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His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S. | 
 enlarge | Author: Geraldo Rivera
Publisher: Celebra Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 126779
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0451224140
Dewey Decimal Number: 305.868073
EAN: 9780451224149
ASIN: 0451224140
Publication Date: February 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A rare, unflinching look at one of todays most important issuesfrom one of todays most well-known journalists.
In this insightful, well-researched book, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist Geraldo Rivera examines the growth of the Hispanic population in the U.S., fueled partly by what may be the single most divisive issue in America today: illegal immigration. With objective clarity and personal conviction, Rivera sheds light on an issue that is muddled with confusion and prejudice and too often blamed for everything from terrorism to welfare.
Examining the pasthis own parents struggle to be real Americans, as well as the plight of other ethnic groups in their quest for that dreamRivera places the issue of illegal immigration in a historic context, dispelling the myth that we are facing an unprecedented crisis.
A vital contribution to the ongoing debate about immigration, His Panic is destined to reshape the way Americans view the future of our country.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 Geraldo Rivera presents the flip side of the great immigration debate August 20, 2008
As the 2008 presidential election draws near what to do about illegal immigration has become one of the hottest issues on the campaign trail.
Conservative talk show hosts all over America have been fueling much of the hysteria surrounding this issue and as a result reasonable solutions appear to the problem appear to be more elusive than ever. Earlier this year Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera released "His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S". Being of Puerto Rican descent and having spent decades as a working journalist, it seemed to me that Geraldo was uniquely positioned to discuss these thorny issues. I thought that this just might be a book worth reading.
Being a big fan of talk radio I hear the topic of illegal immigration being discussed all the time. Rarely do I hear this subject being talked about rationally. Rather, most hosts choose to fan the flames of fear and hatred and choose to charactorize these people as "criminalians". For most of these hosts this is simply a cut and dried, dollars and cents issue with absolutely no room for compromise. The prevailing climate is further poisoned by any number of popular books that offer precious little in the way of solutions and only serve to pour gasoline on an already red hot issue. It seems to me that what Geraldo Rivera is trying to accomplish with "His Panic" is to quell the worst fears of many Americans who are buying into all of the anti-immigration hype. As Geraldo correctly points out most Hispanics are in fact assimiliating into American society. Yes, it does take 2 or perhaps 3 generations for this to take place but this is really no different than what happened with the Irish, Italians and Jews more than a century ago. Rivera vigorously argues that most immigrants, be they legal or illegal, work hard and contribute a great deal to the American economy. Finally, in arguing passionately for amnesty for these illegal immigrants Geraldo observes on page 108: "Just as I believe the vast majority of Americans most emotionally opposed to amnesty for immigrants have never met one, I also suspect that those most offended by the public use of Spanish and other languages speak only English and have not travelled extensively. Nativism is an ugly brew best savored in cultural isolation." A very cogent point!
While I do agree with a number of the points made in "His Panic" there are couple of problems here. First and foremost, "His Panic" is hardly a scholarly work. The evidence that Geraldo Rivera presents is largely anecdotal and there are no footnotes or references in the book. Secondly, I thought that Geraldo failed to acknowledge the most valid point presented by the other side. The fact of the matter is that our schools and hospitals are being taxed to the max by the influx of illegal immigrants. If we are ever going to get serious about resolving this conflict once and for all then these issues are going to have to be addressed. It seems to me that it is in the best interests of all sides in this debate to get this issue resolved. Expelling 12 million people from the country is not an option. While I am not yet prepared to support a total amnesty after reading "His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics In The U.S." I am more convinced than ever calmer heads will ultimately prevail and that a sensible resolution can be worked out. In my opinion "His Panic" is a useful and important addition to the literature on this subject. Recommended reading for all!
 Interesting and Insightful August 19, 2008
Despite the hateful rhetoric I see in many of the comments, I found the book a good read. If someone truly hopes to understand a situation, there needs to be a honest and open inspection of all viewpoints. Geraldo gives a good one.
I'm not commenting on whether or not I've liked Geraldo's reporting over the years or whether or not the immigration laws should be enforced or not. That's not the issue. The issue is the book. It was well written and I highly recommend it.
Serious Stuff From Geraldo July 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
All these years I thought Geraldo Rivera was just a big ol' bull thrower. My most humble apologies to you, Geraldo. This has to be required reading for every American seriously and sincerely considering the immigration issues confronting our nation today. Xenophobes need not apply. Nothing Rivera says here is going to alter the racist mindset reflected in the ranting of demagogues like O'Reilly, Dobbs, Buchanan and Beck. Rivera methodically and systematically demolishes their arguments, decodes the slurs and shibboleths, demystifies this lingering animosity that America carries in her heart for her stepchildren.
This country has shown an amazing past ability to self-correct, to alter course. Dumb luck? Or something inherent in our system? Will we pull back from the brink? Old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." The next two decades are going to be very interesting for Mexican-Americans. I'll tell you a little secret. Mexican-Americans have no interest in "reconquista" as Buchanan so slyly terms it. A little respect would be nice. With a bit of luck, notwithstanding the whining of unions or the politics of populists, NAFTA will continue greasing the skids towards a Canadian-American-Mexican economic union and some day, in the far distant, browner future, Mexican-Americans, bi-lingual, outnumbering perhaps the population of Mexico itself, may act as brokers between a Mexico, stiff-necked and proud, unyielding in its nationalism, and an arrogant white America. With pochos brokering, false pride may give way to reason as three nations come together in an even more powerful, more versatile political union.
If America does manage to avoid a serious and shameful misstep in its handling of Mexican immigration, Rivera and this book will have had a lot to do with it. It is a serious contribution to an extremely thorny issue.
 Dubious Logic and Questionable Conclusions June 17, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is merely a series of rebuttals to the standard arguments against mass hispanic immigration in america (interupted by frequent tangents). His facts don't hold up and his opinions lack evidence. He misstates his opponents arguments in order to make them easier to tear down and ignores extra factors that contribute to the few successes in the book that he attributes to the standard concept. In short any lawyer or person who understands the concept of logical reasoning can see right through this book. Sadly I am not suprised by this any more than I would be by a book by sally Fields. The left and the right use cheap word tricks and fact manipulation to try to convince us of their side. Why not try the truth?
 Thanks for the recap..now how does your book help the "cause"? May 26, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is filled w/ email excerpts, fellow author bashing, and lots of statistics. I did appreciate the walk through history lane but I kept turning the page looking for proposed solutions.NOTHING just a great recap of where we were and where we are in the complex definition of illegal immigration, but nothing on where we should go/be. It left me on empty. I also didn't need the highlights of GR's career, real humble there GR.
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