Aviva Chomsky

Aviva Chomsky. An American historian, author, and activist, she is a professor of history and the coordinator of Latin American Studies at Salem State University. Her scholarship focuses on Latin American history, labor history, and immigration to the United States, often analyzing these issues through the lens of social justice and U.S. foreign policy. Chomsky is also a prominent public intellectual, known for her advocacy on behalf of immigrant rights and her critical perspectives on globalization and neoliberalism.

Early life and education

Born in Boston, she is the daughter of noted linguist and political dissident Noam Chomsky and linguist Carol Chomsky. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University before completing her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in history at the University of California, Berkeley. Her doctoral research, which formed the basis of her early scholarly work, examined the history of labor relations and United Fruit Company operations in the Caribbean region, particularly in Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Academic career

Chomsky began her teaching career at Bates College before joining the faculty of College of the Atlantic. She subsequently moved to Salem State University, where she has served as a professor in the History Department for many years and helped establish its Latin American Studies program. At Salem State University, she has taught courses on modern Latin America, the history of capitalism, and global migration. She has also been a visiting scholar or lecturer at numerous institutions, including the University of São Paulo and the University of Havana.

Research and scholarship

Her research critically examines the historical roots of contemporary social issues, particularly the interconnected histories of Latin America and the United States. A central theme is the impact of U.S. foreign policy and corporate power on labor movements and indigenous communities in regions like the Caribbean and Central America. In her later work, she has extensively analyzed the history and politics of immigration to the United States, arguing that policies are shaped by a legacy of racism and the economic demands of American corporations. Key scholarly works include *"West Indian Workers and the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica, 1870-1940"* and *"Linked Labor Histories: New England, Colombia, and the Making of a Global Working Class."*

Political activism and views

Chomsky is an active participant in social movements, particularly those focused on immigrant rights and Latin American solidarity. She has worked closely with organizations such as the American Friends Service Committee and local immigrant worker centers in Massachusetts. Her public intellectual work frequently critiques the War on Drugs, military interventions by the United States government, and the effects of free trade agreements like NAFTA on displacement and migration. She articulates a view that immigration policy is often a tool for managing labor supply and maintaining social hierarchies, connecting historical patterns in U.S.-Latin American relations to present-day debates.

Selected works

* *West Indian Workers and the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica, 1870-1940* (1996) * *"They Take Our Jobs!": And 20 Other Myths about Immigration* (2007) * *Linked Labor Histories: New England, Colombia, and the Making of a Global Working Class* (2008) * *A History of the Cuban Revolution* (2011) * *Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal* (2014) * *Central America’s Forgotten History: Revolution, Violence, and the Roots of Migration* (2021)

Category:1957 births Category:American historians Category:American activists Category:Latin American studies scholars Category:Salem State University faculty Category:Harvard University alumni Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni