From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America

Once again Dr. Ruiz hits it out of the ballpark with her extensive knowledge. I also read her book Cannery Women/Cannery Lives. She brings womens issues to the forefront. Their voices have been silenced for too long.

I had to read this book for Chicano Studies IB at UCSB. In addition to the reader for the course, this book was stimulating. It takes you through the eyes of Chicana and Mexicana women struggling to find their identity withing their home and their homeland. The chapter which I could connect with the most, being a first-gen child of Polish immigrants, was the Flapper and the Chaperone. This chapter talks about how Chicanas who were growing up received less rights and more expectations from their strict parents while the son could do as he pleased. Women were supposed to dress and act like women, yet they were not allowed to date men. This caused a lot of rebellion, and I could relate to it. The battle within your own culture is an inevitable one in America. Needless to say, Vicki Ruiz is an excellent writer, and she highlighted fine points of Xicanisma using many touching life stories. If you need a socialist lens on Chicana Feminism, the journey, the border crossing of generations, and the political struggle, this is the book to read.

I had to read this for my Chicano Studies course, but it was a great read by far. Because of this book it inspired me to keep taking Chicano studies classes, on my own. I am currently in the La Chicana class and I love that my instructor uses excerpts from this book. Many Chicano/a's don't realize that we have a history. A history and a culture. I will be passing this book on to my daughters and I will be encouraging them to take the classes as well.

The information is priceless as a sort of reference-compendium and salute to Latina and Mexicana immigrants. A good chunk is dedicated to a case analysis of a Protestant social service mission working in a Texas community to imprint anglican values and culture on the new immigrants. Another dedicated cultural aspect explores the affect of Americanization on young unmarried women and the system of chaperoning stemming from the honor of the family having to be upheld by orthodox views of virginity. The book is inspiring in its scope but meanders a bit excitedly like a river through early immigration, americanization and chicana feminism. Starts off slow and nurturing upon each theme but gradually erodes into a more sporadic form.

I bought this book because it was a requirement for a class, but as I read it, I loved it a lot, it gives another perspective to what we think about Mexican women

This book was pretty good, at the first chapter its kinda boring but later in the book it gets interesting. recommend for adults and teenager

Had to read for school and I the class for making me read it.

Happy with what I received