Published in conjunction with the launch of the Digital Archive of the International Center for the Arts of the Americas, this first volume of the Critical Documents of 20th-Century Latin American and Latino Art series includes 168 texts, written by artists, critics, curators, journalists, and intellectuals, on questions relating to what it means to be 'Latin American' and/or 'Latino'.
Issues being addressed in the book include: the construct of "Latin-ness" itself; the persistent longing for a continental identity; notions of Pan–Latin Americanism; the emergence of collections and exhibitions devoted specifically to "Latin American” or "Latino" art; and multicultural critiques of Latin American and Latino essentialism. The selected documents, many of which have never before been published in English, span from the late fifteenth century to the present day. The documents contribute to building a much-needed intellectual foundation for the exhibition, collection, and interpretation of art produced in Latin America and among Latino populations in the United States.