From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America [Paperback]

Historian Vicki L. Ruiz here provides the first full study of Mexican-American women in the 20th century, in a narrative that is greatly enhanced by Ruiz's skillful use of interviews and personal stories, capturing a vivid sense of the Mexicana experience in the United States. For this new edition, Ruiz includes a preface that continues the story of theMexicanaexperience in the United States, as well as the growth of the field of Latina history. What emerges from the book finally is a much-needed portrait of a very distinctive culture in America.From Out of the Shadowswas the first full study of Mexican-American women in the twentieth century. Beginning with the first wave of Mexican women crossing the border early in the century, historian Vicki L. Ruiz reveals the struggles they have faced and the communities they have built. In a narrative enhanced by interviews and personal stories, she shows how from labor camps, boxcar settlements, and urban barrios, Mexican women nurtured families, worked for wages, built extended networks, and participated in community associations--efforts that helped Mexican Americans find their own place in America. She also narrates the tensions that arose between generations, as the parents tried to rein in young daughters eager to adopt American ways. Finally, the book highlights the various forms of political protest initiated by Mexican-American women, including civil rights activity and protests against the war in Vietnam.For this new edition ofFrom Out of the Shadows, Ruiz has written an afterword that continues the story of theMexicanaexperience in the United States, as well as outlines new additions to the growing field of Latina history.Introduction1. Border Journeys2. Confronting America 3. The Flapper and the Chaperone4. With Pickets, Baskets, and Ballots5. La Nueva Chicana: Women and the Movement6. Claiming Public SpaceAfterwordVicki L. Ruizis Professor of History and Chiclãf