Microhistories

I think I would definitely describe Seman’s work, Borderlands Curanderos, as a microhistory. I would characterize it this way due to the fact that the book is centered on two different but similar “heroes” within border communities and their overall contribution to the evolution of Mexican and American lives.

Starting with the story of Santa Teresa Urrea, Seman talks about the events of Urrea’s life and surrounding times that show her role in rebellions and uprisings. Seman talks about how Urrea was a healer to marginalized people and how they involved her in their causes. Seman describes how Urrea was not initially apart of the uprisings but then after she knew what her platform could do and how she could make a difference, she took part in those events to further the agenda of the oppressed people. Urrea could not just stand by and watch Indigenous and Mexican people go through the horrors described in the reading. She wanted to make a difference in her people’s lives, and she was exiled because of her part in that. Her being exiled, in my opinion, sort of gave her a push to being involved in the rebellions because she knew what it meant to be discriminated against as a woman and as a healer that posed a threat to the Mexican government. She experienced the very attitude that many people were experiencing at the time she was giving her healing services to them. This also strengthened the bond with the oppressed people when she was healing them because of the time she spent working with them.

Don Pedrito also faced some of the challenges that Teresa faced while he was a healer on the borderlands. He saw first-hand the discriminations that minorities faced in those times and offered his services to anyone in need. He did not pick and choose who he helped but he claimed to be given his abilities through divine forces and that meant he had to serve anyone who needed it. His religious beliefs influenced his want to help those who were being discriminated against especially in communities where they were not wanted, valued, or seen as human beings in general. He did not take payments from anyone he helped and when he did, he found ways to turn that into community contributions so that he could keep helping and pay it forward. He helped the government take care of his people when they were facing financial difficulties themselves. The story of Don Pedrito shows us how valued his services were that people from all over the US/Mexico border region were traveling from far and near to seek his help and foregoing medical options as opposed to his faith healing.

Both Santa Teresa Urrea and Don Pedrito’s life stories provide insight on larger issues within border communities such as financial difficulties, racial discrimination, rebellions and uprisings, and fear from the Mexican and US government that belief in non-medical healings plays a part in giving the oppressed a voice that they were trying to silence. I see this reading as a contribution to the understanding of how far oppressed people will go to fight for equality and freedom, by showing how valued these two faith healers are to this day due to the shrines of Urrea and Pedrito being adored today and how their influences still inspire prayers and beliefs that they can bring change after being gone so long.