Hispanics/Latinos in the United States

Already the largest minority group in the United States, by the middle of the next century Hispanics/Latinos will outnumber all other minority groups combined. As such an increasingly important presence in American society, their values, views, and rights must be taken into account by the American population at large. But Hispanics/Latinos, far from being homogenous, differ greatly in terms of origin, race, language, religion, political affiliation, customs, physical appearance, economic status, education, and taste, among other things. This diversity raises important questions about their identity and their rights. Is there a single Hispanic/Latino identity, or are there many identities based on such specifics as class and origin? Do Hispanics/Latinos as such have rights, or are their rights based only on their particular origin or situation? Does affirmative action apply to all Hispanics/Latinos, or just to some?
"Hispanics/Latinos in the United States" brings together for the first time an impressive collection of interdisciplinary essays by scholars across the nation, in an attempt to come to grips with these pressing issues. From a broad historical account of the racial and ethnic character of the term "Hispanic" to discussions of Hispanic identity issues in the law, politics and education, this provocative and cutting-edge collection is an important contribution to the national conversation about identity and rights in America today.

Jorge J. E. Gracia is Samuel P. Capen Chair and SUNY Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Buffalo. He is the author most recently of Hispanic/Latino Identity (1999). Pablo De Greiff is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Buffalo and editor of Drugs and the Limits of Liberalism (1999).