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34 St. Louis U. L.J. 425 (1989-1990)
The Chronicles, My Grandfather's Stories, and Immigration Law: The Slave Traders Chronicle as Racial History

handle is hein.journals/stlulj34 and id is 441 raw text is: THE CHRONICLES, MY GRANDFATHER'S STORIES, AND IMMIGRATION LAW: THE SLAVE TRADERS CHRONICLE AS RACIAL HISTORY MICHAEL A. OLIVAS* The funny thing about stories is that everyone has one. My grand- father had them, with plenty to spare. When I was very young, he would regale me with stories, usually about politics, baseball, and honor. These were his themes, the subject matter he carved out for himself and his grandchildren. As the oldest grandson and his first godchild, I held a special place of responsibility and affection. In Mexi- can families, this patrimony handed to young boys is one remnant of older times that is fading, like the use of Spanish in the home, posadas at Christmas, or the deference accorded all elders. In Sabino Olivas' world, there were three verities, ones that he adhered to his entire life: political and personal loyalties are para- mount; children should work hard and respect their elders; and people should conduct their lives with honor. Of course, each of these themes had a canon of stories designed, like parables, to illustrate the larger theme, and, like the Bible, to be interlocking, cross referenced, and sy- noptic. That is, they could be embellished in the retelling, but they had to conform to the general themes of loyalty, hard work, and honor. Several examples will illustrate the overarching theoretical con- struction of my grandfather's world view, and show how, for him, eve- rything was connected, and profound. Like other folklorists and story- tellers, he employed mythic heros or imbued people he knew with heroic dimensions. This is an important part of capturing the imagina- tion of young children, for the mythopoeic technique overemphasizes characteristics and allows listeners to fill in the gaps by actively invit- ing them to rewrite the story and remember it in their own terms. As a result, as my family grew (I am the oldest of ten), I would hear these taproot stories retold both by my grandfather to the other kids, and by my brothers and sisters to others. The core of the story would be intact, transformed by the teller's accumulated sense of the story line and its application. * Michael A. Olivas is Professor of Law, University of Houston Law Center, and Visiting Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin (1989.1990). . I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Kathy DeForest and Sabino Olivas, III, as well as the helpful suggestions of Professors Richard Delgado, Rennard Strick- land, and Linda Greene. All errors are mine or my grandfather's.

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