Twenty one contributors examine New England’s Latino population

Posted by Elena del Valle on May 11, 2007

Latinos in New England

Latinos in New England book cover

Photo: Temple

Described as the first comprehensive look at the growing Latino presence in New England, Latinos in New England (Temple, $27.95), examines the impact one million Latinos have had on the region’s culture, politics, and economics. At the same time, the authors look at the effects of the locale on Latino residents, their lives, traditions, and institutions.

Twenty-one contributors dedicated 344 pages to exploring three broad areas: demographic trends, migration and community formation, and identity and politics. They peek at the Latino panorama through oral histories, case studies, ethnographic inquiries, focus group research, surveys, and statistical analyses.

The book also includes information about the “Dominicanization” of the Latino community in Waterbury, Connecticut; the immigration experiences of Brazilians in Massachusetts; the influence of Latinos on New England’s Catholic churches; and the development and growth of a Latino community in Providence, Rhode Island.

Contributors include: Amílcar Antonio Barreto, Yoel Camayd-Freixas, Jorge Capetillo-Ponce, José E. Cruz, Cileine de Lourenço, Ruth Glasser, Phillip J. Granberry, Megan Halloran, Deborah Pacini Hernandez, José Itzigsohn, Gerald Karush, Robert Kramer, Nelly Lejter, Enrico A. Marcelli, Angel A. Amy Moreno, Hosffman Ospino, Adrian D. Pantoja, C. Eduardo Siqueira, Michael E. Stone, and Miren Uriarte.

Book editor Andrés Torres is research associate of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College, City University of New York. Prior to the publication of the book, he was director of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts. He is past president of the Puerto Rican Studies Association and is the author of The Puerto Rican Movement: Voices from the Diaspora.