Abstract:
Latina auto workers are an unrecognized population within the U.S. auto industry. This study
gives voice to them by using personal accounts of their struggles working on an assembly line
while raising a family. I discuss the shared vision of the American Dream of Latinas and explore
how their desire for the American Dream is made all the more difficult by lifelong
marginalization and the challenge of cultural assimilation. In particular, I explore the settlement
patterns of Latino families to Michigan, their personal experiences navigating the auto factory
work place and the effects of their role as an auto worker on their family. To gain a broader
understanding of the experiences of Latinas working in the auto industry I also look at their
perceptions of their own childhood experiences. Studying their interactions with others in the
auto factory and exploring factors effecting the raising of their children will illustrate the
complexity of their everyday lives.