LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority

by Marie Arana

A sweeping yet personal overview of the Latino population of America, drawn from hundreds of interviews and prodigious research that emphasizes the diversity and little-known history of our largest and fastest-growing minority.

LatinoLand is an exceptional, all-encompassing overview of Hispanic America based on personal interviews, deep research, and Marie Arana’s life experience as a Latina. At present, Latinos comprise 20% of the US population, a number that is growing. Census reports project that by 2050, one in every three Americans will claim Latino heritage.

But Latinos do not represent a single group. The largest numbers are Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Cubans. Each has a different cultural and political background. Puerto Ricans, for example, are US citizens, whereas some Mexican Americans never immigrated because the US-Mexico border shifted after the US invasion of 1848, incorporating what is now the entire southwest of the United States.

Cubans came in two great waves—those escaping communism in the early years of Castro, many of whom were professionals and wealthy, and those permitted to leave in the Mariel boat lift 20 years later, representing some of the poorest Cubans, including prisoners.

As LatinoLand shows, Latinos were some of the earliest immigrants to what is now the US—some of them arriving in the 1500s. They are racially diverse, a random fusion of White, Black, Indigenous, and Asian. Once overwhelmingly Catholic, they are becoming increasingly Protestant and Evangelical. They range from domestic workers and day laborers to successful artists, corporate CEOs, and US senators. Formerly solidly Democratic, they now vote Republican in growing numbers. They are as varied culturally as any immigrants from Europe or Asia.

Marie Arana draws on her own experience as the daughter of an American mother and Peruvian father who came to the US at age nine, straddling two worlds, as many Latinos do. LatinoLand unabashedly celebrates Latino resilience and character and shows us why we must understand the fastest-growing minority in America.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Sociology, Politics, Audiobook, Latinx, Latino

573 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 2024

About the author

She was born in Peru, moved to the United States at the age of 9, did her B.A. in Russian at Northwestern University, her M.A. in linguistics at Hong Kong University, a certificate of scholarship at Yale University in China, and began her career in book publishing, where she was vice president and senior editor at Harcourt Brace and Simon & Schuster. For more than a decade she was the editor in chief of "Book World", the book review section of The Washington Post. Currently, she is a Writer at Large for The Washington Post. She is married to Jonathan Yardley, the Post's chief book critic, and has two children, Lalo Walsh and Adam Ward.

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latine Heritage Month

Part 1: Origin Stories

1. Arrivals

The author starts the story off telling the first story she knows, her own. The daughter of a Peruvian man and American woman, she remembers feeling race at a young age. Those of us of color often do.

She had been the only American—I had ever known in our tiny village on the faraway coast of Peru. I had heard indigenous Peruvians whisper about pale strangers like her, pishtacos, white ghouls, hungry ghosts

This reminds me of 白鬼, which in Cantonese means white ghost. Language, am I right?

Whiteness varies. It also changes with time. It is often decided by the colonizers of the time. It is political, as these things are.

The Spanish were already a stew of ethnicities, born of a mingling of Moors and Jews and ancient Christian Iberians.

While the Spanish speaking diaspora is vast, it is also not united. The dream of Pan-Latinism will probably never occur.

What Spain's harsh colonial system wrought, in its effort to play God, was a single language from a multitude of indigenous tongues. But it also destroyed any possible sense of unity.

And if language is supposedly the great unifier, what happens, when generations later, no one speaks the language at all? Do we still expect sameness?

Latin America became a slew of cultures with distinct national characters. But the looming tower of Spanish still stands, even if our children don't speak it as well as our ancestors. Even if our grandchildren don't speak it at all.

If we're comparing colonizers, in what world is rape and subjugation better than death? /s

Much is made of the claim that Spanish colonizers were kinder to the natives than the English would be, and less racist. At least they mixed with them—so the argument goes—lived among them, married them. But that calculus masks a wider, more sinister history. Indian women were rarely married to their Spanish masters; they were abducted, enslaved, raped, abandoned.

Argentina and Uruguay are two of the whitest nations in South America. They promoted European immigration, while supporting more sinister practices.

Uruguay, which celebrated its declaration of independence in 1831 with a sweeping genocide that killed all but five hundred of its native people, then spun around, flung open its ports, and vigorously transformed itself into a nation that is now 90 percent white.

2. The Price of Admission

People talk of seeing color. What of accents? Another word I hate. Everyone has one. Yours doesn't make you any better than someone else.

And what about having a non-native accent is wrong? That just means the person is multilingual, which is (1) amazing, and (2) kind of sexy. The last time I downloaded Hinge I lasted six days, but one of my prompts was that I was into polyglots. The amount of men that asked me what that meant...

We could see the measure of his disquiet: there was the unremitting sting of gringo disrespect; the thinly veiled references to his short stature, his brown skin, his thick accent.

Separating families is a new form of low that is not up for discussion. It's disgusting and wrong, and if you think otherwise, you're disgusting and wrong.

Fortune also favored those whose parents joined them a few months later. Others, however, would cry into their pillows night after night, separated from their families for as many as eighteen years. A number would never see their parents again.

