The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics (review)

Arizona fournal of Hispanic Cultural Studies 299 Chapter four, "Colonial Desire for the Amerindian and Converso Other in Homero Posse's El largo atardecer del caminante" ( 1992) moves away from the conquest in Mexico and examines a novel that portrays the historical figure of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. Posse depicts Cabeza de Vaca as a man in his sixties back from his long journey across the Southern part of what is today the United States and his brief and disastrous stint as governor of Rio de la Plata. The protagonist's ambivalence towards the conversos is a very strong theme in this novel and it meshes well with his sympathy towards the Amerindians. The novel depicts a man caught between various cultures and follows his love interests as they change between his Amerindian wife, AmarÃ-a, and his desire for the Crypto-Jewish woman, Lucinda. Chapter five revisits the two novels discussed in chapter two. About half of the chapter is devoted to the first novel in the sequence, 1492: Vida y tiempos de Juan Cabezón de Castilb and die second half to Memorias del Nuevo Mundo. In this chapter López observes the protagonist Juan Cabezón and examines his "anxiety of identification " as a converso who accepts and rejects his Jewish heritage in both novels. She also analyzes Cabezón's role in the conquest as a man who at times identified with the Amerindians, but who never abandoned the Spaniards. Overall this reviewer would highly recommend Kimberle Lopez's study on Latin American novels of the conquest. Her introduction offers a thorough overview of novels of this type written in the twentieth century and provides an excellent springboard for those interested in pursuing research in this area. Further, López clearly defines her concept of "anxiety of identification" and the five novels that she has chosen for this study fit well into her scheme of analysis. This book illustrates that even five hundred years after the conquest , many Latin American authors are still struggling with their controversial heritage. Sarah Owens College of Charleston The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics S R Books, 2003 Edited by Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics tells the story of Mexico's political and cultural development and its quest for modernity by using the voices of the participants in that history over a period of more than 500 years. Editors Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson have produced a work which allows Mexicans of various backgrounds to portray their own experiences, using their own words, reflecting their own emotions . Compiled mainly of primary documents, The Mexico Reader represents the most important currents in Mexican history from the pre-Conquest era to the present. The first of its kind, Joseph and Henderson's volume will make a welcome accompaniment to standard textbooks on Mexican history, politics, and culture. Its emphasis on the disparate facets of Mexico combined with its analysis of the country's pursuit of modernity make The Mexico Reader a valuable contribution to Mexican Studies. The Mexico Reader consists of eight chapters , beginning with an introductory glimpse into the evolution of Mexican identity. Excerpts of writings by Mexican intellectuals, anthropologists, journalisrs, and others outline the many problems underlying notions of mexicanidad. The country's diverse ethnic mixture, its stratified social structure, and its often contradictory demographic characteristics make a simple definition of national identity impossible. Moreover, Mexico's historic struggles with invasions—both literal in the nineteenth century and symbolic/ economic in more recent years—have further complicated the nation's history and sense of self. While all conrributors in this first section disagree on the basis of Mexican national identity, all argue that for one reason or another Mexico's identity is not one of modernity. The section devoted to ancient civilizations outlines die irony that Mexico's quest for "modernity " necessarily began with the reversal of modernity as represented by the destruction of some of the most advanced civilizations of the time. Tragic 300 Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies consequences resulted as European conquerors exploited and depopulated native peoples, such as the Aztecs and the Mayas. At...