Juan Bautista Rael
Encyclopedia
'Juan Bautista Rael
was an American
ethnographer
, linguist
, and folklorist
who was a pioneer in the study of the people, stories, and language of Northern New Mexico
and southern Colorado
in the Southwestern United States
. Rael was a professor at Stanford University
. He donated his considerable collection of ethnographic materials to the Library of Congress
.
, near Taos
, to an ethnic Spanish
family whose ancestors dated to colonial times. Rael was one of five children (four sons and one daughter) of José Ignacio Rael and Soledad Santistevan. His father was a merchant and sheep rancher.
Rael's parents sent him away to school because of limited educational options in their town. He attended elementary school at Saint Michael's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico
. He next attended Christian Brothers' College in St. Louis, Missouri
, where he earned a high school diploma.
In 1923, Rael completed his B.A.
in linguistics and folklore
from St. Mary's College
in Oakland, California
. In 1927, Rael received his M.A.
from the University of California, Berkeley
.
region of Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. He was familiar with these from childhood. He also began to study the folk and nativity
plays of Mexico and New Mexico.
In 1933, Rael began his doctoral studies at Stanford University, invited by and under the supervision of folklorist Aurelio Espinosa. Rael was awarded his Ph.D.
in linguistics in 1937. His dissertation was on the phonology
and morphology
of New Mexican Spanish
. He did pioneering work in the collection of folktales in many forms, as well as the Nativity plays typical of Christmas celebrations. Rael collected more than 410 folktales, tracing some to European origins. It was published in 1977 under the title Cuentos Españoles de Colorado y Nuevo Mexico (Spanish Folk Tales of Colorado and New Mexico). It is the most extensive collection of folk tales from the oral tradition in Spanish America.
In 1946, Rael began creating opportunities for students to study in Mexico. In 1953 he formalized the program by founding the University of Guadalajara Summer School, which he directed for 18 years. "Courses offered ranged from language classes at several levels to courses in
Mexican art, geography, history, literature and Spanish literature." The summer school was sponsored jointly by the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara
and the University of Arizona
. The Summer School continues as part of the Foreign Studies Program of the University of Arizona.
of Antonito,Conejos County, Colorado. They had four children together, each of whom also went on to graduate from Stanford University, as did some of the Raels' grandchildren. From 1933 on, they lived near Stanford University, where his academic career was based.
He also received honors from several Mexican institutions and from the city of Guadalajara.
was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ethnographer
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
, linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, and folklorist
Folkloristics
Folkloristics is the formal academic study of folklore. The term derives from a nineteenth century German designation of folkloristik to distinguish between folklore as the content and folkloristics as its study, much as language is distinguished from linguistics...
who was a pioneer in the study of the people, stories, and language of Northern New Mexico
Northern New Mexico
Northern New Mexico may simply mean the northern part of New Mexico, but in cultural terms it usually means the area of heavy Spanish settlement in the north-central part....
and southern Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. Rael was a professor at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He donated his considerable collection of ethnographic materials to the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
Childhood and education
Rael was born in the northern New Mexico village of Arroyo HondoArroyo Hondo, New Mexico
Arroyo Hondo is a small unincorporated town in Taos County near Taos, New Mexico, United States. It is historically notable as the site of the killing of six to eight employees by a force of allied Native Americans at Simon Turley's mill on January 20, 1847...
, near Taos
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
, to an ethnic Spanish
Spanish American
A Spanish American is a citizen or resident of the United States whose ancestors originate from the southwestern European nation of Spain. Spanish Americans are the earliest European American group, with a continuous presence since 1565.-Immigration waves:...
family whose ancestors dated to colonial times. Rael was one of five children (four sons and one daughter) of José Ignacio Rael and Soledad Santistevan. His father was a merchant and sheep rancher.
Rael's parents sent him away to school because of limited educational options in their town. He attended elementary school at Saint Michael's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. He next attended Christian Brothers' College in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, where he earned a high school diploma.
