Central America Books

The conservative, european-american movement's declaration of the end of white supremacy in this country requires the kind of challenge offered by "Whitewashing Race". This book offers every fair-minded reader an opportunity to judge the realities that still persist as a consequence of 250 years of chattel slavery, 100 years of complete segregation, lynchings and restrictions on work and educational opportunities. The efforts needed to create a truly non-racialized culture in America are far from over.

It presents information in such a way that you are at the very least, forced to consider what they've presented. As a self-identified "African-American" who considers himself a conservative, I think this book does a great job of presenting the foundation of how the problem of race still exists and presents pragmatic ideas - however controversial - that are far better, in my view, than maintaining the status quo.

If those who on principle oppose these ideas (specifically, the conservatives this book spends a lot of time lambasting) would come out with substantive data to disprove what this book says, the race debate would become a lot clearer and would bring us closer to realizing a better America for all.

For anyone interested in how the politics of race are presented in today's world (affirmative action, prison sentencing, etc.), this book is a definite must-read. The authors analyze the conservative's overly-simplistic view of race as being based simply on whether a person exhibits overt prejudice while ignoring the larger implications of accumulated wealth and advantages enjoyed by whites from years of legal discrimination.

The authors poke holes in much of the misinformation coming from the conservative side of the aisle, and reveal just how sinister and permeating racial bias still is in America. Grab this book, a good cup of coffee, a high-lighter, and become updated on the dynamics of race in 2003 America.

I read this book hoping to find some ideas about the status of race in post civil rights America. Although I found the book helpful and infomative, I do remain highly concerned that the issues the book addresses seem static. The authors do offer a lot of statistics and concise ideas to help understand the problems concerning race in America.

The attack on the racial realists and conservitive views on race really caught my attention. I find the arguements in this book far more convincing. I struggled to articulate how the conditions of American culture create a negative experience for blacks, but this book articulates the message clearly. I find myself reading and hearing arguments about race with a new understanding.

Should one send political scientists to do a historian's job? That is the question one has to ask about this book compiled by a consortium of political scientists, in response to the "racial realism" of today's right-centrist consensus. This consensus, argued by such authors as Jim Sleeper, Tamara Jacoby, John McWhorter, The New Republic and the renowned historians of American immigration Stephen and Abigail Thernstrom, argue that racism is not really a problem in American life. To the extent that African-Americans are disadvantaged it is because of their own failings or, somewhat more tactfully, the failings of the black politicians and the guilty liberals they (overwhelmingly) support.

This book argues that this fundamentally optimistic view is wrong. They are right to say so and their book is very detailed and comprehensive (the Thernstroms in particular are repeatedly criticized). Still the book is not perfect. The book makes an error in numbering its footnotes in chapter five. It also incorrectly says that until recently there were no African-Americans elected from North Carolina since Reconstruction (one in fact was elected in 1898). The style is not very engaging, it consists mostly of summaries of papers in economics, political science, sociology and the other social sciences. The result is a certain dryness and abstract quality that could use more historical analysis (the treatment of unions is somewhat superficial). The discussion of racism is not the most thoughtful available (and little is said about Latinos). Nevertheless one should not ignore its points. "Racial realists" argue that racism is not a problem because only a handful of people would support racist attitudes in opinion polls. There are several problems with this argument. Aside from the fact that people do not necessarily volunteer their support of unpopular ideas, it turns the concept of racism and racist harm into a question of pure malice. If there is none (or if it somehow "rational") there is no racism. One might ask why showing discrimination should require showing malice, when other torts merely require showing negligence? Also it is a non-sequitur to argue that if whites are not malicious, blacks and/or liberals must have screwed up. Moreover, rephrasing the question can lead to rather different results: in a 1980 poll only 5% supported segregation, but only 40% supported a law stating that a homeowner could not refuse to sell because of race. The authors go on about how in the post-war period African-Americans were discriminated in social security legislation, GI bill benefits and housing segregation. We also relearn about the insufficiently notorious effects of urban renewal and automation.

