Somos Primos

 August 2006 
Editor: Mimi Lozano ©2000-6

Dedicated to Hispanic Heritage and Diversity Issues
 
Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research
Celebrating 20th Anniversary 
1986-2006

27th ANNUAL TEXAS CONFERENCE ON HISPANIC GENEALOGY & HISTORY

Aug 31 - Sep 3, 2006

Corpus Christi , Texas
Latest information on State Conference
http://www.freewebs.com/sagacorpus/annualconference.htm
http://www.freewebs.com/sagacorpus/

United States . . .5
Anti-Spanish Legends . . .41
Military and Law Enforcement Heroes  . . .51
Cuentos . . .58
Surname . . .73
Spanish Sons of the American Revolution . . .77
Orange County, CA . . .85
Los Angeles, CA . . .88
California . . .95
Northwestern United States . . .104
Southwestern United States . . .107
Black  . . .112
Indigenous . . .131

  Letters to the Editor : 

 
"A little learning, indeed, maybe a dangerous
thing, but the want of learning 
is a calamity to any people"
Fredrick Douglass 

UNITED STATES

Education
Wanted Future Journalists 
High Drop-out rates in nation's schools a crime
Texan elected LULAC national president, Rosa Rosales
U.S. government Report on Fatherhood
The Immigrants: The Global Origins of the American People 
Brains show signs of two bilingual roads 
English preferred among second-generation immigrants

Culture
Multicultural Blending in the New World
Melinda Del Toro, Winner Best in Show 
Social integration in the U.S., including cohabiting/marriage, is surging
Are Chicanos the same as Mexicans?

Business
Hispanic Business World Inaugural Reception, July 20th
National Latina Business Women Association Board Introduced, July 27th
Report Says Not Enough Latinos Employed in Government Positions

Action Item

A 62 year wait for World War II  Marine, Guy Gabaldon 

We’ve come to a crossroads. As you know, over the past several decades, people of all walks of life, from U.S. senators and congressional leaders to top veteran’s organizations, and influential civilians have attempted to convince our government to follow through on the July 1944 recommendation of U.S. Marine Captain John Schwabe and recognize Mr. Guy Gabaldon with the Medal of Honor. There has always been a great outpouring of support for Guy and the Medal campaign, but, after 62 years, he’s still waiting to be recognized. However, recently a series of events have led us to believe that we could possibly be in the home stretch and I wanted to make you aware of these events. At this time, your letter of support to President Bush, with a copy to the Secretary of the Navy could push the whole campaign, finally, into action.

To jog your memory, during the bloody Saipan campaign of June and July 1944, Pfc Gabaldon, a scout and observer with the regimental intelligence section of the 2^nd Marines, 2^nd Marine Division, is officially credited with single-handedly capturing over 1500 Japanese soldiers and civilians. A native of East Los Angeles, Guy had learned some Japanese phrases from his Japanese-American friends from the neighborhood and his understanding and respect for the Japanese culture was a critical factor in his success in convincing the exhausted defenders of Saipan to leave their caves, lay down their arms, and surrender. The amount of prisoners Guy took over a two month period (800 were captured in one day) was verified on national television in 1957, on "This is Your Life," by Marines Corps intelligence officers Colonel Walter Layer, Colonel John Schwabe, Major James High and several enlisted men from military intelligence. In the entire history of the U.S. military, no soldier has ever single-handedly taken so many prisoners. It is further noteworthy that Japanese soldiers seldom surrendered during World War II and were ordered by their superiors on Saipan to kill seven U.S. Marine and Army troops for every man they lost, or commit suicide. Guy’s success on Saipan in bagging prisoners, thus, saved thousands on both sides. It is particularly noteworthy that Schwabe, now a retired Colonel, recommended Guy for the Medal of Honor back in 1944. Unfortunately, Schwabe and his adjutant were transferred off the island and the decoration was lost in the cracks. It is time to redress those events.

