Emily Scarborough
History 8
March 16th 2018
Judas and the Jockey Club
The Mexican Revolution brought on a newfound change in society as liberalism began to take power over conservatism. After the Revolution, Porfirio Diaz became the first Mexican president, though his reign would be classified more as a dictatorship. While the rest of the Americas were modernizing, Mexico was in a constant tug-of-war with old traditions and new trends. The book, Judas and the Jockey Club by William H. Beezley, follows the path and struggles of Mexico’s modernization under Porfirio Diaz through sports and recreation, improving technology, and the Judas burnings at the Jockey Club.
The first main section of the novel explores the idea of sports and recreation to a modernizing Mexico. Organized sports began to grow in Mexico, and there was a nationalistic, “changing attitude toward bull-fighting, the rise of baseball and horse racing, interest in boxing, and the fascination with bicycling (Beezley 14). Bull fighting was especially well integrated to Mexican society because of her culture, and was something that had already been around since colonial times. The author relates nineteenth century bullfighting as a metaphor for society. Bullfighting was ran completely on the word of the president, making him the caudillo of the image. Others players represented the societal hierarchy as a whole, where “the matador depended on the others but was clearly of a different and higher level in the hierarchy…” (Beezy 15). Conversely, bull fighting was banned in many states under the first. Diaz administration. While there were a few different reasons for this, by the time the late 1880’s came around, Diaz began to ignore calls for prevention of animal cruelty. Bullfighting continued on, figuratively and metaphorically. Perhaps the most accepted recreation activity that was introduced to Mexico during the Porfirian Era was the bicycle. Though they were unpopular at first due to the high risk of them, ‘safer’ models of bicycles were introduced that became widely popular. Racing clubs and teams spread widely around Mexico, which boosted popularity for the sport for most people. Though sports and activities may seem straightforward, it is essentially just old traditions and new trends clashing in Porfirian Mexico.
Another example of the fight for modernization in Mexico can be seen through technological advancements. It was clear that Mexicans were falling further and further behind as technology spread. “Many concluded that Mexico had yet to advance beyond chipped rocks as utensils” (Beezley 67). The United States began to spread their influence over Mexico in hopes of establishing their relationship. Under the rule of Diaz, foreign capital helped fuel an expanding railroad system throughout Mexico. This promoted goods for export, including cattle, coffee, sugar, and hides. The use of railroads helped modernize Mexico, and assisted it gain its place in the global economy. Mining corporations also benefited from the development of railroads because it allowed for widespread shipment. While the use of new methods of transportation helped modernize Mexico, it did eliminate the need for the small farmers. It became the struggle between the old traditions, and trying to pave a new path. Some people rejected it, but ultimately the technological advancements of the rail network could not be stopped.
The most influential display of social instability during the fight for modernization was the Judas burnings. The Judas burning were religious ceremonies held in many different countries where a piñata type resembling someone or something influential would be burned. While it was originally a religious ceremony at a time of celebration, it quickly adapted to reflect social disorder. With the burning flames of the Judas would come a fight for social revival and equality. The author says, “servants and laborers of every sort refuse to work; you can neither do anything nor get anything done. The only recourse is to spend your time in the streets like the rest” (Beezley). The book focuses on one particular Judas burning that became known as the Jockey Club Episode. At the burning at the Jockey Club, there were four Judas piñatas that depicted different figures in societies. After weeks of extensive planning, the Judas were burned at a public parade. The event was said to be, “a metaphoric melodrama of Mexican life, in which the action and plot predominate over the characters” (Beezley 111). The Jockey Club events were said to offer common Mexican citizens a silver lining into how life could be, by fighting the upper class. It brought a Western feel to Mexico, with a change in fashions and appearances. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the Jockey Club had changed directions and began to participate in celebratory Easter parades. Regulations were put in place to try and stop Judas burnings, but the people carried on. During times of depression, inflation, bad harvests, and political unrest, they would turn to the Judas burnings.
The Porfirian era of Mexico saw many things, especially a controversial time period for Mexico. It was the division between classic traditions and new developments. Bullriding helped metaphorically display a political message, even without the intention. New recreational activities being introduced, like the bicycle, even displayed the constant power struggle. New railway technologies succeed in unifying Mexico, and made transporting mining productions and export agriculture easier than ever. Even at this difficult time, some citizens made use of their voice. The Judas burnings at the Jockey Club displayed a power political message against the upper classes that would carry on as tradition for years. While there was a struggle for modernization in Mexico, eventually the people began to embrace it, and entered a new era of Mexican history.