Hispanic Condition

<p>In <em>The Hispanic Condition </em> Ilan Stavans offers a subtle and insightful meditation on Hispanic society in the United States. A native of Mexico Stavans has emerged as one of the most distinguished Latin American writers of our time an award-winning novelist and critic praised by scholars and beloved by readers. In this pioneering psycho-historical profile he delves into the cultural differences and similarities among the five major Hispanic groups: Cubans Puerto Ricans Mexicans Central and South Americans and Spaniards.<p>Masterfully interweaving historical literary and political references with his personal experience Stavans discusses the divisions within a common heritage; customs of music love sex marriage and religious belief; the role of the intellectual in society; ideological struggle; and the hopeful visions of the future at the core of a civilization rooted in the trauma of the past.</p>