Latinos in America: A Current Portrait

Latinos in America: A Current Portrait brings together thought-provoking insights from Marie Arana and Paola Ramos as part of the 2024 Miami Book Fair. Taking place at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus on Saturday, November 23, this event explores two contrasting yet interconnected views of Latino identity and politics in the United States.

Marie Arana’s LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority offers a sweeping narrative on the cultural and political diversity within the Latino population, while Paola Ramos’ Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America examines the recent shift toward conservative politics among Latinos. Moderated by author Ray Suarez, this discussion promises to shed light on the evolving influence of the Latino community in American society.

Marie Arana is an acclaimed author and cultural historian. Born in Lima, Peru, she has written several celebrated works, including American Chica, a finalist for the National Book Award, and Bolivar, a prize-winning biography. Her extensive career includes roles as the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress and a longtime contributor to The Washington Post. Arana’s deep understanding of Latino identity is shaped by her bicultural experience as the daughter of a Peruvian father and an American mother.

Paola Ramos is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and author, known for her work on Telemundo News and MSNBC, where she hosts Field Report. A former Vice News correspondent, she has a background in politics, having served in the Obama Administration and as Deputy Director of Hispanic Media for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Ramos, born to Cuban and Mexican parents in Miami, explores the evolving landscape of Latino identity in her books, including Finding Latin-X: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity.