the countries in the Americas drastically decline, and has rarely appeared in speeches or documents when promoting cooperation between the countries.
Many no longer see the American countries as neighbors.
Yet, this project could revive the usage of the term ‘neighbor.’
This project could create a culture of understanding and cooperation between the various cultures from the Americas in Northwest Arkansas.
This project could elevate what it means to be cultural neigbors and evoke a sense of community and responsibility. It could encourage collaboration and partnership rather than competition and dominance.
And if done properly, this project could reinvent the Good Neighbor Policy, making it stronger and more meaningful than before.
That was my thought process behind what the name could mean for this project and its branding
So, from henceforth, the project will be named the Neighbors Project.
I may have to add one or two extra words so that it sets itself apart from any other ongoing project that uses the name.
But it’s a start. A start that I’m proud to have taken.