Here’s what’s going on:

• LA TOASTS GUY Guy was recently honored by the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villagairosa and the entire Los Angeles City Council. What we thought was going to be a quick photo op, turned into a 30 minute testimonial with the Mayor and two councilmen Ed Reyes and Jose Huizar speaking eloquently on the meaning of Guy’s achievements for the Hispanic community. In regards to helping secure the Medal of Honor, the Mayor and the City Council are now preparing a resolution to be sent to the White House.
• GUY MAKES THE COVER The World War II Veteran’s Committee in Washington D.C., a prominent organization that showcases the veterans of World War II and their history, has featured Guy on the cover of their quarterly magazine which appears this month and goes out to thousands of veterans and World War II enthusiasts.
• GUY HONORED BY LA RAZA The National Council of La Raza, a prestigious national organization and a leading Latino civil rights advocate, honored Guy at their annual conference on July 7-10^th.
• GUYS DOCUMENTARY FILM DEBUTS At the conference, a new feature-length documentary film entitled "East L.A. Marine: the Untold True Story of Guy Gabaldon" by Hollywood producer Steve Rubin, received its world premiere at the inaugural NLCR Film Festival and was the hit of the film series. It is now being seen by Film Festival coordinators throughout the country and home video distribution companies. A second screening will be held in West Los Angeles in September, possibly in association with the local V.A.
• GUY’S PORTRAIT UNVEILED A newly commissioned portrait of Guy, painted by renown Latino military artist, Henry Godines, was unveiled and lithographs were distributed to organizations to help promote public awareness of Guy’s accomplishments. The oil painting was placed in the Hispanic Medal of Honor booth, a 45 foot display mounted by Rick Leal, President of the Hispanic Medal of Honor Society of San Francisco.
• GUY MAY APPEAR AT MARINE MUSEUM OPENING In November of this year, a new U.S. Marine Museum will be opened in Quantico, Virginia, about forty miles south of Washington D.C. We are looking into the possibility of presenting both Guy and the film as programming at the event. Securing the Medal of Honor and having it presented there would be an incredible opportunity, especially since this would be during Hispanic Heritage Month. The media coverage alone would bring Guy’s story to the attention of millions of Hispanics throughout the U.S. who would see that their historic contribution and presence in the ranks would be honored.

2006 would be the perfect year for President Bush, Congress and the Pentagon to recognize Guy Gabaldon’s bravery as deserving of the Medal of Honor. We know for a fact that the Secretary of the Navy is currently reviewing the records of U.S. military personnel who served in World War II, were Navy Cross winners, and perhaps were deserving of the Medal of Honor. Our great hope is that President Bush will present this honor to Guy at the dedication of the U.S. Marine Museum on November 10^th.

Such an event would signal to Hispanic/Latinos:

1. A willingness of the U.S. government to redress historical injustices to Hispanic/Latinos, resulting in a kinder view and increased patriotism for the United States government.
2. Acknowledgement by the U.S. government that the contributions of Hispanic/Latinos to the U.S. military are valued, resulting in increased support for the military, particularly during this intense period of overseas action. This type of acknowledgement can also bolster enlistments and the possibility of funding government proposed programs to give further support to the troops.
3. That the U.S. government is willing to express public respect to Hispanic/Latinos. With no threat to their own culture, Hispanic/Latinos will assimilate more quickly.
4. That U.S. born and/or naturalized Hispanic/Latinos will be included and recognized as Americans and treated as such. This will result in openness amongst all American to view social issues that affects Hispanic/Latinos as the whole’s nation’s concern, not just the Hispanic/Latino community. A nation is only as strong as its weakest link. The divisiveness of these issues must end and it can begin with a mutual respect, as demonstrated in the campaign for Guy Gabaldon.

Thank you for your support of Mr. Gabaldon over the years. Please direct your support to President Bush or Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter. We can get this done by working together and working quickly.

Sincerely, Mimi Lozano

             
              FREE LITHOGRAPH TO ORGANIZATIONS FOR PUBLIC POSTING
                                                Pied Piper of Saipan, Guy Gabaldon


In honor of Guy Gabaldon and the U.S. military, lithographs of the "Pied Piper of Saipan" painted by artist Henry Godines, are being given to military bases, hospitals, libraries, and educational agencies for public display, and to non-profit groups for their organization's fund raising and/or for public posting as well.  I will be distributing full-size, 24 X 30 inch lithographs for free.  

Just send me by post, the name and address of the organization, contact person, where the lithograph will be displayed (and or how used), and a U.S. Priority Mail stamp, $4.05. No cash, just the stamp.  

I would dearly appreciate a digitized photo of where and when the lithograph is used.  This will continue to help promote Guy's remarkable story. His action was motivated by compassion, and in fact . .   did save thousands of lives, American and Japanese.

