| White But Not Equal: Mexican Americans, Jury Discrimination, and the Supreme Court Contributor(s): Garcia, Ignacio M. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0816527512 ISBN-13: 9780816527519 Publisher: Univ of Chicago Behalf of U of Arizona Press OUR PRICE: $24.70 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: December 2008 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies - Social Science | Discrimination & Race Relations - History | United States - State & Local - West (ak, Ca, Co, Hi, Id, Mt, Nv, Ut, Wy) |
| Dewey: 345.730 |
| LCCN: 2008036617 |
| Physical Information: 0.64" H x 6.02" W x 9.02" (0.79 lbs) 248 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1950's - Ethnic Orientation - Chicano - Geographic Orientation - Texas |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Check out A Class Apart - the new PBS American Experience documentary that explores this historic case In 1952 in Edna, Texas, Pete Hern ndez, a twenty-one-year-old cotton picker, got into a fight with several men and was dragged from a tavern, robbed, and beaten. Upon reaching his home he collected his .22-caliber rifle, walked two miles back to the tavern, and shot one of the assailants. With forty eyewitnesses and a confession, the case appeared to be open and shut. Yet Hern ndez v. Texas turned into one of the nation's most groundbreaking Supreme Court cases. Ignacio Garc a's White But Not Equal explores this historic but mostly forgotten case, which became the first to recognize discrimination against Mexican Americans. Led by three dedicated Mexican American lawyers, the case argued for recognition of Mexican Americans under the 14th Amendment as a "class apart." Despite a distinct history and culture, Mexican Americans were considered white by law during this period, yet in reality they were subjected to prejudice and discrimination. This was reflected in Hern ndez's trial, in which none of the selected jurors were Mexican American. The concept of Latino identity began to shift as the demand for inclusion in the political and judicial system began. Garc a places the Hern ndez v. Texas case within a historical perspective and examines the changing Anglo-Mexican relationship. More than just a legal discussion, this book looks at the whole case from start to finish and examines all the major participants, placing the story within the larger issue of the fight for Mexican American civil rights. |