Statistical Information
- Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean UN commission website provides extensive information on the economic and social development in Latin American countries
- World Bank data -- Latin America & the Caribbean Includes data on GDP, population, school enrollment, C02 emissions, and life expectancy, among other indicators.
- Latin American Electronic Data Archive, LAEDA LAEDA seeks to collect, preserve, and provide access to data sets relevant to Latin American research, policy analysis, and teaching. The focus of the collection is on electoral data, household surveys, and data relevant to education in Latin America.
- Latin American Migration Project LAMP is a multidisciplinary research project investigating migration flows originating in Latin American countries, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Haiti, Peru, and Guatemala.
- Socio-Economic Database for Latin America and the Caribbean (SEDLAC) This database includes statistics on poverty, inequality, income and other socio-economic variables for the 24 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the CaribbeanLocation: Mugar Memorial Library Stacks HA755 .A68 (1985-2008)
Area Studies
- Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window Published by Oxford University Press, it is a fully-indexed, cross-searchable database containing dictionaries, language reference and subject reference works.
- Country Studies (via Library of Congress) This link opens in a new window Contains the electronic versions of 80 books previously published in hard copy as part of the Country Studies Series by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. Intended for a general audience, books in the series present a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of select countries throughout the world.
- CIA World Fact Book Provides important unclassified CIA data for more than 250 countries, including China. Covers a wide range of topics including economics, politics, geography and foreign relations. Updated every two weeks.
- The Statesman's Yearbook Statistical and historical annual of the states of the world. Use current and earlier editions to find background information on leaders.
- Handbook of Latin American Studies This link opens in a new window HLAS is a selective annotated bibliography of scholarly monographs, journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, and electronic resources dealing with Latin America. New entries, alternating between humanities and social sciences, are added annually. Edited by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress.
- Political Database of the Americas The PDBA offers centralized and systematized information about institutions and political processes, national constitutions, branches of government, elections, political constitutional studies and other subjects related to the strengthening of democracy in the region. A collaborative project between Georgetown University, the OAS, and FLACSO-Chile.
- Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC Portal for research in Latin American Studies hosted by University of Texas at Austin
- The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women's Issues Worldwide This groundbreaking reference set documents the achievements and current challenges for women in more that 130 countries in the world's most populated areas
- The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology Named a Best Reference Work for 2009 by Library Journal The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology is published in both print and online. Arranged across eleven volumes in A-Z format, it is the definitive reference source for students, researchers, and academics in the field. This ground-breaking project brings together specially commissioned entries written and edited by an international team of the world's best scholars and teachers. It provides: "This is an example of a reference book turned into an e-product intelligently and in a way that transcends the print." - Library Journal An essential reference for expert and newcomer alike, with entries ranging from short definitions of key terms to extended explorations of major topics Provides clear, concise, expert definitions and explanations of the key concepts Presents materials that have historically defined the discipline, but also more recent developments, significantly updating the store of sociological knowledge Introduces sociological theories and research that have developed outside of the United States and Western Europe Offers sophisticated cross-referencing and search facilities Features a timeline, lexicon by subject area, bibliography, and index 11 Volumes www.sociologyencyclopedia.com Updating
- Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society by This three volume reference set offers a comprehensive look at the roles race and ethnicity play in society and in our daily lives. General readers, students, and scholars alike will appreciate the informative coverage of intergroup relations in the United States and the comparative examination of race and ethnicity worldwide. These volumes offer a foundation to understanding as well as researching racial and ethnic diversity from a multidisciplinary perspective. Over a hundred racial and ethnic groups are described, with additional thematic essays offering insight into broad topics that cut across group boundaries and which impact on society. The encyclopedia has alphabetically arranged author-signed essays with references to guide further reading. Numerous cross-references aid the reader to explore beyond specific entries, reflecting the interdependent nature of race and ethnicity operating in society. The text is supplemented by photographs, tables, figures and custom-designed maps to provide an engaging visual look at race and ethnicity. An easy-to-use statistical appendix offers the latest data with carefully selected historical comparisons to aid study and research in the areaLocation: Mugar Reference X HT1521 .E63 2008Publication Date: 2008
