What reason(s) do Panamanian women have for relationships with US men?

This is a literarly analysis essay on the book Borderland on the Isthmus by Michael E. Donoghue. Below are the assingment
instructions that were given.

Question:
In Borderland on the Isthmus, Michael Donoghue argues that in the Panama Canal Zone “race, national identity, and gender” and, I would add, class, intersected throughout the 20th century (246) Discuss at least two of the bolded words. IOW, how do they intersect? Note that these categories not only affect/structure relationships between U.S. citizens and Panamanians, but also within Panamanian society. You may integrate material from th course as a whole but most of your writing/analysis must be on the book.
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This is one of those works that if read carefully (not to be confused with obsessively) and without distractions flows in an understandable manner.
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In the history of 20th-century Latin America, the Panama Canal/Canal Zone has possessed a great emblematic significance. The canal runs through the territory of a tiny republic dependent from birth on the patronage of the United States, and for 75 years its operation was under exclusive U.S. control. Throughout the 20th-century the canal has been a symbol of Washington’s power to dominate the weaker states of the hemisphere.
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This book is about encounters, positive and negative, of various communities in a very odd place: a location in one country but controlled by another. There are the citizens of Panama, those of the United States, immigrants from the Caribbean and China, and points in between. Within and between those communities are interactions marked by gender, race, social class, and citizenship.
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If I might be so bold, this really is a good read (but please, do not refer to it as a novel in your essay; it isn’t that). As such, what follows serves more as a general guide to the chapters; a way to telegraph some of the main points of each chapter–however, it does not cover every single topic discussed.
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Skip Intro
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Chapter One
Two major topics:
(a) quick intro to Panama and US role in country’s history.
–in keeping with a theme introduced in class and reading, the U.S. would become the dominant player in the Hemisphere, and Panama serves as a fascinating case study of this phenomenon. On the other hand, though the US was the dominant power, it was not the sole power; there was pushback from Panamanians who had their own agenda(s).
(b) A well laid out intro to the various groupings in the Zone. The rest of the book will delve into the interactions within and between these groups. The author groups these as a series of boundaries (think of these as communities). These boundaries are however, constantly being crossed, and those interactions are at the heart of the book.
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Chapter Two (skip 82-87)
A look at how US citizens, or the largest group, Zonians, maintained a separate identity in a country where they were a minority. Here the focus is on how this was maintained. Consider interactions between US citizens and the vastly larger communities: what were these interactions like?
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Chapter 3
“One of the central clashes race and identity…pitted the black West India against the white Zonian…the animosity of Latin Panamanians toward the Antillean [West Indians or Afro-Caribbeans] and its response played a key role…as well.”
There are fascinating discussions of cultural contributions/mixture in Panama, US Jim Crow, the issue of colorism (and the politics of hair) among Panamanians and responses/reactions by West Indians.
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Chapter 4
Sex. And gender.
Miscegenation, concubinage, troubled marriages, assault, rape, bigamy, abandonment, and murder.
What reason(s) do Panamanian women have for relationships with US men? The reverse? What changes occur among US women?
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Chapter 5 (Start with pp. 175-177)
The US military in Panama, focusing especially on non-officers. The relationship b/w soldiers and Zonians is explored as well as the relationship b/w the military and Panamanian police, military, and civilians.
Of course, the US military was multi, and the author turns to Puerto Ricans in Panama. Here, note how language and a common Latin American culture was both inclusive and exclusive.
The next group of soldiers are African (US) Americans. This is a second Black community, yet different from Afro Caribbeans; after all, they’re US soldiers. Do Panamanians make this distinction?
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Chapter 6
Crime and punishment. Given the diverse nature of the Zone, the first is predictable. It’s the second that reveals differing application and understanding b/w Panamanians, Afro-Caribbeans, and US officials, emphasizing to some their “distinctly second-class citizenship,” along with “economic inequality, racism, and national chauvinism.”
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Format:
5-8 pages (only if necessary: 9 pages)
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No bullet points, headings, or lists. Complete sentences, arranged into paragraphs, flowing into pages, accompanied by proper grammar and syntax are what constitute a college level essay. Times New Roman, 12 point font ONLY
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Top of page one: Name, His 353-001, Final Exam (yes, you may create a title if you wish)
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Double Spaced, 12 pt font, Times New Roman (all mandatory)
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Avoid unnecessary words; edit and proofread.
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After quote, page number (or Chp., if using ebook and there are no page numbers or strange page numbers). No bibliography/Works Cited page
Option 1: “While a minority, some liberal members of the US community did press for more enlightened attitudes” (64)
Option 2: “While a minority, some liberal members of the US community did press for more enlightened attitudes” (Ch. 2)

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