Desde la frontera: Oral History on the Borderlands
(UC Santa Barbara)
This article explores memories of migration, family and community as a central component to the formation of borderland culture and identity. Through the use of a single oral life history, this preliminary research teases out the apparent contradictions in the narrator’s self-identification as a pocho, a derogatory term often used to describe someone of Mexican descent who has been influenced by American culture. Through the analysis of this narrative I find that the narrator’s pocho identity changes from a shameful label in her youth, to a term of empowerment in later years. I argue that the apparent contradiction surrounding the narrator’s self-identification serves to convey the unique and syncretic identity found in the U.S.–Mexico borderlands. As an insider researcher this article also discusses the process, obstacles and rewards of conducting research within my own community of study. Moreover, this article presents the relevance of insider research in fostering a “decolonized” anthropology, through public engagement and the reclaiming of self and community.