Americo Paredes With A Pistol In His Hand

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The United States has depicted history from a unique viewpoint in comparison to many non-American entities. From the 19th century and the birth of Manifest Destiny as an ideology, the society within the United States has been engulfed with the ideas of American Exceptionalism, which puts the U.S. on a positive pedestal due to democracy and freedom as a forefront. A recent academic school of thought has attempted to combat this exceptional white-washed version of history, which includes the work of author Americo Paredes. Paredes has contributed to this school of thought by focusing his writings on describing the truth behind living on the border and the racial/class relations between Mexican Americans and Anglo Americans. He is famously known for telling the story of Gregorio Cortez in his publication With a Pistol in His Hand. The ballad of Gregorio Cortez starts with the sheriff killing his brother and Cortez trading shots with the sheriff and running away. Then the story continued by conveying that Cortez was a fearless frightening man that had his “Cortez Gang” causing havoc and fighting the …show more content…

Mexican Americans have become emotionally connected with the story of Gregorio Cortez. The Ballad may be exaggerated and not factual to Gregorio’s life, however, many saw this story as a hope to change the status quo. Today, people look back on this story and feel culturally connected to it. This legacy has translated into an academic movement to address a non-white-washed version of history. Many other stories like the one of Gregorio Cortez also share symbolic properties. For example, the story of Pretty Boy Floyd has resonated for a lot of people as a story of a hero, even though he was a man who was a criminal under the law. Stories/ballads hold an inspirational significance that may contribute to a

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