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Michael Madrid
Author's Bio
Geoffrey Fox was born in 1941 in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Harvard in 1963 and worked as a community development volunteer in Venezuela. There, Fox found his interest in Hispanic cultures. He attained his doctorate in sociology from Northwestern University and since has written many books pertaining to social analysis. Fox keeps himself busy in the meantime by working as a community organizer, researcher, and teacher in Puerto Rico, New York City and Chicago.
A Shifting Identity
The always-changing American society teaches us to notice several different changes that take place throughout a period of time. Certain issues not only affect the social aspect of American society, but also spread to affect the country's economic, political, and international policies and relations. An example of one of these "issues" 每 if one could even call it such 每 is the rapidly growing Hispanic community moving in to the United States from all corners of Latin America. Fox also states the need of belonging to a certain cultural group while in America by stating "the 'knowledge of fundamental belonging...is one of the deepest needs of persons'".1 Whether they come from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, or even Cuba, the population of Hispanics in America is growing at a rate so vast that in a matter of decades it will become one of the largest ethnic groups, if not the largest, in America. This prediction, based on statistics from the United States Census Bureau, is one of many ideas Geoffrey Fox presents in his Hispanic Nation: Culture, Politics, and the Constructing of Identity. Fox challenges a political fear: that Hispanics will over-populate the United States without payment of taxes or contributions to the economy of the country, therefore draining it.
Fox begins his book with the most fundamental aspect of the situation 每 finding a united identity in a new country. He references a personal story in which his seven-year-old son struggles with the move from Puerto Rico to Illinois. He observes that his son wasn't sure of his own identity, because of the lack of a large Hispanic population surrounding him. Fox reports, "Looking for his own kind, at first Alex tried to be 'black,' which was a new idea to him" and comments on his son's confusion.2 Building on this idea, Fox goes on to say that people need a sense of belonging, and Hispanics who immigrate to the United States in search of a better life naturally seek this. However, Fox reminds the reader that "human identity is not determined solely, or even mainly, by inherited characteristics."3 The American resistance to Latin American immigration is not just a current issue, but can be traced back all the way to 1930. He then moves to a more analytical section of the book 每 the numbers. The statistics behind the situation help prove many ideas throughout the social analysis. Ambiguities in census counting can distort statistics beyond recognition. Fox reveals and proves this fact by stating, "In 1930 [Latin Americans] were counted as 'other nonwhite,' a vague and inaccurate label contaminated by cultural prejudice."4 Keep in mind that this was still in the era of racial inequality, and Anglos were the race with the most political power in the country, which also controlled population counts and other statistics. The name continued to change through the course of time, from 'nonwhite', to 'descendents of Spanish tongue', back to 'white of Spanish surname'. The political system would not show the Hispanics of America any respect regarding how they were to be referred to by the government until the numbers began to increase enormously around the time of Gerald Ford's presidency. Fox presents this number-ridden analysis to strengthen his viewpoint of how Hispanics have the ability to shape a nation.
Fox continues to discuss the impact of Hispanics in the media, such as television, newspapers, magazines, and radio. Since the broadening of television's viewer pool, Spanish speaking commercials and programs have become more popular in order to reach more potential customers and to increase overall revenue. Products such as soda, movies, and other items have been advertised in Spanish. Spanish media had consistently limited competition and was available to only those fortunate enough to speak English. Because of the more diverse crowd of television viewers, two national broadcast channels have made their mark on Spanish television 每 Univisi車n and Telemundo. These two networks "are each available to over 90 percent of Spanish speaking households, from the Bronx to San Diego", making those channels the most dominant Spanish speaking channels across the nation.5 The two television colossi have gone above and beyond any other competitor in Spanish television. Not only do they report on breaking news stories developing in the Latin American countries, but they also provide entertainment with programming shows such as S芍bado Gigante, a Spanish variety show translating to "Big Saturday". The development of Spanish in television broadcasting has overshadowed the instant successes of it in newspapers and magazines. For those without television access or who just want printed news to go with their coffee in the morning, "the largest Spanish-language daily today is La Opini車n, with a circulation of 120,000."6 Since the arrival of Hispanics from all over Latin America, the world of media and broadcasting in the United States has never been as it once was.
