FORJANDO PATRIA GAMIO

by Manuel Gamio

Often considered the father of anthropological studies in Mexico, Manuel Gamio originally published Forjando Patria in 1916. This groundbreaking manifesto for a national anthropology of Mexico summarizes the key issues in the development of anthropology as an academic discipline and the establishment of an active field of cultural politics in Mexico. Written during the upheaval of the Mexican Revolution, the book has now been translated into English for the first time. Armstrong-Fumero's translation allows readers to develop a more nuanced understanding of this foundational work, which is often misrepresented in contemporary critical analyses. As much about national identity as anthropology, this text gives Anglophone readers access to a particular set of topics that have been mentioned extensively in secondary literature but are rarely discussed with a sense of their original context. Forjando Patria also reveals the many textual ambiguities that can lend themselves to different interpretations. The book highlights the history and development of Mexican anthropology and archaeology at a time when scholars in the United States are increasingly recognizing the importance of cross-cultural collaboration with their Mexican colleagues. It will be of interest to anthropologists and archaeologists studying the region, as well as those involved in the history of the discipline.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1916

Reviews

[Q.P. Moreno]

Importantísimo. Sobra decir que mucho de su contenido ya está superado, pero es triste descubrir cuánto no, más de cien años después. Gamio y su indigenismo tienen cierta mala fama entre los antropólogos de hoy, pero no estoy seguro de que la merezcan. Fue un proyecto de su época, incluso diría adelantado a ella en algunos sentidos, que en muchos segundos triunfó y en otros varios fracasó, y cuyos triunfos también pudieron ser catastróficos para los supuestos beneficiarios (el programa de unificación de lengua, del que Gamio habla poco y muy eufemísticamente, por ejemplo, me parece terrible). En fin, desde aquí se formó nuestra horripilante nación.

[Violeta Silveira]

Es bien fascista y colonial, este libro hace que le desee la muerte al autor y al estado mexicano. Me encanta 5/5.

[Sarah]

So long as one keeps its context in mind (see the introduction), this book is a very interesting look at the founding of nationalist anthropology, archaeology, and indigenous relations in Mexico through the eyes of a big player in those fields, as well as revolutionary politics.