During the past fifteen years, historians of Mexican- American, or Chi

Question

During the past fifteen years, historians of Mexican American, or Chicano, experience have contributed significantly to understanding the early twentieth century history of the second largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Influenced greatly by recent trends in the nation's historiography—particularly the ''new'' social, labor, and urban histories—historians focusing on the Mexican American experience have begun to uncover a past long ignored by academics. Two recent books, Ricardo Romo's  East Los Angeles  and Mario Garcia's  Desert Immigrants , make important contributions to Mexican American history.

Romo's study documents the impact of urbanization from 1900 to 1930 on the Mexican American pueblo society that had existed in the historical downtown plaza area of Los Angeles, California, since the mid-nineteenth century, and on the development, after 1900, of new immigrant barrios (neighborhoods) east of the Los Angeles River. He shows convincingly how Mexicans were excluded from the jobs that would have provided them some avenue for upward occupational mobility after the First World War. Romo also effectively analyzes the process of migration, resettlement, and adjustment of Los Angeles's Mexican immigrants, most of whom left Mexico after 1910 because of the Mexican Revolution. During this period a record number of Mexican American immigrants came to the United States, particularly to Los Angeles, which had the largest Mexican American population in the United States as early as 1930.

Overall,  East Los Angeles  bridges a critical gap in early twentieth-century Mexican American urban history. Garcia's  Desert Immigrants , focusing primarily on the years 1900 to 1920 in El Paso, Texas, also examines the formation of a Mexican American urban community. Well researched and engaging, Garcia's study demonstrates that Mexican immigrants played an essential role in the dramatic expansion of the local economy by becoming the backbone of the labor market. Garcia skillfully portrays the ethnic and class factors in El Paso society that created significant problems for early Mexican immigrants and that were over come only as the Mexican American community in El Paso became more firmly established after 1920.  Desert Immigrants  also examines the special role that El Paso, as a border city, played in the political and cultural life of local Mexicans.

While advancing our understanding of Mexican American urban history, the books do not raise the question of whether the history of these two urban communities provides a general understanding of Chicano life in American cities. Neither study offers useful comparisons to other southwestern communities, nor does either adequately compare the urban experiences of Mexican and other immigrant groups. Did El Paso's proximity to the border and its function as a labor depot for Mexican workers in the United States make its historical trajectory significantly different from that of other Mexican American urban centers? Is East Los Angeles's meteoric rise as a mecca for Mexican immigration comparable to developments in San Antonio, Texas—the second largest urban community of Mexicans—during the first decades of the twentieth century?
   1 
 1. In the passage, the author is primarily interested in

(A) cnticizing academic historiography
(B) evaluating recent studies of urban history
(C) comparing different historical methodologies
(D) describing the development of Chicano history
(E) explaining the historical importance of south-western cities

2 
 2. According to the passage, which of the following is true of Mexican-American communities in Los Angeles?

(A) The earliest settlement was in the area east of the Los Angeles River.
(B) The oldest Mexican-American community in the United States was in Los Angeles.
(C) There was a Mexican-American community in Los Angeles well before the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
(D) The largest Mexican-American community in the United States in 1900 was in Los Angeles.
(E) Los Angeles’ Mexican-American communities had a significant impact on Mexican culture early in the twentieth century.

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph of the passage that the author would regard which of the following studies as a valuable addition to Romo’s and Garcia's work?

(A) A study of changes in the family structure of non-English-speaking immigrant families as the children become bilingual 
(B) A study of the growth of the political influence of the East Los Angeles barrio 
(C) A study examining the impact of current immigration laws on Mexican-American communities in the Southwest 
(D) A study of Mexican-American immigrants’ experiences from 1900 to 1930 in all major southwestern cities 
(E) A study of the role of Mexican and Mexican- American workers in the economic development of El Paso

4 
 4. The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about recent historians’ accounts of Mexican-American urban history?

(A) They have shown that Mexican-American immigrants experienced most of the same problems that other groups of immigrants to the United States did. 
(B) They have documented the similarities among southwestern cities with established Mexican- American communities. | 
(C) They have concentrated primarily on labor histories of Mexican-American urban communities. 
(D) They have followed recent histoniographical trends and ventured into areas unexplored by traditional academic historians.
(E) They have provided a thorough analysis of the ways in which Mexican-American urban immigrants’ life experiences are representative of all Mexican-American immigrants’ expenences.

