Utop?a Latina: The Ordinary Seaman in Extraordinary Times

As a discipline, Latino Studies bases its claim to significance on the imminent transformation of Latinos into the "majority minority" in the United States: a claim that is proleptic in nature, yet untheorized as such. This essay seeks to contribute to a philosophy of Latino history by exploring the phenomenon of "anticipatory consciousness," as described by Bloch and Benjamin, in Francisco Goldmanʹs 1997 novel The Ordinary Seaman, pointing out its links to works by Melville and José Mart?.