A People's Guide to Orange County

Download A People's Guide to Orange County PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520299957
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (22 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis A People's Guide to Orange County by : Elaine Lewinnek

Download or read book A People's Guide to Orange County written by Elaine Lewinnek and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2022-01-25 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "At first encounter, Orange County can resemble the incoherent sprawl that geographer James Howard Kunstler named The Geography of Nowhere: a car-dependent, seemingly bland space designed most of all for efficient capitalist consumption. But it is somewhere, too, and learning its stories helps it become more than its boosters' slogans. Writers Lisa Alvarez and Andrew Tonkovich, residents of Orange County's remote Modjeska Canyon, describe this whole county as "a much-constructed and -contrived locale, a pestered and paved landscape built and borne upon stories of human development... of destruction as well as, happily, of enduring wild places." In a similar vein, essayist D. J. Waldie, chronicler of the bordering suburb of Lakewood, asserts that "becoming Californian ... means locating yourself" in "habitats of memory" that connect ordinary, local areas with broader themes. Moving beyond sentimentality, nostalgia, and so many sales pitches that omit far too much, Waldie echoes Michel de Certeau's call to "awaken the stories that sleep in the streets." That is the goal of this book. Inspired by Laura Pulido, Laura Barraclough, and Wendy Cheng's A People's Guide to Los Angeles (University of California Press, 2012), as well as the People's Guides to Boston and San Francisco that have followed it, we offer this guidebook for locals, tourists, students, and everyone who wants to understand where they really are. This book is organized with regional chapters, sorted roughly north to south by community. Within each city, sites are listed alphabetically. After the group of entries for each city, we recommend nearby restaurants as well as other sites of interest for visitors. Readers may explore this book geographically or use the thematic tours in the appendix to consider environmental politics, Cold War legacies, the politics of housing, LGBTQ spaces, or Orange County's carceral state. The appendix also contains suggestions for teachers using this book, engaging students in cognitive mapping, close reading, popular-culture analysis, and creating additional entries of people's history. While many local histories tend to focus on a few white settlers, this book places attention on the people, especially the subaltern ones who are hierarchically under others, including workers, people of color, youth, and LGBTQ individuals. No single book can represent an entire county, so we have chosen to concentrate on the lesser-known power struggles that have happened here and influenced the landscape that we all share. We could not include everyone, of course. We are mindful that other groups are currently creating more people's history on this landscape that we hope our readers will continue to explore. In Orange County, excavating the diverse past can be frowned upon or actively repressed by those invested in selling Orange County in the style of its booster Anglo settlers from 150 years ago. This book tells the diverse political history beyond the bucolic imagery of orange-crate labels. We hope it will inspire readers to further explore Orange County and reflect on even more sites that could be included in the ordinary, extraordinary landscape here"--

Orange County

Download Orange County PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1439123209
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (391 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Orange County by : Gustavo Arellano

Download or read book Orange County written by Gustavo Arellano and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-09-16 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bestselling author of ¡Ask a Mexican! Gustavo Arellano returns with Orange County, a seamlessly woven history of California's Orange County with Gustavo's personal narrative of growing up within its neighborhoods. The story began in 1918, when Gustavo Arellano's great-grandfather and grandfather arrived in the United States, only to be met with flying potatoes. They ran, and hid, and then went to work in Orange County's citrus groves, where, eventually, thousands of fellow Mexican villagers joined them. Gustavo was born sixty years later, the son of a tomato canner who dropped out of school in the ninth grade and an illegal immigrant who snuck into this country in the trunk of a Chevy. Meanwhile, Orange County changed radically, from a bucolic paradise of orange groves to the land where good Republicans go to die, American Christianity blossoms, and way too many bad television shows are green-lit. Part personal narrative, part cultural history, Orange County is the outrageous and true story of the man behind the wildly popular and controversial column ¡Ask a Mexican! and the locale that spawned him. It is a tale of growing up in an immigrant enclave in a crime-ridden neighborhood, but also in a promised land, a place that has nourished America's soul and Gustavo's family, both in this country and back in Mexico, for a century. Nationally bestselling author, syndicated columnist, and the spiciest voice of the Mexican-American community, Gustavo Arellano delivers the hilarious and poignant follow-up to ¡Ask a Mexican!, his critically acclaimed debut. Orange County not only weaves Gustavo's family story with the history of Orange County and the modern Mexican-immigrant experience but also offers sharp, caliente insights into a wide range of political, cultural, and social issues.

Wanna Cook?

Download Wanna Cook? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : ECW Press
ISBN 13 : 1770904980
Total Pages : 329 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (79 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Wanna Cook? by : Ensley F. Guffey

Download or read book Wanna Cook? written by Ensley F. Guffey and published by ECW Press. This book was released on 2014-05-01 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An accessible and in-depth guide to all five seasons of Breaking Bad "I am not in danger . . . I am the danger." With those words, Breaking Bad's Walter White solidified himself as TV's greatest antihero. Wanna Cook? explores the most critically lauded series on television with analyses of the individual episodes and ongoing storylines. From details like stark settings, intricate camerawork, and jarring music to the larger themes, including the roles of violence, place, self-change, legal ethics, and fan reactions, this companion book is perfect for those diehards who have watched the Emmy Award-winning series multiple times as well as for new viewers. Wanna Cook? elucidates without spoiling, and illuminates without nit-picking. A must-have for any fanÕs collection.

Taco USA

Download Taco USA PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1439148627
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (391 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Taco USA by : Gustavo Arellano

Download or read book Taco USA written by Gustavo Arellano and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-04-16 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a narrative history of Mexican cuisine in the United States, sharing a century's worth of anecdotes and cultural criticism to address questions about culinary authenticity and the source of Mexican food's popularity.

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost

Download Gustavo, the Shy Ghost PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Candlewick Press
ISBN 13 : 1536216933
Total Pages : 40 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (362 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by : Flavia Z. Drago

Download or read book Gustavo, the Shy Ghost written by Flavia Z. Drago and published by Candlewick Press. This book was released on 2020-07-14 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This winning debut picture book from Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago about finding the courage to make friends is perfect for the spooky season — or anytime. Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves? With fancifully detailed artwork and visual humor, debut picture-book creator Flavia Z. Drago’s vivid illustrations tell a sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship that is sure to be a treat for little ghouls and goblins everywhere.

Dust & Grooves

Download Dust & Grooves PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Ten Speed Press
ISBN 13 : 1607748703
Total Pages : 577 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (77 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Dust & Grooves by : Eilon Paz

Download or read book Dust & Grooves written by Eilon Paz and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 577 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A photographic look into the world of vinyl record collectors—including Questlove—in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms. Compelling photographic essays from photographer Eilon Paz are paired with in-depth and insightful interviews to illustrate what motivates these collectors to keep digging for more records. The reader gets an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions, including Gilles Peterson and King Britt, as well as a glimpse into the collections of known and unknown DJs, producers, record dealers, and everyday enthusiasts. Driven by his love for vinyl records, Paz takes us on a five-year journey unearthing the very soul of the vinyl community.

Prison Ramen

Download Prison Ramen PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Workman Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0761185526
Total Pages : 177 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (611 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Prison Ramen by : Clifton Collins

Download or read book Prison Ramen written by Clifton Collins and published by Workman Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-03 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique and edgy cookbook, Prison Ramen takes readers behind bars with more than 65 ramen recipes and stories of prison life from the inmate/cooks who devised them, including celebrities like Slash from Guns n’ Roses and the actor Shia LaBeouf. Instant ramen is a ubiquitous food, beloved by anyone looking for a cheap, tasty bite—including prisoners, who buy it at the commissary and use it as the building block for all sorts of meals. Think of this as a unique cookbook of ramen hacks. Here’s Ramen Goulash. Black Bean Ramen. Onion Tortilla Ramen Soup. The Jailhouse Hole Burrito. Orange Porkies—chili ramen plus white rice plus ½ bag of pork skins plus orange-flavored punch. Ramen Nuggets. Slash’s J-Walking Ramen (with scallions, Sriracha hot sauce, and minced pork). Coauthors Gustavo “Goose” Alvarez and Clifton Collins Jr. are childhood friends—one an ex-con, now free and living in Mexico, and the other a highly successful Hollywood character actor who’s enlisted friends and celebrities to contribute their recipes and stories. Forget flowery writing about precious, organic ingredients—these stories are a first-person, firsthand look inside prison life, a scared-straight reality to complement the offbeat recipes.

