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Acknowledgments

In historical terms, this book examines a brief period: the roughly six-year government of Raúl Alfonsín following Argentina’s return to democracy in 1983. The making of this book took much longer, with many people and institutions to thank along the way. I am grateful to them all.

I first arrived in Buenos Aires in 2004, when the study of Argentina’s recent history had opened in new ways after the 2001 economic crisis and the mass popular protests that ensued. Among other outcomes, the uprisings forced a reassessment of the nation’s authoritarian past and its lingering effects on the democratic present. I had the privilege to witness these debates up close while working with the organization Memoria Abierta, an alliance of human rights groups dedicated to preserving the memory of the dictatorship that ruled from 1976 to 1983. My time at Memoria Abierta gave me a crash course in Argentine history. Through their labor and activism, the inspiring archivists, historians, and artists who worked there demonstrated how history and memory operate in daily life, along with the firm conviction that engaging the past can make change. This book began there, through the friendships and projects cultivated over the years.

As the ideas that inform this book took shape, I was fortunate to be mentored by a generous group of scholars and teachers. Katie Hite, Leslie Offutt, and Matilde Zimmermann first sparked my interest in Latin American history and politics at Vassar College. Their courses, scholarship, and one formative trip to Cuba convinced me to study history, while their guidance continues to light the way. The Department of History at New York University was an ideal academic home for many years, due above all to the unwavering encouragement of my advisers and their intellectual example. Greg Grandin supported this project from the beginning and at every turn helped make it better. He found elegant ways to distill and express complicated ideas and pushed me to understand Latin America’s tradition of social rights with greater clarity. I owe much more than I can express to his generosity, his incisive readings, and the instruction of his politically engaged scholarship. Some of my favorite moments in graduate school were spent in Sinclair Thomson’s seminars, where he modeled the rigor and creativity of the most gracious mentors. His enthusiasm for this project and the care of his always detailed and lucid comments mark this book. I was lucky to be at the beginning stages of fieldwork when Barbara Weinstein joined the Department of History. The depth of her intellectual engagement with Latin American history and the combination of her brilliance, steady counsel, and warmth have been invaluable ever since. In Buenos Aires, Elizabeth Jelin encouraged this project years ago when it was still a vague inkling. Her observations and criticisms sharpened my investigation into post-dictatorship Argentina and continually pushed me to go beyond facile conclusions and straw men. She generously opened her personal archives and helped see this project to completion. I also benefited enormously from the feedback of Ada Ferrer, whose seminars and scholarship left lasting impressions.

My peers in the history department made NYU a vibrant and fulfilling place to study. Many of the friendships made there continue to enrich my life. Thanks to Lina Britto, Joaquín Chávez, Anne Eller, Aldo Marchesi, Yuko Miki, Daniel Rodriguez, Federico Sor, Franny Sullivan, Christy Thornton, Josh Frens-String, and Ana María Quesada, among others. Martín Sivak generously set up interviews and contacts in Buenos Aires and offered useful comments on several chapters. Ernesto Semán dedicated countless hours to talking through the ideas for this book and helped shape the direction that it ultimately took. I will always be grateful for that time and his friendship. Michelle Chase and Carmen Soliz read and then re-read multiple versions of several chapters and improved many of the arguments. Lisa Ubelaker Andrade deserves special mention. Much of this book was first written, in dissertation form, side by side in multiple cafés throughout Buenos Aires. She has been a sounding board and confidant for this project and many more. I struggled with where to place her in these acknowledgments, since she has been a part of this book at practically every stage. Thanks, pal.

Navigating the archives in Argentina often presents challenges to researchers. This book would not be possible without the expertise of the dedicated archivists and staff at several research institutions, public archives, and libraries. I thank the archivists at the Archivo General de la Nación/Departamento Archivo Intermedio for leading me to the letters that are the subject of the fifth chapter. The Comisión Provincial por la Memoria in La Plata holds the records of the Dirección de Inteligencia de la Policía de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (DIPPBA). In addition to materials that have shed new light on the coordination of state terror and repression, the archive also contains invaluable repositories of the more mundane aspects of local and municipal history in the outskirts of Buenos Aires following the dictatorship. During the early stages of this project, Laura Lenci graciously explained how the archive functioned and helped me to process the original request for materials that inform the book. I also thank Magdalena Lanteri, among others, at the Comisión, who later facilitated a fruitful search for materials related to the 1989 hyperinflation and food riots. Fr. Armando Dessy granted me access to the archives of the Obispado de Quilmes and patiently answered my questions about the history of Quilmes and the diocese. The staff at the newspaper El Sol in Quilmes kept the office open a little later on several occasions. My friend Federico Lorenz facilitated contact with the Archivo Nacional de la Memoria. I thank the staff members there, who permitted me the time to examine files from the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (CONADEP) related to the PAN food program. Librarians at the Biblioteca y Archivo Histórico de la UCR and the Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani at the Universidad de Buenos Aires provided helpful assistance and access to campaign materials and oral testimonies. Sebastián Szkolnik’s research acumen was critical, especially for the processing of source materials for the fourth and final chapters. I also extend my thanks to photographers Daniel Rodriguez and Enrique Rosito, who granted me permission to include their photographs in the book.

