Encyclopedia Latina: History, Culture, and Society in the United States.

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Author: Gustin, Ginny1

REFERENCE

STAVANS, Ilan, ed.
Encyclopedia Latina: History, Culture,
and Society in the United States. 4 vols.
unpaged. charts. maps. photos. reprods.
appendix. further reading. index. Web sites. CIP.
Grolier 2005. Tr $449.
ISBN 0-7172-5815-7. LC 2004023603.

Gr 9 Up-- This encyclopedia lives up to the scope claimed in its subtitle. The 650 alphabetically arranged, signed entries cover a range of topics from the general ("Alcohol," "History," "Painting") to the specific ("Aztlán," "Zoot Suit Riots," "Proposition 187," "Congressional Hispanic Caucus"). There is an entry on each of the 50 states, and numerous biographical entries are included. Discussions of "Adoption," "Afro-American Influences," "Puerto Rican Politics," and "United States-Mexico Border" attest to the broad reach of the set. Each entry ends with a list of the related articles found in the set, a bibliography, and, sometimes, a list of selected Web sites. The appendixes at the end of the final volume include primary documents such as treaties and constitutions. The detailed index is nearly 100 pages long. Each volume contains an eight-page center insert of excellent color photographs in addition to the numerous average-quality, black-and-white photos and reproductions, and charts and maps placed throughout the text. Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture (Greenwood, 2004) has a narrower scope and is less scholarly in approach. Encyclopedia Latina is an excellent resource for anyone researching Latino history and culture.

Encyclopedia Latina (Stavans)

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By Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA

REFERENCE BOOK EDITOR Daryl Grabarek