ABSTRACT
The impact of globalization and other trends discussed in the preceding chapter unfolded against the backdrop of the landscape of the Midwest. This landscape serves as the stage for the phenomenon we study in this book, but it's not just a neutral background. Instead it is a complex entity that contributes its own characteristics to the resulting Mexican-American landscapes. Within this chapter we examine the landscape of small cities of the Midwest to flesh out this background. We begin with the preexisting landscape of small cities, including historical information. We then review several neighborhood types that transcend ethnicity, race, and the larger landscape types presented within this book. Finally, we view the Mexican-American domestic landscape depicted by others as typical of the Southwest, as a starting point for learning about similar landscapes within the Midwest.
