Date of Award

2010-01-01

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Sociology

Advisor(s)

Howard Campbell

Abstract

This research examined culture on what is now the U.S./Mexico border, among Piro Indians and Spanish citizens (vecinos) in the community of Socorro, Texas between 1744 and 1813. The purpose was to better understand the process of mestizaje as experienced by Piro Indians as they participate in larger hegemonic Spanish civil and ecclesiastical institutions. Using archival materials along with secondary sources, this thesis reconstructs the antecedents that ultimately led the primary Indian community to transform into a Hispano settlement along the banks of the Río Grande. Pressured by vecino encroachment, participation in the Spanish wage-labor system, several environmental catastrophes in the form of the flooding of the river, and the constant threat by various Apache groups helped transform this new community into one best characterized by cultural hybridity and mestizaje.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

60 pages

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

David Camarena

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