Our Players' Gallery

Download Our Players' Gallery PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 718 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Our Players' Gallery by : W. J. Thorold

Download or read book Our Players' Gallery written by W. J. Thorold and published by . This book was released on 1916 with total page 718 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Never Have I Ever

Download Never Have I Ever PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1455544663
Total Pages : 231 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (555 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Never Have I Ever by : Katie Heaney

Download or read book Never Have I Ever written by Katie Heaney and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A hilarious, quirky, and unflinchingly honest memoir about one young woman's life-long (and totally unsuccessful) search for love. "I've been single for my entire life. Not one boyfriend. Not one short-term dating situation. Not one person with whom I regularly hung out and kissed on the face." So begins Katie Heaney's memoir of her years spent looking for love, but never quite finding it. By age 25, equipped with a college degree, a load of friends, and a happy family life, she still has never had a boyfriend...and she's barely even been on a second date. Throughout this laugh-out-loud funny book, you will meet Katie's loyal group of girlfriends, including flirtatious and outgoing Rylee, the wild child to Katie's shrinking violet, as well as a whole roster of Katie's ill-fated crushes. And you will get to know Katie herself -- a smart, modern heroine relaying truths about everything from the subtleties of a Facebook message exchange to the fact that "Everybody who works in a coffee shop is at least a little bit hot." Funny, relatable, and inspiring, this is a memoir for anyone who has ever struggled to find love, but has also had a lot of fun in the process.

The Road to Chianti

Download The Road to Chianti PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : BalboaPress
ISBN 13 : 9781452559629
Total Pages : 214 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (596 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Road to Chianti by : Kelly Hughes Roberts

Download or read book The Road to Chianti written by Kelly Hughes Roberts and published by BalboaPress. This book was released on 2012-10-18 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Set in Italy in the year 1977, The Road to Chianti follows two young orphans as they struggle to find a place to call home. When their parents are killed in a devastating accident on the eve of the Epiphany, nine-year-old Alessandra DeSantis and her older brother, Salvatore, are left alone. With no one to care for them, the children soon end up in a run-down orphanage far from their home in Chianti. Still emotionally scarred from losing their parents, they now face an even greater challengethe cruel Agostina, who works Alessandra and Salvatore to the point of exhaustion. Deciding they must escape, Alessandra and Salvatore flee in the night and unknowingly embark on a harrowing adventure across the Italian countryside. With Agostinas goons hot on their trail, Alessandra and Salvatore vow to do whatever it takes to survive, and above all else, find their way home to Chianti. But one nagging question always hangs over themwhat will they find when they finally get home? An action-packed journey through cobblestone streets, dark forests, and gorgeous piazzas, The Road to Chianti explores the power of love to triumph over adversity and the importance of having a place to call your own.

The Good Dictator I

Download The Good Dictator I PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Gonçalo JN Dias
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 147 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Good Dictator I by : Gonçalo JN Dias

Download or read book The Good Dictator I written by Gonçalo JN Dias and published by Gonçalo JN Dias. This book was released on 2016-11-25 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From de award-winning Portuguese author Gonçalo JN Dias comes a trilogy about the struggle for power An unidentified object parked on the moon - and no one seems to know where it came from. Gustavo, a middle-aged computer programmer with a comfortable and grey life, decides to make a list of what he would need to survive a hypothetical attack. He becomes obsessed with the list, spends a fortune, robs a drugstore: his own family thinks he is going insane. However, after the attack, it’s the insane who are well prepared for a new era in society. Excerpt: Gustavo laughed again, he looked down with an amused look and saw the great hate that emanated from The Fatty. "Do you know why it came down to this? You on your knees and me standing and observing your village in flames? Because you’re the weakest link. You know, you fatty, in the animal world, the ones who adapt the better to the environmental conditions are the ones who survive, and just between you and me, we both have the best example of it. You, who still think you are the GNR commander and that someone will come from the past to make me pay for my deeds. While I have quickly adapted to the new reality: as soon as the craft landed on The Moon, I made a list of indispensable things, I spent a lot of money on this list, I robbed a drugstore and was considered to be crazy by my family, but when the attack occurred, this crazy one was the one who had adapted the best to the new environment. And, let me tell you: I longed for this attack; I was fed up with living my comfortable and gray life behind a computer. It’s your fault." – Gustavo pointed out to the village, from which, on that hill, one could hear the bustling noise of gunshots and could clearly see the fire inside the village and on the fields around it. – "Your pride and your attempt to keep your status-quo have brought us to this point. If you had known how to read the new winds, you would have understood that the only way was to join us and you’d certainly hold some important position in Malpica's committee or even as an officer in my army, but your lack of foresight has made your own village pay for it. Anyhow, it seems to me that it's for the best that people like you have no place in this new society – so as not to contaminate it. You’ve always taken advantage of your position to bring benefits to your house, you forgave fines, received bribes and gifts and certainly, you’d do the same in this new society if you were given a chance. But believe me, people like you, corrupt people who use their political or professional position to fill their pockets have their days numbered. For them, there will be a hard penalty, forced labor in prison along with the murderers, thieves and the remaining scum. The prisons in the Serrano Empire will be a place where there will be an average of work of twelve hours a day and if they get out of prison and commit another crime, there will be no second chance." "In the future, Gustavo, you will be remembered as a crazy and mad dictator. " – the former commander spoke now without any anger or hate, he had resigned himself to his cruel destiny and his look was serene and lost in the direction of his village. Gustavo also looked towards Malpica as if he watched a giant theater play and without shifting his eyes, he went on: " Perhaps, history is written by the victors and the same goes for the truth, there are always different perspectives."