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture
The original 1995 encyclopedia, an award winner from both the American Library Association (Dartmouth Certificate) and the American Historical Association, was celebrated as a landmark in the development of Latin American studies (The Americas). This new edition adds nearly 600 entirely new topics, replaces some 150 obsolete entries, and also provides substantial revisions to hundreds more. Every one of the 5,700+ entries has been reviewed for currency of content and bibliography. An entirely new illustration program features over 100 full-color photographs in addition to hundreds in black-and-white. National statistics have been conveniently tabulated for every one of Latin America's 37 countries. New content addresses research on prehistoric environments and cultures, U.S. Haitian interventions, the consequences of NAFTA and increased Mexican immigration, the troubled aftermaths of Pinochet's Chile and Fujimori's Peru, truth and reconciliation commissions, and the still-contested legacy of the Mexico City massacre of 1968. New leaders like Brazil's Lula da Silva and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez are profiled along with hundreds of other rising figures in politics, letters, and the arts. Newly commissioned master essays synthesize current knowledge on such major regional themes as Democracy in the Americas, Hemispheric Affairs, and the Hispanic Impact on the U.S. Includes full index and table of biographical subjects by profession. Edited by Jay Kinsbruner and an international team of consultants on three continents.
Location: Mugar Reference X F1406 .E53 2008 and OnlinePublication Date: 2008
The Cambridge Companion to Modern Latin American Culture by
The term Latin America refers to the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking states created in the early 1820s following the wars of independence, states that differed enormously in geographical and demographical scale, ethnic composition and economic resources, yet shared distinct historical and cultural traits. Specially-commissioned essays by leading experts explore the unity and diversity of the region's cultural expressions. These essays analyse history and politics from the nineteenth century to the present day and consider the heritage of pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America. There is a particular focus on narrative as well as on poetry, art and architecture, music, cinema, theatre, and broader issues of popular culture. A final chapter looks at the strong and rapidly expanding influence of latino/a culture in the United States. A chronology and guides to further reading are included, making this volume an invaluable introduction to the rich and varied culture of modern Latin America.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2004
The Caribbean: a history of the region and its peoples by
Combining fertile soils, vital trade routes, and a coveted strategic location, the islands and surrounding continental lowlands of the Caribbean were one of Europe's earliest and most desirable colonial frontiers. The region was colonized over the course of five centuries by a revolving cast of Spanish, Dutch, French, and English forces, who imported first African slaves and later Asian indentured laborers to help realize the economic promise of sugar, coffee, and tobacco. The Caribbean: A History of the Region and Its Peoples offers an authoritative one-volume survey of this complex and fascinating region. This groundbreaking work traces the Caribbean from its pre-Columbian state through European contact and colonialism to the rise of U.S. hegemony and the economic turbulence of the twenty-first century. The volume begins with a discussion of the region's diverse geography and challenging ecology and features an in-depth look at the transatlantic slave trade, including slave culture, resistance, and ultimately emancipation. Later sections treat Caribbean nationalist movements for independence and struggles with dictatorship and socialism, along with intractable problems of poverty, economic stagnation, and migrancy. Written by a distinguished group of contributors, The Caribbean is an accessible yet thorough introduction to the region's tumultuous heritage which offers enough nuance to interest scholars across disciplines. In its breadth of coverage and depth of detail, it will be the definitive guide to the region for years to come.
Location: Mugar Stacks F2175 .C325 2011Publication Date: 2011
The Oxford Handbook of Latin American History by
This Oxford Handbook surveys the large and growing field of Latin American history by bringing together the principal themes and approaches over the past three decades. Essays address indigenous peoples of the region, colonial history, independence movements, rural history, slavery and race,European and Asian immigration, labor movements, gender and sexuality, popular religion, family and childhood, economic history, politics, and disease and medicine. The contributors include top scholars in the field.