What is best about the book are the statistics it provides showing consistent racial gaps, even when corrected for class, age, income or any other variable. For example 53% of mortgages in black Chicago middle-class neighbourhoods are from sub-prime lenders, whereas only 12% of mortgages in white neighbourhoods are. African-Americans are 25% less likely to get mammograpy screening, notwithstanding age or income, while a 1985 Massachusetts study showed that whites underwent significantly more corony surgery than blacks. 61% of basketball players were black in 1996-97, but 81.5 % of coaches were white; 52% of football players are black but in 2001 nearly 97% of head coaching positions were white. During the 1990s in Los Angeles, Latinos make up 41% of the population, but only 6% of the jurors. It is often said that spiralling illegitimacy is the key reason for persistent black poverty today, but the President's Council of Economic Advisers has noted that the poverty gap would have fallen by only a fifth had there been no changes in black family structure since 1967. Likewise the Thernstroms et al have argued that high black youth unemployment is the result of their demand for excessive wages. Yet studies have shown that their length of employment is not correlated with wage demands. The gap between black and white test scores has infuriated potential university students. But the correlation between scores and success is somewhat weaker for women and Asians. Another questionable use of data by "racial realists" is their concentration of Berkeley in the 1980s. There the white graduation rate within 6 years was 88% but only 59% for blacks. But in 28 other colleges the white average was 86% and the black average 75%. Might this not say more about the problems of particular universities than an inherent cultural failing of African-Americans?

We also learn about a third wave of criminology scholarship and we learn how only 26% of the gap between blacks and whites drug offences in Pennsylvania is the result of the higher arrest rate among blacks. Even after making every allowance Georgia blacks are five times more likely to get life sentences for drug offences than whites. We see at every stage of the arrest process, from scholars such as Madeline Wordes, George Bridges, and Michael Leiber, a clear bias against African-Americans. Although the prospect that somewhere, somehow affirmative action might hurt white men has haunted the conservative imagination, only 4% of 1990-94 sex/age discrimination suits were launched by white men, (yet they file three-quarters of age discrimination suits). Oddly enough, racial realists have blamed blacks for inadequate black representation. Supposedly they won't vote for whites. Yet in the past few decades only 0.5% of white majority districts elections have chosen a black representative. And whites have shown great reluctance or active hostility in voting for blacks in prominent elections in Chicago, Philadelphia and California. The authors conclude with sensible suggestions for reforms in education, stronger civil rights protection and an improved welfare state.

Very good read. "The Women of Colonial Latin America" covers the many diverse people who were in Latin America. Excellent read.

Excellent condition, barely any wear on cover of book, no bent pages, no writing in book

It's a complete new perpective of the conquest and colonization. I read it for my history class and I loved it. It's an interesting reading.

The book was a very good collection of stories of the women of Colonial Latin America-but the stories were dull at times, and I just thought that there should have been more detail in regard to the actual women's lives.

I'll be honest, and say that I had to get this books bcause of an assignement I was doing in school. The professor just asked me to write on a couple of chapters, kind of like a book review, but I was hooked! After I was done with the assignment I HAD to read the whole book, because It was really imformative, and interesting to read. I'm a history major, and as other historians know, the subject of women historically, has been in the dark since the beginning of time. Only recently have historians began to write about women. Socolow does a great job in her book, which focuses on women in Latin America She begins with the Spanish conquest of the New world and talks about the indigenous people before Columbus. Socolow includes the arrival of African women along with European ones. She goes on to talk about women, marriage, and family, the religious women and all about how the elite ones spent their time. Socolow touches on women and work and about slavery, and of course about their social deviance, like crime, withcraft and rebellions. It really is an outstanding book and I truly recommend it!

Aiding Students, Buying Students charts the history of American student aid. Rupert Wilkinson provides an intriguing account of the progress of assistance over the past 300 years and the underlying factors behind its provision. Beyond the historical perspective it goes on to provide an insightful review of today's systems and proposals for reform. This book is written with authority and wit and unwinds a story that anyone with a professional interest in education will find both fascinating and thought provoking. Also, don't miss the pictures, a brilliant gallery from the 17C to modern times, with informative captions, sometimes funny, sometimes moving.

If we were to invent the ideal author for writing the history of American student aid, we might specify a person who knows the college scene very closely but has a distance on it, who has long nurtured a concern with the way elites are educated, and who writes with grace and vigor. Rupert Wilkinson began his career with a brilliant comparative study of how English elite schools such as Eton and Winchester prepared young men for leading roles in what was then an empire. He writes like an angel. As a professor of American studies at Sussex, Wilkinson had the opportunity to travel repeatedly to colleges in the U.S. to monitor his institution's exchange programs and as he went, to mine the archives on students aid and conduct searching interviews with officials. Aiding Students, Buying Students lays out a history engaging in itself and with obvious relevance to today's challenges in student aid.

America faces growing economic and social inequities--a problem that threatens the roots of our democracy. I was delighted to find that Wilkinson focuses on the the impact of financial aid on actual educational opportunities faced by students from low-income and middle-income families. I was also glad that he got beyond the erroneous conventional wisdom of addressing this problem solely in terms of ethnic minorities, and that he ends this historical study with a review of the current situation and proposals for reform.

