La Nueva California: Latinos in the Golden State (Hardcover)

by David E Hayes-Bautista (Author) "THE NARRATIVE OF THIS BOOK BEGINS IN 1940, when Latinos were a small minority and lacked political representation or public voice in California (see Figure..." (more)
Key Phrases: latino civil society, regional american identity, evangelical young adults, United States, African American, Bureau of the Census (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"For more than a decade, David Hayes-Bautista has accurately charted the trajectory of the New California. He is the best qualified scholar to explain the pattern of Latino growth in California and its importance for the state as a whole. His analysis is persuasive and sets forth constructive initiatives to allow the Latino presence in California to be a positive force for sustaining California as a state of opportunity and achievement." - Henry Cisneros, Chairman and CEO, American CityVista "Hayes-Bautista has been on the forefront of social scientists researching the developing Latino identity of California for more than two decades. The cumulative result is La Nueva California, a tour de force of social science, enlivened by convincing detail, historical imagination, prophetic power, and - above all else - great hope." - Kevin Starr, author of Americans and the California Dream series; "As Americans lately have discovered America within the Americas, Hayes-Bautista now gives us an excellent guide to the nation's future, by describing the new possibility of California - the largest Hispanic state in the union." - Richard Rodriguez, author of Brown: The Last Discovery of America"

Product Description
Since late 2001 more than fifty percent of the babies born in California have been Latino. When these babies reach adulthood, they will, by sheer force of numbers, influence the course of the Golden State. This essential study, based on decades of data, paints a vivid and energetic portrait of Latino society in California by providing a wealth of details about work ethic, family strengths, business establishments, and the surprisingly robust health profile that yields an average life expectancy for Latinos five years longer than that of the general population. Spanning one hundred years, this complex, fascinating analysis suggests that the future of Latinos in California will be neither complete assimilation nor unyielding separatism. Instead, the development of a distinctive regional identity will be based on Latino definitions of what it means to be American. Illustrations: 40 line illustrations, 7 tables

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520241452
• ISBN-13: 978-0520241459
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,787,540 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a changing California, July 23, 2008

By	W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: La Nueva California: Latinos in the Golden State (Paperback)

Hayes-Bautista offers an incisive look at the Latino experience in California since World War 2. He analyses the changing demographics, from when Latinos were only a small minority in 1940 to the present, when they constitute the largest minority by most measures.

Part of this of course has some ambiguity. Latinos do not form a race, where even the latter term has fuzziness. We see how government workers and others have struggled over the very definition of Latino. And Latino itself is the preferred term, but other labels have applied. Mexican is frequently used in the text, though the reader is reminded that many are US-born citizens.

Most of the text looks at the last 20 years. At issues often important to many Latinos. Immigration. But also assimilation. The subject of bilingual education, or not, arises.

The book makes you appreciate a changing California.