5 
 5. The passage provides support for which of the following statements?

(A) Romo’s and Garcia’s books were the first accounts of the history of urban Mexican- American communities. 
(B) Texas and California are currently the states with the two largest urban Mexican- American communities. 
(C) Social and labor histories were not written until about fifteen years ago. 
(D) El Paso is the only southwestern border city that has had any influence on Mexican culture. 
(E) The only numerically significant Mexican immigration after 1910 occurred in Texas and California. ’

6 
 6. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as topics treated in Romo's book EXCEPT

(A) discrimination in the labor market
(B) adjustment of newly arrived immigrants to a foreign culture
(C) the effects of the Mexican Revolution on Los Angeles 
(D) the formation of the pueblo society of downtown Los Angeles 
(E) the establishment of immigrant neighborhoods in Los Angeles

7 
 7. The attitude of the author of the passage toward Romo’s and Garcia's books can be best described as

(A) reluctant acceptance
(B) qualified enthusiasm
(C) unrestrained admiration
(D) perplexity 
(E) impatience

8 
 8. According to the passage,  East Los Angeles  and  Desert Immigrants  have which of the following in common?

I. They are urban histories.
II. They provide a general understanding of Mexican-American history in southwestern communities.
III. They place Mexican-American immigrants’ experiences in the larger context of other American immigrants’ experiences.

(A) I only 
(B) II only 
(C) I and III only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III

9 
 9. It can be inferred from the passage that the publication of  East Los Angeles  made which of the following available for the first time?

(A) An account of the geographical origins of the immigrants who fled from the Mexican Revolution of 1910 
(B) The history of the downtown plaza area of Los Angeles from its beginnings 
(C) An analysis of the similarities between the Mexican-American communities in Los Angeles and San Antonio 
(D) An effective analysis of Mexican-American immigrant experiences in early-twentieth- century Los Angeles 
(E) A comparison of the experiences of the Mexican-Americans in California with those of Asian-Americans

Harsh2111s · Accepted Answer

This is not the first time I got screwed up because of meaning of "qualified". Another meaning of qualified which I came to know while preparing for GMAT. qualified-not complete or absolute; limited. meaning I knew earlier: qualified- certified Now get to the question, why A is incorrect ? a. reluctant acceptance: Nowhere it seems that attitude of author is reluctant towards acceptance of given two books. In last para author suggest that books could have been better if x,y,z factors were included in the book. b. qualified enthusiasm This is the correct option because author expresses the feeling of enthusiasm in first para - "During the past fifteen years, historians of Mexican American, or Chicano, experience have contributed significantly to understanding the early twentieth century history of the second largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Influenced greatly by recent trends in the nation's historiography—particularly the ''new'' social, labor, and urban histories—historians focusing on the Mexican American experience have begun to uncover a past long ignored by academics" Why it is qualified enthusiasm ? Because author expected more from the book as mentioned in the last paragraph. Hope this helps

PS : You will get another GMAT official question in future during your preparation,that will test you on "qualified".

pratikpokharkar · Answer

During the past fifteen years, historians of Mexican American, or Chicano, experience have contributed significantly to understanding the early twentiethcentury history of the second largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Influenced greatly by recent trends in the nation's historiography—particularly the ''new'' social, labor, and urban histories—historians focusing on the Mexican American experience have begun to uncover a past long ignored by academics. Two recent books, Ricardo Romo's  East Los Angeles  and Mario Garcia's  Desert Immigrants , make important contributions to Mexican American history.

Romo's study documents the impact of urbanization from 1900 to 1930 on the Mexican American pueblo society that had existed in the historical downtown plaza area of Los Angeles, California, since the mid-nineteenth century, and on the development, after 1900, of new immigrant barrios (neighborhoods) east of the Los Angeles River. He shows convincingly how Mexicans were excluded from the jobs that would have provided them some avenue for upward occupational mobility after the First World War. Romo also effectively analyzes the process of migration, resettlement, and adjustment of Los Angeles's Mexican immigrants, most of whom left Mexico after 1910 because of the Mexican Revolution. During this period a record number of Mexican American immigrants came to the United States, particularly to Los Angeles, which had the largest Mexican American population in the United States as early as 1930.

