W. Dirk Raat

Strange Pilgrimages: Exile, Travel, and National Identity in Latin America, 1800-1990s (review)

Hispanics as evidence that notions of race and ethnicity are undergoing further adjustment in this country. This broad treatment of Latino identity and U.S. efforts to categorize its diverse populations will complement the plethora of new works on the Latino experience in the U.S. It should prove useful also to historians of race and ethnicity in America. While Rodríguez’s arguments are somewhat disorganized and repetitive, the redundancy permits the use of individual chapters for teaching purposes. Further, although little new scholarship appears here, the author provides a relatively thorough review of the literature on issues such as Latino identity formation and acculturation. In addition, Rodríguez’s history of Census activities is also quite thorough, and the book is richly documented. Those seeking more on the historical development of notions of race and ethnicity in Latin America will no doubt be disappointed, however, given the outdated and limited resources consulted. Perhaps the real value of this work is the perspective it offers on how Latinos in this country have been perceived and how they perceive themselves. It is likely that this population group will prove quite instrumental in reshaping our ideas of race and ethnicity.