Open Access Books from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes

José Renau's participation in Mexican muralism (1939–1958)

Dulze María Pérez Aguirre — 2026-01-20

The book José Renau's Participation in Mexican Muralism (1939-1958) is a serious, rigorous, and original work of research by a true specialist in the field, Dr. Dulze María Pérez Aguirre. The author's mastery of the Valencian artist's career is clear and absolute, covering the period of his stay in our country for two decades, until he decided to leave with his family for the German Democratic Republic, in the midst of the Cold War.

Dr. Pérez Aguirre provides us with an important work that helps us understand why foreign artists were drawn to Mexico, attracted by the precepts of the so-called Mexican School of Painting, specifically the muralist movement, which began in the 1920s and continued for several decades after the revolution. In this case, which she masterfully recounts, at the end of the 1930s, forced by the defeat of the Republicans at the hands of the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War, José Renau and his large family took advantage of the political asylum policy implemented by the government of General Lázaro Cárdenas.

This book sheds new light on Spanish artists exiled in our country, such as José Renau; the issue of artistic freedom or lack thereof when it comes to collective works, under the direction of another person, or commissioned by patrons (a powerful union or a wealthy private businessman); the insufficiently recognized collaboration of his wife, the artist Manuela Ballester; the ups and downs in the career of an artist like Renau and his loyalty or lack thereof to communist ideals when the artist had to feed his family.

José María Chávez and his time

Calíope Martínez González — 2026-01-20

Eight texts make up the chapters of this very interesting book. It is a collective effort, coordinated by Dr. Lourdes Calíope Martínez González, with the explicit purpose of bringing together a group of historians to write specifically about José María Chávez and his time, that is, about the figure of a controversial character, his contexts, and historical processes in the nineteenth and prolonged century.

Until recently, the 19th century was somewhat neglected by Mexican scholars. Fortunately, in the last few decades, it has attracted renewed attention and is being researched from different perspectives and historiographical approaches. Aguascalientes, naturally, is no exception. The works collected in this volume, as its title indicates, seek to situate José María Chávez and other contemporary individual and collective social actors, and how he has been viewed over time. The time period on which it focuses is the intricate generation of the Reformation, although it also draws on earlier and later events. Thus, the chapters show different facets of the main protagonist.

The spirit of the book José María Chávez y su tiempo (José María Chávez and His Time), edited by Lourdes Calíope Martínez González, is clearly not all-encompassing but rather polyphonic. It is, we repeat, a collection of new perspectives on the 19th century, an overview of the universe of José María Chávez, a broad portrait of him, as it does not limit itself to extolling his figure, which still seems incomplete. It will be up to each reader to reflect and form their own idea about this character, his context, his circumstances, and his historical development.

Feminist mosaic

Gloria González-López — 2026-01-16

Those who contributed to this bilingual feminist anthology are academics and professionals at various stages of their training, and come from different disciplines and specialties. Each of them has family roots in a wide range of cultural histories and racial backgrounds, and they come from different parts of the world.

Alexis V. Bigelow establishes an intellectual relationship with the inspiring legacy of Black female teachers and their revolutionary pedagogy of resistance in the United States. Lani Both returns in her imagination to her native Indonesia—the fourth most populous nation in the world—to take a close look at human trafficking in the 21st century. Parker Kirlew offers her honest reflections on the history of Black feminism in the United States. Mariagracia McLin Rodríguez returns to her native Peru to listen to Afro-Peruvian domestic workers and document their experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace; she shares moving testimonies from women and takes a close look at the legal system and inefficient bureaucracy they have to navigate. nbsp;Brenda Moreira Marques, who was born and raised in Brazil, observes the capitalist clock through a feminist lens to expose some of the intricate ways in which gender inequality has shaped women's experiences of time in patriarchal contexts.

Jessica Olson intertwines her creative prose and critical feminist reflections to examine climate change through the lived experiences of people with disabilities in disaster situations. Hnin Hnin Oo affectionately embraces Burma, the beloved homeland of her mother and father, both deeply committed activists, to examine violence against women in the context of militarization and political conflict. nbsp;Evalyn Stow opens the closet of traditional archival practices to expose some of the hidden truths about the ways in which heteronormativity has become institutionalized, erasing LGBTQ+ lives within these archives and other institutions that house historical records. Katherin Patricia Tairo-Quispe listens closely to the lyrics of contemporary versions of "Valicha," the famous Peruvian love song, to unmask and examine the patriarchal forces that have distorted the original lyrics of the melodious composition. Alanna Uthgenannt offers a critical analysis of the social forces that have organized the experiences of inequality affecting the rights of women working in the restaurant industry, closely examining the possibilities for real change. Shannon Woods takes a critical look at school shootings, a cruel reality that increasingly affects contemporary American society, and reflects on the cultures of consumption that follow tragedy. And finally, the extraordinarily talented African-American artist Brianna Pippens analyzed the content of each contribution and captured the spirit of each chapter and the book cover with her special sensitivity.