Overall,  East Los Angeles  bridges a critical gap in early twentieth-century Mexican American urban history. Garcia's  Desert Immigrants , focusing primarily on the years 1900 to 1920 in El Paso, Texas, also examines the formation of a Mexican American urban community. Well researched and engaging, Garcia's study demonstrates that Mexican immigrants played an essential role in the dramatic expansion of the local economy by becoming the backbone of the labor market. Garcia skillfully portrays the ethnic and class factors in El Paso society that created significant problems for early Mexican immigrants and that were over come only as the Mexican American community in El Paso became more firmly established after 1920.  Desert Immigrants  also examines the special role that El Paso, as a border city, played in the political and cultural life of local Mexicans.

While advancing our understanding of Mexican American urban history, the books do not raise the question of whether the history of these two urban communities provides a general understanding of Chicano life in American cities. Neither study offers useful comparisons to other southwestern communities, nor does either adequately compare the urban experiences of Mexican and other immigrant groups. Did El Paso's proximity to the border and its function as a labor depot for Mexican workers in the United States make its historical trajectory significantly different from that of other Mexican American urban centers? Is East Los Angeles's meteoric rise as a mecca for Mexican immigration comparable to developments in San Antonio, Texas—the second largest urban community of Mexicans—during the first decades of the twentieth century?
  1) In the passage, the author is primarily interested in

(A) cnticizing academic historiography --   Incorrect  --Not a Primary point as criticizing is just a part of last paragraph 
(B) evaluating recent studies of urban history --   Correct  --Evaluation of two studies which are based on history of mexican immigrants in two different US cities 
(C) comparing different historical methodologies  --  Incorret  --No comparison between RR's and MG's study 
(D) describing the development of Chicano history  --  Incorrect  
(E) explaining the historical importance of south-western cities  --  Incorrect

2) According to the passage, which of the following is true of Mexican-American communities in Los Angeles?

(A) The earliest settlement was in the area east of the Los Angeles River.
(B) The oldest Mexican-American community in the United States was in Los Angeles.
(C) There was a Mexican-American community in Los Angeles well before the Mexican Revolution of 1910.---  Romo's study documents the impact of urbanization from 1900 to 1930 on the Mexican American pueblo society that had existed in the historical downtown plaza area of Los Angeles, California, since the mid-nineteenth century 
(D) The largest Mexican-American community in the United States in 1900 was in Los Angeles.
(E) Los Angeles’ Mexican-American communities had a significant impact on Mexican culture early in the twentieth century.

3) It can be inferred from the last paragraph of the passage that the author would regard which of the following studies as a valuable addition to Romo’s and Garcia's work?

(A) A study of changes in the family structure of non-English-speaking immigrant families as the children become bilingual 
(B) A study of the growth of the political influence of the East Los Angeles barrio 
(C) A study examining the impact of current immigration laws on Mexican-American communities in the Southwest 
(D) A study of Mexican-American immigrants’ experiences from 1900 to 1930 in all major southwestern cities --  Correct  As author says Neither study offers useful comparisons to other southwestern communities 
(E) A study of the role of Mexican and Mexican- American workers in the economic development of El Paso

4) The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about recent historians’ accounts of Mexican-American urban history?

(A) They have shown that Mexican-American immigrants experienced most of the same problems that other groups of immigrants to the United States did. 
(B) They have documented the similarities among southwestern cities with established Mexican- American communities. | 
(C) They have concentrated primarily on labor histories of Mexican-American urban communities. 
(D) They have followed recent historiographical trends and ventured into areas unexplored by traditional academic historians.- - Correct  Influenced greatly by recent trends in the nation's historiography 
(E) They have provided a thorough analysis of the ways in which Mexican-American urban immigrants’ life experiences are representative of all Mexican-American immigrants’ expenences.

5) The passage provides support for which of the following statements?

