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Erased: The Untold Story of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal's untold history—from the Panamanian point of view. Sleuth and scholar Marixa Lasso recounts how the canal’s American builders displaced 40,000 residents and erased entire towns in the guise of bringing modernity to the tropics.The Panama Canal set a new course for the modern development of Central America. Cutting a convenient path from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, it hastened the currents of trade and migration that were already reshaping the Western hemisphere. Yet the waterway was built at considerable cost to a way of life that had characterized the region for centuries. In Erased, Marixa Lasso recovers the history of the Panamanian cities and towns that once formed the backbone of the republic.Drawing on vast and previously untapped archival sources and personal recollections, Lasso describes the canal’s displacement of peasants, homeowners, and shop owners, and chronicles the destruction of a centuries-old commercial culture and environment. On completion of the canal, the United States engineered a tropical idyll to replace the lost cities and towns—a space miraculously cleansed of poverty, unemployment, and people—which served as a convenient backdrop to the manicured suburbs built exclusively for Americans. By restoring the sounds, sights, and stories of a world wiped clean by U.S. commerce and political ambition, Lasso compellingly pushes back against a triumphalist narrative that erases the contribution of Latin America to its own history.
343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 31, 2020
Tengo que admitir que me costó mucho leer este libro. No porque estuviera en inglés o estuviera aburrido, sino por un tema de impotencia y rabia al recordar en cada línea como fuimos utilizados y subordinados por los estadounidenses.
Sí, esto es periódico de ayer, pero tengo que decir que la autora/ historiadora proporciona información desconocida para la mayoría de la población panameña.
Como descendiente de west indians y de afro coloniales, es imposible no sentir impotencia por la forma en la que estas personas fueron sacados de sus tierras, fueron vendidos al mundo como personas no civilizadas, sin cultura; para así los estadounidenses mostrar su poderío de cambio (no bastaba con el Canal de Panamá)
Todo a punta excusas racistas y excusas imperialistas. Mientras que a principios del siglo XX ellos se mostraban al mundo europeo como la potencia fuerte y heroica, nos destrozaban a los países tropicales, tratándonos de salvajes.
Ojalá traduzcan este libro en español, y que estas historias “borradas” no sean solo conocidas por personas panameñas privilegiadas. Es parte de nuestra historia, que TODOS deberíamos conocer.
Gracias Marixa Lasso por contar la historia no contada de los pueblos eliminados y la verdadera visión sobre lo que fue La Zona del Canal.
Sí, esto es periódico de ayer, pero tengo que decir que la autora/ historiadora proporciona información desconocida para la mayoría de la población panameña.
Como descendiente de west indians y de afro coloniales, es imposible no sentir impotencia por la forma en la que estas personas fueron sacados de sus tierras, fueron vendidos al mundo como personas no civilizadas, sin cultura; para así los estadounidenses mostrar su poderío de cambio (no bastaba con el Canal de Panamá)
Todo a punta excusas racistas y excusas imperialistas. Mientras que a principios del siglo XX ellos se mostraban al mundo europeo como la potencia fuerte y heroica, nos destrozaban a los países tropicales, tratándonos de salvajes.
Ojalá traduzcan este libro en español, y que estas historias “borradas” no sean solo conocidas por personas panameñas privilegiadas. Es parte de nuestra historia, que TODOS deberíamos conocer.
Gracias Marixa Lasso por contar la historia no contada de los pueblos eliminados y la verdadera visión sobre lo que fue La Zona del Canal.
February 3, 2022
"To understand the depopulation of the Zone, it is important to remember the symbolic importance of the Panama Canal at the turn of the twentieth century, as well as US ideas about Latin America, particularly tropical Latin America."
Reading parts of Erased for the school made me want to come back and read the entire book which I did! Erased discusses the creation of the American Canal Zone area by its Panamanian depopulation. Marixa Lasso attempts to reconstruct Panamanian life in the Canal area throughout the book, as well as general feelings on leaving the Canal Zone. To explain how the creation of the American Canal Zone came about Marixa Lasso shows how American Imperialism first had to deconstruct the idea of Panama being modern. Lasso splits up the text into Port Towns, Creation of the Canal Zone, Creation of Canal Zone Towns, depopularization of the Panamanians in the Zone, Different stages of the Canal Zone after is depopularization.
