Customer Reviews

Translation Nation: Defining a New American Identity in the Spanish-Speaking United States

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Hector Tobar is a journalist now living in Argentina who also happens to be a fine writer. Probing his own past as the son of immigrants from Guatemala as a baseline and investigating like families and individuals, TRANSLATION NATION is one of the more interesting, readable, and informative books about the current rise in the number of Latin Americans who in their immigration to a new country have made a solid impact on the cultural, artistic, gastronomic, and political face to the USA.

Tobar interviews and follows histories of some fascinating and courageous people, documenting their diaspora-like web across the country. From the Cuban exiles in Florida and the massive Los Angeles and Southern California Hispanic population we all know to the enclaves and pockets of 'latinidad' communities sprinkled across the entire United States, Tobar gleans a feeling of identity, of success stories, of the numbers of Hispanics who have gained national importance and prominence to the beautifully persistent folk traditions that remain intact despite the surrounding environs. The importance of 'futbol' (soccer), the explosion of cuisines not only form the ubiquitous Mexican fast food chains but also the increasingly popular cuisines of Central and South America, the popularity of Chicano painting and crossover music, the on-going debates about border control - Tobar manages to define just what impact 'latinidad' has had and will continue to have as the Latino population grows faster than any other group in census studies.

In a time when the government seems to be polarizing the nation about the Latino influx it is refreshing to read Tobar's eminently optimistic evaluation of this newest aspect of the Melting Pot concept of America. An informative and fine read. Grady Harp, July 05

<a href = "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EXYZO0/sr=8-1/qid=1145655770/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-4884275-2942513?%5Fencoding=UTF8">Translation Nation</a> by <a href = "http://currents.ucsc.edu/04-05/04-25/tobar.asp">Hector Tobar</a> is an absolute must read considering all that is currently happening with immigration litigation and the bills that are being proposed regarding illegal immigration into the United States. Tobar, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, takes a look at the insurgence of Mexican and Central American immigrants across the border into the United States; he looks at their motivations for doing so and tells their stories. To do so, he interviewed a few illegal immigrants and their guides, listened to Cubans debate the Elian Gonzalez matter, travelled to Central America, and infiltrates the various markets in Nebraska and the South where many migrant workers go to find work.

Tobar eloquently describes the process that many face in coming to the United States. You leave the book feeling like you have followed various people through their experiences and motivations. I put this book down feeling like I had a better grasp on the complexities of these sorts of issue. However, the book did have a weakness: towards the middle of the book, before Tobar gets into his experiences working in factories, the stories told get repetitive. I also have to wonder how "authentic" of an experience that Tobar had while working in these factories being that he was an educated man that could draw on a safety net if he had to, whereas the people that he was writing about and working with don't necessarily have that safety net.

All in all, an important and highly recommended read.

I was excited by the title and the groovy cover... and the reputation of the author. But I was greatly disappointed. I only bothered to read one chapter. It was so simplistic and lacking in analysis and it was obvious that the author did very little research. I think the topic is very important and I hope someone else tries to tackle it in a more serious way that is still accessible to the average reader. Anyway, anyone want it? I'm putting up for resale right now... I'm the lowest price.

An eye-opener for those of us who live in areas where hispanic immigrants are needed and present in significant numbers. Gives a needed perspective on the point of view of those seeking to share in the American Dream in a new and unique way. Essential reading for anyone whose ancestors were also immigrants (and weren't they all?).

Northwest of Atlanta, a thriving community of Latinos has recreated the town of Dalton, Georgia. Bused in years ago to work in the carpet factories, these immigrants are now part of the largest minority in America, which number more than 13 percent of our population.

Though many come to Los Angeles, this Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist insists that reality, for most Hispanics, is far from that cliché. Using a story-based approach based on interviews and experiences he lived, Tobar demonstrates that significant changes are underway for our country and citizens. Fascinating reading - and essential for anyone who wants to understand who we are becoming, as a nation.

This is the best book I've read in the past five years. Tobar is so smart, so insightful, so eloquent I'm annoyed that I've missed reading his stuff before now. I'm going to buy his fiction now and am prepared to be blown away again.

Tobar has reached the zenith of the popular culture's willful blindness relative to the issue of illegal immigration. He cleverly uses romantic hyperbole and disingenuous analogies to blur the reader's recollection of the last time they needed an emergency room - now transformed to the illegals' HMO - or had to move to a distant suburb to obtain a quality education for their children. Yes, this is a nation of immigrants. It is one, however, which has historically achieved hegemony of fundamental values creating the greatest and most free nation on the planet. Subverting those values rather than embracing them will ensure the ruination of why the illegals try so hard to come here in the first place. (Written by not an "Anglo" but an American; thank you very much...)

I needed it for a class,and was surprised about the fast shipping, great price, especially for a hardcover. very satisfied.

The product was in excellent condition. I received promptly. I was thouroughly satisfied.