"This book greatly enhances our understanding of Puerto Ricans by describing their history, and social, and labor experiences in the South, Midwest, and West, as well as New York City. In doing so, it enriches our knowledge about Puerto Ricans across the U.S. in a way that no other book does. Baker effectively highlights how the Puerto Rican experience is different from that of other Hispanic Americans. It is worth noting that the book is one of the first to utilize the results from the 2000 Census."—Tony Carnes, Chair, Seminar on Contents and Methods in the Social Sciences, Columbia University, and director of the Research Institute for New Americans
"Susan Baker has written a noteworthy volume. To her extensive personal experience she brings an academic perspective that is thorough and well thought out. Much has been written about the Puerto Rican Diaspora focusing on New York City. Baker contributes to our understanding by tackling internal migration and terms of incorporation that vary from place to place. She makes a further contribution by comparing this population to other Latinos, exploring the role of segregation (including a cogent discussion of the dissimilarity index), and the impact of the larger U.S. economic structure."—Alvaro L. Nieves, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Wheaton College (Ill.)
"This illuminating examination of poverty within the Puerto Rican population in mainland U.S.A. provides a readable resource with many applications. Baker carefully employs a methodology to examine Puerto Ricans that acknowledges the regional, class, gender, and generational diversity that exists within this group, as well as emphasizing the necessity of studying all Latino groups individually and within their own particular contexts. This work is significant not only for scholars in Puerto Rican studies but also for anyone seeking a better understanding of the distinct Latino populations within the United States."—Edwin David Aponte, Assistant Professor of Christianity and Culture, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University