Providing financial assistance to students has always been a complicated matter for academic institutions, and the complications have grown increasingly impenetrable, partly because of the mixture of motives that lie behind the provision of such assistance. Rupert Wilkinson has carefully examined a wealth of historical information on this topic, and he has achieved an admirable understanding of what lies behind that information. Possessed of a graceful and lucid writing style, he has elucidated his subject splendidly. Oberlin College is one of the institutions that he has studied, and as a retired member of its faculty I can attest that his treatment has been thorough, fair, and illuminating.

I am very pleased to see the life and work of Don Agustin Rivas in print. This man has and continues to lead a remarkable life. Having worked with Don Agustin as a teacher for several years and heard many of the stories, it is good to see that the book remains true to them and captures the heart of Don Agustin's adventures. The book focuses on Don Agustin's personal challenges and accomplishments, but also contains many teachings and wisdom from one who has sacrificed much to be of service to the people and to the Earth. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to know more about ayahuasca shamanism and/or the life of Don Agustin Rivas.

Amazon Magic by Jaya Bear is the astonishing biography of Don Agustin Rivas Vasquez, an ayahuasquero, or shaman who is skilled in visionary and healing plant medicines. From his childhood in a small jungle town beside the Amazon river; to his spending a year living with an Indian tribe; to visionary encounters with plant, water, and jungle spirits; Amazon Magic presents to the reader an evocative and amazing story of one man's journey to magic, enlightenment, healing, and wisdom. Amazon Magic is enthusiastically recommended reading for students of Shamanism, Metaphysics, and indigenous life of Peruvian Amazon indians.

This reviewer delights in learning, especially about people and cultures who can and did make an impact...and natural medicines that have their roots in a period thousands of years ago. So, when author Jaya Bear sent me her book, Amazon Magic, I discovered a wonderful opportunity and biography, as well as a narrative filled with mystery about a totally different reality.

Don Agustin Rivas Vasquez (1933-) was born in Tamshiyacu, Peru, a small jungle town along the Amazon River. What is was to grow up in this totally different (from us) environment...learn to be a shaman...and acquire the skills to use healing plant medicines such as ayahuasca, are the subjects of this fascinating new book.

Amazon Magic enables the reader to walk in the shoes of a shaman and understand his experiences and adventures...and his training and discipline to achieve his widely-regarded status as a profound healer. This reviewer was fascinated by not only plant medicines, but the spirits that reside in the jungle. And how ayahuasca, for instance, can help one see the spirits, and the demons. "Each of us has our demons, and ayahuasca shows them to us so we can face them and heal. Ayahuasca teaches us truth about ourselves".

Author, world traveler, artist and student of many spiritual cultures, Jaya Bear, felt drawn to travel to Peru after her husband died. She met Don Agustin Rivas Vasquez, and has continued to work closely with him since that time.

The result is Amazon Magic, a fascinating look at a culture and individual that have made an impact. Jaya Bear presents this revelation in an easily- read- and- understood fashion that captures Don Agustin's words, love and compassion!

Many years on from THE WIZARD OF THE UPPER AMAZON this book is an engaging adventure story of the same time. Endearing frankness ... from multiple sexual adventures to cannibalism ... combine with a fearsome determination to excel in his shamanic world, years of undergoing plant diets (ayahuasca the principle plant medicine but there are many more discussed here) ... all make this man seem oddly trustworthy. The directness of style is nicely free of many literary conventions ... these are Don Agustin's most striking memories, told in a clear way, worked into a book by Jaya Bear. I enjoyed it as a fine adventure story, a great jungle yarn.

This book is a breath of fresh air in a day when people would like to change the history of our country. Dr. Beller goes beyond even the declaration that our country is Christian...he goes to the heart of the matter; that Baptists had a major influence in the foundation of this nation.
Dr. Beller points out the facts that We as Americans have lost touch with our heratige, and those of us who are Baptist have lost touch with our heratige. Neither of which is a good thing! He remedies the problem by giving the facts, and in a way that it is a joy to read.
Dr. Beller has several other books which are worth the time spent reading them. He also gives lectures on the Coming Destruction of the Baptist People, which are also excellent!

This book has a wealth of information that can not be dismissed becasue of the facts and that the Baptist is not just another religon it is Bible.

This is simply the best Baptist/American history book out there. A real treasure in the Christians library.

