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 9
... labor market to supplement family in- come . Subsequently , it is assumed that the value of formal education that is present in white middle - class families does not Introduction 9.
... labor market to supplement family in- come . Subsequently , it is assumed that the value of formal education that is present in white middle - class families does not Introduction 9.
Page 10
... labor market . Schools played a primary role in this unofficial social policy by segregating students and providing them with largely vocational training . These are the tangible experiences of at least the first three Fuentes ...
... labor market . Schools played a primary role in this unofficial social policy by segregating students and providing them with largely vocational training . These are the tangible experiences of at least the first three Fuentes ...
Page 12
... labor market and the workplace , linking it to Fuentes's home and school experience . Chapters 5 and 6 describe how Fuentes members experienced school and how school activities were addressed in 12 Introduction.
... labor market and the workplace , linking it to Fuentes's home and school experience . Chapters 5 and 6 describe how Fuentes members experienced school and how school activities were addressed in 12 Introduction.
Page 26
... labor occupations , and have limited ac- cess to other financial and social institutions.6 While the Fuentes family ... market to Mexican Americans in the middle of the twentieth century ( O. Martinez 2001 ) . Despite this change ...
... labor occupations , and have limited ac- cess to other financial and social institutions.6 While the Fuentes family ... market to Mexican Americans in the middle of the twentieth century ( O. Martinez 2001 ) . Despite this change ...
Page 28
... labor market , and in schools to understand why they have not had the dramatic mobility often promised to immigrants and citizens alike . I contend that the lives and livelihoods of the Fuentes family are more complex than studies of ...
... labor market , and in schools to understand why they have not had the dramatic mobility often promised to immigrants and citizens alike . I contend that the lives and livelihoods of the Fuentes family are more complex than studies of ...
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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