Book Review

Book Review

This book “From Indians to Chicanos: The dynamics of Mexican American culture” by Vigil explains historical evidence of Mexican American culture. In this book the author states that Americans of Hispanic descent include people of any Mexican, Central and South American, and Caribbean nationality. Hispanics in the United States are a diverse population with great within-group and between-group differences. Many are relatively acculturated to mainstream American values, whereas others are more oriented toward their own traditional culture. Most (60%) of Hispanics in the United States were born in the United States, speak English, and aspire to achieve many of the same goals as others in the United States, such as earning a decent wage, providing a comfortable home to their children, and having their children excel educationally. In general, Hispanic Americans have a strong work ethic, are passionate about life, and are highly committed to their families and children. Their ethnic culture is rich in both tradition and customs, and their growing presence in the United States is reflected by their increasing influence in popular culture and in contemporary political discourse. (Vigil, 1998)

The term Hispanic stems from the word Hispania, which originally referred to the Iberian Peninsula that is now Spain. The U.S. government first used the term for the 1980 census count in reference to individuals with Latin American ancestry residing within the United States. Individuals of Spanish descent in the United States also may be included under the term. The ethnic label, Hispanic, however, is not universally accepted by all, and individuals rarely refer to themselves in that manner in their countries of origin. Different groups, and even individuals within the groups, have varying opinions regarding their preferred term for self-identification. Some individuals, particularly in the West, prefer “Latino/a” and view Latino/a as a more progressive ethnic label. Yet, Latino/a is opposed by some because they believe the term reflects the Roman empire that had conquered Spain, or because the term Latin generally refers to various southwestern European countries. Moreover, both terms (Hispanic and Latino/a) are polemic because neither term conveys the heterogeneity among people of Latin America. Nevertheless, ethnic nomenclature is arbitrary and constantly changes across time and geography. (Vigil, 1998)

During the past 20 years, the Hispanic American population has grown tremendously in the United States. The U.S. Census of 2002 reported that there were 37.4 million Hispanics living in the United States, in comparison with ...