Mestizo in America
Subtitle: Generations of Mexican Ethnicity in the Suburban Southwest
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Published: August 10, 2006
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 175
ISBN-13: 9780816525058
Subjects: Mexican Americans; Sociology; Interviews; Ethnic Issues; Social Science; Social conditions; Methodology; Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies; Emigration & Immigration; Southwest, New; Ethnic identity; Anthropology - Cultural
Description: How much does ethnicity matter to Mexican Americans today, when many marry outside their culture and some can't even stomach menudo? This book addresses that question through a unique blend of quantitative data and firsthand interviews with third-plus-generation Mexican Americans. Latinos are being woven into the fabric of American life, to be sure, but in a way quite distinct from ethnic groups that have come from other parts of the world. By focusing on individuals' feelings regarding acculturation, work experience, and ethnic identity--and incorporating Mexican-Anglo intermarriage statistics--Thomas Macias compares the successes and hardships of Mexican immigrants with those of previous European arrivals. He describes how continual immigration, the growth of the Latino population, and the Chicano Movement have been important factors in shaping the experience of Mexican Americans, and he argues that Mexican American identity is often not merely an "ethnic option" but a necessary response to stereotyping and interactions with Anglo society.--From publisher description.