Location: Mugar Stacks F1410 .O95 2011Publication Date: 2011
Literature Guides
- The Columbia Guide to the Latin American Novel Since 1945 by In this expertly crafted, richly detailed guide, Raymond Leslie Williams explores the cultural, political, and historical events that have shaped the Latin American and Caribbean novel since the end of World War II. In addition to works originally composed in English, Williams covers novels written in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and Haitian Creole, and traces the profound influence of modernization, revolution, and democratization on the writing of this era. Beginning in 1945, Williams introduces major trends by region, including the Caribbean and U.S. Latino novel, the Mexican and Central American novel, the Andean novel, the Southern Cone novel, and the novel of Brazil. He discusses the rise of the modernist novel in the 1940s, led by Jorge Luis Borges's reaffirmation of the right of invention, and covers the advent of the postmodern generation of the 1990s in Brazil, the Generation of the "Crack" in Mexico, and the McOndo generation in other parts of Latin America. An alphabetical guide offers biographies of authors, coverage of major topics, and brief introductions to individual novels. It also addresses such areas as women's writing, Afro-Latin American writing, and magic realism. The guide's final section includes an annotated bibliography of introductory studies on the Latin American and Caribbean novel, national literary traditions, and the work of individual authors. From early attempts to synthesize postcolonial concerns with modernist aesthetics to the current focus on urban violence and globalization, The Columbia Guide to the Latin American Novel Since 1945 presents a comprehensive, accessible portrait of a thoroughly diverse and complex branch of world literature.Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2007
Cambridge History of Latin American Literature (3 vols) by
The Cambridge History of Latin American Literature is by far the most comprehensive work of its kind ever written. Its three volumes cover the whole sweep of Latin American literature (including Brazilian) from pre-Columbian times to the present, and contain chapters on Latin American writing in the USA. Over forty specialists in North America, Latin America and Britain have contributed to what is not only the most reliable, up-to-date, and convenient reference work on its subject, but also a set of books containing innovative approaches and fresh research that will expand and animate the field for years to come. The History is unique in its thorough coverage of previously neglected areas, in its detailed discussion of countless writers in various genres, and in its inclusion of extensive annotated bibliographies. Volume 1 begins with pre-Columbian traditions and their first contact with European culture, continuing through to the end of the nineteenth century. New World historiography, epic poetry, theatre, the novel, and the essay form are among the areas covered in this comprehensive and authoritative treatment.
Location: Mugar Reference X PQ7081.A1 C35 1996Publication Date: 1996
The Cambridge Companion to Latina/o American Literature by
The Cambridge Companion to Latina/o American Literature provides a thorough yet accessible overview of a literary phenomenon that has been rapidly globalizing over the past two decades.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2016
The Routledge Companion to Latino/a Literature by
Latino/a literature is one of the fastest developing fields in the discipline of literary studies. It represents an identity that is characterized by fluidity and diversity, often explored through divisions formed by language, race, gender, sexuality, and immigration. The Routledge Companion to Latino/a Literature presents over forty essays by leading and emerging international scholars of Latino/a literature and analyses: Regional, cultural and sexual identities in Latino/a literature Worldviews and traditions of Latino/a cultural creation Latino/a literature in different international contexts The impact of differing literary forms of Latino/a literature The politics of canon formation in Latino/a literature. This collection provides a map of the critical issues central to the discipline, as well as uncovering new perspectives and new directions for the development of the field. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the past, present and future of this literary culture.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2012
A Companion to Spanish-American Literature by
Traces the history of Spanish-American Literature, with sections on the major literary writers and works of Spanish America from the Conquest to the present, ranging from the Popol Vuh (the bible of the Mayas) to Isabel Allende's novel on contemporary Chile, The House of the Spirits.
