Spilling the Beans: Loteria Chicana

by José Antonio Burciaga

The author of Drink Chicanismo presents nearly two dozen short pieces including essays on the Mambo dance of el Diablo, the 1943 Los Angeles Zoot Suit riots, NAFTA, and the defense of the jalapen+a1o. Original. IP.

Genres: Latinx, Nonfiction

142 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1994

About the author

José Antonio "Tony" Burciaga (1940 – October 7, 1996) was a Chicano artist, poet, and writer who explored issues of Chicano identity and American society.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Aritra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spilling the beans means to disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely and the author Jose Antonio Burciaga in his book does this in a coherent way. He discusses divergent themes of Mexican American society and presented it by covering it with sophisticated satire. The book uncovers with the discussion of the beans, and examines its importance in the Mexican culture and hence creates a perfect metaphor to set the ground for further discussion. At the end of the first chapter, thus, he candidly conveys his message by stating that “this book is about disclosing, divulging, revealing, confessing and publishing pods of truth, facts of integrity, humor and pathos. Spilling them hell! We are throwing them in the air.”

Most importantly, his idea of disclosing the secret is different than others as he treats ‘secrets’ as a neutral factor which can firstly, be used to cure some societal and economic problems and so preservation of certain secret is important. Secondly, secrets should be reveled in some cases so that people can identify their root of operation and can dare to speak against the oppressor. He, therefore, allows the readers to interpret and utilize the secrets according to their own terms which can be compared with Jacques Derrida's interpretation of “Plato's Pharmacy” where the ‘secret’ is comparable with the concept of ‘Pharmakon’ or a drug that can both be used as remedy and poison. For example, in the chapter entitled “the first Thanksgiving” he provides divergent version of thanksgiving where by discussing the popular version that the American Indians invited the pilgrims and taught them different survival skills after the disastrous winter of 1622-21, he underscores another version of thanksgiving provided by William Newell. According to Newell the first thanksgiving was a celebration for the white settlers due to their victory over an Indian settlement. As the story goes seven hundred men, women and children were massacred by the English and Dutch mercenaries during their annual green corn ceremony. Therefore “for the next hundred years every thanksgiving ordained by a governor was to honor a bloody victory, thanking God that the battle had won. In this context author mentions that although the later version seems true but people love to remember the former version because if they do not then that will destroy their found memories which are associated with this particular event. Author’s use of truth and its importance can best be understood when he states “I prefer my fond memories and wish that I had learnt that last version or may be it is better that we do know. The tastes such painful history leaves on day like thanks giving is especially acrid. But for that too we can say Gracias.”

Moreover, in my understanding, this book somehow is an expression of the loss that the Mexican Americans in general and the author in particular had experienced, and hence this volume most vividly denotes to an emotional response to certain intense events that disrupt previous ideas of individuality and the principles by which one evaluates society. Although it would be an overstatement to consider this book as a literature of trauma but the way author conveys the alteration of the identity awakened by an outer, often terrifying experience, which illuminates the process of coming to terms with the dynamics of memory that inform the new perceptions of the self and world, is fascinating and somehow resonates with the concept of trauma literature. Apart from this the volume most strongly uses satire for the purpose of social criticism. For example, in one chapter, the author presents a growing debate on the health and hygiene of Mexican food as presented by the American press and research studies. He shows major contradictions and biased conclusions drawn by some of these eminent sources, where, while a newspaper commented on the consumption of chili peppers as being carcinogenic, another study concludes that Mexican food was highly fat-induced and contain cholesterol. By stating these claims, the author’s cynicism finds expression when he argues that Americans have not only disrupted the authenticity of Mexican cuisine, but that these “items goes to prove only one thing, with the right funding and an abiding press you can prove just about anything.”

Furthermore, the concept of cultural hybridity also finds expression through this book. It is imperative to mention that when two culture confronts, a new hybrid culture emerges which although possess characteristic of both the cultures but ultimately stands differently and this idea can be seen through out the book in a divergent way. For example, the chapter entitled “Pachucos and the Taxi-cab bridged” discusses of the identity of Pachuco and mentions the way anthropologists and pachucologists underscores the unique multiculturalism of this group which according to them is a blend of Hispanic and anglicized culture evident through language, dress music. As a result, the author mentions “the pachucos were…the first to take their own, the first to stake their own universal identity and independence from both oppressive culture to mold their own, a renaissance hybrid of both.”

Similarly, he points out a linguistic hybridity where he mentions of linguistic fusion of two cultures. In this context he talks about a word “resemanticizacion- resemanticization” which although was used in Mexico but, can not be found in any Mexican or any English dictionary. However, the author mentions that this word was derived from an English word semantics which signifies the historical studies of changes in the meaning of words. Therefore, regarding this cultural hybridity the author comments, “in politics and cross cultural situation, words, ideas and objects constantly assimilate transculturation or adapt for the shake of survival.”

This book is fascinating in its combination of history and literature, and the author’s own prosaic skill is demonstrated throughout the book. He picks out some of the major themes and historical subjects of debate and discussion within Mexican American studies, and presents it in such a lucid way that it will interest even non-specialists. This book, therefore can help scholars to think of major events within Mexican American history, or history of the races in America, in general, differently, by encouraging them to write historiographies with a literary tinge to it.

[Car · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, quick, educational, & intelligent essays on Chicanismo in the U.S. and its history, from zoot-suiters to batos locos, from NAFTA to the history of Margaritas.

If you've studied Chican@ history before, you'll know a lot of this, but you'll still enjoy it and probably learn something new. If you've never studied it, hold on (he's quick) and keep your Spa-Eng dictionary close cuz there' a lot of Spanglish!

[Colin Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem! Burciaga truly was special.

[Javier Cortes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise. The stories are filled with humor, history, wisdom and spiritualism. I learned a lot from this book. One of the best Chicanismo books I’ve read.

[Maggie Gately]

school

[Rose Stevens]

Short stories about myths & facts.

[Andrew Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

See the review for Drink Cultura

[Samantha Prado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chicken Soup for the Chicano Soul, definitely.