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
... recalled having only one pair of shoes each , and new shoes came only when there was money . Manuela made and altered the older siblings ' clothes to be handed down to the younger ones . Seldom were items purchased from stores , and ...
... recalled having only one pair of shoes each , and new shoes came only when there was money . Manuela made and altered the older siblings ' clothes to be handed down to the younger ones . Seldom were items purchased from stores , and ...
Page 18
... recalling his family's situation in comparison to those who migrated from the Dustbowl , Michael realized that his parents had strategies and resources for meeting the family's needs that were a result of their preestablishment in the ...
... recalling his family's situation in comparison to those who migrated from the Dustbowl , Michael realized that his parents had strategies and resources for meeting the family's needs that were a result of their preestablishment in the ...
Page 20
... recalled childhoods with more material luxuries than their parents . Excluding the early period of older second - generation Fuentes members who struggled with stable employment , third - generation children always had food and clothing ...
... recalled childhoods with more material luxuries than their parents . Excluding the early period of older second - generation Fuentes members who struggled with stable employment , third - generation children always had food and clothing ...
Page 22
... recalled having to work while going to school to pay for half the cost of a used car , including insurance and maintenance . Any of the luxury items they wanted , clothing or excursions , had to come from their own earnings . In ...
... recalled having to work while going to school to pay for half the cost of a used car , including insurance and maintenance . Any of the luxury items they wanted , clothing or excursions , had to come from their own earnings . In ...
Page 40
... recalled advice their mother had given them , a good deal of which will be presented in the next section . Michael , the second eldest son , characterized her advice like this : " Oh , she gave us a lot of advice . Advice like going to ...
... recalled advice their mother had given them , a good deal of which will be presented in the next section . Michael , the second eldest son , characterized her advice like this : " Oh , she gave us a lot of advice . Advice like going to ...
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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