Week 6—Down These Mean Streets (part i)

I’ve been waiting to start studying this book since the start of term, anticipating even more our class discussions. When I preread this book (okay, I made it half way through), I couldn’t put it down. I guess partly because it is a memoir of Piri Thomas’ life; a collection of his life experiences and happenings that made him the person he became. There is such a personal element in this story. I mean, let’s face it, very few heterosexual men will describe their first sexual experiences with another man, even fewer will even admit to it.

One of the main themes of his memoir is one that fascinates me the most in literature—liminality. Here we have a man, Piri Thomas, who is raised in a Puerto Rican home, with Puerto Rican parents and siblings. Moms is a ‘white’ Puerto Rican and Poppa is a ‘black’ Puerto Rican. Piri shares the same complexion with his father. And from the beginning of the book, Thomas remarks on the harsh, if not abusive, treatment he receives from his father. Right off the bat, Thomas tells the reader that “Poppa ain’t never gunna hit me again. I’m his kid too, just like James, José, Paulie, and Sis. But I’m the one that always gets the blame for everything.” For some reason, there is an unseen tension between Piri and Poppa; a rift between them despite them sharing a similar complexion. In fact, the first section, titled “Harlem” begins with Thomas saying “Pops, how come me and you is always on the outs? Is it something we don’t know nothing about? I wonder if it’s something I done, or something I am.” Even though Piri and Poppa are the two members of the family who share a darker complexion, it is as if Poppa resents Piri and takes it out on him. Perhaps it is to toughen Piri up to prepare him for a life of prejudgment and racism, which we read about in a few chapters.

It comes to light more prominently later on that Piri doesn’t see himself as Black; rather, he sees himself as Puerto Rican. In Chapter 11, titled “How to Be a Negro Without Really Trying”, Thomas describes his job interview, and how he is passed over for being ‘black’. When he tells Harold Christian that he is Puerto Rican, Piri is probed about his name and the degree of Puerto Ricanness it is. Harold Christian doesn’t care though…all he sees is some black dude in front of him.

Piri sees himself as neither black nor white and that isn’t sufficient for the outside world. He doesn’t see colour or race, clinging only to his inherent nationality. Society, however, sees him as black and treats him as black. His teachers, neighbours and potential employer see only the colour of his skin, missing the person he really is. It is as if the label Puerto Rican is both on the limits of whiteness and the limits of blackness separately at the same time.

Piri also tests his limits when he and his pals go to the home of the local ‘maricones’ to smoke up and get some cheap thrills. His friends don’t seem to mind ‘gettin’ down’ with men because they are effeminate and sound like women, with feminine gestures. Does this make them gay? Does it not count as a gay experience because their demeanour isn’t masculine? Piri, however, can’t get past this and has an internal argument with himself throughout the first part of their visit. Although once he’s stoned, Concha starts putting the moves on him (hashtag metoo movement). While Piri knows he is straight (sexually speaking), he isn’t straight enough, in terms of sobriety, to stop Concha from taking advantage of him.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the book so far. I will keep it to that because I am sure I am already over my word limit. I am adding a song by my girlfriend, Cher, called “Half Breed”. Although she sings about being the product of a ‘mixed’ encounter (which she was, just not this the mix she sings aboot), a similar sentiment is shared with Piri Thomas’ feelings of being in between two races.

With His Pistol in His Hand (Part 2)

To be honest, I found the second part of the book quite boring. I know Paredes has a point in explaining why there are so many different variations of the corridos. There were times that I had no idea if I skipped a page or five because I couldn’t keep track of the people and the places mentioned in the book anymore. At the same time, it was good to see what it was like back then and also to learn a little bit about the history of Mexico. It is interesting to see how the corridos have “evolved” by being passed around as a tradition orally. While it might be impossible to know what really happened, there is something so beautiful as to how that might just stay as a mystery or rather a treasure that will be preserved by those who actually do know what happened.

