This Essay addresses how religion simultaneously subordinates Latinas while serving as a source o... more This Essay addresses how religion simultaneously subordinates Latinas while serving as a source of strength. More specifically, it focuses on Catholicism and how the same church and religion have a fragmented and varied impact on Latinas, particularly Mexican-Americans, with whom I am most familiar. 3 When using the term "religion" in the context of Latinas, I normally refer to Catholicism and sometimes to Christianity more generally because even though not all Latinas/os are Catholic, at least sixty-five percent selfidentify as Catholic. 4 In spite of the high numbers of Latina/o Catholics, an increasing number of Latinas/os are turning to evangelical and other Protestant churches. "While firm statistics are lacking, local religious leaders agree there has been a dramatic increase in evangelical and Pentecostal churches that serve Latina/o immigrants. " 5 Catholicism's hold on Latinas/os is weakening, demonstrating that the Church, for various reasons, is not fulfilling the needs of many Latinas/os. Even though this Essay focuses on Latinas and the Catholic Church, it is not meant to diminish the experiences of non-Catholic or non-Christian Latinas, and even among Catholic Latinas, the experiences are anything but homogenous. Nonetheless, there is enough common experience to justify exploring the paradox of how Catholic Latinas use religion as a source of strength, as a survival and resistance strategy, and as a way to build community, on the one hand, while experiencing it as a subordinating and oppressive force, on the other. I broach this controversial topic for the important reasons expressed by Professors Valencia, Iglesias and Valdes. Professor Valencia stated that: 3 Although it is more accurate to call this group "Mexican-American Latinas," that phrase is cumbersome, so I often use the phrase "Latinas," with the understanding that my reference point is frequently the Mexican-American Latina. 4 See BARRY A. KOSMIN & SEYMOUR P. LACHMAN, ONE NATION UNDER GOD: RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN SOCIETY 137-38 (1993) (noting that two-thirds of Mexican Americans identify as Roman Catholics). A different source finds "that 85 to 90 percent of Mexican Americans are Roman Catholics." Kyriakos S. Markides & Thomas Cole, Change and Continuity in Mexican American Religious Behavior: A Three Generation Study, in THE MEXICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ANTHOLOGY 402, 403 (Rodolfo 0. De la Garza et a. eds., 1985). Interestingly, although a majority of Latinas/os identify as Catholic, that does not equate with high levels of church involvement, illustrating the paradox of low levels of institutional participation and high levels of religiosity.
Stanford Law School, 1987; B.A. Stanford University, 1983. I am grateful to my California Western... more Stanford Law School, 1987; B.A. Stanford University, 1983. I am grateful to my California Western School of Law colleagues, Gloria Sandrino and Frank Valdes, for co-chairing this symposium. I also thank the symposium participants for committing themselves to the birth of LatCrit Theory. Finally, I thank my grandparents, Manuel and Mary Armendariz, for their superb role modeling and for leading lives of dignity. I This symposium was envisioned in part to address the existence of a Latino pan-ethnicity. In the first plenary panel, Professors Castro and Espinoza specifically addressed this in the context of histories and conditions that unite and divide the various Latino communities. 2 A Nueva Mexicana is a female native of New Mexico. 3 On my grandfather's daily walk in the early morning hours to the Wonder Bread factory where he worked, policemen frequently verbally and physically harassed him. (Hate crimes were not yet recognized.) 4 I have taken many years of Spanish courses but I am not a native Spanish speaker, nor am I bilingual. My grandparents did not want their children or
After work, I pick up groceries while my husband picks up the kids from day care. Once we get hom... more After work, I pick up groceries while my husband picks up the kids from day care. Once we get home, we cook dinner, clean up, and put the kids to bed. We don't have tame for each other, let alone anyone else. There's got to be a better way. 1
I. INTRODUCTION Adoptions by same sex partners are becoming more common, with at least five hundr... more I. INTRODUCTION Adoptions by same sex partners are becoming more common, with at least five hundred in California alone.' Furthermore, "an estimated 10,000 lesbians and gay men have had or adopted children during the past 10-15 years .... "' Same sex adoptions may occur if someone who has been acting in a parental capacity adopts his or her partner's legal child. 3 For example, a lesbian may
