ABSTRACT
In 1959, the Cuban Revolution brought the Cold War to the doorstep of the United States. As attention to Cuba and Latin America soared over the next few years, funds poured in to U.S. universities earmarked for subsidizing the study of the region in the university and the promotion of its cultural activity. This funding was made available out of the belief that greater knowledge of and respect for other countries, and vice versa, would increase mutual understanding and, ultimately, benefit national security. As Mark Berger, Howard Cline, Helen Delpar, and others have discussed, the revolution brought about both awareness of the need for an institutional umbrella for the study of Latin America and the Caribbean and the financial support that made such research possible. In 1966, after several failed attempts at coordinating the field, the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) was incorporated. As Howard Cline observes,
At some point in its future career, [LASA] might well erect a monument to Fidel Castro, a remote godfather. His actions in Cuba jarred complacency in official and university circles, dramatically revealing that all was not well in Latin America, and that something must be done about it. Revived national concern with Latin America again created a climate in which serious programs could begin and even flourish.
