Now, by going to war against Spain in the Pacific and the Caribbean, and by establishing what it thought of as a stepping-stone to the China market, the United States had abandoned its own splendid isolation and thrown itself into the worldwide struggle.

NPR: 'Folly of Empire' Offers Critique of U.S. Imperialism

This weakens one stepping-stone to economic success, as well as ensuring that the best and brightest Latinos will be lured away from the states where they have the best chance to advance in public life.

ECONOMIST: The keenest recruits to the dream