This essay begins by defining internalized oppression and racism and exposing the harms they caus... more This essay begins by defining internalized oppression and racism and exposing the harms they cause. It dissects the reasons we engage in internalized racism and explains how once exposed, it will be easier to engage in a conscious effort to eradicate internalized racism. It will then describe how the intersectionality of internalized oppression and racism is expressed in the Latino community. The essay will then re-imagine Latino identity without internalized oppression and racism. It will include ideas on how to overcome internalized oppression and racism generally, both at the corporate and individual levels. The essay concludes that exposing internalized oppression and racism is the first step to alleviating the harm that results from a negative self-perception, which must be followed by the active construction of positive self-images. This, in turn, will lead not only to less support for racist and discriminatory legislation but to a more active and united denouncement of racist lawmaking. The final step is to engage in pro-active agenda setting and campaigns to capitalize on a newly-forged, positive identity
11-29/bluff-collapses-in-del-mar-within-feet-of-train-tracks. 3 In California, "[e]ach local gove... more 11-29/bluff-collapses-in-del-mar-within-feet-of-train-tracks. 3 In California, "[e]ach local government lying, in whole or in part, within the coastal zone shall prepare a local coastal program for that portion of the coastal zone within its jurisdiction." CAL. PUS. RES. CODE § 30500(a) (West 2020). To prepare for sea level rise, the California Coastal Commission recommends that "local governments with coastal resources at risk from sea level rise certify or update Local Coastal Programs that provide a means to prepare for and mitigate these impacts.. .. [T]he impacts of accelerated sea level rise should be addressed in the hazard and coastal resource analyses, alternatives analyses, community outreach, public involvement, and regional coordination.. .. Although the existing LCP certification and update processes are still the same, sea level rise calls for new regional planning approaches, new strategies, and enhanced community participation." Sea
2. Id. at 461. Note that some schools had female interim deans, but I did not include them in the... more 2. Id. at 461. Note that some schools had female interim deans, but I did not include them in the percentage set forth above because of their temporary status. During that same reporting period, 135 of the 166 AALS-member schools (81.3%) had male deans. 3. Id. at 461-64 (especially notes 79-82). 4. PRESUMED INCOMPETENT: THE INTERSECTIONS OF RACE AND CLASS FOR WOMEN IN ACADEMIA
In the border between dusk and dawn I listen to frozen thumpings, my soul Should I jump face tumb... more In the border between dusk and dawn I listen to frozen thumpings, my soul Should I jump face tumbling down the steps of the temple heart offered up to the midnightsun ..
Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons * The title of this article is derived from a... more Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons * The title of this article is derived from a conversation in which a college classmate was delivering a harangue, blaming the evils of the world on undocumented Mexican immigrants. I interrupted, alerting him that I was Mexican American. He hesitated momentarily, said "But you're not a dirty Mexican," and continued his vitriolic diatribe. ** Laura M. Padilla is a Professor of Law at California Western School of Law. She received her B.A. and J.D. from Stanford. Prof. Padilla would like to thank her Kellogg Group XV advisor, Roberto Chen6, for inspiring her to write this article. He articulated the concept of internalized oppression for her, a concept she had been familiar with all her life but could not name. The author is particularly thankful to participants of the Third Annual Latino Critical Race Theory Conference in Miami, Florida, for their feedback on portions of this paper presented in a panel on May 8, 1998. The presented portion has been published as an essay cited as Laura M.
Law's library provided invaluable assistance in tracking down interlibrary materials and other ha... more Law's library provided invaluable assistance in tracking down interlibrary materials and other hard to find resources. I am also thankful to Herma Hill Kay for her careful review of a draft of this article and insightful comments. Of course, any errors are mine alone. Finally, I want to thank the AALS Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Law Teachers on which I served from 2001-2004, and chaired in 2003-2004. Many committee members were law deans, and at one meeting of this committee, our composition and dinner conversation reminded me that as far as we have come, and as well intended as all of us were, someone was missing from our committee. Of all the deans present, there were no women. I was not hopeful enough to wish for a woman dean of color on our committee, even with our committee title and charge, given that as of that evening, there was then only one active woman of color serving as dean. As much as we would have liked to clone her, I knew there was no way she could be everywhere that everyone wanted her to be. I cannot seem to get away from a curiosity about the connections between gender and power, and hence the seeds of this article were born.
