East Los Angeles: History of a Barrio

by Richardo Romo

Overview

This is the story of the largest Mexican-American community in the United States, the city within a city known as "East Los Angeles." How did this barrio of over one million men and women—occupying an area greater than Manhattan or Washington D.C.—come to be?

Although promoted early in this century as a workers' paradise, Los Angeles fared poorly in attracting European immigrants and American blue-collar workers. Wages were low, and these workers were understandably reluctant to come to a city which was also troubled by labor strife. Mexicans made up the difference, arriving in the city in massive numbers.

Who these Mexicans were and the conditions that caused them to leave their own country are revealed in East Los Angeles. The author examines how they adjusted to life in one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, how they fared in this country's labor market, and the problems of segregation and prejudice they confronted.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780292787711
Publisher:	University of Texas Press
Publication date:	02/24/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	275
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Ricardo Romo was an associate professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin.

Table of Contents

PrefaceAcknowledgments1. Introduction2. Prelude to the Barrio3. From Homeland to Barrio4. Creating the Eastside Barrio5. The "Brown Scare"6. Work and Restlessness7. Reform, Revival, and Socialization8. Afterword--East Los Angeles since 1930NotesIndex

What People are Saying About This

Rodolfo Acuna

. . . incisive and original . . . a major contribution to urban history and the history of the Mexican-American people.

Editorial Reviews

Ricardo Romo has written a study of urban history from the bottom up.... Romo has told well the story of Mexicans in Los Angeles and their great contributions to southern California's cultural and economic development in the early twentieth century.

American Historical Review

Successfully debunks a number of misconceptions about the Mexicano experience in the United States. . . . The story of the East Los Angeles barrio is not a pleasant one, although it does contain glimpses of a stubborn and resilient people determined to fight for their way of life.

Social Science Quarterly

Ricardo Romo has written a study of urban history from the bottom up.... Romo has told well the story of Mexicans in Los Angeles and their great contributions to southern California's cultural and economic development in the early twentieth century.-- "American Historical Review"

Successfully debunks a number of misconceptions about the Mexicano experience in the United States. . . . The story of the East Los Angeles barrio is not a pleasant one, although it does contain glimpses of a stubborn and resilient people determined to fight for their way of life.-- "Social Science Quarterly"

From the Publisher