Teaching feminist theories virtually, or online in the fall of 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to a group of enthusiastic students who bring with them rich and diverse cultural and racial backgrounds, contrasting academic interests, and inspiring research projects, became a powerful motivation to publish this bilingual anthology. The authors hope that this volume will be a source of knowledge, as well as inspiration and solidarity for highly committed feminists who work with great enthusiasm in multiple communities—academic, activist, and artistic spaces—in countries and regions where Spanish, English, or both are part of their daily struggles and dreams. This anthology is their collective attempt to share knowledge across different disciplines and beyond borders.

Creole culture and enlightenment in the journalistic work of José Antonio Alzate y Ramírez (1768–1795)

Marcos Gallego Álvarez — 2026-01-16

The purpose of this book is to study the press of New Spain during the Age of Enlightenment and the role it played in generating enlightened debates and spreading ideas related to political and cultural Creole culture. In this task, the figure of José Antonio Alzate y Ramírez, a Creole and clergyman from New Spain, is unavoidable. His erudition and thematic transversality introduce the reader to the main debates surrounding America that took place during the second half of the 18th century, in which this author actively participated, motivated by a desire to improve his society and make a name for himself within the Republic of Letters.

It is very common for Alzate to refer to a deep commitment to serving his country in order to justify the publication of his newspapers. In a context of political reforms and enlightened debate, the author has sought to ascertain exactly what this concept of usefulness to the homeland refers to. Through Alzate's journalistic enterprise, the work has questioned his participation in the debate and the reflection of these disputes in his writings. Through an analysis of these texts, it attempts to explain to what extent and in what way the debate conditioned New Spanish thought. Finally, Gallego Álvarez was also interested in understanding how the idea of usefulness to the homeland and the struggles for colonial power are connected.

This work aims to distance itself from the teleological view of the New Spain press and, more specifically, from those who have sought to portray Alzate as a fierce independence activist. The intention is not to delve deeply into Alzate's personal life, but rather to use his writings to fuel a broader debate on Creole concerns and American power during the second half of the 18th century. The three publications analyzed, all written and edited by José Antonio Alzate y Ramírez, are: Diario Literario de México (Literary Journal of Mexico), Asuntos Varios sobre ciencias y artes (Various topics on science and the arts) and Gaceta de Literatura de México (Mexican Literary Gazette).

University trajectories (1973-2023)

Marcela López Arellano — 2026-01-14

In June 2023, the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes celebrated 50 years since its inception. Its history was a long one, with 106 years of an Institute of Sciences behind it, which, from 1867 until 1973 when it began as a university, provided secondary and high school education to several thousand young men and women in Aguascalientes and the surrounding region. Many of them, with that preparation, had the opportunity to go on to study at universities in other cities, such as Guadalajara, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, and, of course, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, in the Mexican capital.

As we celebrate our first 50 years, it is worth asking ourselves: what has the history of this university been like for the academics and administrators who have worked here? What challenges have they faced over the years? What is the value of knowing the personal stories within the vast universe that is the university community? How can we link individual experiences with the institution's history? Questions such as these inspired the organization, coordinated by the General and Historical Archive and the General Directorate of Dissemination and Outreach, of four round tables for dialogue and historical reflection, which were presented as part of the Helikón UAA project during the month of June 2023, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the UAA.

Several contributors from each of the discussion panels participated in this book. They add to this book the experiences of four more university students, two academics, a medical school graduate, and a retired administrative colleague. The four offered to write about their experiences at the UAA and, like the participants in the round tables, shared their experiences of work, training, teaching, and personal growth during their more than three decades in the university environment.

The work consists of 14 texts that form the main theme discussed at the Helikón round tables in June 2023, namely: how do individual stories allow us to shape the greater history that took place within the university over the course of these 50 years (1973-2023)? The answer lies precisely in what they wrote. The chapters tell us about their experiences from within and, based on their identification as university students, recount their vicissitudes in different spaces. There are six female authors and eight male authors, and it is worth reviewing some interesting points about their educational backgrounds and professional development.

The book's index follows the general structure of the Helikón roundtable discussions held in June 2023 at the UAA. The first section contains texts on the challenges of managing a university. The second section contains chapters on teaching transformations at the UAA, while the third section contains chapters from the perspective of those who graduated from the university. This is followed by the fourth section, which consists of chapters dealing with the experiences of women at the institution, and concludes with the fifth section, which deals with experiences at Radio UAA, its formation and development, and how this space for university broadcasting and dissemination has hosted projects from different areas.

The 50th anniversary of the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes (1973-2023) could not pass without at least some stories from administrative staff and teachers who, from their positions over decades, wanted to share their experiences. These stories, together with those of many other men and women who have passed through the university, shed light on what happened collectively from an individual perspective. An anniversary of the first 50 years in which the institution has grown exponentially, throughout which it has been a bastion of pride both inside and outside the university.