Diversity in the Public Sphere: Works of Fiction by Jewish-Mexican Women Writers

Abstract

Fictional narrative by Jewish-Mexican women writers reflects the reality of cultural diversity in México, contributing to discussions on Mexican national identity. Contextualization is provided through a gloss of the history of modern México with particular attention to the idea of nation as it emerged from industrializing countries and spread to México. The presence of Jews on that land since the earliest arrival of the Spaniards includes a range of cultural and religious manifestations of Judaism. Selections from works by Sabina Berman, Angelina Muñiz-Huberman, Margo Glantz and Esther Seligson explore the experience of living Jewishly in México, evidencing the diversity within the nation of México and giving deeper meaning to the Mexican concept of nation.