This collection of essays includes papers presented at the 21st annual Eugene Scassa Mock OAS Conference, an inter-collegiate competition and prestigious academic conference focused on inter-American political systems and the politics, history, and culture of the Americas. The volume includes papers on US-Mexico and Mexico-Spain business relations written by experts from universities in Mexico; Organisation of American States intervention in Cuba and Venezuela; social histories of Mexico involving women’s rights, civil rights of immigrants in the American Southwest, and the history and nuance of LGBT groups in Mexico; quantitative analysis of protest movements in Chile; religious history as pertaining to politics in the early United States; and a series of three short papers on the importance and legacy of sugar in the Caribbean. Written by recognized authorities in their fields and by promising new scholars alike, the collection presents a wide assortment of viewpoints and research backgrounds to portray the Americas and its vast and diverse cultural fabric.

This volume of The ANNALS brings together a leading set of scholars to present new research on trends in the spatial forms of immigration that are transforming the American landscape—the effects of "the world in a city." With a distinct analytic focus, the volume takes a comparative approach, examining recent immigration trends, disaggregating by ethnicity or immigrant type wherever possible, focusing on core features of the nation's social fabric (e.g., violence, legitimacy of social institutions, governance, economic well-being), and empirically going beyond the big cities of traditional concern to a host of smaller cities and towns reaching into far-flung pockets of the country. The lineup includes papers on both familiar cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami; as well as places as different as San Antonio; Nashville; Boston; Dublin; Hazleton, Pennsylvania; and St. James, Minnesota. While the places studied and features of their social fabric may differ, the social processes underlying the spatial forms of immigration are shown to be largely the same. This volume will be of interest to social scientists from a broad range of disciplines who engage in research and teaching on issues related to immigration; policy-makers; and individuals working on immigration-policy research.

Leading scholars examine how the church, community organizations, and the government must work together to provide for America's poor in the aftermath of welfare reform. . Who will provide for Americas children, elderly, and working families? Not since the 1930s has our nation faced such fundamental choices over how to care for all its citizens. Now, amid economic prosperity, Americans are asking what government, business, and non-profit organizations can and can’t do and what they should and shouldn’t be asked to do. As both political parties look to faith-based organizations to meet material and spiritual needs, the center of this historic debate is the changing role of religion. These essays combine a fresh perspective and detailed analysis on these pressing issues. They emerge from a three-year Harvard Seminar sponsored by the Center for the Study of Values in Public Life that brought together scholars in public policy, government, religion, sociology, law, education, and non-profit leadership. By putting the present moment in broad historical perspective, these essays offer rich insights into the resources of faith-based organizations, while cautioning against viewing their expanded role as an alternative to the government’s responsibility. In Who Will Provide? community leaders, organizational managers, public officials, and scholars will find careful analysis drawing on a number of fields to aid their work of devising better partnerships of social provision locally and nationally. It was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Book of 2001..

This book provides a broad overview of the development of Ibero-American cultural policy in an important and innovative way. This volume brings together specialists in the field, from different nations and disciplines, and provides the keys to understanding the different trajectories and experiences of some significant countries in the area on both sides of the Atlantic; the recent developments in this domain such as urban cultural regeneration policies and cultural development policies; and the dynamics of policy transfers such as cultural diplomacy. The book also contrasts the applicability and the explanatory power of the idea of the family of nations for the analysis of cultural policy with models inspired by the welfare regimes. This book allows international researchers an overarching view of the peculiarities and the latest achievements in the field of Ibero-American cultural policy. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Cultural Policy.

Dive into the rich cultural traditions and meanings behind the age-old celebration of a young woman's transition into adulthood in Latin American society. Discover how the Quinceañera ceremony symbolizes a girl's maturity, virtue, and readiness to take on the responsibilities of adult life. Explore the elaborate planning, intricate customs, and vibrant festivities that come together to create a truly memorable and symbolic event for families and communities. Uncover the deep historical roots of the Quinceañera tradition, tracing its origins back to pre-Columbian indigenous practices that have evolved over centuries to become a quintessential cultural celebration in Latin America. Learn about the intersection of religion, family values, and social expectations that shape the way Quinceañera celebrations are carried out in different regions and subcultures across the continent. Witness the beauty and splendor of Quinceañera dresses, a central element of the celebration that embodies the young woman's transformation into womanhood. Delve into the intricate symbolism behind the various rituals and symbolic gestures that make up the Quinceañera ceremony, from the blessing of the rosary to the changing of shoes, each carrying its own special significance and meaning. Explore the ways in which modern Quinceañera celebrations have retained their cultural essence while also adapting to contemporary trends and influences. From themed parties and choreographed dances to social media showcases and destination celebrations, see how Quinceañeras continue to evolve and resonate with younger generations in Latin American communities and beyond. Gain a deeper appreciation for the customs, values, and traditions that shape the Quinceañera celebration as a rite of passage that transcends borders and unites families in a shared cultural experience. Whether you are a participant, observer, or simply curious about the significance of this age-old tradition, Sacred Rituals offers a captivating journey into the heart of the Quinceañera celebration.

This essential and urgent book presents research-based understandings about Asian American early childhood, bringing to light the battle Asian Americans face against American nativism from their early years’ experiences. The first of its kind in academic literature, the book addresses the well-known issue of underrepresentation of Asian Americans in early childhood education research and practice, and in American society in general. Using the intersectionality and multiple identities perspectives, the authors explore a myriad of inaccurate cultural perceptions and misrepresentations, centering within-group differences among Asian American children and giving particular attention to disempowered groups among them. Issues related to socioeconomic status, gender, dis/abilities, linguistic backgrounds, and minority groups among Asian American populations are addressed, with implications for researchers and educators as well as context for examining the policies that cause inequities among Asian American children. This book is key reading for early childhood education researchers, professors, and graduate students to become more productively engaged in discussions and practices toward racial justice.

For more than a century, sporting spectacles, media coverage, and popular audiences have staged athletics in black and white. Commercial, media, and academic accounts have routinely erased, excluded, ignored, and otherwise made absent the Asian American presence in sport. This book seeks to redress this pattern of neglect, presenting a comprehensive perspective on the history and significance of Asian American athletes, coaches, and teams in North America. The contributors interrogate the sociocultural contexts in which Asian Americans lived and played, detailing the articulations of power and possibility, difference and identity, representation and remembrance that have shaped the means and meanings of Asian Americans playing sport in North America. This volume will be of interest to students and scholars of the Asian American experience, ethnic relations, and the history of sport.

With the ever-expanding presence of China in the global economy, Americans more and more look east for goods and trade. But as Caroline Frank reveals, this is not a new development. China loomed as large in the minds—and account books—of eighteenth-century Americans as it does today. Long before they had achieved independence from Britain and were able to sail to Asia themselves, American mariners, merchants, and consumers were aware of the East Indies and preparing for voyages there. Focusing on the trade and consumption of porcelain, tea, and chinoiserie, Frank shows that colonial Americans saw themselves as part of a world much larger than just Britain and Europe Frank not only recovers the widespread presence of Chinese commodities in early America and the impact of East Indies trade on the nature of American commerce, but also explores the role of the this trade in American state formation. She argues that to understand how Chinese commodities fueled the opening acts of the Revolution, we must consider the power dynamics of the American quest for china—and China—during the colonial period. Filled with fresh and surprising insights, this ambitious study adds new dimensions to the ongoing story of America’s relationship with China.