I believe one of the reasons that it has been altered numerous times is the historical context behind it and what the people of a certain place perceive Gregorio Cortez to be. One can easily assume things about his personality or the role that he played back in the day.  Something I can relate to this is a recent photo of an animated movie that I have seen on social media. I remember seeing a poster of the first Spaniard, Ferdinand Magellan, that “discovered” the Philippines back in 1521 and then there is a guy on the poster on the bottom-right corner of the poster. This guy, Lapu-Lapu, is someone I learned about when I was little. His image was smaller than Magellan’s of course. It is also indicated that Lapu-Lapu is the villain in the movie. To me, it was weird because I learned about the arrival of the Spaniards from the Filipino perspective and I never looked at Lapu-Lapu as a villain. I believe that the arrival of the Spaniards was the first time that the Philippines has had colonizers. It is just intuitive for humans to protect their own, and this is where Lapu-Lapu comes in. Since the movie is probably an original in Spain, it just makes sense that those who are fighting back from the “conquered” side are named the villains or the “bad guys”. From the Spanish point of view, this is a new discovery that brought glory to the name of Spain but to the natives, it meant oppression and slavery.

The same thing might have happened with Gregorio Cortez’s story. The more the people knew about him, the more the stories about him changed.

With His Pistol in His Hand (Part 2)

To be honest, I found the second part of the book quite boring. I know Paredes has a point in explaining why there are so many different variations of the corridos. There were times that I had no idea if I skipped a page or five because I couldn’t keep track of the people and the places mentioned in the book anymore. At the same time, it was good to see what it was like back then and also to learn a little bit about the history of Mexico. It is interesting to see how the corridos have “evolved” by being passed around as a tradition orally. While it might be impossible to know what really happened, there is something so beautiful as to how that might just stay as a mystery or rather a treasure that will be preserved by those who actually do know what happened.

I believe one of the reasons that it has been altered numerous times is the historical context behind it and what the people of a certain place perceive Gregorio Cortez to be. One can easily assume things about his personality or the role that he played back in the day.  Something I can relate to this is a recent photo of an animated movie that I have seen on social media. I remember seeing a poster of the first Spaniard, Ferdinand Magellan, that “discovered” the Philippines back in 1521 and then there is a guy on the poster on the bottom-right corner of the poster. This guy, Lapu-Lapu, is someone I learned about when I was little. His image was smaller than Magellan’s of course. It is also indicated that Lapu-Lapu is the villain in the movie. To me, it was weird because I learned about the arrival of the Spaniards from the Filipino perspective and I never looked at Lapu-Lapu as a villain. I believe that the arrival of the Spaniards was the first time that the Philippines has had colonizers. It is just intuitive for humans to protect their own, and this is where Lapu-Lapu comes in. Since the movie is probably an original in Spain, it just makes sense that those who are fighting back from the “conquered” side are named the villains or the “bad guys”. From the Spanish point of view, this is a new discovery that brought glory to the name of Spain but to the natives, it meant oppression and slavery.

The same thing might have happened with Gregorio Cortez’s story. The more the people knew about him, the more the stories about him changed.

With His Pistol in His Hand: Part 2

I have really enjoyed this book and have found it quite interesting. Through this text I was able to learn more about the history of the corrido which is an essential part in Mexico’s history, its people and its culture. Usually when the topic of corrido is brought up or when I am found studying on it I usually relate it to the Mexican Revolution and the heroes of this Revolution facing life and death struggles in the midst of combat and being idols for many and dedicating songs to their strength and perseverance. Not until I read this book was I really aware of the importance of the corrido in the Mexican American border history and to its people living in those areas. This musical form of work and its evolution in becoming a piece of music that people identify with and relate with has much of its beginnings connected to the U.S.-Mexico border and its people and the events that have occurred in that area.

As Paredes states, the biggest theme and the most important one found in the corrido is the one about the border conflict. This style of music  is used to remember that one hero that fought for his right and one who is able to become and idol for many. One of these heroes being Gregorio Cortez. People of the Rio Grande are able to connect with Cortez and rally around him as he has probably suffered through or witnessed injustices or ill-treatments like many, yet he decides to take a stand against it and stand up for his right and ability to defend himself.  He is a man that is able to endure the mistreatment of the Americans. He becomes a figure of importance to the people of the border because for them Cortez like many other figures represent someone who is willing to fight against an oppressive authority and its treatment and laws.

One interesting aspect of the corrido is though it is a simple form of music, meaning that it is mostly easy to understand and analyze I believe that Paredes wants to also make a point that it is still very much artistic and worthy of academic research. He uses much of the second part to analyze its roots, patterns and themes. The corrido though at first glance may seem very direct and effortless it has a vast cultural and musical significance for the border culture.

