The Pan American Child Congresses, 1916 to 1942

Pan Americanism, Child Reform, and the Welfare State in Latin America

Bibliographic Data

ID6080163
AuthorsDonna J Guy (0000-0002-7232-1423, corresponding author)
Year1998
Volume23
Issue3
Pages272-291
Publication date1998-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Family History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0363-1990 • E-ISSN: 1552-5473
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/036319909802300304
OpenAlexW1994213194
LanguageEN
Citations received38

The Pan American Child Congresses provided a catalyst for child-focused welfare policies in Latin America. Originally organized by Argentine feminists in 1916, the congresses soon attracted many physicians and legal specialists concerned with topics such as infant mortality, child abandonment, and juvenile delinquency. Although feminists insisted more than their male counterparts that Latin American governments solve all the problems of children, both groups agreed in principle on many issues. Furthermore, women's views became evident when Latin American male physicians met with their U.S. counterparts at a 1927 eugenics conference in Cuba and refused to endorse highly racist and authoritarian measures. Instead, they worked through the child congresses and with women from the U.S. Chil dren's Bureau. This led to protective legislation for children as well as a hemi spheric Children's Code in 1948, indicating a shift in focus from the obligations of the state to the rights of children

Abandonment (legal) · Economic growth · Economics · Eugenics · Latin Americans · Legislation · Political science · Politics · Sociology · State (computer science) · Welfare · Welfare state · Latin American and Latino Studies · Law

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