2012 Librotraficante Caravan
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1 Running Hand-in-Hand: The Librotraficantes Mapping Cultural Resistance in the US Mexico Borderlands Dissertation Zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie der Philosophischen Fakultät der Universität des Saarlandes vorgelegt von Claire M Massey M.A. aus Stockport, UK Erstberichterstatterin: Prof.in Dr.in Astrid M. Fellner, Universität des Saarlandes Zweitberichterstatter: Assoc. Prof. Marion Rohrleitner, University of Texas at El Paso Greifswald, 2019 2 Dekan: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heinrich Schlange-Schöningen Erstberichterstatterin: Prof.in Dr.in Astrid M. Fellner, Universität des Saarlandes Zweitberichterstatter: Assoc. Prof. Marion Rohrleitner, University of Texas at El Paso Tag der letzten Prüfungsleistung: 30 January 2020 3 Eigenständigkeitklärung Gemaß § 5 Absatz 4a der Promotionsordung der Philosophischen Fakultät (P) / Gemeinsame Promotionsordnug der Fakultät 3 (Philosophische Fakultät I – Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften) und der Fakultät 4 (Philosophische Fakultät II – Sprach-, Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaften) der Universität des Saarlandes vom 1. April 2014 versichere ich – Claire M. Massey, geboren am 19.11.1966 in Stockport, UK – dass ich mich der Vergangenheit keinem anderen Promotionsverfahren unterzogen habe. Gemaß § 5 Absatz 4b der Promotionsordung erkläre ich hiermit, dass ich die vorliegende Dissertation selbständig verfasst habe. Es wurden keine anderen Quellen und Hilfsmittel verwandt als die, die von mir in dieser Dissertation angegebenen Werken entnommen wurden, kenntlich gemacht habe. Gemaß § 5 Absatz 4c der Promotionsordung erkläre ich daruber hinaus, dass ich bei der Anfertigung der Arbeit nicht die entgeltliche Hilfe von Vermittlungs- und Beratungsdiensten in Anspruch genommen habe. Greifswald, den 3. Dezember 2019 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................... 5 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER ONE “¡MAS!” MEXICAN AMERICAN STUDIES, TUCSON ................................................................. 27 The Wild West ...................................................................................................................................................... 27 Pedagogy of the Oppressed .................................................................................................................................. 30 Can the Subaltern Speak Spanish?........................................................................................................................ 38 The Core of Culture .............................................................................................................................................. 42 Precious Knowledge ............................................................................................................................................. 49 Chante Sweet Chante ............................................................................................................................................ 57 “Republicans Hate Latinos” ................................................................................................................................. 63 CHAPTER TWO “V FOR VICTORY, VATOS!” DAY ONE: HOUSTON .................................................................. 74 Dissident Voices ................................................................................................................................................... 75 Having Their Say .................................................................................................................................................. 80 Taking It To The Streets ....................................................................................................................................... 98 Business End of a Rope ...................................................................................................................................... 107 Unlawfully Present ............................................................................................................................................. 114 El Teatro Librotraficante .................................................................................................................................... 119 CHAPTER THREE “ARMED WITH LIBROS AND VEINS” DAY ONE & TWO: SAN ANTONIO ............................. 153 Contraband People .............................................................................................................................................. 154 Southwest Workers Union .................................................................................................................................. 166 Going Underground ............................................................................................................................................ 172 The List ............................................................................................................................................................... 178 CHAPTER FOUR “BRIDGING THE ABYSS” DAY THREE: EL PASO .................................................................. 199 ¡Huelga! .............................................................................................................................................................. 201 Hold The Line ..................................................................................................................................................... 207 Border Breakout/Outbreak.................................................................................................................................. 214 Building For Ourselves ....................................................................................................................................... 222 No Apologies ...................................................................................................................................................... 226 Plan Mayachén ................................................................................................................................................... 234 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................. 239 Appendix I The Librotraficante Manifesto ........................................................................................................ 242 Appendix II Bibliography of the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American Studies Program. ..... 245 Appendix III Resistance Literature Read in Xikano Literature/Raza Studies Classes Tuscon Unified School District, Mexican American Studies Program. ................................................................................................... 250 WORKS CITED ................................................................................................................................................. 251 GERMAN SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................... 278 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to say a very big thank you to Prof. Dr. Astrid M. Fellner for the support and encouragement she has given me. Our shared passion for the field of Chicanx Studies (and Texas) created a space in which I had both her knowledge to draw from and the freedom to pursue my research. There is no doubt that I developed both intellectually and personally under her tutelage. My heartfelt thanks also go to Dr. Marion Rohrleitner for her guidance and her unwavering belief in my project. During my fieldwork in El Paso, she not only opened up her home to me, but also organized numerous opportunities for me to network and to present my research. Her commitment has been instrumental to the completion of this work. I gratefully acknowledge grants received from the Saarland University GradUS Global funding program. It has been my honor also to receive a research fellowship from the University of Texas at Austin, Center for Mexican-American Studies, LILLAS Benson Latin American Collection. My deepest gratitude must go to the five founding members of the Librotraficante Movement—Laura Acosta, Tony Díaz, Liana López, Lupe Méndez, and Bryan Parras. They have been unwavering in their support at every step of this project. I shall be forever grateful. As a group and individually they have welcomed me into their work, into their lives, and into the community. I am humbled by how much they have shared and how much they have given of themselves so that I could complete my work. May this dissertation honor them. Grateful thanks also go to Dr. Sean Arce, co-founder and former director of the Tuscon Unified School District’s Mexican American Studies program, the dismantling of which was the catalyst for the founding of the Librotraficante Movement. Dr. Arce gave me full access to the program’s materials and to his time. His guidance and support has proved invaluable. I am indepted to the generosity of Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros and Griselda Muñoz; 6 they are two exceptional writers whose poetry and activism speaks so powerfully of life in the Borderlands. Their welcome and their trust have been extraordinary. I am honored to share their stunning necessary voices. The support