Autobiography of a Militant Chicano
Mi lucha por la tierra
Publication: México [Mexico City]: Fondo de Cultura Económico, 1978. First Edition.
Notes: The first (and only) edition of this memoir by Reies López Tijerina (1926–2015), a central and controversial figure in the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Known as King Tiger and "the Malcolm X of the Chicano movement" (Encylopedia Britannica), Tijerina led the Alianza Federal de Mercedes, a group that sought to reclaim Spanish and Mexican land grants in New Mexico. This autobiographical account chronicles his early life, political awakening, and militant land rights activism—including the infamous 1967 raid on the Tierra Amarilla courthouse, which brought him national attention and made him both a folk hero and a divisive figure.
Though published by one of Latin America’s most prestigious presses, Mi lucha por la tierra remains poorly distributed outside Mexico. It is a foundational document of Chicano radicalism and an essential primary source for Mexican-American political history. In 2000, Arte Público Press published an abridged English version, with a translation by José Ángel Gutiérrez, one of the founders of the La Raza Unida political party.
One of 5000 copies, but surprisingly scarce. This is the first copy I've had and only the third I've seen in many years. 576 pages plus [8] pages of halftone photographs.
Edition + Condition: First edition (states "Primera edición, 1978" on the copyright page. Near fine in the original publisher's wrappers, with a bit of wear to the corners.
Item No: #365113
Price: $400