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 17
... Yvette , were born in this tent . Soon after Yvette's birth in 1928 , the Fuentes family " inherited " a small four - room house two bedrooms , a living room , and kitchen - left by Manuela's sis- ter , Amanda , who had moved to a ...
... Yvette , were born in this tent . Soon after Yvette's birth in 1928 , the Fuentes family " inherited " a small four - room house two bedrooms , a living room , and kitchen - left by Manuela's sis- ter , Amanda , who had moved to a ...
Page 30
... Yvette Romano ( 70 ) 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 ...
... Yvette Romano ( 70 ) 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 ...
Page 31
... Yvette Romano - Yvette , a small seventy - six - year - old fair - skinned woman with dark black hair who exudes grace and style , is my grand- mother . After leaving the eleventh grade to marry a boy from the barrio , she lived as ...
... Yvette Romano - Yvette , a small seventy - six - year - old fair - skinned woman with dark black hair who exudes grace and style , is my grand- mother . After leaving the eleventh grade to marry a boy from the barrio , she lived as ...
Page 32
... Yvette's children , Isabel , graduated at eighteen , married , and had three children . She is a cocoa - colored , sixty- two - year - old woman who wears light - sensitive glasses , and works as a cafeteria worker at the local high ...
... Yvette's children , Isabel , graduated at eighteen , married , and had three children . She is a cocoa - colored , sixty- two - year - old woman who wears light - sensitive glasses , and works as a cafeteria worker at the local high ...
Page 33
... He infrequently attends large family gatherings in that his wife , a nurse , and he have a spilt schedule to care for their children . Fourth Generation Paul Sanchez - The oldest of Yvette's grandchildren The Fuentes Family 333.
... He infrequently attends large family gatherings in that his wife , a nurse , and he have a spilt schedule to care for their children . Fourth Generation Paul Sanchez - The oldest of Yvette's grandchildren The Fuentes Family 333.
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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