Strangers on Familiar Soil: Rediscovering the Chile-California Connection

In careful and well-organized prose, Melillo (Eco-Cultural Networks in the British Empire), an associate professor of history and environmental studies at Amherst College, argues that mining technologies and farming techniques from Chile helped alter California, especially during the Gold Rush, and in turn the state affected much of the way commercial farming took place in Chile, which is now “covered with artificially irrigated vineyards, trim orchards, and modern packing plants.” The first half of Melillo’s discussion deals with Chile’s influences on California; the second half looks at the flip side. Both prove fascinating, with Melillo highlighting the regions’ geographical similarities. Referencing a wide array of sources, Melillo recounts the voyages of thousands of Chileans to San Francisco beginning in 1848, drawn to the prospect of gold. Decades later, California vintners would affect the work of Chilean winemakers, even forming partnerships and joint ventures. Subsequent improvements in soil process and trade agreements also helped Chile grow agriculturally. These days, Chile dominates global produce markets during the northern hemisphere’s winter season. By paying attention to Chile and California’s mirror-image geographies as well as their long-term environmental and social connections, Melillo effectively recontextualizes the development patterns of the Americas. [em](Nov.) [/em]