The Other Face of America: Chronicles of the Immigrants Shaping Our Future – A Journalist's Perspective on Latino Identity, Families, and Cultural Diversity

by Jorge Ramos

Immigrants in America are at the heart of what makes this country the most prosperous and visionary in the world. Writing from his own heartfelt perspective as an immigrant, Jorge Ramos, one of the world’s most popular and well-respected Spanish-language television news broadcasters, listens to and explores stories of dozens of immigrants who decided to change their lives and risk everything -- families, jobs, history, and their own culture -- in order to pursue a better, freer, and opportunity-filled future in the United States.In his famously clear voice, Jorge Ramos brings to life the tales of individuals from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, among other countries, and explains why they first immigrated, what their dreams are, how they deal with American racism, and what they believe their future in America will hold for them and their children. From the Vieques controversy to the "Spanglish" phenomenon to the explosion of Latino creativity in the arts, Ramos shows that there is a new face in America -- one whose colors and countries of origin are as diverse as the country it has adopted as home.

Genres: Spanish Literature, Nonfiction, Politics

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Jorge Gilberto Ramos Ávalos is a Mexican-born American journalist and author. Regarded as the best-known Spanish-language news anchor in the United States of America, he has been referred to as "The Walter Cronkite of Latin America".

Reviews

[Jade Lopez-Soto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives pretty decent insight into the climate of the latinx community at the time and tells many stories of immigrants with a variety of backgrounds. I actually learned a lot from this book, but I rated 4 stars because I think Jorge Ramos could've gone deeper into the racism/xenophobia brown immigrants face.

[Ken Hoffner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si este libro tuviera un mensaje singular lo sería esto: Estados Unidos es un país multiétnico, multirracial, y multicultural y todavía no ha aceptado este hecho. Según el escritor mexicano Octavio Paz, para construir una sociedad inclusiva es "el gran reto histórico de Estados Unidos." Hasta ahora, hemos fallados en cumplir este reto. El tema de multiculturalismo es seguido por la idea repetida que los inmigrantes indocumentados aportan más a la economía nacional que ellos sacan. Este libro era mi primera correría en la literatura del idioma español, y apreciaba el vocabulario sencillo y las frases directas escritos por Ramos.

Soy un hombre blanco, nacido en EU, y para mí, leer este libro fue muy interesante. Aunque esta edición fue publicado en 2002, es todavía relevante hoy mismo en 2019. De hecho, creo que el tratamiento de inmigrantes ha empeorado desde 2002. El libro termina con un sueño de amnistía por los indocumentados, como lo que ocurrió en 1986. Lamentablemente, este sueño parece politicamente más lejos que nunca.

Las secciones más interesantes para mí eran las de "California es el futuro", "Vieques y el ser puertorriqueño" y las historias personales de los inmigrantes. California está en la vanguardia del futuro de nuestro país, y es un laboratorio para construir una sociedad multicultural, multiétnica, y multiracial. Creo que desde 2002, California ha convertido más en un buen ejemplo para EU, y es un estado que me da la esperanza.

La sección del libro acerca de Puerto Rico era muy relevante en luz del renuncio reciente del gobernador Rosselló. Ramos dijo que el asunto de la isla de Vieques era un estímulo para la autodefinición de los boricuas, y el renuncio de Roselló continuó este tendencia hacía la autodefinición como una gente independiente.

Las historias de los inmigrantes me capturaban. Me gustaban las historias sobre cómo los inmigrantes asimilan en EU. Nunca voy a celebrar el día de acción de gracias otra vez sin pensando en el San Guivi. También, me gustaba mucho la sección acerca del espanglish y el futuro de español en Estados Unidos. Mi uso de español ya es como espanglish.

Las partes menos interesantes para mí: la sección acerca del niño cubano Elián González y las cuentas del racismo. Ramos se parece sorprendido que hay racismo en EU. Nuestro país fue fundado en el racismo inherente en la esclavitud. No es alguna cosa nueva.

Estoy contento que yo leyera este libro, y se lo recomiendo, incluso en el año 2019.

[Linsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy bien conversación de las historias de inmigrantes latinos a los Estados Unidos.

Hay una cita que quiero compartir del libro:
“…si [Pat] Buchanan quiere poner una reja doble en 200 millas, ¿qué haría en las otras 1,800 millas de frontera?…con esa mirada racista, nunca podrá ser presidente de un país multicultural como Estados Unidos. Eso es un alivio” (38).

Este libro se publicó en 2006, antes de la era de D*n*ld Tr*mp. Parece que poco cambia porque él también tiene esas mismas ideas y convirtió en ser el presidente de los Estados Unidos. Algo necesita cambiar…

[Alejandro Magallanes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book written with purpose. He strives to express the immigrant experience and succeeds. The stories are beautiful. Some are tragic. I think a shorter and quicker intro from Ramos would be better. I think his extensive and proud details on the Mexican immigrant's plight might turn people off before the stories begin. It is evident that he knows and has lived his life as an immigrant and is proud to share that story with everyone.

[Brayan Neira · Rating 3 out of 5]

el autor abarca varias mini historias que amplían la percepción de los migrantes, sin embargo algunos datos se vuelven muy repetitivos, lo que hace que en ocasiones la lectura se vuelva muy monótona y predecible.