"America is a Baptist nation"
From this quote on I was spellbound. This is unlike any other history book I have ever read. The facts are presented, but in a way to inspire, encourage, and enflame the child of God to run the race seeing "we are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses."
I had no clue that our nation was founded so firmly on Baptist principles. I knew our founding fathers were moral, but had no idea such a large majority were Baptist.
This book has deepend my appreciation for the Baptist and the doctrinal (Biblical) stance they have taken through the couse of history. I pray The Lord will once again bless our nation with more Shubal Sterns', Daniel Marshall's, John Clarkes, Isaac Backus', Obadiah Holmes', and others. Men who stand on the truth of Scripture - who live by it and die by it!
This is most definitely an absolute-must read for every Christian. If you haven't read it - READ IT! If you have read it - RE-READ IT!

I need to declare first that I wrote the preface for the original US edition of this book, so obviously I think highly of it. Re-reading it again recently, I found that it moves me still, very strongly, with the vision that the steady strengthening of the individual human being is a force in history. The USA, whose world role is so complicated at this point, has had a great deal of strength in its "individualism" -- whether Jefferson's or Emerson's or the slaves, native Americans, women, immigrants, trans-continental migrants and all the rest who had to strive to establish their personal worth. This book helps me feel that we in the USA will find our way back to the humane ideals which are part of our true contribution to the world of the future.

Dr. Ben-Aharon's book is perhaps the most original contribution to the theme of Globalization, US, and social responsibility I ever read. He is not only an expert source of US policy and globalization' strategy, his unique contribution lies in the fact that he is capable of suggesting new, positive ways, socialy-and spiritualy productive. The concepte of Initiation, in particular, as developed in chapter 15, in connection with the evolution of consciousness and social life, is most illuminating. Its the first book on the topic known to me that combines depth of social analysis and spiritual insight, with wonderful sense of hope for the future of the US and humankind.

This book was amazing. It should be read by everyone concerned with what is going on in the world today and America's role in it. If you are wondering if you should get the hell out of this country or stay and fight for better solutions instead of running from the problem(and be "truly" proud to be an American)...read this book. The big plus about this book for me was its spiritual element in relation to world social events.
I just finished reading Owen Barfield's, "Saving the Appearances," before reading this book, unaware that it would be a great primer for what Mr. Ben-Aharon has to say. We definitely are living in interesting times.

All I can say is fascinating, in depth and very stimulating. I'm really glad I stummbled across this gem.

The author was the public relations spokesperson for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, thus he had a great insiders perspective. He includes insightful insider stories. Great read!

From the very first page, I felt like I was there. Dick Yarbrough combines incredible professional credibility and integrity with expert story-telling. What a great read!

I was always suspicious about the goings-on behind the scenes during preparation for the Olympics in Atlanta.While Richard Yarbrough's book has not completely convinced me that all was well, it awakened me to the fact that the folks working in the trenches performed admirably under very adverse circumstances. It also confirmed my belief that the Committee's goals were undermined by a selfish and greedy city government. Yarbrough's account of preparation for the games, the bombing of Centennial Park and the competition is must reading for those who, like me, need to know the truth. Good going, Richard!

Dick Yarbrough's well written book really tells it like it is (was) with no holds barred. It is a fascinating behind-the-scenes peek into the very political upper levels of planning and running the Atlanta Olympic games. I highly recommend it to everyone. It is a must-read for Atlanta residents!

This is a truly amazing trip through the minds of the ancient Maya who wrote in an elegant and complex system. Michael Coe clarifies and demystifies the beautiful texts on all forms of media; ceramic, stone, shell etc. But best of all, Justin Kerr's photographs are a thrilling excursion into the realms of an exotic society. This partnership of scholars enables the reader to sit back and explore the depths of the beauty and intellectual achievements of an ancient culture. Frankly, I was blown away!

Sumptuous, a true visual feast, Michael Coe's foray into the world of the Maya artist reveals the talents and personalities of the Maya scribes. Lushly illustrated by Justin Kerr, the world's foremost photographer of Precolumbian art, this coffeetable-style book looks at what scholars understand about the individuals who created the Maya's sculptural and painted repertoir. Coe brings his knowledge of hieroglyphic writing to bear on this previously little-known subject, revealing the names and titles of Maya artists and other significant facts. Following in the tradition of his best-selling BREAKING THE MAYA CODE, which describes the scholarly-community's halting attempts at decipherment, Coe relies heavily on cutting-edge breakthroughs in reading Maya script. But more than this, he demonstrates an ecellent knowledge of art history and archaeology, setting forth quite a rich array of information. A fine book by one of the great Precolumbian scholars of all time, amply supplemented with line drawings and an effective design strategy.

Many calligraphic traditions, such as Egyptian, East Asian, Islamic, and Western European, have been long studied and are generally well understood. However, much less attention has been given to Mayan calligraphy (from the South Americas). This magnificent book seeks to rectify the imbalance with an insightful, well written account of not only the meaning of Mayan calligraphy, but also its remarkable aesthetics.

