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Carlos B. Cordova
Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, 2005,
196pp. $45 Hardcover
ISBN 0313323062
The Salvadoran Americans , by Salvadoran-born scholar Carlos Cordova, is part of a series entitled "The New Americans" in which each book focuses on one immigrant group. Doubtless, the book was shaped in content and form by the exigencies of the series, which is principally aimed at high-school students and a general reading audience. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to Salvadoran and, to a lesser extent, Central American migration to the United States. It begins with a brief history of El Salvador from the pre-Hispanic period to the present day. Cordova goes on to review the history of legalization programs for Central Americans and, in particular, Salvadorans, and the causes of migration from El Salvador. He divides Salvadoran migration into six historical "waves" and briefly discusses the determinants and characteristics of each wave. Then he reviews the demographics of the Central American population in the United States, the structure of Salvadoran communities, and some of the challenges facing Salvadoran migrants. There is one chapter on...