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 educaci n 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
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Page 25
... talking or playing card games . Often second - generation Fuentes family members tend to sit together and talk among themselves for most of the event , as other mem- bers periodically walk by to chat . Overall , the atmosphere is ...
... talking or playing card games . Often second - generation Fuentes family members tend to sit together and talk among themselves for most of the event , as other mem- bers periodically walk by to chat . Overall , the atmosphere is ...
Page 68
... talk about family in terms of togetherness and support . Per- haps as an effect of their age , fifth generation had little to discuss about family with the exception of talking about how they spend time with one another . An example of ...
... talk about family in terms of togetherness and support . Per- haps as an effect of their age , fifth generation had little to discuss about family with the exception of talking about how they spend time with one another . An example of ...
Page 69
... talk to each other about certain individual things . That they don't talk to their wife or husband about . I don't know what they talk about . But I've seen them you know , say , " Hey , I need to talk to you about this , this and that ...
... talk to each other about certain individual things . That they don't talk to their wife or husband about . I don't know what they talk about . But I've seen them you know , say , " Hey , I need to talk to you about this , this and that ...
Contents
An Overview across Generations | 15 |
The Original Fuentes Home | 39 |
LaterGeneration Fuentes Homes | 57 |
Copyright | |
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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