Caballero: A Historical Novel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Caballero: A Historical Novel

Editor	José E. Limón & María Cotera
Author	Jovita González Eve Raleigh
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Drama, novel, historical fiction, romance
Publisher	Texas A&M University Press
Publication date	March 1, 1996 (1st edition)
Pages	350 (pbk. edition)
ISBN	978-0-89096-700-3
OCLC	33333314

Caballero: A Historical Novel, often called just Caballero, is a historical romance novel. It was written by Jovita González and Margaret Eimer, who used the pen name Eve Raleigh. The book was written in the 1930s and early 1940s. However, it wasn't published until 1996. Some people call it Texas's own Gone with the Wind.

The story takes place near Matamoros, Tamaulipas in the late 1840s. This was when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. This treaty meant Mexico gave up its lands north of the Rio Grande to the United States. The main character is Don Santiago Mendoza y Soría. He is a wealthy landowner. His family had lived in the region since the Spanish first explored it. The book shows how the treaty, the American military taking over, and new English-speaking settlers changed the lives of Don Santiago, his family, and their servants.

Since it was found and published, Caballero has become very important. It is seen as a major achievement for Tejanos (Texans of Mexican heritage). It is also recognized as an early and important piece of Mexican-American literature. The novel helps us understand the struggles related to background, gender, and social class in Texas history.

Why Caballero Was Written

Jovita González's husband, E.E. Mireles, said in the 1970s that if Caballero had been published in the 1930s or 1940s, it would have caused controversy. This was because of the strong feelings about different groups of people in Corpus Christi, Texas at the time.

Mexican-American Voices and Changes

Caballero was written during a time when people were debating the place of Mexican-Americans in the United States. The 1930s saw the start of groups like the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). These groups wanted people of Latin American heritage to fit into American culture.

However, there were different ideas within LULAC about how much people should change. Men in LULAC often supported fitting in publicly. But they wanted to keep traditional family structures at home. Many women, including Jovita González, disagreed with this. They wanted to see more modern roles for women, especially in Mexican-American homes. Caballero shows a main character, Don Santiago, who struggles to let go of old traditions that limit women. The novel can be seen as González's way of showing what might happen if the Mexican community didn't accept more equal roles for women.

Texas History and Identity

The writing of Caballero also happened around the time of the Texas Centennial in 1936. This celebration often focused on the achievements of Anglo-American Texans. It sometimes showed Mexicans as problems from the past or present. This way of telling Texas history made the Tejanos feel left out.

In response, the Tejano community started to write their own stories. They wanted to show the important contributions of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. They imagined a respected place for their community within the Lone Star State. Jovita González herself challenged the common story of the Centennial. She did this with her "Catholic Heroines of Texas" exhibit. She also published a shorter version in a newspaper. This was around the same time she started working on Caballero.

How the Book Was Published

Caballero is famous not only for its place in Mexican-American literature but also for the difficult way it finally got published.

Early Attempts to Publish

Even though González and Eimer are both listed as authors, many experts believe González was the main writer. In 1930, she earned her master's degree in history. Her professor, J. Frank Dobie, encouraged her to write about her Mexican-American background. After college, González taught Spanish in San Antonio, Texas. In 1934, she received a special grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. This grant allowed her to research and write a book about South Texas history. Caballero and another novel, Dew on the Thorn, seem to be the result of this work.

González asked Eimer to help write the novel around 1937. We don't know all the details of their teamwork. But letters between them and the fact that Eimer's name was first on the manuscript suggest they worked together closely. The novel was finished in the early 1940s. It was sent to several publishers like MacMillan and Houghton-Mifflin. But it was turned down by all of them. Eimer wrote a letter saying that publishers admitted the story was interesting and the characters were lively, but they still rejected it. The authors eventually gave up on the project.

