Year: 1972
Type: article
Abstract: MEXICAN-AMERICANS (CHICANOS)Mexican-Americans are the second largest minority in the United States.Ninety percent of the Mexican-American population lives in the five Southwestern states: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.As of the 1960's, Chicanos constituted fifteen percent of the total population of this area.In the Southwest as a whole, more than a third of all Mexican-American families live at poverty levels on incomes of less than $3,000 per year.A Mexican-American is seven times more likely than an Anglo to live in substandard housing.The chance that his baby will be born dead or will die before his first birthday is about twice as great.The educational level is four years below that of Anglos.The Mexican-American school dropout rate is twice the national average.The unemployment rate is about twice that of Anglos.When employed, the vast majority of Chicanos, almost eighty percent, work at unskilled or low skilled, low paying jobs. 1 The pattern of Mexican-American poverty is in a way similar to that of all other poverty in the United States, as are many of its causes.Yet there are characteristics of the Mexican-American community in general which make its experience in this country unique.In the Southwest, lack of understanding of barrio problems on the part of the dominant Anglo culture is typical.Nationally, such ignorance is even more pervasive.The media, in its portrayals of Mexican-American stereotypes, has only reinforced this ignorance.Although many minority groups suffer from stereotyped characterization, Mexican-Americans are particularly subject to this abuse.Chicanos have learned to mistrust federal and state govern-
Source: Chicana/o Latina/o Law Review
DOI: 10.5070/c711020905
Authors: Marlo Obledo, Cruz Reynoso
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W303666719