Reference and Instruction Publications and Papers Reference and Instruction 11-2002 Latino Reference Resources Susan A. Vega Garcia Iowa State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/refinst_pubs Part of the Chicana/o Studies Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, and the Library and Information Science Commons The ompc lete bibliographic information for this item can be found at http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ refinst_pubs/38. For information on how to cite this item, please visit http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ howtocite.html. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Reference and Instruction at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Reference and Instruction Publications and Papers by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Latino Reference Resources Abstract The iH spanic and Latino presence in the US predates the existence of the US itself. Spanish exploration and colonization of North, Central, and South America in the sixteenth century began with the establishment of colonies in Puerto Rico in 1509. Florida, Texas, California, and the Southwest were regions of intense Spanish and (in Texas and further west) Mexican exploration, colonization, and cultivation throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. As recently as 160 years ago, Texas was still part of Mexico; California and the entire Southwest comprised northernmost Mexico until 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended hostilities in the Mexican American war. In that war, Mexico lost nearly half its territory, and that treaty guaranteed both US citizenship and retention of property rights to Mexicans living in the territory ceded to the US. As it worked out, however, many Mexican American landowners were dispossessed of their lands soon after the war and had to face other forms of discrimination. A generation later, the Mexican revolution (1910- 21) prompted emigration to the US, a flow that continues to the present day. Disciplines Chicana/o Studies | Ethnic Studies | Library and Information Science | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Comments This article is from Choice, 40, no. 3 (November 2002), 399-412. This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/refinst_pubs/38 BIBLIOGRAPHIC ESSAY Latino Reference Resources BY SUSAN A. VEGA GARCIA the US. In the mid-nineteenth century, groups (such as "Chicano") are often ap­ Cuban and Puerto Rican cigar workers, plied incorrectly to all the groups, as if all political nationalists, and intellectuals be­ Latinos were Chicanos. Then there is the Introduction gan to establish significant communities in question of Latin Americans and Spaniards Florida and New York, and to engage in living throughout the world, who can al­ a back and forth migration pattern between so be called "Latinos" or "Hispanics." he Hispanic and Latino pres­ their Caribbean islands and the US, much ence in the US predates the of the movement dictated by politics and These fundamental issues of identity lie existence of the US itself. economics. In 1917, all Puerto Ricans outside the scope of this essay, but should T Spanish exploration and col- became US citizens under provisions of be borne in mind by anyone who wishes to onization of North, Central, and South the Jones Act, which facilitated both im­ understand information by and about Lati­ America in the sixteenth century began migration and direct recruitment of Puer­ nos in the US. Readers unfamiliar with ba­ with the establishment of colonies in Puer­ to Rican laborers to states all across the sic US Latino issues might begin by read­ to Rico in 1509. Florida, Texas, Califor­ US throughout the twentieth century. Be­ ing Himilce Novas's popular, informal Ev­ nia, and the Southwest were regions of in­ fore the Cuban Revolution in 1959, im­ erything You Need to Know about Latino tense Spanish and (in Texas and further portant concentrations of Cubans already History, which covers just about everything­ west) Mexican exploration, colonization, lived in Florida, New York, and other states. from ethnic labels, identity issues, and sur­ and cultivation throughout the sixteenth, The Revolution prompted massive emi­ names, to the histories of specific Latino seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. As grations of Cubans to the US, a movement groups and the many differences between recently as 160 years ago, Texas was still that has ebbed and flowed in response to them. A more sophisticated analysis is pro­ part of Mexico; California and the entire both the unpredictable nature of political vided by Jorge J.E. Gracia, whose philo­ Southwest comprised northernmost Mex­ relations between the two countries and the sophical and scholarly essays ( Hispanic/Lati­ ico until 1848, when the Treaty of changing immigration policies of the US. no Identity) examine whether collective Guadalupe Hidalgo ended hostilities in More recently, other Latino groups such as terms (such as "Latino") have any mean­ the Mexican American war. In that war, Dominicans, Colombians, Salvadorans, and ing at all. An excellent time line record­ Mexico lost nearly half its territory, and that Guatemalans have established important ing the activities and contributions of His­ treaty guaranteed both US citizenship and communities across the US. panics and Latinos in the US is contained retention of property rights to Mexicans liv­ in Nicolas Kanellos's fact book and chronol­ ing in the territory ceded to the US. As Despite this long history, Latinos con­ ogy, Hispanic Firsts: 500 Years ofExtraor­ it worked out, however, many Mexican tinue to be described as "newcomers" to dinary Achievement, a readable work which American landowners were dispossessed of the US, and widespread confusion contin­ illustrates that "Hispanic peoples are re­ their lands soon after the war and had to ues concerning exactly what is meant by the sponsible for laying the foundation for much face other forms of discrimination. A gen­ collective terms "Latino" and "Hispanic," of American industry and civilization." 1 eration later, the Mexican revolution (1910- a confusion seen in many reference publi­ 21) prompted emigration to the US, a flow cations. The labels "Latino" and "His­ ince 1930, the US Census Bu­ that continues to the present day. panic" (as well as their older equivalents reau has steadily increased its ef­ "Spanish," "Spanish-surnamed," and "Span­ Sforts to define and enumerate Besides Mexican Americans, the two ish-speaking") tend to obscure the great di­ Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and other largest Latino groups in the US are versity inherent in the many different Lati­ other Latino groups. Only since 1970, Puerto Ricans and Cuban Americans, both no groups. It is as if there were only one however, has the Census presented that da­ of which have also long been present in "Hispanic" or "Latino" culture, language, ta under one label that unified-at least for race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, Census purposes-these various groups in­ class, or set of values. On the other hand, to a single category, known as "Spanish Susan A. Vega Garcia is the racial & ethnic studies bibliographer at Parks Library, Iowa State more precise names for specific Latino sub- Origin," "Spanish Surname," and in lat- University. November 2002 CHOICE 399 Latino Reference Resources er decades, "Hispanic." In recent decades, whose chief purposes would be "to assist in dedicated considerable energy and resources the Latino population in the US has grown the development of new curriculum and to the development and ongoing produc­ so significantly that today, according to bibliographical materials dealing with the tion of critical access tools and reference current Census reports by Melissa Ther­ culture, history and problems of the Mex­ materials in Latino studies. Major index­ rien and Roberto M. Ramirez, one in ev­ ican American. "4 From these beginnings, es, bibliographies, dictionaries, and ency­ ery eight people in the US is Latino, and important Chicano-focused libraries and clopedias in Latino studies have been pro­ their numbers are increasing so rapidly collections have been established through­ duced through the work and dedication of that Latinos will soon be the largest mi­ out California, notably at UClA, UC Berke­ Latino librarians, many of them informed nority group.2 Since 1990, while the en­ ley, and UC Santa Barbara, as well as in by the grassroots efforts and community­ tire US population grew by 13.2 percent, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and in other focused perspectives of the 1960s Latino the US Latino population increased by states. student movements. more than fifty percent. The population of all three of the largest Latino ethnic Many of these librarian-led projects and groups-Mexican Americans, Puerto Ri­ One in every eight people publications are documented in Salvador cans, and Cuban Americans-increased Giierefia's two collections on Latino li­ substantially during the last decade, but in the US is Latino. brarianship (Latino Librarianship: A Hand­ Latinos of other origins grew at the as­ book for Professionals and Library Services to tonishing rate of96.9 percent, suggesting Latinos). The fOrmer includes "Latino Ref­ that Latinos in the US are an increasing­ Similar Puerto Rican student-led move­ erence Sources," an authoritative biblio­ ly diverse group. 3 These realities increase ments in the late 1960s in New York and graphic essay by Richard Chabran on Lati­ the need for authoritative reference in­ elsewhere helped shape the creation of Puer­ no reference materials published up to that formation that concentrates on this im­ to Rican studies as an academic field of time, focusing on works produced during portant and complex population. inquiry, as well as provide impetus for the the fertile period of the 1960s up to 1990. foundation of important Puerto Rican re­ The present essay acknowledges Chabran's search centers and libraries, such as the li­ important work, and takes his essay as a Reference Materials brary of the Centro de Estudios Puertor­ point of departure.