Valdes for their careful reading of this article and their comments. I also am deeply grateful to... more Valdes for their careful reading of this article and their comments. I also am deeply grateful to the participants of the 1996 SE/SW Law Professors of Color Conference for their feedback when I presented this paper, as well as the participants at Harvard's 1996 Forging Forward: Women of Color and the Law Conference, for allowing me to share an early version of this article. Jacquiline Wagner provided tremendous research assistance, and Zindia Thomas and Magnolia Mansourkia also provided appreciated assistance. Of course, any mistakes are my own, as are the views expressed in this article. Finally, I want to thank my husband, Terry Taylor, for his support, friendship, and willingness to share me with my profession, and to my new son, Jeremiah Estevan, for teaching me so many things so quickly.
Valdes for their careful reading of this article and their comments. I also am deeply grateful to... more Valdes for their careful reading of this article and their comments. I also am deeply grateful to the participants of the 1996 SE/SW Law Professors of Color Conference for their feedback when I presented this paper, as well as the participants at Harvard's 1996 Forging Forward: Women of Color and the Law Conference, for allowing me to share an early version of this article. Jacquiline Wagner provided tremendous research assistance, and Zindia Thomas and Magnolia Mansourkia also provided appreciated assistance. Of course, any mistakes are my own, as are the views expressed in this article. Finally, I want to thank my husband, Terry Taylor, for his support, friendship, and willingness to share me with my profession, and to my new son, Jeremiah Estevan, for teaching me so many things so quickly.
Law's library provided invaluable assistance in tracking down interlibrary materials and other ha... more Law's library provided invaluable assistance in tracking down interlibrary materials and other hard to find resources. I am also thankful to Herma Hill Kay for her careful review of a draft of this article and insightful comments. Of course, any errors are mine alone. Finally, I want to thank the AALS Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Law Teachers on which I served from 2001-2004, and chaired in 2003-2004. Many committee members were law deans, and at one meeting of this committee, our composition and dinner conversation reminded me that as far as we have come, and as well intended as all of us were, someone was missing from our committee. Of all the deans present, there were no women. I was not hopeful enough to wish for a woman dean of color on our committee, even with our committee title and charge, given that as of that evening, there was then only one active woman of color serving as dean. As much as we would have liked to clone her, I knew there was no way she could be everywhere that everyone wanted her to be. I cannot seem to get away from a curiosity about the connections between gender and power, and hence the seeds of this article were born.
Internalized oppression is the turning upon ourselves, our families and our people the distressed... more Internalized oppression is the turning upon ourselves, our families and our people the distressed patterns of behavior that result from the racism and oppression of the minority society. Internalized racism is directed more specifically at one's racial or ethnic group.'
Inclusionary housing programs typically require that a residential home developer set aside a spe... more Inclusionary housing programs typically require that a residential home developer set aside a specified percentage of new units as very low-, low-or moderate-income housing.' These programs usually pro-1. The actual amounts which qualify, a household as very low-, low-or moderate-income vary from region to region, but the definition tends to remain fairly constant. The Department of Housing & Urban Development ("HUD") has defined these households in the context of Section 8 housing as follows: The term "low-income families" means those families whose incomes do not exceed 80 per centum of the median income for the area, as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that the Secretary may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 80 per centum of the median for the area on the basis of the Secretary's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or unusually high or low family incomes. The term "very low-income families" means low-income families whose incomes do not exceed 50 per centum of the median family income for the area, as determined by the Secretary. 42 U.S.C. § 1437a(b)(2) (Supp. V 1993). Elsewhere, HUD has defined moderate-income families as "families or persons whose incomes are between 80 percent and 95 percent of the
I thank the conference participants for their feedback, and I also want to acknowledge the fine w... more I thank the conference participants for their feedback, and I also want to acknowledge the fine work of my research assistants, Angela Saloufakos and Tamara Yorita. Finally, I dedicate this article to my daughters, three-year-old Christianne Juliet and two-year-old Danielle Lauren, with the hope that they will see tremendous improvement in women's economic positions over their lifetimes. 1. Michael Selmi, Family Leave and the Gender Wage Gap, 78 N.C. L. REv. 707, 709 (2000) (citations omitted). 2. A companion piece explores the ripple effects of the economic gap, including implications for women at a global level if women in the world's economically strongest country are struggling. See Laura M. Padilla, Gender, Race & Property: Status Review, Implications and Possibilities (on file with the author). The piece focuses on ways to halt the expanding colored feminization of poverty and more ideally, to grant all women better access to economic resources and equality of opportunity. Id.
