Assesses the role of a foreign-dominated oil industry in the construction of Venezuelan citizenship and the industry's impact on culture and politics, as well as race, class, and labor relations of the nation.

Oil has played a major role in Venezuela s economy since the first gusher was discovered along Lake Maracaibo in 1922. As Miguel Tinker Salas demonstrates, oil has also transformed the country s social, cultural, and political landscapes. In "The Enduring Legacy," Tinker Salas traces the history of the oil industry s rise in Venezuela from the beginning of the twentieth century, paying particular attention to the experiences and perceptions of industry employees, both foreign and Venezuelan. He reveals how class ambitions and corporate interests combined to reshape many Venezuelans ideas of...