Problems in Modern Mexican History - (Latin American Silhouettes) by William H Beezley & Monica A Rankin (Paperback)

About the Book

This unique reader collects a rich array of documents that show how Mexicans viewed their history and culture since independence. Offering a wide variety of materials-texts, visuals, videos, and sounds- that can be tailored to the needs of individual instructors, these sources...

Book Synopsis

Mexicans, since national independence, have defined their challenges as problems or dimensions in their lives. They have faced these issues alone or with others through politics, security (the military, police, or even public health squads), religion, family, and popular groups. This unique reader collects documents--texts, visuals, videos, and sounds--from organizational reports, popular expressions, and ephemeral creations to express these concerns, reveal responses, and measure successes. They allow readers to consider and discuss how these documents enabled Mexicans to evaluate their history and culture from 1810 to the present. Offering a wide variety of materials that can be tailored to the needs of individual instructors, these rich sources will ​stimulate critical thinking and give students new insights and often surprising respect and understanding for the ways Mexicans have managed to find humor, even magic, in their lives.

Review Quotes

A remarkably innovative collection of documents that will appeal to all types of learning styles. Incorporating written, oral, and visual documents with clear guidance on promoting a multilayered interpretation, Beezley and Rankin introduce students to a cultural approach to major themes and periods in Mexican history since independence. By turns whimsical and weighty, the documents--covering topics from Allende to the Zapatistas--offer readers engaging insight into Mexican responses to over two hundred years of adversity and opportunity.

This diverse collection of primary sources offers something for everyone, from the neophyte student to the seasoned expert. Undergraduate students in particular will gain not only a deeper understanding but also a greater appreciation of Mexico's complex and often surprising history. The documents are curated with sensitivity to the popular voices that are so often silent in the historical narrative. What we hear are past Mexicans--from every social position and walk of life--telling their own story.

About the Author

William H. Beezley is professor of history at the University of Arizona.
Monica A. Rankin is associate professor of history and director of the Center for U.S.-Latin American Initiatives at the University of Texas at Dallas.