Cultural cleavages in Central America

The case of Afro-Americans and the national state in Costa Rica

verfasst von: W. Gabbert
Abstract: As the violent conflict between the Sandinista government of Nicaragua and the ethnic minorities of the Atlantic coast in the 1980s has shown, the problem of national integration in the Central American countries is especially great with regard to their Atlantic regions. This article discusses the development of the Atlantic Costa Rican province of Limon, its history and ethnic makeup, which differ markedly from the rest of the country, and the often problematic relationship between the partly Afro-American regional population and the central government. For several decades the region was an economic enclave of the United Fruit Company. Since the withdrawal of the U.S. firm, the central government has attempted to integrate Limon into the national society, but severe social problems persist. Economic development policies have not sufficiently taken account of the needs and special cultural traditions of the local population.
Externe Organisation(en): Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin)
Typ: Artikel
Journal: Asien Afrika Lateinamerika
Band: 27
Seiten: 159-178
Anzahl der Seiten: 20
ISSN: 0323-3790
Publikationsdatum: 1999
Publikationsstatus: Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Geografie, Planung und Entwicklung, Entwicklung
Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung: SDG 8 – Anständige Arbeitsbedingungen und wirtschaftliches Wachstum, SDG 16 – Frieden, Gerechtigkeit und starke Institutionen

BibTeX

@article{cad7546aeb964321b26a0bae006189a1,
title = "Cultural cleavages in Central America: The case of Afro-Americans and the national state in Costa Rica",
abstract = "As the violent conflict between the Sandinista government of Nicaragua and the ethnic minorities of the Atlantic coast in the 1980s has shown, the problem of national integration in the Central American countries is especially great with regard to their Atlantic regions. This article discusses the development of the Atlantic Costa Rican province of Limon, its history and ethnic makeup, which differ markedly from the rest of the country, and the often problematic relationship between the partly Afro-American regional population and the central government. For several decades the region was an economic enclave of the United Fruit Company. Since the withdrawal of the U.S. firm, the central government has attempted to integrate Limon into the national society, but severe social problems persist. Economic development policies have not sufficiently taken account of the needs and special cultural traditions of the local population.",
keywords = "Afro-Americans, Central America, Costa Rica, Discrimination, National integration",
author = "W. Gabbert",
year = "1999",
language = "English",
volume = "27",
pages = "159--178",
journal = "Asien Afrika Lateinamerika",
issn = "0323-3790",
publisher = "Carfax Publishing Ltd.",
number = "2",
}