The Mexican American experience : an encyclopedia /

Meier, one of the founders of the Chicano studies movement, again collaborates with Gutierrez, (Encyclopedia of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement, CH, Nov'00) on a superb resource focused on the fastest growing population group in the US. Building on a long history of related scholarship, this well-organized work attempts a basic yet comprehensive coverage of the history of Mexican Americans. Entries treat everything from the arts to religion, political activism to sports, and education to business, all within the context of the historical experience. Much of the strength of this work lies in the biographical entries, which create coherent portraits with few words yet put a human face on events and issues. Almost every entry ends with suggested readings or short bibliographies, which are extremely useful and relevant and include books, Web sites, and articles from popular and scholarly journals. The work focuses on the Southwest, which points up the need for future reference works and scholarship on the significant history of Mexican Americans in the rest of the country. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All libraries. J. H. Pollitz St. Ambrose University

By 2010--based on statistics of the 2000 census--it is predicted that persons of Mexican ancestry will be the largest minority group in the U.S. With this in mind, the authors, as a means of promoting a better understanding, present an abundance of facts and figures related to Mexicanos,0 from the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe to the present day, with emphasis on the Southwestern region of the U.S. More than 800 entries encompass labor issues (Boycott, grape)0 ; legislation (Box Bill, 1926)0 ; religion (Guadalupe, Virgin of0 ); historical events (Taos Rebellion, 1846-18470 ); organizations (English Only movement0 ); and 0 discrimination (Bloody Christmas, 19510 ) as well as such luminaries as singer Joan Baez, activist Eleuterio Escabar, golfer Nancy Lopez, poet Ricardo Sanchez, and revolutionary Pancho Villa. All entries are listed by category in the "Guide to Selected Related Entries." The preface is a lesson in itself as it defines and explains often misused and confused terms such as Californio, Tejano, Nuevomexicano, Chicano, Mexican American, raza, Mexicano, Hispano0 , and Latino0 . Articles range in length from a short paragraph to more than a full page and provide cross-references and further readings. Although noteworthy for the information provided, this volume is not without flaws. A random sampling of the bibliographical information offered for further reading found locating many of the cited materials difficult, and the few illustrations fail to capture attention. Because of pertinence to the Southwest, this source would be recommended for inclusion in collections in public libraries and high schools in that region. Public and school libraries in other regions might consider it if there are strong curricular needs. -- RBB Copyright 2004 Booklist