THE PRENTICE HALL ANTHOLOGY OF LATINO LITERATURE is a collection of poetry and prose (short story and drama) by Latino authors of Mexican-American, Cuban-American, and Puerto Rican-American descent. The text focuses on Latino authors who were either born or raised in the United States and who write primarily in English. In this walk the text concentrates on works and authors who hove been forged fly a dual consciousness.

The text establishes its definition of the Latino/Latina author by using the following criteria: first, writers who can trace their ancestry to Spanish-speaking nations of the Americas; second, works produced by authors who have lived in the United States for a significant period of time; third, writers who come from one of the three groups that form the majority in population and literary production of Latino literature; and last, writers with a sense of duality regarding the English language. The text features readings with characteristics unique to Latino/Latina authors such as attention to family, a concern for home, a focus on cultural components such as music, food, and religion, and identity formation.

The text includes the following features:

• 32 readings/short stories, 38 poems and 9 plays by renowned writers such as Sandra Cisneros, Luis Valdez, Cristina Garcia, Oscar Hijuelos, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Esmeralda Santiago that emphasize diversity as well as recurring themes.
• Various exercises designed to explore style and comprehension as well as to compare and contrast the selections from different ethnic groups.
• Brief survey of the three types of literature focused on in the text to provide further background of the culture.
• Categorisation by both ethnic group and genre which allows teachers to focus on any or all components.
• Glossary of Spanish terms for some of the more challenging plays.

Overall, the text emphasizes the similarities and differences between the culture and literature of the three primary groups while also trying to emphasize the unique qualities and universal themes present in all of them.