People talk about illegal immigration as if they have much choice in the matter. Why would you brave danger and hatred if you didn't have to? It's truly the luck of the draw to be born in the right place at the right time.

they had already survived a hair-raising peril, la carretera de la muerte, "the highway of death," the 136-mile artery connecting Monterrey to Nuevo Laredo. For decades, that singularly nondescript thoroughfare had been the backdrop for kidnappings, rapes, young girls sold into sexual slavery, robberies, "disappearances," and outright murders.

3. Forerunners

I used to be offended when people told me to go home, especially if they directed me toward China. I'm not Chinese. Now I tell them to go home. Blank stares, all around.

There is always the chance that you will want to go home. "Go back where you belong!"

It's not just Game of Thrones, y'all. We can't talk about white people without talking about incest. It's just a fact.

married their own cousins to preserve their whiteness

As someone that understands Vietnamese better than I speak it, I will be the last person to judge a No Sabo Kid.

she was shunned by Mexican youngsters because she didn't speak Spanish

I almost never ate Tex-Mex in Texas, but I crave it monthly now.

the classic Austin fajita: skirt steak, flash-grilled then sliced into juicy strips, tucked into tortillas, drowned in tomatoes, onion, serrano peppers, and cilantro

No one judges white illegal immigrants. No one even looks at them. We call their accents sexy, while demeaning those of people of color.

In 2019, five years after Arturo arrived, seven-hundred thousand tourists like him—a little more than 1.2 percent of all fifty-six million visitors to the United States—overstayed their visas. The great majority of them were Canadians.

Part II: Turf and Skin

4. Why They Left, Where They Went

I find this interesting, and would love to know which groups marry out more than in. Probably my own, but this isn't about me right now.

They may also be one of the most segregated Latino groups in the United States. Comfortable in black neighborhoods, they nevertheless prefer to live in Dominican communities, marry one another, and have Dominican children. If they do marry outside their immediate cohort, they typically choose Puerto Ricans.

Stars are also subject to colorism within their own families. It was heartbreaking to hear that Eva Longoria is considered the ugly duckling in her family. Michelle Rodriguez's story is similar.

tells of the tension between her father's Puerto Rican family and her Dominican mother, who was considerably darker skinned. As Michelle learned eventually, generations of her Puerto Rican ancestors had gone to great lengths to keep the bloodline white—even marrying their own cousins, a not uncommon practice among elite white Latin Americans in general. Suddenly being forced to accept a black Dominican bride into the clan and break that chain of whiteness was too much for Michelle's Puerto Rican family, and the marriage eventually collapsed.

Sadly, judgment lies on both ends of the scale.

two dark-skinned Dominican American girls—enthusiastic fans of her books—were taken aback by her whiteness and whisperd to Álvarez's agent, "That's Julia Álvarez? But she's not a Latina!" In their view, she couldn't be one of them; her skin was too porcelain, too European looking, too fair. "It's possible to be too white in the Dominican Republic," Álvarez says wistfully.

How can the census be accurate when people don't even accurately portray themselves? Are you one thing? Are you another? Who gets to decide?

Overwhelmingly, they are mestizos, the product of a half millennium of exuberant crossbreeding between European colonizers and indigenous peoples, which, themselves, experienced long histories of conquest and hybridization. Finally, immigrants from this part of Central America, like Mexicans, can range across a broad spectrum of phenotypes. Although they may be perceived as brown, on census forms they generally identify as white.

5. Shades of Belonging

I find this fascinating. Identify as white all you want, but to white people, you're still different. You're still a minority, with all that comes with that.

Mexicanos whose lands had been hijacked by "Westward ho!" invaders pluckily decided to be on the side of privilege and identify themselves as "white." But they were treated like blacks anyway.

Not here for racism, obviously, but I wish the first sentence still held true. Tired of animals dogs in stores. And restaurants. It's a hygiene issue. And no, your dog's mouth is not cleaner than a human's. Who started that lie?

Signs on storefronts reminded them of their status: "No dogs. No Negroes. No Mexicans."

You can buy anything. Race, too, apparently.

the bizarre loophole allowing a mulatto to purchase "whiteness" and access "white" privileges if he paid the Spanish Crown enough money

And if you are "unfortunate" enough to be born with darker skin, it is your job to "fix" that by marrying whiter. /s

in a varicolored country traumatized by a brutal, racist colonial past, a lighter shade of skin—un blanqueamiento, a whitening—would make your children's lives easier. It is a systemic racism of another kind. The Latino kind.

Aha, more statistics! I love statistics.

A full 40 percent of Latinos born in this country marry non-Latinos. Those who have earned a college education are even more likely to do so; half of all Hispanics with a bachelor's degree marry outside the cohort. And the overwhelming likelihood is that they will marry whites.

6. The Color Line

I don't know why people are consistently surprised by the diversity in Latin America. It is a place comprised of many nations that dealt with colonization and immigration.

There are green-eyed Mexicans. The rich blond Mexicans. The Mexicans with the faces of Arab sheiks. The Jewish Mexicans. The big-footed-as-a-German Mexicans. The leftover-French Mexicans. The chaparrito compact Mexicans. The Tarahumara tall-as-desert saguaro Mexicans. The Mediterranean Mexicans. The Mexicans with Tunisian eyebrows. The negrito Mexicans of the double coasts. The Chinese Mexican. The curly haired, freckle-faced, redheaded Mexicans. The Lebanese Mexicans. Look, I don't know what you're talking about when you say I don't look Mexican. I am Mexican.
—Sandra Cisneros, author

Within this color spectrum are people like actor Anya Taylor-Joy. While her father is an Argentine of English and Scottish descent, and her maternal grandmother is Spanish, and she grew up in Argentina, Anya is not a person of color. She is still a white Latina. This distinction is important.

