Book SummaryEveryone Who Is Gone Is Here, by Jonathan Blitzer

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here

The impact of American policies on the movement trends throughout Central America.

This section of the narrative scrutinizes the pivotal measures implemented by the United States in Central America, which have markedly shaped the patterns of population movement. Blitzer emphasizes that the measures adopted in response to the perceived threat of communism during the Cold War era unintentionally shaped American foreign policy.

The lasting repercussions stemming from the initial meddling of the United States in the internal matters of Guatemala.

Blitzer takes us back to the period following the Second World War, highlighting the substantial influence wielded by a major corporation in Guatemala. He then explores the 1954 coup orchestrated by American intelligence, which not only deposed a democratically elected president but also paved the way for successive autocratic governments.

The involvement of the United Fruit Company in the coup that overthrew the government in 1954.

Jonathan Blitzer characterizes the pervasive influence of the United Fruit Company in Guatemala by likening it to an "Octopus," due to its far-reaching effects on the country's economic and infrastructural frameworks. The writer elaborates on the corporation's collaboration with American authorities to launch a smear campaign against President Jacobo Árbenz, driven by his policies on land redistribution that posed a risk to their vast property holdings. The corporation depicted Árbenz as a menace of communism, even though the Guatemalan communist party had minimal support. In 1954, the backing of Cold War principles by the United States government culminated in a CIA-backed coup, which led to the removal of Árbenz and the instatement of a military regime headed by Carlos Castillo Armas.

The US government's support for the coup in Guatemala led to disastrous consequences. The writer details the establishment of a regime, with CIA backing, which introduced a statute dubbed the "Law Against Communism," leading to the formulation of a roster designed to quash dissenting political ideologies. This legacy of state-sponsored violence and impunity would continue for decades, leaving lasting scars on Guatemalan society and contributing to a cycle of instability and displacement.

Context

• Workers on United Fruit plantations often faced harsh conditions, low wages, and little to no labor rights, which contributed to social unrest and economic disparity in the region.
• The smear campaign involved disseminating propaganda that exaggerated the communist influence in Guatemala, despite limited evidence of such a threat, to justify U.S. intervention.
• The depiction of Árbenz as a communist menace played into broader U.S. strategies in Latin America, where preventing the spread of communism was prioritized, often at the expense of democratic movements.
• President Jacobo Árbenz implemented agrarian reforms aimed at redistributing land to benefit the rural poor in Guatemala. These reforms threatened the interests of large landowners, including the United Fruit Company, a major American corporation with significant holdings in the country.
• Castillo Armas's government was characterized by increased militarization and repression, including the establishment of a secret police force that targeted political opponents and dissenters.
• The U.S. involvement in the coup damaged its reputation in Latin America, fostering distrust and resentment towards American foreign policy in the region.
• The "Law Against Communism" provided legal justification for these actions, often bypassing due process and undermining judicial independence.
• The instability and violence deterred foreign investment and economic development, exacerbating poverty and inequality in Guatemala.
• The legacy of violence contributed to deep social divisions and mistrust among different ethnic and political groups within the country.
• The military regimes that followed the coup were often characterized by severe human rights abuses, including torture, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings, which have left deep psychological and social scars.

During the Cold War era, progressive groups experienced significant repression.

Blitzer argues that the 1954 coup established a pattern of continuous U.S. engagement in Guatemala that lasted for many years. Throughout the period of the Cold War, the United States administration, driven by its own priorities, perceived any progressive movements within the region as a threat to its interests and invariably intervened to suppress them, regardless of their actual ties to communist ideology. The book describes the CIA's tactics to block former President Juan José Arévalo from returning to power and their involvement in a campaign during the 1960s known as Operation La Limpieza, designed to threaten students, union leaders, and those thought to have leftist leanings. The author notes that these aggressive tactics backfired, leading to the emergence of factions that resorted to armed resistance and exacerbated the cycle of strife.

The author emphasizes that the involvement of the United States in Guatemala was not limited to clandestine operations. The Guatemalan armed forces received significant assistance from the United States, encompassing training, armaments, and monetary support, along with the distinct allocation of napalm and planes previously used in the Vietnam War. The author links U.S. tactics to vigorous efforts that quelled rebellions, causing chaos in many Native American societies and compelling scores of individuals to abandon their hereditary homes. Blitzer argues that the persistent effects of unrest have driven Guatemalans to seek security and chances for a better life beyond their national borders.

Context

• The U.S. engagement in Guatemala was partly driven by economic interests, including protecting American investments and ensuring access to...

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here Summary The odyssey and tribulations encountered by individuals from Central America who pursue refuge and asylum on American territory.

In his book, Blitzer focuses on the personal narratives of individuals who have migrated from Central America and established their lives in the United States. He portrays the challenges, the determination, and the tactics used by four unique personalities while they adjust to an unfamiliar environment brimming with both prospects and challenges.

Juan Romagoza departed from El Salvador and took on the role of an advocate.

Jonathan Blitzer's narrative recounts the distressing journey of Juan Romagoza, a doctor hailing from El Salvador, who suffered captivity and torture by military forces. He narrates Romagoza's harrowing experiences, detailing his escape to Mexico and eventual establishment of a new life in the United States. The author highlights Romagoza's transformation from a tentative ally to a passionate advocate for Central American refugees, culminating in her crucial contribution of testimony in a landmark lawsuit targeting two high-ranking Salvadoran military figures.

Individuals suffered greatly and were imprisoned by the military forces of El Salvador.

The book recounts the harrowing experience of Juan Romagoza, who was abducted and endured torture at...

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here Summary The Evolution and Impacts of U.S. Immigration Regulations.

This section thoroughly examines the evolution of immigration policy in the United States from the Cold War era to the present day. Blitzer scrutinizes pivotal legislation and its profound impact on immigrant trajectories, which in turn has intensified and fueled political debates in the United States.

The Refugee Act of 1980 signified a major shift in the approach the United States took toward its refugee and asylum policies.

Blitzer scrutinizes the critical 1980 law that significantly altered the methods by which the United States managed its refugee and asylum seeker protocols. The author explores the historical context that led to the creation of the law, highlighting the influx of individuals from Southeast Asia seeking refuge and the imperative to reform and improve the existing systems for receiving those seeking to escape oppression. He also examines the law's ambiguity, emphasizing how different presidential administrations have manipulated certain provisions to limit the admission of those seeking asylum.

The creation of uniform asylum procedures has entailed specifying the qualifications for a distinct societal collective.

Blitzer describes the 1980...

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here Summary Conversations concerning the support for sanctuaries and matters related to migration.

This section explores the emergence of a faith-driven response to the refugee crisis in Central America during the 1980s, which subsequently became known as the Sanctuary Movement. Blitzer delves into the motivations propelling the proponents of change, examines the challenges they faced, and assesses the impact their endeavors had on shaping public discourse and influencing the creation of immigration laws.

The Sanctuary Movement emerged in response to the hardships faced by refugees hailing from the nations of Central America.

Jonathan Blitzer chronicles the rise of the Sanctuary Movement in the early 1980s, highlighting its roots in faith-based activism and its evolution into a significant response to the critical circumstances in Central America. The narrative details how a network of religious groups, spiritual leaders, and individuals across the country came together to challenge what they saw as the...