Area of Specialization

Ronald Harpelle has an M.A. from the University of Manitoba and a PhD from the University of Toronto. His primary research interest is in the social history of the West Indian Diaspora to Central America. Between 1850 and 1950 approximately 400,000 people of West Indian descent passed through Central America. Several thousands remained in the region where they sought to integrate with the Hispanic majority. In Panama and Costa Rica they form the largest visible minority group, while in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua their numbers are significant in regions along the Atlantic Coast. In each country people of African descent have struggled to overcome racial discrimination and xenophobia. Although there have been many different struggles, the most significant has been the fight for acknowledgment of the contributions made by people of West Indian descent to the history of the region. His research traces the struggles for recognition and acceptance of these people during the first half of the twentieth century.

He is the author of a book on West Indians in Costa Rica and has also published several articles on related topics. In addition, he has published numerous book reviews and is a past member of the editorial collective for Canadian Dimension Magazine. At present he is working on two film projects, a documentary film about bananas and on the completion of a film shot in 1930. He has also designed an electronic guide to the West Indian Diaspora and is working on a printed version.