Latinos Unidos: From Cultural Diversity to the Politics of Solidarity (Critical Perspectives Series: A Book Series Dedicated to Paulo Freire)

Latinos Unidos presents an unexpected perspective on Latinos—not only as a highly diverse and rapidly growing population in the United States with distinct social, cultural, and economic features—but as a new political force with a cohesive collective ethnic identity. Indeed, Latinos in this country constitute a new political power coming to grips with their global significance. Within two decades, Latino children will constitute a majority in urban public schools around the country. By the mid-21st century, Latinos (along with African-Americans) will represent half the U.S. population.

While much of the literature in the social sciences continues to stereotype Latinos as marginalized, poor, and low-achievers, unable to "assimilate" and function in mainstream society, Latinos are quietly taking important positions in academic, government, professional organizations, and the international world of economics. Their rapid flow into the U.S. has, to an extent, camouflaged this upward social, educational, and class mobility. Trueba, using his unique vantage point as a Latino immigrant and scholar, explores the vital issues of personal identity and resiliency, adaptive strategies, and successes of Latinos in North America in this pathbreaking book. Among the most fascinating and least known subjects he discusses are binational networks, which describe the bilingual and bicultural capabilities of a new generation of Latinos who can function on both sides of the border with Mexico. Most of all, readers will come away from Latinos Unidos with the growing significance of Latinos in the U.S. and their vital role in shaping the future.