audiobook Latinos: A Biography of the People by Earl Shorris in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Worth ReadingBy CustomerIt was an interesting book. Much of it was fascinating reading. Being married to a Puerto Rican woman I can relate to some of the issues that Latinos or Latinas face. However; it would seem that the author concentrated mostly on Latinos of a lower economic order. Even teachers and other educators were viewed with more emphasis on the poor environment of their students than on any success stories that their students may have achieved. It did get a bit depressing after a while. Still it is well worth reading for anyone who wants to get a better understanding of lower status Latinos in American society although I think that this 23 year old book may be a bit dated now.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I had this book in the 90's let someone borrow it never came back.By M. OrtizThis is a great book which provides an outstanding look into the diverse Latin American cultures and how some thrive in the USA and others simply transport themselves. I am very excited to have found a copy.3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Full of historical insightBy George FulmoreFar from a perfect book; the value of the book is that it holds a great deal of information that can fill in blanks for those of us who study Latino history and issues. For that reason; alone; I recommend it. The author knows his stuff; reinforced by an eight-page bibliography; and a personal history of having grown up in the American southwest when it did not contain any “gringos.” How he presents his thesis and information is the trick. And this is not easy when he is determined to cover a wealth of topics; beginning with pre-Columbian history and ending with the present day. Says the author in his Introduction: “This is not a travel book. I wrote it because I could.”And what he wants to do at the start is to make it perfectly clear that the Spanish conquistadors were bad guys. They were far from the cream of the European crop. No; they were more like the “mestizos of Europe;” as they tended to be hybrids from several European and African sources. They did what they did for the fame; power and money. And for at least 50 years; they would treat the natives no better than they did their animals.The Spanish had no interest in preserving the civilizations they encountered in the New World. Says the author: “By 1532; nothing remained of the 3;000 year development of civilization in the Americas but relics; ruins and dying languages.” And if there is a thesis to the book; it is that the mixing of the blood to create the mestizo of the Americas condemns the New World Latino to an “endless examination of his own blood.” How’s that for a concept? Way too complicated to be fully explained in this book; I assure you.“Latinos;” for me; complements the book; “Out of the Barrio;” by Linda Chavez; in that Shorris also wants to examine distinctive Latino groups separately; primarily those from Puerto Rico; Cuba and Mexico. And he also wants to reinforce the argument that Mexicans need not be considered “underprivileged” like the Blacks; who were condemned so by their skin color to that role. No; Shorris; like Chavez; wants to make the argument that Mexicans are assimilating much like the various non-Latino groups. And; like Chavez; he finds that the Puerto Ricans are the one Latino immigrant group that has accepted its role as underprivileged. And; in sections; he wants to make the case that Latinos with education and opportunities tend to become suburban Republicans; an argument Chavez also seems to make. I find this to be “a stretch.” But let us move on.He correctly points out that each of the Latino groups has a unique story. The Mexicans; of course; were in California and the American southwest when no one else wanted to be there. And they were doing just fine after they took over from the Spanish in 1821. But they simply got overrun in California by the masses who came for the gold rush and stayed. The reality; per the author; was that by 1859; there were only 13 thousand Mexicans in California in a total population of more than 100;000. They were simply outnumbered and overwhelmed: “In less than a quarter of a century California changed from Spanish to Anglo. The Mexicans who stayed lost their lands; their language; and their culture….” Mexicans who stayed were forced to the back of the line. They would have substandard housing; have to work at the toughest ranching and agricultural jobs; and/or work at the lowest-paying jobs in cities.The author points out that it would not be until 1906 that large numbers of Mexicans would not pour into California; when there was a serious depression in Mexico. They would continue to come when the Revolution of 1910 began. And while many in the elite class would move to Texas along with the money they could take out of Mexico; most would come dirt poor to live in the worst of conditions in California and elsewhere. Some would sell food to survive. As a result; the Mexican restaurant business in the U.S. was born.As for the Cubans; they can be called the “Jews of the Caribbean.” They poured into the Miami area in the 60’s. Most were middle- or upper-class in Cuba. They would soon be so in the U.S. They considered themselves exiles; not immigrants. They identified with Spain much more than with Mexico.As for the Puerto Ricans; they are envisioned as lazy and on welfare. They may have come to work; but New York City; per the author; killed them. It conquered