Blood Oranges
Colonialism and Agriculture in the South Texas Borderlands
978-1-62349-414-8 Cloth
6 x 9 x 0 in
412 pp. 10 b&w photos. Map. Bib. Index
Pub Date: 05/20/2016
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Beginning in the twentieth century, Anglo Americans consciously transformed the region from that of a culturally “Mexican” space, with an economy based on cattle, into one dominated by commercial agriculture focused on citrus and winter vegetables. As Anglos gained political and economic control in the region, they also consolidated their power along racial lines with laws and customs not unlike the “Jim Crow” system of southern segregation. Bowman argues that the Mexican labor class was thus transformed into a marginalized racial caste, the legacy of which remained in place even as large-scale agribusiness cemented its hold on the regional economy later in the century.
Blood Oranges stands to be a major contribution to the history of South Texas and borderland studies alike.
Connecting the Greater West Series
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Published by Texas A&M University Press