Perception or Reality? U.S. Portrayals of Latino Immigrants versus Latino Immigrant Literature

Abstract

The United States and Latin America share about a 1,954 mile long border, and the U.S. is home to millions of Latino immigrants, the descendants of Latino immigrants and Latinos who have watched the border move around them. The primary discourse around Latinos living in the United States is typically created by non-Latinos, and this one-sided discussion has created a certain perspective, and often a critical prejudice, toward multiple generations of Latinos. This research presentation will explore the juxtaposition of socio-cultural identities constructed by Latinos about themselves and those identities constructed for them by others.