The Struggle of Latino/Latina University Students: In Search of a Liberating Education [Paperback]

Felix M. Padilla (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0415912946 | ISBN-13: 978-0415912945 | Edition: First Edition

Based on a three-year ethnographic study of a class on the sociology of Latino/a society, this book tells the story of how the students navigated academic life in a predominantly white university to construct their own education. Padilla weaves together journal entries, his own experiences in education, cultural analysis, and theory to create a rich narrative.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In this critical reflection on the current state of American higher education, Felix Padilla offers hope for students who have too long been excluded from the traditional discourse. It is essential reading for any of us in higher education who are willing to run the risks of truly hearing the voices of today's wonderfully diverse students.
–Jim Fraser, Northeastern University

The sensitivity shown by Professor Felix M. Padilla to Andres and to the diversity of student populations is precisely what is needed in the academy. A close reading of his text enables educators to learn what it means to be in search of a liberating educaton.
–James G. Spady, Philadelphia New Observer

About the Author

M. Padilla is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Latin American and Puerto Rican Studies at Lehman College, City University of New York. He is the author of several books, including The Gang as an American Enterprise (1992).

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; First Edition edition (February 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415912946
• ISBN-13: 978-0415912945
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Struggle" struggles to make it out on top...., January 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Struggle of Latino/Latina University Students: In Search of a Liberating Education (Paperback)

Felix Padilla's "The Struggle of Latino/ Latina University Students" is a fair work on the experiences that he encounters with Latino/a students while teaching at a university. The book starts out well with Padilla's reflecting on his own experiences as a Latino student and academic. Combining anecdotes with analysis, Padilla creates the link between education and its power to either oppress or liberate. Through the course of the rest of the book, the reader witnesses three years of Padilla's courses which are designed to force the students to take control of their own educations. Although his accounts provide insight into his class and the politics that play out there, these chapters are not placed into a broader context. The strength of these chapters is the accounts given by the students in their class journals. Drawing from these, the reader peeks into the mindset of the Latino/a university student and learns how education has affected their personalities and self-images. Although dragging at moments, Padilla's "Struggle" ultimately makes a good read and gives the reader a viewpoint often left ignored.