In this introduction we consider generation and change in Central America as part of the celebration of the twenty‐fifth anniversary of this journal. We reflect on meanings of generation, starting with Salvador Allende's 1972 declaration: “To be young and not revolutionary may even be a biological contradiction.” Karl Mannheim's theorization of generation as a cohort sharing formative experiences in particular historical moments, often requiring “wholly new minds,” becomes crucial in our understanding of the concept. To follow Mannheim's claim, we trace histories of Central American political generations in the past half‐century. While our collection uncovers many moments of generational difference and tension—particularly in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador—we also find that conflicts can be opportunities for dialogue, for forms of mutual engagement, as cases in Costa Rica and Guatemala demonstrate.

中文翻译：

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中美洲的世代与变革：简介

在本引言中，我们将中美洲的发生与变化视为庆祝该杂志成立二十周年的一部分。我们从萨尔瓦多·阿连德（Salvador Allende）1972年的宣言开始反思世代的含义：“年轻而不革命性甚至可能是生物学上的矛盾。” 卡尔·曼海姆（Karl Mannheim）作为一代人的理论化，在特定的历史时刻分享形成性的经验，而这些历史往往需要“全新的思想”，这对于我们理解这一概念至关重要。为了遵循曼海姆的主张，我们追溯了过去半个世纪中美洲各代政治人士的历史。尽管我们的收藏揭示了许多代际差异和紧张时刻，尤其是在尼加拉瓜，洪都拉斯和萨尔瓦多，但我们也发现冲突可能是对话的机会，