Cemeteries of Ambivalent Desire: Unearthing Deep South Narratives from a Texas Graveyard

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments This book reflects the influence of a number of individuals. The most significant of these is my father, José F. Hernández, who began telling me stories of the history of Fort Bend County before I even began grade school. His experiences as a mexicano in a Jim Crow county came forth as poetic narratives. The interest, excitement, and drama in his storytelling were later infused into my own expressions. My children, Greg and Belen Tijerina, have also influenced the writing of this book because I wanted there to be something in writing so that they would know what life was like in Fort Bend County before they were born. Hayden White and George Lipsitz urged me to continue the form and content of my writing, and I deeply appreciate their encouragement. Their unequivocal support, as well as their appreciation of the passion inherent in my work, made it possible for me to write this very difficult book. I am indebted to George Marcus for his continued interest in the “cemetery project,” which we began discussing ten years ago when I wrote a small proposal on Sugar Land during his ethnography course at Rice University. As this book nears publication, I can appreciate his suggestion that this be a “second project ”—after my first book. The density of tragedy and complicated relations embedded in this history required a seasoned perspective. I also thank Shannon Leonard, Laura Helper, Brian Riedel, Naomi Carrier , Mariah Goselin, Maricela Villanueva, and Ana Burgoyne for reading and/or listening to my stories for this work. In addition, I greatly appreciate the institutional support provided by the University of Houston, especially the Center for Mexican American Studies and its director, Tatcho Mindiola, who not only championed the cemetery project but also provided me three precious semesters of paid leave to complete this book. While I was away from Texas, the Center for Cultural Studies at the University of California–Santa x acknowledgments Cruz, whose codirectors are Chris Connery and Gail Hershatter, graciously welcomed me as a resident scholar for the 2004–2005 academic year, thereby allowing me to work with UCSC faculty and resources. My sincere thanks also go to Dean John Antel of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Houston and to Marc Zimmerman , chair of Modern and Classical Languages, for their enthusiasm and assistance in recruiting me back to UH, which is an excellent work and creative environment for me. I also thank the following persons for their assistance in my learning about Fort Bend County, Sugar Land, and San Isidro Cemetery: John de la Cruz, Kathy Reyes, Jesse García, Marjorie Adams, Tim Cumins, Cata Arizpe, Juan García, the late Linda Carrillo, and the members of the San Isidro Cemetery Association. I thank my mother, María de la Luz Hernández, for her attempts to call John de la Cruz when I was unable to find him and for relaying messages to my father. I cannot adequately acknowledge the help of Tom Goselin, my husband and life partner. His efforts at reading the manuscript, critiquing my ideas, and supporting my research truly made Cemeteries possible. As this work was nearing completion, my uncle Esteban (“Steve”) Flores died unexpectedly. For most of his adult life, he worked as a supervisor and heavy equipment operator, and many of the streets in the new subdivisions of Fort Bend were built by him. Cemeteries of Ambivalent Desire ...