Arts/Review

Honduras: The Making of a Banana Republic. By Alison Acker. Between the Lines Publications, 1988. Available at People’s Co-op Bookstore.

Cultural imperialism is a many-faceted thing that sinks so deep into the conscious- ness of people that it becomes not only hard to counter but even to categorize. Ignorance feeds upon stereotypes, and even people in the progressive movement often find them- selves adopting simplistic views of the underdeveloped world with the best of intentions.

Like the capitalist powers-that-be, pro- gressives find themselves often imposing their own ideas of what the nature and the policies of the people’s movements in the underdeveloped and super-exploited coun- tries should be — whether it’s in Nicara- gua, southern Africa or Asia.

. The key thing for progressives who wish to offer support to movements for social justice in the underdeveloped world is to build a basis of knowledge, since compara- tively few of us ever have the chance to travel to these countries. Also, we should try to shrug off a lifetime of misinformation that has been programmed into us.

Honduras is one such country that has been victimized by ignorance and stereo- typing — an atypical “banana republic.” For people wishing to expand their knowl-

Exposing the ‘Hondorica’ myth

edge of the social and political history of this troubled nation, solidarity activist Alison Acker has written the perfect primer.

In his famous book How To Read Donald Duck, Chilean journalist and author Ariel Dorfman explored the essence of cultural imperialism and its connection with the Walt Disney cartoon characters that we were brought up with. It is from this perspective that Acker begins her examina- tion of Honduras’ history and our attitudes towards it.

“In Walt Disney comic books there is featured an exotic land called Hondorica, a favourite adventureland of Donald Duck. Hondorica lies east of San Banmador, north of Inca Blinca and not far from Bru- toland. It is a comic paradise, where sham- bling peasants welcome Donald and his three cute nephews and gladly hand over all the treasures they have never learned to appreciate ...

“In his adventures Donald Duck has handed out bars of soap to unwashed Hon- _ doricans. He has saved them from the “‘mis- take” of revolution, accepting bananas and gold bullion in return. He has taught kings how to govern and their subjects how to obey. A child of the North American city, Donald is wiser than the most experienced Hondorican. He also has recourse to adult authority, in the person of Scrooge McDuck, his canny, capitalist uncle. In all

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of this he has, presumably, delighted mil- lions of readers in the Third World, as well as in North America.”

Acker goes on in considerable detail to expose the forms in which comedy and commercialism have distorted our percep- tions of Honduras and have become an integral part of the control exercised by transnational corporations in that country and in the rest of Latin America.

Acker provides an historical overview of Honduras — from the Spanish conquest and the independence movement against Spanish control, through brief periods of liberal reform to North American and European intervention and the setting up of the “banana republics.”

Most important, Acker documents the history and extent of opposition in Honduras — the fight for agrarian reform, and the peasant and worker movements against outside monoliths like the United Fruit Company.

The image of a placated country in which the U.S. is able to conduct war games and set up contra bases at will is assaulted. But Acker does not romanticize the possible successes of the progressive movement, and reveals the tremendous obstacles they face. What she makes apparent is that subser- vience to U.S. interests has not brought prosperity or an increased voice for the sup- posedly independent Honduran govern-

U.S. cakiuastarae cinidurinechaaeae

ment. Instead, it has brought the country further economic disparity and the unenvi- able role of “silent partner” for Reagan- Bush policies in Central America.

In 139 pages Acker has used her extensive knowledge of Central American politics to create a concise and very readable book — one that belongs on the shelf of any progressive Canadian wishing to further his/her knowledge of a country, its people, and the obstacles that lie ahead in achieving peace and social justice in the

region. — Paul Ogresko

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Pacific Tribune, February 13, 1989 « 7