The legacy of Américo Paredes
By: José R. López Morín.
Edition: 1st ed.
Series: Rio Grande/Río Bravo -- no. 10
Publisher: Texas A & M University Press; Texas A&M University Press
Published: 2006
Place of publication: College Station
Language: eng
Number of pages: 169
ISBN-13: 9781585445097; 9781585445363
Subjects: Paredes, Américo; Paredes, Américo; Mexican American authors -- Texas -- Biography; Authors, American -- 20th century -- Biography; Folklorists -- United States -- Biography
Genres: Biography.
Description: "Americo Paredes (1915-99) is one of the seminal figures in Mexican American studies. With this first book-length biography of Paredes, author Jose R. Lopez Morin offers fresh insight into the life and work of this influential scholar, as well as the close relationship between his experience and his thought." "Morin shows how Mexican literary traditions - particularly the performance contexts of oral "literature" - shaped Paredes's understanding of his people and his critique of Anglo scholars' portrayal of Mexican American history, character, and cultural expressions." "Although he surveys all of Paredes's work, Morin focuses most heavily on the masterpiece, With a Pistol in His Hand. It is in this book that Morin sees Paredes's innovative interdisciplinary approach most effectively expressed. Dealing as he did with a people at the intersection of cultures, Paredes considered the intersection of disciplines a necessary focus for clear understanding. Morin traces the evolution of Paredes's thought and his battles to create a legitimate home for his approach at the University of Texas." "A voice for Chicano consciousness in the late 1960s and thereafter, Paredes championed Mexican American studies and encouraged a generation of scholars to consider this culture a legitimate topic for research. Urging the application of context to the understanding of oral texts, he challenged then-current methods of folklore and anthropological study in general." "Paredes's name will continue to resonate in Mexican American studies, American folklore, and anthropology, and his work will continue to be studied. This book makes a strong case for the lasting importance of Paredes's work, especially for a new generation of scholars."--BOOK JACKET
Notes: "Works of Américo Paredes": p. 149-156.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 157-165) and index.
Table of contents: title: The lower Rio Grande border; title: His life and work; title: "With his pistol in his hand"; title: Toward new perspectives in folklore and cultural anthropology.