Finding and Publishing the Book Later

Margaret Eimer, who used the name Eve Raleigh, was a close friend and co-author. She was a talented writer whose short stories had often been rejected. She moved to Del Rio, Texas from Joplin, Missouri. This was during a time when many Anglo settlers were moving to Texas. In Del Rio, she became good friends with Jovita González. They both loved writing and questioned common ideas about politics, religion, and how men and women should act. Eimer's letters to González showed her East Coast background and her views on society, like her choice not to marry. They worked together, across their different backgrounds, to write Caballero. Even after Eimer moved back to Missouri, they kept working on the book through mail. Like many other female writers then, they struggled to get their novel published. Eimer sadly died in 1986 and never saw the book in print. However, she died with family who claimed her belongings, including the original manuscript of Caballero, which was titled All This is Mine.

Jovita González lived in Corpus Christi, Texas with her husband, Edmundo E. Mireles. She died in 1983. She didn't become famous for her novels during her lifetime. But she was a well-known citizen in Corpus Christi. She also published some articles in magazines. In the 1970s, a historian named Martha Cotera interviewed González and her husband. Cotera asked about the 1934 Rockefeller grant and the novel that came from it. Mireles said the Caballero manuscript had been destroyed. But González quietly signaled that this wasn't true.

The Caballero manuscript was finally found after Mireles died in 1986. In 1992, Jovita González and Edmundo E. Mireles's papers were put in the library at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. Among these papers was the manuscript, over five hundred yellowed pages tied with string. A year later, Professor José E. Limón from the University of Texas at Austin identified it. He, along with María Eugenia Cotera (Martha Cotera's daughter), prepared the novel for publication.

In 1996, Caballero was published for the very first time by the Texas A&M University Press.

What the Story is About

The novel has an introduction and thirty-six chapters. It tells a story that mixes real historical events with made-up ones. These events happened near the U.S.-Mexico border in the late 1840s.

The introduction explains the history of the Mendoza family in Texas. It starts in 1748. Don José Ramón de Mendoza y Robles, a Spanish explorer, gets permission to lead wealthy landowners to the land between the Rio Grande and Nueces rivers. He names his land Rancho La Palma de Cristo. He marries Susanita Ulloa, who is much younger, and they have a son named Francisco. Francisco marries Amalia Soría, and they have three children: Santiago, Dolores, and Ramón. Their grandmother, Susanita, raises them. She teaches them about their grandfather's greatness and the importance of their Catholic faith. By the time the novel truly begins, Susanita, Francisco, and Ramón have all passed away. This leaves Rancho La Palma completely under Don Santiago's care.

Chapter One introduces Don Santiago, the head of Rancho La Palma, and his family. Like his father and grandfather, he married a Spanish woman, Doña María Petronilla. She is described as simple and modest. They have four teenage children: two sons, Alvaro and Luis Gonzaga, and two daughters, María de los Ángeles and Susanita. Susanita, like her grandmother, has blonde hair and green eyes. She is Don Santiago's favorite child. As he watches her at dinner, he realizes it's time to find her a husband.

Dinner is interrupted by Don Gabriel del Lago, a friend and neighbor. He brings news that Texas has been taken by the Americans. He says American soldiers, led by Zachary Taylor, are setting up bases. Each family member reacts differently:

• Don Santiago refuses to believe the Americans are a threat.
• Alvaro wants to fight them.
• Luis Gonzaga wonders if Americans are really as rough as he's heard.
• María de los Ángeles thinks the invasion is God's punishment because Americans are not Catholic.
• Susanita wonders what it would be like to dance with a tall, white-skinned man.

The story then follows these characters. Their ideas about the invading forces are tested. Sometimes their suspicions are confirmed, but often their views change. You can read a part of Caballero online at Google Books.

What the Title Means

González and Raleigh first thought about naming their book All This Is Mine. This would have been an ironic title for a book written by two people. The title Caballero means "gentleman" in English. It refers to Don Santiago, the main character. But it also highlights ideas about masculinity. It shows how the authors questioned the idea of a powerful, independent man who resists change.

