Latins against Anglo-Saxons: Spanish cultural magazines as a channel for transatlantic debates about race (1898–1914)

Abstract

In the late nineteenth century European intellectual circles participated in a debate on the possible confrontation between two so-called civilisations, represented respectively by Latin and Anglo-Saxon nations. The controversy moved to Latin America, where discussions showed certain peculiarities. Given the position occupied by Spanish intellectuals as links between Europe and the Western Hemisphere, this article seeks to emphasise how some prestigious Spanish publications dealt with the debate on race from 1898 to 1914. While the collaboration of foreign personalities and the publication of book reviews fostered the knowledge of this issue in Spain, one of the most important initiatives were the sections entitled ‘Review of Reviews’, which began to collect articles from other countries.

The author takes as his object of study an important intellectual debate that transcended national borders and generated numerous reactions in both Europe and Latin America. This research demonstrates how the analysis of the Spanish press sheds light on the establishment of a circuit of opinions among foreign intellectuals. It not only allows to include Spain within a shared awareness network comprising European and Latin American nations, but also examines its special features within the transatlantic scenario.