This introduction presents the metaphor of the “edge effect,” a term borrowed from ecology studies, to theorize the way in which Latin American adaptations bring varied histories, cultures, and styles into creative interaction with one another. In both ecological and cultural contexts, edge spaces (ecotones) become sites of potentially high fecundity when two ecosystems overlap; consequently, the rich cultures and histories of Latin America (including the Caribbean and the U.S. borderlands) harbor traditions, knowledges, and practices that interact, hybridize, and adapt one another ad infinitum. Rather than analyze cultural artifacts in isolation, our edge effect approach advocates an awareness of the embedded frictions and conflicting histories of adaptations, as seen in contributors’ chapters in the volume.