Five Generations of a Mexican American Family in Los AngelesRowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007 - 183 pages Despite their citizenship and English monolingualism, Mexican Americans have long been known to remain largely working class, which, academically, has meant that they tend to be mostly high school graduates, with low rates of college attendance and completion. Attempting to understand this phenomenon, Five Generations of a Mexican American Family in Los Angeles chronicles the home, work and school lives of the author's multigenerational family throughout the twentieth century. Using oral histories of 33 members across five generations, the Fuentes story illuminates the interaction between race, ethnicity and class at home, in the labor market and in schools, which circumscribe the opportunity and resources (or lack thereof) for academic success. Generally, findings show that these factors work together to reproduce the family's social standing over generations. Equally important, the analysis reveals how the persistence and strength of the Fuentes' heritage cultural values (buena educación and familism) have insulated them from the continued threat of racial discrimination and economic hardship in American life. The Fuentes story provides the reader with a keen view of the process by which Fuentes' moved from immigrants to ethnic Americans, and shows how they have gracefully survived the harsh and unpredictable nature of being of a racial minority and the working class. |
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Page 11
... Fuentes members , the world of work was a place where I , from an early age , exercised my independence , but it was also a direct means to subsistence and modest luxury . While I may have made it in school , the majority of the Fuentes ...
... Fuentes members , the world of work was a place where I , from an early age , exercised my independence , but it was also a direct means to subsistence and modest luxury . While I may have made it in school , the majority of the Fuentes ...
Page 12
... members of society into the upper echelons of society . Rather atten- tion to all three , recognizing how all three may influence Latino ... Fuentes members experienced school and how school activities were addressed in 12 Introduction.
... members of society into the upper echelons of society . Rather atten- tion to all three , recognizing how all three may influence Latino ... Fuentes members experienced school and how school activities were addressed in 12 Introduction.
Page 85
... members began to work between the ages of fourteen and twenty - nine as factory workers or laborers . In the third generation , Fuentes members began to work as early as twelve ( usually with a paper route ) and as late as eighteen ...
... members began to work between the ages of fourteen and twenty - nine as factory workers or laborers . In the third generation , Fuentes members began to work as early as twelve ( usually with a paper route ) and as late as eighteen ...
Contents
An Overview across Generations | 15 |
The Original Fuentes Home | 39 |
LaterGeneration Fuentes Homes | 57 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
academic African American Anglo attended barrio buena educación Carlos Fuentes Chávez Chicano English chil children's schooling claimed counselor Cristian daughter despite Dora eleventh grade Elisa encouraged English ethnic experienced family's father fifth-generation Florencia fourth-generation members Francis Fuentes children Fuentes family Fuentes home Fuentes members Fuentes parents Fuentes's Gerald grade graduate groups Gus Tyler high school Hispanic homework Isabel Ivan Katarina kids labor market language Latino families Latino students learned literacy lives Los Angeles County Lydia Mario and Manuela married Mexican American families Mexican and Mexican Mexican immigrant middle-class mother Natalie Noemi older third-generation parental involvement participants percent Press race racial recalled Research responsibility role Samuel San Fernando San Fernando Valley school experience second-generation Fuentes second-generation members siblings Simon social Spanish Spanish language story success teachers third-generation members Timothy tion tracks University Valley wanted workers working-class York younger Yvette
Bibliographic information
| Title | Five Generations of a Mexican American Family in Los Angeles G - Reference,Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series |
| Author | Christina Chávez |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007 |
| Original from | the University of Wisconsin - Madison |
| Digitized | 16 Oct 2007 |
| ISBN | 0742538818, 9780742538818 |
| Length | 183 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |