Translation Nation: Defining a New American Identity in the Spanish-Speaking United States - Softcover

"Translation Nation...makes the tremendous diversity, dynamism and geographical breadth of our blossoming Hispanic population come alive. That's a valuable contribution to understanding where our country is going in this new century, and I am grateful to Tobar for providing it." --Washington Post Book World

"Tobar captures... the current state of Latinos in the United States...with equal measures of insight and élan, giving the book an infectious optimism, an undeniable sense that the nature and scope of latinidad are not only expanding but becoming more inclusive as well...Compelling." --The Los Angeles Times

"There is a secret América that has a message for America, and Héctor Tobar is its angel. Translation Nation will come as a revelation to many Americans. De Tocqueville, roll over. Here comes Tobar." --Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler's List

"Translation Nation will be looked upon as both a cornerstone and a corrective--the kind of book that didn't just document American life, but showed us the way of the future, too." --Dallas Morning News

"One of the book's true gems is Tobar's gifted, breezy writing style. His eye for detail intertwined with the storytelling skills of a novelist elevate his story beyond the usual immigrant tale...those interested in how the United States' largest minority group is influencing America's food, culture and politics will be well-served by Tobar's literate efforts." --Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Blending his memories of growing up Guatemalan American ...with more than a decade spent visiting Latino communities in the United States, this Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times journalist delivers an insightful meditation on the realities of modern-day Latino life." --Latina Magazine

"Tobar explores the vast and diverse "Latin Republic of the United States" in crisp, energetic prose...Consciously harking back to Tocqueville and other observers of the American experience, Tobar claims a place for Latinos in the evolving story of what is, after all, a very young nation of immigrants." --Arizona Republic

A tour of Spanish-American life informs readers on how its Spanish-speaking citizens are changing the notion of what it means to be a United States citizen in unexpected ways, citing the Spanish population's new role as the largest American minority, the author's own family history, and the complex variations of Spanish-American cultures from different geographical regions. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.