Miracles on the Border: Retablos of Mexican Migrants to the United States

by Jorge Durand, Douglas S. Massey

This vivid study, richly illustrated with forty color photographs, offers a multilayered analysis of retablos—folk images painted on tin that are offered as votives of thanks for a miracle granted or a favor bestowed—created by Mexican migrants to the United States. Durand and Massey analyze 124 contemporary retablo texts, scrutinizing the shifting subjects and themes that constitute a running record of the migrant's unique experience. The result is a vivid work of synthesis that connects the history of an art form and a people, links two very different cultures, and allows a deeper understanding of a major twentieth-century theme—the drama of transnational migration.

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I pretty much love this book (and it was essential for the first part of my thesis) so if you're curious about immigrant art, enjoy!!