Mexican American Baseball in South Texas pays tribute to the former baseball teams and players from Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Donna, Alamo, San Juan, Brownsville, Harlingen, and other surrounding communities. From the late 19th century through the 1950s, baseball in South Texas provided opportunities for nurturing athletic and educational skills, reaffirming ethnic identity, promoting political self-determination, developing economic autonomy, and reshaping gender roles for women. Games were special times where Mexican Americans found refuge from backbreaking work and prejudice. These unmatched photographs and stories shed light on the rich history of baseball in this region of Texas.
Richard A. Santillán is professor emeritus of ethnic and women studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Coauthors are Gregory Garrett, educational specialist, Institute of Texan Cultures, University of Texas, San Antonio; Juan D. Coronado, postdoctoral scholar at the Julián Samora Research Institute, Michigan State University; Jorge Iber, associate dean of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and professor of history, Texas Tech University; and Roberto Zamora, assistant professor of organization and school leadership, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg.