Ringside Seat to a Revolution: An Underground Cultural History of El Paso and Juárez: 1893-1923

by David Dorado Romo

El Paso/Juárez served as the tinderbox of the Mexican Revolution and the tumultuous years to follow. In essays and archival photographs, David Romo tells the surreal stories at the roots of the greatest Latin American revolution: The sainted beauty queen Teresita inspires revolutionary fervor and is rumored to have blessed the first rifles of the revolutionaries; anarchists publish newspapers and hatch plots against the hated Porfirio Diaz regime; Mexican outlaw Pancho Villa eats ice cream cones and rides his Indian motorcycle happily through downtown; El Paso’s gringo mayor wears silk underwear because he is afraid of Mexican lice; John Reed contributes a never-before-published essay; young Mexican maids refuse to be deloused so they shut down the border and back down Pershing’s men in the process; vegetarian and spiritualist Francisco Madero institutes the Mexican revolutionary junta in El Paso before crossing into Juárez to his ill-fated presidency and assassination; and bands play Verdi while firing squads go about their deadly business. Romo’s work does what Mike Davis’ City of Quartz did for Los Angeles—it presents a subversive and contrary vision of the sister cities during this crucial time for both countries.

David Dorado Romo, the son of Mexican immigrants, is an essayist, historian, musician and cultural activist. Ringside Seat to a Revolution is the result of his three-year exploration of archives detailing the cultural and political roots of the Mexican Revolution along la frontera. Romo received a degree in Judaic studies at Stanford University and has studied in Israel and Italy.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

293 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Mildred Brito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being an American Mexican in El Paso - Juarez border, I couldn't help but feel so much indignation while reading this book. However, it was necessary to understand where I come from, what brought us here, and why we should keep fighting to obliterate prejudice and racism from the Mexican/US borders.
The story of Carmelita Torres gave me all the life I needed. Personally, I will do more to remember this Amazon queen; our own fronteriza Rosa Parks.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book too humble for its own aspirations. Romo is explicit about his influences and method here, crediting Debord’s notion of psychogeography and Luis González’s microhistory, a sort of contravention of the Great Man theory that most decent contemporary historians are so keen to avoid. The focus of the book is mostly on El Paso, the sister city situated within US borders, which lends it an interesting perspective and allows for plenty of detours into matters cultural and ethnological (a caveat: I personally have not had the pleasure to have been a visitor of either El Paso or Juarez).

One downside to his approach, however, is that for an enterprising reader searching as many might be for an attempt at an explanation for the ultimate failure of the Mexican Revolution, Romo does not attempt to offer one. We get a lot of interesting tidbits about fin-de-siècle pre-jazz “spasm bands,” bull vs. lion fights, and, most importantly, the combined effects of Pancho Villa’s guerrilla army and thousands of war refugees on the mindset of the American bourgeoisie, but this can at times come as a jumble of facts and not a full picture of the era.

Perhaps Romo was timid of making too much argument here, due to either a reticence from his background in art curation as opposed to political organization or an opposition to fully identifying his history with a Mexican national project. In any case, the book does have some great primary sourcing and would be sure to enrich anyone who engages with it. The section on nascent pre-Madero insurrectionary movements in particular was very educational.

[Javier Enriquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned much with this book. I didn't know that Ciudad Juárez was capital of México. That Santa Teresita, a Mexican Joan of Arch was one of the triggers of the Mexican Revolution. That the U.S. used Zyklon B to de-liced Mexican Immigrants and that was the "inspiration" for the Nazis who subsequently used in humans for other purposes. That an Amazon-like brunette 17-year-old Mexican maid, Carmelita Torres, was the frontier “Rosa Parks" who refused the Zyklon B baths and incited a revolt. That the Mexican-America Víctor Ochoa was a Renaissance man and a virtual Da Vinci who was one of the Mexican Revolution initiators from El Paso. That Pancho Villa was an abstemious. That one academician, humanist, mathematician, artillery expert, a Villa's general named Felipe Ángeles, could have been president of Mexico if he woud not have been killed before a firing squad. A much better option than the greedy and worthless presidents of the 20th and 21st centuries. The book is a collection of fascinating anecdotes and micro stories that higlinght the importance of this Mexico/U.S. border region that forged the future of Mexico.

