Juarez, Mexico, is known for violence. It began with the femicides of the 1990s, then continued with the cartel-related mayhem that made it one of the world's most dangerous cities from 2006 to 2012. Along with the violence came a new lexicon that traveled from person to person, across rivers and borders-wherever it was needed to explain the horrors taking place. From personal interviews, media accounts, and conversations on the street, Julian Cardona and Alice Leora Briggs have collected the words and slang that make up the brutal language of Juarez, creating a glossary that serves as a linguistic portrait of the city and its violence. Organized alphabetically, the entries consist of Spanish and Spanglish, accompanied by short English definitions. Some also feature a longer narrative drawn from interviews-stories that put the terms in context and provide a personal counterpoint to media reports of the same events. Letters, and many of the entries, are supplemented with Briggs's evocative illustrations, which are reminiscent of Hans Holbein's famous Alphabet of Death. Together, the words, drawings, and descriptions in Abecedario de Juarez both document and interpret the everyday violence of this vital border city.

Book Information
ISBN 9781477324073
Author Julian Cardona
Format Hardback
Page Count 264
Imprint University of Texas Press
Publisher University of Texas Press
Weight(grams) 178g