Description: "Gathers more than 1,250 events in Latino American history; hard-won victories, barrier-breaking triumphs, inspirational stories, amazing people, and remarkable achievements are presented in areas including everything from government and labor movements to entertainment and sports. This comprehensive volume also includes ... accomplishments in science, exploration, religion, the military, literature, film, theater, dance, music, TV and movies, and much more"--
Brief description:
Nicolás Kanellos, Ph.D. is the director of Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Heritage of the United States, which researches Latino history in the United States. Since 1980, he has been a professor at the University of Houston, where he became the first Brown Foundation Professor of Hispanic Studies. He is founding publisher of the noted Hispanic literary journal The Americas Review and the nation's oldest Hispanic publishing house, Arte Público Press.
In 2024, President Joe Biden presented Dr. Kanellos with the National Humanities Medal. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Dr. Kanellos to the National Council on the Humanities, and he received the 1996 Denali Press Award of the American Library Association. He was the first U.S. Latino to be inducted into the Spanish American Royal Academy of Literature, Arts & Science, and he was awarded the Anderson Imbert Lifetime Achievement Award by the North American Academy of the Spanish Language, as well as the Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Queen, the highest decoration given to a civilian by the Spanish government.
He has authored or contributed to numerous books on Latino history, culture, and literature, including Visible Ink Press' Latino Almanac: From Early Explorers to Corporate Leaders and Latino Firsts: Trailblazers and Milestones in United States History as well as the Hispanic Literature of the United States: A Comprehensive Reference and the Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States. He resides in Houston, Texas.
Review Quotes:
"... adds to Visible Ink's series of Firsts books (Black Firsts; Indigenous Firsts) .... Inspiring and readable ..." --Library Journal
"Impressively comprehensive, exceptionally well organized, illustrated with B/W photos, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation ..." --Midwest Book Review
"Latino Firsts, by renowned scholar and National Humanities Medal recipient Nicolás Kanellos, is a unique collection of profiles ... on the contributions of Hispanics to all areas of American society, from politics to space exploration. ... focuses on the achievements or actions of pioneers. ... demonstrates the impact the Hispanic population has had on the development of the United States. ... centuries of Latino accomplishments from the 1500s to 2024. The impressive collection provides concise overviews that are geared toward nonspecialist audiences. Latino Firsts is an excellent reference guide that provides a starting point for research. In many ways the entries indicate that work still needs to be done to weave Latinos into the greater American historical narrative." --Southwestern Historical Quarterly