gonzalezmirelesjovita

The educator and folklorist, Jovita González, dedicated her life to bringing the legends and stories of Tejanos into the broader American narrative. Born into a ranching family in Roma, Texas, the family moved to San Antonio so that the children could receive an education in English. Jovita excelled in her studies earning a teaching certificate by the age of twenty. An association with the Texas Folklore Society led to her serving as vice president and president of the organization from 1928-1932. An American Association of University Women fellowship paved the way for González Mireles to earn a masters degree in history at the University of Texas. This gave her the opportunity to write a thesis, “Social Life in Starr, and Zapata Counties” in 1930. Her most important contributions to the literature on Tejanos are her historical novels, The Dew in the Thorn and Caballero. Unpublished throughout her lifetime, the manuscripts were discovered among her papers and published by the Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literature project.