Jovita González facts for kids
Jovita González (born January 18, 1904 – died 1983) was an important Mexican-American writer, teacher, and expert in folklore. She is well-known for her book Caballero: A Historical Novel, which she wrote with Margaret Eimer.
Jovita González was also a key figure in starting the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). She made history as the first woman and the first Mexican-American to lead the Texas Folklore Society. She was president from 1930 to 1932.
González noticed that Mexican-Americans and Anglos often didn't understand each other. So, in her work, she shared Mexican culture and tried to help both groups get along better.
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Early Life and Family
Jovita González was born on January 18, 1904, near the Texas-Mexico border in Roma, Texas. Her parents were Jacob González Rodríguez and Severina Guerra Barrera.
Her family was quite special. Her father's side had many educated and hardworking Mexicans. Her mother's family were descendants of Spanish explorers who came to El Nuevo Santander. Jovita was the fourth of seven children.
When she was very young, Jovita lived on her grandparents' ranch. She heard many stories from the people who worked there. These stories later inspired her work as a folklorist, teacher, and writer.
In 1910, when Jovita was six, her family moved from Roma to San Antonio. They wanted her and her siblings to get a better education. This move happened during the Mexican Revolution, when many Mexican immigrants were coming into Texas. Jovita saw this big wave of new people while living in San Antonio.
Her Education Journey
After high school, Jovita started studying at the University of Texas at Austin. But she had to return home after her first year because she couldn't afford it. For a few years, she worked as a "Head Teacher" at a small school.
Later, she enrolled at Our Lady of the Lake. There, she met J. Frank Dobie. He encouraged her to rewrite Mexican folktales. These stories were later published in his book Pure Mexicano and other folklore magazines.
Jovita earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Our Lady of the Lake in 1927. After teaching for a couple of years, she received a scholarship. This scholarship helped her go back to the University of Texas at Austin for her master's degree. In 1930, she wrote her master's thesis about "Social Life in Cameron, Starr, and the Zapata Counties."
Her Master's Thesis
Jovita's master's thesis was titled Social Life in Cameron, Starr, and Zapata Counties. Her main goal was to help connect Anglos and Texas-Mexicans.
In the summer of 1929, she traveled through remote areas of Webb, Zapata, and Starr Counties. A research grant in 1934 helped her do this. She interviewed people from all backgrounds, both Anglos and Texas-Mexicans. She wanted to understand how they saw each other.
Her professor, Dr. Eugene C Barker, was unsure about her work at first. He thought it didn't have enough historical facts. But her friend, Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda, believed it would be important for future research.
Joining Groups and Societies
During her college years, Jovita González was active in many groups. She was part of Junta del Club de Bellas Artes, a group for middle-class Mexican-American women. She also joined the Newman Club, the Latin American Club, and the Texas Folklore Society.
Leading the Texas Folklore Society
With help from J. Frank Dobie, the Texas Folklore Society started focusing on collecting stories from Mexican people in Texas. Dobie helped Jovita by editing her writings and discussing Mexican folklore with her. He also encouraged her to join the society, and she eventually became its president.
She was elected vice president in 1928. Then, she became president in both 1930 and 1931. This was a big achievement because the society was mostly made up of white men from Texas.
One of her first contributions was to Texas and Southwestern Lore. This book collected popular folklore, including songs, myths, and tales. Jovita added stories and songs about the world of the vaqueros (cowboys). She continued to share her research at the society's yearly meetings. She became a respected expert on Mexican-American culture in the Southwest.
Marriage, Books, and Teaching
Jovita met her husband, Edmundo E. Mireles, at the University of Texas in Austin. They married in 1935 in San Antonio. They then moved to Del Rio, Texas. There, Mireles became the principal of San Felipe High School, and Jovita taught English and led the English department.
In Del Rio, Jovita met Margaret Eimer. Margaret became her co-author for the book Caballero: A Historical Novel. In 1939, Jovita and Edmundo moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. There, they wrote two sets of Spanish textbooks for schools: Mi Libro Español (books 1–3) and El Español Elemental.
Jovita also helped with the Spanish Institute that Mireles started. She supported the Corpus Christi Spanish Program, which encouraged teaching Spanish in public schools. She was also involved in the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a group that her husband helped create.
Her early published works include "Folklore of the Texas-Mexican Vaquero" (1927) and "America Invades the Border Town" (1930). She also wrote "Among My People" (1932) and "With the Coming of the Barbed Wire Came Hunger." She contributed to "Puro Mexicano," edited by Dobie. In 1937, she wrote "Latin Americans" for a book called Our Racial and National Minorities. She was the first person of Mexican descent to write on this topic.
Important Works
Caballero
In the late 1930s and 1940s, Jovita González worked with Margaret Eimer (who used the pen name Eve Raleigh) to write the historical novel Caballero.
Caballero is a historical romance. It explores how American power and culture affected Mexican lands that became part of the American Southwest in the mid-1800s. Eimer and González wrote the book by mailing their manuscripts back and forth after they moved to different cities.
Jovita spent twelve years gathering information for Caballero. She used family stories, old records, and historical sources while doing research for her master's thesis. Sadly, Caballero was not published while either Eimer or González were alive.
The story takes place during the U.S.-Mexico War. It looks at some problems with U.S. colonization. But it also criticizes the old-fashioned, male-dominated system of the Tejano hacienda (large estate). The story focuses on the Mendoza y Soria daughters. They insist on marrying who they want, even against their father's wishes. Like Jovita's other works, this novel offers a different view of history from a Tejana (Texas-Mexican woman's) perspective.
Among My People
"Among My People" was another story Jovita González shared with the Texas Folklore Society. It was published in J. Frank Dobie's collection Tone the Bell Easy.
She divided the story into three parts. In each part, she talks about a Mexican man and his connection to religion. The story helps readers understand how important religion is in Mexican culture.
The Bullet-Swallower
In 1936, Jovita retold a famous folktale called The Bullet-Swallower. This tale is about a brave Mexican man who leaves his comfortable life to face the challenges of the West.
By retelling this story in English, with some Spanish words, Jovita helped English-speaking readers understand Mexican culture. She also showed the unique voice of the story's narrator. This tale was published in Pure Mexicano, J. Frank Dobie's collection.
Later Life and Legacy
Jovita González continued to teach Spanish and Texas History at W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi. She retired in 1967.
After retiring, she tried to write her autobiography (her life story). But she couldn't finish it due to her diabetes and depression. She left it as a thirteen-page outline.
Jovita González passed away in 1983 in Corpus Christi. In 1991, the Mexican Americans in Texas History Conference honored her work. Her writings are now kept at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin. They are also at the Southwestern Writers Collection at Texas State University-San Marcos.
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See also
In Spanish: Jovita González para niños
