Americo Paredes
Encyclopedia
Americo Paredes was a Mexican-American author born in Brownsville, Texas
who authored several texts focusing on the border life that existed between the United States and Mexico, particularly around the Rio Grande
region of South Texas. His family on his father’s side, however, had been in the Americas since 1580. His ancestors were sefarditas, or Spanish Jews who had been converted to Christianity, and in 1749 - along with Escandon - they settled in the lower Rio Grande. The year of Paredes’ birth was the year of the last Texas Mexican Uprising, which was to portend the life Paredes was to lead. Throughout his long career as a journalist, folklorist and professor, Paredes was to bring focus to his Mexican American heritage, and the beauty of those traditions.
’ Tarzan
books, and Mexican poetry—his father in fact composed décima
s (a ten line poem with set rhyme scheme). This love of poetry was to hold Paredes in good stead when, at the age of 18, he won a poetry contest sponsored by Trinity College
. This award was to gain him the attention of the high school principal, Mr. Irvine, who in turn, expedited his entrance into junior college in 1934. The same year Paredes entered college, an event that would mark his life occurred, the assassination of Cesar Augusto Sandino, about whom, five years later, Paredes would write “A Cesar Augusto Sandino.”
While in his second year of junior college, Paredes was also to write George Washington Gomez: A Mexico-Texan Novel. Although it was not published until 1990, George Washington Gomez is Paredes' most well known work. The book tells the story of a young man growing up in Jonesville on the River (a fictional city Paredes used to represent the city of Brownsville) in the early 1900s. In the work, George Washington Gomez reveals the conflict in identity (as the title name suggests) the young man experiences growing up in an Anglo-Texan environment, particularly with regards to the educational system.
While in college, Paredes worked not only at the local grocery store (where he bought his first guitar from a co-worker), but also at the The Brownsville Herald
as a proofreader and reporter, a job he would continue to work, even after graduation in 1936. In 1940 as World War II
began for the Americans, Paredes took a second job with Pan-American Airways overseeing the outfitting of airplanes with fifty-caliber machine guns. Simultaneously, he was to begin playing guitar on the radio, a talent he had taught himself during junior college. Americo Paredes soon was drafted into the army as World War II heated up, but here as well he was to be a journalist, reporting for the army publication Stars and Stripes
, a publication which - while in Japan
- allowed him to interview the military leader Hideki Tōjō
. While in Japan, Paredes was to also begin taking correspondence courses from the University of Texas, through an army school, affectionately referred to as the Tokyo College. By 1950, Paredes was to follow this up by moving to Austin to pursue first his masters then his Ph.D. Upon returning to the United States he brought with him his half-Japanese, half-Uruguay
an wife Amelia Nagamine, whose visa issues almost cast a wrench in his education. By 1951, Paredes was teaching as a graduate student at the University of Texas and drawing attention. In 1952 he would win an award from the Dallas Times Herald
for a collection of short stories he had selected from his larger work, The Hammon and The Beans. He called it Border Country. Following this accolade, he would win an award of 500 dollars for his novel The Shadow in 1955, yet this book would not be published until 1996.
In his graduate school years it would be a twist of fate that would lead Paredes down the road of folklore
. While taking English courses during his masters, he encountered a test comparing two Scottish ballads, which Paredes was to compare to the Mexican corrido
(a comparison that would crop up again in his dissertation of With His Pistol in His Hand). His professor at the time introduced him to Robert Stephenson, then a professor of English teaching folklore, who would persuade him to pursue a future in the field. In 1956, Paredes’ dissertation, which was to turn into his opus With His Pistol in His Hand, published in 1958 told the story of the legendary Gregorio Cortez
and his conflict with the Texas Rangers
. The text portrayed the famed Texas Rangers in a negative fashion, which was unheard of in the history of that organization. There was a suggestion, jokingly perhaps, by some Texas Rangers that Paredes should be shot in retaliation for his blemishing of the reputation of the Texas Rangers in that book.) With His Pistol in His Hand was actually Paredes' dissertation and was published as a book by the University of Texas at Austin
., garnered the attention of famous folklorist Stith Thompson
, who was to recommend the work to the University of Texas Press
for publication (this project however would not reach publication until 1958).
