Las Tejanas 300 Years of History
Las Tejanas: 300 Years of History is the story of, in the words of its introduction, "women of Spanish-Mexican origin in Texas" (xv). Well researched and written by Teresa Palomo Acosta and Ruthe Winegarten, the non-fiction work attempts to fill in the gaps in the literature on Tejanas while capitalizing on recent primary source discoveries. The work offers a comprehensive look on women of Spanish-Mexican origin in all aspects of life from their origins as Natives to recent political advancements of Tejanas in the United States. A fine accomplishment, there is great evidence and detail and no area regarding these women is excluded from the work. While there is little theme to Las Tejanas, as sections are often unrelated, short, and disjointed, the general idea is the advancement of the women of Spanish-Mexican origin from their earliest days to their liberated accomplishments of the present. The authors accomplish this theme offering little analysis or bias and offer little of their own commentary in the work. Thus Las Tejanas reads almost as a fact sheet or a non-opinionated textbook, but the excellent level of detail and the scope of coverage make it an admirable work on the subject of Tejanas.
One heading could complete and another will begin on a complete different subject, within the chapter scope of course. Chapters entitled "Entering Business and the Professions" and "Winning and Holding Public Office" speak for themselves, before the book ends with positive achievements in arts and culture. de Hernandez, a Tejana leader and orator who fought for her people (89). On numerous occasions, for instance, it is mentioned that Tejanas are nearly the majority racial population among woman and will be in the future (197). By the end of the book the theme of the importance and developed cultural and political achievements of Tejanas is emphasized as Tejanas have, "in each period of their history in the state, created a very specific cultural legacy" (313). Las Tejanas then takes a turn and begins to focus on individual aspects of life in Texas, such as rural and urban. However, without directly stating it, the book does have a theme of the importance of Tejanas. This, however, does not detract from the broad range of information and surely the author's should error on the side of adequate information rather than leaving out important areas. By drawing on all available sources, Las Tejanas is without a doubt a complete factual account of the history of Tejana women from numerous angles both secondary and primary. In the words of the author's in the introduction, they seek to "provide the reader with "a general survey of Mexican origin women, placing them within the framework of Tejano history" (xvi). They intend, through an account of the facts, to show the importance of Tejanas and their influence in Texas past and present. While each chapter has an overlying theme, within each chapter are short sections with subtitled headings. Impressive in the telling of this story, is that the authors do not offer direct bias in support of the women, but rather seem to have taken the attitude that the facts speak for themselves. In fact, there are times more commentary and analysis would be more welcome, however the authors make it clear in their introduction that they do not intent for any theory or comparison or excessive analysis within their work. This theme is of their influence in Texas, and their rise in quality of life and position in relation to society.
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Acceptance Essays
