Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture, and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945

by George J. Sanchez

By focusing on Mexican immigrants to Los Angeles from 1900 to 1945, George J. Sanchez sheds light on the process by which temporary sojourners evolved into permanent residents, laying the foundation for a new Mexican-American culture. Analyzing not only government programs aimed at these newcomers, but also the world created by these immigrants through family networks, religious practice, musical entertainment, and work and consumption patterns, Sanchez uncovers the creative ways Mexicans adapted their culture to life in the United States. This award-winning study is among the first to examine this process in depth.