Greasers and Gringos

Latinos, Law, and the American Imagination

Author: Steven W. Bender
ISBN: 9780814798881

Although the origin of the term “greaser” is debated, its derogatory meaning never has been. From silent movies like The Greaser’s Revenge (1914) and The Girl and the Greaser (1913) with villainous title characters, to John Steinbeck's portrayals of Latinos as lazy, drunken, and shiftless in his 1935 novel Tortilla Flat, to the image of violent, criminal, drug-using gang members of East LA, negative stereotypes of Latinos/as have been plentiful in American popular culture far before Latinos/as became the most populous minority group in the U.S.In Greasers and Gringos, Steven W. Bender examines and surveys these stereotypes and their evolution, paying close attention to the role of mass media in their perpetuation. Focusing on the intersection between stereotypes and the law, Bender reveals how these negative images have contributed significantly to the often unfair treatment of Latino/as under American law by the American legal system. He looks at the way demeaning constructions

Publisher: NYU Press
Publish Date: 2005-10-01

Subjects: Law / General, Law / Legal History, Social Science / Emigration & Immigration, Social Science / Minority Studies, Social Science / Discrimination & Race Relations, Social Science / Ethnic Studies / Hispanic American Studies

This book is available in the following Community Centers: Raza Recource Centro (Location: Wall A, Shelf 3)