NEW BOOK TRACES SOCIAL, CULTURAL EXPERIENCES OF LATINOS IN IDAHO

A new book published by the Idaho Humanities Council focuses on the social and cultural histories of Latino and primarily Mexicano people in Idaho. Latinos in Idaho: Celebrando Cultura, a collection of essays edited by Boise State University anthropology professor Robert McCarl (94 pages, $10), is designed to trace the evolution of Latino influences in Idaho and expand their formal study and recognition.

Research shows that the Latino population of Idaho is growing very quickly; by 2025, it is expected to have increased by 114 percent since 2000 and make up 10 percent of the state’s population. Yet McCarl writes that, “The promise of these insights into another worldview … will never be fulfilled until those inside and outside of these communities begin to appreciate and seriously consider the impact of these perspectives on our increasingly pluralistic lives.”

Topics covered in the book range from the history of the Raices Historicas historical exhibit and the oral tradition of the Mexican corrido, or ballad, to a look at early Mexican American railroaders in Pocatello and the importance of the first Fiesta Idaho celebration.

Contributors include McCarl, Boise State Spanish professor María Alicia Garza, Boise State history professor Errol Jones, University of Washington history professor Erasmo Gamboa, Norma Cantú, a folklorist from Texas, and many others.

Copies of the book may be purchased through the Idaho Humanities Council, 217 W. State St., Boise, ID 83702, or by calling (208) 345-5346. The book was created through financial support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Contact
Robert McCarl 
Department of Anthropology 
208 426-4038 

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