Marina Lasso does a great job of laying out and proving her point to the reader. Lasso says the depopulation of the Panama Canal Area has severed “Panama’s historical connection the isthmian route and any attempt to challenge the idea that the canal was built over a barely habited jungle requires reconstructing the lives of these lost towns.” By losing the narrative of black Panamanians as modern, it is much easier to connect them to the idea of the helpless jungle native. A trope that shows up time and time again in history. The American viewpoint on these subjects as it relates to Panama and the Panamanians come back into time and time again in the narrative. Coming from a western education, seeing American imperialism on full display continues to open my eyes.
I didn’t realize how important Panama was to the international economy, and more importantly the American economy. The Panama railroad played a part in moving miners to California during the Gold Rush, by connecting passage from one ocean to another. I wonder if that was one part of the reason why America decided to take over the canal project, besides wanting to prove themselves to be a world leader. The idea of American superiority leads Americans to believe in others’ inferiority. Lasso shows everything the Panamanians did, was clothed in the naive native narrative by the United States to justify doing what they pleased in Panama.
This quote from chapter two sums up the whole book, “assessments that characterized Zone agriculture as primitive or non-existence erased the connections between Panamanian peasants and their nineteenth-century history and technology in the same way that ideas about black tropical people had erased the membership of black Panamanian citizens in the political history of the nineteenth century…If the deep historical connections between Zone inhabitants and their region had been acknowledged, the decision to depopulate would have been much harder to justify.”
Reading parts of Erased for the school made me want to come back and read the entire book which I did! Erased discusses the creation of the American Canal Zone area by its Panamanian depopulation. Marixa Lasso attempts to reconstruct Panamanian life in the Canal area throughout the book, as well as general feelings on leaving the Canal Zone. To explain how the creation of the American Canal Zone came about Marixa Lasso shows how American Imperialism first had to deconstruct the idea of Panama being modern. Lasso splits up the text into Port Towns, Creation of the Canal Zone, Creation of Canal Zone Towns, depopularization of the Panamanians in the Zone, Different stages of the Canal Zone after is depopularization.
Marina Lasso does a great job of laying out and proving her point to the reader. Lasso says the depopulation of the Panama Canal Area has severed “Panama’s historical connection the isthmian route and any attempt to challenge the idea that the canal was built over a barely habited jungle requires reconstructing the lives of these lost towns.” By losing the narrative of black Panamanians as modern, it is much easier to connect them to the idea of the helpless jungle native. A trope that shows up time and time again in history. The American viewpoint on these subjects as it relates to Panama and the Panamanians come back into time and time again in the narrative. Coming from a western education, seeing American imperialism on full display continues to open my eyes.
I didn’t realize how important Panama was to the international economy, and more importantly the American economy. The Panama railroad played a part in moving miners to California during the Gold Rush, by connecting passage from one ocean to another. I wonder if that was one part of the reason why America decided to take over the canal project, besides wanting to prove themselves to be a world leader. The idea of American superiority leads Americans to believe in others’ inferiority. Lasso shows everything the Panamanians did, was clothed in the naive native narrative by the United States to justify doing what they pleased in Panama.
This quote from chapter two sums up the whole book, “assessments that characterized Zone agriculture as primitive or non-existence erased the connections between Panamanian peasants and their nineteenth-century history and technology in the same way that ideas about black tropical people had erased the membership of black Panamanian citizens in the political history of the nineteenth century…If the deep historical connections between Zone inhabitants and their region had been acknowledged, the decision to depopulate would have been much harder to justify.”
March 8, 2021
Beautifully written. Incredible work done by the author who definetly knows how to interest the reader while telling an almost forgotten story of the towns and people who were affected as a “byproduct” of the construction of the Panama Canal. As a Panamenian, who wasn't aware of any of this, I truly appreciate the tremendous amount of research she did to write this book.
June 21, 2024
Almost done. Great research and storytelling
October 27, 2020
I have read several books about the Panama Canal. Erased certainly stands out as the only account of Canal Zone towns and their inhabitants. Marixa Lasso, a Panamanian herself, set out to understand what life was like in those towns before the US arrived, showing that Panamanians were part of global trade networks, growing industry, and 19th and 20th century political change. In some respects, particularly on issues of race, Panama was a more progressive and cosmopolitan place than the United States.
Lasso convincingly argues that in order for the US to justify its imperialistic takeover of the Canal Zone, it had to have a "civilizing mission" - so the native Panamanians and immigrant workers who had founded towns, businesses, and institutions in the Zone had to become backward and uncivilized peoples. Panamanian farmers grew and managed diverse crops and raised animals, but US researchers thought of their practices as backward and unproductive. Many black men held prominent political and social positions, and black women ran successful small businesses, yet US observers saw the role of blacks as proof of the backwardness of these towns. Lasso shows how alongside building the canal, the US sought to control towns, leading to the forced removal of thousands of people away from the canal zone in order to build "American towns." For US reformers, this move was also necessary to save the backward Panamanians and immigrants from disease, poor sanitation, and bad behavior.