While discussing the obvious differences between Hispanic and Anglo cultures, Fox begins to write about how both groups can come together. Fox claims that "with such divergent histories, it would be hard for all the people who are today called Hispanics to forge a common agenda or even to imagine themselves as one community," and because of Hispanics' lack of unity it would be difficult to merge Hispanic and Anglo cultures as well.7 However, in this particular section of the book Fox focuses on the unity of Hispanics in the United States. The move north by immigrants from Latin America took citizens of several different countries and put them together in the United States' 'melting pot'. Immigrants from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Columbia and many others may speak the same language but have certain different traditions and beliefs based on the history of their specific country. Also, because of the division of these nationalities, and based on geographical location, concentrations of certain groups have developed over time. Naturally, there are more Mexicans in Southern California than there would be in New York City because of Mexico's placement and orientation to the United States. These concentrations of nationalities have not helped unite the "Hispanic Nation," but have had the opposite effect. In one particular instance, Cubans tried to find a way to immigrate into the United States but "Cuban Americans who sought to break out of the enclave pursued three very different strategies, each with its own consequences for the larger Hispanic nation."8 Every nationality in America already has a set agenda that helps establish the success of their interests. Mexicans have tried to come to some sort of agreement with the American government concerning the border and measures taken to secure it. Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the United States since 1917 and are still trying to make their mark on American politics to further Puerto Rican rights. Another dividing line between all Hispanic nationalities is their loyalty and pride in their nationality. Some find it offensive when they are referred to as something other than their nationality of origin. All of these factors contribute to the division of the Hispanic nation in the United States.
Fox winds down his analysis of Hispanics in America philosophically. Fox emphasizes the importance of finding an identity, a way of recognizing a person or a group of people. In this case, he feels that the growing Hispanic population needs to find their own identity in America, perhaps even different from the identity they had in their native countries. Fox explains that "'Identity' is one of the stories we tell in an attempt to describe that self", a way of being known to others who may not know you.9 The need to stabilize an identity is one of the most important things a person can do when going through a cultural passage. Fox identifies the various different nationality groups from Hispanic countries beginning with their loyalty to their nation of origin or a particular community. Fox continues by adding that in "a modern society we can be simultaneously affiliated to so many different communities...that we have a great freedom to choose to be governed by one set of rules in one instance and another in another", which means that a person cannot be labeled as a certain quality because of how they are judged in another situation, as seen earlier with the habit of the American government in labeling Hispanics as a threat to American economics and functions.10 In the end Fox ends his struggle with understanding identity by stating "declaring oneself 'Hispanic' is a step back from allegiance to Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, or some other land and a step toward joining America."11 An ongoing American tradition is becoming different from the norm, being who one truly is. Declaring oneself a Mexican or a Puerto Rican is being proud of where you come from, but this is also declaring you are proud of where you are 每 America.
Geoffrey Fox takes an interesting look at Hispanic growth in America in the past thirty years. He bases his views on knowing one's identity and how it can affect other aspects of life. Fox reveals that during his life he felt his identity change after he graduated college toward being a Hispanic himself. Fox, a "midwesterner of northwest European stock who never even heard much Spanish until after college," states that everyone "[has] multiple selves" and "[he] discovered some of [his] had become Hispanic."12 He credits his book to the realization after he was called a gringo by a Hispanic woman in the United States. Also, Fox recognizes that the Hispanic nation is not one of alien immigrants, because the population of the country has been heavily impacted by this surge of people. While Hispanics in America try to make their own identity recognizable to the American government, the increasing population has only contributed to the division of the overall unity of the Hispanic nation. Fox's analysis clears the fogginess of the issue by stating that being proud of a nationality is also being proud of being in the United States.
Though Geoffrey Fox brings a spectacular analysis of the giant Hispanic wave that has hit America, he does also bring a partial bias. Fox grew up in Illinois, and though Chicago had a Hispanic population in it, the numbers pale in comparison with New York City, Miami, and several cities along the Mexican border in the American southwest. Fox admits that he "was an absolute gringo" and that the only Spanish vocabulary he possessed was "caballo, pistola, sombrero, and mujer."13 Though by the time he had left Venezuela he had become fluent in Spanish and underwent an identity shift, he can't help but bring a bit of Anglo bias to the analysis. Unfortunately even if the bias is very minimal, at the end of the day it is still a bias.