(A) Romo’s and Garcia’s books were the first accounts of the history of urban Mexican- American communities. 
(B) Texas and California are currently the states with the two largest urban Mexican- American communities.--   Correct  particularly to Los Angeles, which had the largest Mexican American population in the United States as early as 1930.  AND  Texas—the second largest urban community of Mexicans— 
(C) Social and labor histories were not written until about fifteen years ago. 
(D) El Paso is the only southwestern border city that has had any influence on Mexican culture. 
(E) The only numerically significant Mexican immigration after 1910 occurred in Texas and California. ’

6) All of the following are mentioned in the passage as topics treated in Romo's book EXCEPT

(A) discrimination in the labor market
(B) adjustment of newly arrived immigrants to a foreign culture
(C) the effects of the Mexican Revolution on Los Angeles 
(D) the formation of the pueblo society of downtown Los Angeles --  Correct  --Formation is not mentioned ... Romo's study  documents the   impact  of urbanization from 1900 to 1930 on the Mexican American pueblo society 
(E) the establishment of immigrant neighborhoods in Los Angeles

7) The attitude of the author of the passage toward Romo’s and Garcia's books can be best described as

(A) reluctant acceptance --  No reluctance as such from author's end 
(B) qualified enthusiasm --  Correct --Two recent books, Ricardo Romo's  East Los Angeles  and Mario Garcia's  Desert Immigrants , make important contributions to Mexican American history" -- Best choice among the all 
(C) unrestrained admiration --   Incorrect  as Author has some reservations with respect to study 
(D) perplexity --   Incorrect -Perplexity Meaning confused 
(E) impatience --   Incorrect

8) According to the passage,  East Los Angeles  and  Desert Immigrants  have which of the following in common?

I. They are urban histories.  --  Correct  
II. They provide a general understanding of Mexican-American history in southwestern communities. - - Incorrect --These studies provide understanding of urban history not general understanding 
III. They place Mexican-American immigrants’ experiences in the larger context of other American immigrants’ experiences. --  Incorrect  --nor does either adequately compare the urban experiences of Mexican and other immigrant groups.

(A) I only  --- Correct 
(B) II only 
(C) I and III only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III

9) It can be inferred from the passage that the publication of  East Los Angeles  made which of the following available for the first time?

(A) An account of the geographical origins of the immigrants who fled from the Mexican Revolution of 1910  -- Incorrect -- As author talked about migration, settlement and not about origin of immigrants 
(B) The history of the downtown plaza area of Los Angeles from its beginnings  --Incorrect  
(C) An analysis of the similarities between the Mexican-American communities in Los Angeles and San Antonio  --Incorrect  
(D) An effective analysis of Mexican-American immigrant experiences in early-twentieth- century Los Angeles --  Correct  Overall idea of 2nd Paragraph 
(E) A comparison of the experiences of the Mexican-Americans in California with those of Asian-Americans  -- Incorrect

Harsh2111s · Answer

VeritasKarishma   GMATNinja 
As per this line "During this period a record number of Mexican American immigrants came to the United States, particularly to Los Angeles, which   had   the largest Mexican American population in the United States as early as 1930."

How can I infer "Texas and California are currently the states with the two largest urban Mexican- American communities."
Please explain.

KarishmaB · Answer

Los Angeles, which had the largest Mexican American population in the United States as early as 1930.

The sentence says they had the largest Mexican American population as early as 1930. There is an implication here then that it probably still does (though we cannot say for sure).

Is East Los Angeles's meteoric rise as a mecca for Mexican immigration comparable to developments in San Antonio, Texas—the second largest urban community of Mexicans—during the first decades of the twentieth century?

This clearly says that San Antonio, Texas has the second largest community of Mexicans. The passage talks about LA and Texas as the major hubs of Mexican Americans since the beg. of 1900s. It seems that they are currently the states with the largest communities too since communities take decades to settle. 
Even if for a moment, we say that we cannot confirm this, the passage does provide support. Think about what 'provides support' means - we don't necessarily need to prove without doubt, but there is an increased probability. The question does not ask for what is necessarily implied from the passage.
Besides, the passage does not provide support to any other option.

KarishmaB · Answer

4) The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about recent historians’ accounts of Mexican-American urban history?

(A) They have shown that Mexican-American immigrants experienced most of the same problems that other groups of immigrants to the United States did. 
(B) They have documented the similarities among southwestern cities with established Mexican- American communities. | 
(C) They have concentrated primarily on labor histories of Mexican-American urban communities. 
(D) They have followed recent histoniographical trends and ventured into areas unexplored by traditional academic historians.
(E) They have provided a thorough analysis of the ways in which Mexican-American urban immigrants’ life experiences are representative of all Mexican-American immigrants’ expenences.

