▁Eth nic ▁and ▁Mult icult ural ▁Archives ▁at ▁U C ▁Santa ▁Barbara . ▁ ▁M ende z ▁died ▁on ▁May ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁at ▁his ▁T uc son ▁home . ▁ ▁Pil gr ims ▁in ▁A zt lán ▁This ▁novel ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 s - era ▁T iju ana ▁and ▁reflect s ▁both ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁space ▁of ▁the ▁Mexico – Un ited ▁States ▁border . ▁The ▁central ▁character ▁of ▁Lor eto ▁M ald on ado , ▁an ▁old ▁man ▁reduced ▁to ▁was hing ▁cars ▁in ▁his ▁final ▁days , ▁also ▁allows ▁Mé nd ez ▁to ▁flash back ▁to ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Revolution . ▁Mé nd ez ▁introdu ces ▁characters ▁from ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁background s ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁illustrate ▁the ▁multiple ▁cult ures ▁that ▁exit ▁on ▁the ▁border — not ▁just ▁Ch icano , ▁but ▁Mexican , ▁Ya qui ▁and ▁US ▁as ▁well . ▁Mé nd ez ▁does ▁not ▁provide ▁a ▁straightforward ▁plot ▁for ▁the ▁novel , ▁but ▁uses ▁the ▁enc oun ters ▁between ▁characters ▁to ▁reve al ▁their ▁histor ies ▁and ▁thus ▁to ▁trace ▁out ▁the ▁history ▁and ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁border ▁region . ▁ ▁Pub lished ▁works ▁ ▁" T ata ▁Case h ua " ▁and ▁" T aller ▁de ▁Im agen es " ▁( short ▁stories ), ▁published ▁in ▁El ▁Es pe jo / The ▁Mir ror ▁( 1 9 6 9 ) ▁ ▁Los ▁cri ader os ▁human os : ▁ép ica ▁de