Location: Mugar Memorial Library PQ7081 .H353 1999Publication Date: 1999
A Companion to Latin American Literature by
A Companion to Latin American Literature offers an introduction to the most significant literary works produced in Latin America from the fifteenth century until the present day
Location: Mugar Memorial Library PQ7081 .H353 2007Publication Date: 2007
Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003 by
The Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003 draws together entries on all aspects of literature including authors, critics, major works, magazines, genres, schools and movements in these regions from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. With more than 200 entries written by a team of international contributors, this Encyclopediasuccessfully covers the popular to the esoteric. The Encyclopedia is an invaluable reference resource for those studying Latin American and/or Caribbean literature as well as being of huge interest to those folowing Spanish or Portuguese language courses.
Location: Mugar Memorial Library Reference X (PQ7081.A1 E558 2004 ) and OnlinePublication Date: 2004
Literary Biography
- Contemporary Authors This link opens in a new window A bio-bibliographical guide to current writers in fiction, general nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures, television, and other fields.
- Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new window Biography In Context offers biographical information about historically significant figures as well as present-day newsmakers. It includes reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, videos, audio podcasts, and images.
- Literature Online This link opens in a new window LION includes texts, criticism, and reference material, including thousands of literary articles, essays, biographies and encyclopedia entries on over 350,000 works of poetry, prose, and drama from the 8th to the 21st century.
- Latino and Latina Writers by This new title in the "Scribner Writers Series provides in-depth biographical and critical essays on more than 50 Latino/Latina writers. Covering well-known writers, such as Sandra Cisneros and Luis J. Rodriguez, as well as lesser-known but still significant authors, such as Tino Villanueva and Achy Obegas, this new set gives researchers detailed coverage of the,vibrant works of literature written by Cuban, Dominican, Chicano and Puerto Rican authors. In addition, seven thematic essays consider each writers works in relation to music, language, feminism and other key topics.Location: Mugar Reference X PS153.H56 L39 2004 (2 vols)Publication Date: 2003
Latina and Latino Voices in Literature : Lives and Works, Updated and Expanded by
This revised edition of an award-winning resource celebrates the lives and works of 35 Latina and Latino authors who write for today's young readers. Expanded to include 12 additional authors, updated information on the original 23 authors profiled, and 135 new titles, this comprehensive reference tool helps teachers, librarians, and parents stay current on one of the most dynamic areas of contemporary literature. Both established and emerging voices are profiled. Personal quotes and photographs introduce each biographical essay, presenting information gathered through interviews, personal communications, and research. A complete list of all books and works written by the author is included along with publication information. Annotations are provided for most of the titles, along with information on major themes, awards won, and recommended age levels. Evaluating Books for Bias provides helpful guidelines for examining and selecting books from a pluralistic perspective. Appendices offer further helpful information about the field, including special awards honoring books by Latinas and Latinos, a calendar of holidays and special days celebrated by the Latino community, and listings of related resources and organizations. The author has also compiled ideas for classroom activities and ways for librarians to extend the literary experience. A title index and extensive topic index--including themes, curricular areas, and genres--help in planning story sessions and study units. This is a multipurpose resource for anyone who wants to help young readers connect with contemporary literature in a meaningful way.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2003
A Companion to Latin American Women Writers by
This volume offers a critical study of a representative selection of Latin American women writers who have made major contributions to all literary genres and represent a wide range of literary perspectives and styles. Many of these women have attained the highest literary honours: Gabriela Mistral won the Nobel Prize in 1945; Clarice Lispector attracted the critical attention of theorists working mainly outside the Hispanic area; others have made such telling contributions to particular strands of literature that their names are immediately evocative of specific currents or styles. Elena Poniatowska is associated with testimonial writing; Isabel Allende and Laura Esquivel are known for the magical realism of their texts; others, such as Juana de Ibarbourou and Laura Restrepo remain relatively unknown despite