From the publisher
Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia records the contribution of women of Latin American birth or heritage to the economic and cultural development of the United States. The encyclopedia, edited by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Snchez-Korrol, is the first comprehensive gathering of scholarship on Latinas. This encyclopedia will serve as an essential reference for decades to come.
In more than 580 entries, the historical and cultural narratives of Latinas come to life. From mestizo settlement, pioneer life, and diasporic communities, the encyclopedia details the contributions of women as settlers, comadres, and landowners, as organizers and nuns. More than 200 scholars explore the experiences of Latinas during and after EuroAmerican colonization and conquest; the early-19th-century migration of Puerto Ricans and Cubans; 20th-century issues of migration, cultural tradition, labor, gender roles, community organization, and politics; and much more. Individual biographical entries profile women who have left their mark on the historical and cultural landscape.
With more than 300 photographs, Latinas in the United States offers a mosaic of historical experiences, detailing how Latinas have shaped their own lives, cultures, and communities through mutual assistance and collective action, while confronting the pressures of colonialism, racism, discrimination, sexism, and poverty.
"Meant for scholars and general readers, this is a great resource on Latinas and historical topics connected with them."--curledup.com
In June 1941 twenty-year-old Apolonia "Polly" Munoz left her home in Mission, Texas, for Corpus Christi to pursue an education in nursing.
About the author
Vicki L. Ruiz is Professor of History and Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California, Irvine. Her many publications include From Out of the Shadows and Cannery Women, Cannery Lives. She and Virginia Snchez-Korrol were honored with a "21 Leaders for the 21st Century" award by Women's eNews. Ruiz is president of the Organization of American Historians.
Virginia Snchez-Korrol is a historian and Professor in the Department of Puerto Rican and Latino Studies at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. Among her many publications, she is co-editor with Vicki L. Ruiz of Latina Legacies: Identity, Biography and Community; co-author of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (IUP, 1999); and author of From Colonia to Community.
