From the Baja Library - - I am often asked about the wealth of Baja Literature, and the one book I keep going back to is Fernando Jordan’s, “El Otro México”. Fernando Jordan wrote this book as a series of articles for the “Excelsior” newspaper based out of Mexico City. The 1950’s in Mexico were the golden days of the newspaper business. Huge government subsidized if one kept the party line and centralized advertisements that weighed heavy on what was being published. Like many times in history, the Mexican government wanted to further incorporate the Baja Peninsula into its sphere of interest.
Mexico’ leadership had transitioned from the Generals of the Revolucion into the “Licenciados” or Attorneys. President Miguel Alemán was a great businessman and for the first time, modern Mexico was developing a certain sense of nation-building that came after the second world war. With this mindset, It was important for the government to involve Baja California more directly in the affairs of the nation, both politically and culturally, but the truth was, the average Mexican person knew nothing about the California peninsula commonly known as Baja.
The newspaper commissioned Fernando Jordan, who was already a famous writer, to do an in-depth investigation about the peninsula. He began planning his route where almost everybody begins, with the trail of the missions. The procession the Spaniards left behind was a good framework, but Jordan went into detail of the cities, the ranches, it’s tall-tales, local folklore, history, and political realities. From Tijuana to Cabo, he did not miss anything worth mentioning, either social, cultural or geographical. Fernanado Jordan fell in love with Baja, the way many of us have; he ended up writing a second book about Baja titled “Mar Roxo” focused on the Sea of Cortez and it’s natural wonders.
El Otro México- is divided into six parts and each chapter is its own self contained episode because the newspaper published them on a weekly basis. Fernando Jordan wrote with such passion and wit that his readers still connected with him at a profound level. He transmits the freedom, adventure and joy of living an honest Baja California life, and for the first time in history, Mexico began to understand its western peninsula.
Fernando Jordan moved to La Paz and caught what is commonly known as “Baja Madness”. It’s a phenomenon that still occurs to this day, people can go crazy when moving to Baja. They realize the possibilities, the fertile land, the natural beauty, and they want it all. Baja Madness can also be described as a mexican version of Manifest Destiny, the old idealism of the American west.
The last years of his life, Jordan was obsessed with developing “Ciudad Jordan”. A utopian dream about the Mexican city of the future that was to be located in San Juan de La Costa, north of La Paz. He died in the fog of a very mysterious suicide- the local folk song or “corrido” writen in his honor implies that he was sleeping with an army officers wife.
The licenciados, or the college educated, had taken over the institutions, but the military still had the guns.
Rest in peace Fernando Jordan, thank you for the work you left behind. I am unaware if an English translation of Fernando Jordan’s texts exists.
Rick Zazueta is the Author of Baja Air & Sea - a Novel. https://www.amazon.com/Baja-Air-Sea-Rick-Zazueta/dp/1734907606
