Hispanic American Firsts (Hispanic Firsts) [Hardcover]

Nicolas Kanellos (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up--Kanellos collects "the contributions and achievements of Hispanics as pioneers of American culture" and highlights those "that succeeded in breaking barriers"--from the introduction of sugar cane to the New World in 1493 to the election in 1997 of Loretta S nchez, the first Mexican American U.S. congresswoman. Specific accomplishments of individuals and groups as well as notable events and places are recorded in the areas of art and design, business and commerce, education, film, government, labor, literature, media, the military, the performing arts, religion, science and technology, sports, and theater. Examples include Roberto C. Goizueta, the first U.S. Hispanic to lead one of the world's largest corporations and the opening of the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, CA, the first U.S. museum completely dedicated to Mexican art. Arranged chronologically within subject areas, the entries are generally brief, ranging in length from one sentence to several paragraphs, and include a source citation. Black-and-white photographs appear throughout. Two indexes (by year and subject/name) and two comprehensive chronologies (a foldout time line and a monthly calendar of firsts) allow for quick identification of particular achievements, but this work is useful mainly for browsing. Kanellos has incorporated some material from his Hispanic American Chronology (UXL, 1995); however, the scope here is different and the two works complement one another. Because this concentrates on achievements rather than individuals, the amount of biographical information is minimal, making it primarily valuable as an introductory survey.

Lauren Mayer, New York Public Library

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Founder of the Hispanic literary journal Americas Review and the Hispanic publishing house Arte Publico, Kanellos (Hispanic literature, Univ. of Houston) brings his considerable knowledge of the history of Hispanic civilization to this important new reference work. The author draws on many earlier works, including his The Hispanic American Almanac (LJ 4/15/93), Chronology of Hispanic American History (Gale, 1995), and Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States (LJ 4/15/94), to create a record of positive accomplishments?accomplishments that are often overlooked. Entries are arranged in broad categories, including film, sports, literature, and government, and subarranged by date. While many entries are brief, the author gives career summaries for some major figures, including writer Oscar Hijuelos, and longer entries for major events. Though the text is not error-free, the clear prose, fine index, and the author's strong command of Spanish combine to recommend this to most libraries, especially those serving Hispanic communities.?James E. Ross, WLN, Seattle
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Gale; 1 edition (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787605174
• ISBN-13: 978-0787605179
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,642,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book for quick facts., October 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hispanic Firsts: 500 Years of Extraordinary Achievement (Paperback)

My father is in the habit of giving me books every time I visit, and this book by Nicolas Kanellos was one of them. It has proven handy when I need a quick fact to make a point or for confirmation. The book's excerpted entries are each listed with the reference source immediately following (author, title, page).

The book lists Hispanic firsts in the U.S. in 14 subject areas (Arts & Design, Business & Commerce, Education, and so on in alphabetical order). Especially important entries are in shadow boxes. BW photos and illus. draw your attention to other entries. A 4'7"-long events timeline folds out from inside the front cover. It can be carefully removed, laminated, and tacked onto a wall. A calendar of firsts flags birthdays of notables and anniversaries of significant events. In addition to the usual subject index, you'll find an index of firsts by year (1493-1997).

The theater section was of special interest to me. Several years ago I met Kanellos at a grassroots theater conference at Cornell. While there, I and a few others were drafted by him to present vaudeville sketches from early Hispanic theater. You can find an entry in HISPANIC FIRSTS (pp. 321-22) that points out the first history of Hispanic theater in the U.S. was written by Kanellos himself. He's done a lot of other awe-inspiring things, but you can consult the book for those.

While Kanellos excerpted material from many sources, five books stood out:

1) Kanellos's CHRONOLOGY OF HISPANIC AMERICAN HISTORY: FROM PRE-COLUMBIAN TIMES TO THE PRESENT;

2) Kanellos's THE HISPANIC AMERICAN ALMANAC;

3) Joseph Tardiff & L. Mpho Mabunda's DICTIONARY OF HISPANIC BIOGRAPHY;

4) Diane Telgen & Jim Kamp's LATINAS! WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT; and

5) Matt Meier & Feliciano Rivera's DICTIONARY OF MEXICAN AMERICAN HISTORY.

Did you know that Spanish Florida offered sanctuary to runaway slaves as early as 1693? That the first farmworkers union was created by Mexican and Japanese laborers in 1903? That a successful 1945 lawsuit against the segregation of Mexican children in Orange County, Calif., paved the way for the landmark "Brown v. Board of Education"? Just a few facts from this book.