This novel finds itself within a growing collection of Latino fiction. As the canons of literature expand and begin to be broken down by those who have been previously excluded from it, new opportunities for writers of cultures different from the AngloAmerican culture are developed. One novel that works to tell the story of a particular ethnic culture in New York City is Toni Morrison's Jazz. In Morrison's novel, although to a greater extent but similar to Empress of the Splendid Season, music is of extreme importance, and its relation to the interaction between men and women is emphasized. Although focusing on an African American community, many similar themes arise as recently arrived people look for a reconciliation of their past and present and as different social classes come into contact with one another on the streets of the city. Empress of the Splendid Season also...