Borges and His Fiction: A Guide to His Mind and Art (review)

316 Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies vanced undergraduates and graduate students, particularly when read together with some ofthe criticized texts. At each historical peiiod discussed in the book, Gonzalez challenges the approach taken by Chicano historians and offers a corrective to what he sees as their biases. The term itself "Chicano," needs to be questioned in light of the fact that most Mexicans in the United States do not identify with it. He reinterprets key events and points to prevalent stereotypes. For example in his discussion ofthe peiiod 1848-1900, Gonzalez discards the labeling of certain Mexicans as "vendidos" (sell-outs) because of theii alliances with Anglos. In some cases, Mexicans succeeded in assimilating on theii own terms—Pablo de la Guerra, a California rancher who had originally opposed annexation , yielded to reality and positioned himself prominendy within Santa Baibaia politics. Degrees of assimilation also varied by region. Foi example , in areas such as New Mexico with a laigei Mexican population, the Hispanic population was better able to preserve its heritage. Besides, Anglos were by no means the only oppressors. In many cases, the worst form of exploitation occurred at the hand of Mexicans themselves, as in the case of "contratistas" (intermediaries between illegal kboieis and employeis) starting in the eaily twentieth century. While Gonzalez successfully undeimines certain stereotypes in the historiography, he paints a rather unproblematic picture ofthe process of Mexican assimilation. He tends to minimize the discussion of such issues as poverty and racial discrimination as crucial factors rhat have shaped the lives ofthe Mexican-Ameiican community and which weighed more heavily in the case of Mexican as opposed to European immigrants. The author puts his cards on the table at the outset by claiming that his training has led him to pay attention to issues of class iathei than race. The book assumes the existence of an assimilated Mexican middle class, and yet we find out little about it. This absence of information certainly points to the need for further studies on the issue. It also raises an important question about the definition of die field of Chicano history, foi once Mexicans have assimilated as a middle class, what continues to define them as Mexicans? What makes them the object of study of Chicano as opposed to U.S. historians? As die authoi recognizes at the outset of his book, no history is value free. In a subtle way, Gonzalez is creating a new kind of hero: the Mexican who assimilates to life in die United States. He sees a clear trend towatd assimilation: "It seems unlikely that the acquisition of middle-class Anglo values by large segments ofthe Mexican community will slow down" (260). While die new picture painted by Gonzalez certainly has its flaws, his study nonetheless offers a necessary and thought-piovoking challenge to longstanding views in his field. Iñigo GarcÃ-a-Bryce New Mexico State University Borges and His Fiction: A Guide to His Mind and Art, a revised edition University of Texas Press, 1999 ByGeneH.BeU-Villada Those who enjoyed rhe first edition of this introductory study back in 1981 will be even more satisfied widi its present revision neariy twenty years latet. A solid and useful Baedeker for the general reader of Borges's stories, die book has now been significandy enlarged to include additional biographical material in its second chapter and a new final chapter, "Borges as Argentine Authoi ." Fuitheimoie, Peronism is examined at greater length in chapteis 11 and 12 foi those unfamiliai with that political movement's impact on Argentina at large and on Borges's private and public life. Perhaps the most positive ofthe text's revisions, however, are those ofthe author as improved reader. Professor Bell-Vilkda has modified his previously unsympathetic appreciations of such stoiies as "The South," "The Aleph" and "The God's Script," a welcome reassessment brought about by his fuller understanding of the prime importance of Borges's 1928 essay "Sentirse en muerte," which was reprinted in Otras inquisiciones in 1954. Incidentally, nothing snide is meant by Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies 317 my observation on the author's change of heart (which he himself mentions on p. x...