By uncovering how town residents fought back against their displacement and how they did their best to rebuild in new sites. In doing so, Lasso puts these Panamanians and immigrants back where they belong: as the protagonists of the history of Panama, of the canal, and of early 20th century global networks. While this book is very specific to the time and place she writes about, Lasso has created an important framework for how to research and write about obscured histories.
This book is certainly valuable beyond the real of academia. It's a fascinating and beautifully written narrative. I can see using it in the undergraduate classes I teach, but would also recommend it to anyone interested in Latin American and US history.
Lasso convincingly argues that in order for the US to justify its imperialistic takeover of the Canal Zone, it had to have a "civilizing mission" - so the native Panamanians and immigrant workers who had founded towns, businesses, and institutions in the Zone had to become backward and uncivilized peoples. Panamanian farmers grew and managed diverse crops and raised animals, but US researchers thought of their practices as backward and unproductive. Many black men held prominent political and social positions, and black women ran successful small businesses, yet US observers saw the role of blacks as proof of the backwardness of these towns. Lasso shows how alongside building the canal, the US sought to control towns, leading to the forced removal of thousands of people away from the canal zone in order to build "American towns." For US reformers, this move was also necessary to save the backward Panamanians and immigrants from disease, poor sanitation, and bad behavior.
By uncovering how town residents fought back against their displacement and how they did their best to rebuild in new sites. In doing so, Lasso puts these Panamanians and immigrants back where they belong: as the protagonists of the history of Panama, of the canal, and of early 20th century global networks. While this book is very specific to the time and place she writes about, Lasso has created an important framework for how to research and write about obscured histories.
This book is certainly valuable beyond the real of academia. It's a fascinating and beautifully written narrative. I can see using it in the undergraduate classes I teach, but would also recommend it to anyone interested in Latin American and US history.
April 19, 2022
The author is upfront about her attitude, the harm done to the indigenous and immigrant populations around the Panama Canal. The book is full of excruciating detail about the correspondence and legal traces of the process of depopulating the Canal Zone. That lends credence to her overall argument, as does her continuing point that the racist decisions and attitudes were not unanimous among the American canal planners (I suppose overlords would be a proper term, though the author does not use that word). I chose this book because I am preparing for a trip to Panama soon; this makes me more interested in exploring the canal area. But the overall conclusions are sadly obvious and self-evident: white superiority attitudes about the indolent local vari-colored population (West Indies as well as local Panamanians) crudely wiped out several towns in the name of U.S. progress. Let's remember that the President at the time, Woodrow Wilson, was notably and execrably racist, so that attitude came from the top. Panama canal fans should read this book -- otherwise, it's a good choice for a reading list for a college history course.
March 30, 2019
In this beautifully written book Marixa Lasso shows us a very different Panama Canal Zone than the one we thought we knew. As I said in my comments on the back cover of the book, "Erased is the most splendid of ghost stories. Tracing the hidden history of the depopulated 'lost towns' of the Canal Zone, Marixa Lasso reveals a traumatic transformation of the landscape as important in its impact as the construction of the Panama Canal. The result is a powerful and dramatic tale of lost histories that illuminates our understanding of Panama and its relationship to the U.S."
June 5, 2019
A very colorful and painful book. Although one might contemplate to know much about Panama, even being a Panamanian myself, there are many realities that were not brought to my attention until the reading of this book.
I have read several historical books about Panama including ¨The Path Between Two Seas¨ by David McCullough and none have been more insightful of the different cultural and economic shocks that have occurred because of the Canal´s construction and not because of the ¨Gatun´s flooding¨ but because of other political, cultural and economic endeavors. A very good read
I have read several historical books about Panama including ¨The Path Between Two Seas¨ by David McCullough and none have been more insightful of the different cultural and economic shocks that have occurred because of the Canal´s construction and not because of the ¨Gatun´s flooding¨ but because of other political, cultural and economic endeavors. A very good read
June 23, 2021
A great review of an otherwise unknown history of the Panamanians that lived in the so-called Panama Canal Zone before and during the Panama Canal Construction. As a Panamanian myself I recognize the effect of decisions made by the Canal Administration felt until the present day. A lot to learn and unlearn while reading this book and it remains very connected to the current revision of colonialism worldwide.
