Approaches to Teaching Cabeza de Vaca's Account and Other Texts

This volume provides background about the texts and discusses new ways to teach them, challenging outdated readings that erase the violence of Spanish imperialism. Essays examine the role of the enslaved African Esteban in Cabeza de Vaca's account of the North American expedition, the indigenous and Spanish women who appear in the explorer's texts, Cabeza de Vaca's performance of multiple gender roles, and the reception of these works as examples of Chicano or Latin American literature. The volume also explores connections to archaeological findings and food studies.