The same year With His Pistol in His Hand was published, Paredes was hired by University of Texas, Austin to teach, a decision which would change the face of their curriculum. In the 1960s and 70’s Americo Paredes was to join the Chicano movement along with Tomás Rivera
and Miguel Méndez
. During this same period he would also expand the educational curriculum of UT by founding their Center for Folklore Studies (1967). Paredes would continue on to found their Center for Mexican American Studies as well. In 1989 Paredes would become one of five men to be awarded the Charles Frankel Prize of the National Endowment for the Humanities
and in 1991 (the same year his high school and young adult poetry Between Two Worlds would publish) he received the Orden del Aguila Azteca along with Cesar Chavez
and Julian Samora
.
In 1970, his Folktales of Mexico was published as part of the Folktales of the World series.
On May 5, 1999 Americo Paredes died in Austin, Texas.
Paredes has the distinction of being one of the few scholars "to ever have a corrido
...composed in his honor".
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
who authored several texts focusing on the border life that existed between the United States and Mexico, particularly around the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
region of South Texas. His family on his father’s side, however, had been in the Americas since 1580. His ancestors were sefarditas, or Spanish Jews who had been converted to Christianity, and in 1749 - along with Escandon - they settled in the lower Rio Grande. The year of Paredes’ birth was the year of the last Texas Mexican Uprising, which was to portend the life Paredes was to lead. Throughout his long career as a journalist, folklorist and professor, Paredes was to bring focus to his Mexican American heritage, and the beauty of those traditions.
Biography
Growing up in Brownsville, Texas, Paredes was to experience the double life of American and Mexican culture. Paredes was both a lover of Edgar Rice BurroughsEdgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
’ Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
books, and Mexican poetry—his father in fact composed décima
Décima
A décima refers to a ten-line stanza of poetry, and the song form generally consists of forty-four lines...
s (a ten line poem with set rhyme scheme). This love of poetry was to hold Paredes in good stead when, at the age of 18, he won a poetry contest sponsored by Trinity College
Trinity University (Texas)
Trinity University is a private, independent, primarily undergraduate, university in San Antonio, Texas. Its campus is located in the Monte Vista Historic District and adjacent to Brackenridge Park....
. This award was to gain him the attention of the high school principal, Mr. Irvine, who in turn, expedited his entrance into junior college in 1934. The same year Paredes entered college, an event that would mark his life occurred, the assassination of Cesar Augusto Sandino, about whom, five years later, Paredes would write “A Cesar Augusto Sandino.”
While in his second year of junior college, Paredes was also to write George Washington Gomez: A Mexico-Texan Novel. Although it was not published until 1990, George Washington Gomez is Paredes' most well known work. The book tells the story of a young man growing up in Jonesville on the River (a fictional city Paredes used to represent the city of Brownsville) in the early 1900s. In the work, George Washington Gomez reveals the conflict in identity (as the title name suggests) the young man experiences growing up in an Anglo-Texan environment, particularly with regards to the educational system.
While in college, Paredes worked not only at the local grocery store (where he bought his first guitar from a co-worker), but also at the The Brownsville Herald
The Brownsville Herald
-External links:* * * hosted by the ....
as a proofreader and reporter, a job he would continue to work, even after graduation in 1936. In 1940 as World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began for the Americans, Paredes took a second job with Pan-American Airways overseeing the outfitting of airplanes with fifty-caliber machine guns. Simultaneously, he was to begin playing guitar on the radio, a talent he had taught himself during junior college. Americo Paredes soon was drafted into the army as World War II heated up, but here as well he was to be a journalist, reporting for the army publication Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
, a publication which - while in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- allowed him to interview the military leader Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...
