Among the many recent books on educational reform, Eugene E. Garcia's Hispanic Education in the United States stands out as a landmark work. Garcia vibrantly portrays what works in creating better educational opportunities and effective school reform. He also offers a telling reflection on the bicultural experience of minority groups in the U.S. Culture is an asset in any individual's educational attainment. Garcia shows how and why our educational reforms therefore must seek to build upon rather than downplay the native culture and language of minority students. Poignant stories from the author's life—and from many other teachers and students—make this a vital book for the university classroom, and for any reader interested in the rapidly changing dynamics of America's schools.

"Provides a broad overview of the ongoing debates (language politics, cultural differences and identity, immigrant students, multicultural education, effective instruction and interventions, theories and explanations of failure, and public policy implications) as they apply to Hispanic students in U.S. classrooms. This theoretical and personal 'story' is informative and inspiring reading for those seeking a socially just educational system and society." - CHOICE

"Garcia's survey is humane, scholarly, and convincing." - Times Literary Supplement

"Eugene Garcia comprehensively reviews the research literature related to Latinos and education, including themes such as bilingual education policy debates, culture, identity, and the cultural mismatch that often occurs between Latino students and their school experiences. One of the may strengths of the book is Garcia's challenge of theoretical frameworks that account for educational inequity in terms of supposed intellectual and/or cultural shortcomings of Latino children/families. Instead, he presents a thorough review of educational inequities along with multiple instances of Latino educational successes and illustrates the complex circumstances that bring about negative outcomes for many Latino students. Garcia's writing style will be meaningful to a range of audiences, including teachers, teacher educators, and government and non-profit professionals. this is an excellent text for teacher training courses and professional development seminars for educators working in community-based organizations as well as cultural institutions." - Anthropology & Education Quarterly

"A major contribution to the social science literature on minority education in the United States. It represents the summary knowledge of a remarkable man with a remarkable life, someone who is uniquely positioned to illuminate the promises and perils of Hispanic education at the current crossroads." - Contemporary Sociology