Anne Fountain – författare

A national hero in Cuba and a champion of independence across Latin America, José Martí produced a body of work that has been theorized, criticized, and politicized. However, one of the most understudied aspects of his life remains his time in the United States and how it affected his attitudes toward racial politics.

Martí saw first-hand the treatment of slaves in the Cuban countryside and as a young man in Havana had mourned the death of Lincoln. But it was in New York City, near the close of the century, where he penned his famous essay “My Race,” declaring that there was only the human race.

In the United States he encountered European immigrants and the labor politics that accompanied them, and he became aware of the hardships experienced by Chinese workers. Martí read in newspapers and magazines about the mistreatment of Native Americans and the adversity faced by newly freed black citizens. Anne Fountain argues that it was here—confronted by the forces of manifest destiny, the influence of race in politics, the legacy of slavery, and the plight and promise of the black Cuban diaspora—that Martí fully engaged with the specter of racism. Examining his entire oeuvre rather than just selected portions, Fountain demonstrates the evolution of his thinking on the topic, indicating the significance of his sources, providing a context for his writing, and offering a structure for his treatment of race.

A national hero in Cuba and a champion of independence across Latin America, José Martí produced a body of writing that has been theorized, criticized, and politicized. However, one of the most understudied aspects of his work is how his time in the United States affected what he wrote about race and his attitudes toward racial politics.

In the United States Martí encountered European immigrants and the labor politics that accompanied them and became aware of the hardships experienced by Chinese workers. He read in newspapers and magazines about the oppression of Native Americans and the adversity faced by newly freed black citizens. Although he''d first witnessed the mistreatment of slaves in Cuba, it was in New York City, near the close of the century, where he penned his famous essay "My Race," declaring that there was only one race, the human race.

Anne Fountain argues that it was in the United States that Martí--confronted by the forces of manifest destiny, the influence of race in politics, the legacy of slavery, and the plight and promise of the black Cuban diaspora--fully engaged with the specter of racism. Examining Martí''s complete works with a focus on key portions, Fountain reveals the evolution of his thinking on the topic, indicating the significance of his sources, providing a context for his writing, and offering a structure for his works on race.

A critical resource for inclusive teaching in the Spanish classroom

Although Indigenous peoples are active citizens of the Americas, many Spanish language teachers lack the knowledge and understanding of their history, culture, and languages that is needed to present the Spanish language in context. By presenting a more complete picture of the Spanish speaking world, Indigenous America in the Spanish Language Classroom invites teachers to adjust their curricula to create a more inclusive classroom.

Anne Fountain provides teachers with key historical and cultural information about Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and explains how to incorporate relevant resources into their curricula using a social justice lens. This book begins with an overview of the Iberian impact on Indigenous Americans and connects it to language teaching, giving practical ideas that are tied to language learning standards. Each chapter finishes with a list for further reading, inviting teachers to dig deeper. The book ends with a set of ten conclusions and an extensive list of resources organized by topic to help teachers find accurate information about Indigenous America to enrich their teaching. Fountain includes illustrations that relate directly to teaching ideas.

Hard-to-find resources and concrete teaching ideas arranged by level as well as a glossary of important terms make this book an essential resource for all Spanish language teachers.