Making the Latino South: A History of Racial Formation by Cecilia Márquez (review)

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Reviewed by:

• Making the Latino South: A History of Racial Formation by Cecilia Márquez
• Justin I. Salgado

Making the Latino South: A History of Racial Formation. By Cecilia Márquez. ( Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2023. Pp. 284. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.)

Race in the American South is a widely studied topic, and it is often discussed by scholars in terms of a Black-White binary. Those seeking to discuss the experiences of Latinos in the region emphasize the need to disrupt this binary. However, historian Cecilia Márquez argues that to effectively challenge racial binaries, scholars must thoroughly understand the intricate historical relationship among Southern Latinos, Blackness, and anti-Blackness. Her book, Making the Latino South: A History of Racial Formation, offers a ground-breaking history of how Latino racial identities evolved in the twentieth century, from Latinos being perceived as "provisionally white" in the mid-twentieth century to being labeled "illegal" at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Drawing from a diverse range of sources, notably newspapers, organizational records, and oral histories, this monograph is structured into five chapters that proceed chronologically from the 1940s to 2011. The first three chapters cover topics such as the school integration struggle in Washington, DC, the significance of a Mexican-themed rest stop at the border between North and South Carolina, and Latino participation in the civil rights movement, specifically in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Throughout these chapters, Márquez methodically examines how anti-Blackness influenced perceptions of race, demonstrating how non-Black Latinos benefited from what she terms "provisional whiteness," granting them access to Jim Crow institutions (p. 16).

Chapter 4 focuses on the period from the 1980s to 2000, when a coherent Hispanic identity began to form. Interestingly, people in the South largely welcomed Latinos because they fulfilled necessary labor and economic roles. Even so, a surge in immigration and the emergence of the "hardworking Mexican" stereotype meant that Latinos began to lose their "provisional whiteness," as racial distinctions between them and White Southerners became more distinct. Chapter 5 delves into the Latino experience from 2000 to 2011, when a reconfiguration occurred from the "hardworking" stereotype to the stigmatization of Latinos as "illegal aliens" following the events of September 11, 2001, and the 2008 recession. This chapter is particularly insightful since it explicitly centers race in discussions of anti-immigration legislation and heightened border militarization during this period.

Not only does this study fill a significant gap in the historiography by acknowledging the nuanced racial position of Latinos in the South, but it importantly demonstrates that the history of the American South should include a focus on Latinos. It offers all readers a comprehensive understanding of the intersections of Latinidad, Jim Crow, citizenship, and immigration. While Márquez focuses on the historical experiences of Southern [End Page 111] Latinos, her insights have broader implications that readers can use to understand how categories and identities are continuously redefined across different specializations and geographical areas. To that end, not only will historians find this monograph helpful, but it is a worthwhile read for anyone curious to learn more about the complex history of Latinos and race in the United States. Finally, to add a personal element, I wish I had this book as a guide when trying to understand my own Latino identity as a kid. For these reasons and more, Making the Latino South is a necessary read.

Justin I. Salgado The Ohio State University Copyright © 2024 The Texas State Historical Association ...