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The Legal Construction Of Race: Mexican-Americans And Whiteness, George A. Martinez

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

In light of the privileged status of whiteness and these important critical race projects, this essay seeks to examine a number of issues concerning Mexican-Americans and whiteness. In particular, this essay seeks to examine how legal actors - courts and others –constructed the race of Mexican-Americans. In this regard, the essay seeks to examine whether the law constructed Mexican-Americans as white and whether they received the benefits traditionally associated with whiteness. The essay also explores the importance of group definition and argues that an examination of whiteness and Mexican-Americans has implications for the affirmative action debate. The article also explores …