Defending Latina/o Immigrant Communities
Dr. Álvaro Huerta

Dr. Álvaro Huerta has crafted an impressive and valuable book that speaks directly and poignantly to the long-lived biases against Latinos in the United States. His collection of carefully selected essays and their key sources proffers a strong testimonial about the prejudices that developed against this community.  The book begins with two significant commentaries about Dr. Huerta’s purpose in preparing the book. The essay by Dr. Juan Gómez Quiñones is a tightly written erudite account of the formation and existence of negativity toward Latinos that has plagued them in this country.  The foreword by Dr. José Z. Calderon blends key aspects of the dilemma posed by this prejudicial phenomenon and the thoughtful, and at times, mirthful approach used by Dr. Huerta in presenting this theme.
 
In his essays, Dr. Huerta uses terms that are not just descriptors, but are also definitional and focus on the character and ideology of this minority group. Terms like Mexicans, Mexican Americans, Latinos, Latinx and the politically charged Chicano play an important role in his analysis. He often uses the terms separately, but also finds ways to blend and integrate them to form a composite of the people about whom he cares and writes. His definitional perspectives add to the richness of the stories he tells and engender a sense of shared experiences that transcend geographical location, and subcultures within the Latinos of America.   
I could go on to explore in more detail some of the essays Dr. Huerta uses in his superb book. However, two things auger against that. First, others have already devoted considerable time and effort to describe and explore the various issues in the separate essays. And second, time and space will not allow much further commentary. Suffice to say that Dr. Huerta has written a well-crafted and scholarly book that provides a plethora of insights, perspectives and well-documented research on the persistent prejudices that challenge Latinos in our country.
Dr. Álvaro Huerta (PhD) is an Associate Professor in Urban & Regional Planning and Ethnic & Women’s Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. He also holds an M.A. and a B.A. from UCLA.​

Defending Latina/o Immigrant Communities is a publication by Rowman & Littlefield. Click here to purchase.
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Reviewed ​by
Dr. Roberto Haro
​6/24/2020
Dr. Roberto Haro (PhD) is a retired professor and university senior administrator with career service at major research universities in California, Maryland and New York. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from UC Berkeley.
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