Latin@s in the World-system ─ Decolonization Struggles in the Twenty-first Century U.S. Empire

Immanuel Wallerstein, along with many of his fellow world system theorist colleagues, believes that the current "European modern/colonial capitalist/patriarchal world system" has arrived at a final moment of crisis and bifurcation, which can either lead to transformative decolonization or to new and even more destructive ideologies of war. Editor Grosfoguel (ethnic studies, U. of California at Berkeley) notes in his introduction that the growth of the Latin@ (the "@" is deployed to signify gender neutrality) population within the most powerful metropolitan center of the capitalist world system and the growing political and cultural power of Latin@s in the Americas and, consequently, in the world system in general are factors that are quite likely to play a crucial role in the outcome of this coming bifurcation. The 12 papers that he presents in this volume, including an opener by Wallerstein, are dedicated to analyzing a range of issues related to this observation. Grosfoguel presents them in sections devoted to Latin@s in world-historical perspective; decolonization, Afro-Latin@s, and the African Diaspora; indigenous people in the Americas; decolonizing spiritualities; and Latinization and decolonization. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)