Synopses & Reviews
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the smash hit Deep Down Dark, a definitive tour of the Spanish-speaking United States — a parallel nation, 35 million strong, that is changing the very notion of what it means to be an American in unprecedented and unexpected ways.
Tobar begins on familiar terrain, in his native Los Angeles, with his family's story, along with that of two brothers of Mexican origin with very different interpretations of Americanismo, or American identity as seen through a Latin American lens — one headed for U.S. citizenship and the other for the wrong side of the law and the south side of the border. But this is just a jumping-off point. Soon we are in Dalton, Georgia, the most Spanish-speaking town in the Deep South, and in Rupert, Idaho, where the most popular radio DJ is known as "El Chupacabras." By the end of the book, we have traveled from the geographical extremes into the heartland, exploring the familiar complexities of Cuban Miami and the brand-new ones of a busy Omaha INS station.
Sophisticated, provocative, and deeply human, Translation Nation uncovers the ways that Hispanic Americans are forging new identities, redefining the experience of the American immigrant, and reinventing the American community. It is a book that rises, brilliantly, to meet one of the most profound shifts in American identity.
Review
"Tobar explores the vast and diverse 'Latin Republic of the United States' in crisp, energetic prose...Consciously harking back to Tocqueville and other observers of the American experience, Tobar claims a place for Latinos in the evolving story of what is, after all, a very young nation of immigrants." Arizona Republic
Review
"One of the book's true gems is Tobar's gifted, breezy writing style. His eye for detail intertwined with the storytelling skills of a novelist elevate his story beyond the usual immigrant tale...those interested in how the United States' largest minority group is influencing America's food, culture and politics will be well-served by Tobar's literate efforts." Cleveland Plain Dealer
Review
"[Makes] the tremendous diversity, dynamism and geographical breadth of our blossoming Hispanic population come alive. (Ruy Telxeira, The Washington Post Book World) Tobar maps out a complex national identity for America's fastest-growing minority....A welcome contribution to the cultural history of globablization." Newsweek
Review
"Translation Nation…makes the tremendous diversity, dynamism and geographical breadth of our blossoming Hispanic population come alive. That's a valuable contribution to understanding where our country is going in this new century, and I am grateful to Tobar for providing it." Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the smash hit Deep Down Dark, a definitive tour of the Spanish-speaking United States--a parallel nation, 35 million strong, that is changing the very notion of what it means to be an American in unprecedented and unexpected ways. Tobar begins on familiar terrain, in his native Los Angeles, with his family's story, along with that of two brothers of Mexican origin with very different interpretations of Americanismo, or American identity as seen through a Latin American lens--one headed for U.S. citizenship and the other for the wrong side of the law and the south side of the border. But this is just a jumping-off point. Soon we are in Dalton, Georgia, the most Spanish-speaking town in the Deep South, and in Rupert, Idaho, where the most popular radio DJ is known as El Chupacabras. By the end of the book, we have traveled from the geographical extremes into the heartland, exploring the familiar complexities of Cuban Miami and the brand-new ones of a busy Omaha INS station.
Sophisticated, provocative, and deeply human, Translation Nation uncovers the ways that Hispanic Americans are forging new identities, redefining the experience of the American immigrant, and reinventing the American community. It is a book that rises, brilliantly, to meet one of the most profound shifts in American identity.
About the Author
Hector Tobar is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He has also written for The New Yorker and LA Weekly, and his reporting is often syndicated nationally. He is also a novelist who has been nominated for the PEN Center USA West Award. Longtime National Latino Affairs Correspondent of the Los Angeles Times, Tobar now works as their Mexico City Bureau Chief.
Table of Contents
Part One: Crossings
Chapter One:
Americanismo: City of Peasants
Los Angeles, California
Chapter Two:
Where Green Chiles Roam: No es imposible
San Ysidro, California; Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Chapter Three:
Brother Citizen, Brother Alien: Sin fronteras
Watts, California; Ameca, Jalisco, Mexico
Part Two: Pioneers and Pilgrimage
Chapter Four:
The Wanderers: El destierro
Ashland, Alabama; McAllen, Texas; Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico
Chapter Five:
In the Land of the New: En la tierra de lo nuevo
Dalton, Georgia; Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico; Memphis, Tennessee
Chapter Six:
Our Secret Latin Heartland: Los secretos del machote
Rupert, Idaho; Frankenmuth, Michigan; Grand Island, Nebraska; Liberal, Kansas
Part Three: Manifest Destinies
Chapter Seven:
Unconquered: La reconquista
Cordova, New Mexico; San Fernando, California; San Antonio, Texas
Chapter Eight:
The Old Men and the Boy: Los balseros
Miami, Florida
Chapter Nine:
Fathers, Daughters, Citizens, and Strongwomen: El hombre y el orgullo
Barstow, Los Angeles, Bell Gardens, Maywood, Watts, and South Gate, California
Part Four: E Pluribus Unum
Chapter Ten:
Una Nación Unida: Heroes of Another Fatherland
El Reno, Oklahoma; San Juan, Puerto Rico; New York, New York; Baghdad, Iraq
Epilogue:
Che and the Three Monkeys: Che y los tres monos
La Higuera, Bolivia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Los Angelos; California; Ashland, Alabama
Acknowledgments
Notes