Latinos: A Biography of the People.

LATINOS

A Biography of the People Earl Shorris Norton, $25, 520 pp.

Recent changes in Washington have brought new prominence to Latinos and the weight they bring into national politics. The Hispanic vote contributed to the election of President Bill Clinton, two talented Latinos, Federico F. Pena and Henry G. Cisneros, joined the Clinton cabinet, and a notable increase of persons from Spanish-speaking backgrounds assumed seats in the House of Representatives.

But Hispanics expressed disappointment about not having Hispanics in the Senate or the Supreme Court and fewer numbers than would be representative in subcabinet positions. Earl Shorris's book explains why Hispanic gains in public life have been so difficult. He points to the underlying divisions in the Hispanic community and to the consequent lack of a coherent Hispanic agenda. Shorris pictures in vivid detail the great diversity among Hispanics. After reading this book, some may never again feel comfortable using Latino or Hispanic when interacting with Puertorriquenos or twelfth-generation New Mexicans.

This is a daring book. In his bravado Shorris often succeeds brilliantly. When he fails it is always passionately. (Shorris, a non-Hispanic, grew up in Texas with Hispanics has and is married to a Latina.) The successes make the book important for showing non-Hispanics what Hispanics hold dear and Hispanics what crucial differences of experiences exist among themselves. We expect no one to confuse Irish with British, and one hopes that after delving into this book, sophistication about Hispanic categories will also prevail.

Further, Shorris reminds us that Hispanics preceded most Anglo groups in the foundation of this country. Latinos also captures the historical evolution from Spanish and Indian to mestizo, and the creation of irreducible mestizo cultures. In Shorris's view an important segment of Hispanics maintained Spanish language and cultural traits for generations. More, they have a fight to do so. Latinos will shortly become the largest ethnic group in America and will form one-half of those who identify themselves as Catholics. Hispanics have the capacity of enlivening the country and the church with values that enhance the evangelization of American culture. That, at least, is the hope of Allan Figueroa Deck, Virgilio Elizondo, and many other Hispanic leaders.

Shorris also discusses the distance between many Hispanics and the Catholic church. As sociologists Joseph Fitzpatrick and Andrew Greeley have argued, Shorris says that until Hispanics are ministered to by their own children there will be a measure of estrangement from their church. And he shows well the process of attraction to Pentecostal and other churches.

In treating religion, however, the author misses a central contribution of Hispanics to the Catholic church. Hispanic leaders, bishops, priests, and lay, resisted actively and passively the rules of the game that demanded they be assimilated, with no special treatment, within the church. Following three national encuentros these leaders persuaded the American hierarchy to issue a pastoral letter on Hispanics (1983) and a National Pastoral Plan for Hispanics (1987). The great victory Hispanics achieved is the recognition by the church that Hispanics have a right to use their language and their culture in the U.S. church. Thus the norm changed to integration, not assimilation. Bishop Ricardo Ramirez and others believe the Hispanic pastoral letter is one of the five great letters of the American episcopacy.

Although the skills of Shorris, a veteran journalist and novelist, bring great descriptive power to the book through extraordinary attention to details, the same skills disappear when he resorts to stereotypes. His unfortunate ethnic categorizing of Puerto Ricans marked by nostalgia and suffering the indignities of life or of Cubans as being fanatics overlook wide class, age, and personal differences. Puerto Ricans live comfortably in New Jersey or the District of Columbia suburbs as professionals working for the government as well as suffering in the worst sections of New York. Cuban-Americans include those who have made large sections of Miami into a youthful city with hard work, dancing, and food as well as the older persons suffering exile, with their toes pointed toward Havana.

Some of the philosophical musings are truly amazing. "Spanish is not a good language to be spoken by women; only a man with a deep voice can roll the Rs with courage." This would not be agreed to by Cuban men whose voices reach levels only dogs can hear or to Spanish-song aficionados heating Domingo or Carreras. Or, a little earlier: "The subjunctive has no memory."These overwrought musings and many others are like the opinionated lapses of a guide on a bus tour or happy-hour talk, jarring and not well integrated into the train of thought of a 520-page book.

In a brief promotional blurb, Jonathan Kozol noted that this is a sad book. It is, unnecessarily. The progress Hispanics/Latinos/Spanish-speaking have made is impressive and cause for some celebration. Celebratory was the mood among Hispanics who vied for places at Clinton's Hispanic Inaugural Gala. Along with Clinton's victory, the children of Columbus were celebrating their own place in U.S. society.

This book could be read with Strangers and Aliens No More, a first-rate summary of the research on Hispanics issued recently by the Office of Research of the U.S. Catholic Conference and with the new Latino National Political Survey. Many Hispanics register therein their loyalty to the church, their pride in the United States, and their expectations for an improved economic condition. And we, like Shorris, will hope for a second overview by a Latino/a.

REVIEWERS

NANCY HAEGEL is an associate professor of materials science at UCLA and a Kellogg National Fellow.

EDWARD L. CLEARY, O.P., is professor and director of Hispanic Studies, Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus, Ohio.

EDWARD T. WHEELER is chairman of the English Department at the Williams School in New London, Connecticut.