Americo Paredes: In His Own Words, an Authorized Biography

Introduction

1 introduction His first name was Américo, like the explorer for which America was named. His last name was Paredes, which comes from the Latin word parietis meaning walls. His life spanned eight decades that included events that changed the world forever. Américo Paredes was born September 3, 1915, during the devastation of World War I and the chaos of the Mexican Revolution, and died on Cinco de Mayo, 1999, on a day celebrating the battle of Puebla in Mexican history. He lived during some of most dramatic events in U.S. history: World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Although he often wrote about life between two worlds, he lived in three: his world during the early years on the border; his world during and after World War II in the Far East; and his world of academia at The University of Texas at Austin. Throughout his life, he broke new ground in the face of resistant tradition. At a Brownsville tribute to him in 1998, his niece, Margot Torres, referred to him as “Don” Américo and explained why he deserved that distinction: In our culture, the word “Don” denotes greatness, and it is used as a title of a man who has reached the pinnacle of his career or life. When we use the word “Don,” we had better be certain that the person truly deserves the title or the word becomes meaningless. Therefore, it is with great pride that I say tío, Don Américo Paredes, I will always hold you in very high 2 Américo฀PAredes regard. You exemplify everything which I hold very dear in life.1 Américo Paredes grew up between two worlds along the U.S./Mexico border: one written about in books and the other sung about in ballads and told in folktales. He attended a school system that emphasized conformity and Anglo values in a town whose population was 70 percent Mexican in origin. By seventeen years of age, he was translating and writing poetry in newspapers and writing his first novel, George Washington Gómez. Soon after, he was a young journalist writing for newspapers such as La Prensa. During World War II, he worked for the International American Red Cross and wrote for the Stars and Stripes army newspaper in the Far East. He returned to Texas with a new bride and a passion for continuing his formal education and his writing. Paredes did both at The University of Texas at Austin, completing his Ph.D. in 1956 and publishing his dissertation, under the title of With His Pistol in His Hand in 1958. Some criticized him for demanding too much of his students and too much of his family. Some disliked him simply because he was an agent of change. For the next forty years, he was a brilliant teacher and prolific writer who championed the preservation of border culture and history . During his life, he learned five languages: Spanish, English, French, German, and Portuguese, expanding his ability to understand the complexity of various cultures including the culture of the border. Although typically quiet, he became temperamental about issues such as discrimination. He was a fearless professor who challenged the traditional accounts about the Texas Rangers and South Texas folklore. By the end of his life, he was beloved by thousands whom he had taught and known as a respected scholar on two continents. For those who knew him, the passing of Américo Paredes was the end of a significant era in Mexican American history and a deep, personal 3 introduction loss. As a folklorist and maestro or teacher of the Texas Mexican corrido or folk ballad, he had few rivals. As a scholar who inspired with his knowledge and entertained with his humor, he had few equals. As a friend, he was unforgettable. This฀page฀intentionally฀left฀blank. ...