Naturalizing Mexican Immigrants : A Texas History

Acknowledgments

This book would not have been possible without the contributions of a number of individuals. I gratefully thank Theresa J. May, Assistant Director and Editor-in-Chief at the University of Texas Press, for her support throughout this project. I also offer my gratitude to Dr. James Diego Vigil and Dr. Victor Ortiz, the two external reviewers, who provided a number of excellent suggestions for improving the manuscript. Appreciation is also extended to my husband, Dr. Richard R. Valencia, whose research on schooling theory helped me conceptualize how poor people struggle to improve their lives. I also want to thank Dr. Luis Plascencia, who through our conversations over the years clarified for me how immigration policy is negotiated in the United States. I thank The University of Texas at Austin for a Faculty Research grant to dedicate my full attention to researching the citizenship history of the Mexican immigrant in Texas. I also thank Dr. José Limón, Director of the Center for Mexican American Studies, for the research grants I received to visit archives. Finally, I thank my wonderful twin sons, Juan and Carlos Valencia, who often accompanied me to the archives and whose conversations about Texas history inspired me to complete this book. They are the best sons a mother can have and without a doubt are on the path to becoming American historians. Acknowledgments THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ...