“This is a book that explores how African history—political history, cultural history, literary history—weighs and therefore haunts some of the stories that we tell ourselves about latinidad.”

Geraldo Cadava
Geraldo Cadava is a professor of history and Latina and Latino studies at Northwestern University. Before becoming coeditor in chief of Public Books, he served as an editor of the Borderlands section, which he continues to work on with A. Naomi Paik and Catherine S. Ramírez. He is the author of Standing on Common Ground (Harvard University Press, 2013) and The Hispanic Republican (Ecco, 2020), and is currently writing an interpretive, narrative-driven history of Latinos since the late 15th century.
Edgar Gomez on “High-Risk Homosexual”
In this latest episode of the Writing Latinos podcast, we talk about machismo, cockfighting, reconciling with parents, the Pulse nightclub shooting, bilingualism in contemporary literature, and the “messiness” of latinidad.
Lorgia García Peña on “Translating Blackness”
In this latest episode of the Writing Latinos podcast, we discuss how some Afro-Latinas argue that the US census needs to accept that Latinos are not a race.
Graciela Mochkofsky on “The Prophet of the Andes”
In this latest episode of the Writing Latinos podcast, we discuss how a new book shatters preconceptions about religion in the Americas.
Natalia Molina on “A Place at the Nayarit”
Writing Latinos is a new podcast featuring interviews with Latino authors discussing their books and how their writing contributes to the ever-changing conversation about the meanings of latinidad.
Cuba & the US: Necessary Mirrors
Exponentially more enslaved Africans were forced to the lands that now make up Latin America rather than the United States. Where is their story?
From “Crisis” to Futurity
Introducing a new series to push forward our thinking and action about immigration and borders.
Solidarity Is a Process: Talking with Kelly Lytle Hernandez, Josh Kun, and Destin Jenkins
“Solidarity is not a thing. There’s no formula, no exact science. There is ongoing process.”
The Big Picture: Building the Wall
Since November 2016, I’ve unfriended one family member on Facebook, and have been tempted to unfriend others. I blocked a cousin who lives in Texas and posted about Mexicans taking American jobs. It ...