Making Democracy Matter

Karen Brodkin is a professor of anthropology and women's studies at UCLA. She is the author of How Jews Became White Folks (Rutgers University Press).

• PrefaceList of OrganizationsAbout the NarratorsIntroduction1. The Context of Labor and Immigrant Workers' Right Activism in Los Angeles2. Narrators and Narrative3. Political Identity Starts at Home: Border-Crossing Families and the Making of Political Selves4. Making Identities Political5. Democracy and Political PraxisConclusionAppendix A: Study Design and Use of NarrativeAppendix B: Organizer SurveyNotes ReferencesIndex

"During the 1990s an amazing new generation of young activists, mostly women, immigrants, and people of color, transformed the Los Angeles labor movement, bringing a new vision of democracy to organizations not always ready for change. Now Karen Brodkin gives us their story in this wonderfully inspiring book, bursting with wisdom, dedication, imagination, and, best of all, models for how the labor movement can become a dynamic and embracing social movement seeking justice for all." - Dana Frank (University of California, Santa Cruz) "This engaging, accessible volume makes a significant contribution to the scholarly literatures on social movements, racial justice, the political activism of men and women of color, and the labor movement today." - Sandra Morgen (Professor of Women's Studies, Penn State University) "Persuasive. Insightful. As a contribution to our understanding of social movements, the book's strength is its emphasis on ideological factors and motivations.(Community Development: Journal of the Community Development Society) "During the 1990s an amazing new generation of young activists, mostly women, immigrants, and people of color, transformed the Los Angeles labor movement, bringing a new vision of democracy to organizations not always ready for change. Now Karen Brodkin gives us their story in this wonderfully inspiring book, bursting with wisdom, dedication, imagination, and, best of all, models for how the labor movement can become a dynamic and embracing social movement seeking justice for all." - Dana Frank (University of California, Santa Cruz) "This engaging, accessible volume makes a significant contribution to the scholarly literatures on social movements, racial justice, the political activism of men and women of color, and the labor movement today." - Sandra Morgen (Professor of Women's Studies, Penn State University) "Persuasive. Insightful. As a contribution to our understanding of social movements, the book's strength is its emphasis on ideological factors and motivations.(Community Development: Journal of the Community Development Society)