Send postage and information to:
Mimi Lozano
Guy Gabaldon Project
P.O. Box 490
Midway City, CA  92655-0490

A new website dedicated to Guy Gabaldon is under construction. Should be up soon.
http://www.somorprimos.com/guy/guy.htm
For more information,  mimilozano@aol.com   714-8948161

UNITED STATES SENATE
Washington, DC 20610

July 28th, 2006

Dear Colleague:

This year, Americans celebrate two hundred and thirty years since the establishment of our great democracy.  As we reflect on our country's past and plan for our bright future, we are reminded of our duty as citizens to record and preserve our nation's diverse history.

Latinos have been a part of American history since before the founding of the United States.  They founded some of our oldest cities such as St. Augustine, Florida in 1565 and Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1598.  During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington's army was successful at Yorktown in part because of support from troops led by Bernardo de Galvez.  Today, there are more than 41 million Hispanics enriching American life, art, culture, and industry.

In that spirit, we have introduced the National Museum of the America  Latino Community commission Act (S.2475/H.R.2134), which would take the first step in commemorating the rich cultural contributions of the Latino community to America Life.

Specifically, it would establish a Commission to study and develop an action plan for the potential establishment of a National Museum of the American Latino Community.  The Commission would be comprised of leaders, selected by the President and Congress, with a commitment to the American Latino community and with experience planning for an managing similar museums.

Recently, both the House Resources Committee and the House Administration Committee voted unanimously to send the National Museum of the American Latino Community Commission Act to the House floor for consideration It is our hope that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will soon advance S.2475, and we invite you to support these efforts as a co-sponsor of this bill.

For more information, please contact Felicia Escobar with Senator Salazar at 8-5433 or Spencer Wayne with Senator Martinez at 4-3041.

                                                         Sincerely,

Ken Salazar                                                                                 Mel Martinez
United States Senator                                                                   United States Senator

Hispanic Population Has Grown More Numerous Than
Asian- and African-Americans in 26 of the 50 States
Hispanic Population Truly a National Presence
Sent by Juan Ramos, Ph.D. jramos.swkr@comcast.net

 July 12, 2006 (Los Angeles, CA) - Hispanics now outnumber African- and Asian-Americans in 26 of the 50 states, according to a Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) analysis of the 2004 census. While California and Texas still possess more than 50 percent of the nation's Hispanic population, southern states from North Carolina to Arkansas have seen phenomenal Hispanic population growth. (See Table 1.)

"The dispersion of the Latino community from its traditional ports of entry, such as California, New York and Florida, has been occurring for some time but has really accelerated in the past decade," stated Harry P. Pachon, President of the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Southern California.

In 1970, according to TRPI census analysis, Hispanics were the largest ethnic minority in comparison to African- and Asian-Americans in nine states. In 1990, that number grew to 11 states; in 2000 Hispanics were the largest ethnic minority in 23 states; and now, at mid-decade, the figure has grown to 26 states. (See Table 2.)

"The dispersion of the Hispanic community throughout the country means that Hispanic community issues are no longer single state or regional issues.  Hispanic issues are now national issues," continued Pachon.

According to Institute researchers, a variety of factors account for this national dispersion, including employment opportunities, lower housing values, and informal social and familial networks.

About TRPI
Founded in 1985, the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute advances critical, insightful thinking on key issues affecting Latino communities through objective, policy-relevant research and its implications, for the betterment of the nation.  TRPI is an affiliated research unit of the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning, and Development, and is associated with the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University. To learn more about the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, visit the Institute's website at http://www.trpi.org.

View the interactive map for the source of the percentage information. 
http://www.drtango.com/usmap.asp  
Sent by Howard Shorr howardshorr@msn.com

For backlash against Latino Culture . .  click

A recent account of this abuse was in the Orange County Register (July 29th, 2006). It has carried a a series of articles on Adbel-Jbbar Hamdan who has been held without bond since July 27, 2004, on charges he over-stayed a student visa that dates to 1982. He was 24 at the time he came to the U.S. on a student visa.  He is now 45.

However, he was actually arrested in connection with the shutdown in 2001 of a Texas-based charity the U.S. government alleged was raising money for Hamas, a Palestinian military group which has claimed responsibility for suicide attacks on Israelis. 

Hamdan (here on an over-stayed student visa since 1982) was chief fund raiser for the charity, the Holy Land Foundation.  Three foundation employees are being prosecuted after being accused of terrorist-related activities.  Their trial is pending. The article does not explain what occupation Hamdan had, except that he served as a "religious adviser" to the foundation that was funding the terrorist organization.

Hamdan is father of six U.S.-born children ages 9 to 22.  

