This clear and straightforward introduction to one of folklore’s most notable scholars of the twentieth century provides excellent insight into the man behind the work. As a Mexican-American in the 1950s, Américo Paredes (1915-1999) broke new ground taking his people’s culture and traditions seriously when others did not, and demonstrated the richness of the expressive culture of the U.S./Mexico borderlands. Paredes held both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and soon after obtaining his Ph.D. in English in 1956, joined the faculty at his alma mater where he taught English, folklore, and anthropology for the remainder of his career. Along his journey he provided missing pieces of Texas history, contributed to folklore theory and methodology, influenced an entire generation of Chicano scholars, and touched many people with his charismatic personality and utmost professionalism.
Manuel Medrano, professor of history at the University of Texas at Brownsville, received his Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Houston in 1985 and holds an M.A. in History from Texas A&I; University. He specializes in Mexican-American history and culture and has produced other publications involving the oral history of the Texas Rio Grande Valley people.
Medrano, even though a relative newcomer to Paredes’ life in its final stages (they met in 1994 only five years before the latter passed away), gathered the perspectives of family members, friends, and colleagues to produce an intimate, well-rounded portrayal of Paredes’ adventurous and engaging life.
Chapter 1, “The Formative Years,” reveals Paredes’ childhood experiences in Brownsville, Texas, that would come to shape his lifelong interest in border culture and folklore. This includes listening to his family talk and sing about border folk heroes in corridos (Mexican ballads). We also learn Paredes’ genealogy described in his own words and of his family upbringing. Equally important are Medrano’s inclusions of the history of South Texas: the conflictive socio-cultural context of the border during the 1920s and the ethnic strife between Mexican and Anglo Texans that would leave such a deep impact on the young Américo.
In chapter 2, “The Depression Years,” young Paredes’ dream of furthering his education is challenged because Mexicans were not given the same opportunities to study as Anglos were. When considered against this backdrop, his actions (in school and at home) evince a strong moral character in formation with an early intellectual bent and a relentless pursuit for truth and knowledge. Paredes’ passion and creativity for writing short stories and poetry are also brought to the fore with illuminating examples that reveal his aspirations and preoccupations in life, as well as his doubts and insecurities about growing up in between two very different worlds. It is also in this time period that, “[i]n a few short years Paredes [goes] from high school student, to aspiring musician and writer, to family man” (34).
In chapter 3, “The War and Post-War Years,” Paredes’ decision to join the army forever changes his life. Medrano explains in a brief but revealing fashion the work and personal contexts in which Paredes’ life unfolds during and after WWII. The chapter includes his military service while stationed in Japan and the meeting of his second wife and true love, Amelia “Nena” Sidzu Nagamine.
Chapter 4, “Pursuing a Dream,” entails Paredes’ return to college to pursue his B.A., middle-aged and married. His efforts culminate with the completion of his Ph.D. dissertation, a seminal work that challenged the prevalent view of the Texas Rangers as heroes, depicting them as villains from the vantage point of Mexican-Texans. Even though his work was controversial, in less than a year it was edited for publication. Medrano includes interesting background information about the editing process for Paredes’ With a Pistol in His Hand: A Border Ballad and its Hero (1958) and contextualizes excerpts of the editor’s comments written to Paredes (revealing the tension and ambivalence felt by the editor and indicating the controversy it was going to cause upon publication). Medrano also includes some of the positive reactions the book caused, particularly for those involved in the Chicano movement of the 1960s. Paredes’ early academic life is counterbalanced with a portrayal of his family life, which includes his closest family members describing his character in both good and bad times.
Chapter 5, “A Professor of Legendary Status,” makes up almost half the book. It brings in voices from his former students that describe his persona in the classroom and beyond. Additionally, the chapter serves as an introduction to Paredes’ ample body of published works (articles, novels, poetry, etc.) with excerpts that connect his life narrative to the artistic and/or intellectual products he was creating at the time.
Throughout the book Medrano weaves Paredes’ voice into his writing. It is effective when Medrano fleshes out the details of a single story or anecdote to provide sufficient background to interpret Paredes’ words. But at certain times, when in a few pages too many stories or anecdotes are considered without much detail, this same approach seems a bit strained and Medrano’s writing does not flow as eloquently, leaving the reader feeling that greater contextualization of Paredes’ work is required. Nevertheless, this book serves as a great introduction to this topic.
Much like the border folk heroes depicted in the corridos that Dr. Paredes loved so much, his own character is brought to life in Medrano’s words and will undoubtedly live on in the minds of those who listen to Paredes’ story attentively. Unlike those folk heroes that evolve as oral tradition is passed down, Medrano ensures a new generation can meet an unvarying and definite Américo Paredes available only in this book’s pages. Additionally, the book includes twenty-eight black-and-white photographs, ranging from Paredes as a young man on the border to the journalist in military uniform in Japan, and from the married family man to the legendary professor in Austin, Texas. These pictures capture the diversity of the man’s roles and reveal his memorable personality.
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[Review length: 993 words • Review posted on April 13, 2011]