Hispanic Americans

Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States and will comprise a quarter of the country's population by mid-century. The process of Latinization, the result of globalization and the biggest migration flow in the history of the Americas, is indeed reshaping the character of the U.S. This landmark book brings together some of the leading scholars now studying the social, cultural, racial, economic, and political changes wrought by the experiences, travails, and fortunes of the Latino population. It is the most definitive and comprehensive snapshot available of Latinos in the United States today.

How are Latinos and Latinas changing the face of the Americas? What is new and different about this current wave of migration? In this pathbreaking book social scientists, humanities scholars, and policy experts examine what every citizen and every student needs to know about Latinos in the U.S., covering issues from historical continuities and changes to immigration, race, labor, health, language, education, and politics. Recognizing the diversity and challenges facing Latinos in the U.S., this book addresses what it means to define the community as such and how to move forward on a variety of political and cultural fronts. All of the contributions to "Latinos "are original pieces written especially for this volume.

La comunidad Latina, the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, has long been told that assimilation is the only way to succeed in American society. This book challenges that generally accepted view and concludes instead that transformation as a way of life is the only viable option for the Latino community as a whole, regardless of racial, class, regional, or religious differences. It highlights how in the everyday life of la comunidad Latina the members of the community can recognize the underlying ways of life, the stories, and the patterns of relationships that cripple them, and how to break with these ways of life, stories, and relationships to create fundamentally more loving and compassionate alternatives.

This controversial book shatters the myth that twenty million Hispanics are a permanent underclass. Linda Chavez tells the largely untold story of Hispanic progress and achievement and considers the radical implications for bilingual education, immigration policy, and affirmative action.

This book provides the first comprehensive economic assessment of the rapidly growing Hispanic American work force. In a wide-ranging analysis of a variety of large computerized data banks, the author presents a host of original findings on postwar trends in Hispanic wages, poverty unemployment rates, and educational attainment. The implications of these findings for current debates on income inequality, discrimination, school dropouts, and the domestic effects of immigration are thoroughly evaluated. Many of the conclusions throw into question widely held views on these issues among the public, academics, and policymakers.

A completely new edition. Reexamines the facts and explores their new dimensions, the issues and remedies for the 1990s and the next millennium.

There is growing awareness of the tremendous impact Latino writers have had on the recent literary scene, yet not all readers have the background to fully appreciate the merits and meanings of works like House on Mango Street, Line of the Sun, Bless Me Ultima, and In the Time of Butterflies. Offering analysis of their most important, popular, and frequently assigned fictional works, this book surveys the contributions of eight notable Latino writers: Julia Alvarez, Rodolfo Anaya, Sandra Cisneros, Junot Diaz, Christina Garcia, Oscar Hijuelos, Ortiz Cofer, and Ernesto Quinonez.

-- Brings together the best criticism on the most widely read poets, novelists, and playwrights
-- Presents complex critical portraits of the most influential writers in the English-speaking world -- from the English medievalists to contemporary writers

In the past ten years, literature by U.S. Latinos has gained an extraordinary public currency and has engendered a great deal of interest among educators. Because of the increase in numbers of Latinos in their classrooms, teachers have recognized the benefits of including works by such important writers as Sandra Cisneros, Julia Alvarez, and Rudolfo Anaya in the curriculum. Without a guide, introducing courses on U.S. Latino literature or integrating individual works into the general courses on American Literature can be difficult for the uninitiated. While some critical sources for students and teachers are available, none are dedicated exclusively to this important body of writing. To fill the gap, the editors of this volume commissioned prominent scholars in the field to write 18 essays that focus on using U.S. Latino literature in the classroom. The selection of the subject texts was developed in conjunction with secondary school teachers who took part in the editors' course. This resultant volume focuses on major works that are appropriate for high school and undergraduate study including Judith Ortiz Cofer's The Latin Deli, Piri Thomas' Down These Mean Streets, and Cisneros' The House on Mango Street.

This volume presents 22 essays form the past ten years, which probe the tensions, issues, and options facing the Church as Hispanic ministry continues to develop. These previously published articles provide in a single volume a resource for pastoral agents, parish leaders, theologians, seminarians, and one interested in Latino religion.

Latinos/Latinas are the largest "minority" in the United States, but the field of U.S. Latino/Latina studies is still in its infancy. This work represents the first single volume ever published on the U.S. Latino/Latina religious experience, an area that is even less explored. A carefully selected group of experts examines the major sub-groups of Latinos/Latinas including Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans, along with some of the lesser studied groups such as Dominicans and Central Americans. In addition, the volume includes important thematic chapters on the role of art, film, health care, literature, music, politics, and women's influence in the U.S. Latino/Latina religious experience.