Gertrudis Barceló: La Tules of Image and Reality

Gertrudis Barceló: La Tules of Image and Reality

Deena J. González in Vicki Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez-Korrol, eds.

Latina Legacies (New York: Oxford University Press), 2005 (Reprinted and Revised).

In the summer of 1846, Dona Gertrudis Barcelo stood at an important crossroad. Exempted from the hardships and tribulations endured by the women around her, Barcelo' had profited enormously from the “gringo” merchants and itinerant retailers who had arrived in Santa Fe after the conquest. The town’s leading businesswoman, owner of a gambling house and saloon, and its most unusual character, Barcelo exemplified an ingenious turnaround in the way she and others in her community began resolving the problem of the Euro-American, now lodged more firmly than ever in their midst. Barcelo also epitomized the growing dilemma of dealing with newcomers whose culture and orientation differed from hers.