Tatiana Seijas, "American Metropolis: The Making of Mexico City" (Cambridge UP, 2026)

Tatiana Seijas, "American Metropolis: The Making of Mexico City" (Cambridge UP, 2026)

Author: New Books Network August 23, 2026 Duration: 38:00
Mexico City was America's largest city in the seventeenth century – a genuine metropolis. In American Metropolis: The Making of Mexico City (Cambridge University Press, 2026), Dr. Tatiana Seijas reveals a rich tapestry of stories about essential workers who remade and transformed the city during this period. Her narrative style carries readers to a unique place and time with residents from around the world who sold food, facilitated transportation, provided care, and valued the city's silver. Free and enslaved people from Africa and Asia, immigrants, and Native Americans pursued opportunities in a wealthy, yet deeply unequal environment, where working people claimed parts of the city for themselves. They carved out spaces to create new businesses and protect their livelihoods, altering the cityscape itself in the process. American Metropolis brings Mexico City to life from the perspective of the working people who transformed this early modern metropolis. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

Dive into the vibrant and complex world of Mexico through its latest scholarship. New Books in Mexican Studies, part of the New Books Network, moves beyond textbook summaries to bring you the authors themselves. Each conversation is a direct line to the research shaping our understanding of Mexico's past and present, covering everything from ancient history and revolutionary politics to contemporary art, social movements, and scientific inquiry. You'll hear two experts engage in a detailed, thoughtful discussion about a recently published book, unpacking its arguments, sources, and contributions to the field. This podcast serves as an academic audio library, making cutting-edge scholarship accessible to anyone curious about the depth and diversity of Mexican life and culture. The discussions are substantive yet approachable, offering listeners the chance to eavesdrop on the kind of dialogue that usually happens in university corridors or at academic conferences. Whether you're a seasoned scholar, a student, or simply an intellectually curious listener, these episodes provide a rich, nuanced perspective that challenges simplistic narratives. It’s about hearing the stories behind the studies and understanding why this work matters now. Tune in to discover the people and ideas currently defining Mexican studies, one new book at a time.
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