Ahilan Arulanantham, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union is Hamdan's attorney.  Yaman Hamdan, 22-year old daughter stated, "Even if it ends for my dad, there are still so many people affected by this dysfunctional system."  

Half of all of undocumented people in the U.S. are over-stayed visas, but the focus of anti-immigration activity in the U.S. still remains on the Hispanic/Latino presence.]]

Muslim community calls for Release of Adbel-Jabbar Hamdan, "religious adviser" 
to the Holy Land Foundation, fund raisers for the terrorist organization of Hamas.
Photo by Paul E. Rodriguez, OC Register

Between 1988 and 2003 over one million Muslims have entered the U.S.
http://www.jannah.org/popstatistics/usamuslims.html

            Three injured foreign-born Latino U.S. soldiers become U.S Citizens.

It wasn't until we actually started beefing up border patrols and making it too risky to cross back and forth did immigrants resign themselves to living so far away from home.

It is said that roughly 10 percent of Mexico's population, about 107 million people, now live in the United States. As much as we think immigration is a problem for us and that Mexico is condoning the northward hike by their citizens, we should look at the facts. 

My venture began back in 1970.  I came to the United States from my homeland Lima, Peru, South America with my siblings and the “VERY” guided task of my mother.
 
My mother sacrificed and gave up everything in our country to allow us, her children to begin a new life here in the United States.  This of course, was the American Dream. To LEARN it, GROW with it…and ACHIEVE it, but to keep in mind always, our values, virtues and our great Hispanic heritage.

I look up to my mother for the role model figure she is.  She was the “STRONG” head of household in the absence of my father, while we were growing up,  firm in her actions, but fair in her guidance.   She came to this country not being able to speak English, and now retire, she volunteers in the Literacy Program in Huntington Beach.   

Joining the Board and being a co-founder of  NLBWA Orange County, gave me the confidence to join the National Board of this great organization
 
This is why Latino women are diverse and successful in the different areas of LIFE, LOVE and WORK.  Who would ever though that someone like me, from so far away, would have achieved the American Dream? 

When Elizabeth is not working, volunteering or studying towards her Bachelor's degree, she enjoys listening to all types of music, traveling, gourmet cooking and learning about different cultures.

Her personal philosophy is shaped by her experiences as an immigrant, her diverse travels and successful assimilation into being a proud American. She shares her personal insight:  

LET US NOT FORGET OUR CULTURAL UP-BRINGING THAT HAS LEAD US TO OUR INDIVIDUAL PATHS 
Elizabeth Bowlin was born in Lima Peru, and came to the United States in 1970. After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, she earned her Associate in Arts degree from Santa Monica City College. She worked as Vice-President /Branch Manager for Citibank, Wells Fargo, Union Bank of California, and joined Banco Popular of North America, the biggest bank owned by a Hispanic in July, 2005 where she held the position of Vice-President Business Banking Specialist for the Orange County Region. She has currently returned to Citibank as a Business Banking Officer, where she started her banking career.  

Elizabeth is active in a number of community organizations, including:
1. The National Hispanic Business Women Assoc of Orange County where she was a founder and served as a Board member. Currently seats on the National Board
2. Served as a Board member at the Orange County Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. 
3. Seats in the Board for Latino Health Access
4. Seats in the Board for Coastline Community College Foundation
5. Seats in the Board for the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce
6. Graduated from the "Robert Myer Leadership Academy" in 2006, which prepares you to become a Community Leader
7. In 2004, received the award for "Hispanic Woman of the Year " by LULAC 
( League of United Latin American Citizens)
8. Selected to be in the first LATINO TOP 100 of Orange County 2005-2006 by the organization STAY CONNECTED
9. She supports the ABAOC (Asian Business Assoc of OC)
10. She supports and is involved with HEEF, NSHMA and NWABO
11. She supports the March of Dimes Walk, AIDS Walk and American Cancer Society Walk.
12. She supports the Jr. Achievement organization as well as the Make a Wish Foundation

There's a rolled-up picture on my bookshelf that I've been meaning to frame. It's one of those old-time panoramic photos of a group of men and women standing in front of a building in downtown San Antonio. The inscription says "San Antonio LULAC Council number 2. 1938." 

On the left side of the image is my grandfather holding a banner with words that are now faded. He's wearing a loose-fitting suit; he looks very young, and his head is full of hair. 

