Mexican Americans in Texas: A Brief History

by Arnoldo de León

Like its ground-breaking predecessor, the first general survey of Tejanos, this completely up-to-date revision is a concise political, cultural, and social history of Mexican Americans in Texas from the Spanish colonial era to the present. Professor De Len is careful to portray Tejanos as active subjects, not merely objects in the ongoing Texas story. Complemented by a stunning photographic essay, a helpful glossary, and meticulously annotated, this work continues to be ideal reading for anyone wanting to learn about the most influential ethnic group in Texas.

Genres: History

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Arnoldo De León is Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at Angelo State University, where he served as a member of the faculty from 1973 until 2015. He earned his BA from Angelo State, and his MA (1971) and Ph.D. (1974) from Texas Christian University.

Reviews

[Moses · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful and accessible textbook for anyone looking to learn about the history of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in Texas. I wouldn't call it a gripping read (it took me 4.5 months to read 175 pages), but I learned a lot from it and will likely go back to it for reference.

[Samuel P · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Apparently," "little is known" how a book that self-advertises as the authority on introductory Mexican-American history in Texas fails so horribly to sound like the author knows what he's writing about. Confidence goes a long way in history works and textbooks in general. De Leon also falls into the trap of most mediocre 'brief histories' of wasting too much time on side tangents and then rushing to puke out the other important information in the concluding paragraph of each chapter. These side tangents consist of what most academics in Latinx studies hyperfocus on: labor. Labor and class strife at the expense of any other aspect of the community's history, furthering the caricature of Mexicans as poor, exploited workers. At least the lip service to the rest of Tejano culture gives the work some defensibility. On the positive side, the book is rather readable and quotable, which works well with its target audience of students.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good overview for anyone looking for an introduction to the subject.