María Eugenia Cotera sees the title as having an ironic twist. She says that while the single word "Caballero" suggests a heroic story, the novel itself doesn't give readers a typical hero. Other experts also see Caballero as an ironic take on historical romance novels, often based on the meaning of its title.

Main Characters

Here are some of the important characters in Caballero:

Mendoza Family

• Don Santiago - The "gentleman" the title refers to. He is Don José Ramón de Mendoza y Robles's grandson and the head of Rancho La Palma. He is known for his quick temper, his strong belief in Spanish customs, and his dislike for the incoming Anglo-Americans.
• Doña María Petronilla - Don Santiago's wife. She seems very obedient at first, but slowly starts to stand up to her husband.
• Alvaro - The older son and Don Santiago's favorite. Like his father, he is proud and very traditional in his masculinity.
• Luis Gonzaga - The younger son and his mother's favorite. He is a talented artist. Don Santiago sees him as not manly enough.
• María de los Angeles (Angela) - The older daughter. She is a very religious Catholic and wants to join a convent, but Don Santiago forbids it.
• Susanita - The youngest child. She is obedient and known for her beauty, blonde hair, and green eyes. She is one half of the main love story in the novel.
• Doña Dolores - Don Santiago's widowed sister. She has a wart on her face that changes color with her mood. She loves beautiful dresses and social events. She often argues with Don Santiago.

Mendoza Household (Workers)

• Paz - The housekeeper, cook, and nurse. She has worked for the Mendoza family since Don Santiago was young. She is not educated.
• Manuel - Paz's great-grandson. He is a troublemaker and becomes friends with the American soldiers.
• Tomás - The manager of Rancho La Palma. He has worked for the Mendoza family for many years. Don Santiago whips him for not obeying orders.
• José & Tecla - Workers in charge of the sheep. They become friends with "Red" McLane after he helps deliver their baby, Alfredo.

Other Characters

• Robert Davis Warrener - Susanita's love interest. He is an American soldier who came to Texas to avoid a marriage his wealthy parents had planned. He is a great singer and wins Susanita over with songs and love letters.
• Alfred ("Red") McLane - María de los Ángeles's love interest. He is a big man with red hair. He speaks perfect Spanish. He sees an opportunity to gain power by helping Spanish-Mexicans adjust to American citizenship.
• Captain Devlin - An army doctor and a widower. He is the first Anglo-American to regularly attend Catholic mass in Matamoros. He becomes friends with Luis Gonzaga because they both like art.
• Padre Pierre - A French Catholic priest. He helps Luis Gonzaga and Devlin, and Susanita and Warrener, have peaceful relationships.
• Gabriel del Lago - Another Spanish-Mexican landowner, like Don Santiago. He is interested in Susanita and later in Doña Dolores.
• Inez Sánchez - A red-haired and spirited friend of Susanita. Alvaro tries to court her but fails. She marries an Anglo-American soldier.
• General Antonio Canales - The leader of a rebellion called the Republic of the Rio Grande. He recruits Alvaro and other young men to join his fighters.

Main Ideas in the Book

Women's Roles and Rights

Jovita González strongly believed in updating gender roles within the Mexican-American community. Caballero is a clear criticism of traditional family structures where men held all the power. Because of this, the novel is seen as a feminist text. The editors, José E. Limón and María Cotera, dedicated the book to "the mexicanas of Texas". They explained that Caballero focuses on the experiences of Mexican women in Texas, a group often overlooked. Cotera even sees the novel as an early example of the work done by later Chicana feminists.

Many experts have studied how Caballero criticizes traditional power structures. For example, John Morán González says the novel fits into the debate about changing gender roles in Mexican-American families. He calls it a key work by women in LULAC during the 1930s. The book highlights concerns about the roles of Mexican American women within an exciting historical story.

Working Together Across Cultures

The debate about whether to fit into a new culture or keep old traditions was strong among Mexican-American thinkers in the 1930s and 1940s. This debate still comes up when people discuss Caballero. A lot of attention is given to the fact that the book was written by two women from different backgrounds. This makes it "a product of at least two separate and possibly conflicting historical understandings."

