Books With Flair

Analyzes contemporary superhero-themed cinema, television, and web series in Latin America. Capitán Latinoamérica is the first study to examine the unique contribution of Latin American cinema, television, and web series to the global superhero boom. Through an analysis of superhero-themed media from Mexico to Argentina, Vinodh Venkatesh argues that contemporary Latin American superheroes are a hybrid of regional tropes and figures such as the famed luchador, El Chapulín Colorado, and North American blockbuster characters from the DC and Marvel universes. These superheroes channel anxieties specific to their respective national contexts. In Chile, for example, Mirageman rehashes and works through the Pinochet dictatorship and its traumatic aftermath; in Honduras, Chinche Man confronts neoliberalism and gang violence. In Colombia’s El Man, in turn, rapid urbanization and drug cartels are the central concerns, whereas corruption and the political machinations of the state feature most prominently in the television and web series Capitán Centroamérica. While the Latin American superhero genre may be superficially characterized by low budgets and kitsch aesthetics, it also poses profound challenges to the social, political, and economic status quo. Covering a wide variety of media bookended by wrestling films from the early 1960s and multimedia productions from the 2010s, Capitán Latinoamérica offers a comprehensive introduction to, and assessment of, the state of the superhero in Latin America. Vinodh Venkatesh is Professor of Spanish at Virginia Tech and author of New Maricón Cinema: Outing Latin American Film and The Body as Capital: Masculinities in Contemporary Latin American Fiction.

Llamas are camel cousins. It is true! Llamas are also a vital part of some South American economies. Readers will also find out about some of the other camelids that call Latin America home, vicunas, guanacos, and alpacas.

The quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala and lends its name to that country's currency. In fact, the quetzal has long been revered for its beautiful feathers. In ancient times, the Mayan people used quetzal feathers as money. Your fascinated readers will find out more about this resplendent bird and some of its neighbors, such as the toucan and the macaw.

Carnivals are some of the most interesting and most fun celebrations in Latin America. Allow students to join in the festivities with this exciting and lively book that takes readers right to the middle of the memorable, inspiring celebrations.

Christmas is celebrated in many different ways by many cultures. This festive book focuses on the varying and beautiful Christmas traditions of Latin America, including Las Posadas, which focuses on the search for shelter, and Los Tres Reyes Magos, which celebrates the three wise men.

Sometime in April 2014, somewhere in a hospital in California, a Latino child tipped the demographic scales as Latinos displaced non-Hispanic whites as the largest racial/ethnic group in the state. So, one-hundred-sixty-six years after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo brought the Mexican province of Alta California into the United States, Latinos once again became the largest population in the state. Surprised? Texas will make the same transition sometime before 2020. When that happens, America's two most populous states, carrying the largest number of Electoral College votes, will be Latino. New Mexico is already there. New York, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada are shifting rapidly. Latino populations since 2000 have doubled in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and South Dakota. The US is undergoing a substantial and irreversible shift in its identity. So, too, are the Latinos who make up these populations. Matt Barreto and Gary M. Segura are the country's preeminent experts in the shape, disposition, and mood of Latino America. They show the extent to which Latinos have already transformed the US politically and socially, and how Latino Americans are the most buoyant and dynamic ethnic and racial group, often in quite counterintuitive ways. Latinos' optimism, strength of family, belief in the constructive role of government, and resilience have the imminent potential to reshape the political and partisan landscape for a generation and drive the outcome of elections as soon as 2016.

Enjoy the tales of Latin America--in Spanish and in English! In Stories from Latin America/Historias de Latinoamerica, we've placed the Spanish and English stories side by side--lado a lado--so you can practice and improve your reading skills in your new language while enjoying the support of your native tongue. This way, you'll avoid the inconvenience of constantly having to look up unfamiliar words and expressions in a dictionary. Read as much as you can understand, and then look to the facing page for help if necessary. As you read, you can check your comprehension by comparing the two versions of the story. You'll also find a bilingual vocabulary list at the end of the book, so you'll have a handy reference for new words. Stories from Latin America/Historias de Latinoamerica gives you the chance to Enjoy 16 fascinating short stories from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, and more Fine-tune your language skills while gaining insight into the rich cultural heritage of the people of Latin America Improve your reading and listening skills with free audio downloads of four chapters from the book at mhprofessional.com Genevieve Barlow is an experienced Spanish educator and author.