From Library Journal
Designed for "interactive reading," this book is organized in a question-and-answer format that allows one to look up specific information (e.g., "What Were the Zoot Suit Riots?") or to read from cover to cover. Chapters include the following: definitions and overview; the Hispanic, African, and indigenous roots of today's Latinos; the newest immigrants-Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, and Central Americans; the political impact of Hispanics in the United States; and famous Latinos. Overall, the tone of the work is light-hearted; the all-too-frequent instances of Anglo-Latino duplicity (and even Latino-Latino antagonisms) are treated with a measure of good humor and without rancor. Sources for further reading are current and ample. This is both an informative and entertaining volume, written in a conversational, colloquial style. Recommended for general readership.
Charles E. Perry, East Central Univ., Ada, Okla.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
If present demographic trends continue, Latinos will emerge as the largest ethnic minority in the U.S. within a decade. Despite recent efforts at multicultural education, most U.S. citizens (including most Latinos) remain woefully ignorant regarding the history and contributions of those who trace their cultural roots to Spanish-speaking countries. Using a question-and-answer format, Novas significantly alleviates that deficit. In a snappy, rapid-fire manner, she provides loads of useful and frequently surprising information. For example, of the 5,000 U.S. casualties during the Spanish-American War, only 379 were battlefield related; the balance were from a variety of tropical diseases. During the Mexican War, both Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant protested against the "injustice" of that conflict. In a broader sense, Novas provides an invaluable service by illustrating the rich diversity of Latino culture in the U.S. This book is suitable for the general reader and can be utilized in teaching multicultural studies at the high-school level.
Jay Freeman
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
