Choosing issues, choosing sides: constructing identities in Mexican-American social movement organizations

Citation Detail

Title:

Choosing issues, choosing sides: constructing identities in Mexican-American social movement organizations.

Authors:

Marquez, Benjamin¹

Source:

Ethnic & Racial Studies; Mar2001, Vol. 24 Issue 2, p218-235, 18p

Document Type:

Article

Subject Terms:

*IDENTITY politics
*MEXICAN Americans
*SOCIAL movements
*GRASS roots movement
*RACE discrimination

Author-Supplied Keywords:

grass-roots organizing
Identity politics
MEXICAN-AMERICAN POLITICS
minority politics
racial identity
social movement organizations

Abstract:

This essay offers a conceptual framework with which one can understand the process of identity formation in minority social movement organizations. It is argued that identities are configurations of ethnic symbols, group experiences and history arranged and reinterpreted for a specific political purpose. It is further argued that organizationally generated identities can be studied by examining the positions they take in support of or in opposition to existing social and economic structures. Finally, this article develops a theoretically informed model of identity formation in Mexican-American organizations that centres on their interpretation of three interlocking but distinct issues: racial discrimination, economic disadvantage and cultural hegemony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

 

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Author Affiliations:

¹Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

ISSN:

01419870

DOI:

10.1080/01419870020023427

Accession Number:

4318798

Persistent link to this record (Permalink):

Database:

Academic Search Premier

Full Text Database:

SocINDEX with Full Text

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