Los Paisanos

Little has been written about the colonists sent by Spanish authorities to settle the northern frontier of New Spain, to stake Spain’s claim and serve as a buffer against encroaching French explorers. "Los Paisanos," they were called - simple country people who lived by their own labor, isolated, threatened by hostile Indians, and restricted by law from seeking opportunity elsewhere. They built their homes, worked their fields, and became permanent residents - the forebears of United States citizens - as they developed their own society and culture, much of which survives today.

Charles Montgomery's compelling narrative traces the history of the upper Rio Grande's modern Spanish heritage, showing how Anglos and Hispanos sought to redefine the region's social character by glorifying its Spanish colonial past. This readable book demonstrates that northern New Mexico's twentieth-century Spanish heritage owes as much to the coming of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1880 as to the first Spanish colonial campaign of 1598. As the railroad brought capital and migrants into the region, Anglos posed an unprecedented challenge to Hispano wealth and political power. Yet unlike their counterparts in California and Texas, the Anglo newcomers could not wholly displace their Spanish-speaking rivals. Nor could they segregate themselves or the upper Rio Grande from the image, well-known throughout the Southwest, of the disreputable Mexican. Instead, prominent Anglos and Hispanos found common cause in transcending the region's Mexican character. Turning to colonial symbols of the conquistador, the Franciscan missionary, and the humble Spanish settler, they recast northern New Mexico and its people.

This book enters a new liminal space between the LGBTQ and denominational Christian communities. It simultaneously explores how those who identify as queer can find a home in church and how those leading welcoming, or indeed unwelcoming, congregations can better serve both communities. The primary argument is that queer inclusion must not merely mean an assimilation into existing heteronormative respectability and approval. Chapters are written by a diverse collection of Asian, Latin American, and U.S. theologians, religious studies scholars and activists. Each of them writes from their own social context to address the notion of LGBTQ alternative orthodoxies and praxes pertaining to God, the saints, failure of the church, queer eschatologies, and erotic economies. Engaging with issues that are not only faced by those in the theological academy, but also by clergy and congregants, the book addresses those impacted by a history of Christian hostility and violence who have become suspicious of attempts at "acceptance". It also sets out an encouragement for queer theologians and clergy think deeply about how they form communities where queer perspectives are proactively included. This is a forward-looking and positive vision of a more inclusive theology and ecclesiology. It will, therefore, appeal to scholars of Queer Theology and Religious Studies as well as practitioners seeking a fresh perspective on church and the LGBTQ community.

"They had just crossed the bridge into the United States. Their feet were now firmly planted on the soil that was their promised land. They had made it! Blessed be the Virgin of Guadalupe! Now they had no reason to fear the villistas, the carrancistas, the government, or the revolutionaries! Here they could find peace, work, wealth and happiness!" And so begins the story of the Garcia family, who like many of their compatriots, fled their homeland during the upheaval of the Mexican Revolution in search of a better life in the United States. Originally published in 1926 in San Antonio, Texas as El sol de Texas, the novel chronicles the struggles of two Mexican immigrant families: the Garcias and the Quijanos. Their initial hopes--of returning to their homeland with enough money to buy their own piece of land--are worn away by the reality of immigrant life. Unable to speak English, they find themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous work contractors and foremen: forced to work at backbreaking labor picking cotton in the fields, building the burgeoning Southwest railroad system, and working in Gulf Coast oil refineries. Considered the first novel of Mexican immigration, El sol de Texas / Under the Texas Sun depicts the diverse experiences of Mexican immigrants, from those that return to Mexico beaten down by the discrimination and hardship they encounter, to those who persist in their adopted land in spite of the racism they face. The original Spanish-language text is accompanied by the first-ever English translation by Ethriam Cash Brammer and an introduction by John Pluecker. Publication of this fascinating historical novel will provide unique insight into the long history of Mexicanimmigration to the United States and its implications for cultural, historical, and literary studies.

In this book, Mireya Loza sheds new light on the private lives of migrant men who participated in the Bracero Program (1942–1964), a binational agreement between the United States and Mexico that allowed hundreds of thousands of Mexican workers to enter this country on temporary work permits. While this program and the issue of temporary workers has long been politicized on both sides of the border, Loza argues that the prevailing romanticized image of braceros as a family-oriented, productive, legal workforce has obscured the real, diverse experiences of the workers themselves. Focusing on underexplored aspects of workers' lives--such as their transnational union-organizing efforts, the sexual economies of both hetero and queer workers, and the ethno-racial boundaries among Mexican indigenous braceros--Loza reveals how these men defied perceived political, sexual, and racial norms. Basing her work on an archive of more than 800 oral histories from the United States and Mexico, Loza is the first scholar to carefully differentiate between the experiences of mestizo guest workers and the many Mixtec, Zapotec, Purhepecha, and Mayan laborers. In doing so, she captures the myriad ways these defiant workers responded to the intense discrimination and exploitation of an unjust system that still persists today.

The Routledge Companion to Gender, Sex and Latin American Culture is the first comprehensive volume to explore the intersections between gender, sexuality, and the creation, consumption, and interpretation of popular culture in the Américas. The chapters seek to enrich our understanding of the role of pop culture in the everyday lives of its creators and consumers, primarily in the 20th and 21st centuries. They reveal how popular culture expresses the historical, social, cultural, and political commonalities that have shaped the lives of peoples that make up the Américas, and also highlight how pop culture can conform to and solidify existing social hierarchies, whilst on other occasions contest and resist the status quo. Front and center in this collection are issues of gender and sexuality, making visible the ways in which subjects who inhabit intersectional identities (sex, gender, race, class) are "othered", as well as demonstrating how these same subjects can, and do, use pop-cultural phenomena in self-affirmative and progressively transformative ways. Topics covered in this volume include TV, film, pop and performance art, hip-hop, dance, slam poetry, gender-fluid religious ritual, theater, stand-up comedy, graffiti, videogames, photography, graphic arts, sports spectacles, comic books, sci-fi and other genre novels, lotería card games, news, web, and digital media.

Discover the compelling and dramatic narrative of ""The Model"" by Guy De Maupassant. This poignant short story explores the life of a painter and his muse, delving into themes of artistic inspiration, obsession, and the complexity of human relationships. Maupassant’s narrative provides an insightful look at the dynamics between an artist and his subject. De Maupassant skillfully captures the tension and emotional depth of the characters, highlighting the sacrifices and struggles involved in the pursuit of artistic perfection. The story reflects on the personal costs of creativity and the impact of the artistic process on individuals. ""The Model"" is ideal for readers who appreciate character-driven stories and explorations of artistic and personal relationships. Perfect for those who value Guy De Maupassant’s nuanced and introspective storytelling.

¡Lea esta maravillosa historia, no se lo pierda! Travesía de dos inmigrantes es una historia maravillosa de la vida real de Bartolomé y Maribel. Es una narración en lenguaje sencillo, pero valiente. Es una historia para el buen lector latinoamericano. Encontrará drama y suspense en todas sus páginas. La presente historia ilustra momentos de felicidad y angustia de dos personajes que se aventuraron a viajar a los EE.UU. en busca de nuevas oportunidades de trabajo para, así, ayudar a sus hijos y familia. Atraídos por el país de las bonanzas, por su economía, que no era muy buena ya que en su país no podían salir adelante para poder progresar. Esta historia es una narración sencilla de la odisea que les tocó vivir, de su peregrinaje desde la República de Perú hasta Los Ángeles, en Norteamérica. Una travesía fantástica de sacrificio y sufrimiento, un viaje por tierra, aire y mar que duró un año y cinco meses. En esa época pasaron por Nicaragua, Centro América, cuando estaban gobernando los sandinistas, un gobierno comunista totalitario con su dictadura. Para Bartolomé y Maribel, al llegar a la frontera de Piedras Blancas con Juan José de Costa Rica y Nicaragua. En la entrada se veía un gigantesco letrero que decía "Nicaragua Libre jamás se arrodillará ante los yanquis". ¡Qué emoción para ellos al ver aquella frase! Sus corazones latían fuertemente de alegría, sus ojos se nublaron como queriendo llorar. Pero en unos minutos, todo cambió. Al ingresar al país, se llevaron una gran decepción al encontrarlo todo diferente. No había ni taxis ni empresas de transportes que los llevaran a Guatemala. Sólo podían viajar en los vagones de carga que iban a México. Como medio de transporte de carga sólo veían una carreta grande jalada por un caballo, un buey o un burro. Mientras sus hijos andaban cargados con bultos por su pueblo, por las solitarias carreteras bajo el ardiente calor. Amigo, si quieres saber más de un gobierno comunista, no dejes de leer esta maravillosa historia.