In 1699, Cotton Mather authored the first Spanish-language text in the English New World: a religious tract aimed at evangelizing readers across the Spanish Americas. Kirsten Silva Gruesz uses Mather's text to explore complex overlaps of race, ethnicity, and language in the early Americas, which continue to govern Latina/o/x belonging today.
The book presents a compelling argument that Latinos have a long-standing presence in the United States, highlighting a rich tapestry of Spanish-language cultural contributions from the nineteenth century. By examining works from both prominent and lesser-known writers, it calls for a significant reevaluation of the U.S. literary canon and its historical narratives, emphasizing the importance of these voices in understanding American culture.