By Roberto Calderón ~ Texas Archive of the Moving Image ~ February 28, 2018
Found on the Texas Archive of the Moving Image
Documentary: North from Mexico (1971)
This film traces the history of Mexican Americans in the Southwest from the time before the arrival of the conquistadores to the modern era, emphasizing the closely entwined relationship between Mexican and American cultures. The film highlights the civil rights and labor movements that characterized the Mexican American community in the 1960s and 1970s, and includes commentary by activist Cesar Chavez.
Nota: We thank our colleague and professor Dr. Marie “Keta” Miranda at UT San Antonio for tracking down a link to this early Chicano film documentary. Through her query at UTSA of Rita Wilson (presumably a librarian/archivist at UTSA) we have a link to the much less often viewed film that’s titled, North from Mexico—the same as Carey McWilliams’s book by the same title. Dr. Felipe de Ortego y Gasca worked on this film apparently which was produced in 1971 by Sumner Glimcher and distributed by Greenwood Press.
It is preserved in its entire 21 minutes today through the auspices of the Texas Archive of the Moving Image albeit a bit scratchy from the wear and tear over the years: http://www.texasarchive.org/library/index.php/North_From_Mexico_-_Exploration_%2B_Heritage
We thank Keta and Rita for being wonderful colleagues and sharing their research on the film. They found a link to the entire film and it can be recovered and viewed online in some our classes here in Texas and elsewhere. Mil gracias Keta and Rita – and those who worked on the film originally to make it possible, por supuesto. Immediately following is the text of the exchange that led to its rediscovery. Adelante!
Source: Roberto Calderón ~ Texas Archive of the Moving Image