Some critics have said the novel promotes fitting in too much. This is because the book shows three marriages between Don Santiago's children and American soldiers. María Eugenia Cotera also points out that the book might show Anglo American values in a too-positive light.

However, Cotera argues that the importance of the co-authorship has often been ignored or criticized unfairly. She believes this unique teamwork between González and Eimer played a big part in why Caballero wasn't published earlier. But there's a strong argument against these criticisms. It says that the power of these two women, from such different backgrounds, speaking out together against old, unfair ideas about patriarchal power and identity is very significant.

This teamwork is also interesting because it tells the Mexican side of the war. It shows a partnership between a Mexican-American and an Anglo-American author. Cotera argues that it's natural for these women to work together. She says the idea of a single author is a modern idea linked to business and traditional power structures. Caballero challenges this idea by showing collaboration. When you write together, you have to want the shared world you're creating more than your own individual ideas.

This collaboration is not about "selling out" or giving up one's culture. The love stories in the novel have been seen as showing assimilation, as if the Anglo men are "conquering" the Mexican women. But Cotera says such criticisms often focus on race and nation, forcing the novel's critique of traditional power into a critique of imperialism. Instead, she suggests viewing the collaboration as a nepantla. This is a Nahuatl word used by scholar Gloria E. Anzaldúa that means "a space between" or "a middle ground." This idea helps us see the humanity in others and ourselves, building bridges and overcoming differences. It works on many levels, breaking down ideas like "colored/white, female/male, mind/body," all of which are important in Caballero.

Eimer and González trusted each other in their friendship and work. Their collaboration happened in a time and place where such crossings were risky, especially in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands of 1846–1848. The book itself is a mix of genres: "part history, part tragedy, part romance, part feminist tract." This complex structure reflects the complex historical changes it describes.

In short, Caballero is a book about working together, written by two people working together. It shows a hopeful vision of a world that was hard to imagine in Texas in the 1930s.

Other Important Ideas

Since its publication, Caballero has been looked at in many ways. For example, Marci R. McMahon's 2007 essay, "Politicizing Spanish-Mexican Domesticity, Redefining Fronteras", suggests that González and Raleigh used the idea of the home life as a place to resist American control. Pablo Ramirez's 2009 essay, "Resignifying Preservation: A Borderlands Response to American Eugenics in Jovita González and Eve Raleigh's Caballero", looks at the love stories in the book as a response to ideas that "Americanness" was about strong family lines and careful breeding.

Fairness and Roles

The novel explores issues of racism in a complex way, beyond just white versus other. It shows how Spanish heritage was favored within the "Mexican" community. This is seen in how Spanish features were considered ideals of beauty. It's also clear in marriage rules, where Mexicans with Indigenous heritage were not allowed to marry those with more direct Spanish roots. They were often limited to roles as "peons" (workers).

While this unfair system existed within the large estates (haciendas), there was also a land conflict between Native American Indians, Mexicans, and Anglo Americans. This caused a lot of bad feelings, shown by the use of words like "gringo" and fear of Indian Americans. The historical setting of the U.S./Mexican War is a constant theme. It is often shown through how the characters act based on their gender. Women often represent peace and life, while heterosexual men represent fighting and war. This highlights the strict gender roles of that culture and time, where femininity and masculinity were defined in very traditional ways. Don Santiago is seen as the ultimate head of the family, a role that doesn't serve him well in the end.

External Resources

• Partial text of Caballero: A Historical Novel at Google Books.
• Partial text of Jovita Gonzalez's Dew on the Thorn at Google Books.
• Partial text of Jovita's Gonzalez's Life along the Border: A Landmark Tejana Thesis at Google Books.
• Partial text of José Limón's "Folklore, Gendered Repression, and Cultural Critique: The Case of Jovita González".
• José Limón's Professional Website at the University of Texas at Austin.
• María Cotera's Professional Website at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.