White Latinos—descendants of 100 percent white European stock—are not people of color.

History is written by the victors. It is often riddled with lies.

"In Argentina, we're simply taught that the indigenous all died of yellow fever," she says. "So few are doing the work of unearthing the real truth. Maybe it's because all our intellectuals are sent off to be educated somewhere else: England, France, Spain, Italy. They don't want anything to do with Latin American culture. You know the old joke that Argentines are Spanish-speaking Italians who believe that they're really French? It's so true."

There is one good thing to come from globalization: food.

The eastern influence is so present in Peru that the national cuisine is a fusion of Chinese, Japanese, and the rest of our genetic jumble. As a child in Lima, I was raised on arroz chaufa (fried rice), lomo saltado (stir-fry beef), crisp shrimp wontones, and ceviche (citrus infused sashimi)

Part III: Souls

7. The God of Conquest

Growing from religious trauma can be tricky. I say this all the time.

"I was raised Catholic," young Latinos will answer when I ask them about their beliefs, and then their voices trail off, leaving open the question of whether they still practice or how they will raise their children.

Surprise, you're Jewish! No, but seriously, is this the Latino version of the "Cherokee Princess" legend?

Less visible were the Jews' hasty conversions, the rush to hide one's traditions, the sudden, passionate claim that Catholicism was the true faith and Jesus the only prophet. Denial and recantations ruled the day.

Christians are quick to blame Muslims for being strict within their religion. Open your eyes.

The only religion in recorded human history that adopted converts as quickly is probably Islam, although Mohammedans did not force conversion, nor did they require believers to abandon faiths as they took on the new.

I grew up with many, many Mexican Americans. Even if they're liberal, this is so true.

It is no surprise that, among Latinos, Mexican Americans are the most ardent supporters of Catholicism. Six out of ten say they hold strong ties to the Church.

I fled religion entirely, but I can see why Protestantism is popular.

Like their Anglo counterparts, some have fled Catholicism because of simple disillusionment: either a growing disgust with mounting cases of corrupt and pedophile priests, or the Church's resolute stand against abortion and same-sex marriage.

I am a proud garlic eater. I would not take this as an insult.

Catholics were papists, "garlic eaters"

8. The Gods of Chance

I feel like this could be said of politics, and everything that is wrong with the US.

If there are two religions in the land, they will cut each other's throats; and if there are thirty, they will dwell happily in peace.
—Voltaire, The Philosophical Letters, 1733

This doesn't surprise me at all, but again, I grew up in a very Latino heavy community in the South.

If it surprises anyone that Latinos—a segment of American society once assumed to be liberal—have recently begun to identify more and more with conservative doctrine, one only need study the religious migration to Evangelicalism to understand why.

Part IV: How We Think, How We Work

9. Mind-sets

I just threw up a little.

"a Republican believes in family, education, hard work, opportunity, individuality, the freedom to succeed on one's own, the freedom from government interference, and the conviction that a sturdy belief in God makes the rest possible."

Cubans voting Republican doesn't surprise me. I shouldn't be surprised at Mexicans. But I am?

Four in five Latinos in Florida (mostly Cubans) voted to give Ronald Reagan the presidency in 1980. George W. Bush, too, won over the Hispanics of Florida, but he also won a large share of Mexican Americans in Texas—although he garnered only a smattering in the (largely Puerto Rican) Latino population of New York.

No one cares about anyone. And that's the only fact here.

most Latinos do indeed believe that liberals care more about them than conservatives do

I don't even care who you vote for. Just vote.

The very fact that almost half of all Hispanics stay home on Election Day has proved galvanizing for Republicans.

Being a diaspora kid is hard. You're never fully one thing. Truly, you're both. But people see you as neither.

We want to fit in , have our children thrive as full-fledged Americans. We want to participate, work, be counted as citizens. But we also want to retain our customs, our language, our cultural idiosyncrasies, our motherland senses of identity. And we want to be valued and respected for it.

Back to whitening the bloodline...

she married her boyfriend, an African American. As far as her ultra-conservative grandmother was concerned, she might as well have committed a crime. The woman had long made her racist views known, but now she did not hide her disgust. Why would "you marry one of them," she asked, full of indignation, "in a country full of nice white men?"

10. Muscle

The stereotypes that Latinos are lazy are outdated and ridiculous. Most stereotypes are.

Latinos and Latinas are the most highly employed people in the United States.

To add to that, this is the real crux of the matter.

We have the highest employment rate—higher than any other race or ethnicity in the nation—precisely because many of us are willing to do the work that no one else wants to do.

RIP Anthony Bourdain

We consume nachos, tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, tamales and anything resembling Mexican in enormous quantities. Despite our ridiculously hypocritical attitudes toward immigration, we demand that Mexicans cook a large percentage of the food we eat and grow the ingredients we need to make that food. As any chef will tell you, our entire service economy—the restaurant business as we know it, and food in most American cities—would collapse overnight without Mexican workers.

Part V: How We Shine

11. Changemakers

We need to diversify curriculum. And teach the truth. The former can probably come before the latter.

