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In Latino Professionals in America, Maria Chávez combines rich qualitative interviews, auto-ethnographic accounts, and policy analysis to explore the converging oppressions that make it difficult for Latinos to become professionals and to envision themselves as successful in those professions. Recounting her own story, Chávez interviews 31 Latino professionals from across the nation in a variety of occupations and careers, contextualizing their experiences amid family struggles and ongoing racism in the United States. She addresses gender inequality within the Latino community, arguing that by defending, rationalizing, or ignoring patriarchy within the Latino community perpetuates systems of oppression-especially for women; gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals; and others at the intersections. The experiences of these Latino professionals and the author's analysis provide a blueprint for what works-one, both pragmatic and hopeful, that uses real lives to illustrate how a combination of public policies, people, and perseverance increases the presence of America's fastest-growing demographic group in the professional class.
List of contents
Preface, Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: Metamorphosis 2. The Pioneers: How Latino Professionals Overcame Obstacles Through Public Policies and Mentors 3. The Warriors: Latino Testimonios From Professionals 4. The Leaders: "Our Lived Experiences—That’s Where the Power Resides" 5. On Making it, Motivations, and Persistent Systemic Barriers 6. Conclusion: Solutions for Increasing the Numbers of Latino Professionals Appendix A: Interview Questionnaire, Appendix B: Respondents’ Demographic Background
About the author
Maria Chávez is Associate Professor of Political Science at Pacific Lutheran University. She is author of Everyday Injustice: Latino Professionals and Racism (Rowman & Littlefield 2011), lead author of Living the Dream: New Immigration Policies and the Lives of Undocumented Latino Youth (Paradigm 2015), and co-editor of Latinos in the United States: Racialization, Discrimination and Resistance (Routledge, 2018). She teaches classes in public policy, American government, racial and ethnic politics, and Latino politics.
Summary
This book combines in-depth qualitative interviews, auto-ethnographic accounts, and policy analysis to explore the intersecting oppressions that make it difficult for Latinos to become professionals, and then see themselves successful in those professions. Their stories and the author’s analysis paint a hopeful, yet realistic picture of what wor
