From Coveralls to Zoot Suits: The Lives of Mexican American Women on the World War II Home Front

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Review ------ Well written with an impressive use of firsthand accounts, including oral histories and interviews. . . . Escobedo does a wonderful job sifting through the evidence to bring to light a previously neglected subject. Scholars of twentieth-century American history, Mexican American history, World War II, and American race and gender will find this book valuable for its examination of how Latinas were able to maneuver through previously held biases and stereotypes in order to improve the world around them.--Southwestern Historical Quarterly A significant contribution that has recovered the experiences of Mexican and Mexican American women during World War II.--H-Net Reviews [A] well-written, thoughtful work.--Western Historical Quarterly [A] deft examination of the simultaneously liberating and limiting wartime experiences of Mexican American women.--Register of the Kentucky Historical Society A superbly researched and written book. . . . [Escobedo] draws heavily on oral histories and archival documents, and her use of photographs from the Los Angeles Public Library makes for an attractive presentation. . . . Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.--Choice A solidly researched and well-written perspective.--Minnesota History A rich and multifaceted view of Mexican American women's lives in Los Angeles in the 1940s and 1950s. . . . Fresh and exciting.--Women's Review of Books Escobedo's book still expands our understanding of race, community, and identity in new and important ways that speak to both the significance of the period as well as larger concepts, such as how everyday practices can also be viewed as examples of political experiences or cultural practices.--Southern California Quarterly An excellent read for those wishing to understand the roles of women in the 1940s from a perspective not often revealed and how these experiences have influenced the young women of today.--Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences Escobedo's detailed work leaves no doubt that the distinctive experiences of Mexican American women form a powerful lens through which to view U.S. history more generally, particularly the history of World War II.--American Studies Journal Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) Review ------ This book transforms Mexican American and women's history. Escobedo shows how ethnic Mexican women involved in community organizations exhibited a 'Mexican American' consciousness earlier and every bit as meaningful as the Mexican men who have dominated other histories. Her of wartime defense workers and the 'bad girls' of the Pachuca subculture radically expands our knowledge of Mexican American women's experiences during World War II.--Matthew Garcia, author of From The Jaws of Victory: The Triumph and Tragedy of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker Movement Escobedo presents a rich analysis of the World War II experiences of Mexican American women. . . . Her thoughtful book engages with the most recent scholarship to make a significant contribution to the field.--Eduardo Obregon Pagan, Arizona State University Drawing on an impressive range of archival sources, oral narratives, and historiography, Elizabeth Escobedo draws you into the social worlds of young Mexican American women, especially those who were Rosie the Riveters by day and pachucas by night. Intelligent and captivating, this superb study significantly advances our understanding of Mexican American women during and after World War II.--Vicki L. Ruiz, University of California, Irvine Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) About the Author ---------------- Elizabeth R. Escobedo is associate professor of history at the University of Denver. Read more ( javascript:void(0) )