I have no memory of the hair, nor do I remember him ever wearing loose-fitting suits. My memories of my grandfather are of many years later: a distinguished gentleman with nice, well-fitting clothes, shined shoes and sparse hair. I remember the way he looked and spoke as he made his way out the door on his way to a board meeting, a council meeting or a dinner with politicians or businessmen. 

He was very involved in the political life of San Antonio. He supported Latino politicians, he led
business groups and he founded youth sports leagues when it was not popular to do so. There was a time when Latino involvement in San Antonio politics and business was a novelty, when it was frowned upon by the larger community. 

My grandfather's time was a time of extraordinary vision. It was a time when men and women imagined a possibility and worked to make it happen. It was a long time ago, and much has changed since he stood for that picture in his loose suit and combed-back hair. 

According to the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, there are 5,132 Latinos in public
office throughout the country. That's up from 3,743 in 1996; a 37 percent increase in 10 years. I haven't seen any recent studies on Latino affluence, but I imagine there are more wealthy Latinos today than 10 years ago. There are bound to be more Latino millionaires, professionals, businessmen and businesswomen. Which is great. 

Latinos have become the most recent testament to the possibilities of hard work in a free society. The funny thing is that Latino success is not a new thing. There have been successful Latinos in the United States since there's been a United States, just not in the amount there is now. 

That picture on my bookshelf is evidence. Latino success in San Antonio in 1938 meant standing for a picture to celebrate common ideals. In 2006, Latino political success is measured in numbers, and the success is impressive. In fact, the achievement is so impressive that it warrants a gut check. 

Years ago, when Latino elected officials were few and far between, they represented American communities that had a majority concentration of voters of a specific Latino cultural group. They came to power through hard-fought battles in the courts and at the polls. And while their progress was slow, it was constant and determined. 

My grandfather talked of fundraising drives in the days of the poll tax. Ordinary folk would donate their prized possessions to buy the privilege of the vote. The dream was to raise one of their own to the highest levels of power. The idea was to participate fully, to contribute and to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who would have it otherwise. 

That vision was to have American leaders of the Latino culture. And now that we've become more than 5,000 strong, it's time to ask ourselves if that's what we've become. 

This is the point of discussion, as it should be: The history of Latinos in the United States is no
different from the history of all other groups that make up the American whole. Our struggles have been against those who would rather we didn't become better educated, participate more in politics and become wealthier. And we organized and rallied against them. 

Now that we are more than 5,000 strong, what have we become? As we grow in power and influence, what kind of leaders are we? 

We are bound by a legacy to become better. Are our elected officials better than the ones who came before? As a community, as Americans, we have a responsibility to hold our own leaders to a higher standard. 

Start Now - Prepare for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

One Man's effort: Rafael Ojeda, Tacoma, Washington Promotes Hispanic Heritage in a variety of ways 

Dear Mimi, my Hispanos Congressional Medal of Honor (CMOH) display was at our 4th annual Lakewood Latino Festival, <click (over 9000 people came out). Tim Lopez is the City of Lakewood Assistant Police Chief and our main supporter. The event was outside at one of our largest park, Stielacoom Park. It was too windy and my other posters came falling down.  I had to retake the photos in our Lakewood Library. (Editor: We need to form alliances with your local city agencies)

I will be taking my Medal of Honor display to schools, colleges, libraries and to our State
Fair during our Hispanic Heritage Month. Hopefully I will have finish the Galvez, and my
Military Generals, Aces Pilots and Astronauts and Latinos scientist for display.
I will encourage Latinos to ask their schools and colleges to see what they are doing
to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. If nothing else they can download the Latino/Hispanos CMOH from the www.HomeOfHeroes.com  to display either in the hallways or in the classroom.

The gentleman on my right is Virgil Fernadez          Left to right, Virgil Fernandez and Rafael Ojeda
from Austin Texas. We hosted the author of 
"Hispanic Military Heroes" Fernandez.  ( web site and table of contents below)  He came to our Ojeda's Family Reunion in Austin to sign the books that he sold to us. I am going to get our city and county Libraries to order some copies for our young Latinos & Latinas.

We are starting a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Pierce County, today we had 
our third Breakfast with over 30 Latinas/Latinos professionals. I will keep you informed.

We should encourage Latino organizations to ask their City Councils, County Councils and their Governors to write "Proclamations" for Hispanic Heritage Month and have someone accept the proclamation and speak on our Latino Contributions to our Nation.  

