Full Description
Mexican Americans are the fastest growing immigrant population in the U.S. and will continue to be significant contributors to the diverse social fabric of the country. This book examines the Mexican American cultural traditions, families, demographics, political participation, and societal impact. Despite their economic, social, and political struggles in this country, Mexican Americans have always believed in the American Dream. Yet they have retained many of their own cultural traditions while adapting to life in the North, These persistent ties are thoughtfully examined in chapters on the contemporary relations between Mexico and the United States, including the recurrent border problems.
Providing historical background and tracing the journey made by generations of Mexican immigrants, this book emphasizes the post-1965 period of immigration reforms. Material from oral histories, autobiographies, and historical studies allow the reader to see how Mexican immigrants struggle in their everyday lives to achieve the American Dream, both today and tomorrow.
Contents
Series Foreword Background Geography Early Civilizations Spanish Conquest Spanish Culture in the New World Mexican Independence The U.S.-Mexico War of 1845 Mexico under Benito Juarez The Mexican Revolution and Immigration Mexico under Diaz (1876-1911) The Mexican Revolution of 1910 Immigration to the United States Immigrant Culture Continued Immigration, World Wars, and Aftermath Continued Immigration and Labor Unrest (1920-1940) World War II and the Bracero Program The Impact of Mexican Immigration The Immigration Act of 1965 and Other Acts Operation Wetback The McCarran-Walter Act of 1952 Mexico's Economic Crisis and Increased Mexican Immigration The Hart-Cellar Immigration Act of 1965 Consequces for Mexican Immigrant Communities A Demographic Profile of the Mexican Immigrants in the United States Population Size and Composition Age and Family Structure Educational Attainment Poverty Occupation and Income Mexican Immigrant Business Owners Family, Culture, and Life Cycle Rituals The Family Religious Life Cycle Rituals Birth and Baptism Rituals La Quinceanera: The Mexican Debutante Marriage Rituals Funeral Rituals Retaining Mexican Culture and Identity Living "Mexican" in the United States The Mexican Government and Mexican Immigrants Language Spanish-Language Newspapers Television and Mexican Immigrant Communities The Catholic Church and Mexican Immigrants Religious Practices Music Families and Changing Gender Relations Understanding Mexican Immigrant Familialism Machismo and Gender Roles Immigration and Changes in Gender Roles Other Patterns of Egalitarianiasm within Mexican Families Feminism Among Mexican and Mexican American Women Paths Toward Citizenship Citizenship in Historical Context Naturalization Policies Becoming American Citizens California's Proposition 187 Dual Citizenship Forging a New American Political Identity Patterns of English Language Avquisition and Usage The Development of Political Associations and Organizations League of United Latin American Citizens Politics of Social Protest Electoral Politics Public Policies and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Electoral Politics and Mexican American Voters Children of Immigrants: The Second Generation Ethnic Identities Educational Attainment Levels of Second-Generation Mexican Americans A Nation in Transition The Latino Wave in American Culture The Future of U.S.-Mexico Relations Mexico's Border Problems Return Migration from the Unites States to Mexico Mexican Presidential Politics and Mexican Immigrants Toward a 21st Century of Diversity: The "New American" Society The 21st Century and the U.S. Population Future Social Policy Implications Immigrant Identity: Old Ties and New Allegiances From Melting Pot to Mosaic Noted Mexican/Mexican Americans Bibliography Glossary Index
