the issues European settlers brought with them to the Americas due, in part, to the upheaval of their societies because of illness and war (Gonzalez 4–8). Gonzales then discusses the impact of Spanish conquerors, such as Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and how he changed the cultural and physical landscapes of indigenous American tribes, and then moves into describing the religious and racial influences the English and Spanish effected on the areas they colonized. He ends the chapter by comparing and contrasting the roles of the two countries, England and Spain, in the beginning of Anglo and Latin American societies.

• Chapter 2 - The Spanish Borderlands and the Making of an Empire (1810–1898)

This chapter argues that “the Anglo conquest of Spanish-speaking America” is responsible for the Latino presence in the modern United States and describes the contrast in colonial and national development (Gonzalez 27). This moves to a discussion of various annexations and settlers across the Americas and how American leaders acted as a model for “Latin American patriots” despite American apathy. Gonzalez then describes various invasions and Spanish uprisings called filibusters from the period of 1801 to 1860 and then the American and European involvement during this time period. Following a discussion of American involvement in Mexico, which would eventually lead to the Texas War of Independence (which Gonzalez details), the author discusses various settlers, such as William Walker and Henry L. Kinney, as well as a move toward Central America because of trade opportunities.

• Chapter 3 - Banana Republics and Bonds: Taming the Empire’s Backyard (1898–1950)

This chapter breaks down how American “gunboat diplomacy” and “financial domination” of the Caribbean economy led to a “huge influx of Latino immigrants” during the twentieth century (Gonzalez 58). This is demonstrated across five separate discussions, of the nations of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua. The Puerto Rico section describes the various legal issues that the Foraker Act and the Insular Cases created, as well as briefly describing the economic issues that followed. The Cuba section describes American occupation as the economic manipulation and turmoil that came with American involvement in Cuban government, infrastructure, and lawmaking. The Panama section depicts how the Panama Canal came into existence and the interactions between the American and Panamanian government, which resulted in a negative impact on economic opportunities. The Dominican Republic section details Ulises Heureaux’s refinancing of the nation, which ultimately led to an American presence that resulted in an irreversible dependence on the United States and the subsequent manipulation and corruption brought on by sugar companies and Rafael Leónidas Trujillo (Gonzalez 70). Lastly, the Nicaragua section describes similar corruptions and hostilities while also pointing out the various points of economic instability that eventually caused Latin migration into the United States.

• Chapter 4 - Puerto Ricans: Citizens Yet Foreigners

This chapter takes on a more personal narrative style, as it is a retelling of the author’s family history. Gonzalez talks about his grandparents during the early military occupations up to the point of the Palm Sunday Massacre. He then describes his family’s move to New York and their various jobs. He also describes Puerto Rican migration and champions of Puerto Rican representation, such as Vito Marcantonio. Gonzalez then describes his own childhood and the oppression and racism he encountered during the time, as well as people that inspired and empowered him. He explains the additional hurdles that Puerto Ricans, both immigrants and citizens, had to face in terms of identity, representation, and education.

• Chapter 5 - Mexicans: Pioneers of a Different Type

In this chapter, Gonzalez emphasizes the impact of Mexican immigration on US culture and economic sustainability while also highlighting how this negatively impacts Mexican economic and social foundations. Gonzalez explores the story of pioneers such as José Francisco Canales and his family and how these stories can help people to understand the identity crisis of Mexican Americans (Gonzalez 97). From here, the author explores violence against Mexican Americans and the conflicts between Juan Cortina and Texas forces. He then shifts to a discussion of the empowerment of Mexican Americans because of their participation in World War II and groups such as the Mexican American Youth Organization. The chapter ends with the assertion by the author that until “Anglo America [learns to accept] how much [of] the social, cultural, political, and economic reality of the West and Southwest has been shaped by Mexicans, this crisis in identity and heritage will continue as a blight on American and Mexican-American identity” (Gonzalez 107).

Now, please keep in mind that while this does function as a general overview, this is not an exhaustive list of everything featured in the first five chapters, nor is it a substitute for reading the actual work. However, I do believe that this is a good foundation to work off of in terms of looking for the important themes and ideas that the author depicts.

Each reader will be interested in different aspects of chapter 4, in which author Juan González discusses his Puerto Rican heritage. Some readers may be drawn to the material about his personal identity and family background, while others will be more interested in the broader context in which he locates his own story. Some of the interesting material pertains to the magnitude of Puerto Rican migration from the mid-20th century onward. González reveals the struggles that many people faced in New York, including misinformation about their national identity and the dominant society’s efforts to impose assimilation.

The author points out that lack of opportunity on the island motivated many people to migrate to the mainland. He also mentions that the large number of Puerto Ricans who arrived in the Northeast, especially New York, represented a major shift in the U.S. The American Latino population had formerly been centered in the Southwest, and this demographic consistency was changing. He associates both the speed and numerical influx with the misunderstanding, rejection, and even violent conflict they often encountered. As a schoolboy, state-sponsored assimilation included English only policies, and González regretted the loss of his Spanish linguistic heritage.

