What does it mean to be Mexican American in Houston, TX?

For the Mendoza-Martinez family, the answer to this question is complicated and evolving. In this fascinating memoir, author Dr Louis Mendoza tells his family’s story over three generations, exploring the ongoing efforts to negotiate intense racialization in Texas. Examining questions of community, belonging and home, migrancy, and social strata, the book considers the interconnectedness of ethnic identity and place through the lens of lived experience.

Explicitly addressing the challenges of constructing—or reconstructing—a multi-generational family narrative when the traditional resources of family archives are limited, this memoir will enhance and illuminate courses in Latinx or Latin American studies, migrant studies, American studies, sociology, oral history, and cultural anthropology.

Louis Mendoza PhD is a professor in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies, and professor of literature and cultural studies at Arizona State University. Originally from Houston, TX, Mendoza is the author of several books on immigration and the Latinoization of the US. He also directed a short film based on his research, entitled A Journey Across Our America: Observations and Reflections on the Latinoization of the US.