Becoming Mexican American : Ethnicity, Culture, and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945

Twentieth-century Los Angeles has been the locus of one of the most profound and complex interactions between variant cultures in American history. Yet this study is among the first to examine the relationship between ethnicity and identity among the largest immigrant group to that city. By focusing on Mexican immigrants to Los Angeles from 1900 to 1945, George J. Sánchez explores the process by which temporary sojourners altered their orientation to that of permanent residents, thereby laying the foundation for a new Mexican-American culture. Analyzing not only formal programs aimed at these newcomers by the United States and Mexico, but also the world created by these immigrants through family networks, religious practice, musical entertainment, and work and consumption patterns, Sánchez uncovers the creative ways Mexicans adapted their culture to life in the United States. When a formal repatriation campaign pushed thousands to return to Mexico, those remaining in Los Angeles launched new campaigns to gain civil rights as ethnic Americans through labor unions and New Deal politics. The immigrant generation, therefore, laid the groundwork for the emerging Mexican-American identity of their children. Twentieth-century Los Angeles has been the locus of one of the most profound and complex interactions between variant cultures in American history. Yet this study is among the first to examine the relationship between ethnicity and identity among the largest immigrant group to that city. By focusing on Mexican immigrants to Los Angeles from 1900 to 1945, George J. S'anchez explores the process by which temporary sojourners altered their orientation to that of permanent residents, thereby laying the foundation for a new Mexican-American culture. Analyzing not only formal programs aimed at these newcomers by the United States and Mexico, but also the world created by these immigrants through family networks, religious practice, musical entertainment, and work and consumption patterns, S'anchez uncovers the creative ways Mexicans adapted their culture to life in the United States. When a formal repatriation campaign pushed thousands to return to Mexico, those remaining in Los Angeles launched new campaigns to gain civil rights as ethnic Americans through labor unions and New Deal politics. The immigrant generation, therefore, laid the groundwork for the emerging Mexican-American identity of their children. Frontmatter List of Illustrations (page xv) List of Tables (page xvii) Introduction (page 3) PART ONE. CROSSING BORDERS 1. Farewell Homeland (page 17) 2. Across the Dividing Line (page 38) 3. Newcomers in the City of the Angels (page 63) PART TWO. DIVIDED LOYALTIES 4. Americanization and the Mexican Immigrant (page 87) 5. The "New Nationalism," Mexican Style (page 108) PART THREE. SHIFTING HOMELANDS 6. Family Life and the Search for Stability (page 129) 7. The Sacred and the Profane: Religious Adaptations (page 151) 8. Familiar Sounds of Change: Music and the Growth of Mass Culture (page 171) 9. Workers and Consumers: A Community Emerges (page 188) PART FOUR. AMBIVALENT AMERICANISM 10. Where Is Home?: The Dilemma of Repatriation (page 209) 11. Forging a New Politics of Opposition (page 227) 12. The Rise of the Second Generation (page 253) Conclusion (page 271) Appendix: On Sources (page 275) Notes (page 277) Bibliography (page 327) Index (page 351) Introduction -- Part One. Crossing Borders : Farewell Homeland -- Across The Dividing Line -- Newcomers In The City Of Angels -- Part Two. Divided Loyalties : Americanizartion And The Mexican Immigrant -- The 'new Nationalism, ' Mexican Style -- Part Three. Shifting Homelands : Family Life And The Search For Stability -- The Sacred And The Profane : Religious Adaptations -- Familiar Sounds Of Change : Music And The Growth Of Mass Culture -- Workers And Consumers : A Community Emerges -- Part Four. Ambivalent Americanism : Where Is Home? The Dilemma Of Repatriation -- Forging A New Politics Of Opposition -- The Rise Of The Second Generation -- Conclusion. George J. Sánchez. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This study describes Mexican migration to Los Angeles between 1900 and 1943 (the year of riots in which Mexican-Americans clashed violently with the Los Angeles police). It examines the acculturation of the Mexican community and the social and economic forces that created a complex culture. Carlos Almazan was born into a world on the brink of monumental change.