What It Means to Be a Man: Reflections on Puerto Rican Masculinity

Rating:
Summary: good subject, but kinda tedious
Review: Ramirez explores the academic literature on Latino machismo, especially as it affects Puerto Rico. He questions the underpinnings of this concept and asks if it depends upon class or is an Anglocentric, racist projection. Those interested in Puerto Rican studies should purchase this book. However, it was somewhat boring and overly sociological. It's far slower than Mirande's "Hombres y Machos" and far weaker than Gonzalez' "Muy Macho". The chapter on male homosexuality seemed entirely stolen from other academics. I'm a big fan of men's studies books and yet I wasn't quite impressed with this one.