Latino Books

Sorry for the essentialism, but originally I was skeptical about what a European academic would say about gay Latin American art. However, the author resisted Eurocentrism here and others have described his previous work as very anti-racist. In this book, Bleys looks at Latin American art from 1810 to the present, with a chapter on art from gay Latinos in the US. Bleys examines Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico under his idea of Latin American. This may frustrate some. (I hear that Argentina has a rich history of both gay expression and repression. It doesn't come up here.) Still, given the geographic, linguistic, political, racial, and historical diversity among these four countries, I think Bleys made a great effort. Too, the discussion on lesbian art may feel scant to some, but I think Bleys tried his best. This book included a huge range of photos that aided the text. Social constructionists will love this book because Bleys emphasizes artists that reject Western ideas about gay identity and artists that problematize the gay/straight binary overall. Under this constructionism, Bleys uses the term "homotextuality" which he never defines well. This book has a terrible intro. Also, Bleys' timeline is shakey. (For example, the chapter on art from 1810 to 1910 discusses much art after 1910. The chapter about 1975 ot the present focuses heavily on works from the past five years.) This book is much more typical of an art text than it is gay studies or Latino studies. Nevertheless, it will make you think deeply about what is homoerotic art, who can be a homoerotic artist, and how race intersects with those questions. This was a veritabe encyclopedia of gay and lesbian Latin American art. I am beyond impressed with this work.

This book is dedicated to Dr. Julian Samora (March 1, 1920 to February 2, 1996). His name is synonymous with leadership in Latino research, especially on the Mexican immigrant experience and the study of mestizaje. He was born in Southern Colorado and developed an intense pride in his Hispano heritage and roots. He is the first Mexican American to earn a PhD in Sociology and Cultural Anthropology in 1953 at Washington University, St.Louis. He was the first professor of Mexican American sociology at Michigan State University and later at the University of Notre Dame where he mentored over 50 graduate students of Latino studies. Today, the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University and the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame, carry his name and legacy for scholarship on Latino heritage, history, immigration and civil rights. "Immigration and Ethnic Communities" is an edited volume of original research that pays tribute to the body of scholarship championed by Dr. Samora during the sixties, seventies and eighties. The book provides detailed statistics on the foreign born population in the United States, considers the economic patterns of transnational workers and their impact on U.S. communities, and explores both the human consequences and political ramifications of Latino immigration. This book is the first to address the Latino influx and impact within the Midwest. Dr. Samora was a co-founder of the National Council of La Raza and member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the President's Commission on Rural Poverty. Among his many awards were the White House Hispanic Heritage Award (1985) and the Aguila Azteca Medal (1991) which he received along with farm labor leader, Cesar Chavez, from Mexico's President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

This book is very good when you want to learn English that help a lot with the basis,how to ask the name, address, phone numbers,direction,to pronunce,write and meanings of words. When you finish with this book you will be able to have a very good conversation an English, that was my first English book.

Provides a series of lessons on American English vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and usage, designed to encourage Spanish-speakers to plunge right in and communicate, without worrying about making mistakes along the way.

This book does an excellent job of describing some of the cultural differences between Anglo-Americans and Latinos and then explaining the attitudes and ideas that underlie some of the very different cultural behaviors among these groups. If you're curious about this sort of thing and want to try to understand people living among us who might have been brought up differently from you, then it's a fascinating book. The authors spice things up and support many of their ideas with charming personal anecdotes from their own lives. I loved this book.

This book is the best book I have read dealing with the pressures and dangers of joining a gang. The author gives you a realistic view of what it means to be a part of a gang. The story follows a young boys quest to belong. You get to watch this young boy slowly drift away from his family and friends into the gang lifestyle, until something tragic makes him realize that it doesn't have to be this way. This book does an incredible job of making you realize all that kids go through when faced with pressure to join gangs. This is a book that I am going to use in my classroom to open the eyes of my students. I believe this book is informing and empowering kids to not join gangs.

I bought this book for my 2 1/2 year old about a month ago and she absolutely loves it. Before she got the Dora books, she asked me to read ocassionally, but now she refuses to go to sleep until I have read at least one Dora story. She actually allows me to read every single page. With other books she got very bored and skipped through the pages, not allowing me to get through the entire story. The Dora books keep her fully engaged and actively listening. I enjoy reading so I am excited to see that she does too!!

The book was delivered promptly and in excellent shape. Many thanks to this excellent vender.

This story is about a young boy who is asked to bring something to school for "International Day". He is asked by his teacher to bring something that reflects his culture. His mother suggests that he help out in their family bakery to aid him in making his decision. He could not decide between his mother's Mexican or his father's Jewish baked goods. To the surprise of his parents, the boy decides to take in jalapeno bagels. When his father asks him "Why jalapeno bagels?", his son replies "Because they are a mixture of both of you. Just like me."

I feel this book is very important for the classroom library because it is a wonderful portrayal of a diverse ethnic family. There is also a glossary of Spanish and Yiddish terms for children to learn and recipes from an authentic Mexican-Jewish bakery. The illustrations of bright watercolors help to enhance the richness of the story. It is well written and holds the reader's interest with new words from different languages.

A great book to use in the classroom for an individual differences lesson in K-2 grades. It focuses on similarities and differences in a family of triplets. Also, the back has the text translated into Spanish - this book was ahead of its time in many ways.