Prof. Dolores Inés Casillas publishes her first book: Sounds of Belonging: U.S. Spanish-language Radio and Public Advocacy (NYU Press, 2014).

Using a vast array of sources, from print culture and industry journals to sound archives of radio programming, Casillas reflects on institutional growth, the evolution of programming genres, and reception by the radio industry and listeners to map the trajectory of Spanish-language radio, from its grassroots origins to the current corporate-sponsored business it has become. Casillas focuses on Latinos’ use of Spanish-language radio to help navigate their immigrant experiences with U.S. institutions, for example in broadcasting discussions about immigration policies while providing anonymity for a legally vulnerable listenership. Sounds of Belonging proposes that debates of citizenship are not always formal personal appeals but a collective experience heard loudly through broadcast radio.

Sounds