The Mayans seem to have written on everything: seashells, jaguar skins, walls, rocks, wood, pottery, dishes, vases, caves, etc. The book beautifully reproduces and deciphers these writings, many for the first time. The world that emerges is neither Eastern nor Western, spiritual yet at the same time profoundly secular.

The Maya lowlands were known as "The Land of the Red and the Black," because their books were written with red and black pigments. Reproductions of some of their finest books are included here, though tragically, many of their books were destroyed.

The Mayans still have a lot to teach us. This book offers the curious reader an essential foundation for understanding a brilliant, often neglected civilization.

This is an amazingly beautiful book both visually and because of the way the articles accompanying these glorious pictures illuminate our understanding of the role of the scribe in the Mayan culture and how they worked. The images provided are simply exquisite and well chosen. It is impossible for me to flip to a page and not learn or see something new even after owning this book and looking at it for several years. There is just so much here that even as your eyes become familiar with it, you begin to see more deeply into it.

The authors show us how the writing developed, matured, and how the scribal tradition passed away. They also show us how western scholars tried to deal with this writing before the great decipherment happened in the second half of the twentieth century.

Yes, this can make a gorgeous coffee table book and can spark much discussion, but unlike books found on such tables, this one deserves to be read closely and multiple times. It is a book I treasure deeply.

This book is a MUST READ for ANYONE who deals with customers. My employer believes in this book so much, They designed a class around the book that every employee had or has to attend.

This is a great book for owners of businesses or people who work for corporations. I enjoyed the chapter about managing young workers.

A MUST READ for EVERY manager, employer, CEO, anyone who is a leader of just one or thousands of employees! It will literally change the way a leader looks at their company and what it takes to be successful by demonstrating how the employees MUST come first as the company's NUMBER ONE asset! It will cause a total shift in the leader's thinking, from "customer oriented" to "employee oriented" way of doing business. The author emphasizes as the company takes care of the employee, they, in turn will take care of the customer. Karl shows you how to do it with excellent concepts and ideas that work! Reading this book will cause the reader to lose sleep, to be haunted if they choose to ignore Karl's leading! Perhaps losing valuable employees in the process, never realizing why. Karl shares how companies spend thousands of dollars on learning how to catch and keep customers, when the real key, like Karl demonstrates, is how to catch and keep EMPLOYEES, who catch and keep customers. The business then thrives! Karl is an amazing author.

Karl Arlbrecht discusses customer service strategies and programs and the failed application of manufacturing ideas to service organisations. I was amazed how accurate his book was at describing many of the failures that my past two employers made. It was as if he had worked for us! An excellent reference book for management in service based businesses.