In 1923, Rael completed his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in linguistics and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
from St. Mary's College
Saint Mary's College of California
Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States, a small suburban community about east of Oakland and 20 miles east of San Francisco. It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. In 1927, Rael received his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
Career
Rael taught for several years as an associate professor at the University of Oregon before beginning his doctoral studies. He began to focus his research on the Alabados, or religious songs, of the HispanoHispanos
Hispanos is a name given to people of colonial Spanish descent in what is today the United States who retained a predominantly Spanish culture. The distinction was made to compensate for flawed U.S. Census practices in the 1930s which used to characterize Hispanic people as non-white...
region of Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. He was familiar with these from childhood. He also began to study the folk and nativity
Nativity play
A Nativity play or Christmas pageant is a play which recounts the story of the Nativity of Jesus. It is usually performed at Christmas, the feast of the Nativity.-Liturgical:...
plays of Mexico and New Mexico.
In 1933, Rael began his doctoral studies at Stanford University, invited by and under the supervision of folklorist Aurelio Espinosa. Rael was awarded his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in linguistics in 1937. His dissertation was on the phonology
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...
and morphology
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
of New Mexican Spanish
New Mexican Spanish
New Mexican Spanish is a variant or dialect of Spanish spoken in the United States, primarily in the northern part of the state of New Mexico and the southern part of the state of Colorado...
. He did pioneering work in the collection of folktales in many forms, as well as the Nativity plays typical of Christmas celebrations. Rael collected more than 410 folktales, tracing some to European origins. It was published in 1977 under the title Cuentos Españoles de Colorado y Nuevo Mexico (Spanish Folk Tales of Colorado and New Mexico). It is the most extensive collection of folk tales from the oral tradition in Spanish America.
In 1946, Rael began creating opportunities for students to study in Mexico. In 1953 he formalized the program by founding the University of Guadalajara Summer School, which he directed for 18 years. "Courses offered ranged from language classes at several levels to courses in
Mexican art, geography, history, literature and Spanish literature." The summer school was sponsored jointly by the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara
Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara
The Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara A.C. is a private university in Mexico, the first of its kind.The campuses are located in Zapopan, Jalisco. The university has become one of the most important educational institutions in Latin America, attracting students from Mexico, Europe, South...
and the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. The Summer School continues as part of the Foreign Studies Program of the University of Arizona.
Marriage and family
In 1923, the year Rael graduated from college, he married Quirina de la Luz Espinosa, daughter of Francisco Antonio Espinosa and Maria Rosabel Lobatoof Antonito,Conejos County, Colorado. They had four children together, each of whom also went on to graduate from Stanford University, as did some of the Raels' grandchildren. From 1933 on, they lived near Stanford University, where his academic career was based.
Legacy and honors
- 1974, elected to membership in the Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española
- 1983, named a Corresponding Member of the Royal Spanish Academy.
He also received honors from several Mexican institutions and from the city of Guadalajara.
Works
- "New Mexican Wedding Songs", published in Southern Folklore Quarterly, June 1940
- "New Mexican Spanish Feasts", published in California Folklore Quarterly, 1942
- A Study of the Phonology and Morphology of New Mexican Spanish, Based on a Collection of 410 Folk-tales (main text (Parts I and II) in English, and tale volumes (Part III) in Spanish, 1937), Online text, University of Pennsylvania
- An Annotated Bibliography of Spanish Folklore in New Mexico and Southern Colorado (with Marjorie Tully). University of New Mexico Press, 1950
- The New Mexican ‘Alabado’, Stanford University Press, 1951
- The Sources and Diffusion of the Mexican Shepherds' Plays. Guadalajara, Mexico: Librería La Joyita, 1965
- "Introducción a los Cuentos Populares Nuevomejicanos", published in Boletín de la Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española, New York, 1976
- Cuentos Españoles de Colorado y Nuevo Mexico (Spanish Folk Tales of Colorado and New Mexico), Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1977
External links
- Library of Congress "Hispano Music and Culture of the Northern Rio Grande: The Juan B. Rael Collection", American Memory, Library of Congress
- Enrique R. LaMadrid "Nuevo Mexicanos of the Upper Rio Grande: Culture, History, and Society", American Memory, Library of Congress
- "Juan B. Rael, professor emeritus of Spanish, dies at 93", 15 Nov 2003, Stanford News Service
- "Special Collections", Manuscripts Division Latin American and Iberian Studies, Stanford University