La Prensa y El Gran Pueblo Mexicano: A Study of Spanish-language Newspapers in South Texas, 1850-1930

Abstract

This study focuses on Spanish-language newspapers published by Mexicans in South Texas from 1850 to 1930. These newspapers played a vital role in mobilizing Mexican communities for collective action against anti-Mexican violence, racism, and the segregation of their children in schools. This study also examines the influence of these newspapers on the formation of Mexican American identity. These newspapers connected large groups of people through cultural narratives and contributed to defining concepts like "patria" and "raza", exhibiting many of the qualities Benedict Anderson attributed to print capitalism's role in the act of imagining oneself as part of a community. The research presented here specifically focuses on South Texas due to its significance in the Mexican experience within the United States. Cities like San Antonio and Laredo were hubs of social and political activity in which large Mexican populations participated, especially during the years of the Mexican Revolution. Influential Spanish-language newspapers, such as La Crónica and La Prensa, emerged from this region. These newspapers were widely popular and played a crucial role in mobilizing Mexican communities through their content, strongly influencing group identity and politics among Mexicans in the United States.