"What's in a name? History! The African American community has their community in Harlem; the Dominicans are beginning to carve out a space for their people...Spanish Harlem is the soul and heartbeat of the Puerto Rican people...groups survive by controlling space and maintaining a viable and visible presence..." (p. 73). This statement, made by an activist and poet during a debate on the use of the term "El Barrio" to reference East Harlem, touches on one of the main issues that Arlene Davila so brilliantly expresses in her book, Barrio Dreams: Puerto Ricans, Latinos, and the Neoliberal City. This rich ethnography focuses on the issue of space, particularly in the neighborhoods of El Barrio, or Spanish Harlem, located in the East Harlem district. She brings to light the cultural politics involved in the definition of space and its subsequent appropriation, as well as the commodification and marketability of ethnicity and race. Through extensive research, that includes interviews with local neighborhood residents, observations and participations at community meetings and organizations, and public hearings, Davila is able to put together a magnificent work that documents the complex effects of culture, space, commodification, representation and gentrification of space and the residents in El Barrio. In doing so, she is able to call "attention to the symbolic and representational processes that have tied race, ethnicity, and place in East Harlem within the public imagination...account[ing] for the value of these representations in the symbolic economy of contemporary cities" (p. 24).
El Barrio, a growing urban, Latino community is the foreground for Davila's examination of the politics of culture, urban space, gentrification of neighborhoods, and "the neoliberal policies that favor privatization and consumption" (p.2). Davila raises important questions in her work by focusing on the increasing attempts to create social change in urban communities through the introductions of new developments, businesses, museums, charter schools and tourist sites. In the chapters in her book, she devotes much time analyzing the complexities surrounding such gentrification issues, brining in to play the resistance of the local residents against developers. One particular impressive aspect of Davila's work, touches on the difficulties local residents face when they buy into the developer's ideas of programs that include home ownership and museums. Many residents agree that the image of Spanish Harlem as "poor, crime-ridden, and underdeveloped" sheds a negative light on their community (p.115). Developers, craftily pointing to the lack of value and marketability of Puerto Rican heritage or "Puerto Ricanness" reinforce the existing stereotyped image on El Barrio as unpopular (p.114).
Yet as Davila shows, the support of local residents of new projects can sometimes in fact lend a helping hand to the process of gentrification, resulting in residents jeopardizing their stake and claim in their own neighborhoods. In other words, "by supporting consumption and entertainment projects, such as museums and home-ownership programs, residents are furthering gentrification and increasing prices in East Harlem, thereby hindering their own future claims to the area" (p. 4). The Edison Project that Davila describes in her fourth chapter highlights the attempts of private organizations to claim stake in the urban communities of El Barrio, telling residents that "the project would educate residents about their own common heritage" while creating avenues "that would provide jobs and place the neighborhood on the map" (p. 129). But the price of these incentives was not free. Developers used culture as "the bait for a larger project for privatizing social services and further commodifying place in El Barrio" (p.129). Arlene Davila does an excellent job in bringing to light the complexities involved in the processes of gentrification and culture consumption and the desires of residents to reclaim their neighborhoods through highlighting their cultural values.
Another fascinating aspect of Davila's work touches on the issues of the relationships between the Puerto Rican residents of El Barrio and African Americans. Davila points out that both African Americans and Puerto Ricans share a common history, yet the introduction of a cultural space and the desire for "local control of resources" and "local electoral politics...has polarized the groups' relationship since the start of urban renewal projects and still mediates debates over space and development in the area" (p. 19). The advancement of African Americans in the political sphere is another point of tension between the two groups, as well as the dominant leadership roles of blacks in the urban development sectors. Additionally, Davila describes the tensions that exist between Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. The rapid growth of the Mexican population in El Barrio is causing the "rapid transformations in the area's demographics and landscapes" resulting in "tensions between Mexican and Puerto Rican populations, raced to their different histories, citizenship status, and/or self-conception as residents, racialized minorities, or temporary immigrants" (p. 21). While illuminating, the relationships and tensions that arise between the Puerto Ricans, African Americans and Mexicans alike can sometimes be messy. Their fight for control over space and their commonalities as minorities, whose culture is being commodified by developers and outside organizations, all tie in and relate to one another in a complex web of defining space and cultural values. As a results, the neighborhoods in which they all reside are slowly changing, reflecting the backdrops of multiculturalism, neoliberalism and globalization that form a common thread between the various issues and projects that Davila discusses in her work.
Barrio Dreams is an exceptional piece of work that illuminates the debates and issues surrounding the ever increasing urbanization and gentrification of one of New York's most well known neighborhoods. Arlene Davila is truly a genius at work!

