THE BIRTH OF THE HISPANIC GENERATION: ATTITUDES OF MEXICAN-AMERICAN POLITICAL ELITES TOWARD THE HISPANIC LABEL

In: Latin American perspectives: a journal on capitalism and socialism, Band 19, Heft 75, S. 45-58

Abstract

THE EVOLUTION OF ETHNIC LABELS IN THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN GROUP IS TRACED AND THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK THAT GUIDES THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY IS PRESENTED. THE AUTHOR EXPLORES THE ROLE OF ONE POTENTIAL SOURCE OF INTERNAL SUPPORT FOR THE TERM: ETHNIC POLITICAL ELITES. HIS FINDINGS FROM INTERVIEWS RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IN-GROUP SOURCES OF POPULARIZATION OF THE HISPANIC LABEL, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELITES' WITHIN IDENTITY AND THAT OF THE LARGER GROUP THAT THEY PRESUME TO REPRESENT, AND THE ROLE OF ETHNIC ELITES VIS-A-VIS THE ORGANIZATION AND INSTITUTIONS OF THE DOMINANT SOCIETY.