Pan-Americanism

State Department looked to commission a Spanish version of the national anthem, per the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who looked to strengthen political and business partnerships with Latin American countries amid World War II. His cultural efforts aligned with his 1933 Good Neighbor Policy, a Pan-Americanism objective that he implemented at the start of his first term to distance the U.S. from earlier decades of armed intervention.

“It’s not the insecurity of identity, but a reflection of identity. The reflection of this kaleidoscopic effect of Latin America. When people talked about pan-Americanism, people think of this idea of unity, but it’s a cacophony. It is still a cacophony.”

Within a decade, Franklin Roosevelt would become one of Pan-Americanism’s greatest champions, and his posture toward the highway is a reminder of how freely ideas and cash flowed during the New Deal.

The coming decision “marks a coming of age for South Florida — not only the politics, but the culture, the Pan-Americanism, the melting pot of sorts,” said Armando Ibarra, another member of the Miami Young Republicans.

And back to Pan-Americanism: Sept. 18-20, Wynton Marsalis collaborates with the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes and the percussionist Pedrito Martinez.