their contributions to erotic poetry and to postcolonial prose fiction respectively. The distinctiveness of this volume lies in its attention to writers from widely differing historical and social contexts and to the diverse theoretical approaches adopted by the authors. Brígida M. Pastor teaches Latin American literature and film at the University of Glasgow . Her publications include Fashioning Cuban Feminism and Beyond, El discurso de Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda: Identidad Femenina y Otredad; and Discursos Caribenhos: Historia, Literatura e Cinema Lloyd Hughes Davies teaches Spanish American Literature at Swansea University. His publications include Isabel Allende, La casa de los espíritus and Projections of Peronism in Argentine Autobiography, Biography and Fiction.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2012
Artists from Latin American Cultures: A Biographical Dictionary by
Latin Americans have long been relegated to the cultural background, obscured by the dominant European culture. This biographical dictionary profiles 75 artists from the United States and 13 nations of Central and South America and the Caribbean, including painters, sculptors, photographers, muralists, printmakers, installation artists, and performance artists. Some of their works recall pre-Columbian times; others confront the cultural imperialism of the U.S. over Latin America; and many explore how the dominant elements of culture can affect identities of class, gender, and sexuality. Profiled artists range from the renowned to the little-known: Frida Kahlo; Tina Modotti; Diego Rivera; Myrna Baez; Raquel Forner; Patrocino Barela; and many more. Color photographs are provided for many of the works. Each entry includes information about the artist's childhood, schooling, creative growth, and artistic styles and themes. Exemplary artworks and influences are described, along with a look at popular and critical responses. Supplemental features include artist cross references, a glossary of essential terms from the art world, and a number of vivid photos portraying the artists in their creative environments.
Location: OnlinePublication Date: 2002
Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography by
The Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography is a major biographical reference work covering the lives and legacies of notable Afro-descendants from the Caribbean and Latin American, men and women from all eras and walks of life. This groundbreaking resource providesunprecedented coverage of the region through the lives of its people. Biographical records on Afro-Latin American and Caribbean lives are in short supply. Even as new historical scholarship has invigorated the international study of Latin America and Atlantic history, and even as new departments of Latin American Studies have flourished, no large-scale biographicalreference work devoted to black subjects in the region has ever been attempted. This is a surprise given the enormous influence the people of these areas have had on history, culture, and technological achievement. The Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography (DCALAB) will be published in print with over two thousand in-depth historical biographies of Caribbeans and Latin Americans. From Toussaint L'Ouverture to Celia Cruz to Pele, the DCALAB provides rigorous scholarship on the people thathave shaped the Caribbean, Central America, and South America The print work is only the first step in an ongoing research and publishing project, which will continue to grow online as part of the African American Studies Center. As a continuing publishing initiative, the DCALAB provides the mostwide-reaching source of information ever produced on the lives of Afro-descendants who have shaped Latin American history, with entries written by leading scholars at research institutions from across the globe, linking together the international community of research. Led by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Harvard University's W. E. B. Du Bois Institute), in collaboration with Franklin W. Knight of Johns Hopkins University, this project is modeled after two other highly successful collaborations between Oxford University Press and the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute: theAfrican American National Biography (AANB) and the Dictionary of African Biography (DAB). The Caribbean and Latin America represent the largest region of African Diaspora, and this new biographical reference work joins the other two to create the most complete account of black lives in the Americasever assembled. Upholding the high editorial and academic standards of the AANB and the DAB, the Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography entries will similarly range from 500 to 2,000 words and include bibliographic notes and citations. Extensive indexing will provide a quick resource for bothpinpointing individuals and browsing categories. Indispensable as a research tool, the Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography will be a milestone in the study of the Caribbean and Latin America.
Location: Available at Mugar Memorial Library Reference X (F2191.B55 D53 2016 )Publication Date: 2016
