México's Nobodies: The Cultural Legacy of the Soldadera and Afro-Mexican Women (SUNY series, Genders in the Global South)

by Christine B. Arce

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Honorable Mention, 2018 Elli Kongas-Maranda Professional Award presented by the Women's Studies Section of the American Folklore Society
Winner of the 2018 Katherine Singer Kovacs Prize presented by the Modern Language Association
Winner of the 2016 Victoria Urbano Critical Monograph Book Prize presented by the International Association of Hispanic Feminine Literature and Culture


México's Nobodies examines two key figures in Mexican history that have remained anonymous despite their proliferation in the arts: the soldadera and the figure of the mulata. B. Christine Arce unravels the stunning paradox evident in the simultaneous erasure (in official circles) and ongoing fascination (in the popular imagination) with the nameless people who both define and fall outside of traditional norms of national identity. The book traces the legacy of these extraordinary figures in popular histories and legends, the Inquisition, ballads such as "La Adelita" and "La Cucaracha," iconic performers like Toña la Negra, and musical genres such as the son jarocho and danzón. This study is the first of its kind to draw attention to art's crucial role in bearing witness to the rich heritage of blacks and women in contemporary México.
  • ISBN10 143846357X
  • ISBN13 9781438463575
  • Publish Date 1 February 2017
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint State University of New York Press
  • Format Hardcover
  • Pages 350
  • Language English