An Annotated Bibliography of Chicano Folklore from the Southwestern United States by Michael Heisley (review)

AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CHICANO FOLKLORE FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES BY MICHAEL HEISLEY (Center for the Study ofComparative Folklore and Mythology, UCLA, 1977. Los Angeles, California) This bibliography consists of nine chapters totalling more than onethousand entries, each numbered for easy reference and cross-checking. Some citations are repeated since their contents transcend more than one area. The first eight chapters are divided into categories: published books and articles, unpublished theses and dissertations. Chapter one is a potpourri of Spanish, Latin American and Chicano folklore. Chapter nine is on Mexican folklore and folkloristics. The rest pertain, by and large, to Chicano folklore of the Southwest: singing, dancing, narrating, rituals, healing practices and beliefs, theatre, games and plays, art, architecture, food, dress and other traditions. The bibliography also comprises three helpful indexes: the first lists the authors alphabetically; the geographical index gives an excellent overview of studies on Chicano folklore; the last and perhaps most beneficial is the subject index because the user can readily ferret out a topic, ascertain the number of studies on it, and check the respective reference(s). Heisley's work is not flawless; it is not entirely on Chicano folklore; hence some inconsistencies. For example, the theses and dissertations were selected by title and contents; consequently, very few are annotated. Some book and article citations do not contain notes either. Over seventy other works without notes were included because of their relevance to Chicano folklore even though they were unavailable. Lastly some authors are absent from the index, but the number is insignificant. Despite these shortcomings, Professor Heisley and those responsible for having brought this work to light deserve applause. Ms. Libia Alvarez-Diago, the compiler of theses and dissertations, and Mary MacGregor-Villarreal, who prepared the indexes, merit special mention. Due to the collective efforts, neophyte as well as established scholar will find this bibliography an invaluable research tool. NASARIO GARCIA* ?NASARIO GARCIA teaches in the Department of Foreign Languages of the University of Southern Colorado at Pueblo. ROCKY MOUNTAIN REVIEWI57 ...