LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Minority

Latino rebel Che Ernesto Guevara  in 1964 in Cuba (Srkcxixngcpgn)

Che Lynch Guevara, the Latino-Irish revolutionary, is a world-famous symbol of resistance.

It's not just Mexicans in former-Mexico (now the US Southwest). Latinos are diverse.

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Latinos are not only Mexicans.

Marie Arana, author of LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority, which has 4.4 out of 5 stars after 17 ratings, was on AirTalk today.

It's a sweeping yet personal overview of the Latino [Hispanic, Latinx, Mexican, Central American, South American, Spanish-speaking] population of America, drawn from hundreds of interviews and prodigious research that emphasizes the diversity and little-known history of our largest and fastest-growing minority.

Why are so many U.S. Latinos Mexican? - Because this land used to be our neighbor Mexico.

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LatinoLand is an exceptional, all-encompassing overview of Hispanic America based on personal interviews, deep research, and Marie Arana’s life experience as a Latina.

Ethnic Realities of Mexican Americans (Guevara Urbina)

At present, Latinos comprise 1/5th or 20 percent of the US population, a number that is growing quickly. By 2050, census reports project that one in every three Americans (33%) will claim Latino heritage.

But Latinos are not a monolith. They do not represent a single group. The largest numbers are Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Cubans.

There's a look called feo, fuerte, y formal.

Each group has a different cultural and political background. Puerto Ricans, for example, are US citizens, whereas some Mexican Americans never immigrated because they didn't cross the border. The border crossed them.

That is, the US-Mexico border shifted after the US invasion of Mexico in 1848, stealing what is now the entire southwest of the United States.

Are you a rich elite, Cruz? - Are you a poor prisoner, AOC? - FU, Ted. - No, you, you b*tch!

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Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Virgen

Cubans came in two great waves, those escaping communism in the early years of Fidel Castro, many of whom were professionals, conservatives, and wealthy elites. The second wave were those permitted to leave in the Mariel boat lift 20 years later, representing some of the poorest Cubans, including prisoners.

As LatinoLand shows, Latinos were some of the earliest immigrants to what is now the US — some of them arriving in the 1500s.

They are racially diverse — a random fusion of white, Black, Indigenous, and Asian. Once overwhelmingly Catholic, they are becoming increasingly Protestant and Evangelical.

Who are the Dreamers in DACA?

They range from domestic workers and day laborers to successful artists, corporate CEOs, and US senators.

Formerly solidly Democratic, they now vote Republican in growing numbers. They are as varied culturally as any immigrants from Europe or Asia.

Author Arana draws on her own experience as the daughter of an American mother and Peruvian father who came to the US at age nine, straddling two worlds, as many Latinos do.

LatinoLand unabashedly celebrates Latino resilience and character and shows us why we must understand the fastest-growing minority in America. More

Latinos are fastest growing numerical minority in US – also the least understood?

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo (MX)

It's predicted that by 2050, over 30% of the U.S. population will have some Latino heritage. Despite a growing population, a lot is still unknown about the diverse fabric of this demographic group. Author Marie Arana (mariearana.net) takes up this topic in her new book LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority. The product of extensive research and personal experience, Arana attempts to understand and celebrate Latinos in America and their rich and varied contributions to the foundation of this country. She joins us today on AirTalk to discuss her new book.

• AUDIO: LISTEN TO INTERVIEW (17:09) NOW

What is it like South of the United States like the underground caverns of Mexico?