The editors have assembled a group of essays that resist the stereotypes that frame Americans' perceptions of race, moving beyond superficial treatments of Latinos as a monolithic group. It offers a comprehensive introduction to the diversity of Latino cultures and experiences in the US. Several of the contributors examine the immigration experiences of groups from different Latin American nations, while others reflect on how Latinos living in the US identify themselves.

While food, music, clothing, and other elements of Latino material culture have been incorporated into the mainstream, Amerian schools continue to neglect Latino history, politics, socio-economic conditions, family life, and educational experiences. At the same time that educators continue to exclude such topics from their courses, legislation like California's Proposition 187 seeks to exclude the children of Latino immigrants from the education system itself.

Sections cover topics such as immigration, concepts and theories of ethnicity, identity, work and family life, and political and economic restructuring. Each section contains articles about several Latin groups. Tracing the intersection of race, class, gender, ethnicity and citizenship, the contributors expose the constraints that shape the lives of Latinos and explore thepossibilities ahead.
-- Presents a diverse range of Latino groups from many countries
-- Challenges the boundaries that define race and ethnicity
-- Explores the future of Latinos in the US