STEPHENVILLE, Texas — The Texas Folklore Society, a partner of Tarleton State University, is celebrating the publication of “Fiestas in Laredo: Matachines, Quinceañeras, and George Washington’s Birthday” by Norma E. Cantú.
Told from an insider’s perspective and blending memoir, ethnography and folkloristic analysis, Cantú continues decades of scholarship on the Texas-Mexico Borderlands in “Fiestas in Laredo.”
In this book, Cantú embodies the dual roles of a trained academic and a community scholar, providing a depth of knowledge about Laredo that would be nearly impossible for an outsider to achieve.
The book, edited by Tarleton State’s Dr. Kristina Downs, examines three distinct forms of fiesta as they take place in the border city. She first discusses Laredo’s Matachines troupe, who perform dances blending Spanish and Indigenous traditions as part of Catholic observances. Next, she looks at quinceañeras, the coming-of-age tradition observed by Latino and Latin American families for a girl’s 15th birthday. Finally, she examines Laredo’s celebration of George Washington’s birthday — a month-long celebration with a distinct Borderlands flavor.
Cantú’s concept of sentipensante (thinking/feeling) folkloristics — drawing on the concept of sentipensante pedagogy developed Laura Rendón — allows for the blending of intellectual knowledge with the emotional component of lived experience. Her analysis is heavily influenced by Gloria Anzaldúa and her concept of nepantla, a Nahuatl word meaning “a quality of being in between.”
“Fiestas in Laredo” builds on the Texas Folklore Society’s long tradition of documenting the lore of the Texas-Mexico border — a tradition that dates to the society’s very first publication in 1916, which features a variation of the corrido “Adelina” collected in Laredo. This latest TFS book is a fitting continuation of a legacy begun more than 100 years ago.
Cantú is the Murchison Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Trinity University, a lifetime member of the Texas Folklore Society, and a past president of the American Folklore Society. She was born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and raised in Laredo, Texas, where she attended public schools. She is the author of “Cabañuelas,” editor (with Olga Nájera-Ramírez) of “Chicana Traditions: Continuity and Change,” and editor (with Olga Nájera-Ramírez and Brenda Romero) of “Dancing across Borders: Danzas y Bailes Mexicanos.”
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.