Cover image for Making Lemonade out of Lemons

Making Lemonade out of Lemons

by José M. Alamillo

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Social Science / GeneralSocial Science / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / American / Hispanic & Latino StudiesHistory / United States / State & Local / West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY)Political Science / Labor & Industrial Relations

Description

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.

Book Details

Publisher:
University of Illinois Press
Published:
2023-03-20
Pages:
248
Language:
EN
ISBN:
9780252055041