[LonewolfMX Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book here in San Francisco 4 years ago before I moved here at City Lights Bookstore. http://www.citylights.com/

It deals with the history of Cuidad Juarez, Coahuila and El Paso, Texas during the Mexican Revolution it is a very detailed picture book that provides background history about both these border cities during this perilous time. Such as Pancho Villa y los Dorados del Norte, President Francisco Madero, and the average residents of both these cities that witnessed the carnage of the Revolution both firsthand in Juarez and across the Rio Grande/Bravo Del Norte in El Paso.

As well it depicted the at times strained relationships between the Mexicans and Gabachos living in El Paso or in Juarez. As well as the race relations in El Paso with African-Americans, and the Chinese who lived in both sides of the border. The Adelitas also began making their appearance in the Battle of Cuidad Juarez in 1911.

[Veronika · Rating 5 out of 5]

actually entertaining, loved the photos and primary sources. tbh skipped thru some chapters bc im just writing a research paper about typhoid at the border, but the book was still helpful for deep causes and effects before and after. could def be considered a read for leisure b/c it wasn't as dry as university press published books on the same subject

edit; he used a newspaper cut out that had nothing to do with the subject matter, it was from 1910 Reading, PA. Headline said something like "Latin take over Anglo-Saxon U.S." and was using it to talk about racism to Latin Americans but the article was talking about Southern Europeans. it very clearly stated so now I'm worried some other parts of the book aren't as well researched. now changing rating to 4.5 but still rounding up bc otherwise this is still an enjoyable read :)

[Rosa Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rounded up but I give this more of a 4.5.

Interesting history. I loved learning how each different ethnic group contributed to la Revolucion Mexicana. I also enjoyed learning about how music shaped the area and the revolution. The pictures are amazing. Its a really well rounded historical non fiction book. My only grief with it was that it just jumped around from one event or situation to the next in no particular order. A chronological order or something similar would've been better.

[Laura Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Such a wonderful way to look at history. I only wish that I had a stronger background knowledge of the Mexican Revolution going into this book. You don't NEED to, but it would help because this book is really not about the Mexican Revolution. It's more of a social and cultural history of El Paso and Juarez during that time period. I learned about how the border used to be fluid until Mayor Lea of El Paso became convinced that he was going to get typhus from Mexicans coming into the city. I learned that Juarez was the place to BE during Prohibition. And I learned that Pancho Villa had signed with a film company to make movies of all his battles, but they found the real thing too boring. They made him dress up in a special uniform and they made him schedule executions for when there was better light.

[Alaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an excellent book. I learned a lot about my hometown. This book inspired me to look into my own family history and I found out my great great grandpa was a Villista who died by a Carrancista firing squad. I can’t wait to visit home and do some of the walking tour with my dad. I love El Paso so much.

[LA · Rating 4 out of 5]

autographed copy; purchased fall 2023 at NM Farm and Ranch Museum in Las Cruces, NM

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the museum's book club. . .
Romo takes a slightly different approach to local history--he's looking at the geography of a city to discover the layers of history. And in a town like El Paso, which is literally on top of the border, well, geography means a lot.

While reading this book, I found myself wishing I knew a bit more about the Mexican Revolution and Pancho Villa. This isn't to say Romo didn't do a good job of setting the stage, just that I think I would have gotten more out of it if I was already familiar with the story. But he does an excellent job of showing the layers within the story--tales of a spiritualist healer/spark for revolution, the musicians, the journalists, the filmmakers. Really good stuff.

The most startling was the chapter on crossing the border---and the gasoline baths required for anyone coming in to El Paso. Horrifying stuff.

Lots of great pictures and documents. Kudos for this very different kind of Texas history. It will be interesting to see what the conversation will be on Tuesday, especially since most of the book club ladies are of a very different generation.

[Cate Poe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite book, but Kindle version misformatted

This is a treasured book, full of fascinating historical nuggets, newspaper clippings and photos. As someone who grew up in El Paso, I couldn't put it down.Romo has totally upended my understanding of my hometown and the history of the U.S./Mexico Border. I have bought several copies and have recommended it to other friends.

But, don't buy the Kindle version. So badly formatted, it is impossible to read. Please fix this!

[Gina Ruiz]

http://ginasblogging.blogspot.com/200...

[Damaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. I think all history books should be like this

[Bob Roller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revolution from the perspective of the quirky common folk. Excellent pictures as well.

[Don Voorhees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book.

[kaity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend taking the walking tour at the end of this book.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored it! Romo really took the time to give a nice snapshot of El Paso life during the revolution.