Latinos: A Biography of the People

by Earl Shorris

"Brilliant.... A loving and detailed celebration of a diverse, beautiful and often astounding people."―Laurence Gonzales, Chicago Tribune They are sometimes called the people who died twice, once at the hands of the Spaniards and their brutal process of civilization, then at the hands of Anglos, practicing a subtler exploitation. They are Latinos, the fastest-growing minority in the United States. Earl Shorris's deeply moving narrative―enlivened by biographical sketches of Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, and many others struggling with the burden of a rich and terrible history―illuminates every aspect of the Latino experience in America, from language to education to social and political organization. "[A] powerful, beautifully-written and thoughtful book...likely to remain unequaled in its sweep and profundity for some time to come."―J. Jorge Klor de Alva, The New York Times Book Review "A smart, perceptive and wonderfully readable book.... Should be required reading for anyone who would hope to understand America."―Gerald Volgenau, Boston Globe

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Sociology

540 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Earl Shorris was an American writer and social critic. He is best known for establishing the Clemente Course in the Humanities, named after baseball great and humanitarian Roberto Clemente. The Clemente Course is an "educational institution founded in 1995 to teach the humanities at the college level to people living in economic distress." He was critical of Western culture as "sliding towards plutocracy and materialism." Shorris published extensively on Mexico and Mexican history. Shorris made the acquaintance of Miguel León-Portilla, who published a widely-read anthology of accounts of the conquest of Mexico from Aztec viewpoints, The Broken Spears. The two subsequently published an important anthology of Mesoamerican literature, bringing to a mass market the existence of significant body of writings by indigenous Mexicans.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

From his constant disdain for Caucasians (or, "Anglos", as he refers to them) to his disparaging footnotes in the family narratives towards the end of the book, Shorris is a sad, angry little man.

Initially I picked this up in the interests of researching for a story I'm working on. I looked forward to learning some history of the Latin culture and I must admit that there were certain sections where I was completely engrossed, but overall this is a tough read due to the nasty emotional brush that Shorris used to paint this history.

Published in 1992, I am curious if Shorris ever was semi-satisfied with the progress of the Latino culture before his death several years ago.

Two stars for the facts and interesting history in here but I can't rate it any higher due to his obvious bias.

[Valarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been reading as a complement to my Spanish class. The main thing I'm learning from this book is that the ocean that has been made of the differences between blacks and Latinos is more of a stream... actually a creek after months of drought. It's a very thought-provoking read and, while a bit dated (my copy was bought from a book fair in the early 90s), remains very timely in many respects.

[Deeperthanpoetry DRMelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, because it taught me & reminded me of how humanity is constantly changing. It also shows how diverse we as humans are and how many wonderful things come from diversity. It also covers dark historic facts about the abuse & mistreatment of people as a whole. I really learned a lot from this book.

[Paul Mena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sprawling work, the author does a commendable job of describing a diverse group of cultures related by a common language shared across North and South America. In the introduction, he is charged by a family friend, to "tell them we are not all alike." By and large, he is able to accomplish this goal by focusing in depth on individual families and their unique journeys in the U.S. Originally written in 1992, some more recent migrant populations (Hondurans, Venezuelans) are hardly mentioned, with particular emphasis placed on Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants. His tone is always empathetic but not sentimental, and his writing style clear, bordering on eloquent. My only critique is that at nearly 500 pages, I believe it could have been more concise, but I'm very happy to have found it at a local used book store.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shorris is brilliant. His writing is so well informed, humane, and just brilliant. I have to read everything he ever wrote.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is a novelist/journalist who grew up in El Paso with Mexican and Sephardic roots. The book is a series of vignettes that portray Latinos in the United States in a variety of settings: economic, political, religious, cultural.
Shorris always emphasizes diversity: Cubans, Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans; Catholics and others; wealthy, middle-class and poor; educated and uneducated (some men and women so badly taught that they are not fluent in any language.)
The best segments are moving and poetic: "The mother came here one day, she said to me, 'You want him, take him.' But I can't take him, he has a mother a home. Every day he eats lunch with me in the lunchroom. Now I have to send him to school in the Bronx.' They work well together, the stern one and the elfin one with the filigree of sadness over her smile. But they are not providers of bilingual education. The business of [the school] is triage."
Shorris does not aim at proof: he often makes undocumented assertions to move and inform us, but always with an open mind.

[Jacob Antony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Struggling with my own twisted ideals and impressions of illegal immigration, I personally agree with Rae. This book provides understanding on the Latino populous in this world. They are the growing minority in the U.S., far outpacing even the Asian community. Although merely stating the facts of the history of this culture (such as the Spaniard wars and the Anglo exploitations), it invites us to decide whether these people are guilty of the crimes that we have charged against them, or, is it really just a product of stereotypes and prejudice?

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I try to wrap my fingers around my convoluted thoughts and emotions regarding illegal immigration, I look for information from books, as well as people. This is a lengthy tome, but well worth the read as the author covers most of the issues concerning the Latino presence in America.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! I learned so much about Latinos that I didn't know, helping to give me a different perspective on a number of things.