I Ask for Justice

Maya Women, Dictators, and Crime in Guatemala, 1898–1944

Nonfiction, History, Americas, Central America, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Gender Studies
Cover of the book I Ask for Justice by David, Jr. Carey, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David, Jr. Carey ISBN: 9780292748705
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: October 1, 2013
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: David, Jr. Carey
ISBN: 9780292748705
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: October 1, 2013
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English
Given Guatemala’s record of human rights abuses, its legal system has often been portrayed as illegitimate and anemic. I Ask for Justice challenges that perception by demonstrating that even though the legal system was not always just, rural Guatemalans considered it a legitimate arbiter of their grievances and an important tool for advancing their agendas. As both a mirror and an instrument of the state, the judicial system simultaneously illuminates the limits of state rule and the state’s ability to co-opt Guatemalans by hearing their voices in court.Against the backdrop of two of Latin America’s most oppressive regimes—the dictatorships of Manuel Estrada Cabrera (1898–1920) and General Jorge Ubico (1931–1944)—David Carey Jr. explores the ways in which indigenous people, women, and the poor used Guatemala’s legal system to manipulate the boundaries between legality and criminality. Using court records that are surprisingly rich in Maya women’s voices, he analyzes how bootleggers, cross-dressers, and other litigants crafted their narratives to defend their human rights. Revealing how nuances of power, gender, ethnicity, class, and morality were constructed and contested, this history of crime and criminality demonstrates how Maya men and women attempted to improve their socioeconomic positions and to press for their rights with strategies that ranged from the pursuit of illicit activities to the deployment of the legal system.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Given Guatemala’s record of human rights abuses, its legal system has often been portrayed as illegitimate and anemic. I Ask for Justice challenges that perception by demonstrating that even though the legal system was not always just, rural Guatemalans considered it a legitimate arbiter of their grievances and an important tool for advancing their agendas. As both a mirror and an instrument of the state, the judicial system simultaneously illuminates the limits of state rule and the state’s ability to co-opt Guatemalans by hearing their voices in court.Against the backdrop of two of Latin America’s most oppressive regimes—the dictatorships of Manuel Estrada Cabrera (1898–1920) and General Jorge Ubico (1931–1944)—David Carey Jr. explores the ways in which indigenous people, women, and the poor used Guatemala’s legal system to manipulate the boundaries between legality and criminality. Using court records that are surprisingly rich in Maya women’s voices, he analyzes how bootleggers, cross-dressers, and other litigants crafted their narratives to defend their human rights. Revealing how nuances of power, gender, ethnicity, class, and morality were constructed and contested, this history of crime and criminality demonstrates how Maya men and women attempted to improve their socioeconomic positions and to press for their rights with strategies that ranged from the pursuit of illicit activities to the deployment of the legal system.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book The Many Cinemas of Michael Curtiz by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Arab Responses to Fascism and Nazism by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Kuxlejal Politics by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Palace Politics by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Imagining Literacy by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book More Curious by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book The Masks of Tragedy by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Murder on the White Sands by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book The Karankawa Indians of Texas by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Thunder Shaman by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Israeli and Palestinian Postcards by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book The Teacup Ministry and Other Stories by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Modernity and the Architecture of Mexico by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Políticas by David, Jr. Carey
Cover of the book Supplement to the Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 4 by David, Jr. Carey
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy