Peons and Progressives: Race and Boosterism in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, 1904–1941

Authors

• Cory Wimberly, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
• Javier Martínez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• David Muñoz, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Margarita Cavazos, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 2018

Abstract

This article focuses on the discourse of race produced by boosters in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas; it builds on previous research showing the effects of booster materials on the conduct and perception of immigrants. Today, the LRGV continues to impact issues and debates about race in the United States; as such, it is imperative to offer a critical eye to the discourses and mythologies that frame race in the region. A discursive analysis of race in booster materials shows that race was not just an isolated element but one that deeply shaped almost every aspect of the construcion of place—from land, to beauty, to policing.

Comments

Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.1093/whq/why094

Recommended Citation

Wimberly, Cory, Javier Martínez, David Muñoz, and Margarita Cavazos. 2018. “Peons and Progressives: Race and Boosterism in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, 1904–1941.” Western Historical Quarterly 49 (4): 437–63. https://doi.org/10.1093/whq/why094.

Publication Title

Western Historical Quarterly

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/whq/why094