Josefina Niggli
Encyclopedia
Josefina Niggli was a Mexican
-born Anglo-American playwright
and novelist. Writing about Mexican-American issues in the middle years of the century, before the rise of the Chicano movement
, she was the first and, for a time, the only Mexican American writing in English on Mexican themes; her egalitarian views of gender, race and ethnicity were progressive for their time and helped lay the groundwork for such later Chicana feminists as Gloria Anzaldúa, Ana Castillo
and Sandra Cisneros
. Niggli is now recognized as "a literary voice from the middle ground between Mexican and Anglo heritage." Critic Elizabeth Coonrod Martinez has written that Niggli should be considered on a par such widely praised Spanish-language contemporaries as Mariano Azuela
, Martín Luis Guzmán
and Nellie Campobello
. She is thought to be the only Mexican-American woman to have a theatre named after her.
, Nuevo León, into an expatriate
d Euro-American family from the U.S. (her father, of Swiss-Alsatian descent, was from Texas, and her mother, who was Irish-French-German, from Virginia). Because of the Mexican Revolution
, she was sent out of Mexico in 1913, and spent much of her youth between Monterrey and San Antonio, Texas
. As a teenager in San Antonio, and in spite of being an Anglo, she felt that she didn't belong and wished to be back in Monterrey; these feelings formed the basis of her first book of poetry, Mexican Silhouettes, published in 1928 with the help of her father. As a student at Incarnate Word College, Niggli was prompted by her teachers to become a writer, leading to awards from Ladies' Home Journal
and the National Catholic College Poetry Award.
Niggli became active as a writer and producer for San Antonio's KTSA radio station and studied play writing at the San Antonio Little Theatre, eventually joining the Carolina Playmakers at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she earned her M.A. During this time, she continued to write about Mexican folklore and history, such as her play Soldadera, which depicted women soldiers (soldaderas
) in the Mexican Revolution, particularly the tradition of La Adelita
. After a brief stint on the faculty at UNC Chapel Hill, she moved to Mexico to work for playwright Rodolfo Usigli
at the Universidad Autónoma de Mexico. In 1945, she published a collection of her plays, Mexican Folk Plays, with a preface by Usigli.
That same year, Niggli also published her first novel-in-stories, Mexican Village, about a Mexican-born American (like Niggli, but male) who must confront problems with both American and Mexican cultures when he returns to Mexico. She followed this in 1947 with Step Down, Elder Brother, the Spanish translation of which "cemented Niggli´s reputation as a giant of Mexican literature within the Latin American literary world." These novels, written in English, were meant to help her U.S. audience better understand both Mexico and the experiences of Mexican Americans; as such, she has been described by such critics as Gloria Anzaldúa as displaying a "border consciousness," that is, a confusion of identity brought on by the process of Americanization
.
When Mexican Village was picked up by Hollywood to be made into a movie (Sombrero, starring Ricardo Montalban
, Pier Angeli
and Cyd Charisse
), Niggli moved to Hollywood and became a "stable writer" for Twentieth-Century Fox and MGM
studios, working anonymously on such films as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Mark of Zorro
. The adaptation of Mexican Village involved quite a change in genre, being turned into a musical.
Niggli left Hollywood to teach English and drama at Western Carolina University
, where she worked from 1956 to 1975, helping to found the Theatre Department; the University now houses a collection of her writings and a theater in her name. In 2009, the University sponsored a yearlong, campus-wide theme in her honor: "Josefina Niggli: A Celebration of Culture, Art, and Life". While in North Carolina, she continued to write not only novels—her final novel, A Miracle for Mexico, was published in 1964—but also radio and television shows, including The Twilight Zone
and Have Gun—Will Travel.
Niggli died on 17 December 1983 in Cullowhee, North Carolina
.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
-born Anglo-American playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and novelist. Writing about Mexican-American issues in the middle years of the century, before the rise of the Chicano movement
Chicano Movement
The Chicano Movement of the 1960s, also called the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, also known as El Movimiento, is an extension of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement which began in the 1940s with the stated goal of achieving Mexican American empowerment.-Origins:The Chicano Movement...
, she was the first and, for a time, the only Mexican American writing in English on Mexican themes; her egalitarian views of gender, race and ethnicity were progressive for their time and helped lay the groundwork for such later Chicana feminists as Gloria Anzaldúa, Ana Castillo
Ana Castillo
Ana Castillo is a Mexican-American Chicana novelist, poet, short story writer, and essayist.- Life and career :Castillo was born and raised in an inner city barrio of Chicago, Illinois. After completing undergraduate studies, she immediately began teaching college courses...
and Sandra Cisneros
Sandra Cisneros
Sandra Cisneros is an American writer best known for her acclaimed first novel The House on Mango Street and her subsequent short story collection Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories...
. Niggli is now recognized as "a literary voice from the middle ground between Mexican and Anglo heritage." Critic Elizabeth Coonrod Martinez has written that Niggli should be considered on a par such widely praised Spanish-language contemporaries as Mariano Azuela
Mariano Azuela
Mariano Azuela González was a Mexican author and physician, best known for his fictional stories of the Mexican Revolution of 1910...
, Martín Luis Guzmán
Martín Luis Guzmán
Martín Luis Guzmán Franco was a Mexican novelist and journalist.-Life:Guzmán was born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua. Along with Mariano Azuela, he is considered a pioneer of the revolutionary novel, a genre inspired by the experiences of the Mexican Revolution of 1910...
and Nellie Campobello
Nellie Campobello
Nellie Francisca Ernestina Campobello Luna, born María Francisca Moya Luna , was a Mexican writer...
. She is thought to be the only Mexican-American woman to have a theatre named after her.
Biography
Niggli was born on July 13, 1910 in MonterreyMonterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Nuevo León, into an expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
d Euro-American family from the U.S. (her father, of Swiss-Alsatian descent, was from Texas, and her mother, who was Irish-French-German, from Virginia). Because of the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
, she was sent out of Mexico in 1913, and spent much of her youth between Monterrey and San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. As a teenager in San Antonio, and in spite of being an Anglo, she felt that she didn't belong and wished to be back in Monterrey; these feelings formed the basis of her first book of poetry, Mexican Silhouettes, published in 1928 with the help of her father. As a student at Incarnate Word College, Niggli was prompted by her teachers to become a writer, leading to awards from Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
and the National Catholic College Poetry Award.
Niggli became active as a writer and producer for San Antonio's KTSA radio station and studied play writing at the San Antonio Little Theatre, eventually joining the Carolina Playmakers at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she earned her M.A. During this time, she continued to write about Mexican folklore and history, such as her play Soldadera, which depicted women soldiers (soldaderas
Soldaderas
Soldaderas were female soldiers who went into combat alongside men during the Mexican Revolution, which initially broke out in opposition to the conservative Díaz regime...
) in the Mexican Revolution, particularly the tradition of La Adelita
La Adelita
"La Adelita" is one of the most famous corridos to come out of the Mexican Revolution. It is the story of a young woman in love with a sergeant who travels with him and his regiment....
. After a brief stint on the faculty at UNC Chapel Hill, she moved to Mexico to work for playwright Rodolfo Usigli
Rodolfo Usigli
Rodolfo Usigli was a Mexican playwright. He was called the "playwright of the Mexican Revolution."Usigli born to an Italian father and a Polish mother in Mexico City. He studied drama at Yale from 1935-1936 on a Rockefeller scholarship, later becoming a professor and diplomat...
at the Universidad Autónoma de Mexico. In 1945, she published a collection of her plays, Mexican Folk Plays, with a preface by Usigli.
That same year, Niggli also published her first novel-in-stories, Mexican Village, about a Mexican-born American (like Niggli, but male) who must confront problems with both American and Mexican cultures when he returns to Mexico. She followed this in 1947 with Step Down, Elder Brother, the Spanish translation of which "cemented Niggli´s reputation as a giant of Mexican literature within the Latin American literary world." These novels, written in English, were meant to help her U.S. audience better understand both Mexico and the experiences of Mexican Americans; as such, she has been described by such critics as Gloria Anzaldúa as displaying a "border consciousness," that is, a confusion of identity brought on by the process of Americanization
Americanization
Americanization is the influence of the United States on the popular culture, technology, business practices, or political techniques of other countries. The term has been used since at least 1907. Inside the U.S...
.
When Mexican Village was picked up by Hollywood to be made into a movie (Sombrero, starring Ricardo Montalban
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
, Pier Angeli
Pier Angeli
Pier Angeli was an Italian-born television and film actress. Her American cinematographic debut was in the starring role of the 1951 film Teresa, in which she won a Golden Globe Award...
and Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...
), Niggli moved to Hollywood and became a "stable writer" for Twentieth-Century Fox and MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
studios, working anonymously on such films as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Mark of Zorro
The Mark of Zorro
The Mark of Zorro may refer to:*The Mark of Zorro , silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks*The Mark of Zorro , starring Tyrone Power*The Mark of Zorro , television movie starring Frank Langella...
. The adaptation of Mexican Village involved quite a change in genre, being turned into a musical.
Niggli left Hollywood to teach English and drama at Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
, where she worked from 1956 to 1975, helping to found the Theatre Department; the University now houses a collection of her writings and a theater in her name. In 2009, the University sponsored a yearlong, campus-wide theme in her honor: "Josefina Niggli: A Celebration of Culture, Art, and Life". While in North Carolina, she continued to write not only novels—her final novel, A Miracle for Mexico, was published in 1964—but also radio and television shows, including The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
and Have Gun—Will Travel.
Niggli died on 17 December 1983 in Cullowhee, North Carolina
Cullowhee, North Carolina
Cullowhee is a census-designated place in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. Cullowhee is best known for being the home of Western Carolina University . The population was 9,428 as of the 2010 census. The area known as Cullowhee has Western Carolina University, part of the UNC...
.
Plays
- Cry of Hidalgo
- Soldadera
- A Ring for General Macias
- The Red Velvet Goat
- Sunday Costs Five Pesos
- Singing Valley
- The Fair God
- The Cry of Dolores
- Azteca
- This Is Villa
- Tooth or Shave
- Sorella
- Yes, Nellie
- Grapes Are Sometimes Sweet
Collections
- Mexican Village and Other Works (2007: Mexican Village, Step Down, Elder Brother, and five plays)