"Hispanic Military Heroes" http://www.bookmasters.com/marktplc/rr01587.htm

Other sites for celebrating Hispanic Heritage:
General Elwood "Pete" Quesada". appointed by Pres. Ike to be the first Secretary of our FAA
Please see http://www.afa.org/magazine/april2003/0403/quesada.asp

Another great General is General Robert who was a test pilot of the "Flying Wing"
http://www.sharkhunters.com/pixcardenas.gif  and http://www.airspacemag.com/ASM/Mag/Index/1997/JJ/teds.html

Two other Air Force Pilots are: Colonel Donald S. Lopez, the current assistant to the
National Aeronautical Space Museum, the counterpart of Chuck Yeager. He also wrote a  book called, " A Fighter Pilot's Heaven". 

Korea War Aces Pilots: 
Capt Pete Fernandez that you can see a photo in the Korea 50 Fact Sheets.
http://korea50army.mil/history/factsheets/hispanic.shtml
.
This site also include the Puerto Rico 65th Infantry and the Arizona 158th RCT.                         
See all 39 Latinos Congressional Medal of Honor including the most recent recipient:
Rascon: http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/rascon.htm
http://www.dod.mil/specials/hispanic/02/art.4html

Army Major General Gustovo "Gus" Hernandez http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2003/n10172003_200310172.html

Thank you, Rafael

Contact Name: Rafael Ojedo
Screen Name: RSNOJEDA
Home: 1-253-576-9547
Notes: Rafael OJeda 1-253-576-9547 or 584-3296.
11021 107th ST SW Tacoma, WA 98498-1405" 

The Hispanic Link Journalism Foundation And The Scripps Howard Foundation

Announce TWO Journalism Fellowships in Washington, D.C.
Fall Semester (September 11 – December 17)
Spring Semester (January 8 – April 13)

Hispanic Link is currently accepting résumés for both the fall and spring 14-week semester journalism fellowships. One person will be selected for each semester fellowship

The fellowships provide a stipend of $2,500 plus housing for an undergraduate college student. Applicants will be judged on their English-language writing skills, journalistic potential and commitment to work in print journalism.

The selected fellows will be placed with the Washington, D.C.–based Hispanic Link News Service, which covers national affairs with an emphasis on their impact on 40 million U.S. Hispanics. The news service publishes Hispanic Link Weekly Report, a national newsweekly, and syndicates opinion, news analysis and feature columns to English and Spanish language media.

Send a letter of interest mentioning the semester you’re applying for, résumé and clips to: Editor@HispanicLink.org For more information you can call Alex Meneses Miyashita or Charlie Ericksen at (202) 234-0280.

Brains show signs of two bilingual roads 
by Bruce Bower 

http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/printindex.php3?main=sci-news/bilingual
Sent by Dr. Armando A. Ayala DrChili@webtv.net
From Science News, Vol. 152, No. 2, July 12, 1997. © 1997 Science News 

Unlike people who become bilingual after childhood, those who learn a second language at an early age rely on the same critical patch of brain tissue when speaking either tongue, according to a new study. 

Adult learners of language apparently recruit nearby groups of brain cells, suggest neuroscientist Joy Hirsch of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and her colleagues. 

"On the basis of our findings, the distinction between native and second languages may be less for [people who had] younger ages of exposure to a second language," Hirsch holds. 

According to her study, bilingual individuals who acquired a second tongue during childhood display elevated activity in the same part of Broca's area--a frontal lobe structure considered crucial for language use--regardless of which language they use. In contrast, people employing a second language acquired later exhibit neuronal bustle in another segment of Broca's area, the researchers report in the July 12 Nature. 

Wernicke's area, located in the temporal lobe and also known to perform language functions, displayed comparable responses in both groups. The researchers relied on a noninvasive technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study changes in blood flow in the brains of 12 bilingual adults. Half of the group had learned a second language starting in infancy, while the remainder attained fluency as teenagers. 

Together, the volunteers speak 10 native and second languages, including English, French, and Turkish. The two groups reported roughly equal fluency and frequency of use for their second tongues. 

Researchers obtained brain scans as participants silently recited, first in one language and then the other, brief descriptions of an event from the previous day. 

The findings may reflect either the sensitivity of part of Broca's area to language exposure during childhood or the existence of marked differences in the ways that children and adults learn languages, Hirsch says. 

"These new results are interesting but inconclusive," comments neuroscientist Robert J. Zatorre of the Montreal Neurological Hospital. "It's devilishly difficult to study naturalistic types of language in a well-controlled way." 

