The Latino Threat - 3rd Edition by Leo R Chavez

About the Book

"News media and pundits too frequently perpetuate the notion that Latinos, both U.S.-born and immigrants, are an invading force bent on destroying the American way of life. Leo R. Chavez challenges the basic tenants of this assumption and other myths of the "Latino threat," providing a critical investigation into the fears and prejudices that are used to malign an entire population. In this updated and expanded third edition of his groundbreaking book, Chavez incorporates Donald Trump's emergence in American political life, with particular focus on the U.S.-Mexico border as a site of political theater, and the further sharpening of anti-Latino and anti-immigration rhetoric in public discourse. He also includes new discussions of "anchor babies," Dreamers and DACA, Latina reproduction and white replacement theory, and the emotional and psychological effects of negative political rhetoric on those whom it targets. Through trenchant analysis, this book reexamines urgent questions about what it means to be American"--

Book Synopsis

News media and pundits too frequently perpetuate the notion that Latinos, both US-born and immigrants, are an invading force bent on destroying the American way of life. Leo R. Chavez challenges the basic tenets of this assumption and other myths of the "Latino threat," providing a critical investigation into the fears and prejudices that are used to malign an entire population. In this updated and expanded third edition of his groundbreaking book, Chavez incorporates Donald Trump's emergence in American political life, with particular focus on the US-Mexico border as a site of political theater and the further sharpening of anti-Latino and anti-immigration rhetoric in public discourse. He also includes new discussions of "anchor babies," Dreamers and DACA, Latina reproduction and white replacement theory, and the emotional and psychological effects of negative political rhetoric on those whom it targets. Through trenchant analysis, this book reexamines urgent questions about what it means to be American.

About the Author

Leo R. Chavez is Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of several books, including Anchor Babies and the Challenge of Birthright Citizenship (Stanford, 2017). He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023.