!!!! PRESERVE (AUTHOR REQUESTED THIS ONE TO BE TAKEN DOWN) Laredo: Stories

Jennifer Buentello, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

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Copyright 2017 Jennifer Buentello. All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

This collection of short stories attempts to capture the voices and experiences of individuals who often go unnoticed on the Texas-Mexico border. There exists a rich culture and history in Laredo, Texas, despite its location in a region that has been plagued by drug violence. Similarly, media perception of the cartel wars which spill over on both sides of the border tend to show a partial view of Laredo. As a result, this manuscript attempts to humanize the people of this city. The characters in each story are forced to navigate their setting in order to accept or deny their cultural identity as both a Laredoan and Mexican-American living on the border. From the Martha Washington Parade to the issues migrant families face, these stories invite readers to explore the borders between love and hate, prejudice and truth, exclusion and unity— cultural themes relevant to everyone in a multicultural world.