The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 83, July 1979 - April, 1980 Page: 200

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

The particular difficulty in this purpose arises from the fact that the
essays presented generally are of such a singular ideological perspective
that variations in points of view-a hispanophilic view for instance-
are not even considered. The reader would have found it helpful, for
example, had greater emphasis been placed on the background and the
historical antecedents of anti-Iberian bias within the general Anglo com-
munity. An analysis of the class structures within the Mexican American
community itself and of the differences in points of view within the
various segments of that class structure would have given greater depth
to the studies.
In general, The Chicanos as We See Ourselves, comprised of original
essays by all the collaborators, does not add greatly to the scholarly lit-
erature on the Mexican American. In many respects it simply reiterates
concepts which can be read with greater profit in existing works. As an
instructional device Trejo's work could serve as a convenient selection
of readings to present at least some points-of-view within the classroom.
It would, however, need to be read with and compared to additional
works to provide the necessary balance for appropriate pedagogy.
University of Montana MANUEL A. MACHADO, JR.
Border Patrol: With the U.S. Immigration Service on the Mexican
Boundary 1910o-954. By Clifford Alan Perkins. Edited by C. L.
Sonnichsen. (El Paso: Texas Western Press, 1978. Pp. xii+ 132.
Illustrations, index. $io.)
In 1908 a Wisconsin farm boy named Clifford Perkins arrived in
El Paso, presumably because of deteriorating health caused by a tuber-
cular condition. While working in the local postoffice, he qualified to
become a Chinese inspector for the United States Immigration Service
in 1911. For more than four decades-except for six years in naval in-
telligence during World War II-Perkins worked along the southern
border of the United States from Texas to Arizona, serving in an or-
ganization which in 1924 became known as the Border Patrol. Thus, at
the time of his retirement, he was recognized as an excellent adminis-
trator, resourceful and fearless, a man of unimpeachable honesty and
integrity, who personified the best in government service.
In the 197os, aided by Nancy Dickey of Los Angeles, Perkins wrote
his autobiography. Then C. L. Sonnichsen, professor emeritus at the
University of Texas at El Paso and now at the Arizona Historical So-
ciety, skillfully edited a 6oo-page manuscript into this brief monograph,

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