|
My search had begun in libraries and archives—reposi-
|
|
tories of conventional history. The available sources were
|
|
to be found in census reports, church records, directories,
|
|
and other such statistical information. These, however, as
|
40
|
important as they are, cannot provide one of the essential
|
|
dimensions of history, the full narrative of the human
|
|
experience that defies quantification and classification. In
|
|
certain social groups this gap can be filled with diaries,
|
|
memoirs, letters, or even reports from others. In the case of
|
45
|
Mexicanas in the United States, one of the many devastating
|
|
consequences of defeat and conquest has been that the
|
|
traditional institutions that preserve and transfer culture
|
|
(the documentation of the past) have ignored these personal
|
|
written sources. The letters, writings, and documents of
|
50
|
Mexican people have rarely, if ever, been included in
|
|
archives, special collections, or libraries. At best, some
|
|
centers have attempted to collect newspapers published by
|
|
Mexicans, but the effort was started late. The historian who
|
|
tries to reconstruct the past from newspapers is constantly
|
55
|
frustrated because, although titles abound, collections are
|
|
scarce and often incomplete.
|