“Groundbreaking. . . . The author offers an original and insightful take on Africans and the early process of creolization in colonial Costa Rica that challenges notions of a monolithic, culturally and ethnically cohesive African identity in the Americas.”—Hispanic American Historical Review
“In this fascinating and impressive study, Russell Lohse breaks new ground in documenting the lives of enslaved Africans in colonial Costa Rica, the complex international rivalries surrounding their arrival, and the strategies for advancement of their descendants.”—New West Indian Guide
“In this riveting study of Costa Rica, Lohse offers an erudite and reflective examination of black life in one of the more remote corners of the African Diaspora. As with some of the best of the emerging literature on slavery, freedom, and the black experience, Lohse delves into historical issues extending outside the frame of plantation slavery and during a period deeply in need of study. Through paying careful attention to the everyday rhythms of rural life, and in showcasing questions of ethnic formation, labor, culture, and social production, Africans into Creoles will serve as a centerpiece to the canon of African Diasporic texts focusing on Latin America. This book is a major accomplishment.”—Ben Vinson III, coeditor of Black Mexico: Race and Society from Colonial to Modern Times
