CHICAGO – There are two kinds of Hispanics in this country.
Those who are Latino only by others’ definitions of them, who have unique identities of their own tied to either their parents’ home country or their own experience of growing up in a specific region of America. They probably identify more with their personal areas of interest – foodie, Catholic, parent, marathoner, IT professional, knitter – than they do with an overt statement of their heritage…
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Abstract
This research examines three questions. First and most broadly, how are professional Mexican Americans received in white-collar workplaces? Second, do their professional accomplishments buffer them from subtle racism? If not, what are the strategies they employ to manage subtle racism while at work? Finally, do experiences of subtle racism vary depending on whether one grows up poor or middle class? Based on 59 in-depth interviews with 1.5 and second-generation Mexican American professionals, results show those from poor backgrounds report more persistent experiences with subtle racism and they employ specific strategies to manage. This research adds to the literature by examining whether and to what extent class background heightens or minimizes Mexican Americans’ experiences of interpersonal racism in the white-collar workplace. This research also addresses larger debates and theories about whether boundaries between Mexican Americans and whites remain salient once Mexican Americans enter the middle class…
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“You’re not Mexican enough” is a phrase I have heard one too many times growing up in a predominately white area. Both my parents migrated to the U.S. when they were eighteen and since then have worked extremely hard to give my sisters and me a very comfortable life, yet I have received backlash for it. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I have heard that the whole point of migrating to the U.S. for many people is to better one’s life and be successful and to live out the “American dream?” America insists that immigrants assimilate into American culture but when we actually do, phrases like “white-washed” or “coconut” are used and honestly it is quite insulting…
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Abstract

Help-seeking sources, motivations, and barriers concerning teen dating violence are rarely co-examined alongside help-offering processes and messages, and both are understudied among minority youth populations. This study sought the perspectives of Mexican American adolescents (ages 15 to 17) concerning their preferences and experiences with both help-seeking and help-offering. Twenty focus groups (N= 64 adolescents) were divided by gender and by acculturation level to allow for group comparisons. Friends and supportive family members were primary sources of help…
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In New York City, 60 percent of residents are immigrants or children of immigrants, according to the city’s planning department. One of the fastest growing groups is Mexicans, and one of the fastest shrinking groups is Italians.
Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson discussed some of the issues and challenges facing Mexican and Italian immigrants with Eduardo Penaloza and Angelo Vivolo.
Penaloza is the executive director of Mixteca, a nonprofit focused on providing services to Mexican and Latin American immigrants. He was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. in his 30s. Before Mixteca, he worked for the Mexican consulate in New York City…
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