Eliverio Chávez, Ph.D.
The book, Mestizaje: Introducción a la cultura mexicoamericana, is basically an intermediate-level cultural reader for university Spanish-language students. It introduces students to the culture and history of Mexican-Americans from their pre-Columbian origin to the present. In addition to Spanish-language students, the book will also be of relevance and interest to students in Mexican-American studies, ethnic studies, and folklore in general. The subject of the book is important because of a nationwide effort to comprehend cultural diversity in the United States, and it is incumbent on our educational system to provide the research and dissemination of information which will help to achieve this national goal.
Written in an easy-flowing, narrative style, the reader differs from other books on this subject because it treats each topical chapter in a chronological and evolutionary manner so that the reader is made aware of the foundation and process of cultural development from its Indian-Spanish origin to its present day hybridized forms consisting of Spanish, Native-American, Mexican, African, and Anglo-American elements.
Effort at various universities across the nation to come to grips with cultural diversity necessitates the need for works which will aid in this evolving effort. The author’s experience as a professor of Mexican-American studies, and as a native member of the population, give him a unique insight into the sociocultural intricacies which comprise this ethnic group. Mestizaje: Introducción a la cultura mexicoamericana reflects this unique insight and addresses the need for works in cultural diversity.
Dr. Eliverio Chávez, a professor at Texas Tech University, has a long and distinguished career as an educator which spans from 1972 to 2006. He began his career as a high school English teacher who taught specialized courses in ethnic literature or US Third World Literature. He then became a professor at Texas Tech University where Dr. Chávez taught linguistics and Mexican-American studies with an emphasis on cross cultural contact and Mexican-American literature. In addition to educational activities, he has been active in community outreach programs in an effort to provide a bridge between the university system and minority groups which have historically been excluded from the university. Because of his efforts in education and community outreach programs, he has been included in various biographical reference works such as Two Thousand Notable American Men, Personalities of America, and Who‘s Who among Hispanic Americans.
As a writer, Dr. Chávez has published numerous journal articles, as well as book chapters and book reviews. The bulk of his published research has centered on sociolinguistics, with a concentration on the loss and maintenance of the minority language in the Southwest. He has also published various essays on Chicano literature which explore the relationship between Chicano literature and factors such as identity disorders and linguistic borrowing. In addition to his activities as a writer, he has extensive experience as a speaker and has presented papers on cross cultural studies at numerous national and international conferences.
Introducción
La cultura del mexicoamericano tiene su origen en las costumbres y tradiciones de los amerindios y los españoles que conjuntamente produjeron una cultura indio-hispana. No fue una mezcla sociocultural igualitaria, sino que dominó la cultura euro-hispana por su hegemonía militar. La conquista de los amerindios por los españoles principió la hispanización de los indios y produjo el mestizo, el indio-hispano híbrido. Con la Independencia mexicana, México desarrolló su propia cultura, su propia identidad sociocultural y la cultura indio-hispana comenzó a mexicanizarse. Estos indio-hispanos mexicanizados del Suroeste de los Estados Unidos padecieron una época de gran agitación sociocultural cuando fueron conquistados por los angloamericanos. Hubo una represión de la cultura indio-hispana y una aculturación euro-americana impuesta por los conquistadores angloamericanos. Este desarraigo cultural y la asimilación posterior produjo un nuevo mestizo, es decir, el mexicoamericano, un indio-hispano americanizado. A la misma vez, ambos españoles y angloamericanos habían importado esclavos negros, quienes también contribuyeron elementos culturales que enriquecieron esta conglomeración multicultural. Por lo tanto, se produjo el mestizaje que hoy día comparte y vitaliza la cultura mexicoamericana.