. While in Japan, Paredes was to also begin taking correspondence courses from the University of Texas, through an army school, affectionately referred to as the Tokyo College. By 1950, Paredes was to follow this up by moving to Austin to pursue first his masters then his Ph.D. Upon returning to the United States he brought with him his half-Japanese, half-Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an wife Amelia Nagamine, whose visa issues almost cast a wrench in his education. By 1951, Paredes was teaching as a graduate student at the University of Texas and drawing attention. In 1952 he would win an award from the Dallas Times Herald
Dallas Times Herald
The Dallas Times Herald, founded in 1888 by a merger of the Dallas Times and the Dallas Herald, was once one of two major daily newspapers serving the Dallas, Texas area. It won three Pulitzer Prizes, all for photography, and two George Polk Awards, for local and regional reporting...
for a collection of short stories he had selected from his larger work, The Hammon and The Beans. He called it Border Country. Following this accolade, he would win an award of 500 dollars for his novel The Shadow in 1955, yet this book would not be published until 1996.
In his graduate school years it would be a twist of fate that would lead Paredes down the road of folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. While taking English courses during his masters, he encountered a test comparing two Scottish ballads, which Paredes was to compare to the Mexican corrido
Corrido
The corrido is a popular narrative song and poetry form, a ballad, of Mexico. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for peasants, and other socially important information. It is still a popular form today, and was widely popular during the Mexican Revolution and Nicaraguan...
(a comparison that would crop up again in his dissertation of With His Pistol in His Hand). His professor at the time introduced him to Robert Stephenson, then a professor of English teaching folklore, who would persuade him to pursue a future in the field. In 1956, Paredes’ dissertation, which was to turn into his opus With His Pistol in His Hand, published in 1958 told the story of the legendary Gregorio Cortez
Gregorio Cortez
Gregorio Cortez Lira was a Mexican American outlaw in the American Old West who became a folk hero to Mexicans living in South Texas. He was known for his ability to evade authorities as well as his impassioned words in court.- Background :Cortez's parents were itinerant laborers who brought...
and his conflict with the Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
. The text portrayed the famed Texas Rangers in a negative fashion, which was unheard of in the history of that organization. There was a suggestion, jokingly perhaps, by some Texas Rangers that Paredes should be shot in retaliation for his blemishing of the reputation of the Texas Rangers in that book.) With His Pistol in His Hand was actually Paredes' dissertation and was published as a book by the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
., garnered the attention of famous folklorist Stith Thompson
Stith Thompson
Stith Thompson was an American scholar of folklore. He is the "Thompson" of the Aarne-Thompson classification system.- Biography :...
, who was to recommend the work to the University of Texas Press
University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texana, anthropology, U.S...
for publication (this project however would not reach publication until 1958).
The same year With His Pistol in His Hand was published, Paredes was hired by University of Texas, Austin to teach, a decision which would change the face of their curriculum. In the 1960s and 70’s Americo Paredes was to join the Chicano movement along with Tomás Rivera
Tomás Rivera
Tomás Rivera was a Chicano author, poet, and educator. He was born in Texas to migrant farm workers, and worked in the fields as a young boy...
and Miguel Méndez
Miguel Méndez
Miguel Méndez is the pen name for Miguel Méndez Morales, a Mexican American author best known for his novel Peregrinos de Aztlán .- Early life :...
. During this same period he would also expand the educational curriculum of UT by founding their Center for Folklore Studies (1967). Paredes would continue on to found their Center for Mexican American Studies as well. In 1989 Paredes would become one of five men to be awarded the Charles Frankel Prize of the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
and in 1991 (the same year his high school and young adult poetry Between Two Worlds would publish) he received the Orden del Aguila Azteca along with Cesar Chavez
César Chávez
César Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
and Julian Samora
Julian Samora
Dr. Julian Samora was a Mexican American teacher, scholar and community activist who helped to pioneer the field of Latino Studies....
.
In 1970, his Folktales of Mexico was published as part of the Folktales of the World series.
On May 5, 1999 Americo Paredes died in Austin, Texas.
Paredes has the distinction of being one of the few scholars "to ever have a corrido
Corrido
The corrido is a popular narrative song and poetry form, a ballad, of Mexico. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for peasants, and other socially important information. It is still a popular form today, and was widely popular during the Mexican Revolution and Nicaraguan...
...composed in his honor".