With His Pistol in His Hand: Part 2

I have really enjoyed this book and have found it quite interesting. Through this text I was able to learn more about the history of the corrido which is an essential part in Mexico’s history, its people and its culture. Usually when the topic of corrido is brought up or when I am found studying on it I usually relate it to the Mexican Revolution and the heroes of this Revolution facing life and death struggles in the midst of combat and being idols for many and dedicating songs to their strength and perseverance. Not until I read this book was I really aware of the importance of the corrido in the Mexican American border history and to its people living in those areas. This musical form of work and its evolution in becoming a piece of music that people identify with and relate with has much of its beginnings connected to the U.S.-Mexico border and its people and the events that have occurred in that area.

As Paredes states, the biggest theme and the most important one found in the corrido is the one about the border conflict. This style of music  is used to remember that one hero that fought for his right and one who is able to become and idol for many. One of these heroes being Gregorio Cortez. People of the Rio Grande are able to connect with Cortez and rally around him as he has probably suffered through or witnessed injustices or ill-treatments like many, yet he decides to take a stand against it and stand up for his right and ability to defend himself.  He is a man that is able to endure the mistreatment of the Americans. He becomes a figure of importance to the people of the border because for them Cortez like many other figures represent someone who is willing to fight against an oppressive authority and its treatment and laws.

One interesting aspect of the corrido is though it is a simple form of music, meaning that it is mostly easy to understand and analyze I believe that Paredes wants to also make a point that it is still very much artistic and worthy of academic research. He uses much of the second part to analyze its roots, patterns and themes. The corrido though at first glance may seem very direct and effortless it has a vast cultural and musical significance for the border culture.

With His Pistol in His Hand (Part 2)

What stood out to me the most in this second half were the different variations of the corrido; what’s interesting to me is what details are added to/taken out of the original corrido. It seems that the variants get (for the most part) shorter and shorter, according to the way in which Paredes has organized them; “Varient I” is only 6 quatrains, while “Varient A” is 12. These changes in length fascinate me as one would think that over time they would become longer, because more and more details would be added (at least that’s what makes sense to me). I would assume that with the exaggerations, more details would be added (whether they be factual or invented doesn’t matter) but I was wrong. Some variants seem to mention at the beginning the county of El Carmen, but “Variation I” does not; it only mentions “Piedras Negras”.

In the first half of the book what interested me the most about the corrido is how direct the language is; if we think about it, it’s just telling a story. Descriptions are kept to a minimum, and that includes adjectives, figurative language, etc. I wondered about the role of imagery, and if the corrido was at all meant to provoke emotion through painting pictures in our heads. Flash forward to page 216, and my wonders were addressed: “But the corrido is not entirely bare of imagery”. We are told that in Gregorio Cortez there is figurative language used in a number of instances; the imagery used in these instances can be divided into two types. The first type is that that has its basis in real life of the Border; the other type is that which is “purely conventional and unsupported”, and even “contradicted by observation of things that the borderer knows” (216). I guess what I find interesting about this is the level of detail in the information extracted from the corrido – it reminds me of studying poetry. It made me realize that when you put words on a paper, you can analyze it in a completely different way that say, hearing it. I was also interested in what Paredes had to say about the symbol of the white dove. On page 218, the white dove is addressed: the faces of Cortez’s pursuers are said to be “whiter than a dove”. However, as Paredes suggests, it is unlikely that a white dove was ever seen; it is from religious paintings.

With a Pistol in His Hand (Part 2)

I think this book was so great, because it brings into question the role of class, of culture, of dominance and of resistance. Although it is a folklore, Americo Paredes shows how the ‘myths’ of Gregorio Cortez incorporate important historical events, whilst putting an artistic twist on many perspectives of these events. As such, this book was certainly beneficial in many communities as it gave light to new views and meaning in the tales of Gregorio Cortez. I think that it is important to recognize, however, that Cortez was not the first, nor the last, to go through the obstacles and hardships mentioned in the story. There has since been, and continues to be, subordination of Mexican communities. This got me thinking about the role and influence With His Pistol in His Hand after it was published, particularly within the Chicano population.

