Latinos in the Washington Metro Area (Images of America) - Softcover

The Latino presence in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area has diverse roots and a rich history. The earlier residents were relatively small in number, but the Latino population increased dramatically in the late 20th century. Today, this unique Latino community is the 12th largest in the nation. While people of Salvadoran origin are the most numerous, this area is also home to those who hail from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, and many other nations and cultures. This book highlights the early days of the Hispanic Festival, the Central American peace movement, the struggle for civil and immigrants' rights, and notable residents. With a shared immigrant experience and broad cultural bonds, these and many other Latino residents have transformed the Washington, DC, area.

Anthropologist Maria Sprehn-Malagon, PhD, whose family is from Spain; historian Jorge Hernandez-Fujigaki, PhD, a Mexican immigrant; and college counselor Linda Robinson, of Puerto Rican descent, collaborated on this book. Both Maria Sprehn-Malagon and Linda Robinson are lifelong residents of the DC area. The pictures in this book were collected from family albums, local photographers collections, scholars archives, Spanish-language newspapers, and the Library of Congress.