Brown in the Windy City

Investigating intra-ethnic divisions among Latino immigrants in Miami, Florida

“…A growing body of research critiques Latino pan-ethnicity as a social and political construct (e.g., Garcia Bedolla 2014;Fernández 2012;Beltrán 2010). But most empirical studies that include or focus on Latinos do not disaggregate them across lines of difference.…”

“…Even fewer studies explore the relations between and among Latino national origin groups and how the nature of these interactions impacts the populations in question, with notable exceptions such as the works of Garcia Bedolla (2005Bedolla ( , 2014; Aranda et al (2014); Fernández (2012); Marrow (2011);and De Genova and Ramos-Zayas (2003). Some argue that pan-ethnic cohesion leads to politically and socially desirable outcomes, which was the primary driving force behind the intentional rhetorical construction of Latinos as a pan-ethnic group (Mora 2014).…”

Puerto Rican Student Activism and Enacting Consciousness in Chicago: Learned Lessons and Implications for Practice

“…This resulted in the raising of Puerto Rican students' consciousness. After Puerto Ricans migrated to Chicago, they were often found at the bottom of the economic ladder and housed in dilapidated apartments (Fernandez, 2012;Padilla, 1987). For Puerto Ricans, this meant facing racism from white owners who would often not rent to them or rent decrepit housing that no one else wanted.…”

“…Based on these racialized policies, Puerto Ricans began to be pushed out of Lincoln Park and Near West Side, communities directly north of downtown, to make space for wealthier Chicago residents. Government officials who worried about the decaying downtown area made it a point to remove racialized communities of color, particularly Black and Latinx/a/o communities, from adjacent regions by implementing urban renewal policies (Fernandez, 2012). Puerto Ricans experienced racially discriminatory policing from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) during the settlement process.…”