Marriage Of Convenience: Rockefeller International Health And Revolutionary Mexico (rochester Studies In Medical History)
by Anne-Emanuelle Birn /
2006 / English / PDF
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In January 1921, after a decade of bloody warfare, Mexico's new
government found an unlikely partner in its struggle to fulfill the
Revolution's promises to the populace. An ambitious philanthropy,
born of the wealth of America's most notorious capitalist, made its
way into Mexico by offering money and expertise to counter a
looming public health crisis. Why did the Rockefeller Foundation
and Revolutionary Mexico get together, and how did their
relationship last for 30-plus years amidst binational tensions,
domestic turmoil, and institutional soul-searching? Transcending
standard hagiographic accounts as well as simplistic arguments of
cultural imperialism, Marriage of Convenience offers a nuanced
analysis of the interaction between the foundation's International
Health Division and the Departamento de Salubridad Pública as they
jointly promoted public health through campaigns against yellow
fever and hookworm disease, organized cooperative rural health
units, and educated public health professionals in North American
universities and Mexican training stations. Drawing from a wealth
of archival sources in both Mexico and the United States, Birn
uncovers the complex give-and-take of this early experience of
international health cooperation. Birn's historical insights have
continuing relevance for the rapidly evolving world of global
health today. Anne-Emanuelle Birn is Canada Research Chair in
International Health at the University of Toronto.
In January 1921, after a decade of bloody warfare, Mexico's new
government found an unlikely partner in its struggle to fulfill the
Revolution's promises to the populace. An ambitious philanthropy,
born of the wealth of America's most notorious capitalist, made its
way into Mexico by offering money and expertise to counter a
looming public health crisis. Why did the Rockefeller Foundation
and Revolutionary Mexico get together, and how did their
relationship last for 30-plus years amidst binational tensions,
domestic turmoil, and institutional soul-searching? Transcending
standard hagiographic accounts as well as simplistic arguments of
cultural imperialism, Marriage of Convenience offers a nuanced
analysis of the interaction between the foundation's International
Health Division and the Departamento de Salubridad Pública as they
jointly promoted public health through campaigns against yellow
fever and hookworm disease, organized cooperative rural health
units, and educated public health professionals in North American
universities and Mexican training stations. Drawing from a wealth
of archival sources in both Mexico and the United States, Birn
uncovers the complex give-and-take of this early experience of
international health cooperation. Birn's historical insights have
continuing relevance for the rapidly evolving world of global
health today. Anne-Emanuelle Birn is Canada Research Chair in
International Health at the University of Toronto.