[Pia Tejeda · Rating 1 out of 5]

so boring

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

30:2023
Solid journalism. Learned a bit. Lower rating only cuz it's a bit dated. Might have to hunt down some newer with by Ramos.

[Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are only looking for first hand accounts and a light read, you might love this. I found it to avoid any serious examination of economic, social, and political reasons for the situation, but I suppose I was expecting something else from The Other Face. In addition to stories from immigrants, which were great, I had hoped there would be some data, solid substance...some factual weight. Instead he is repetitive is repetitive is repetitive. While he makes good points (although obvious, at least to anyone who doesn’t get an erection when they see a picture of Reagan), this book is sorely in need of a bibliography. Don’t get me wrong, as one of the most respected news anchors in the United States, I have no doubt that he is honestly referencing legitimate sources. I just struggle with his casual citation. I kept wondering throughout...who is this directed at? Like a predictable human, here I sit, consuming media that reinforces my beliefs. Yet no one writes to convince the convinced, so that leaves the ‘on the fence’, or at least those capable of understanding the world in a different light than the black/white fucked up filter of Sean Hannity. So list your sources, man. You aren’t going to persuade anyone otherwise. And writing according to the United States Census, or I once read somewhere doesn’t cover it, not even close. At least point a reference to the year, date, author, etc. It would bug me anyway, regardless of how much I agree with it...but the man’s a journalist.

Aside from all of that, it really does contain moving stories; Jorge’s pride for his culture often made me smile in its unexpected bursts. An interesting situation he observes is how Mexicans, Dominicans, Spanish, Venezualans, etc. failed to fit the prediction of social scientists; they, unlike the Irish, Germans, Italians, (and so forth) failed to assimilate nicely into whatever the hell American culture is. He notes their resistance to ignoring ancestry, and how, even several generations in, many still refer to their home country as their sole nationality. That, I imagine, is a source of conflict with many, and while I couldn’t care less if you call yourself an American, it still brings up an interesting thought: is the idea of a “melting pot” relevant anymore, and if so, does it matter that there is a rising majority that largely refuses to play along?

Stray observations: (I am stealing this style from the A.V. Club)

• Interesting to read about racism from another pov than whites against everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, we usually deserve every bit of it, but it was eye opening for me to read about Puerto Rican’s discrimination against Dominicans. While more racism isn’t ever good news, its important to note that it seems to be more fundamentally present in our culture as hominids than just white people

• Fascinating to learn about small teams of guys staying technologically ahead of the federales, at least as far as faking documents goes

• Good examples of the political sway of Cubans in Florida and Mexicans in California when they band together and get shit done

• More salsa and tortillas are sold nationally than bagels and ketchup. I believe it, and holy hell I will continue to support that.

[Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

From the beginning, Ramos and I disagreed in a fundamental way...he makes no distinction between legal and illegal immigration. To him, if you are against one then you must be against the other. I found this book to be a biased, sugar-coated diatribe in favor of the inevitable Latinization of America.

By telling the individual (and, granted, very sad) stories of immigrants, Ramos hopes to play upon the reader's heartstrings and sway opinion. He acknowledges none of the negative aspects of illegal immigration such as gang behavior, drug trafficking, increased crime, graffiti, low-income communities, and drains on social services, particularly the schools, hospitals and trauma centers.

I would like to be compassionate and open-minded regarding this volatile social issue, but I just could not agree with the author's premise or conclusions.

[Justin Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me a better understanding of many aspects of the current state of immigration into the United States. I specifically liked how Ramos mixes personal stories and statistics. I also, appreciated the attention that he gave to each of the individual Latino groups. I would agree that this book does not address the possible negative effects of illegal immigration. Nevertheless, it provides an excess of facts and perspectives which I have hardly once heard from Americans who oppose immigration. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in the topic. Read it, reserving your own opinion, and I'm sure you will learn something new.

[Abi Olvera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been trying to figure out where I stand on immigration, so decided to check this book out. It definitely helped me understand better the plight of the typical undocumented immigrant who risks his or her life to come to the United States and be paid a measly wage with little protection. Offers some good solutions. It does seem, however, incredibly one sided and I did not agree with the "espanglish" section. It was also an annoyance to read since one section was written in "espanglish" but it does offer a new way to look at it.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow--a real eye opener for a "gringa." The subtitle explains the topic: Stories of Latin American immigrants who are changing the United States. An easy read in Spanish for the intermediate/advanced reader. This is an important book for citizens who care about the issues surrounding immigration. I highly recommend it, whether in English or Spanish. Both versions are available on Amazon.

[Kathleen Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. It gives a different perspective on the role of immigrants, specifically Hispanic immigrants, in the daily life of our country. Even illegal immigrants are making a huge contribution. I especially enjoyed his comments on "Spanglish" and his musings about the country and the president in 2059!

[Caz Margenau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jorge Ramos might look like Anderson Cooper, but he is the most popular and respected Spanish language news man. Far more than just a swing vote for democrats, latinos in this country are changing the future of the nation.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, it's alright. It's a good starter book for those interested in immigrant issues.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great view on Hispanics in the united states and as an author I love Jorge he has written all great books

[Ileana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn a lot about those who dare to change and contribute to the life of their adopted country. It was great reading.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Jorge's writing style and what he write is amazing.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

he's just awesome! this so a sociological view at how latinos are changing the rules in "America"

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a decent easy-read intro to Latino immigrant politics. It is a VERY easy read in Spanish since the writing is repetitive.