While Loveman is not the only scholar paying attention to governmental census taking, this book stands out for its theoretical depth, the remarkable mastery of historical context and agency, and its long-term historical breath. Loveman shows that rather than reflecting domestic politics or specific demographic configurations, Latin American states collected data on the kind of racial or ethnic categories that ... Read morethey thought would help document, to a global audience of other states, their efforts and achievements in becoming modern nations.
Andreas Wimmer, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Sociology, Princeton University
National Colors is without doubt a major contribution to the literature on comparative race relations, and it is likely to remain the book of reference for anyone interested in the Latin American politics of race and census-taking for years to come.
Christian Joppke, European Journal of Sociology
This is a must read for scholars interested in Latin American history, race theory, state formation, or international relations and those that stand at the intersections of these intellectual spaces.
William Jamal Richardson, Sociology
Show Less