"You can imagine," he says now, "the absurdity of it. A white boy from Toledo, Ohio, teaching African Americans about literature." He knew right away that he wanted to to read important books by black writers. As a child in an all-boys Jesuit school, he had grown up seeing himself in the classic "dead white male" curriculum. His students deserved nothing less, an ability to see themselves in a curriculum of their own.

12. Limelight

Again, with accents. Some are deemed sexy. Some are deemed slow. Who are you to judge? Do you even speak one language fluently?

When white players used bad grammar, Clemente's defenders noted, editors corrected them before it was published in the papers; when Latinos did it, they became objects of media derision.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster

[Giovanni García-Fenech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even for those well-versed in literature about Latino culture and history, you'll do well to pick this up. Having loved Arana's Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story, I had high expectations, even if I figured that it might not bring me any new insights. Well, it turns out that I learned a lot I didn't know, especially regarding the role of religion in Latino life and Latino figures in sports.

One of Arana's strengths is her ability to weave history through the narratives of individuals, from everyday people to lesser-known yet significant figures. This book enriched my understanding of Latino history and highlighted the under-representation of our people in mainstream narratives. It's an insightful and engaging journey through Latino history and culture. Read it.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ambitious history of the people falling under the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural term Latino.

I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about how multifaceted (how many times can I mention multi in a review??) Latinoland is...and how one word cannot conceivably lump such a diverse group into one monolith. Which is a no-duh moment, but considering how much the US likes to lump groups together, it makes sense that this book provided a lot of unpacking of my own prejudices and assumptions.

Anywho, it's good. It's far-reaching. It attempts to be as inclusive as it possibly can be for a subject this vast, without delving into stereotypes.

A note on verbiage: some terms Arana uses are dated, particularly with how she describes Black people (ask Blacks, noun, instead of Black, adjective).

[Adriana Belmonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok wow I could not put this down and I have so many thoughts!!! As a disclaimer, I am a very white Latina and this book did an outstanding job detailing how and why there are people like me out there, and the role of colonialism, racism, and American exceptionalism have played in erasing our identity. I still feel like I have some unanswered questions upon finishing this but either way, this is by far the most comprehensive book I’ve come across that paints a portrait of American Latinos.

[Roxanne (The Novel Sanctuary) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Erik Champenois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that celebrates the diversity of the U.S. Latino community, exploring in snippets the different backgrounds of Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, Salvadorians, and others. I read this shortly after reading Arana's "Silver, Sword, and Stone" on Latin America and this is just as good of a book. Arana's writing excels at weaving history and biographical narratives together, helping us to better understand and appreciate the common themes and diversities of the Latino experience. Highly recommended reading for anyone wanting to better understand the contemporary United States.

[Marion Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some great parts of this book but any book about Latinos that begins by making a generalized statement that the Spanish language is the one thing that unites all Latinos is going to be hard to come back from, considering that probably the most vulnerable Latinos in the US are the migrant workers who don't speak Spanish at all but speak indigenous languages (though I understand the point she was trying to make with that statement, it really felt like a tone-deaf misstep).

There were also some clear editing errors - one example was that Cuban-Americans were said to be the 3rd most common US Latinos, but later in the book, they are listed as the 4th after Salvadorians - and as a book that relies heavily on statistics that made it hard to trust.

But overall I admire the effort to paint a portrait of a population that many non-Latinos do not understand is composed of vastly different levels of racial and economic privilege.

[Tomes And Textiles]

EDIT: I read it and am formulated thoughts.

I'm just going to go ahead and DNF this for now.

[Crystal]

I'm not enamored of the book's infatuation with the word "breed": "forced to breed" AKA raped and impregnated, "a new breed" AKA mixed race, etc., etc.

DNF @ 7%

[Lucila Vilela · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Latinoland” is a Herculean effort in defining what unites us as Latinos—through language, culture, miscegenation, and shared life experiences. The book is both well-written and deeply researched, weaving together detailed statistics with compelling personal stories of those who make up this Latino land. A thoughtful and illuminating read for anyone seeking to understand the richness and complexity of Latino identity.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book! A must-read for all Americans. Marie Arana is such a brilliant journalist and storyteller. I really appreciate all her hard work to bring so many complex, beautiful stories to us non-Latinos with such grace.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really excellent and surprisingly personal portrait of a vast and growing community (if it can even be called that, as the book itself explores). It’s academic, but accessible and comprehensive. What made this especially good were all of the individual stories about folks who had immigrated, struggled, and succeeded. Those stories really brought to life and gave a special touch to the book, making it a great snapshot into the lives of the Latine people that inhabit this country today, some of whom can also claim ancestry that has inhabited these soils for countless generations, long before its Anglo forbearers. This should be a must read for anyone venturing forth in Latin American studies.

