Mestizo in America : generations of Mexican ethnicity in the suburban Southwest /

Macias (Univ. of Vermont) addresses a much-neglected topic in US ethnic studies: the experience of people of Mexican descent who have been in the US for many generations. After introducing the topic in terms of the problematic character of mestizo identity in the US, the author uses ethnographic data from interviews with 50 middle-class third-generation Mexican Americans to address distinct aspects of cultural assimilation (language, religion, gender roles, etc.). Chapter 3 deals with the need of Mexican American professionals to conform to dominant cultural expectations. Chapter 4 uses national-level survey data to address third-generation Mexican American intermarriage patterns, and in chapter 5, Macias returns to his own ethnographic data to examine the meaning of ethnic identity among third-plus-generation Mexican Americans. The book concludes with the changing significance of mestizaje in the US and its relationship with social inequality, ethnic concentration, and political opportunity. The book has its value, but also a lot of weaknesses. Among the most important one is the dislodging of the discussion of mestizaje from the long story of fear of miscegenation that characterizes US history. Macias's lack of knowledge of current border literature is another problem. Summing Up: Optional. For ethnic studies researchers only. P. Vila Temple University