The mandate we have as Jews is for the story of the Exodus from Egypt to be retold every generation. Ilan Stavans Read Quote
Spanglish is a creative way also of saying, ‘I am an American, and I have my own style, my own taste, my own tongue.’ Ilan Stavans Read Quote
Latinos are learning English. That doesn’t mean that they should sacrifice their original language or that they should give up this in-betweeness that is Spanglish. Ilan Stavans Read Quote
How many different works of art have been inspired by ‘Don Quixote?’ Thousands. Most people enter the novel, for better or worse, through the musical the ‘Man Of La Mancha.’ Ilan Stavans Read Quote
If a writer doesn’t do anything but give a new word to his language and, from there, maybe to other languages, I think that writer redefines the world. Ilan Stavans Read Quote
Don Quixote’ is a very political book that has been used by diplomats, politicians, guerrilla fighters, to inspire people, to convince them that they themselves can become quixotic. George Washington had a copy of the book on his desk when signing the U.S. Constitution. Ilan Stavans Read Quote
Historically, the 19th century is defined by annexations and internal turmoil. For instance, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 gave more than half of Mexican territory to the United States. Ilan Stavans Read Quote
American Jews are no longer a homogenous minority; we come in all colors and from all corners of the world. Ilan Stavans Read Quote
In 2009, I edited, under the aegis of the Library of America, an anthology called ‘Becoming Americans: Immigrants Tell Their Stories from Jamestown to Today.’ It featured immigrants from different backgrounds, from black slaves like Phillis Wheatley to Yiddish-language speakers like Henry Roth. Ilan Stavans Read Quote