After a bit of research, I found that Paredes’ book became popular in the sociopolitical realm in the 1960s, which broadened the scope of readers and gave it more meaning in the world. It seems that the groups that were particularly intrigued by the book were groups of young adult working-class Mexican Americans, especially those who attended either college or university. These individuals apparently took part in some political protests and cultural rebellion that were occurring at this time. Thus, Paredes’ study on this anthropological folklore was not only scholarly but was written in such a poetic and artistic manner that it had tremendous impact on the Chicano writers in the new generation, as well as on other intellectuals and the general activist population. One major aspect is the obvious fact that Cortez is recognized as a hero in the book, and most likely serves as a role model for young Chicanos who were/are resisting Anglo authority. However, it was also probably the actual publication of the text, as it was proven that it was even possible for a Chicano author to publish. In addition to that, this book shows that it is possible to talk about a Chicano in a new light, and for that to be heard and recognized within society.

This made me reflect on how much influence literature can have on people, both positive and negative. For instance, how we were talking about American Dirt and how much of an impact and dialogue it was causing on its readers. As cliché as it sounds, words are powerful. Authors do have quite a bit of power and influence over their readers, especially when well-written. With a Pistol in His Hand is a perfect example of this; this book began as a thesis statement, a man exploring his interest and curiosities of Gregorio Cortez, and then turned out to touch and inspire the lives of many. Pretty darn cool.

With His Pistol in His Hand: Part Two

In reading the last half of With His Pistol in His Hand, what stood out to me was the profound history of the transformation of the corrido and also the slight word choices (and verb tenses) that added to the imagery and storytelling of the story of Gregorio Cortez. The legend of Gregorio Cortez told by Paredes in the beginning of the book is only one variant of this tale and its interesting to see that there are another 9 variants that all highlight different events. Though the other 9 variants show the diverse history of the corrido, I am amazed to see the strategically placed adjectives and verb tenses, mainly the imperfect tense, that submerge the listener into the life of Cortez. I never truly appreciated literary analysis until the study of this legend.

The diversity and transformation of El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez is pretty remarkable. Each variant comes from a different part of Mexico and each carries its own message that it wants to deliver. Some corridos stress the importance of the initial killing of Sheriff Morris while others gloss over it almost entirely. Some stress the importance of the surrender of Cortez, showing that he fought for his right till the very end, but others emphasize how the ending, the despedida, shows Cortez not giving into the police and hinting that he lived the rest of his life as a free man. The variance of the corrido reveals the attitudes of the ballad singers and the message they wanted to convey to their audience. Though some stressed the importance of the killing of Morris while others highlighted the capture of Cortez, one idea remained the same throughout all the corridos; he was an honourable man that “defended his right with his pistol in his hand.”

The final take away from the last half of the book was the use of the imperfect verb tense and the importance of creating a story that envelopes the listener completely. The imperfect tense in Spanish conveys a repeated action or an action in progress in the past, whereas the preterite form states that the action has been completed. Though it would have been simple for ballad singers to use the preterite (as it usually has fewer syllables) they usually used the imperfect as it created a scene of continuous action, submerging the listener into the story. An example of this is “venían los americanos” compared to “vinieron los americanos.” The difference here is one translates to “the Americans were coming” while the other says “the Americans came.” The use of imperfect creates a developing narrative that the listener becomes a witness to, as it doesn’t simply recount a laundry list of things that have already been completed, but shows a story unraveling and unfolding right there in the local cantina, where El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez was being sung.

-Curtis HR

With His Pistol in His Hand II: Morality


When reading on the background and context of the corrido, I was somewhat intrigued by how morality is portrayed. The author gives the background information in the evolution of the corrido, as it was driven from the very action of Border Conflict. We come to know the agency of the Ballad maker. I find interesting how the choices made by these anonymous people shape the story of a hero, but ultimately how they shape the cultural representation of those that lived at the Border. I think this is where we find a “kink” in the corrido. There are several other examples of this ‘twisting/bending’ of morality.

Firstly, themes were imported from the Greater Mexico corrido tradition such as love tragedy and filial disobedience, the border ballads then evolved from this to their own “niche” of themes. Other aspects were also imported such as the dark brooding ballad and those that are more sentimental such as Mexican danzas. The kink I think begins when all of this is taken to shape the story of the Border. The ballad makers are the first to incorporate outlaws as heroes in the corridos. They are shaping conscience and morality. Previously Mexican corridos had been used to instill morality or religious beliefs, we see that with the border ballad the outlaws are painted as the hero.

Secondly, the author specified that these heroes are not to be thought of as Robin Hoods. Which for me seemed strange, because that was what I had thought in the first part of this book. The sense of justice/morality has been bent in this context. Paredes states the true character of a border outlaw by stating that they don’t “(…)repent on the scaffold in moralizing verses. They are quite frankly rogues – realistic, selfish, and usually unrepentant.” This is one of the “kinks” in the Border Ballad.
The ballad makers transform them into heroes by saying that their thieving and raiding is actually their survival in the fight against the Americans (painted as the antagonists). It is as if they were giving crimes such as smuggling and cheating a reputable character, even one to praise and admire.

Thirdly, there is kink in the context of these stories of the border. The author mentions towards the end of the book that the border ballads are shaped after Spanish models and that it resembles Castilian romance but that “the social and physical conditions were more like those of Scotland.” The author compares Scotland’s struggles to many of those faced by the Border people: they were on the losing side of the conflict, they were plagued many years by a smaller number of invaders, etc. The Scottish ballads are some of the best British ballads and they were on the losing side of border conflict. The same occurs on the Rio Grande, those on the losing side are the Border Mexicans, who wrote these ballads.

This comparison is interesting, it shows the psychology of a nation, where to make up for their losses and sufferings they sing about their robber ‘heroes’, those that stood up against their invaders in any shape or form. In a way, after losing their territory they take history into their own hands by writing these ballads that are passed down from generation to generation, of how their people stood up to the invader, when the Truth is very different. I think each nation finds ways to cope and retain their sovereignty when everything else might suggest otherwise.

With His Pistol in His Hand II: Morality


When reading on the background and context of the corrido, I was somewhat intrigued by how morality is portrayed. The author gives the background information in the evolution of the corrido, as it was driven from the very action of Border Conflict. We come to know the agency of the Ballad maker. I find interesting how the choices made by these anonymous people shape the story of a hero, but ultimately how they shape the cultural representation of those that lived at the Border. I think this is where we find a “kink” in the corrido. There are several other examples of this ‘twisting/bending’ of morality.

Firstly, themes were imported from the Greater Mexico corrido tradition such as love tragedy and filial disobedience, the border ballads then evolved from this to their own “niche” of themes. Other aspects were also imported such as the dark brooding ballad and those that are more sentimental such as Mexican danzas. The kink I think begins when all of this is taken to shape the story of the Border. The ballad makers are the first to incorporate outlaws as heroes in the corridos. They are shaping conscience and morality. Previously Mexican corridos had been used to instill morality or religious beliefs, we see that with the border ballad the outlaws are painted as the hero.

Secondly, the author specified that these heroes are not to be thought of as Robin Hoods. Which for me seemed strange, because that was what I had thought in the first part of this book. The sense of justice/morality has been bent in this context. Paredes states the true character of a border outlaw by stating that they don’t “(…)repent on the scaffold in moralizing verses. They are quite frankly rogues – realistic, selfish, and usually unrepentant.” This is one of the “kinks” in the Border Ballad.
The ballad makers transform them into heroes by saying that their thieving and raiding is actually their survival in the fight against the Americans (painted as the antagonists). It is as if they were giving crimes such as smuggling and cheating a reputable character, even one to praise and admire.

Thirdly, there is kink in the context of these stories of the border. The author mentions towards the end of the book that the border ballads are shaped after Spanish models and that it resembles Castilian romance but that “the social and physical conditions were more like those of Scotland.” The author compares Scotland’s struggles to many of those faced by the Border people: they were on the losing side of the conflict, they were plagued many years by a smaller number of invaders, etc. The Scottish ballads are some of the best British ballads and they were on the losing side of border conflict. The same occurs on the Rio Grande, those on the losing side are the Border Mexicans, who wrote these ballads.

This comparison is interesting, it shows the psychology of a nation, where to make up for their losses and sufferings they sing about their robber ‘heroes’, those that stood up against their invaders in any shape or form. In a way, after losing their territory they take history into their own hands by writing these ballads that are passed down from generation to generation, of how their people stood up to the invader, when the Truth is very different. I think each nation finds ways to cope and retain their sovereignty when everything else might suggest otherwise.