This exemplary contribution to the literature on ethnic studies examines the issues surrounding Mexican-American political empowerment in the United States. The chapters, originally contributions to a symposium at the University of Texas in El Paso, are uniformly engaging, rigorous in their analysis, and richly suggestive in their conclusions. This exceptionally fine collection discusses the political history of Mexican-Americans, the role of their interest groups, educational models, local bureaucracies, and electoral strategies. Noteworthy are the barriers to Chicano authority found in Los Angeles and Texas. Strongly recommended. Library Journal This timely book is among the first to be published that directly addresses the political empowerment of Hispanics. The contributors concern themselves not only with the progress and problems of political empowerment, but also with the prospects of future empowerment--the political strategies and agendas for the next decade. Conducted by a group of scholars well known for their research on Chicano politics, the studies suggest that while substantial progress has been made in opening political doors to Mexican Americans, most of their political potential has yet to be realized. The volume begins with an overview of the history of Mexican-American political empowerment from 1850 to the present. Institutional, procedural, and ideological barriers to success in American politics for Mexican- Americans are reviewed. An examination of two major politics for paradigms for educational achievement reflect different views on educational success and failure. The bureaucracy of local government and its sensitivity in increasing political representation in Los Angeles, the development of political organization and leadership, and future legal issues are covered. In the conclusion, the various perspectives of the contributors are synthesized to point the way to the next level of Mexican-American empowerment, and ultimately, to a general theory of political integration.

This collection of essays is the first complete study of Latino political coalitions, which are steadily gaining strength in U.S. politics. Elaborating on Latino Empowerment: Progress, Problems, and Prospects (Greenwood Press, 1988), an earlier collection by the same editors, this volume explores such issues as the media, language policy, the labor movement, and voter mobilization in the context of coalition building. The contributors detail how coalitional politics have become a major avenue of empowerment for the Latino community.

Eight remarkable Latina women share their stories about finding balance, becoming influencers, growing into leadership, starting entreprenerial businesses and embracing opportunities they never imagined.

Significant changes in New York City's Latino community have occurred since the first edition of Latinos in New York: Communities in Transition was published in 1996. The Latino population in metropolitan New York has increased from 1.7 million in the 1990s to over 2.4 million, constituting a third of the population spread over five boroughs. Puerto Ricans remain the largest subgroup, followed by Dominicans and Mexicans; however, Puerto Ricans are no longer the majority of New York's Latinos as they were throughout most of the twentieth century. Latinos in New York: Communities in Transition, second edition, is the most comprehensive reader available on the experience of New York City's diverse Latino population. The essays in Part I examine the historical and sociocultural context of Latinos in New York. Part II looks at the diversity comprising Latino New York. Contributors focus on specific national origin groups, including Ecuadorians, Colombians, and Central Americans, and examine the factors that prompted emigration from the country of origin, the socioeconomic status of the emigrants, the extent of transnational ties with the home country, and the immigrants' interaction with other Latino groups in New York. Essays in Part III focus on politics and policy issues affecting New York's Latinos. The book brings together leading social analysts and community advocates on the Latino experience to address issues that have been largely neglected in the literature on New York City. These include the role of race, culture and identity, health, the criminal justice system, the media, and higher education, subjects that require greater attention both from academic as well as policy perspectives. Contributors: Sherrie Baver, Juan Cartagena, Javier Castaño, Ana María Díaz-Stevens, Angelo Falcón, Juan Flores, Gabriel Haslip-Viera, Ramona Hernández, Luz Yadira Herrera, Gilbert Marzán, Ed Morales, Pedro A. Noguera, Rosalía Reyes, Clara E. Rodríguez, José Ramón Sánchez, Walker Simon, Robert Courtney Smith, Andrés Torres, and Silvio Torres-Saillant.

The Sí, Yo Puedo (SYP) program manual is a step-by-step, culturally specific, 11-week curriculum for Spanish-English graduate level licensed mental health professionals (e.g., clinical social workers, professional counselors, family and marriage therapists, psychologists). Sí, Yo Puedo is Yes, I Can in English. The empowerment program is designed to provide education, promote self-esteem, prevent domestic violence, and help readers understand healthy relationships within a cultural framework. Participants meet weekly for two hours and examine topics addressing issues related to immigrant Latina women's sense of self, characteristics of healthy relationships and dating, keys to understanding the dynamics of domestic violence, and ways to access resources. The program manual includes structured sessions with goals and objectives, in-class self-reflection drawing and writing exercises, and handouts for the weekly topics. Upon completion of the SYP program, immigrant Latinas and Latinas in general will be empowered to examine current relationships and their self-esteem, and to potentially make changes in their lives.