Foreigners in Their Native Land: Historical Roots of the Mexican Americans

by David J. Weber (Editor), Arnoldo de León (Foreword)

Most recent writing about Mexican Americans deals only with the twentieth century. This book provides the much-needed historical perspective that is essential for a full understanding of the present. Dozens of selections from firsthand accounts, introduced by the editor's knowledgeable essays capture the flavor and mood of the Mexican American experience in the Southwest from the time the first pioneers came north from Mexico.
The first edition was selected as a Choice "Outstanding Academic Book of the Year" and received the following
"An excellent job of illuminating the early historical experience of Mexicans living in the United States."-- Western Historical Quarterly
"Weber . . . has done more than compile a first-rate anthology . . . he has done much to put the selected accounts into a meaningful historical framework. This coupled with excellent documentary choices and extensive notes makes it the single best volume for understanding the Mexican American experience in the nineteenth-century Southwest."-- Choice

Genres: Nonfiction

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

David J. Weber was founding director of the Clements Center for Southwest Studies at Southern Methodist University. His research focused on the history of the Southwestern U.S. and its transition from Spanish and Mexican control to becoming part of the United States.

Reviews

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet real people, and hear their stories.

I actually bought this book as part of an ongoing genealogy investigation.

What I found was the type of history that I really enjoy reading about; these are stories from people to people. I never could stand history as a bunch of events with dates as they never explain reasons for the events and dates. Many books retrospectively give you their opinion of names and dates.

Also, I like the fact that the book is very personal. I will not go through the details of each presentation as that’s why you are buying the book.

This book focuses on descendants of Spaniards and Indians and brings you almost up to date on their unique experiences.

For some people this brings a new perspective for others it just fills in a hole in their missing history.

Forget about politics – forget about history – and just have a good read.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really interesting stuff - I love when I can read primary sources.

[Major B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A required reading for a history class I’m going to take. Really interesting and has some good sources!

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical overview and anthology divides Mexican-American history into 5 chapters: the Spanish period, the Mexican period up to the 1830s, the armed conflicts in Texas and the Mexican-American War, the erosion of rights up to the end of the 19th century, and accommodation, assimilation, and resistance from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. In this book, each chapter begins with a 20-30 page historical overview that incorporates geographic and temporal diversity as well as diverse perspectives and alternate viewpoints from contemporaries. In addition, every chapter includes an anthology of ten-ish sources, each with a significant introduction and explanation of the context.

My only complaint with the book is its age. The book was published in 1973, and the latest source in the anthology is from 1926. As much as I enjoyed this book, I wonder what a more up-to-date version would look like, especially with the demographic shifts of the United States in the last 45 years.

[Roberto Garcia]

This should be required reading for anyone living in the southwest especially Mexican Americans.

[Amy Gaeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was required to read this for a Spanish Humanities course but it was an incredible read. I think that everyone should read this book.