Sponsored Identities: Culture, Politics in Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Studies)

Rating:
Summary: Offers a good case study of state sponsored culture.
Review: After reading this book I can say that Davila offers a good case study of the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture has historically acted as an authority which sanctions specific cultural products/practices as Puerto Rican. Her description of the struggle over authenticity at the Bacardi Festival is excellent. However, her analysis of how identity/ies are negotiated and framed suffers for lack of theoretical rigour. Her understanding of nationalism and her notion of nationalism as somehow inclusive is a case in point. This book also betrays a lack of historical knowledge about Puerto Rican political history as a number of errors concerning political party history appear in the text. The main value of this book is as an empirical case study on which others can build a serious analysis of how culture and identity are contested in Puerto Rico.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on Puerto Rico, a must read.
Review: This is a very acute study of cultural politics in Puerto Rico. The author exposes the dynamics that make culture such an important forum to debate identity among Puerto Ricans on the island and abroad. It is an excellent book and a must read for anyone interested in contemporary Puerto Rican studies.