Barrios to Burbs: The Making of the Mexican American Middle Class

by Jody Vallejo

Too frequently, the media and politicians cast Mexican immigrants as a threat to American society. Given America's increasing ethnic diversity and the large size of the Mexican-origin population, an investigation of how Mexican immigrants and their descendants achieve upward mobility and enter the middle class is long overdue. Barrios to Burbs offers a new understanding of the Mexican American experience. Vallejo explores the challenges that accompany rapid social mobility and examines a new indicator of incorporation, a familial obligation to "give back" in social and financial support. She investigates the salience of middle-class Mexican Americans' ethnic identification and details how relationships with poorer coethnics and affluent whites evolve as immigrants and their descendants move into traditionally white middle-class occupations. Disputing the argument that Mexican communities lack high quality resources and social capital that can help Mexican Americans incorporate into the middle class, Vallejo also examines civic participation in ethnic professional associations embedded in ethnic communities.

Genres: Race, Latinx, The United States Of America, Nonfiction

252 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2012

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent academic study by a professor at USC of the characteristics and assimilation of Mexican Americans into California's middle class. She dispels stereotypes of Mexicans while also demonstrating the conditions that makes this group successful--availability of excellent educational opportunities, association with others in their ethnic group and beyond who have been successful, and availability of capital. She tells a story in which immigrant families go from migrant workers to computer scientist in one generation, thanks to educational and other opportunities. The author discusses the directive by successful second and third generation Mexican Americans to support their families and give back. An excellent read particularly today.

[Tomas Fuentes · Rating 3 out of 5]

For class