Five Generations of a Mexican American Family in Los Angeles: The Fuentes StoryRowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007 M04 9 - 198 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 30
... Noemi Young ( 52 ) Gerald Gallo ( 46 ) Carlos Fuentes ( 68 ) Ivan Fuentes ( 46 ) Rogelio Fuentes Samuel Fuentes ( 62 ) Tricia Evans ( 42 ) Thomas Fuentes ( 37 ) Laura Fuentes ( 33 ) Katherine Fifth generation Elisa Gamble ( 12 ) Nuñez ...
... Noemi Young ( 52 ) Gerald Gallo ( 46 ) Carlos Fuentes ( 68 ) Ivan Fuentes ( 46 ) Rogelio Fuentes Samuel Fuentes ( 62 ) Tricia Evans ( 42 ) Thomas Fuentes ( 37 ) Laura Fuentes ( 33 ) Katherine Fifth generation Elisa Gamble ( 12 ) Nuñez ...
Page 32
... Noemi Young - Yvette's second child , Noemi is fairer skinned than any of her siblings . She married a young Mexican immigrant at the age of eighteen and had three children . She and her family lived in Arizona un- til she and her ...
... Noemi Young - Yvette's second child , Noemi is fairer skinned than any of her siblings . She married a young Mexican immigrant at the age of eighteen and had three children . She and her family lived in Arizona un- til she and her ...
Page 34
... Noemi's children . Lydia met her husband on the job at the Internal Revenue Service , her first job at the age of eighteen . Her two daughters have only been to private Catholic schools , and the family lives in the heart of the Valley ...
... Noemi's children . Lydia met her husband on the job at the Internal Revenue Service , her first job at the age of eighteen . Her two daughters have only been to private Catholic schools , and the family lives in the heart of the Valley ...
Page 35
... Noemi , who helped with child care and child raising . Francis worked his way up in a telemarket- ing firm , starting as a caller and moving up to a supervisor by the age of thirty . Gerald Gallo , Jr. - Gerald , son to Gerald Gallo ...
... Noemi , who helped with child care and child raising . Francis worked his way up in a telemarket- ing firm , starting as a caller and moving up to a supervisor by the age of thirty . Gerald Gallo , Jr. - Gerald , son to Gerald Gallo ...
Page 36
... ( Noemi ) , and grandfather and especially liked to care for family pets . Benjamin is also a warm - hearted and sensitive human being who often empathized with others . Grown now to about six feet at the age of sixteen , he has retained ...
... ( Noemi ) , and grandfather and especially liked to care for family pets . Benjamin is also a warm - hearted and sensitive human being who often empathized with others . Grown now to about six feet at the age of sixteen , he has retained ...
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Common terms and phrases
African Americans Anglo attended barrio brother buena educación Carlos Fuentes Chávez Chicano English Chicano movement chil child children's schooling claimed cohort counselor Cristian daughter despite Dora eleventh grade Elisa encouraged English Erica 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 high school Hispanic homework Isabel Ivan junior high Katarina kids labor market language Latino families Latino students Laura 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 race racial recalled responsibility role Samuel San Fernando Valley school experience second-generation Fuentes second-generation members siblings Simon sister social Spanish Spanish language story success teachers third-generation members Timothy tion tracks Valley wanted workers working-class younger Yvette