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>> ix Acknowledgments I am deeply grateful to the young Latinas and mothers who participated in this study. This book would not have been possible without their willingness to share very personal aspects of their lives. I hope that I have done some justice to their words and experiences. I am also very appreciative of the Chicago community organizations that opened their doors to me. I thank the following institutions for their instrumental support in the form of financial resources or time off from teaching at various stages of this project: the Center for Chicano Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara (Chicano/Latino Working Poor Research Grant); the Social Science Research Council (Sexuality Research Dissertation Fellowship); the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (Dissertation Grant in Women’s Studies); the UCSB Graduate Division (Fletcher Jones Dissertation Fellowship and Graduate Opportunity Fellowship); and the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy Fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I also want to thank New York University Press, especially executive editor Ilene Kalish; her editorial assistant, Aiden Amos; editing and production assistant Alexia Traganas; and copyeditor Jerilyn Famighetti, as well the anonymous reviewers for all of their hard work helping me to get this book ready for publication. I was blessed to have the opportunity to work with and learn from my advisor, Denise Segura, in the department of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). I am indebted to her for her investment in me, for her guidance, and for her confidence in the significance of this project from the very start. Her mentorship and friendship have been invaluable to me. I have also benefited tremendously from my interactions with other UCSB faculty who have provided me with important advice and feedback . A special thank-you to Beth Schneider, Sarah Fenstermaker, and Avery Gordon for contributing to my development as a sociologist. I also received encouragement, nurturance, friendship, and mentoring from my graduate school peers. Much gratitude to these folks, especially Lorena Torres, Light Carruyo, Susana Peña, Peter Chua, Carlos Alamo-Pastrana, Sylvanna Falcon, x > xi support. My parents have always reminded of the importance of faith and of being grateful for all of my blessings, big and small. My sincerest gratitude to you for teaching me to see the extraordinary in the ordinary—a lesson that has always served me well. Finally, I want to especially acknowledge my loving partner, Noe, and our sons, Nicolas and Leonardo, for all that they do for me. They have lovingly and so very patiently cheered me on to the finish line, especially when I felt I could not take another step. They always gave me space and time to write when I needed them without a single complaint. Noe, mil gracias, for going above and beyond the call of duty so often to make my life easier when I was completely overwhelmed with this project. You and our sons have profoundly enriched my life, and I thank you both for the constant reminder to slow down and be in the moment. Thank you for keeping me grounded and for helping me keep it all in perspective. This page intentionally left blank ...

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