In chapter 10 of Harvest of Empire, Juan González explores changing roles of Latinos in US politics. He contextualizes his discussion of contemporary and recent involvement with attention to nineteenth-century Anglo-American opposition, which was sometimes violent, to Latino political participation. In his historical overview of twentieth-century developments, González provides reasons for expanding Latino participation. He explains trends in distinct phases, including coalition building with African Americans and other minorities. He terms these phases the Integration Period (post-World War Two through the early 1960s), the Radical Nationalist period (1960s–1970s), the Voting Rights period (spanning 1975–1985), the Rainbow Period that lasted through the mid 1990s, and the Third Force period at the millennium’s end.

Chapter 11 is devoted to immigration policy, especially in the late twentieth century. He addresses the increase in Latino activism around immigration policy issues, showing how this surge responded to repressive federal policies and widely promoted misconceptions about immigrants. He attends to the negative effects on families and communities that result from practices such as ICE sweeps and deportations. González also offers factual information about Latino immigrant demographics, showing how positive contributions vastly outdistance the negative stereotypes.

Chapter 12 includes language, especially the importance of Spanish, and cultural representation in the arts and media. Addressing the longtime multilingual heritage of the United States, he critiques recent English-only policies and explores the positive effects of Spanish-English bilingual education. The author addresses mainstream representations of Latinos as well as highlights the contributions of Latino writers and performers.

In Chapter Four of The Informed Writer, Charles Bazerman says: 

Summary, like paraphrase, allows you to reproduce another writer's thoughts—but in shortened form. In writing a summary, you focus on the most important statements of the original statements of the original passage and eliminate the less important material. Three techniques—selection and deletion, note taking, and miniaturizing—can help you shorten the material. (50)

Keep this in mind as you prepare to summarize Harvest of Empire.

Harvest of Empire by Juan Gonzalez has 14 chapters divided into three sections: Roots, Branches, and Harvest. The first section addresses the history of colonization in the Americans and American political impacts in Latin American countries. The second deals with different groups of Latino people. The third is about Latin Americans and their influence on the culture and politics of America, as well as the issues facing them.

Start by reading a chapter—for example, "Chapter One: Conquerers and Victims: The Image of America Forms." As you read it, determine what his thesis for that chapter is. Gonzalez actually states it directly in chapter one, saying:

This first chapter seeks to probe how both Latin American and Anglo American cultures were shaped from their colonial beginnings in the 1500s to the independence wars of the early 1800s, particularly how each culture took root in seprate regions of what now makes up the United States. (3–4)

Once you've noted the thesis, write it down in your own words. Continue reading, making notes about important points that Gonzalez makes to support the chapter thesis. For example, in chapter one, Gonzalez discusses:

• The immigration of European settlers to the Americas.
• The influence of Spanish settlers and how their effects have lasted to this day in nomenclature, Spanish-speaking populations, and culture.
• How Spain's Catholicism influenced the actions of the Spanish settlers and their interactions with the population. 
• How Latin and Anglo American cultures were shaped differently based on who colonized each place.

Once you have the thesis and the points, you can write a summary in your own words explaining what the chapter was about. For example:

In chapter one of Harvest of Empire, Juan Gonzalez discusses the rise of Latin and Anglo American cultures from the 1500s to the 1800s. He cites different types of interactions with native populations, different cultures at home, and different colonization strategies as some of the reasons for cultural differences that persist to this day. Gonzalez discusses the decimation of the native populations, laws that shaped the rise of the new communities, and how the wars for independence in the 1800s had an effect on different groups.

Taking this approach to every chapter in Harvest of Empire will help you quickly and easily summarize each chapter of the book.

As the title suggests, the unifying idea of Gonzalez's book is that the United States is solely the cause of the great wave of Hispanic immigration because of its nearly two centuries of colonialism, imperialism, and economic exploitation. Thus, the focus of the chapters is upon explanation of this history, and in summarizing, the student can use Gonzalez's perspective as the directing point to the main ideas of each chapter.

As an example, Chapter 1, "Conquerors and Victims," presents the history of the arrival of the Europeans in the Western Hemisphere; the English and Spanish had the greatest impact. Gonzalez explains how Latin American and Anglo American cultures were formed in this part of the world. Then, Gonzalez describes the sophisticated cultures of the Aztec and Mayans that the Spanish discovered and described,

Some of our soldiers who had been in many parts of the world, in Constantinople, in Rome, and all over Italy, said they had never seen a market so well laid out, so large, so orderly, and so full of people.

Further, Gonzalez explains how the Spanish and the English began to desire to expand their empires. After Spain discovered so much wealth in the New World, Henry VII sent John Cabot, and English explorer to the Americas. Once there, the English also imparted their concepts of government and their domestic conflicts, thus leaving an "imprint" upon the New World.

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So, in summarizing chapters, the student should consider answering these questions: When? What? How and Why?  because doing so for each chapter will adequately cover the key ideas of that segment of the book.