Ethnic realities of Mexican Americans : from colonialism to 21st century globalization /

In addressing the ethnic realities of Mexican Americans in the US, Urbina (criminal justice, Sul Ross State Univ.-Rio Grande College), Vela (history, Sul Ross State Univ., Uvalde), and Sánchez examine the historical foundation of white supremacy (ideology) imbedded in US education, laws, and other institutions of power. The authors clearly illustrate how "the Mexican American experience has been neglected, minimized, or excluded from the pages of history" by redefining the time line of US history. Throughout the book, the authors provide examples of the conflicts, struggles, and battles that Mexican Americans face when challenging the dominant white social structure. The authors understand the importance of examining that history, but their overall goal is to provide an "alternative way of analyzing" the Mexican American experience by utilizing literature from many different academic fields, such as critical race/ethnic studies and postcolonial studies. The book is directed toward graduate students and scholars, but this reviewer believes it can be used for upper-division undergraduates. Furthermore, with its wide range of contexts, the book can serve as a starting point in reexamining the history of Mexican Americans in the US in any traditional history, political science, or sociology course. --Luis H Moreno, Bowling Green State University