In Utah, unlike most other states, new arrivals can connect with the most
powerful institution in the state simply by embracing a set of spiritual
beliefs. In Hispanics in the Mormon Zion, 1912–1999, Jorge Iber looks at
the history and culture of Hispanics in Utah and examines the impact of
their widespread conversion from Catholicism to Mormonism.

Hispanics began migrating to Utah in the early 1900s seeking work in the
state's thriving sugar beet industry. However, by the end of the twentieth
century, Hispanics could be found in all of its major cities working in
tourist, industrial, and service occupations.
Drawing on University of Utah archives and organizations such as the
Salt Lake Catholic Diocese and the Mormon Church, Iber has compiled an
informative study that examines Hispanic assimilation and acculturation in
a setting vastly different from other states.
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JORGE IBER teaches at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Number Twenty-two: Elma Dill Russell Spencer Series in the West and
Southwest


What people are saying about this book

". . . a very ambitious undertaking. He has done copious research, and he
anchors his argument with references to the growing historiography on
Hispanics in the United States."—Western Historical Quarterly

"The author has produced a wonderful historical synopsis of the 
Hispanic culture in Utah.  The book is well documented and the 
conclusions are sound and merit all teachers' attention, particularly
because of the increasing numbers of Hispanics entering Utah classrooms. 
The book received its current adoption action because it could be a
significant source of cultural and historical information for teachers,
but would not be appropriate for general student use due to its contents'
narrow focus, as well as its advanced reading level."—Utah State Textbook
Commission.  Approved as a Teacher Resource in Social Studies/Utah
Studies, grades 7–12.