In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • River of Hope: Forging Identity and Nation in the Rio Grande Borderlands by Omar S. Valerio-Jiménez
  • Armando Alonzo
River of Hope: Forging Identity and Nation in the Rio Grande Borderlands. By Omar S. Valerio-Jiménez. (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2013. Pp. 384. Illustrations, maps, figure, notes, bibliography, index.)

This study embraces a number of salient themes in borderlands history with a particular interest in state formation, identity, and citizenship rights. In the [End Page 436] author’s summary. It is a story of violence resulting from multiple conquests, of resistance and accommodation to state power, and of changing ethnic and political identities” (2). Consisting of six substantive chapters that span from the Spanish settlement of the Lower Rio Grande Valley to the post-1848 adjustments in the social and political realms, Valerio-Jiménez threads the older historiography with new data to demonstrate the evolving power relations between various groups and the several sovereignties that have ruled over the region.

In contrast to earlier histories of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Valerio-Jiménez breaks new ground in his attention to the Indians of the Lower Valley and to women after the U.S. annexation of the northern part of Tamaulipas. His main thesis is that although the Lower Valley is on the margins of the various nation-states that have governed the region, local peoples have had historical agency, one that often challenged restrictions and laws in clever and adaptive ways.

While the author uses considerable information and statistical data to support his assertions, there are a few concerns with some of his arguments. The section on colonial history, for example, relies on one or two case studies to make major points, such as on the mistreatment of Indians in the Lower Valley. Also, slavery and economic bondage are not identical in law or degree. The assertion that labor scarcity was endemic to the region is not supported by any evidence. The statement that José de Escandón favored extermination of indigenous people is equally not well supported. Thus, the author’s approach at times suffers from the use of limited case studies and general assertions that demand more precise data.

Overall, this book is a good example of borderland studies that examine state formation and the construction of identity. The author uses a wide array of sources and places the history of the settlers in the region in the context of changing political authorities. Notwithstanding some limitations, it is a solid contribution to Chicano studies and borderlands history.

Armando Alonzo
Texas A&M University
...

pdf

Share