Crucible of Struggle: A History of Mexican Americans from Colonial Times to the Present Era.

• Author: van Tine, Shalon
• Position: LATIN AMERICA - Book review

Vargas, Zaragosa. Crucible of Struggle: A History of Mexican Americans from Colonial Times to the Present Era (2nd edition). New York: Oxford University Press, 2016.

By the end of the twenty-first century, Latinos are expected to make up about half of the US population (xii). Since Mexican Americans make up the majority of this Latino population, there is renewed interest in the history and influence of Mexican Americans in the US political economy. There are, however, few comprehensive studies that offer a sufficient narrative on the story of Mexican Americans. The second edition of Zaragosa Vargas' Crucible of Struggle: A History of Mexican Americans from Colonial Times to the Present Era meets this demand by offering a detailed account of Mexican Americans and their impact on the evolving national identity of the United States.

Rather than limiting his focus to recent events, Vargas takes a broad approach in explaining the struggles and histories that create the Mexican American experience. He begins his journey...