NOTE: I do take strong issue with the way the author approaches the term ‘Latino/a/e’ at times in this book, and I would have docked her a star for it if the rest wasn’t so good. In short, she seems to think it’s a uniquely American identity. Take this excerpt for example: “In 1985, the Chilean supernova Isabel Allende took American readers by storm with her international blockbuster ‘The House of the Spirits’… Within a few years, Allende was granted US citizenship, allowing us to claim her many bestsellers as part of the Latino literary canon.” Were Allende’s books not already understood to be Latino canon, years in advance of her ever immigrating to the US while she resided in Venezuela? This is not the first time in this book that the author alludes to ‘Latino/a/e’ being an American identity, something prescribed to people, seemingly against their will and only upon coming to the United States. That is fundamentally false, as I personally know countless people from across Latin America who joyfully embrace their identity as Latino/a/e yet who have never lived on US soil. Look no further than the recent hit song, ‘LATINA FOREVA,’ by Karol G who, though she would most certainly claim ‘Colombian’ first in terms of her identity, nonetheless feels a strong affinity for and connection to the identity of ‘Latina’, as well. And she’s not a US citizen. Perhaps this is a newer phenomenon, but that wouldn’t excuse a scholar from ignoring that new reality or failing to make that distinction.

[Mary Daniel Cheek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my new Roman Empire - I’ll be trying to figure out how to work this into every conversation I have from now on.

[Lectus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It expanded my knowledge of the various waves of Latino immigration to the United States. And not only immigration, but Arana also talks about how we are starting to see religion, and even the assumption that, because we are immigrants, we must be democrats. Hmmm, interesting, indeed.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Cynthia Farrell, delivered a very good narration overall. However, two aspect of her pronunciation were a bit puzzling to me:

1) Why did she consistently pronounce “criollos” as “criolos.” Initially, I thought this might be an Americanized version, but given the names and expressions she pronounced correctly in Spanish, I couldn't help but wonder why she chose to say “criolos” throughout the book. Hmmm… I could look it up, but nah!

2) The other very… peculiar thing was her pronunciation of the name Bolívar (when referring to Simón Bolívar). Instead of pronouncing the name in Spanish (like she did with all other Hispanic names), she would say “boul’vard” or “bólivard.” I had to go back to hear it again because I lost track of who she was talking about.

Other than that, an excellent narration! And I loved the book and what learned 🥰.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ambitious and compelling. Does a great job with a seemingly impossible task: surveying the Latino collective in all its complexities and contradictions. The section on the history of different immigrant groups was especially interesting.

[Debra Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of Latino history, culture, and contributions to the US. Especially helpful in understanding the diversity of Latino immigrants as well as the erasure of Latino history.

[Katie ratherbereadinggg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4.5 stars

[AnaLuz Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic in-depth exploration of the long history of the Latine community in the US. I thought I was very knowledgeable of the history of Latino culture in the US, but I quickly realized I had many many gaps.
I learned a lot, since she explores every single aspect you could think of, from politics, migration, religion, education, sports, the arts. etc, and the viewpoint of many if not most countries in Latin American and The Caribbean.

With a topic so dense, so many important variables to explore, and a book length that can appear daunting, you’d think this is a difficult book to get through. But the author weaves in her and her family’s own story and stories of everyday people and even well known significant figures into the narrative so seamlessly, making everything relevant.

There’s so much important content, it’s hard to summarize the most salient points and not feel like I’m selling it short. Needless to say, this book expanded my understanding of Latino history, giving me new insights.
I definitely recommend adding this to your tbr.

I received a gifted copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[AlasdeMariposa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como latina en los Estados Unidos, me he encontrado con un vacío importante en el reconocimiento de la historia de mi comunidad. A través de una extensa investigación llevada a cabo de forma independiente y con la valiosa información proporcionada por Marie Arana, he desarrollado una comprensión y un aprecio más profundos por las contribuciones de los latinos a esta nación. Además, he adquirido conciencia de los retos duraderos a los que se ha enfrentado nuestra comunidad a lo largo de la historia. Esto me ha dado más aprecio y orgullo de mis raíces y sangre. Este libro importa ahora y cómo me gustaría que todo el mundo lo leyera.

[Rick Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening for my ignorance

A very good book providing a great deal of information about the breadth and depth of the Latino contributions and experiences in the US.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I've just taken a university course. I'll have to reread in order for the information to sink in.

[Viral · Rating 3 out of 5]

TLDR: 2.5, rounded up to 3 for Goodreads. While this book covers a lot of interesting topics, I don't think it was as strong as it could have been.

I picked this book up because it looked like and felt like a very detailed and comprehensive overview of the Hispanic/Latino/Latine/Latinx/LatinAm community in the U.S. Today representing over 65 million people, a massive conglomeration of people whose identities cannot be easily simplified into straightforward boxes, I hoped this book would be an attempt to revel in that complexity and show what it reveals about the limitations of ethnic/racial conversations in the U.S.

While this book does that at times, it still falls into a lot of pitfalls.

Lets start with the positives. Arana is a very talented writer, and her prose really helps elevate this book. The decision to use detailed vignettes of real people from various parts of Latin America and how their journeys impacted/where impacted by various cultural and political forces was very effective and designed to appeal to a broader audience. She does a decent job summarizing the history that informs many real people's stories - histories of oppression, violence, deprivation, and resilience. I also enjoyed how she organized the book into sections based on the general topics she was going to dive into: religion, racial/ethnic/cultural identity, how and why people came to America, and the work that people do here.

