This volume investigates the complex intersection of ethnic and racial identity as it pertains to the Hispanic and Latino population within the United States. Edited by Jorge J. E. Gracia and Pablo De Greiff, the text compiles interdisciplinary essays that examine how government classifications often conflict with social and racial perceptions. The authors utilize historical, sociological, and philosophical frameworks to analyze the fluidity of these identity categories in the American context.

Scholars and students of ethnic studies frequently cite this collection as a foundational text for understanding the nuances of identity politics in America. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous intellectual basis for discussions on race and ethnicity.