Labor leader, social justice advocate, Chicano leader, and humanitarian are only some of the multifaceted renderings of Cesar Chavez. Ilan Stavans has compiled essays and first-person narratives that capture the multiple dimensions of this storied figure. To that end, Stavans's collection of timely articles separates fact from fiction, or as he puts it the "objective is the opposite of hagiography."
Broken into two sections, "Cesar Chavez" explores a variety of topics central to understanding the actual person instead of a shadowy apparition. The first part, "Considerations" offers...
Labor leader, social justice advocate, Chicano leader, and humanitarian are only some of the multifaceted renderings of Cesar Chavez. Ilan Stavans ...
Drama Excess Men in bee suits Often erroneously compared to soap operas of the United States, outside of the necessary and sometimes fantastical dramatic story arc, however, the "telenovela" differs greatly from U.S. soap operas and have regional and cultural distinctions throughout Latin America. In "Telenovelas," Ilan Stavans has gathered over two-dozen essays covering the "telenovela" for readers to better understand the phenomenon and its myriad layers.
Branching off from "radionovelas," the "telenovela" was exported from pre-Castro Cuba during the 1950s. The essays found in...
Drama Excess Men in bee suits Often erroneously compared to soap operas of the United States, outside of the necessary and sometimes fantastical...
Defining Mexican-American food is difficult due to its incredibly diverse roots and traditions. This unique style of cuisine varies significantly from Mexican and Latin American cuisines, fusing Native American and Hispanic influences stemming from three centuries of first Spanish and later Mexican rule. In "Mexican-American Cuisine," renowned authority in Latino culture Ilan Stavans and 10 other experts in southwestern cuisine explore the food itself and associated traditions.
The book presents nine scholarly essays that examine philosophical understandings of Mexican-American cuisine....
Defining Mexican-American food is difficult due to its incredibly diverse roots and traditions. This unique style of cuisine varies significantly f...
The border between the United States and Mexico, despite attempts at containment, remains a vast and uniquely malleable yet indefinable region. With "Border Culture," Ilan Stavans has collected essays representative of the tangled experiences and issues central to life between cultures.
Divided into two sections, "Border Culture" covers topics essential to better understanding this often misunderstood region and state-of-mind. The first section, "Considerations," culls essays covering socio-economic and political topics illustrating the hyper reality of life and living on "La Frontera."...
The border between the United States and Mexico, despite attempts at containment, remains a vast and uniquely malleable yet indefinable region. Wit...
Jewish Latin American literature in Spanish begins with The Jewish Gauchos of the Pampas, a series of vignettes about shtetl life in Argentina first published in 1910 and now available for the first time in an English-language paperback edition as the inaugural volume in the new Jewish Latin America series. Praised for its depiction of how two entirely different cultures could coexist in a symbiotic relationship, Jewish Gauchos was written about a decade after Jewish immigration to Argentina began in earnest. The author, a major figure in Argentine literature, was a great influence on...
Jewish Latin American literature in Spanish begins with The Jewish Gauchos of the Pampas, a series of vignettes about shtetl life in Argentina first p...
In contrast with its relative lack of popularity in the United States, elsewhere, professional soccer is a hugely popular sport whose key players rival movie stars in popularity and influence. For many Latinos, especially those who emigrated to the United States, it is the game of choice. While Latino players are still not a major force in U.S. soccer, Latino fans certainly are, comprising, by one estimate, 45 percent of Major League Soccer attendees.
Seeking to explain the allure and the influence of soccer among Latinos, particularly those living in the United States, "Futbol" offers...
In contrast with its relative lack of popularity in the United States, elsewhere, professional soccer is a hugely popular sport whose key players r...
From the late, great Roberto Clemente, to Giants legend Juan Marichal to Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, the Alou brothers, and many, many more, Latinos continue to make their mark on baseball. Beisbol takes an interdisciplinary look at this phenomenon, examining the impact of Latino players on the game and all that surrounds it, as well as baseball's impact on Latino players and fans.
Under the expert guidance of Ilan Stavans, the book collects essays and literary pieces that offer a wide-range of assessments, from the personal to the...
From the late, great Roberto Clemente, to Giants legend Juan Marichal to Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, the Alou brothe...
An important new translation of a fundamental work of Brazilian literature Written by a former army lieutenant, civil engineer, and journalist, Backlands is Euclides da Cunha's vivid and poignant portrayal of Brazil's infamous War of Canudos. The deadliest civil war in Brazilian history, the conflict during the 1890s was between the government and the village of Canudos in the northeastern state of Bahia, which had been settled by 30,000 followers of the religious zealot Antonio Conselheiro. Far from just an objective retelling, da Cunha's story shows both the significance...
An important new translation of a fundamental work of Brazilian literature Written by a former army lieutenant, civil engineer, and journ...
Is the Bible actually a love story between a deity and a people? And what does this love story have to do with the modern world? In With All Thine Heart distinguished cultural critic Ilan Stavans speaks to freelance writer Mordecai Drache about love in the Bible. Presented in an engaging, conversational format and touched with striking artwork, the textured dialogue between Stavans and Drache is meant to show how the Bible is a multidimensional text and one that, when considered over the course of history, still has the power to shape our world. The theme of love provides the connective...
Is the Bible actually a love story between a deity and a people? And what does this love story have to do with the modern world? In With All Thine Hea...
Mexican educator and thinker Jose Vasconcelos is to Latinos what W.E.B. Du Bois is to African Americans--a controversial scholar who fostered an alternative view of the future. In Jose Vasconcelos: The Prophet of Race, his influential 1925 essay, "Mestizaje" key to understanding the role he played in the shaping of multiethnic America--is for the first time showcased and properly analyzed. Freshly translated here by John H. R. Polt, "Mestizaje" suggested that the Brown Race from Latin America was called to dominate the world, a thesis embraced by activists and scholars north and...
Mexican educator and thinker Jose Vasconcelos is to Latinos what W.E.B. Du Bois is to African Americans--a controversial scholar who fostered an alter...
