Laura E. Gómez's Inventing Latinos isn't just a book—it's a revelation. As someone who devours social justice literature, I was struck by how Gómez dismantles the myth of 'Latino' as a natural identity, exposing it as a U.S.-crafted racial category designed to marginalize. My copy is dog-eared from rereading her analysis of census politics—it’s that impactful.

The prose walks a perfect tightrope: scholarly enough to feel authoritative (Gómez is a law professor, after all), yet conversational with punchy metaphors. Her comparison of racial categories to 'political origami' stuck with me. I found myself pausing mid-chapter to digest how Mexican-Americans were literally 'whitened' then 're-racialized' post-WWII.

Where the book truly shines is its unflinching look at intersectionality. Gómez shows how a Guatemalan migrant faces different racism than a Puerto Rican New Yorker—a nuance most media misses. The immigration detention stats made me gasp aloud; her personal anecdotes about family colorism brought tears.

Minor gripes? Some legal history sections drag, and I wish she’d explored Afro-Latino identities more. But when Gómez dissects how 'Latinx' became a corporate diversity checkbox? Chef’s kiss. This isn’t just required reading—it’s a mirror held up to America’s racial machinery, screws and all.