Honorable Mention, 2014 Distinguished Contribution to Research Award presented by the Latina/o Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association
Getting Ahead tells the compelling stories of Latin-American immigrant women living in public housing in two Boston-area neighborhoods. Silvia Dominguez argues that these immigrant women parlay social ties that provide support and leverage to develop networks and achieve social positioning to get ahead. Through a rich ethnographic account and in-depth interviews, the strong voices of these women demonstratehow they successfully negotiate the world and achieve social mobility through their own individual agency, skillfullynavigating both constraints and opportunities.
Dominguez makes it clear that many immigrant women are able to develop the social support needed for a rich social life, and leverage ties that open options for them to develop their social and human capital. However, she also shows that factors such as neighborhood and domestic violence and the unavailability of social services leave many women without the ability to strategize towards social mobility. Ultimately, Dominguez makes important local and international policy recommendations on issue ranging from public housing to world labor visas, demonstrating how policy can help to improve the lives of these and other low-income people.

Tells the compelling stories of Latin-American immigrant women living in public housing in two Boston-area neighbourhoods

About the Author
Silvia Dominguez is assistant professor of sociology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Reviews
Getting Ahead by Silvia Dominguez makes an important contribution to the urban poverty literature by investigating the well being of low-income Latin American immigrants and their children in the post-welfare reform era. . . I urge readers to purchase this excellent book. -- David Varady,Teachers College Record
A valuable contribution to the understanding of Latin American immigrants in the U.S. -- Roberta Villalon,author of Violence Against Latina Immigrants: Citizenship, Inequality, and Community



Book Information
ISBN 9780814720776
Author Silvia Dominguez
Format Hardback
Page Count 278
Imprint New York University Press
Publisher New York University Press
Weight(grams) 590g