A profound analysis of American society penned by Cuban revolutionary José Martí in 1894 continues to resonate with striking relevance in contemporary discourse. Originally published in the newspaper Patria on March 23, 1894, Martí’s examination challenges conventional perceptions of the United States while offering nuanced insights that transcend temporal boundaries.
Martí presents a sophisticated critique that rejects both demonization and idealization of American society. He argues against racial essentialism, asserting that human variations stem from environmental and historical conditions rather than inherent racial differences. The revolutionary thinker emphasizes that both Saxon and Latin peoples demonstrate equal capacity for virtue and vice, with historical context shaping their distinctive characteristics.
The essay dismantles the myth of a homogeneous United States, describing instead a nation of profound contradictions—from the “barbaric and virile” rising nation of Dakota to the “privileged, entrenched, sensual, unjust” eastern cities. Martí observes how regional and cultural differences have intensified rather than diminished through forced political union, creating what he characterizes as “a harsh state of violent conquest” rather than organic unity.
Martí advocates for clear-eyed assessment of American society, warning against both uncritical admiration and reflexive condemnation. He cautions Spanish American nations against adopting foreign models without adaptation to local conditions, comparing ideas to trees that “must come from deep roots and be of kindred soil in order to take root and prosper.”
The revolutionary intellectual identifies various attitudes toward the United States prevalent in his time—from excessive admiration born of impatience for progress to disdain for native culture masked as sophistication. He argues that understanding America’s true nature, with both its virtues and flaws, is essential for the development of Spanish American nations.
Martí concludes by announcing Patria’s new permanent section, “Notes on the United States,” which will present translated material from American newspapers to demonstrate the nation’s “crude, unequal, and decadent character” alongside the persistence of the same social problems for which Spanish American nations were often criticized.