Identity Construction from Violence: the Corrido de Joaquín Murrieta

Through the analysis of the Corrido de Joaquín Murrieta, this article studies the mechanisms through which identity fictions and symbolic capital (Bourdieu) are created. In this case the elements mentioned above have its origins in a resistance movement that reacts to the violence and imposition exercised by one nation upon another. The legend of Joaquín Murrieta was born after the conflict between Mexico and The United States (1846-1848). He is a hero for the Mexicans and a bandit for the latter. In this study we will trace the story of the character in its different variations in diverse cultural products and analyze how he became a hero avenger and is part of the national imaginary as a representative not only of the Mexicans but also of other minority and oppressed groups.