Latinx Studies

What does it mean to be Mexican American in Houston, TX? For the Mendoza-Martinez family, the answer to this question is complicated and evolving. In this fascinating memoir, author Dr Louis Mendoza tells his family's story over three generations, exploring the ongoing efforts to negotiate intense racialization in Texas. Examining questions of community, belonging and home, migrancy, and social strata, the book considers the interconnectedness of ethnic identity and place through the lens of lived experience. Explicitly addressing the challenges of constructing-or reconstructing-a multi-generational family narrative when the traditional resources of family archives are limited, this memoir will enhance and illuminate courses in Latinx or Latin American studies, migrant studies, American studies, sociology, oral history, and cultural anthropology.

How can mass media be used to help construct a personal sense of Latinidad whilst navigating predominately white spaces? As the son of a Mexican immigrant man and a white American woman, living in predominately white areas, author Gabriel A. Cruz shares how his identity was shaped by the socio-cultural forces of whiteness and Latinidad. Grappling with challenges of internalized racism and separation from Latinidad, Gabriel documents how he turned to mass media to help construct his Latino identity. Latinidad, Identity Formation, and the Mass Media Landscape details the complexities and benefits of the mass media landscape, and how it can ultimately contribute to identity formation. A journey of identity evolution from youth to adulthood, this book is ideal reading for students of Latinx Studies, Chicanx Studies, Mass Media Studies, Popular Culture, Cultural Anthropology, and Sociology.