Paul Ortiz Libros

Spanning over two centuries, this revolutionary narrative history argues that the "Global South" was essential to America's development. Scholar and activist Paul Ortiz challenges the glorified notions of westward expansion, such as "manifest destiny" and "Jacksonian democracy," by placing African American, Latinx, and Indigenous voices at the forefront, transforming US history into one of working-class resistance against imperialism. Utilizing rich narratives and primary sources, Ortiz connects racial segregation in the Southwest and the rise of Mexican labor organizing in the twentieth century to the events of May 1, 2006, or International Workers' Day, when migrant laborers united in protest during the first "Day Without Immigrants." As African American civil rights activists battled Jim Crow laws and Mexican labor organizers resisted capitalism, various movements emerged, uniting people from the US, Central America, and the Caribbean. In contrast to the "America first" rhetoric, contemporary Black and Latinx intellectuals advocate for solidarity with nations across the Americas. This incisive, bottom-up history reveals how the diaspora has addressed ongoing issues in the US and offers a path forward in the struggle for universal civil rights.