!Manteca!

"e;We defy translation,"e; Sandra Maria Esteves writes. "e;Nameless / we are a whole culture / once removed."e; She is half Dominican, half Puerto Rican, with indigenous and African blood, born in the Bronx. Like so many of the contributors, she is a blend of cultures, histories and languages.Containing the work of more than 40 poets-equally divided between men and women-who self-identify as Afro-Latino, !Manteca! is the first poetry anthology to highlight writings by Latinos of African descent. The themes covered are as diverse as the authors themselves. Many pieces rail against a system that institutionalizes poverty and racism. Others remember parents and grandparents who immigrated to the United States in search of a better life, only to learn that the American Dream is a nightmare for someone with dark skin and nappy hair. But in spite of hardship, faith remains. Anthony Morales' grandmother, like so many others, was "e;hardwired to hold on to hope."e; There are love poems to families and lovers. And music-salsa, merengue, jazz-permeates this collection.Editor and scholar Melissa Castillo-Garsow writes in her introduction that "e;the experiences and poetic expression of Afro-Latinidad were so diverse"e; that she could not begin to categorize it. Some write in English, others in Spanish. They are Puerto Rican, Dominican, and almost every combination conceivable, including Afro-Mexican. Containing the work of well-known writers such as Pedro Pietri, Miguel Pinero and E. Ethelbert Miller, less well-known ones are ready to be discovered in these pages.