Judas at the Jockey Club and Other Episodes of Porfirian Mexico

by William H. Beezley

Featuring a new preface by the author, this brilliant and eminently readable cultural history looks at Mexican life during the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz, from 1876 to 1911. At that time the modernization that Mexico underwent produced a fierce struggle between the traditional and the new, exacerbating class antagonisms in the process. The noted historian William H. Beezley illuminates many facets of everyday Mexican life lying at the heart of this conflict and change, including sports, storytelling, health care, technology, and the traditional Easter‑time Judas burnings that became a primary focus of strife during those years.

This updated volume provides a teacher’s guide, available on the University of Nebraska Press website, offering a manual of internet links, additional readings, and practice experiences that can be used in the classroom or by anyone who wants to go beyond the chapters of this book.

Download the discussion guide.

Genres: History, Latin American History, Nonfiction, College, Read For School

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

William H. Beezley is a professor of history at the University of Arizona. He is the author and editor of dozens of books and articles, most notably Judas at the Jockey Club and Other Episodes of Porfirian Mexico, and he is the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History.

Reviews

[Todd Stansbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a bad book at all, though I think he tortures the idea that the people of Mexico were trying to build an identity through adopting European sports. The book is filled with what might be extraneous details, such as the exact operating times of the newly established roller rinks. Some times that can be fun, but at time it can also seem like a burden. Still, it is an interesting read and a nice take on the origins of sport in Mexico.

*Second Read*
This is a nice little book, short enough to be read in one quick sitting, and reading it that way opens up its meanings more. The sports is just the vehicle, while the focus is on how a people might try to "modernize" through the adoption of practices of people who have looked down on them. The Judas of the title plays on the intersection between the upper class looking to be seen as respectable and the average people trying to survive in a world that wants them to put away the trappings of their culture and become something they are not.
Things I first viewed as extraneous, such as operating times, now seem like delightful little details that show the wonderful breadth of information that the author was able to draw on. I am especially enamored with the attempt to enact laws aimed at criminalizing the poor of the nation.

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this slim volume, Beezley focuses on seemingly discrete phenomena of late 19th-century Mexico --- the bicycle craze, baseball, the antiquated farming techniques of the rural Mexican, the decline and fall of the Judas burning festival --- and shows them to be symbols of a larger ideological struggle for hegemony, the struggle between elite and popular culture.

The book's approach is an interesting one. By not stating his thesis outright from the start, Beezley keeps the reader wondering. The use of seemingly unimportant facts, such as the use of the one-handled plow in modern times or the rise of racing and cycling clubs through European influence, also keeps the reader guessing as to the author's point. The reader is rarely disappointed; as whole, Beezley fits his anecdotes together into a coherent thesis very well. That said, it must be noted that at times, Beezley's tales are rambling, seemingly pointless; the book is also very repetitive. On the whole, though, a well-crafted argument and engaging.

[Charlotte Piwowar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some interesting books but seemed pretty disjointed and lacked harmony. I read it for a class about the history of Mexico, and so this text talked about leisure activities in Mexico during the Porfiato (early 20th century). It made some thought-provoking points about how leisure activities like bike riding, the Judas celebrations, bullfighting, and more reflected attitudes about modernity and progress...as well as some interesting commentary about how the indigenous fit into this picture. It lacked unity, however, and it seemed like the author was just gluing together a bunch of short essays or collections of his writing about these activities. I wouldn't read it again, nor would I recommend it, unless you are highly intrigued by this topic---in which case, you may find some genuinely new and interesting information.

[April Raine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't flow well, but offers an interesting look at a specific time in Mexico's history. Not recommended unless you already have a base knowledge of Porfirian Mexico.

[Cognatious Thunk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information contained within this book is quite interesting. However, to summarize another Goodreads user's sentiments, it feels like this book was created by stringing together a series of vaguely related articles. Disjointed, occasionally repetitive and altogether unengaging, Beezley compounds his writing flaws with an overriding thesis that overextends the facts. Yet, despite its flaws, this book still manages to present Porfiriato Mexico in a new and compelling way.

[Charles Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

The discussion of popular culture, the introduction of "modern" pastimes is wonderful. The sources are singular and eccentric. And tying this all to the outbreak of the Revolution is an original scholarly approach.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explores culture in late nineteenth-century Mexico under Porfirio Diaz, in particular the tensions between los de arriba and los de abajo, the government and critics, and the three-way split between Modernists, Liberals, and the traditional culture of the poor.

The first chapter, "The Porfirian Persuasion", looks at the choices for sport and amusement made by the elite, and how that reflected their views on progress and modernity. The second chapter, "Rocks and Rawhide: Traditional Culture", explores the origins and development of traditional and indigenous/rural culture, the assault made by both Liberals and Modernists on this culture in their attempts to recreate Mexico as a "modern" nation, and the continued resiliency and resistance of this culture in spite of the efforts to eliminate it. The final chapter, "Judas at the Jockey Club", synthesizes these social conflicts by examining in-depth the changes, controversies, and symbolism surrounding traditional Judas burnings on Holy Saturday.

I loved this book. The descriptions are detailed yet not dull, the author seamlessly transitions between topics, and the key themes of top-down modernization vs. resistance and tradition, control vs. protest, and los de arriba vs. los de abajo are woven throughout all the topics and elements of this book. If you have even the vaguest interest in any of these topics, read this book.

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book might have been more interesting had it centered on a single incident, such as the burning of Judas figures, or a few things that happened during the Porfirian period of Mexican history. Instead it is a arranged in a series of essays that allow little or no actual study of any depth into the topics they cover as they are at most ten pages long.

[Jourdan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't read this unless you're like me and have to read it for school.

[Remington Krueger · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an interesting combination of essays regarding Porfirian Mexico. I don't think it lives up to its reviews on the back cover, it certainly wasn't "witty" as proclaimed by a reviewee.

[Raymond F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great perspective on the times, but a tough read.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of college curriculum.