From Santa Anna to Selena:
Notable Mexicanos and Tejanos in Texas History Since 1821
Harriett Denise Joseph

Harriet Denise Joseph relates biographies of eleven notable Mexicanos and Tejanos, beginning with Santa Anna and the impact his actions had on Texas. She discusses the myriad contributions of Erasmo and Juan Seguin to Texas history, as well as the factors that led a hero of the Texas Revolution (Juan) to be viewed later as a traitor by his fellow Texans. Admired by many but despised by others, folk hero Juan Nepomuceno Cortina is one of the most controversial figures in the history of nineteenth-century South Texas. Preservationist and historian Adina De Zavala fought to save part of the Alamo site and other significant structures. Labor activist Emma Tenayuca's youth, passion, courage, and sacrifice merit attention for her efforts to help the working class. 

Joseph reveals the individual and collective accomplishments of a powerhouse couple, bilingual educator Edmundo Mireles and folklorist-author Jovita González. She recognizes the military and personal battles of Medal of Honor recipient Raul "Roy" Benavidez. Irma Rangel, the first Latina to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, is known for the many "firsts" she achieved during her lifetimes. Finally, we read about Selena's life and career, as well as her tragic death and her continuing marketability. 

"Whether it is teachers looking to enhance their classes or readers wishing to learn more about Mexicans in Texas history, Denise Joseph's timely book has much to offer." —George T. Díaz, author of Border Contraband: A History of Smuggling Across the Rio Grande.

Harriett Denise Joseph is professor of history at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Specializing in the Mexican and Texas history, she has co=authored three books with Donald E. Chipman, including the multiple award-winning Notable Men and Women of Spanish Texas; Explorers and Settlers of Spanish Texas; and the revised edition of Spanish Texas, 1519-1821. 

From Santa Anna to Selena: Notable Mexicanos and Tejanos in Texas History Since 1821 is a publication by University of North Texas Press. Click here to purchase.

10/26/2018

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