Charrería, Nationalism, and Manly Relevance in Modern Mexico
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CHARRERÍA, NATIONALISM, AND MANLY RELEVANCE IN MODERN MEXICO Angélica Castillo Reyna A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History. Chapel Hill 2018 Approved by: John C. Chasteen Kathryn Burns Cynthia M. Radding Miguel La Serna Jocelyn Olcott © 2018 Angélica Castillo Reyna ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Angélica Castillo Reyna: Charrería, Nationalism, and Manly Relevance in Modern Mexico (Under the direction of John C. Chasteen) This dissertation offers two premises. First, there is a deep history of relationships between power, horsemanship, and constructions of masculinity in modern Mexico. Second, because of this history, Mexicans in various eras and situations have depended on rural equestrian costumes, identities, and traditions to influence, interpret, and navigate the world around them. Part 1 of this dissertation consists of three chapters and provides an overview of the development of Mexican equestrian customs and the ways that Mexicans in colonial, independent, and revolutionary Mexico used horsemanship to make their lives meaningful, central, and sustainable. Part II, composed of five chapters, shifts to a discussion of the emergence of the equestrian sport community of organized charrería and the way that organized charros continued the practice of transforming Mexico’s equestrian past into a form of strategic cultural capital. Post-revolutionary organized charros, cognizant of the rich equestrian history they had to draw upon, used the idea of Mexican horsemen’s historic contributions in order to claim relevance in post-revolutionary Mexico as the heirs and latest representatives of that historically-significant equestrian tradition. iii A mis amados, mama chula y mi viejito. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Una aventura como esta tesis no se hace sin el apoyo y amor de muchos. Gracias, desde el fondo de mi corazón, a todos los que me acompañaron, me guiaron y me ayudaron. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................ ix INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1: HORSEMANSHIP IN THE COLONY AND EARLY INDEPENDENCE ........................................................................................................................ 13 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 13 Horses and Horsemen of the Conquest ............................................................................. 13 Elite and Popular Equestrian Traditions in New Spain .................................................... 21 Insurgent Horsemen in Independent Mexico .................................................................... 27 Literary Portraits of Horsemen and the New Nation ........................................................ 31 Gentlemen or Criminals? Horsemen at the Boundaries of Law and Order ...................... 42 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 49 CHAPTER 2: RANCHEROS IN PORFIRIAN MEXICO ........................................................... 51 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 51 Progress and Order in Porfirian Mexico ........................................................................... 53 Ignacio de la Torre y Mier: Occasionally, A Charro Hacendado ..................................... 60 Alejandro Velaz: The Cross-Dressing Charrito from Málaga ......................................... 66 Vicente Oropeza: A Transnational Charro Entertainer ..................................................... 70 Los Rurales: Charro Enforcers of the State ...................................................................... 79 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 83 CHAPTER 3: HORSEMEN OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION ............................................ 84 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 84 The Mexican Revolution................................................................................................... 85 vi Pancho Villa, A Bandit-Hero on Horseback ..................................................................... 88 The Charro Emiliano Zapata ........................................................................................... 101 Hacendados and Charro Nostalgia .................................................................................. 115 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 122 PART II: THE RISE OF ORGANIZED CHARRERÍA, 1920-1960 ......................................... 124 CHAPTER 4: THE WRITINGS OF AN OLD GUARD CHARRO .......................................... 129 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 129 The Marquis and his Background ................................................................................... 133 The Marquis’ Initial Explanations of Charrería .............................................................. 138 Modeling an Ideal Charro Masculinity ........................................................................... 141 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 147 CHAPTER 5: THE VISION OF CHARRO NATIONALISTS ................................................. 149 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 149 Debating the Charro’s Origins ........................................................................................ 153 Charro Patriotic Service .................................................................................................. 162 The Charro’s Iconic Masculinity .................................................................................... 165 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 170 CHAPTER 6: CHARRERÍA AND MANLY POLITICAL LEADERSHIP .............................. 171 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 171 Caciquismo and Leadership in Post-Revolutionary Mexico .......................................... 173 Roberto Cruz in the World of Organized Charrería ........................................................ 176 The ANCh and Roberto Cruz in Rebellion ..................................................................... 183 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 187 CHAPTER 7: CHARROS ENGAGE THE REVOLUTIONARY STATE ............................... 189 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 189 vii Charro Petitions to the State ........................................................................................... 191 The Mexican State: An Unreliable Patron ...................................................................... 197 Charrismo, Charrería, and Independent Leaders’ Subjection to the Mexican State .................................................................................................................. 202 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 207 CHAPTER 8: CHARRERÍA AND CHARRO RESPECTABILITY, CONTESTED ............................................................................................................................. 209 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 209 The Troubles with Maintaining Charro Respectability .................................................. 211 The Problem of Popular Charro Entertainers .................................................................. 220 Contesting Depictions of Charrería on Film ................................................................... 229 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 238 EPILOGUE: ORGANIZED CHARRERÍA AFTER 1950 ......................................................... 239 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 248 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 250 viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ANCh Asociación Nacional de Charros FNCh Federación Nacional de Charros ix INTRODUCTION This dissertation offers two premises. First, there is a deep history of relationships between power, manly relevance, and horsemanship in modern Mexico. Second,