April 16, 2025
This book uncovers a portion of history that we seldom think of, and more specifically to the early years of US occupation and construction of the Panama Canal. Unlike many books on the matter, the focus is less where most of the scholarship is at (the "marvels of man") and more on the people, the towns, the culture, and the history that was erased. I learned so much and have so many more questions about Panama and another critical chapter of US policy towards the Americas.
I learned so much from this book and was reminded that there is still so much to learn and uncover. So many things I had been thinking about for years were answered in this book and so much heartbreak and rage over stories and lives already lived. Decisions already made that reverberate so strongly to the present day.
I have a lot of personal interest in this as a Panamanian-American, but I think everyone should read this book. I think for those of us especially interested in how interconnected all of our struggles are, this history so beautifully arranged by Lasso adds another important story to know about and to learn from.
I learned so much from this book and was reminded that there is still so much to learn and uncover. So many things I had been thinking about for years were answered in this book and so much heartbreak and rage over stories and lives already lived. Decisions already made that reverberate so strongly to the present day.
I have a lot of personal interest in this as a Panamanian-American, but I think everyone should read this book. I think for those of us especially interested in how interconnected all of our struggles are, this history so beautifully arranged by Lasso adds another important story to know about and to learn from.
August 6, 2022
Erased has many parallels to how the US handled the Covid-19 crisis. A lack of respect for individuals by he media and US government who feel some animals are more equal than others and who feel technocrats and "ease" of duping or controlling others is vital to avoid details and complexities of each person's history and life.
The writer's stories and shaping of a full narrative is robust in parts and yet I would have preferred a deeper history pre-1903 regarding the French's failings and more detail from the American perspective on the design and route decisions. Clearly the decisions were made on behalf of The US first and trying to ignore Panamanians.
I appreciate the authors critical eye of each aspect of the conquest as well as contrasting her findings with those simplistic narratives that had preceded hers.
Goethals and Bill Gates have a few things in common, and the sad part is that our civilization only seems to be going downhill as the elite find new ways to destroy the sanctity of life and individual stories.
The writer's stories and shaping of a full narrative is robust in parts and yet I would have preferred a deeper history pre-1903 regarding the French's failings and more detail from the American perspective on the design and route decisions. Clearly the decisions were made on behalf of The US first and trying to ignore Panamanians.
I appreciate the authors critical eye of each aspect of the conquest as well as contrasting her findings with those simplistic narratives that had preceded hers.
Goethals and Bill Gates have a few things in common, and the sad part is that our civilization only seems to be going downhill as the elite find new ways to destroy the sanctity of life and individual stories.
February 8, 2024
¿Qué decir de este libro?
Tuve la posibilidad de viajar a Panamá hace poco y me maravillé, como todos de la grandeza del canal, pero me cuestionó mucho la cantidad de lugares "americanos" o mejor, terrenos estadounidenses ubicados allí y sus diferencias con lo autóctono. Este libro me dejó claro la forma como Estados Unidos utilizó a todos: Colombia, Panamá, Francia, las Antillas en su afán de perpetuarse como el líder mundial político y económico que hemos conocido.
Es impactante leer como en aras del progreso, se borran pueblos, se eliminan casas y se abandonan vidas; Mientras leía intentaba encontrar vestigios de lo allí narrado en los mapas o imágenes en internet, pero NO HAY NADA; Se logró el cometido de generar una "civilización" en medio del "trópico que como narra la autora, siempre ha sido visto como atraso para aquellos países desarrollados que no han podido entender, que hemos sido eslabones importantes en la construcción de sus propias sociedades.
Tremendo libro, triste la historia perdida en Panamá. Maravilloso una autora que luche por su recordación.
Tuve la posibilidad de viajar a Panamá hace poco y me maravillé, como todos de la grandeza del canal, pero me cuestionó mucho la cantidad de lugares "americanos" o mejor, terrenos estadounidenses ubicados allí y sus diferencias con lo autóctono. Este libro me dejó claro la forma como Estados Unidos utilizó a todos: Colombia, Panamá, Francia, las Antillas en su afán de perpetuarse como el líder mundial político y económico que hemos conocido.
Es impactante leer como en aras del progreso, se borran pueblos, se eliminan casas y se abandonan vidas; Mientras leía intentaba encontrar vestigios de lo allí narrado en los mapas o imágenes en internet, pero NO HAY NADA; Se logró el cometido de generar una "civilización" en medio del "trópico que como narra la autora, siempre ha sido visto como atraso para aquellos países desarrollados que no han podido entender, que hemos sido eslabones importantes en la construcción de sus propias sociedades.
Tremendo libro, triste la historia perdida en Panamá. Maravilloso una autora que luche por su recordación.
