The Borderlands of Race

Mexican Segregation in a South Texas Town

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book The Borderlands of Race by Jennifer R. Nájera, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jennifer R. Nájera ISBN: 9780292767577
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: May 15, 2015
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Jennifer R. Nájera
ISBN: 9780292767577
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: May 15, 2015
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

Throughout much of the twentieth century, Mexican Americans experienced segregation in many areas of public life, but the structure of Mexican segregation differed from the strict racial divides of the Jim Crow South. Factors such as higher socioeconomic status, lighter skin color, and Anglo cultural fluency allowed some Mexican Americans to gain limited access to the Anglo power structure. Paradoxically, however, this partial assimilation made full desegregation more difficult for the rest of the Mexican American community, which continued to experience informal segregation long after federal and state laws officially ended the practice.In this historical ethnography, Jennifer R. Nájera offers a layered rendering and analysis of Mexican segregation in a South Texas community in the first half of the twentieth century. Using oral histories and local archives, she brings to life Mexican origin peoples experiences with segregation. Through their stories and supporting documentary evidence, Nájera shows how the ambiguous racial status of Mexican origin people allowed some of them to be exceptions to the rule of Anglo racial dominance. She demonstrates that while such exceptionality might suggest the permeability of the color line, in fact the selective and limited incorporation of Mexicans into Anglo society actually reinforced segregation by creating an illusion that the community had been integrated and no further changes were needed. Nájera also reveals how the actions of everyday people ultimately challenged racial/racist ideologies and created meaningful spaces for Mexicans in spheres historically dominated by Anglos.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Throughout much of the twentieth century, Mexican Americans experienced segregation in many areas of public life, but the structure of Mexican segregation differed from the strict racial divides of the Jim Crow South. Factors such as higher socioeconomic status, lighter skin color, and Anglo cultural fluency allowed some Mexican Americans to gain limited access to the Anglo power structure. Paradoxically, however, this partial assimilation made full desegregation more difficult for the rest of the Mexican American community, which continued to experience informal segregation long after federal and state laws officially ended the practice.In this historical ethnography, Jennifer R. Nájera offers a layered rendering and analysis of Mexican segregation in a South Texas community in the first half of the twentieth century. Using oral histories and local archives, she brings to life Mexican origin peoples experiences with segregation. Through their stories and supporting documentary evidence, Nájera shows how the ambiguous racial status of Mexican origin people allowed some of them to be exceptions to the rule of Anglo racial dominance. She demonstrates that while such exceptionality might suggest the permeability of the color line, in fact the selective and limited incorporation of Mexicans into Anglo society actually reinforced segregation by creating an illusion that the community had been integrated and no further changes were needed. Nájera also reveals how the actions of everyday people ultimately challenged racial/racist ideologies and created meaningful spaces for Mexicans in spheres historically dominated by Anglos.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Impunity, Human Rights, and Democracy by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book The Horses of the Sahara by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book Social Stratification and Mobility in Central Veracruz by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book Essays in Ottoman and Turkish history, 1774-1923 by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book Higher Education in Texas by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book Classical and Modern Interactions by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book Poetics of Change by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book House of Hits by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book The Music of Brazil by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book The Sutton-Taylor Feud by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book The Jumanos by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book Speeches from Athenian Law by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book La Gran Línea by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book Song of the Heart by Jennifer R. Nájera
Cover of the book Cuba--Going Back by Jennifer R. Nájera
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy