The Hispanic Condition - 2nd Edition by Ilan Stavans (Paperback)

About the Book

From the Back Cover

In The Hispanic Condition, Ilan Stavans offers a subtle and insightful meditation on Hispanic society in the United States. A native of Mexico, Stavans has emerged as one of the most distinguished Latin American writers of our time, an award-winning novelist and critic praised by scholars and beloved by readers. In this pioneering psycho-historical profile, he delves into the cultural differences and similarities among the five major Hispanic groups: Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Central and South Americans, and Spaniards.

Masterfully interweaving historical, literary, and political references with his personal experience, Stavans discusses the divisions within a common heritage; customs of music, love, sex, marriage, and religious belief; the role of the intellectual in society; ideological struggle; and the hopeful visions of the future at the core of a civilization rooted in the trauma of the past.

Review Quotes

"Savvy and engaging. Stavans is an inventive interpreter of the contemporary cultures of the Americas." -- Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

"A landmark study that explores with defiance and originality the convoluted Latino identity." -- Majorie Agosin, Wellesley College