"... well-written and well-documented landmark study... " —Choice"This book raises important ideological and esthetic questions about the interpretation of artistic and cultural manifestations in a given society." —Hispanic American Historical Review"The present volume is provocative in direction and a refreshing addition to the extant literature on the Mexican corrido genre." —American Ethnologist"[Herrera-Sobek"s] refreshing approach to analyzing masculine attitudes toward the feminine as expressed in the Mexican corrido is not only insightful but courageous." —Inez Cardozo-Freeman, Southern Folklore"... well-researched, insightful, clearly written, and well-illustrated study of a genre familiar in Hispanic culture." —Journal of the American Studies Association"... provides tantalizing insights into the inner workings and meanings of Mexico"s favorite folk ballads..." —Journal of Third World StudiesChallenging the stereotypical view of the passive Mexican/Chicana woman of the archetype, the author examines the portrayal of female figures in over three thousand corridos or Mexican ballads and shows that in spite of long-dominant patriarchal ideology, the corridos reveal the presence of self-confident women throughout Mexican history. Included are a discography, a detailed bibliography of corrido collections, and several photographs of soldaderas from the internationally famous Augustin Casasola collection.