Mexican American Folklore In The Short Stories Of Jovita Gonzalez

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,3, University of Duisburg-Essen, course: Mexican-American Literature, language: English, abstract: Jovita Gonzalez described the features and feelings of her folk in the beginning of the 20th century in her short folklore stories in the best way. She collected the folklore stories and later published them. But being one of the first female feminist authors, she gave to these stories her own female shade. She described the way of life of her folk from the side of women. That was one of the reasons, why she has been chosen as an example for this investigation. There are so many male authors who show the development of the Mexican-American relationships from their male view. And there have just been view female authors at the beginning of the 20th century. So this area has not been investigated enough and is up-to-date every time.

The writer Jovita González was a long memeber- and ultimately seved as president- of Texas Folklore Society, which strve to preserve the oral traditions and customs of her native state. Many of the folklore-based stories in this volume were published by González in periodicals such as Southwest Review from the 1920s through the 1940s but have been gathered here for the first time. Sergio Reyna has brought together more than thirty narratives by González and arranged them into Animal Tales (such as "The Mescal-Drinking Horse"); Tales of Humans ("The Bullet-Swallower"); Tales of Popular Customs ("Shelling Corn by Moonlight); Religious Tales ("The Guadalupana Vine); Tales of Mexican Ancestrors ("Ambriosio the Indian); and Tales of Ghosts, Demons, and Buried Treasure ("The Woman Who Lost Her Soul"). Reyna also provides a helpful introduction that succinctly surveys the authors life and work, analyzing her writings within their historical and cultural contexts.

The writer Jovita Gonzalez was long a member and ultimately served as president of the Texas Folklore Society, which strove to preserve the oral traditions and customs of her native state. Many of the folklore-based stories in this volume were published by Gonzalez in periodicals such as the Southwest Review from the 1920s through the 1940s but have been gathered here for the first time. Sergio Reyna has brought together more than thirty narratives by Gonzalez and arranged them into Animal Tales (such as The Mescal-Drinking Horse); Tales of Humans (The Bullet-Swallower); Tales of Mexican Ancestors (Ambrosio the Indian); and Tales of Ghosts, Demons, and Buried Treasure (The Woman Who Lost Her Soul). Reyna also provides a helpful introduction that succinctly surveys the author's life and work and considers her writings within their historical and cultural contexts.

Written by a Mexican-American woman and her coauthor during the 1930s and 1940s, Caballero remained unprinted and unavailable to the public for over 50 years. The novel examines the impact of the 1846-48 war with Mexico on a tejano family and particularly on Mexican women. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Originally published under title: Dictionary of Chicano folklore. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, c2000.

Dew on the Thorn seeks to recreate the life of Texas Mexicans as Anglo culture was gradually encroaching upon them. Gonzalez provides us with a richly detailed portrait of South Texas, focusing on the cultural traditions of Texas Mexicans at a time when the divisions of class and race were pressing on the established way of life.

Latino folklore comprises a kaleidoscope of cultural traditions. This compelling three-volume work showcases its richness, complexity, and beauty. Latino folklore is a fun and fascinating subject to many Americans, regardless of ethnicity. Interest in—and celebration of—Latin traditions such as Día de los Muertos in the United States is becoming more common outside of Latino populations. Celebrating Latino Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Cultural Traditions provides a broad and comprehensive collection of descriptive information regarding all the genres of Latino folklore in the United States, covering the traditions of Americans who trace their ancestry to Mexico, Spain, or Latin America. The encyclopedia surveys all manner of topics and subject matter related to Latino folklore, covering the oral traditions and cultural heritage of Latin Americans from riddles and dance to food and clothing. It covers the folklore of 21 Latin American countries as these traditions have been transmitted to the United States, documenting how cultures interweave to enrich each other and create a unique tapestry within the melting pot of the United States.

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.