The limitations of this book, however, speak to Arana's lack of historical analysis and a failure to think deeper about what she is demonstrating here. This book shows quite well how the very idea of a unified Hispanic/Latino community is a fraught, politically motivated worldview designed to rationalize existing American racecraft. The people of Latin America are incredibly diverse and represent a massive spectrum of ethnic origins, from Indigenous folks, various levels of mixed race/mestizos, descendants of African slaves, descendants of Asian migrant workers, to European immigrants who grew up in Latin America. With that also comes complex class dynamics, lived experiences, and perspectives that inform how these communities have developed and shaped in the U.S. Early mexicanos who witnessed "the border cross us" post-Mexican-American War of 1848 have dramatically different experiences from that of Boricuans who were made U.S. citizens but kept in territorial occupation after 1898, which is different from Cuban golden exiles fleeing the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which is different from waves of Mexican migrant workers coming during the Bracero program and post-1965, which is different from Central American asylum seekers fleeing gang violence in the 2010s.

But while Arana notes all of this, she still tries to stitch together a cumulative multinational vision of Latinidad, even after noting how messy and fraught that is! I'm not surprised, as said effort fits a very specific brand of liberal multicultural American nationalism that is very common in liberal intellectual circles. The book feels like a very desperate attempt to both correctly identify how Latino experiences challenge the very conception of a unified ethnic community, and complicate the image of America as 'a great unfinished symphony made greater by those who choose to call it home', while also trying to still argue Latinos have a shared identity and are just another group that are helping to knit the great American quilt! This liberal multicultural American nationalism is especially obvious when she attempts to both correctly point out all the horrible things America has done in Latin America, but still try to argue that many leftwing governments in Latin America have gone too far, both quasi-justifying these actions while making it seem like everything worked out because people got to take a shot at an American Dream. She points out all of the 'advances' Latinos have made in business and politics, without noting that many of those folks are the very face of efforts to criminalize and mass remove other Latinos today. How are you gonna write a book about Latinos, mention Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and barely address that they are a part of a growing constituency of 2nd/3rd gen Latinos who talk about "their own people" with the same bigotry that faced them when they arrived?

I still learned a ton from this book, and its well written, but it has a lot of intellectual and philosophical flaws that just were not resolved in the editing process that I wish had been addressed.

[Paul Tenorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that provides an excellent assessment of a complex demographic that doesn't easily coalesce. Appreciated the individual stories woven into the immigration story from various countries (Cuba, El Salvador, Dominican, Republic, Mexico, Peru, etc.). Author does a very good job sharing the stories of influential Latinx heroes who we should all know and share when discussions arise. Prompts the reader to engage and support local Latinx initiatives to help those in need and, in particular, students who are challenged to get their education.

Book offers a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of the Latino population in the United States. The book draws from extensive research and personal interviews, highlighting the diversity and complex history of this rapidly growing demographic, which currently makes up about 20% of the U.S. population and is projected to reach one in three Americans by 2050. She doesn't focus on root cause of the immigration problems and namely America's involvement in destabilizing Central and South American countries.

Key Themes and Content:
1. Diversity of the Latino Community:
Arana emphasizes that Latinos are not a monolithic group. The largest segments include Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Cubans, each with distinct cultural and political backgrounds. For instance, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, while many Mexican Americans have historical ties to territories that became part of the U.S. after the 1848 invasion[1][2].

2. Historical Context:
The book traces the presence of Latinos in the U.S. back to the 1500s, illustrating their long-standing role in American history. Arana discusses the racial and cultural diversity within the Latino community, which includes a mix of White, Black, Indigenous, and Asian ancestries. The narrative also touches on the evolving religious affiliations, with a shift from predominantly Catholic to increasing numbers of Protestant and Evangelical followers.

3. Cultural Contributions and Challenges:
Arana highlights the significant contributions of Latinos to American culture, politics, and society, while also addressing the socio-political challenges they face, such as immigration policies and economic disparities. The book features various personal stories that humanize these broader issues, showcasing the resilience and creativity of the Latino community.

4. Political Dynamics:
The narrative explores the changing political affiliations within the Latino community, noting a growing trend of support for Republican candidates, which contrasts with their historically Democratic leanings. This shift is presented as part of the broader complexity of Latino identity and experience in America.

5. Call to Action:
Ultimately, book serves as a call for greater understanding and inclusion of Latino Americans in the national narrative. Arana's work invites readers to engage with the Latino community more meaningfully, fostering empathy and solidarity.

Conclusion:

Book is a foundational read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities and contributions of Latino Americans. By weaving together personal anecdotes with historical analysis, Arana presents a rich portrait of a community that is integral to the fabric of American society, challenging stereotypes and celebrating diversity.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latinoland is a book about the origins, background, commonalities, differences, paths taken, opportunities sought, and challenges faced by “America’s least understood minority”.

I was curious about what commonalities Hispanic people faced in America. While I’ve lived for some time and travel frequently across America, I didn’t really understand what a diverse group of peoples - ranging from Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans and other “Hispanic” people - had in common.

It turns out that it’s not so much what these people have in common, but how America has lumped this group of people together under a classification that falls somewhere between “White” and “Black” but not “Asian”.

While it’s true that Latinos have often faced common racial barriers while immigrating to America, and/or working their way up the social ladder, there remain big differences among these peoples. That said, they collectively now represent a large and growing political and voting force – which gives them tremendous benefits in a polarised America. There is power in pulling together and working as a unified community.

