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Hispanic Life in America

The experience and impact of Hispanic Americans as recorded by the news media
Summary
Learn what makes this product unique
  • Comprehensive coverage of the Hispanic American experience from the early 18th century to the present day
  • Sourced from more than 17,000 publications, including 700 Spanish-language newspapers and periodicals
  • An easy-to-use online resource—updated daily with new material—that illuminates centuries of Hispanic history, culture, and daily life

Hispanic history and American history are inextricably bound together. From the earliest days of the colonial era through modern times, people of Spanish-speaking heritage have shaped the geography, arts, culture, and civil discourse of the United States in immeasurable ways. For decades, these contributions—as well as the challenges and injustices experienced by Hispanic Americans—were downplayed by many historians. Today, with the Hispanic American population at a record high and interest in racial and social justice growing, students and researchers are re-examining the story of America through a more diverse lens.

Hispanic Life in America is the single most comprehensive digital archive of primary source documents related to Hispanic American life. Replete with material unavailable elsewhere, this three-part collection is sourced from more than 17,000 global news sources, including over 700 Spanish-language or bilingual publications, dating from 1704 to today. Combining deep historical content with current sources, Hispanic Life in America is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in examining the full spectrum of American history and culture.

Series 1: 1704-1942: Spanish colonialism through World War II
From early Spanish settlements in Florida, New Mexico, and Texas, to the California missions, to Spanish involvement in the Revolutionary War, people of Hispanic descent helped found and define the United States. Mainstream U.S. newspapers and periodicals often reported on Hispanic American issues, but it wasn’t until the publication of the first Spanish-language newspaper—New Orleans’ El Misisipí, in 1808—that the voices of Hispanic Americans rose to prominence. For the next 150 years, immigrants carried Hispanic American newspapers back to their home countries across the Spanish-speaking world, bringing not only revolutionary ideas about democracy and freedom but also news about the Mexican-American War, the Battle of the Alamo, the Spanish-American War, the Mexican Revolution and much more.

Series 2: 1943-2009: Immigration, labor rights and civil rights
Post World War II, the newspapers in Hispanic Life in America captured rapid changes sweeping across the United States and Latin America. Through firsthand reporting, editorials, obituaries, illustrations, and advertisements, these primary sources offer a range of views on some of the century’s most pivotal events, including mass deportations under President Dwight Eisenhower, the Bay of Pigs invasion, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as well as numerous court decisions and policy changes affecting immigration, labor rights, and civil rights. Researchers will find contemporary perspectives on such seminal figures as Cesar Chavez, Roberto Clemente, Ritchie Valens, Sonia Sotomayor, and others, and glean new insight into the lives of Hispanic Americans whose stories are less well known.

Series 3: 2010-Today: Hispanic Americans in the twenty-first century
Available by subscription from NewsBank. For more information on Series 3, visit newsbank.com/hispaniclife

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“…OUTSTANDING...”
“…an outstanding resource for newspapers and primary sources, relevant across a wide range of disciplines at our institution.”
Azeem Khan, Rresearch & Instruction Librarian, Whittier College
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Areas of Study
This product supports the following subjects
American Studies
Ethnic Studies
Immigration Studies
Latin American Studies
US History
Peek Inside
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Title List
Reviews & Accolades

Black Life in America and Hispanic Life in America are outstanding resources for newspapers and primary sources, relevant across a wide range of disciplines at our institution. I have been impressed by the approachable layout, suggested searches and above all, the historical material contained within these two databases. I have also recommended the suggested searches for students looking for a topic for a research project.

I have explored these databases with students both in workshops and one-on-one, and in both cases we have found historical newspaper articles that contribute valuable information to students’ research topics. Most importantly, many of these students have gone on to continue to use these databases on their own. The databases are simple to learn and use, especially with easily accessible geographic and date filters.

A group of seniors told me that they had worked as a group to find relevant articles for their final research papers after attending one of my workshops. The students mentioned being surprised by the quality and relevance of material that they found.

I plan to continue showcasing both databases in my classes, workshops and individual research consultations with students in the future. Historical newspapers are an often underutilized resource when students are conducting research. Both databases offer an approachable entry point for students to find invaluable historical resources on a wide range of topics.

Azeem Khan, Research & Instruction Librarian, Whittier College

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