Immigration and National Identities in Latin America

“This groundbreaking study examines the connection between what are arguably the two most distinguishing phenomena of the modern world: the unprecedented surges in global mobility and in the creation of politically bounded spaces and identities.”—Jose C. Moya, author of Cousins and Strangers 
 
“An excellent collection of studies connecting transnational migration to the construction of national identities. Highly recommended.”—Luis Roniger, author of Transnational Politics in Central America
 
“The importance of this collection goes beyond the confines of one geographic region as it offers new insight into the role of migration in the definition and redefinition of nation states everywhere.”—Fraser Ottanelli, coeditor of Letters from theSpanish Civil War
 
“This volume has set the standard for future work to follow.”—Daniel Masterson, author of The History of Peru
 
Between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, an influx of Europeans, Asians, and Arabic speakers indelibly changed the face of Latin America. While many studies of this period focus on why the immigrants came to the region, this volume addresses how the newcomers helped construct national identities in the Caribbean, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil.

In these essays, some of the most respected scholars of migration history examine the range of responses—some welcoming, some xenophobic—to the newcomers. They also look at the lasting effects that Jewish, German, Chinese, Italian, and Syrian immigrants had on the economic, sociocultural, and political institutions. These explorations of assimilation, race formation, and transnationalism enrich our understanding not only of migration to Latin America but also of the impact of immigration on the construction of national identity throughout the world.