Whoosh – that is the sound when the number of law school applications and entering law students a... more Whoosh – that is the sound when the number of law school applications and entering law students and the credentials of those students, decline all at once. This trend has continued for many years, however, given the cyclical nature of law school applications, it will likely reverse eventually and credentials will improve, but not overnight. The first part of the article briefly discusses the decline in law school applicants and applications, including the confluence of perfect storm factors that resulted in more of the crash landing we experienced than a gradual drop. It also details the corresponding drop in entering credentials which accompanied that decline. The article focuses on what we can do as law professors in response to these declines to better equip students for success in law school, the bar examination and practice. The second part describes a range of responses to the storm: panic, paralysis, or pivot. While recognizing there is no single solution and certainly no per...
Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons * The title of this article is derived from a... more Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons * The title of this article is derived from a conversation in which a college classmate was delivering a harangue, blaming the evils of the world on undocumented Mexican immigrants. I interrupted, alerting him that I was Mexican American. He hesitated momentarily, said "But you're not a dirty Mexican," and continued his vitriolic diatribe. ** Laura M. Padilla is a Professor of Law at California Western School of Law. She received her B.A. and J.D. from Stanford. Prof. Padilla would like to thank her Kellogg Group XV advisor, Roberto Chen6, for inspiring her to write this article. He articulated the concept of internalized oppression for her, a concept she had been familiar with all her life but could not name. The author is particularly thankful to participants of the Third Annual Latino Critical Race Theory Conference in Miami, Florida, for their feedback on portions of this paper presented in a panel on May 8, 1998. The presented portion has been published as an essay cited as Laura M.
This Essay addresses how religion simultaneously subordinates Latinas while serving as a source o... more This Essay addresses how religion simultaneously subordinates Latinas while serving as a source of strength. More specifically, it focuses on Catholicism and how the same church and religion have a fragmented and varied impact on Latinas, particularly Mexican-Americans, with whom I am most familiar. 3 When using the term "religion" in the context of Latinas, I normally refer to Catholicism and sometimes to Christianity more generally because even though not all Latinas/os are Catholic, at least sixty-five percent selfidentify as Catholic. 4 In spite of the high numbers of Latina/o Catholics, an increasing number of Latinas/os are turning to evangelical and other Protestant churches. "While firm statistics are lacking, local religious leaders agree there has been a dramatic increase in evangelical and Pentecostal churches that serve Latina/o immigrants. " 5 Catholicism's hold on Latinas/os is weakening, demonstrating that the Church, for various reasons, is not fulfilling the needs of many Latinas/os. Even though this Essay focuses on Latinas and the Catholic Church, it is not meant to diminish the experiences of non-Catholic or non-Christian Latinas, and even among Catholic Latinas, the experiences are anything but homogenous. Nonetheless, there is enough common experience to justify exploring the paradox of how Catholic Latinas use religion as a source of strength, as a survival and resistance strategy, and as a way to build community, on the one hand, while experiencing it as a subordinating and oppressive force, on the other. I broach this controversial topic for the important reasons expressed by Professors Valencia, Iglesias and Valdes. Professor Valencia stated that: 3 Although it is more accurate to call this group "Mexican-American Latinas," that phrase is cumbersome, so I often use the phrase "Latinas," with the understanding that my reference point is frequently the Mexican-American Latina. 4 See BARRY A. KOSMIN & SEYMOUR P. LACHMAN, ONE NATION UNDER GOD: RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN SOCIETY 137-38 (1993) (noting that two-thirds of Mexican Americans identify as Roman Catholics). A different source finds "that 85 to 90 percent of Mexican Americans are Roman Catholics." Kyriakos S. Markides & Thomas Cole, Change and Continuity in Mexican American Religious Behavior: A Three Generation Study, in THE MEXICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ANTHOLOGY 402, 403 (Rodolfo 0. De la Garza et a. eds., 1985). Interestingly, although a majority of Latinas/os identify as Catholic, that does not equate with high levels of church involvement, illustrating the paradox of low levels of institutional participation and high levels of religiosity.