Various historical points reveal where the redefinition of culture took place due to economically driven motives, which have proven pivotal for empowering as well as defining cultures. From the Pledge of Allegiance to the current war in Iraq, the lines drawn around the essence of one's culture have been exploited by money-driven entrepreneurs and politicians. Arlene Dávila exposes this phenomenon in East Harlem, and more specifically in el Barrio, in her new book Barrio Dreams: Puerto Ricans, Latinos, and the Neoliberal City. She is "concerned mostly with the specificity of current racial, ethnic, and spatial conflicts in the area" which, "become exacerbated by the cultural bases of many contemporary development initiatives at the very time that intraethnic and racial alliances among minorities are most impending and most needed." (5) Her book displays the reality of the struggle in El Barrio where "ethnic" groups have been battling for a place at the same time the "Latin" community as a whole has been fighting for a political position in order to gain control of the definition of their culture.
Culture, contrary to Dávila's belief that there was a time "when cultural demands commanded economic resources and political valence," (2) has almost always been advanced for economic reasons. Countries in the Arabian Gulf have attracted workers from all around the world to work in the oil and gas fields to an extent where now the citizen is a minority due to the influx of these workers-citizens of these countries have yet to object to the increasing number of workers. Surely when one's culture becomes the minority culture it will have a great impact on the shape it takes.
Dávila, author of Sponsored Identities: Culture, Politics in Puerto Rico and Latinos, Inc.: The Marketing and Making of a People, has done extensive study on the issue of politics in the marketing of the "Latin" identity. The use of "Latin" or "Latinidad" implies homogeneity-it is a remarkable how the author is sucked into this normative stereotypes constructed for categorization purposes. The author herself argues that the "Latin" community is not homogenous in any way, thus "these groups differ in mission and objective." (157) Hence we have El Barrio as an area where various groups are fighting for various ends-using the word "Latin" inevitably hinders our vision concerning the diversity of the "Latino" culture.
Nevertheless, it is not simply about homogeneity among the Puerto Ricans, Mexicans and Dominicans. It's about hierarchies within hierarchies; "the relations are mediated by existing racial and ethnic hierarchies that are shaped by racialist processes in the United States and in Latin America and also have particular manifestations that are historically and regionally situated" (171). Hence the "ethnic" groups are placed into hierarchies according to the basic social class and political participation in the United States, which finds El Barrio (in general) in the lower middle-class. But hierarchies exist within this hierarchy, which leads to the divide between the "Latino" groups. Their stance in this category revolves around several classifications such as devotion to work, crime rate, longevity in the community and other such ingredients. The "stereotypes of Mexicans as less educated or unsophisticated" (173) have been a catalyst for Mexicans to attempt to present themselves in a picture they believe suite their community most and thus they have considered themselves as "hard working, and ethical Mexicans" (173). But other than the competition between the "Latino" groups, in the one specific group there is a hierarchy. The example of Puerto Ricans "with a longer history in El Barrio, criticized Puerto Rican newcomers just as forcefully, despite their Puerto Rican nationality and pro-Puerto Rican leanings." (79) The complexity of these levels and allegiances causes conflict in the group, which ultimately leads to the dismantling of the "greater community"-the "Latin" one.
How does Dávila define culture? She states that culture is an "ethnic or racial identity" as well as an "object of entertainment." (10) Culture is almost always associated with tradition and history and it is ironic how modern means can reshape our concept of culture in addition to molding the minds of `outsiders' in regards to their perception of a community's culture. Culture is man-made and it is "imagined." It is interesting to note the use of Benedict Anderson's "imagined community" in Dávila's study of El Barrio. She throws it in on page 65 whilst talking about Puerto Ricans and their creation of their community. It is a shame that this notion of "imagined community" is not introduced earlier in her work. That is the foundational base of conflict in any society where various communities live and fight for elements of their own culture so as to proclaim its exclusivity to them.
But what is especially ironic is the fact that culture is not tangible and Dávila seems to miss a step between providing us with her definition of culture and the various problems that have taken shape in El Barrio due to gentrification, which ultimately means the exclusion of some communities-the exclusion from political representation in New York City is center to Dávila's study. She argues that the "Latin" communities are losing grip of the fate of El Barrio due to the lack or representation in organizations that decide the final outcome of El Barrio. Her argument is clear and impressive because of the depth of her research in the politics of representing a community; the author provides us with several examples of how tenants are defined by race and social class, and thus reshape the community.
Overall, the study is extremely interesting in seeing the impact of marketing and politics on culture and vice versa. El Barrio is not a unified force and culture-Dávila proclaims, "sure El Barrio continues to be "de todos." Which is obviously a partial todos." (96) The complexities that the author examines is impressive and brings to light the power of marketing and advertising that are politically motivated in a society. She is an anthropologist and it is a study that presents us with extensive examples and theories but leaves the door open, as anthropologists tend to observe and not interfere.

