Resources

Bibliography

Key References

[Listed alphabetically by author]

Marie Arana, LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority, 2024.

“A searching, moving portrait of one of the most misunderstood and singularly important communities in our country.” Provides a vibrant portrait and history of the racially and culturally diverse Latino community, based on hundreds of interviews and extensive research. The book deconstructs stereotypes and separates the threads that unite as well as the many differences that divide Latinos. Author draws on her own experience as the daughter of an American mother and a Peruvian father who came to the U.S. at age nine.

Juan González, Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America, Second Revised and Updated Edition, 2022.

A sweeping history that spans five centuries of the Latino experience in the United States—from the European colonization of the Americas to the 2020 election.” Originally published in 2000, this landmark history provides a compelling analysis of Latino immigration to the U.S. not as a random event, but rather as a direct result – a “harvest” – of U.S. involvement in Latin America. The book was the basis for a documentary film of the same name, made in 2012. The author is a broadcast journalist and investigative reporter who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York.

Richard Griswold del Castillo, The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: A Legacy of Conflict, 1990.

An in-depth analysis of the treaty that officially ended the war between the United States and Mexico (1846-1848), and how it set the tone for U.S.-Mexican relations. While certain articles of the treaty were drafted to protect the legal and civil rights of two minorities, Chicanos and American Indians, implementation generally benefited corporate or government interests at the expense of the citizenship and property rights of those minorities. The treaty ceded a great deal of Mexican territory to the U.S. and set most of the current boundary between the two countries. The author, a professor at San Diego State University, was born and raised in California; his father was born in Minneapolis and his mother in Mexico City.

Jacques E. Levy, César Chávez: Autobiography of La Causa, 2007.

A definitive and intimate portrait of the Mexican-American civil rights and labor leader, who founded the United Farm Workers, one of the most successful labor movements in history. The author spent six years with Chavez researching and writing this book.

Ed Morales, Latinx: The New Force in American Politics and Culture, 2019.

An in-depth look at the crosscurrents and spectrum of Latino identity – Latinos can be “black, white, brown or anything in between” and the different nationalities all have their own cultural and political experiences in the U.S. The book discusses how Latinx political identities are tied to a long Latin American history of mestizaje—“mixedness” or “hybridity” – a concept that is key to understanding Latino culture and politics. The author is a New York-based poet and writer of Puerto Rican ancestry (a Nuyorican).

Vicki L. Ruiz, Nuestra América: Latino History as United States History, 2006.

A compelling exploration of the integral role that Latino history has played within the broader narrative of American history. The essay highlights various significant events, figures, and movements within Latino history that have shaped the nation, providing a critical perspective on issues such as immigration, labor, civil rights, and cultural identity. A path-breaking scholar and teacher, the author has contributed to the reshaping of US Latino and women’s history.

Ray Suarez, Latino Americans: The 500-Year Legacy That Shaped a Nation, 2013.

Chronicles the history of Latinos over 500 years, from the early European settlements to the civil rights movement, showing how the story of Latinos is the story of our country. Developed as a companion to the PBS documentary mini-series of the same name. The author is a broadcast journalist who was born and raised in Brooklyn; his parents are Puerto Rican.

Ray Suarez, We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century, 2024.

An oral history presenting the voices and stories of the newest Americans and their resilience as they work to build new lives in the U.S. in the past quarter century. Describes both Latinos and other immigrants from across the world, the various communities where they have settled, and how our country is altered by their presence.

Héctor Tobar, Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of “Latino,” 2023.

An award-winning exploration of the historical and social forces that define what it means to be a Latino in the United States today. It interweaves the author’s own story and his family’s migration from Guatemala with a tour of the U.S. that shows how Latino identity is forged by both history and each individual’s unique story. The book directly addresses young Latinos. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author was born and raised in Los Angeles.

Sabrina Vourvoulias, Nuestra América: 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Have Shaped The United States, 2020.

An anthology from the Smithsonian Latino Center (precursor to the National Museum of the American Latino, now in development) that highlights the stories of 30 Latinas/Latinos and their contributions to the cultural, social, and political character of the United States. Profiles range from well-known people like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to Staff Sergeant Marcario Garcia, the first Mexican immigrant to receive the Medal of Honor. Also includes a glossary of terms and a reading guide. Also available in Spanish. An American citizen from birth, the author grew up in Guatemala and first moved to the United States when she was 15. She is a newspaper editor, blogger, and writer who lives in the Philadelphia metro area.