Border Renaissance: The Texas Centennial and the Emergence of Mexican American Literature Contributor(s): González, John Morán (Author) |
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ISBN: 0292725795 ISBN-13: 9780292725799 Publisher: University of Texas Press OUR PRICE: $27.67 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: November 2009 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | American - Hispanic American - History | United States - State & Local - General |
Dewey: 810.986 |
LCCN: 2009006973 |
Series: Cmas History, Culture, & Society |
Physical Information: 0.62" H x 6" W x 9" (0.90 lbs) 275 pages |
Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - Hispanic |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The Texas Centennial of 1936, commemorated by statewide celebrations of independence from Mexico, proved to be a powerful catalyst for the formation of a distinctly Mexican American identity. Confronted by a media frenzy that vilified "Meskins" as the antithesis of Texan liberty, Mexican Americans created literary responses that critiqued these racialized representations while forging a new bilingual, bicultural community within the United States. The development of a modern Tejana identity, controversies surrounding bicultural nationalism, and other conflictual aspects of the transformation from mexicano to Mexican American are explored in this study. Capturing this fascinating aesthetic and political rebirth, Border Renaissance presents innovative readings of important novels by María Elena Zamora O'Shea, Américo Paredes, and Jovita González. In addition, the previously overlooked literary texts by members of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) are given their first detailed consideration in this compelling work of intellectual and literary history. Drawing on extensive archival research in the English and Spanish languages, John Morán González revisits the 1930s as a crucial decade for the vibrant Mexican American reclamation of Texas history. Border Renaissance pays tribute to this vital turning point in the Mexican American struggle for civil rights. |