Crossing the Rio Grande

Though rarely recorded, the lives of ordinary immigrants from Mexico are an important piece of the history of the American Southwest. Educated and hardworking, Luis G. Gomez came to Texas from Mexico as a young man in the mid-1880s and would later publish his recollections. From the moment he crossed the Rio Grande at Matamoros-Brownsville, Gomez sought his fortune in a series of contracting operations that created the infrastructure to help develop the Texas economy. Gomez describes Mexican customs in the United States, such as courtship and marriage, relations with Anglo employers, religious practices, and simple home gatherings. ""Crossing the Rio Grande"" presents an English edition of Gomez's memoir, which was privately published in Spanish in 1935. It is translated by Guadalupe.