their spirit. It taught them to be grateful for what they got. Unlike other Latino groups; they did not do better in the second generation with their self-esteem. They tended to do worse. And that leads the author into a chapter that discusses time and Latinos and tries to make the case that people who do not have high hopes for the future tend to rely more on fate. They get trapped in the present. They get anxious.In perhaps the strongest part of the book; the author spends some time on the general subject of migration. He says that there is a “normal tendency” for folks to move. And after it starts; it is contagious; so that at some point folks who are moving don’t really know why they are going…they are simply going with the flow. And there are categories of these folks; the most basic being the true “immigrants;” who are more than willing to give up their national/native culture in exchange for a better life. They have no intentions of returning. It is in this classic pattern that the parents struggle; the kids excel; and the family eventually joins the middle class.On the subject of race and classifications; Shorris points out that it was not until 1970 that a court ruled Latinos as a “identifiable racial minority.” But before then; it was clear that Latinos were identifiable: Their schools were substandard; and they were not viewed as capable of competing intellectually with Anglos. And a curious division developed in New Mexico; where the rooted Latinos called themselves “Hispanic.” They did this to identify themselves directly with Spain and to differentiate themselves from the “Mexicans;” who were not allowed in Anglo schools and were only allowed to go to “Mexican” barbers. And in Texas; many of the Mexicans in that area would point out that the old Tejanos of San Antonio had the right to feel that they did not leave Mexico; but that the border left them.In The Great Depression years; approximately one million Mexicans were deported back to Mexico. Some Latino advocacy groups preached that the immigrants concentrate on speaking English in order to prove their assimilation progress. Bilingual education was dismissed. But on this subject the author seems to be caught in the middle; saying on one hand that no study has shown bilingual programs to be effective; but also lamenting the loss of the native language by future generations. And; while he seems to struggle with the pain of seeing Latino children fail in the schools; he seems to applaud the concept of the brightest ones moving forward; leaving the slower ones behind.But education is a huge subject to cover; in itself. It is not one to be fully explored in this book. Having said that; the author continues discussing drop-out rates; and the relationships between social classes and/or money and educational success. He ends a chapter reiterating that he has no use for bilingual education and that he sees Latino communities increasingly split between the haves and the have nots. A bit depressing I would say.This leads him to a chapter on Latinos and marketing; where he seems to once again join Linda Chavez and her conservative views. This tact urges the media and advertisers not to look at Latinos as impoverished and uneducated; overall; but to see that a good percentage of them are not. But he also goes on to lament that the Latino TV and radio networks are in the process of forcefully blending unique Latino groups into “a soft grey stone;” a form that has lost all of its uniqueness. At this point; he says; it will be easier for advertisers to market products to this group because; essentially; they will not know who they are. (Here I will take task with Shorris a bit in that the Latino broadcasting entities may very well be catering to a new hybrid populous that has a great future; one that will represent an exciting blend of the old and the new.)On the subject of business; the author claims that prior to the latter 1800s; most if not all business in the American southwest was run by Latinos. But as the new nation grew westward; Latino businesses were taken over by Anglos. And as new Latino immigrants arrived; they tended to be poor and without business experience or skills. And then there is the border and all it problems. A long chapter talks about deaths and problems and illegal searches and seizures; etc.The book also talks about Latino gangs. And how most Latinos immigrants come from the country; but end up living in a city. On the Church; he says; “Latinos learn their place in a large hierarchy from the Catholic Church; which gives lessons in loyalty and obedience.” A plus is that the Catholic faith would help the people endure their lives; which included using the infamous backbreaking “short hoe” in the fields. He notes how the popularity of the Catholic Church has given way to a rise of the Protestant churches in the Latin communities. Then; there is an attempt to cover the arts and sports in relation to Latinos; as if the author wanted to stuff it all into one book. And; toward the end of the book; there are discussions of the meaning of life for Latinos and the conflicts with assimilation. “They are required to forget as they learn;” he says. Things end with several lengthy and well-written vignettes of Latino families and their experiences.As I said at the beginning; this is a good book; not a great book; unless you are grading it on the totality of information contained within. The author surely has a great deal to say. It is a challenging work that leads to a challenge to read and absorb. But I’m glad I read it. I learned a great deal.