In the landmark Hernandez v. Texas (1954), the U.S. Supreme Court held for the first time that Mexican Americans constitute a protected class under the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause. The Legal Construction of a Latino Identity explores the many and complex ways in which Latinos impact, and have been impacted by, the American legal system, and how this interaction has been paralleled by an evolving Latino legal identity. Whether considered through the prism of race/ethnicity, language rights, or immigrant status, the legal identity of Latinos in the United States has evolved and developed significantly in the years following Hernandez. Thus, the book includes chapters on educational equality, employment, gender issues, language rights, immigration, voting rights, affirmative action, and criminal justice issues. Each chapter highlights historical contexts, relevant laws, policy concerns, and relevant scholarly materials for a specific issue and features significant state and federal cases involving Latinos. The Legal Construction of a Latino Identity illustrates how Latinos have played crucial roles in mounting legal challenges regarding issues that directly affect or have affected their socioeconomic, political, and educational status.
