1st Edition

How the United States Racializes Latinos White Hegemony and Its Consequences

    264 Pages
    by Routledge

    264 Pages
    by Routledge

    Mexican and Central American undocumented immigrants, as well as U.S. citizens such as Puerto Ricans and Mexican-Americans, have become a significant portion of the U.S. population. Yet the U.S. government, mainstream society, and radical activists characterize this rich diversity of peoples and cultures as one group alternatively called "Hispanics," "Latinos," or even the pejorative "Illegals." How has this racializing of populations engendered governmental policies, police profiling, economic exploitation, and even violence that afflict these groups? From a variety of settings-New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Central America, Cuba-this book explores this question in considering both the national and international implications of U.S. policy. Its coverage ranges from legal definitions and practices to popular stereotyping by the public and the media, covering such diverse topics as racial profiling, workplace discrimination, mob violence, treatment at border crossings, barriers to success in schools, and many more. It shows how government and social processes of racializing are too seldom understood by mainstream society, and the implication of attendant policies are sorely neglected.

    List of Figures and Tables Introduction Racializing Latinos: Historical Background and Current Forms Jose A. Cobas, Jorge Duany, and Joe R. Feagin Chapter 1 Pigments of Our Imagination: On the Racialization and Racial Identities of "Hispanics" and "Latinos" Ruben G. Rumbaut Chapter 2 Counting Latinos in the U.S. Census Clara E. Rodriguez Chapter 3 Becoming Dark: The Chilean Experience in California, 1848-1870 Fernando Purcell Chapter 4 Repression and Resistance: The Lynching of Persons of Mexican Origin in the United States, 1848-1928 William D. Carrigan and Clive Webb Chapter 5 Opposite One-Drop Rules: Mexican Americans, African Americans, and the Need to Reconceive Turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century Race Relations Laura E. Gomez Chapter 6 Racializing the Language Practices of U.S. Latinos: Impact on Their Education Ofelia Garcia Chapter 7 English-Language Spanish in the United States as a Site of Symbolic Violence Jane H. Hill Chapter 8 Racialization among Cubans and Cuban Americans Lisandro Perez Chapter 9 Racializing Miami: Immigrant Latinos and Colorblind Racism in the Global City Elizabeth Aranda, Rosa E. Chang, and Elena Sabogal Chapter 10 Blacks, Latinos, and the Immigration Debate: Conflict and Cooperation in Two Global Cities Xochitl Bada and Gilberto Cardenas Chapter 11 Central American Immigrants and Racialization in a Post-Civil Rights Era Nestor P. Rodriguez and Cecilia Menjivar Chapter 12 Agency and Structure in Panethnic Identity Formation: The Case of Latino/a Entrepreneurs Zulema Valdez Chapter 13 Racializing Ethnicity in the Spanish-Speaking Caribbean: A Comparison of Haitians in the Dominican Republic and Dominicans in Puerto Rico Jorge Duany Chapter 14 Transnational Racializations: The Extension of Racial Boundaries from Receiving to Sending Societies Wendy D. Roth Contributors Index

    Biography

    José A. Cobas, Jorge Duany, Joe R. Feagin

    “Latinos now constitute the largest racially defined ‘minority’ group in the United States. Not only has their racial identity been fiercely debated, but also the Latinization of U.S. culture and politics remains a contentious issue. This book systematically explores these questions, examining both the past and present dynamics of the Latino/a experience in the United States. Looking at census politics, panethnicity, violence and lynching, immigration and urbanization, education, language politics, and indeed the meaning of race itself, Cobas, Duany, and Feagin's volume is an indispensable resource for scholars, teachers, and students seeking to make sense of contemporary U.S. racial conditions. Highly recommended for course adoption!”
    —Howard Winant, University of California, Santa Barbara

    “The wait is over. We finally have a comprehensive book on the racialization of Latinos in the USA that is theoretically sophisticated, historically rich, and that deals with the multiple realities they face. ... A very important contribution!”
    —Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Duke University

    “How the United States Racializes Latinos should leave no doubt that many Latinos have been and continue to be subject to the pernicious effects of racialization. Cobas, Duany, and Feagin’s splendid collection of articles by noted scholars provides valuable lessons for how the United States will or should integrate today’s large influx of Latino immigrants and their descendants. It will become essential reading for those interested in how the American prism of race is used to categorize, treat, and stratify this nationally, culturally and phenotypically diverse group.”
    —Edward E. Telles, Princeton University

    "For scholars in Latino/a Studies who are working on the historical and social construction of racializations and race, this collection is indispensible."
    —Ronald L. Mize in Latino Studies

    "...a compelling narrative for understanding the processes by which immigrant groups, particularly those from Latin America and the Caribbean, become stigmatized in the contemporary era of vigilant nativism. The book is a collection of intriguing and timely analyses..."
    —Luis F. Nuno, William Paterson University