For instance, the short descriptions of personal events offered by volunteers in Hirsch's study allow for large individual differences in the amount of mental imagery generated during the task and the extent to which events sparked emotional reactions. Such differences may have influenced language-related brain activity, Zatorre contends. 

Unpublished fMRI data obtained from bilingual speakers as they name various objects, a more restricted verbal task, yields the same disparity regarding age of learning a language, Hirsch responds. 

About Science News... References: Kim, K. . . .J. Hirsch. 1997. Distinct cortical areas associated with native and second languages. Nature 388(July 10):171. 
Further Readings: Bower, B. 1993. Sudden recall. Science News 144(Sept. 18):184. 
Sources:  

Culture

Those of us who live in the United States of America should appreciate that America is called "the melting pot" of cultures. East to West, North to South, and in between all have a cultural diversity of unsurpassed in the entire world.

My wife and I just finished watching "Roots" for the umpteenth time, and this reminded me of my own family and its diverse cultural blend.

My family in the "New World" started in Mexico, New England, and Alta California at about the same time.

The earliest record of my family in the "New world" as of this writing; are 1514 in Mexico when Louis Carrillo and Nunez Balboa expedition discovered the Pacific Ocean and the Smith’s as early as 1685 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (undocumented).

From a European beginning, across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and settling in areas thousands of miles from one another before coming together in Alta California many generations later. Such diversity in cultures and status, it is amazing to me the stories of how they came to be my family!

In the East, those of my family that came to the "New World" for religious and economic reasons and of my family who came to Mexico and Alta California for economic reasons, this is the story of how they fared.

In the East, you read the names of cities, towns and they are mostly Anglo, whereas in the South West the names of the cities towns are mostly Spanish. In California, where I hail from, you can truly see the blend of cultures. I grew up in an unincorporated area called "Castro Valley", and have lived in cities called "San Leandro" and "Fremont". What I mean is that within the area called the "Bay Area" you find equal numbers of Anglo and Spanish names of cities and towns depending on what area was colonized and named for the, or after the locals.

I also find it interesting that the present day President of Mexico is named Fox. Truly not a Spanish surname, but in all else he truly is a Mexican. Somewhere in his family, a European named Fox married a Spanish, Mexican, or native Indian woman and thus the name of Fox has been handed down through the generations. In my own family, a man named Miller married a Spanish, Mexican, or native Indian woman and at least one in the line married a man named Smith. There are Smiths and Millers living in Mexico at this writing who are truly Mexican, but bear the surname of a European other than one from Spain.

The Smith, Gilpin, and Hartnell families came from England, and the Carrillo, de la Guerra, de Lugo, Castro, Alvarez, Arellanes, Boronda, Esapinosa, Escamilla, de la Torre, Moreno, Ramirez, Soberanes, and Munoz families came from Spain. The Mayer, Wagoner and Miller families came from Germany, the Bonelli and Cappelli families came from Italy and finally the Christensen family came from Denmark.

Beginning on the East coast with the Smith family, they were merchants in Pennsylvania. They later owned business’ in Mexico City, Mexico, and then became ranchers in Alta California. The Gilpin families were Quaker farmers in Pennsylvania, and the Gilpin family roots go back to 1206 England where an early ancestor won a title and estate by slaying a killer Boar. Lafayette used the farmhouse of Joseph Gilpin as a command post during the "Battle of Brandywine" during the American Revolution. Samuel Smith Married Lydia Gilpin and they have eight children. Joseph met Loretta Miller in Mexico while on business Joseph Smith later married Loretta. He later started a business in Mexico City with the husband of his sister Hannah, John Stokes. The couple had eight children, all born in Mexico. The family traveled between Mexico City and Philadelphia many times during their marriage. Three of the boys, Miguel, George, and Alban, were educated in Philadelphia in a private school. On the last trip to Mexico in 1848, Joseph died, leaving Loretta and the children without income. I have copies of letters written by George Smith for his mother, as she read wrote and spoke only in Spanish. I believe Loretta and the girls moved back with her family, but I do not know where in Mexico they settled. I have a photo of family, taken in Mexico. In 1849, the three remaining brothers, Miguel, George, and Alban came to Alta California, leaving their Mother and two remaining sisters, Anna and Guadalupe (Lupita) in Mexico.

And in the west, Juan Carillo born 1695 in Baja California and a descendent of Louis Carrillo, marries Lucia Efigina Miller born 1705 in Baja California. They have a son in 1715, Hilario. Hilario marries Maria Antonia De PASOS, born in Baja California 1725. They have a son Jose Raimondo CARRILLO-PASOS born in 1749 also in Baja. Jose Raimondo marries Maria Thomasa de LUGO, in 1781, at the San Carlos Mission in Monterey Alta California.

