The Place of the White Heron

A novel by Alejandro Morales 

Alejandro Morales, the son of Mexican immigrants, earned his B.A. from California State University, Los Angeles, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Morales is a professor in the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California, Irvine. Writing in Spanish and English over a span of 50 years, he has more than a dozen books, including “The Brick People,” “The Rag Doll Plagues” and “Caras viejas y vino nuevo/Old Face and New Wine,” recognized as classics in Chicano/Latino literature. His writing focuses on fictional stories using historical personages and events, bringing together his love for both history and writing.

Tia Chucha Press is honored to publish The Place of the White Heron, our first novel after 34 years of releasing poetry collections and anthologies. By renowned Chicano writer and scholar Alejandro Morales, the novel is a parable for the 21^st Century, an allegory to the violence, racism, and international tensions between the United States and México. Protagonist J. I. Cruz embodies a mythic female character needed in the besieged spaces of our times. The allusions to pre-Columbian goddesses and other Mexican mythological, religious, artistic, spiritual historical figures are part of her psychological and spiritual identity. 

“Professor Morales’ fiction engages the formation of the Mexican American experience from Mexico through Southern California. He brings alive the roots of Mexican American culture and shows different paths for its evolution in the future. In all cases, this shared history and culture is presented in an engaging manner that speaks to both readers seeking an engaging read and to scholars seeking a deeper understanding.”

 --Louis DeSipio, Professor, Chicano/Latino Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine