Jaime Javier Rodríguez (’81), assistant professor of English, explores how literary narrative from the U.S.-Mexican War, fought from 1846 to 1848, shaped relationships today among Anglo Americans, Mexicans and Mexican Americans in The Literatures of the U.S.-Mexican War: Narrative, Time and Identity (University of Texas Press).

Rodríguez, who analyzes dime novels, accounts from the front, Mexican American writings and other popular writings about the war, says historical awareness of the war and its effects lies at the center of modern cultural issues, such as anxieties about Mexican immigration or concern for recognition among Mexican Americans.

His book is the first major comparative study to analyze key Mexican war texts and their impact on Mexico’s national identity.