What do you think?
Rate this book
The Americano Dream: How Latinos Can Achieve Success in Business and in Life
By drawing on the author's own experiences and those of other successful Latino celebrities, the owner of a multicultural ad agency illustrates how Latinos can compete and win in American society by overcoming obstacles and using the power of their Latino heritage.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1998
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 16, 2026
This was a nice and casual read, especially because of Lionel Sosa’s Mexican roots and cultural background. Since 2022, I’ve been learning Mexican Spanish with a Mexican teacher and gradually diving deeper into Mexican culture (because I intend to move to USA... I know), so the author’s perspective and life experience resonated with me on a personal level. You would think that a lot of the catering to the gringos or mezclando in with the Anglo-Saxon culture is something that is mostly common or prevalent with Latin-American immigration towards North America, but you would be surprised how this experience is transversal and applies to many other parts of the world (e.g., Portuguese moving abroad in general, but especially France/Switzerland).
To be proud of your heritage and to have the huevos to use it to your advantage (not to be seen as an oddity, but to be seen as a positive outlier asset) is the main message of the author. The book offers abstract and vague motivational insights, particularly around mindset, identity, and using cultural background as a strength rather than a limitation. I found it helpful in understanding how minorities and immigrants have historically navigated American business and society, and kind of comedic since this proudly showmanship and flagship of nationality pride is seen across Portuguese (sometimes, maybe to a detriment (too much)), but also relates to the clear-as-water patriotism of USA.
Having that said, the book was written in the late 1990s, and it shows: many examples, social dynamics, and business realities feel dated when viewed from today’s perspective. The core principles still hold value, but the practical context doesn’t fully reflect the modern US landscape shaped by technology (AI replacement), globalization (Internet), and changing work environments (DEI). The book was also mostly focused on the Advertising/Marketing industry, but that is understandable since this was the career of the author (and now he paints amazing portraits).
I have to be honest: I picked up this book some time ago when I made a promise to start reading, which only happened 6 years later (last year I started reading) and I see why it was being sold in this English book store in the back alley of Kraków: it's an dated book. So, I’d recommend this book for cheap as a motivational and cultural perspective for someone moving into USA, rather than a modern business playbook. It’s best read with the understanding that it reflects its time, while still offering general lessons about ambition, resilience, and identity.
To be proud of your heritage and to have the huevos to use it to your advantage (not to be seen as an oddity, but to be seen as a positive outlier asset) is the main message of the author. The book offers abstract and vague motivational insights, particularly around mindset, identity, and using cultural background as a strength rather than a limitation. I found it helpful in understanding how minorities and immigrants have historically navigated American business and society, and kind of comedic since this proudly showmanship and flagship of nationality pride is seen across Portuguese (sometimes, maybe to a detriment (too much)), but also relates to the clear-as-water patriotism of USA.
Having that said, the book was written in the late 1990s, and it shows: many examples, social dynamics, and business realities feel dated when viewed from today’s perspective. The core principles still hold value, but the practical context doesn’t fully reflect the modern US landscape shaped by technology (AI replacement), globalization (Internet), and changing work environments (DEI). The book was also mostly focused on the Advertising/Marketing industry, but that is understandable since this was the career of the author (and now he paints amazing portraits).
I have to be honest: I picked up this book some time ago when I made a promise to start reading, which only happened 6 years later (last year I started reading) and I see why it was being sold in this English book store in the back alley of Kraków: it's an dated book. So, I’d recommend this book for cheap as a motivational and cultural perspective for someone moving into USA, rather than a modern business playbook. It’s best read with the understanding that it reflects its time, while still offering general lessons about ambition, resilience, and identity.
Displaying 1 of 1 review