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kwtingley's review against another edition
4.0
Great overview of Latino history and the US, gives a little more focus on the last 20 years or so and more focus on the author's home of Puerto Rico. However that isn't to the detriment of the book and of achieving its goal, which it does clearly and effectively.
musicdeepdive's review against another edition
4.75
Essential reading for those wanting to better understand the immigrant experience and the history of Latin-American emigration. The author draws upon multiple first-hand accounts (including his own) and troves of research (including his own) to create an enlightening and surprisingly clear narrative. Could not recommend this more.
christinavarela's review against another edition
4.0
They should be required reading for all Americans. This book takes the history that I’ve learned in different places and puts them all into one book. Although the information is not new, it is still very disturbing. This book is a wake up call and a rallying cry.
lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Harvest of Empire covers a variety of topics, like the Spanish colonization and then the financial "colonization" of Mexico and Central America by the US, the government interference, the reasons why people from specific countries came to the US, and general issues facing the Hispanic-American community today. I appreciated the history of the US's interference, as I had no idea how many governments the US interfered with, or even toppled, in order to prop up US business interests. That was really eye opening. I also learned a lot in the section that examined difference issues and circumstances that were driving immigrants and refugees to leave their countries. The info felt like a LOT of facts, but that is generally how books of this nature with this type of scope are. However, the book read a little slow and dry, but I would still recommend it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Police brutality, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Classism, Addiction, Deportation, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and War