It is no secret that our society continues to thrive and grow out of the economic structure of capitalism. Globalization provides more opportunities for free trade, and in the process our economy becomes increasingly privatized. These concepts of neo-liberalism, which require less government intervention, have been expressed through policies that deregulate 'big business' and further the gap between the affluent and the impoverished. Although many are bearing the fruits of this growing interconnection of trade and exchange, it comes at the expense of those who remain indefinitely at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Through her book Barrio Dreams, Arlene Davila uncovers many repercussions concerning the growing competitive housing development market in El Barrio or East/Spanish Harlem. Davila discusses the process of gentrification that has resulted in a pauperized community within New York City. The book aims to characterize the cultural and political interactions between different groups of Latinos as well as between those within the greater community. Their attempts to shape the future of their barrio while understanding their own cultural capital are also constantly revealed. Davila portrays the politics of marketing ethnicity as culture, and how it is treated as industry to further the process of gentrification. This book highlights the increasingly significant role of Latinos in American society and their struggles to gain power and authority in their communities.
In areas such as New York City, where property value only has the ability to grow with time, impoverished neighborhoods such as East Harlem are susceptible to development from outside private companies. Government policies have further contributed to the gentrification in the Empowerment Zone in NYC and have opened the door for private development. Davila states, "Since the 1980's, similar policies involving tax incentives to the private sector, as in today's EZs, have consistently replaced publicly financed community-based development strategies as the dominant urban development strategy (pg 9)." In compliance with the philosophies of neo-liberalism, governmental organizations have shifted the responsibility of social housing onto private development organizations, which are solely driven by profitability. Unfortunately, this has rapidly decreased the amount of affordable housing in East Harlem. Local businesses and residents have been displaced and neglected as a result of this rapid gentrification. "East Harlem's real estate is not advertised in El Diario or other Latino and local newspapers...many believe, (they) intend to keep Latinos out of the area (pg 54)," said one the area's residents. This process is a result of the lack of representation from Latinos and residents of the community. Even those Latinos from the area who have shown upward mobility have been consequently displaced outside of East Harlem and thus do not intend to return. Spanish Harlem symbolizes the romanticized version of Latino culture and will unlikely relinquish its reputation of being underprivileged. Roberto, a union leader Davila interviewed, describes why he can not live in El Barrio: "I saw a lot of brutality...El Barrio will always be El Barrio, not the Puerto Rican Barrio, but the barrio of immigrants and the poor (pg 38)." Roberto's comments shine light on the fact that this neighborhood is not able to develop without providing outlets for upward mobility and representation.
Part of reshaping the marginalized perception of El Barrio is being provided by activists in order to "secure the identity of (their) place (pg 24)." The current commercialization and outside marketing contradicts attempts and assertions that are being made to redefine the associations to the Latino identity. Many of the residents that reside in East Harlem are not a homogenous culture or ethnicity. Specifically, Puerto Ricans have struggled to assert their identity as a community in American society. As a group, they have attempted to downplay the stereotypes and negative associations that are being exaggerated by cultural marketers. In attempting to understand the own accurate identity, Puerto Ricans must be able to understand their significance in El Barrio. Puerto Ricans have been commonly linked with other ethnic groups such as African-Americans, who reside in West Harlem. Davila discusses the movement of Puerto Ricans to differentiate themselves as a functioning and successful ethnic group. Mexicans, who are the fastest growing immigrant population in the United States, experience similar struggles of re-signification in East Harlem. They have tried to establish themselves as "worthy and hard-working immigrants," and separate themselves from the marginalized reputation of other Latinos in the area (pg 156). Davila cites one man who commented, "We Mexicans are hard workers and don't depend on welfare as do Dominicans...many Mexicans are deported because they are illegal. Each month, Dominicans are deported because they've been jailed for selling drugs, committing robberies, crimes and fraud (pg 172)." The US depends on Mexicans to fill the lowest positions in the workforce - those jobs that require extensive manual labor for very little pay - but our government and policies prevent these immigrants from gaining rights and representation in their communities. The Mexican Day Parade was one example of a culturally-specific event that was marketed and organized by non-Mexicans for corporate interests. Davila emphasizes that the control of such cultural events by marketers who do not represent the Mexican community actually undermines the purpose of such ethnic celebrations. Further, she stated that the outrage of Mexicans in such situations "asserted ethnicity over industry and challenged the inequities in the production and consumption of ethnic events (pg 167)."
Artists have become catalysts for publicly marketing the real Latino identity with images that represent both the past and present. This initiative contradicts the growing commercialization of Latino culture geared toward economic gains in the EZ. The author adds, "Heritage is ancillary to tourism, put in the service viable tourist districts containing cultural, entertainment, dining, and recreational attractions (98)." The various cultural projects in East Harlem that would further allow the appropriate exposure of Latino heritage, such as el Museo del Barrio and the Edison Project, were centered around tourism, economic interests, and employment. This only furthered the process of gentrification in East Harlem. To inhibit this process, artists began to show an effort to represent Latino aspirations and dreams through non-profitable murals and graffiti. Their actions signify that ethnicity is more than just a business venture. Davila posits, "The fact is that current ethnic and cultural identifications are being concurrently fueled by a variety of political and commercial interests, and are thus not about to fade, as long as they are profitable, politically marketable, and viable (pg 214)." Thus, the need for further artistic expression of the actual Latino ethnicity is vital.
Through her book, Arlene Davila clearly represents the position and role of many Latinos in American society today. Neoliberal policies further prevent these groups from taking hold of their community and ethnicity, and allowing private companies to consolidate affordable housing. This book can only shine light on the rapid gentrification of all cities around the country. It is difficult not to think of the re-urbanization process going on in Durham over the last five years, and in doing so I hope those involved think of places like East Harlem. Many of the same efforts to improve the image are fueled by economic interests, however without considering the history and diversity of this culturally-rich city, the future of Downtown Durham will continue to be tainted.

Arlene Davila's BARRIO DREAMS is simply amazing. It grapples with the diversification of New York's Latino population, asking important questions about community solidarity and alliances. The final chapter on Mexican immigration to El Barrio is especially informative. Professor Davila is a stellar scholar whose ground-breaking work is helping shape the future of Latino/a studies. A must-have book indeed!