February 16, 2025
A fascinating book about how the United States displaced the native towns across the Canal Zone to build the Panama Canal and “control” the tropics. Lasso does an in-depth research about a piece of the Panamanian past that was erased, but that we ought to know to fully understand the repercussions of the installation of a colonial enclave in already developed (and densely populated) Panama and Colón. This book recalls the enormous historical significance of Panama as a transit zone, even before the Canal.
October 31, 2022
I would only recommend this book to someone with significant background knowledge of the Panama canal's construction. The book is very purposefully challenging an existing narrative of how the canal was constructed, and will frequently reference obscure Panamanian historical events with the expectation that the reader is already aware of them. If you start this book without much knowledge of the canal, it feels like you're missing a lot.
November 13, 2021
Para mí, debe describirse este libro en dos vertientes: como la narrativa puede tapar procesos históricos que no te convienen reconocer, y la facilidad con la que el mundo «occidental» ha sido reducido a sólo un puñado de países.
Llegué a sentir un grado de impotencia muy grande a medida que se narraba todo el proceso que llevó a la decisión de la expulsión definitiva.
Llegué a sentir un grado de impotencia muy grande a medida que se narraba todo el proceso que llevó a la decisión de la expulsión definitiva.
September 21, 2022
This is a well documented, and expertly written recount of how the US stole the land from the Panamanians to develop the Panama Canal. The information given should be droll but Marixa's writing kept me engaged, captivated, and on the edge of anger at my own country for their back handed deals and greed.
May 3, 2020
Excelente! La autora me sembrado interesantes ideas. Como Taft eliminó historia bajo un pretexto de inundación, Eusebio A Morales y Belisario Porras fueron geniales estadistas diagramando un pais, y grandes vacíos en Tratado Hay - Buenau Varilla. Superb!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2020
Excellent book about that part of the Panama Canal History that is for sure forgotten. Proffesor Marixa takes a deep look into old maps, ads, registry by the ICC and a lot more for resourse to glue together all the information that is avaible and made this really good book!
November 20, 2021
Lectura obligatoria para todos los panameños. Excelente relato de las antiguas comunidades alrededor de la construcción del canal, sus historias perdidas y cómo influyeron en lo que es hoy Panamá y Colón.
June 17, 2023
Un libro fascinante sobre la geografía humana de la región interoceánica que no sólo ofrece una perspectiva diferente sino también ayuda a entender con mayor detenimiento las particularidades sociopolíticas y culturales del Panamá del siglo XX.
Imprescindible para entender el Panamá republicano.
Imprescindible para entender el Panamá republicano.
October 7, 2024
Nunca imaginé el impacto tan profundo que la construcción del Canal de Panamá tuvo en las comunidades locales. Este libro me abrió los ojos a una historia silenciada: la de los de panameños que fueron desplazados de sus hogares para dar paso a la construcción del canal.
Considero que este libro debería ser lectura obligatoria en las escuelas.
Si estás interesado en conocer un aspecto poco explorado de la historia de Panamá, te recomiendo ampliamente este libro. Es una obra que te hará reflexionar sobre el costo humano del progreso y la importancia de preservar la memoria histórica.
Considero que este libro debería ser lectura obligatoria en las escuelas.
Si estás interesado en conocer un aspecto poco explorado de la historia de Panamá, te recomiendo ampliamente este libro. Es una obra que te hará reflexionar sobre el costo humano del progreso y la importancia de preservar la memoria histórica.
January 10, 2020
One of those great history books, where new information gleaned from new sources is combined with real conceptual innovation.
March 6, 2021
A new and beautifully-written chapter in Latin American history.
An important reading that goes in-depth to prove that Panamanians are and have always been more than just the Canal.
An important reading that goes in-depth to prove that Panamanians are and have always been more than just the Canal.
October 29, 2021
Marixa perfectly brought academia (scientific literature) into a book for everyone to feel related to and this is only possible if you are a scientist and an artist. Kudos for such a master piece.
January 2, 2022
Highly recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the impact of the canal construction on the communities who lived alongside the old trans-isthmus routes.
January 29, 2022
Highly recommended if you like non fiction. All Panamanians should read it. It is captivating.
December 7, 2022
Required reading for every Panamanian.
February 27, 2023
Start with this, then read Path Between the Seas.
April 25, 2023
brilliant work on a lesser known but very important aspect of the panama canal construction
February 26, 2024
Toda moneda tiene dos caras. En este libro, la autora da luz de todo lo que implicó la construcción del canal desde el punto de vista de los panameños.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews