The Human Tradition in Mexico (Review)

Jeffrey Pilcher has assembled 15 capsule biographies of Mexicans from diverse backgrounds into a useful reader intended for undergraduates. He clusters these case studies into four eras (1750-1850, 1850-1910, 1910 -40 , and 1940 to the present) without explaining this periodization. He incorporates the name of a different Mexico City Metro stop into the brief introduction to each biography, arguing for the continued relevance of these historical figures to modern Mexico. The authors of the sketches are largely established scholars who have previously written about these individuals.

In his introduction, Pilcher relates his primary criterion for his selections of "ordinary people who might scarcely merit a footnote in a standard textbook," who have nevertheless "lived extraordinary lives" and whose "uniqueness makes them worthy of attention." They were not chosen to "represent some composite of the everyday man or woman, but because they faced challenges common to all Mexicans of their generations" (p. xvi). However, the subjects include such notable individuals and families as Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, Agnes Salm Salm, Alejandro Prieto (who was twice governor of Tamaulipas), María Félix, Agustín Lara, the Mondragón family, and the Velázquez de León family.

Several biographies consider unique figures such as Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, Agnes Salm Salm, and Nahui Olin, who were well known during their lifetimes for their profound dedication to a cause. Their deep-felt commitments to these issues illustrate not only their importance but also the deep social and political divisions they engendered in Mexican history. On the other hand, the careers of Lucas Balderas, Felipe García, and Rosa Torre González were broadly similar to those of many other members of their social or political groups.

The very first case study in the book considers Josefa Ordóñez, perhaps the best-known Mexican actress and courtesan in the last half of the eighteenth century. Arriving in Mexico in 1743 at the age of 15 and already married to an Italian actor, Josefa soon became notorious for her love affairs and public scandals. This notoriety continued into the early 1790 s, when she was well into her sixties. Lucas Balderas, an artisan, often participated in the voting disputes, street demonstrations, and riots that often erupted between rival political groups during the early republic.

Why Pilcher included a biography of Agnes Salm Salm—an American woman wed to a minor German prince who came to Mexico to support Maximilian's failing regime—is difficult to understand. And Felipe García's biographer devotes more attention to the important subject of community republicanism than he does to García himself. The author of the section on Alejandro Prieto views him as representative of the initial high aspirations, but ultimately limited achievements, of the científicos, whom scholars once considered the most vibrant element within Porfirio Díaz's political coalition. Two other entries seem not to be biographies at all. William French describes the characteristics that are common to the exchange of love letters between commoners. This interesting essay also examines the different phases that are typical in the exchange of love letters and the frequent outcome wherein society casts shame upon the young woman while her lover suffers no harm and proceeds to court yet another woman. The other professes to be a biography of Gabriel Espíndola Martínez, a tequila master. But the entry instead expresses his views on how best to imbibe and savor tequila. The final section is the printout of an oral interview with the tequila master, in which he describes his education and the course of his career in the production of tequila. His career is rather uninteresting and so idiosyncratic that it seems not to invite any comparison to the other biographies in the collection.

A good number of instructors in Mexican history will incorporate this compilation into their reading lists. Many others will add one or two of the most interesting biographies...