The Universal Tone

Download The Universal Tone PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Hachette+ORM
ISBN 13 : 0316244910
Total Pages : 583 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (162 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Universal Tone by : Carlos Santana

Download or read book The Universal Tone written by Carlos Santana and published by Hachette+ORM. This book was released on 2014-11-04 with total page 583 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The intimate and long-awaited autobiography of a legend. In 1967 in San Francisco, just a few weeks after the Summer of Love, a young Mexican guitarist took the stage at the Fillmore Auditorium and played a blistering solo that announced the arrival of a prodigious musical talent. Two years later -- after he played a historic set at Woodstock -- the world came to know the name Carlos Santana, his sensual and instantly recognizable guitar sound, and the legendary band that blended electric blues, psychedelic rock, Latin rhythms, and modern jazz, and that still bears his name. Carlos Santana's unforgettable memoir offers a page-turning tale of musical self-determination and inner self-discovery, with personal stories filled with colorful detail and life-affirming lessons. The Universal Tone traces his journey from his earliest days playing the strip bars in Tijuana while barely in his teens and brings to light the establishment of his signature guitar sound; his roles as husband, father, recording legend, and rock guitar star; his indebtedness to musical and spiritual influences -- from John Coltrane and John Lee Hooker to Miles Davis and Harry Belafonte; and his deep, lifelong dedication to a spiritual path that he developed from his Catholic upbringing, Eastern philosophies, and other mystical sources. It includes his recording some of the most popular and influential rock albums of all time, up to and beyond the 1999 sensation Supernatural, which garnered nine Grammy Awards and stands as arguably the most amazing career comeback in popular music history. It's a profoundly inspiring tale of divine inspiration and musical fearlessness that does not balk at finding the humor in the world of high-flying fame, or at speaking plainly of Santana's personal revelations and the infinite possibility he sees in each person he meets. "Love is the light that is inside of all of us, everyone," he writes. "I salute the light that you are and that is inside your heart."

Advanced Hybrid Picking Etudes for Guitar

Download Advanced Hybrid Picking Etudes for Guitar PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781090120083
Total Pages : 52 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (2 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Advanced Hybrid Picking Etudes for Guitar by : Gustavo Assis-Brasil

Download or read book Advanced Hybrid Picking Etudes for Guitar written by Gustavo Assis-Brasil and published by . This book was released on 2019-08 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Video and audio access included! -- Advanced Hybrid Picking Etudes is a collection of pieces that will allow you to further develop the technique through studies, compositions, lines, and solos. Each etude comes with suggested fingerings using both tablature and standard notation. They mix legato, alternate and sweep picking, but you can also choose to use fingerstyle/classical technique to play them. You can apply all the concepts presented here to your own phrasing, composition, and improvisation. --"Gustavo's new book is the perfect resource for any guitarist interested in improving or widening their abilities with hybrid picking. Where I find most educational material either too dense or too dry, Gustavo has (as always) found the perfect way to present both a clear methodology and a fountain of musically interesting examples and etudes." -PLINI"--These expertly constructed exercises invite you to a contemporary world of structured tonalities, through which you are able to progress and transcend style." - VARDAN OVSEPIAN"-- Gustavo's creative, angular etudes will challenge your mind and your hands in equal measure; attempt to learn them and you'll have your work cut out for you!" - PER NILSSON (Meshuggah, Scar Symmetry)--"Get ready for Gustavo Assis-Brasil's newest and most challenging book on studies using the Hybrid Picking technique. "Advanced Hybrid Picking Etudes" presents valuable studies that will take you to the next level. The material is the most comprehensive ever made on the subject and has detailed applications of all your movements. I highly recommend it." - ISAAC NEGRENE--"In this new book, Gustavo Assis-Brasil presents a lot of material for exploring the mechanics of the guitar musically with the hybrid picking technique and also permutations for the left hand. A progressive approach is presented throughout the course, from preliminary etudes in the beginning, to full-fledged compositions. The pieces also have a sort of algorithmic approach in the transformation of raw permutations into real music. An outstanding resource for music and guitar." - DR. JULIO HERRLEIN