The last two lines of the first paragraph give this info:
 Influenced greatly by recent trends in the nation's historiography—particularly the ''new'' social, labor, and urban histories—historians focusing on the Mexican American experience have begun to uncover a past long ignored by academics. Two recent books, Ricardo Romo's East Los Angeles and Mario Garcia's Desert Immigrants, make important contributions to Mexican American history.

Answer (D)

bM22 · Answer

4) The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about recent historians’ accounts of Mexican-American urban history?

(A) They have shown that Mexican-American immigrants experienced most of the same problems that other groups of immigrants to the United States did.
(B) They have documented the similarities among southwestern cities with established Mexican- American communities. |
(C) They have concentrated primarily on labor histories of Mexican-American urban communities.
 (D) They have followed recent histoniographical trends and ventured into areas unexplored by traditional academic historians.
 (E) They have provided a thorough analysis of the ways in which Mexican-American urban immigrants’ life experiences are representative of all Mexican-American immigrants’ expenences.

Explanation: Clearly mentioned in the passage as: "Influenced greatly by recent trends in the nation's historiography—particularly the ''new'' social, labor, and urban histories—historians focusing on the Mexican American experience have begun to uncover a past long ignored by academics."

Option A and B are incorrect as they are not discussed in the passage. Option C is incorrect because the primary focus of historians was both labor and urban histories and not labor alone. Option E is incorrect as can be inferred from the lines: "the books do not raise the question of whether the history of these two urban communities provides a general understanding of Chicano life in American cities. Neither study offers useful comparisons to other southwestern communities, nor does either adequately compare the urban experiences of Mexican and other immigrant groups."

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

kartickdey · Answer

coreyander   bb   Bunuel 
Regarding Q1, it is written in the option B ' evaluating recent studies of urban history'. I eliminated this option thinking that this option is too broad because there is no mention of the mexican american and the passage is not dealing with the entire gamut of recent studies of urban history. Please explain where my thought process is wrong.

AbhishekP220108 · Answer

kartickdey

Lets me try to help with Q1.

Para 1 introduces two historians books to show important contributions to Mexican American history and what influenced them to write. Neutral tone. No author opinion

Para 2 discuss about Romo's study and his area of focus. Mostly positive tone. Author's opinion is there

Para 3 discuss about Mario's study and his area of focus. Mostly positive tone. Author's opinion is there

Para 4 Author's says the two studies are good but they lagged at some points.

So overall if we look author is not criticising or only praising. He is giving his view like a critique or movie reviewer, showed the good and the bad side and provided his opinion. So B accurately captures. Lets look why others are wrong

A. Says criticizing no not at all if we look overall passage.

C. He is not only comparing but addressing the good and the bad for both

D. Not at all author has described in detail about development.

E. Again not correct

For option B check the 1st Para two recent books and then the later Para is about both recent studies. Can you please let me know what option did you pick and why? In that way it would be helpful to know what you missed.

kartickdey · Answer

Thank you for your response. I think you did not get why I eliminated B.I have no doubt regarding that author is evaluating the recent study on the impact of urbanisation on Mexican American. But in the option B it has not been mentioned that the urban history is about the mexican american, it has simply mentioned "urban history", which makes the scope of the passage very broad. That is why I eliminated B

guddo · Answer

1. In the passage, the author is primarily interested in

The author reviews two recent books on Ricardo Romo and Mario Garcia, praising their contributions to Mexican American urban history but criticizing them for not showing whether these city case studies generalize to Chicano life in other cities or immigrant groups.

(A) criticizing academic historiography

The passage briefly mentions broader trends in historiography, but that is background. The main discussion is not an attack on historiography itself.

(B) evaluating recent studies of urban history

Yes. The author summarizes what East Los Angeles and Desert Immigrants do well, then points out their limits (lack of comparisons and unclear generalizability). That is the  central job  of the passage, so this is  best .

(C) comparing different historical methodologies

No. The author does not compare methods in detail; the focus is on what the two books cover and what they fail to address.

(D) describing the development of Chicano history

Partly, but only as setup. The passage does not mainly trace the field’s development; it mainly assesses two specific works.

(E) explaining the historical importance of southwestern cities

The cities (Los Angeles, El Paso, San Antonio) are discussed because they are the settings of the books, not because the author’s goal is to explain why such cities matter historically.

Answer: (B)

During the past fifteen years, historians of Mexican- American, or Chi

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

During the past fifteen years, historians of Mexican- American, or Chi

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards