Becoming Mexican American

Twentieth-century Los Angeles has been the locus of one of the most profound and  complex interactions between distinct cultures in United States history. In this pioneering study, George J. Sanchez focuses on Mexican immigrants to Los Angeles from 1900-1945 and explores the process by which these temporry sojourners altered their orientation to that of "permanent residents," thereby laying the foundation for a new Mexican-American culture. What emerges is a fascinating examination of the evolving relationship between ehtnicity and idenitity among Mexican-Americans.

In the wake of the border crossings of hundreds of thousands of Mexicans to the United States at the beginning of the century, federal officials launched programs designed to teach those newcomers idealized versions of American practices, customs, and values. Analyzing  not only formal programs of acculturation aimed at these immigrants by the United States and Mexico, but also the world created through family networks, religious practice, Sanchez uncovers creative ways Mexicans adapted their culture to life in the United States.