The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics (The Latin America Readers)

Product Description The Mexico Reader is a vivid and comprehensive guide to muchos Méxicos—the many varied histories and cultures of Mexico. Unparalleled in scope, it covers pre-Columbian times to the present, from the extraordinary power and influence of the Roman Catholic Church to Mexico’s uneven postrevolutionary modernization, from chronic economic and political instability to its rich cultural heritage. Bringing together over eighty selections that include poetry, folklore, photo essays, songs, political cartoons, memoirs, journalism, and scholarly writing, this volume highlights the voices of everyday Mexicans—indigenous peoples, artists, soldiers, priests, peasants, and workers. It also includes pieces by politicians and foreign diplomats; by literary giants Octavio Paz, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Carlos Fuentes; and by and about revolutionary leaders Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. This revised and updated edition features new selections that address twenty-first-century developments, including the rise of narcopolitics, the economic and personal costs of the United States’ mass deportation programs, the political activism of indigenous healers and manufacturing workers, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mexico Reader is an essential resource for travelers, students, and experts alike. Review Praise for the first edition of The Mexico Reader “A wonderful introduction to the history and culture of Mexico. . . . This work is ideal for general readers, and one hopes it will encourage many to read and learn more about this important and diverse nation.”—Jay Freeman, The Booklist “Anyone who has a keen interest in Mexico—in delving deep into the country’s rich history and culture before going there—would be fascinated by this book.”—June Sawyers, Chicago Tribune “There is an impressive, even passionate, commitment to excavating the embedded cultural, political, and economic reference points that arguably constitute something called a Mexican nationalist imaginary. At the same time, the editors have methodologically sought out the contradictions of that imaginary, offering both official, and many unofficial, voices. The result simultaneously exposes and subverts the nation’s foundational fictions.”—Eric Zolov, Hispanic American Historical Review “This volume is a most sincere attempt to depict Mexico in all its complexity, an object carried out superbly and in an altogether unprecedented fashion. Very seldom has a reader, an analytically-challenged subgenre by definition, done as much justice to any Latin American country.”—Héctor D. Fernández L’Hoeste, The Latin Americanist “The Mexico Reader presents a diverse, original, and rare collection of primary and secondary texts. . . . The Mexico Reader is poised to become a highly prized collection of texts that any instructor will want to use and any student of Mexico will enjoy reading.”—Juliette Levy, New Mexico Historical Review “[The Mexico Reader] could be the foundation of an exciting course. . . . You will not find a more varied or fearless introductory volume to Mexican Studies. . . . The most impressive aspect of the volume is the variety of voices it reveals. . . . Remarkable.”—Timothy E. Anna, H-LatAm, H-Net Reviews “[A] careful selection of articles and texts that cover a wide variety of subjects. . . . [T]he collection can be understood as a survey of intellectual culture in Mexico from a historical perspective, allowing readers to understand how Mexican reality has been conformed, transformed, and adapted. Recommended.”—M. R. Lara, Choice “Three layers of introductions-for the volume, for each section and for each text-provide necessary contextual information, while highlighting emerging themes. Thanks in part to these excellent introductions, students and teachers of Mexico will find that this volume could supplant textbook histories, while giving students access to hundreds of pages of primary sources, well-chosen images and two photo-essay