The biggest lesson I learned from this book, was to see more clearly how messed up the classification of race is in the United States, and in my own country Canada. Let’s start with the idea of “Hispanics” meaning Spanish speaking peoples from the Americas. They are a melting pot of Spanish, Indigenous peoples, Blacks and some Asians, so they themselves have many roots. And it we take a step backwards the Spanish themselves are a mix of Europeans, Arabs, Jews and others.

Hispanics have great diversity within this group, ranging from pure Indigenous folks who speak Spanish, to whites to blacks, to Asians and everything in between. The only common factor is that they come from Spanish speaking countries in the Americas and Caribbean. (Brazilians are not considered to be Latinos because of their Portuguese association.) Yet to most Americans they are all one group. (The same can be said of Asians who consists of East Asians – Chinese, Japanese and Koreas, Southeast Asians – Thais, Cambodians, Malaysians etc. and South Asians – Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, etc. Further, there is a "One drop" rule of thumb that is used to classify Blacks.) These classifications are “helpful” on some level but definitely problematic and inaccurate on other levels.

I also learned a number of interesting things in the book. For example, I did not know that America forced all Latin American countries to surrender their citizens and residents of Japanese origin after the attack on Pearl Harbour. They were taken from these countries and placed in Concentration Camps that also housed Japanese Americans. The long arm of Uncle Sam stretched very far at that time.

There was nothing I disliked about the book, but it could have talked about how a united Latino vote could pull together. For example, it could have discussed the role Latinos in Miami could positions themselves and the natural leaders of a United Latin America. I would have liked to know more about what the author thinks "Latinoland" will look like in say 50 years.

I also like graphics and photos in books, which were both lacking in Latinoland.

That said, it is a good read providing a well-researched perspective of Latinos in America.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Latino experience in the United States of America is a vast and multifaceted topic that no single volume could ever completely encompass, but LatinoLand does an utterly admirable job of it. Marie Arana's book is not a comprehensive history that explicates the Latino story; it is instead a series of snapshots, through the eyes of Latinos both living and deceased, that offers a necessarily incomplete but nonetheless variegated and effervescent illustration of the many lives we lead. Topics addressed by Arana include, but are not limited to, causes of immigration to the United States, economic contributions, religious life, and the complex interplay between race and Latino ethnicity.

While Arana's own background as a Peruvian-American provides her with ever-crucial insight into this "least understood" social group, and the amount of research she has conducted is truly immense, LatinoLand suffers from a number of basic factual errors. Some of the most egregious examples follow.

On p. 25 Arana makes the inaccurate and brazen assertion that Puerto Ricans "have no constitutional rights." As citizens of the United States, Puerto Ricans are in fact protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of expression, the Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection under the law, etc.—what they lack is representation in the U.S. federal government. (Any person within the borders of the United States, including non-citizens and even those present illegally, enjoys on paper some limited Constitutional protections, as certain clauses of the Constitution make no reference to a condition of citizenship.) Interestingly, Arana describes Puerto Ricans' status accurately on p. 264.

In a silly blunder, p. 307 makes reference to "Dominican American novelist Esmeralda Santiago." Esmeralda Santiago is a Puerto Rican known for her memoir writing, her most famous work literally being titled When I Was Puerto Rican. Perhaps Arana simply confused Santiago's name with that of another writer, but still, the error is jarring.

P. 367 refers to salsa artist Rubén Blades as an "exceedingly charismatic Panamanian American […] who received a doctorate in international law from Harvard University before he became one of the greatest salsa composers and singers of all time." In fact, Blades is a Panamanian national who has never, to my knowledge, sought out U.S. citizenship; furthermore, his education prior to his musical breakthrough took place at the University of Panama. Blades did not acquire a degree from Harvard until 1985, well after his meteoric rise to stardom on records with Willie Colón.

I raise these objections not for the sake of pedantry but because, as stirring and beautiful as LatinoLand oftentimes is, I believe that our culture deserves to be treated with more care and accuracy. A revised edition addressing these types of oversights would have the potential to be the best single-volume trade publication on this topic.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority" by Marie Arana is a compelling and insightful exploration into the diverse tapestry of Latino culture in the United States. Arana, with her profound understanding and personal connection to the Latino experience, crafts a narrative that is both illuminative and deeply resonant. This book is not just a mere compilation of statistics and historical facts; it's a vibrant journey through the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the Latino community.

Arana masterfully blends personal anecdotes, cultural analysis, and historical context to paint a rich and nuanced portrait of Latino Americans. Her writing is both accessible and evocative, capturing the essence of a community that is often misrepresented or overlooked in mainstream discourse. Through her lens, readers are introduced to the vast array of cultures, traditions, and experiences that comprise LatinoLand, challenging monolithic stereotypes and highlighting the complexity and vibrancy of this demographic.

One of the strengths of "LatinoLand" is Arana's ability to navigate complex themes such as identity, assimilation, and the American Dream with sensitivity and depth. She delves into the socio-political challenges facing Latino Americans, from immigration policies to economic disparities, without losing sight of the individual stories that illuminate these issues. This approach not only humanizes the broader narratives but also underscores the resilience and creativity of the Latino community.

Arana's work shines in its celebration of the cultural contributions of Latino Americans to the fabric of American society. From music and literature to politics and activism, "LatinoLand" showcases the indelible impact of Latino culture, challenging readers to reconsider their perceptions and appreciate the diversity and richness of this community.

