▁Revolution , ▁particularly ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁La ▁Adel ita . ▁After ▁a ▁brief ▁st int ▁on ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁at ▁UN C ▁Chap el ▁Hill , ▁she ▁moved ▁to ▁Mexico ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁play w right ▁Rod ol fo ▁Us igli ▁at ▁the ▁Universidad ▁Aut ón oma ▁de ▁Mexico . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁she ▁published ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁her ▁plays , ▁Mexican ▁Fol k ▁Pl ays , ▁with ▁a ▁pre face ▁by ▁Us igli . Us igli , ▁like ▁N igg li , ▁wanted ▁to ▁port ray ▁the ▁history ▁and ▁challeng es ▁of ▁a ▁modern ▁Mexico ▁and ▁was ▁support ive ▁of ▁her ▁success ▁in ▁America . ▁ ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁N igg li ▁also ▁published ▁her ▁first ▁novel - in - st ories , ▁Mexican ▁Village , ▁about ▁a ▁Mexican - born ▁American ▁( like ▁N igg li , ▁but ▁male ) ▁who ▁must ▁confront ▁problems ▁with ▁both ▁American ▁and ▁Mexican ▁cult ures ▁when ▁he ▁returns ▁to ▁Mexico . ▁She ▁followed ▁this ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁with ▁Step ▁Down , ▁E lder ▁Bro ther , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁translation ▁of ▁which ▁" cement ed ▁N igg li ´ s ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁giant ▁of ▁Mexican ▁literature ▁within ▁the ▁Latin ▁American ▁literary ▁world ." ▁These ▁nov els , ▁written ▁in ▁English , ▁were ▁meant ▁to ▁help ▁her ▁U . S . ▁audience ▁better ▁understand ▁both ▁Mexico ▁and ▁the ▁experiences ▁of ▁Mexican ▁Americans ; ▁as ▁such , ▁she ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁by ▁such ▁critics ▁as ▁Gl oria ▁An z