Fearless 3

Download Fearless 3 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Tranay Adams
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 127 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (661 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Fearless 3 by : Tranay Adams

Download or read book Fearless 3 written by Tranay Adams and published by Tranay Adams. This book was released on 2022-05-26 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FEAR is given his first assignment as a hit-man by his former cocaine plug, GUSTAVO. He is to execute his ex-business acquaintance turned rival, ESTABEN GOMEZ, a drug lord just as revered and feared as he is. Fear does as he’s commanded, but when Gustavo finds out that his orders weren’t carried out to the T, the certified cap peeler finds out that he may have made a deal with The Devil.

Theatre Magazine

Download Theatre Magazine PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 410 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (31 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Theatre Magazine by :

Download or read book Theatre Magazine written by and published by . This book was released on 1916 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Colombia from the Air

Download Colombia from the Air PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Villegas Asociados
ISBN 13 : 9589138888
Total Pages : 202 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (891 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Colombia from the Air by : Gustavo Wilches-Chaux

Download or read book Colombia from the Air written by Gustavo Wilches-Chaux and published by Villegas Asociados. This book was released on 1993 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seen from above, from the sky, a country's geography looks like it really is: a huge living individual organism that has nothing to do with a mound of amorphous geography. Rivers that run like veins over valleys and mountians are a sight of majestic vitality; mountain chains as gigantic arms emerging from thick jungles and forests, extended through the land as vitaloxigen suppliers. This is Colombia seen from the air An hallucinating tour through the landscape of a country where one can breathe, touch and see exuberance, where the shiny silver rivers of the Caribbean plains glow while the high-tide of the deep Pacific Coast announces the arrival of whales to the Continent. A paradise where the coffee growing area spreads out like aninmense quilt, sewn in green over the mountains, and moors host lakes of multi-coloured waters and unique species. Colombia from the air is the perfect book to cherish and be dazzled by the irresistible beauty that comes from the earth and the sea, fading in the horizon.

Ask a Mexican

Download Ask a Mexican PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1416562060
Total Pages : 259 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (165 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Ask a Mexican by : Gustavo Arellano

Download or read book Ask a Mexican written by Gustavo Arellano and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-05-07 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From award-winning columnist and favorite talking head Gustavo Arellano, comes this explosive, irreverent, smart, and hilarious Los Angeles Times bestseller. ¡Ask a Mexican! is a collection of questions and answers from Gustavo Arellano that explore the clichés of lowriders, busboys, and housekeepers; drunks and scoundrels; heroes and celebrities; and most important, millions upon millions of law-abiding, patriotic American citizens and their illegal-immigrant cousins who represent some $600 billion in economic power. At a strong eighteen percent of the U.S. population, Latinos have become America's largest minority—and Mexicans make up a large part of that number. Gustavo confronts the bogeymen of racism, xenophobia, and ignorance prompted by such demographic changes through answering questions put to him by readers of his ¡Ask a Mexican! column in California's OC Weekly. He challenges readers to find a more entertaining way to understand Mexican culture that doesn't involve a taco-and-enchilada combo. From lighter topics like Latin pop and great Mexican food to more serious issues like immigration and race relations, ¡Ask a Mexican! ​runs the gamut. Why do Mexicans call white people gringos? Are all Mexicans Catholic? What's the best tequila? Gustavo answers a wide range of legitimate and illegitimate questions, in the hopes of making a few readers angry, making most of us laugh, sparking a greater dialogue, and enhancing cross-cultural understanding.