The previous texts are excerpts of a letter that Lewis Hanke, Professor of History, Emeritus from the University of Massachusetts, wrote to João Candido Portinari.

Dr. Hanke, the first chief of the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress and founding editor of the Handbook of Latin American Studies, was the father of the field of Latin American studies in the United States. His creation, the Handbook, has continued to play a major role in the dissemination of Latin American studies research and the development of Latin Americanist library collections throughout the US and worldwide.