Bad Mexicans

Starred review from March 21, 2022
MacArthur fellow Hernández (Migra!) explores in this stellar history the legacy of Mexican revolutionary Ricardo Flores Magón (1873–1922) and his magonista movement. Dubbed malos Mexicanos, or “bad Mexicans,” by President Porfirio Díaz, the magonistas and their political party, the Partido Liberal Mexicano, paved the way for the 1910 Mexican Revolution, according to Hernández. Combining exhaustive research with dramatic storytelling, Hernández chronicles Díaz’s seizure of power in an 1876 coup and the ensuing rush of foreign investment that saw U.S. citizens take control of the Mexican railroad, oil, and mining industries. The exploitation of ordinary Mexicans sparked rebellion, and some activists, including Magón, fled over the border to plot Díaz’s overthrow. Hernández vividly details how the “brilliant and ill-tempered” Magón “cultivate the support of Anglo-American radicals” including Eugene V. Debs, while “outrunning and outsmarting” U.S. law enforcement, and paints a harrowing picture of the harsh treatment Mexicans faced in the U.S. Touching on long-running themes in the U.S. government’s relationship with Latin America—including the prioritization of corporate profits over human welfare and the propping up of autocrats in order to protect allegedly vital economic and security interests—Hernández offers a vital reconsideration of American imperialism and the Mexican American experience. This is history at its most elucidating. Photos.

Starred review from March 1, 2023

Telling the story of the grassroots rebels who incited the 1910 Mexican Revolution, MacArthur Fellow Hern�ndez (history and African American studies, UCLA; City of Inmates) offers a nonfiction work that is as thrilling as a great novel. The narrative starts at the birth of Mexican dictator Porfirio D�az and follows the history of Mexico from the 1830s forward. Hern�ndez introduces a large cast of heroes and villains who played a role in the Mexican Revolution, including the Magonistas, followers of Ricardo Flores Mag�n who joined together to oust D�az and reject his partnership with U.S. imperialists. The full force of the U.S. authorities, including the newly formed FBI, was put on alert, but the Magonistas were not easily stopped. This little-remembered moment in history had a profound impact on Mexican-American relations and the people who live near the border today. Narrator Joana Garcia gives a serviceable performance, with clear and concise pronunciation. Even so, Garcia's pace is markedly slow, and some listeners may wish to speed it up. VERDICT This title reveals an important history that continues to affect perceptions and attitudes on both sides of the border. Highly recommended for all public libraries.--Gretchen Pruett

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