Sierra Mendez, an assistant professor of English and assistant director of First-Year Composition at Texas Woman’s University (TWU), has been awarded the prestigious Charles Kneupper Award for her essay “With Love from San Antonio: Settler Souvenir Postals and Mass Reproductions of ‘Mexicans.’” This accolade recognizes the best article published in the Rhetoric Society Quarterly in 2023.
Mendez’s essay delves into the use of early 20th-century postcards as tools for promoting racial segregation in San Antonio. These postcards, depicting Mexican-American residents with derogatory captions, were part of a broader narrative aimed at marketing San Antonio as a “bordertown” to White tourists, while subordinating native Coahuiltecan, Tejano, and Mexican communities. The essay highlights the lasting impact of these historical practices on modern-day segregation in the city.
Mendez expressed her surprise and excitement upon learning about the award, noting the rigorous review and revision process her article underwent before publication. She emphasized the significance of her research, which is deeply personal due to her mixed-race heritage and long family history in San Antonio.
Her work is not only academic but also a “labor of love,” stemming from her experience working in the San Antonio public library archives. There, she discovered postcards from the early 1900s that painted a skewed picture of the city’s Mexican-American population, reinforcing stereotypes and social hierarchies that persist today.
Mendez continues to explore San Antonio’s history and its socio-economic disparities, drawing connections between past and present segregation. Her ongoing research aims to create a digital archive of these postcards to educate the public on their historical context and implications.
This award marks a significant milestone in Mendez’s career, highlighting the importance of examining historical narratives and their enduring effects on contemporary society.