This book consists of essays by twelve leading experts on major themes and issues in modern Latin American history and politics. The introduction by Alfred Stepan and the first group of essays present an overview of the underlying dynamics of change that have shaped Latin America and the Caribbean since the mid-nineteenth century. Subsequent essays examine topics as diverse as the changing roles of Latin American women, ethnic groups and conflicts in the region,migration, the church and its social activism, the evolution of a Latin American voice in both high and popular culture and the experiences of Latin American and Caribbean Peoples in the United States.This distinguished collection of essays will be widely adopted as a supplementary text for courses in Latin American history and politics.