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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 18
Page 32
... Gerald Gallo , Sr. - Gerald is Yvette's youngest child , who frequently jokes about his " Indian " hair and has been married for thirty - six years . Self - employed as a masonry contractor , Gerald's dark tan testifies to many years of ...
... Gerald Gallo , Sr. - Gerald is Yvette's youngest child , who frequently jokes about his " Indian " hair and has been married for thirty - six years . Self - employed as a masonry contractor , Gerald's dark tan testifies to many years of ...
Page 35
... Gerald , son to Gerald Gallo , Sr. , is an only child in a dual - income family . For this reason , Gerald had many advantages that his Fuentes cousins did not . Nevertheless , he credits his cousins with giving him a family , the ...
... Gerald , son to Gerald Gallo , Sr. , is an only child in a dual - income family . For this reason , Gerald had many advantages that his Fuentes cousins did not . Nevertheless , he credits his cousins with giving him a family , the ...
Page 109
... Gerald , Sr. , claimed that high school was " okay " except for the fact that school had too many rules he did not like . Gerald expressed that he often got in " disputes with teachers , " in turn , giving him a bad reputation with the ...
... Gerald , Sr. , claimed that high school was " okay " except for the fact that school had too many rules he did not like . Gerald expressed that he often got in " disputes with teachers , " in turn , giving him a bad reputation with the ...
Contents
An Overview across Generations | 15 |
The Original Fuentes Home | 39 |
LaterGeneration Fuentes Homes | 57 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
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