Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, eds.

Acknowledgments xi

A Note on Style xiii

Introduction 1

I The Search for "Lo Mexicano"

Introduction 9

The Mexican Character / Joel Poinsett 11

The Cosmic Race / José Vasconcelos 15

The Sons of La Malinche / Octavio Paz 20

The Problem of National Culture / Guillermo Bonfil Batalla 28

Does It Mean Anything to Be Mexican? / Roger Bartra 33

Mexico City 1992 / Alma Guillermoprieto 41

Two Ranchera Songs / José Alfredo Jiménez and Cuco Sánchez 53

II Ancient Civilizations

Introduction 55

The Origins of the Aztecs / Anonymous 57

The Cost of Courage in Aztec Society / Inga Clendinnen 61

Popol Vuh / Anonymous 79

The Meaning of Maize for the Maya / J. Eric Thompson 86

Omens Foretelling the Conquest / Anonymous 92

III Conquest and Colony

Inroduction 95

The Spaniards’ Entry into Tenochtitlán / Bernal Díaz del Castillo and Hernán Cortés 97

Cortés and Montezuma / J.H. Eliott 105

The Battles of Tenochtitlán and Tlateloclo / Anonymous 109

The Spiritual Conquest, Fray Jerónimo de Mendieta 114

Why the Indians Are Dying / Alonso de Zorita 122

The Colonial Latifundio / Enrique Florescano 131

A Baroque Archbishop-Viceroy / Irving Leonard 141

On Men's Hypocrisy / Sor Juana 156

The Itching Parrot, the Priest, and the Subdelegate / José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi 160

IV Trials of the Young Republic

Introduction 169

The Siege of Guanajuato / Lucas Alamán 171

Sentiments of the Nation / José María Morelos 189

Plan of Iguala / Agustín de Iturbide 192

Women and War in Mexico / Frances Calderón de la Barca 196

The Glorious Revolution of 1844 / Guillermo Prieto 206

Décimas Dedicated to Santa Anna’s Leg / Anonymous 213

War and Finance, Mexican Style / Juan Bautista Morales 217

A Conservative Procession of Faith / The Editors of El Tiempo 220

Considerations Relating to the Political and Social Situation / Mariana Otero 226

Liberals and the Land / Luis Gonzáles y Gonzáles 239

Standard Plots and Rural Resistance / Raymond B. Craib 252

Offer to the Crown to Maximilian / Junta of Conservative Notables 263

A Letter from Mexico / Empress Carlotta 265

The Triumph of the Republic / Benito Juárez 270

Pofirio Díaz Visits Yucatán / Channing Arnold and Frederick J. Tabor Frost 273

Scenes from a Lumber Camp / B. Traven 279

President Díaz, Hero of the Americas / James Creelman 285

Gift of the Skeletons / Anonymous 292

Special Section

Mexican History in Photographs / John Mraz 297

V Revolution

Introduction 333

Land and Liberty / Ricardo Flores Magón 339

The Restoration of the Ejido / Luis Cabrera 344

Zapatistas in the Palace / Martín Luis Guzmán 351

Mexico Has Been Turned into a Hell / William O. Jenkins 357

Pancho Villa / John Reed 364

La Punitiva / Anonymous 372

Pedro Martinez / Oscar Lewis 375

Juan the Chamula / Ricardo Pozas 387

The Constitution of 1917: Articles 27 and 123 398

An Agrarian Encounter / Rosalie Evans 403

Ode to Cuanhtémoc / Carlos Pellicer 406

The Socialist ABC's / Anonymous 411

The Ballad of Valentin of the Sierra / Anonymous 418

Mexico Must Become a Nation of Institutions and Laws / Plutarco Elias Calles 421

The Formation of the Single-Party state / Carlos Fuentes 426

The Rough and Tumble Career of Pedro Crespo / Gilbert M. Joseph and Allen Wells 428

A Convention in Zacapu / Salvador Lemus Fernandez 439

The Agrarian Reform in La Laguna / Fernando Benitez 445

The Oil Expropriation / Josephus Daniels 452

Cardenas and the Masses / Arturo Anguiano 456

VI The Perils of Modernity

Introduction 461

They Gave Us the Land / Juan Rulfo 465

Mexico's Crisis / Daniel Cosio Villegas 470

Struggles of a Campesino Leader / Ruben Jaramillo 482

Art and Corruption / David Alfaro Siqueiros 492

The Two faces of Acapulco during the Golden Age / Andrew Sackett 500

Mexico / Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett 511

The Dark Deeds of "El Negro" Durazo / José González G. 512

The Sinking City / Joel Simon 520

Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl / Roberto Vallarino 536

Modesta Gomez / Rosario Castellanos 545

VII From the Ruins

Introduction 553

The Student Movement of 1968 / Elena Poniatowska 555

El Santo's Strange Career / Anne Rubenstein 570

After the Earthquake / Victims' Coordinating Council 579

Letters to Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas / Anonymous 591

Corazón del Rocanrol / Rubén Martínez 598

I Don't Believe Them at All / Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio 612

The COCEI of Juchitan, Oaxaca: Two Documents / Leopoldo de Gyves de la Cruz and COCEI 619

Women of Juchitan / Jeffrey W. Rubin 625

EZLN Demands at the Dialogue Table / Zapatista Army of National Liberation 638

The Long Journey from Despair to Hope / Subcomandante Marcos 646

A Tzotzil Chronicle / Marian Peres Tsu 655

Debtors' Revenge / Heather Williams 670

Mexicans Would Not Be Bought, Coerced / Wayne A. Cornelius 684

VIII The Border and Beyond

Introduction 687

Plan of San Diego / Anonymous 689

The Mexican Connection / Rudolfo Acuña 692

The Maquiladoras / William Langewiesche 698

Dompe Days / Luis Alberto Urrea 708

Pedro P., Coyote / Judith Adler Hellman 717

There's a Party Going On in Texas / Anonymous 728

Two Poems about Immigrant Life / Pat Mora and Gina Valdes 731

The Deadly Harvest of the Sierra Madre / Alan Weisman 734

Two Songs about Drug Smuggling / Salomé Guitérrez and Paulino Vargas 747

The New World Border / Guillermo Gómez-Peña 750

Suggestions for Further Reading 757

Acknowledgment of Copyrights 763

Index 773