Stanford Law School, 1987; B.A. Stanford University, 1983. I am grateful to my California Western... more Stanford Law School, 1987; B.A. Stanford University, 1983. I am grateful to my California Western School of Law colleagues, Gloria Sandrino and Frank Valdes, for co-chairing this symposium. I also thank the symposium participants for committing themselves to the birth of LatCrit Theory. Finally, I thank my grandparents, Manuel and Mary Armendariz, for their superb role modeling and for leading lives of dignity. I This symposium was envisioned in part to address the existence of a Latino pan-ethnicity. In the first plenary panel, Professors Castro and Espinoza specifically addressed this in the context of histories and conditions that unite and divide the various Latino communities. 2 A Nueva Mexicana is a female native of New Mexico. 3 On my grandfather's daily walk in the early morning hours to the Wonder Bread factory where he worked, policemen frequently verbally and physically harassed him. (Hate crimes were not yet recognized.) 4 I have taken many years of Spanish courses but I am not a native Spanish speaker, nor am I bilingual. My grandparents did not want their children or
After work, I pick up groceries while my husband picks up the kids from day care. Once we get hom... more After work, I pick up groceries while my husband picks up the kids from day care. Once we get home, we cook dinner, clean up, and put the kids to bed. We don't have tame for each other, let alone anyone else. There's got to be a better way. 1
I. INTRODUCTION Adoptions by same sex partners are becoming more common, with at least five hundr... more I. INTRODUCTION Adoptions by same sex partners are becoming more common, with at least five hundred in California alone.' Furthermore, "an estimated 10,000 lesbians and gay men have had or adopted children during the past 10-15 years .... "' Same sex adoptions may occur if someone who has been acting in a parental capacity adopts his or her partner's legal child. 3 For example, a lesbian may
This essay begins by defining internalized oppression and racism and exposing the harms they caus... more This essay begins by defining internalized oppression and racism and exposing the harms they cause. It dissects the reasons we engage in internalized racism and explains how once exposed, it will be easier to engage in a conscious effort to eradicate internalized racism. It will then describe how the intersectionality of internalized oppression and racism is expressed in the Latino community. The essay will then re-imagine Latino identity without internalized oppression and racism. It will include ideas on how to overcome internalized oppression and racism generally, both at the corporate and individual levels. The essay concludes that exposing internalized oppression and racism is the first step to alleviating the harm that results from a negative self-perception, which must be followed by the active construction of positive self-images. This, in turn, will lead not only to less support for racist and discriminatory legislation but to a more active and united denouncement of racist lawmaking. The final step is to engage in pro-active agenda setting and campaigns to capitalize on a newly-forged, positive identity
11-29/bluff-collapses-in-del-mar-within-feet-of-train-tracks. 3 In California, "[e]ach local gove... more 11-29/bluff-collapses-in-del-mar-within-feet-of-train-tracks. 3 In California, "[e]ach local government lying, in whole or in part, within the coastal zone shall prepare a local coastal program for that portion of the coastal zone within its jurisdiction." CAL. PUS. RES. CODE § 30500(a) (West 2020). To prepare for sea level rise, the California Coastal Commission recommends that "local governments with coastal resources at risk from sea level rise certify or update Local Coastal Programs that provide a means to prepare for and mitigate these impacts.. .. [T]he impacts of accelerated sea level rise should be addressed in the hazard and coastal resource analyses, alternatives analyses, community outreach, public involvement, and regional coordination.. .. Although the existing LCP certification and update processes are still the same, sea level rise calls for new regional planning approaches, new strategies, and enhanced community participation." Sea
2. Id. at 461. Note that some schools had female interim deans, but I did not include them in the... more 2. Id. at 461. Note that some schools had female interim deans, but I did not include them in the percentage set forth above because of their temporary status. During that same reporting period, 135 of the 166 AALS-member schools (81.3%) had male deans. 3. Id. at 461-64 (especially notes 79-82). 4. PRESUMED INCOMPETENT: THE INTERSECTIONS OF RACE AND CLASS FOR WOMEN IN ACADEMIA
In the border between dusk and dawn I listen to frozen thumpings, my soul Should I jump face tumb... more In the border between dusk and dawn I listen to frozen thumpings, my soul Should I jump face tumbling down the steps of the temple heart offered up to the midnightsun ..
Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons * The title of this article is derived from a... more Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons * The title of this article is derived from a conversation in which a college classmate was delivering a harangue, blaming the evils of the world on undocumented Mexican immigrants. I interrupted, alerting him that I was Mexican American. He hesitated momentarily, said "But you're not a dirty Mexican," and continued his vitriolic diatribe. ** Laura M. Padilla is a Professor of Law at California Western School of Law. She received her B.A. and J.D. from Stanford. Prof. Padilla would like to thank her Kellogg Group XV advisor, Roberto Chen6, for inspiring her to write this article. He articulated the concept of internalized oppression for her, a concept she had been familiar with all her life but could not name. The author is particularly thankful to participants of the Third Annual Latino Critical Race Theory Conference in Miami, Florida, for their feedback on portions of this paper presented in a panel on May 8, 1998. The presented portion has been published as an essay cited as Laura M.
Law's library provided invaluable assistance in tracking down interlibrary materials and other ha... more Law's library provided invaluable assistance in tracking down interlibrary materials and other hard to find resources. I am also thankful to Herma Hill Kay for her careful review of a draft of this article and insightful comments. Of course, any errors are mine alone. Finally, I want to thank the AALS Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Law Teachers on which I served from 2001-2004, and chaired in 2003-2004. Many committee members were law deans, and at one meeting of this committee, our composition and dinner conversation reminded me that as far as we have come, and as well intended as all of us were, someone was missing from our committee. Of all the deans present, there were no women. I was not hopeful enough to wish for a woman dean of color on our committee, even with our committee title and charge, given that as of that evening, there was then only one active woman of color serving as dean. As much as we would have liked to clone her, I knew there was no way she could be everywhere that everyone wanted her to be. I cannot seem to get away from a curiosity about the connections between gender and power, and hence the seeds of this article were born.
Valdes for their careful reading of this article and their comments. I also am deeply grateful to... more Valdes for their careful reading of this article and their comments. I also am deeply grateful to the participants of the 1996 SE/SW Law Professors of Color Conference for their feedback when I presented this paper, as well as the participants at Harvard's 1996 Forging Forward: Women of Color and the Law Conference, for allowing me to share an early version of this article. Jacquiline Wagner provided tremendous research assistance, and Zindia Thomas and Magnolia Mansourkia also provided appreciated assistance. Of course, any mistakes are my own, as are the views expressed in this article. Finally, I want to thank my husband, Terry Taylor, for his support, friendship, and willingness to share me with my profession, and to my new son, Jeremiah Estevan, for teaching me so many things so quickly.
Valdes for their careful reading of this article and their comments. I also am deeply grateful to... more Valdes for their careful reading of this article and their comments. I also am deeply grateful to the participants of the 1996 SE/SW Law Professors of Color Conference for their feedback when I presented this paper, as well as the participants at Harvard's 1996 Forging Forward: Women of Color and the Law Conference, for allowing me to share an early version of this article. Jacquiline Wagner provided tremendous research assistance, and Zindia Thomas and Magnolia Mansourkia also provided appreciated assistance. Of course, any mistakes are my own, as are the views expressed in this article. Finally, I want to thank my husband, Terry Taylor, for his support, friendship, and willingness to share me with my profession, and to my new son, Jeremiah Estevan, for teaching me so many things so quickly.
Law's library provided invaluable assistance in tracking down interlibrary materials and other ha... more Law's library provided invaluable assistance in tracking down interlibrary materials and other hard to find resources. I am also thankful to Herma Hill Kay for her careful review of a draft of this article and insightful comments. Of course, any errors are mine alone. Finally, I want to thank the AALS Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Law Teachers on which I served from 2001-2004, and chaired in 2003-2004. Many committee members were law deans, and at one meeting of this committee, our composition and dinner conversation reminded me that as far as we have come, and as well intended as all of us were, someone was missing from our committee. Of all the deans present, there were no women. I was not hopeful enough to wish for a woman dean of color on our committee, even with our committee title and charge, given that as of that evening, there was then only one active woman of color serving as dean. As much as we would have liked to clone her, I knew there was no way she could be everywhere that everyone wanted her to be. I cannot seem to get away from a curiosity about the connections between gender and power, and hence the seeds of this article were born.
