Yale University Library Research Guides: Resources for Racial Justice: Latinx History

Latinx History

Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez A sweeping history of the Latino experience in the United States.
An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz An intersectional history of the shared struggle for African American and Latinx civil rights.
Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino" by Héctor Tobar Our Migrant Souls decodes the meaning of "Latino" as a racial and ethnic identity in the modern United States, and seeks to give voice to the angst and anger of young Latino people who have seen latinidad transformed into hateful tropes about "illegals" and have faced insults, harassment, and division based on white insecurities and economic exploitation.
Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism by Laura E. Gómez Laura E. Gomez, a leading expert on race in America, argues that it is only recently that Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Central Americans, and others are seeing themselves (and being seen by others) under the banner of a cohesive racial identity.

Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity (Online) by Robert Chao Romero Explores the history and theology of what the author terms the "Brown Church." Romero considers how Latino/a Christianity has responded to injustices throughout its history by appealing to the belief that God's vision for redemption includes not only heavenly promises but also the transformation of every aspect of our lives and the world.
Mestizaje: (Re)mapping Race, Culture, and Faith in Latina/o Catholicism (Online) by Nestor Medina Traces the subversive and innovative ways in which Catholic theologians have turned the Mestizaje concept into a powerful framework for articulating the experiences of faith of Latina/o communities.
Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality (Online) by Tanya Katerí Hernández A comprehensive book about anti-Black bias in the Latino community that unpacks the misconception that Latinos are "exempt" from racism due to their ethnicity and multicultural background.
Racism and God-Talk: A Latino/a Perspective (Online) by Ruben Rosario Rodriguez Offers insights from Latino/a theology for broader scholarly and social discussions concerning racism, borders, and immigration.