Greasers and gringos : Latinos, law, and the American imagination / Steven W. Bender.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bender, Steven.

Series:

Critical America.

Critical America

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Hispanic Americans--Legal status, laws, etc--United States.

Hispanic Americans.

Hispanic Americans--Social conditions.

Hispanic Americans and mass media--United States.

Hispanic Americans and mass media.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (310 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : New York University Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Although the origin of the term “greaser” is debated, its derogatory meaning never has been. From silent movies like The Greaser’s Revenge (1914) and The Girl and the Greaser (1913) with villainous title characters, to John Steinbeck's portrayals of Latinos as lazy, drunken, and shiftless in his 1935 novel Tortilla Flat, to the image of violent, criminal, drug-using gang members of East LA, negative stereotypes of Latinos/as have been plentiful in American popular culture far before Latinos/as became the most populous minority group in the U.S. In Greasers and Gringos, Steven W. Bender examines and surveys these stereotypes and their evolution, paying close attention to the role of mass media in their perpetuation. Focusing on the intersection between stereotypes and the law, Bender reveals how these negative images have contributed significantly to the often unfair treatment of Latino/as under American law by the American legal system. He looks at the way demeaning constructions of Latinos/as influence their legal treatment by police, prosecutors, juries, teachers, voters, and vigilantes. He also shows how, by internalizing negative social images, Latinos/as and other subordinated groups view themselves and each other as inferior. Although fighting against cultural stereotypes can be a daunting task, Bender reminds us that, while hard to break, they do not have to be permanent. Greasers and Gringos begins the charge of debunking existing stereotypes and implores all Americans to re-imagine Latinos/as as legal and social equals.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

1. The Confluence of Stereotype and Law

2. Latinas/os in the American Imagination

3. Centering Latina/o Stereotypes in Those of Other Groups

4. Greasers and Gangsters Latinas/os and Crime

5. Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)

6. In the U.S.A., It’s English or Adiós Amigo

7. One of the Smart Ones

8. No Mexicans or Dogs Allowed

9. Gringos in the Latina/o Imagination

10. Latinas/os in the Mirror

11. Eradicating Stereotypes

12. Mi Familia as Counterspeech

13. Eradicating Stereotypes

14. Beyond Stereotype

Notes

Index

About the Author

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-8147-3944-X

1-4175-6867-4

OCLC:

782878118