Everyday Injustice

Latino Professionals and Racism

By (author) Maria Chávez Foreword by Lee McPhail

Paperback - £25.00

Publication date:

31 October 2017

Length of book:

240 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780810895171

As members of the fastest-growing demographic group in America, Latinos are increasingly represented in the professional class, but they continue to face significant racism. Everyday Injustice introduces readers to the challenges facing Latino professionals today. Examining the experiences of many of the most privileged members of the largest racial and ethnic community in the United States, Maria ChOvez provides important insights into the challenges facing racialized groups, particularly Latinos, in the United States. Her study looks at Latino lawyers in depth, weaving powerful personal stories and interview excerpts with a broader analysis of survey research and focus groups. The book examines racial framing in America, the role of language and culture among Latino professionals, the role of Latinos in the workplace, their level of civic participation, and the important role that education plays in improving their experiences. One chapter discusses the unique challenges that Latinas face in the workplace as both women and people of color. The findings outlined in Everyday Injustice suggest that despite considerable success in overcoming educational, economic, and class barriers, Latino professionals still experience marginalization. A powerful illustration of racism and inequality in America.
Everyday Injustice is the first comprehensive study of the experiences of Latino lawyers with racism and discrimination. Even though they have prevailed through the education process to become lawyers, Latino attorneys are often stereotyped as perpetual 'foreigners' to the United States, even though their families may have been in the country for generations. Citizens or not, Latino lawyers face their own struggles to become full members of the legal profession rather than marginalized outsiders. As Maria Chávez demonstrates, the discrimination is just as much a fact of life for Latino lawyers as it is for low-and medium-skilled workers. Moreover, Latina lawyers, as both racial minorities and women, face gender as well as racial stereotypes that contribute to their marginalization in the legal profession. After reading Everyday Injustice and '[h]aving listened to the stories from the diverse group of Latino lawyers in this study,' one must conclude that the racial hostility and discrimination that they regularly suffer means that 'despite our progress with race relations, we [as a nation] still have a long way to go.'