Moreover, "LatinoLand" serves as a crucial call to action, advocating for greater understanding, recognition, and inclusion of Latino Americans. Arana's passionate and informed perspective invites readers to engage with the Latino community in a more meaningful and informed manner, fostering empathy and solidarity.

In summary, "LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority" by Marie Arana is a powerful and enlightening book that offers a comprehensive and humanizing view of the Latino experience in the United States. Arana's ability to weave together personal stories with cultural and historical analysis makes this book an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities and contributions of Latino Americans. It's a testament to the strength, diversity, and vibrancy of a community that is an integral part of the American mosaic, making "LatinoLand" not just a portrait of a minority but a celebration of American plurality and identity.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I followed her argument correctly, the author presents ¨latinos,¨ defined as immigrants from the Spanish-speaking nations of America, not only as one of the most populous groups in the United States, but also as the people who have most successfully assimilated their very different traditions, both to one another and to the historically more dominant (and divided) white and black cultures. For Arana, they represent the best hope for a diverse and cooperative society for the nation. We will soon be living in LatinoLand, and it will be a better, more hopeful place.
She describes the different paths by which Latinos came to what is now the United States -- Cabeza de Vaca as the first Latino! -- and the sad history of our intervention in Latin America and changing immigration law and then, in different sections, the faiths, philosophies, and achievements of the various groups. Throughout, the emphasis is on individuals´ stories.
The book occasionally reads as if it has been cobbled together from other short pieces, and for this reason sometimes is repetitious. Most readers will be shocked that the United States annexed a full half of all Mexico after the 1848 war, but the fact is repeated enough times to become annoying. Arana is such a fine writer that I want to blame the editors.
For me a second problem of the book is the use of statistics. She offers a thoughtful and interesting discussion on who can actually claim to be ¨latino¨ and the U.S. Census´ failure to accurately count the people who should. It is a complicated issue; Arana identifies as latina and her sister does not. Then, the book extensively uses statistics on inclusion, voting patterns, population trends, economic participation, housing, and so on.
The book offers much to think about and debate, which is what any social critique should do. Though there is no bibliography, the notes (which are keyed to pages in the book without intrusive indicators in the text!) offer many places to start.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed this on a whim for the title. Covering a population such as Latinos in the United States can be a daunting task and I was hoping to read a good overview about the group. Arana talks about the histories of the various groups who came to the US, alongside her own family history of migration and integrating (or not) in the US.

She looks at various sub groups (artists, sports players, politicians, etc.) to how issues like religion impact the group. There are histories, personal stories, anecdotes all interspersed with her own story. And even then this probably only barely scratches the surface of the group, as Cubans in Florida differ from say Mexicans in California or Texas compared to say a Peruvian family in Montana.

I have to say, as excited as I was for the book, overall I found this very dull. It felt like a little to much information crammed into a book that in no way can cover the population and its histories and complexities in one book while also covering her own history. That is not to say this is not without value, but maybe I guess overwhelming in its research is how I would put it.

It somewhat reminded me of 'The Warmth of Other Suns' although that covers the Great Migration and is not a large overview of a group in the same way. I do think it would be a great book to have on a college syllabus on Latinos in the United States or immigration, etc but as a book for a layperson it may or may not be your cup of tea, depending on what you're looking for and level of interest/willingness to invest.

Borrowed from the library and that was best for me. It's definitely one of those books you need to sit with, so if you decide to borrow it (deadlines and all), be sure to pace yourself.

[Nico · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the wealth of untold Latino history presented in this book. Many of the stories were especially captivating to me as a Peruvian immigrant who has spent most of his life in the United States.

However, there were a few aspects I found problematic. For instance, I was uncomfortable with certain language choices, such as the use of the term “cross breeding,” and a particular line that suggested young Latinos are “coming out” more frequently now because it’s popular.

My biggest issue, though, lies with the author’s broad classification of people from Spain as Latino. While I’m aware that the term Hispanic by definition includes people from Spain, Latino, in my experience, has always referred specifically to people from Latin America. Yet, the author dedicates a few pages to arguing that a Civil War admiral was Latino, despite his father being from Spain and his mother from Scotland. Similarly, she refers to Enrique Iglesias as Latino, even though he is clearly Spanish. It seems the author has a soft spot or admiration for including Spaniards in “Latinoland,” which I’ve noticed is a common tendency among Latinos of her generation.

That said, I did genuinely enjoy learning about many Latino stories that I might not have encountered otherwise. Despite its flaws, the book offers valuable insights and historical narratives that deserve to be shared.

[Serafina Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this book is the equivalent of writing Sisyphus’ boulder. Latin america is so vast and diverse and storied it would be impossible to ever truly finish a book like this. That being said, I thought this book did a phenomenal job of educating while keeping the writing style engaging, weaving personal stories, American history, and LATAM history throughout. I’d consider myself mildly educated on the subject but this book really showed me all that I still don’t know and pointed me in some fascinating directions!

This book focuses primarily on Mexican, Salvadoran, Peruvian, Uruguayan, Argentinian, Dominican, Cuban and Puerto Rican stories, but touched on nearly every country in LATAM. Arana goes into brief details of the situations in these countries that drove immigration, immigration stories, working lives of undocumented, documented, & American-born Latinos, racism and stereotyping, the massive contributions of Latinos to america throughout our history, and the specific needs of the Latino community.