Publishers Weekly gave a positive review upon the release of this revealing book. The reviewers commented, "...A new sense of group identity is emerging that allows Americans of Puerto Rican, Mexican, Honduran, Chilean and other Latino origins to feel they belong to a homogeneous, unified community...", which praises Fox's ability to recognize the links between Hispanic nationalities and even Anglo-American nationalities.14 The reviewers also respect Fox's capability of mixing in references to television and other types of media to support his claims of the impact of Hispanics in America.
Another review by Booklist alludes to Fox's other book entitled Welcome to My Contri, which pertains to Hispanics and their role in the world today. This book, published four years before the publication of Hispanic Nation: Culture, Politics, and the Constructing of Identity, is comprised of short stories regarding the relationship between Hispanic and Anglo peoples. Booklist goes on to comment on the many differences brought up by Fox, and "despite the ethnic, racial, religious, and political differences that divide them, the statistical fiction that lumps 'persons of Spanish-Hispanic origin or descent" into a single category is the basis for a key identity shift.'"15 Fox makes his ideas of having an identity shift occur by the environment easily understood and also makes his thoughts on Anglo-Hispanic relations much more credible.
A third review on this thought provoking book hails the brilliance having a concept that comments on the division of Hispanics in America. The notion of a divided Hispanic population does not go unnoticed by Midwest Book Review, who states, "The concept here is that Hispanics can achieve greater successes by presenting themselves as an organized large ethnic group than by fragmenting into smaller communities."16 Midwest Book Review also notes that this take on social behavior is applicable to any race that may immigrate into a certain nation.
As an overview, the book gives a more original viewpoint of the immigration issue than most and also refers to it as a movement 每 not a problem. Fox accepts the wave of Hispanic immigration and welcomes it to the United States, because he believes that "becoming 'Hispanic'...is the only way to open them to be...real authentic Americans with dignity."17 His devotion to comprehend the way Anglos and Hispanics react with each other is the driving force which keeps his writing interesting and full of new, fresh ideas.
The affects of the immigration revealed in this study, according to Fox, make a great impact on American society. The overall American population has grown spectacularly and in a few southwestern states, Hispanics have become 30 to 40 percent of the total state population. This diversity can only bring a richer society as well as economy to the general public. However Hispanic leaders need to centralize Hispanic culture in America for the sake of pushing political reforms that will keep their interests protected. The Hispanics' need for a common agenda to Fox is "not only possible but necessary," and is still trying to overcome nationality distinction to this day.18
This period in time has been one of the most revolutionary times in modern American history. The end of legal racial inequality in the decade before had opened the door to more strides in American society and politics by people who were not white. These strides opened people's minds to having someone other than a white man holding a public office in local politics or even on the national level. Hispanics also became a part of American society by creating the "Raza Unida party" which pushed forward ideas of Hispanics to help protect their interests.19
To conclude, Geoffrey Fox brings a new perspective to the growing Hispanic population in America. His theory of a "shifting identity" and an advancement in politics and economy are ideas far beyond our time and provides a hopeful view on the future of this situation. Though Hispanics are trying to blend in with Americans in the United States, "...they are not declaring allegiance to any foreign place, but just the opposite."20 The future predicted by Fox is a bright future with Hispan
Endnotes
1. Fox, Geoffrey. Hispanic Nation: Culture, Politics, and the Constructing of Identity. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona. 1997, 2.
2. Fox, Geoffrey 1.
3. Fox, Geoffrey 5.
4. Fox, Geoffrey 26.
5. Fox, Geoffrey 42.
6. Fox, Geoffrey 49.
7. Fox, Geoffrey 99.
8. Fox, Geoffrey 111.
9. Fox, Geoffrey 229.
10. Fox, Geoffrey 229.
11. Fox, Geoffrey 241.
12. Fox, Geoffrey 223.
13. Fox, Geoffrey 224-225
14. Review of Hispanic Nation: Culture, Politics, and the Constructing of Identity by Geoffrey Fox. Publishers Weekly (1995).
15. Carroll, Mary Review of Hispanic Nation: Culture, Politics, and the Constructing of Identity by Geoffrey Fox. Booklist (1995).
16. Review of Hispanic Nation: Culture, Politics, and the Constructing of Identity by Geoffrey Fox. Midwest Book Review (1995).
17. Fox, Geoffrey 241.
18. Fox, Geoffrey 99.
19. Fox, Geoffrey 123.
20. Fox, Geoffrey 241.
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