Product Description

Within the next decade, Hispanics will become the largest minority group in the United States. The new immigrants have ignited a vibrant Latin explosion in popular culture and deeply affected American society.

Spanning 500 years-from the first New World colonies to our nation's nineteenth-century westward expansion, from the days of gunboat diplomacy to the turn of the millennium-Harvest of Empire features family portraits of real-life immigrants along with sketches of the political events and social conditions that compelled them to leave their homeland. In addition, it gives a fascinating look at how these Latino pioneers have transformed the cultural landscape of the United States.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #87948 in Books
• Published on: 2001-01-01
• Released on: 2001-01-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780140255393
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Readers familiar with immigration history as told in books like Roger Daniels's Coming to America will experience a sense of déjà vu with Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzalez. The immigrant experience is a constant in American life; although the tides ebb and flow, it seems that there always has been an immigrant presence in the United States. What's different today, of course, is where the immigrants are coming from: half are Latin American.

Gonzalez, a columnist for the New York Daily News, studies these latest arrivals in a book that combines history and journalism. He has a keen understanding of Hispanic diversity, focusing not just on "Hispanics" as a monolithic category but as a variety of people from many nations. The politics in Harvest of Empire are often tendentious: Gonzalez unfavorably compares U.S. border control efforts to building the Great Wall in China, demands an end to Puerto Rico's "colonial status," insists that Spanish become an official language actively encouraged in the public schools, and so on. His agenda will no doubt appeal to a certain kind of reader, but at the cost of alienating many others, including, probably, a majority of Hispanics living in the United States. For those looking for a left-leaning account of Hispanic immigration, however, this book succeeds as an ambitious survey. --John J. Miller

From Booklist
Gonzalez, a Puerto Rican journalist, brings passion and research to this recounting of the fascinating history of Latins in America. He notes the Latinization of the U.S. with rising immigration from Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America to projections that Latinos will constitute the largest minority in the nation by 2010. Gonzalez explores why Spanish and British colonization experiences were so different, particularly the divergence in attitudes on slavery and race. The book is organized to explore what Gonzalez calls "Roots," the historical relationship between Latin America and the U.S., "Branches," the six major Latino groups in the nation, and "Harvest," issues facing Latinos in the U.S. today. He dissects the U.S. exploitation and occupation of Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, and Cuba and examines the U.S. policy of supporting dictators friendly to U.S. interest that has destabilized Latin America and provoked massive immigration to the U.S. This is an important book for understanding a major American ethnic group. Vanessa Bush

Review
A serious, significant contribution to understanding who the Hispanics of the United States are and where they came from. -- The New York Times Book Review

Required reading, not simply for Latinos but for everyone. -- Kansas City Star

Customer Reviews

"Harvest of Empire" is a Must Read
"Harvest of Empire" is a must read for Latinos and those who are interested in learning more about the nation's fastest growing ethnic group. Gonzalez has fearlessly examined the history of Latinos from the Spanish and English conquests to the present day.

Gonzalez effectively paints a large overall picture of why Latinos migrated to the United States. As he noted, Latinos migrated to this country because they were responding to the needs of the United States which has often acted as an empire imposing its will on Latin American nations.

The best part about the book, however, is that it examines the history of many different Latino groups. So often, books about Latinos deal solely with the history of Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans. As the book demonstrates, Latinos and many Latin American countries such as the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua share much more than just a common language.

The book adds a lot of insight into the growing political clout of Latinos as well as the debate over language.

On a personal note, as a Puerto Rican growing up in New York City, the book has helped me to better understand my identity as well as the shame many tried to make me feel. I attended public school in New York and I can't remember one instance where we learned anything about Latino heroes or history. This book has helped to fill that void and should be used in the classroom, particularly in college.

Review of Harvest of Empire
Harvest of Empire, a book by Juan Gonzalez, gives a history of Latinos in the United States. The book is divided into three sections entitled "Roots," "Branches," and "Harvest." The first section contains three chapters that provide a brief history of the relationship between Latin America and the United States. The second section is composed of six chapters, each one devoted to one of the major groups of Latinos living in the United States. Each of the following groups are described in this section: Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Cubans, Dominicans, Central Americans, and Columbians and Panamanians share a chapter. Within the six chapters, Gonzalez writes about individuals or families in order to reflect the general migration story of the larger groups. Thus, these individual portrayals serve as representations of the larger collection of immigrants. In the third section Gonzalez discusses several topics relating to Hispanics living in the United States. The topics include politics, immigration, language and culture, free trade, and the state of Puerto Rico.
This book has several strengths. In the first section, Juan Gonzalez provides an informative summary of the history of colonization and expansion in the Americas. The summary is well-researched and easy to read. The main strength of section one is Gonzalez's explanation for why different societies exist today in the United States and Latin America. His theory is that different societies exist as a result of the historical antecedents to our modern society. In section two, the immigrant descriptions help to personalize each of the different groups and allow the reader to identify with their stories. Also, Gonzalez stresses the important differences between each of the various Latino immigrant groups in the United States. Gonzalez combines much historical research with personal interviews he has conducted of various immigrant families. In section three, Gonzalez raises several issues concerning Hispanics living in the United States that are timely. He also asserts six changes he believes are essential to ensure Latino prosperity and assimilation in the United States. The six changes he suggests are thought provoking and stimulating.
Although the book has many strengths, it also has limitations. The most obvious limitation of the first section is its brevity. Gonzalez attempts to summarize more than 500 years of history in less than eighty pages. As a result, much of the history described is generalized and collapsed into short, summary statements. Also, Gonzalez could have better organized sources for further reading and study. He does provide an extensive bibliography, but it is not organized according to subject matter. A better organization of the bibliography would have been more helpful. For example, a list of further readings at the end of each chapter would have been beneficial.
This book is well suited for those wishing to learn more about Hispanics in the United States. It would be ideal for use in a class on Hispanic culture. Also, it would be beneficial for those wishing to learn more about Hispanic immigration to the United States.

The Latino Boom
This is one of those great books that gives readers a sweep of hundreds of years of history while at the same providing a laser-like focus on current events. "Harvest of Empire" is about the rise of Latinos in America from LA to Miami, from Brownsville, Texas to Brownsville, Brooklyn. It is scholarly without being academic, politically analytical without being polemical. It is about the immense contribution that Latinos have made and are now making to the politics and culture of the U.S. It is about the steady Latinoization of American culture from the big band sounds of Mario Bauza and Machito to Gloria Estefan and Selena. As a veteran newspaperman and columnist,Juan Gonzalez has always been an activist-reporter, someone who refuses to distance himself the events he covers. Now, as historian and writer, he brings the same sense of up-close and personal to his story of Latinos in America. It is history with passion.