In Buenos Aires, I spoke with dozens of individuals and former members of the Alfonsín administration, who shared their expertise and helped me navigate the political and social life of the 1980s. Among others, I would like to especially thank Aldo Neri, Leopoldo Moreau, and Jesús Rodríguez. Several individuals also opened up their archives and lent me personal materials for this study. Ricardo Mazzorín offered his insights into Argentine political economy and allowed me access to the records that form the basis for the fourth chapter. Catalina Vera took time during her busy schedule to locate rare manuals from her days working on the PAN food program. On several occasions, Patricia Aguirre made herself available to discuss Argentine social programs and food politics and aided in the location of PAN records and program participants.

Many friends and colleagues commented on and edited the book along the way. I always looked forward to conversations with Marian Schlotterbeck and Alison Bruey, who ensured that this book would see the light of day. Rania Sweis’s editorial skills improved the prose in many places. Isabella Cosse and Mercedes García Ferrari created a productive and friendly workshop space during an intense writing phase. Isabella in particular continues to provide inspiration and a model of creative historical thinking and intellectual generosity to emulate. The book’s arguments and structure benefited enormously from conversations over the years with Benjamin Bryce, Emilio Crenzel, Marina Franco, Laura Golbert, Mark Healey, Elizabeth Jelin, Gabriel Kessler, Federico Lorenz, Natalia Milanesio, Jimena Montaña, David Sheinin, and Brenda Werth. Talks and presentations at Bates College, Bowdoin College, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad de San Andrés, and Universidad Torcuato di Tella also helped refine many arguments.

The Bates College Department of History and Department of Politics provided a welcoming setting of generous colleagues, including Lydia Barnett, Paul Eason, Karen Melvin, Caroline Shaw, and Clarisa Pérez-Armendáriz. They read and offered feedback at many crucial moments. I had the good fortune to complete this book as a member of the Department of History and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program at Fairfield University. I extend thanks to my fantastic colleagues, who create a stimulating academic environment in which to share and sharpen projects. As the book progressed, I benefited as a fellow in the Humanities Institute Seminar, which facilitated additional writing time, workshops, and fruitful research collaborations with students, who reminded me of the value of readable histories. Gwen Alfonso, Rachelle Brunn-Bevel, Jocelyn Boryczka, Lydia Willsky-Ciollo, Liz Hohl, Maggie Labinski, Alexa Mullady, Silvia Marsans-Sakly, Sunil Purushotham, and Giovanni Ruffini read, discussed, edited, and made time for welcome happy hours and camaraderie. Michelle Farrell has been a stalwart colleague, intrepid travel companion, and gracious writing buddy. Our “office hours” on the Metro North kept this project on track and made it richer through her friendship.

I would also like to thank the institutions and financial support that made the research and writing of this book possible. Grants and fellowships from New York University, the Tinker Foundation, the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, and the Mellon Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies supported fieldwork and writing during the dissertation phase. Faculty summer research grants from Bates College, Fairfield University, and the National Endowment for the Humanities facilitated additional research trips to Buenos Aires. The final stage of writing was supported by an NEH fellowship, which provided time away from classroom and administrative duties. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this book do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. At the University of California Press, Kate Marshall and Enrique Ochoa-Kaup provide the most supportive environment for their authors. I am ever grateful to Kate for her keen eye and ongoing enthusiasm for this project. Benjamin Bryce, Eduardo Elena, Jessica Stites Mor, and one anonymous reviewer read the manuscript for UC Press. Their observations made this a better book. All errors, of course, are my own.

Many more friends and family provided sustenance, housing, work spaces, and comfort over the years. Dave Giles, Rachel Lears, Anne Lebleu, and Tom Pyun have seen this book from start to finish. They have been there through all of the ups and downs in between, reminding me with their love and their lifelong friendships of the rich world beyond this project. To them, thank you. The affection and friendship of Jane Brodie, Wendy Gosselin, and Maxine Swann have been a beacon for over a decade now and one of the many felicitous results of this book. Members of the club de cultura para todos—Sergio Adrada Rafael, Álvaro Baquero-Pecino, Michelle Farrell, Geoff Shullenberger, Leonard Nalencz, and Charlotte Whittle—transformed New York into an inviting place to rediscover. In Buenos Aires, Maria Laura Guembe first welcomed me to the city, opening her house to multiple red suitcases. Maria Alejandra Pavicich has been a source of solace and steady humor through it all. Walter Altman, Alan Cibils, Martha Farmelo, Graciela Karababikian, Federico Lorenz, and Lisa Ubelaker Andrade always make Buenos Aires feel like home. I thank my husband Julián’s family, especially Teresa Azcárate and Irene Troksberg, who shared their memories of 1980s Argentina. They created a warm space in their family for me and now provide infinite love for their grandson. My sister Kadi, brother-in-law Matt, and nieces Ava and Lucy made this journey fun and meaningful. It has been a thrill to see them grow with this book. My parents Jim and Nancy taught me the power of history and then encouraged me to study it. Their support and motivation have been steadfast, their love boundless. They too deserve credit for seeing this project through, for showing an interest—sometimes unwittingly—in the Alfonsín years, and for providing a home to always return to.

My biggest gratitude is due to Julián Troksberg, for whom a few phrases at the end of these acknowledgments cannot suffice. Our life is interwoven with this book. From Buenos Aires, to Portland, Maine, to New York City, he endured more alfonsinismo and the Radical Party than he ever thought possible with enthusiasm, love, and patience. If this book exists, it is because of his reflections and insight, generously shared in the midst of his own creative work, which in turn helped improve mine. My greatest joy has been to build our future together. We welcomed our son Elio as this book was in its final stages. His arrival brought us much happiness and inspiration for new projects to come. This book is for them, and for all of the adventures that await us.