Internalized oppression is the turning upon ourselves, our families and our people the distressed... more Internalized oppression is the turning upon ourselves, our families and our people the distressed patterns of behavior that result from the racism and oppression of the minority society. Internalized racism is directed more specifically at one's racial or ethnic group.'
Inclusionary housing programs typically require that a residential home developer set aside a spe... more Inclusionary housing programs typically require that a residential home developer set aside a specified percentage of new units as very low-, low-or moderate-income housing.' These programs usually pro-1. The actual amounts which qualify, a household as very low-, low-or moderate-income vary from region to region, but the definition tends to remain fairly constant. The Department of Housing & Urban Development ("HUD") has defined these households in the context of Section 8 housing as follows: The term "low-income families" means those families whose incomes do not exceed 80 per centum of the median income for the area, as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that the Secretary may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 80 per centum of the median for the area on the basis of the Secretary's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or unusually high or low family incomes. The term "very low-income families" means low-income families whose incomes do not exceed 50 per centum of the median family income for the area, as determined by the Secretary. 42 U.S.C. § 1437a(b)(2) (Supp. V 1993). Elsewhere, HUD has defined moderate-income families as "families or persons whose incomes are between 80 percent and 95 percent of the
I thank the conference participants for their feedback, and I also want to acknowledge the fine w... more I thank the conference participants for their feedback, and I also want to acknowledge the fine work of my research assistants, Angela Saloufakos and Tamara Yorita. Finally, I dedicate this article to my daughters, three-year-old Christianne Juliet and two-year-old Danielle Lauren, with the hope that they will see tremendous improvement in women's economic positions over their lifetimes. 1. Michael Selmi, Family Leave and the Gender Wage Gap, 78 N.C. L. REv. 707, 709 (2000) (citations omitted). 2. A companion piece explores the ripple effects of the economic gap, including implications for women at a global level if women in the world's economically strongest country are struggling. See Laura M. Padilla, Gender, Race & Property: Status Review, Implications and Possibilities (on file with the author). The piece focuses on ways to halt the expanding colored feminization of poverty and more ideally, to grant all women better access to economic resources and equality of opportunity. Id.
Whoosh – that is the sound when the number of law school applications and entering law students a... more Whoosh – that is the sound when the number of law school applications and entering law students and the credentials of those students, decline all at once. This trend has continued for many years, however, given the cyclical nature of law school applications, it will likely reverse eventually and credentials will improve, but not overnight. The first part of the article briefly discusses the decline in law school applicants and applications, including the confluence of perfect storm factors that resulted in more of the crash landing we experienced than a gradual drop. It also details the corresponding drop in entering credentials which accompanied that decline. The article focuses on what we can do as law professors in response to these declines to better equip students for success in law school, the bar examination and practice. The second part describes a range of responses to the storm: panic, paralysis, or pivot. While recognizing there is no single solution and certainly no per...
Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons * The title of this article is derived from a... more Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons * The title of this article is derived from a conversation in which a college classmate was delivering a harangue, blaming the evils of the world on undocumented Mexican immigrants. I interrupted, alerting him that I was Mexican American. He hesitated momentarily, said "But you're not a dirty Mexican," and continued his vitriolic diatribe. ** Laura M. Padilla is a Professor of Law at California Western School of Law. She received her B.A. and J.D. from Stanford. Prof. Padilla would like to thank her Kellogg Group XV advisor, Roberto Chen6, for inspiring her to write this article. He articulated the concept of internalized oppression for her, a concept she had been familiar with all her life but could not name. The author is particularly thankful to participants of the Third Annual Latino Critical Race Theory Conference in Miami, Florida, for their feedback on portions of this paper presented in a panel on May 8, 1998. The presented portion has been published as an essay cited as Laura M.
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