Bad Mexicans: Race, Empire, and Revolution in the Borderlands

Telling the story of the grassroots rebels who incited the 1910 Mexican Revolution, MacArthur Fellow Hernández (history and African American studies, UCLA; City of Inmates) offers a nonfiction work that is as thrilling as a great novel. The narrative starts at the birth of Mexican dictator Porfirio Díaz and follows the history of Mexico from the 1830s forward. Hernández introduces a large cast of heroes and villains who played a role in the Mexican Revolution, including the Magonistas, followers of Ricardo Flores Magón who joined together to oust Díaz and reject his partnership with U.S. imperialists. The full force of the U.S. authorities, including the newly formed FBI, was put on alert, but the Magonistas were not easily stopped. This little-remembered moment in history had a profound impact on Mexican-American relations and the people who live near the border today. Narrator Joana Garcia gives a serviceable performance, with clear and concise pronunciation. Even so, Garcia’s pace is markedly slow, and some listeners may wish to speed it up.