Showing titles in Latin American Studies

Laredo is a city at the crossroads of North American history. Founded by the Spanish in 1755, it has stood at the intersection of regional commerce since its earliest days. Now, John A. Adams, Jr. provides the first-ever panoramic business and economic history of Laredo. He traces the evolution of the region from its early days as a ranching center into the mid-20th century when Laredo had become what it remains today: a booming port of trade and a principle center of commerce and financial services on the southern border of the United States.

Latinos are already the largest minority group in the United States, and experts estimate that by 2050, one out of three Americans will identify as Latino. Though their population and influence are steadily rising, stereotypes and misconceptions about Latinos remain, from the assumption that they refuse to learn English to questions of just how "American" they actually are.

In a series of 10 essays, spanning five centuries of history, beginning with the conquest of Mexico by Hermán Cortés and ending in 1992 San Francisco, Rodriguez explores the conflicts of race, religion, and cultural identity for Mexican-Americans across the landscape of his beloved California.

Emilio Estefan llegó a los Estados Unidos como refugiado cubano y se convirtió en uno de los productores más exitosos en la historia de la música. Él tiene un sentido tan profundo de orgullo y herencia, que emana de cada cosa que toca. Para Emilio es importante la motivación. Para el, la motivación es mucho más apremiante y urgente que la inspiración: Si no estas motivado, jamás estarás en condiciones de sentirte inspirado.

They came from one street, but death found them in many places: in a distant jungle, a frozen forest, and trapped in the flaming wreckage of a bomber blown from the sky. One died going over a fence during the greatest paratrooper assault in history. Another fell in the biggest battle of World War II. Yet another, riddled with bullets in an audacious act of heroism during a decisive onslaught a world, and a war, away.

For decades, fixing the United States' broken immigration system has been one of the most urgent challenges facing our country, and time and time again, politicians have passed the buck. With anti-immigrant sentiment rising around the country, as evidenced by the passage of a controversial new law in Arizona, it is now more important than ever to remember the role immigrants play in enriching our economy and culture.

Earth Angel with a Green Card is the true story of the author’s mother who spent her life in service to others, especially her children. During her modest early life in rural Mexico, she bore 11 children, whom she raised with very few resources. She also acted as a nurse for her medical practitioner husband. When the author emigrated to the USA at the age of 9½, it broke her heart, but through her faith, hope, and dreams, she joined him and other members of the family several years later. Her work-ethic, love, and faith inspired her children and many others.

En Colombia vale más un pedazo de tierra que la vida de quienes lo habitan. Desde la ciudad el conflicto se ve ajeno. El humo no nos deja ver los cadáveres y la distancia nos aleja del dolor de las víctimas. Juan Miguel Álvarez ha viajado por toda Colombia con la misión de develar historias de profundo dolor y también de reconciliación. Federico Rios lo acompañó para registrar las imágenes de esta aventura que es a veces dura y a veces esperanzadora.

Achieving the American Dream has become increasingly difficult for many Latinos, despite the huge opportunities, because there is a lack of mentorship and inspiration from Latino role models ... but it doesn't have to be that way. This audiobook will tell you how 50 of the most successful Latinos and Latinas in America turned their dreams into reality. These inspirational people share their stories, providing us insight into the mindset, actions, and habits that allowed them to overcome barriers and conquer fears, and to achieve what they once thought was impossible.

Educational research has long documented the politics of punishment for boys and young men of color in schools-but what about the politics of empowerment and inclusion? In Good Boys, Bad Hombres, Michael V. Singh focuses on this aspect of youth control in schools, asking on whose terms a positive Latino manhood gets to be envisioned.

Meet Regional Emmy nominated Kimberly Ming in one of the most intimate settings, her speaking to you. Ming takes you on a journey using short stories and spoken word poetry to explore concepts of race, culture, and belonging as someone who is Chinese and Puerto Rican. She uses writing as a tool to create a home for herself and others within mixed and multicultural spaces.

From best-selling author and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jorge Ramos comes a pivotal new book that explores the current and future power of the Latino vote in American politics.

HOW DETRIMENTAL IS living in fear, segregated, trodden, almost discarded by society? I shouldn't use such terrible words; well, guess what? I've learned to live with it for the past year, more or less; I'm no longer keeping track of time. I could blame the ones who degraded me, with or without intentions, but sadly, and with tremendous courage, I can only blame myself. I can only blame the terrible choices I've made, and day after day I can only find the strength to survive, to live with hope, to get better, so that I can preserve my dignity. This journal was not intended for any purpose, ...

If there is an enemy in the War on Drugs, it is people of color. That is the lesson of forty years of cultural production in the United States. Popular culture, from Scarface and Miami Vice to Narcos and Better Call Saul, has continually positioned Latinos as an alien people who threaten the US body politic with drugs. Jason Ruiz explores the creation and endurance of this trope, its effects on Latin Americans and Latinx people, and its role in the cultural politics of the War on Drugs.

Ruben Soto gives us an insightful and informative history of the leading Spanish-language television network in the United States. This book will show you how Univision changed American television from an all English-format to one that includes Spanish. You will also hear how Univision convinced advertisers that Hispanics had huge purchasing power.

Border Odyssey takes us on a drive toward understanding the US/Mexico divide: all 1,969 miles, from Boca Chica to Tijuana. Along the journey, five centuries of cultural history (indigenous, French, Spanish, Mexican, African American, colonist, and US), wars, and legislation unfold. And through observation, conversation, and meditation, Border Odyssey scopes the stories of the people and towns on both sides.

Half-Cuban, half-Puerto Rican, Luis "DJ Disco Wiz" Cedeño is 100 percent Boogie Down Bronx. Born in the 60s, Wiz struggled in a turbulent and violent relationship with his alcoholic father while trying to protect his mother who was suffering from breast cancer. Raised in the 70s, Wiz learned the code of the streets while hustling with his crew, the East Side Boys.

Gardening at the Margins tells the remarkable story of a diverse group of neighbors working together to grow food and community in the Santa Clara Valley in California. Based on four years of deeply engaged ethnographic field research via a Participatory Action Research project with the people and ecosystems of La Mesa Verde home garden program, Gabriel R. Valle develops a theory of convivial labor to describe how the acts of care among the diverse gardeners are powerful, complex acts of resistance.

Born on the eve of World War II into a family of Mexican immigrants in El Paso, Antonio C. Márquez remains a child of the border, his life partaking of multiple cultures, countries, and classes. Here he recounts his life story, from childhood memories of movies and baseball and friendship with his Chinese Mexican American neighbor, Manuel Wong, to the turbulent events of his manhood.

In I’m Up to Something: STEM Made Me, we are invited into the ever-expanding world of author Bartholomew Perez. In his memoir, we see behind the scenes of our multi-faceted author as he discovers what it means to be a first-generation Latino defining success. Adversity and the curse of imposter syndrome are prominent themes throughout the audiobook, but so are creativity, hope, and a healthy dose of ingenuity.