The U.S. Latino/a production has reached out a meaningful relevance during the last 25 years. However, the interaction between city and individual into this corpus has been scarcely studied. The present research attempts to contribute to the exploration of this quandary, analyzing the urban environment portrayed in The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos. According to Wirth-Nesher, in this novel New York City is read as a translated city. Toward this hypothesis, an analysis of Latino identity as a cellular entity is articulated that follows the cultural practices at the core of it: religion, family, and language. Their interaction and role as mechanisms of the translated city drawn by Hijuelos are also studied.
Keywords: City – U.S. Latino/a Literature – New York City and Literature – Latino identity – Oscar Hijuelos.