Description:

Pedro Iacobelli (Universidad de los Andes)

This presentation explores Latin American views of the growing Japanese presence in the region in the 1930s. It discusses the cultural aspects behind the Latin American approach to Japan (and the “Far East”). Then, it examines debates in Argentina and Chile over Japan’s relevance as an example of modernization for these two countries. Also included is an analysis of the groups in each country that promoted further contact and exchange with Japan. It argues that the prominence of the Japanese in Latin America resulted from the acceptance of and growing interest in the Japanese modernization experience, as expressed by right-wing politicians and businessmen in Chile and Argentina. In other words, within some filo-fascist circles in the Americas, Japan’s interest in world affairs was not only welcome but also represented an alternative path to follow, particularly among those wearied by U.S.-led Pan-Americanism.