Making Lemonade out of Lemons: Mexican American Labor and Leisure in a California Town 1880-1960

Statue of Liberty -- Ellis Island Centennial Series

by José Alamillo

Out of the “lemons” handed to Mexican American workers in Corona, California--low pay, segregated schooling, inadequate housing, and racial discrimination--Mexican men and women made “lemonade” by transforming leisure spaces such as baseball games, parades, festivals, and churches into politicized spaces where workers voiced their grievances, debated strategies for  advancement, and built solidarity. Using oral history interviews, extensive citrus company records, and his own experiences in Corona, José Alamillo argues that Mexican Americans helped lay the groundwork for civil rights struggles and electoral campaigns in the post-World War II era.

Genres: History

220 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2006

Reviews

[Amanda]

Twas wicked awesome and basically shaped a lot of what I wanna do for my thesis. It's totally interested and accessible. Baseball as this giant formative thing in shaping identities and setting up foundations for political activism on citrus company towns in southern California...mmm... how interesting is that!!!??

[Melody Villagomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again: I got it for my mexican- american history class.