Central America's Forgotten History by Aviva Chomsky Summary

Central America's Forgotten History explores the roots of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras by connecting centuries of colonial exploitation, US interventions, and neoliberal policies to modern crises. Chomsky traces displacement from the Spanish conquest to 1980s US-backed wars and 1990s peace accords that enabled corporate exploitation. The book emphasizes how erasing this history allows systemic inequalities to persist.

This book is essential for readers interested in Latin American history, US foreign policy, immigration, and social justice. Scholars, activists, and policymakers will gain insights into how historical patterns of violence and economic extraction directly inform today’s migration challenges. It’s also critical for those seeking to understand systemic inequities beyond superficial narratives.

Yes—Chomsky’s rigorously researched work restores suppressed histories of revolution and resistance, offering a vital corrective to mainstream narratives. Reviews praise its ability to link past US interventions to current immigration debates, making it indispensable for contextualizing Central America’s humanitarian crises.

Chomsky argues migration stems from US Cold War-era militarization, support for authoritarian regimes, and post-1990s neoliberal reforms that prioritized corporate interests over livelihoods. Forced displacement via land grabs (e.g., cotton/beef booms) and dismantled social services left communities impoverished, directly fueling refugee flows.

The US funded military regimes, trained death squads, and backed economic policies that enriched corporations while destabilizing nations. Examples include overthrowing Guatemala’s government in 1954, supporting Nicaragua’s Contra rebels, and promoting extractive industries that displaced small farmers.

Yes—Chomsky begins with Spanish colonization’s destruction of indigenous societies and highlights ongoing resistance to land dispossession. She ties these struggles to modern movements for sovereignty against transnational corporations and US-backed dictatorships.

• Export-driven agriculture: Cotton/beef booms evicted peasants, creating landless laborers.
• Neoliberal reforms: Post-war privatizations cut social spending and prioritized foreign investment.
• Resource extraction: Mining and logging displaced communities while enriching elites.

The 1990s peace accords traded militarization for economic “shock therapy,” slashing public services and enabling foreign ownership. This exacerbated poverty, corruption, and gang violence—key drivers of migration today.

Chomsky advocates for historical accountability, reparations, and rejecting policies that prioritize profit over people. She stresses solidarity with grassroots movements fighting for equitable resource distribution and sovereignty.

While her earlier books focus on labor and immigration, this ties US imperialism directly to Central America’s trauma. It expands on themes from Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal by exposing systemic roots of displacement.

It dismantles myths that Central America’s poverty is self-inflicted, showing how US policies created conditions refugees flee. Recognizing this complicity is crucial for ethical asylum policies and addressing migration’s root causes.

Some historians note its focus on US culpability may downplay local actors’ roles. However, the book’s strength lies in centering marginalized voices and exposing systemic erasure of colonial violence.