The earliest Alta California ancestors are Jose Raimondo CARRILLO-PASOS and Maria Thomasa de LUGO CARRILLO. They have seven children, my direct ancestor, Maria Antonia CARRILLO, was born 1786 in San Gabriel, California.

Jose Antonio DE LA GUERRA was born 1779 in Novales, Santander, Spain. A soldier and early settler of California, Jose Antonio was one of the few personages in early California who was of the "Sangre Azul" (blue blood) of old Spain. At age 13 he came to Mexico City to live with his maternal uncle Pablo Gonzalez de Noriega, a wealthy merchant. Jose joined the frontier army in 1793; in 1798 he was appointed a cadet at the Presidio of San Diego. He was promoted to alferez (ensign) at the Presidio at Monterey in 1800 and by 1804 was its acting Commandant. In 1806 he was made lieutenant at the Presidio in Santa Barbara and served so until 1817 when he became captain. He became commandant in 1827 and also became a Deputy (Diputado) to the Mexican National Congress. He served as Commandant until 1842, when he retired. He was popular and was known as "El Capitain" From Spanish Land Grants and purchases, he became owner of over ½ million acres in what is now Santa Barbara, Ventura, Marin, and Sacramento counties. In 1804 Jose marries Maria Antonia Carrillo. They lived in Santa Barbara along with the de Lugo and Carrillo families. Their adobes still remain within a mile of one another. Jose and Maria become influential in the community, many a fiesta was held at their hacienda, and it is said they personally helped many who were in need. They had eleven children all total. One of the daughters, Maria Teresa Isidora De La Guerra is a direct descendant of mine.

William Edward Petty HARTNELL born in Backbarrow, Lancashire, England, in 1798. An orphan, he was raised by his maternal uncle who sent him away to school. He was educated in Germany, learning Spanish, German, and French in addition to his business and bookkeeping studies. In 1819, William went to Santiago, Chile and signed on as a bookkeeper for a large mercantile firm and it is there where he met Hugh McCulloch. The two young men came to Monterey, Alta California in 1822, where they set up trade with the established Missions. It is during his visits to Santa Barbara he met Jose Antonio DE LA GUERRA and later Maria Teresa Isidora De La Guerra, Jose’s daughter. William made friends easily and before long was courting Maria Teresa Isidora De La Guerra. She was a devote Roman Catholic and William was not, after counseling with Friar Antonio Ripoli, a Franciscan monk William had befriended, William converts to the Roman Catholic faith. Maria Teresa Isidora De La Guerra and William Edward Petty HARTNELL marry in 1825 and have twelve children. William became a Mexican citizen and was awarded land grants in Salinas, Solano county, and Santa Barbara county. After his business fails, William starts the first college in Alta California on his ranch outside of Salinas. HARTNELL was called upon many times, by the Mexican Governor of California, to act as interpreter. He became "ex officio interpreter" for the new state of California.

Guillermo Antonio Hartnell, first born of William and Maria. Guillermo marries Maria Del Refugio MORENO in 1850 and they have eleven children. For a time, he was sheriff of what is now Castroville. The family owned property near Santa Inez and Guillermo was listed as a rancher in the census of 1870. A cousin, Juan Hartnell, was also a rancher at that time and area. One of Guillermo and Maria’s daughters is a direct descendant, Maria De La Concepcion Blanca HARTNELL born in 1853.

George Smith, and younger brother, Alban are listed in the 1860 census of Township Santa Inez as sheepherders. Working on a ranch owned by Jose Espanans, whose ranch is near the ranch of Guillermo Antonio Hartnell. It is there that the brothers first meet the Hartnell family. In 1870, George Smith, and brother Alban are married in a double ceremony at the Mission in San Luis Obispo. George marries Maria De La Concepcion Blanca HARTNELL, and Alban marries her sister, Maria Ada HARTNELL. In the census of 1870, George and Maria are listed as sheepherders, with Alban and his wife Maria are listed under the household of George. One of George and Maria’s daughters, Blanca Rose Smith, is a direct descendant of mine. I have a letter from George to daughter Blanca dated 1895; she was sixteen and charged with looking after her older brother George McKinley. My grandmother told us stories about her "mother’s family" owning or managing a Hotel in Saratoga, California. One of the aunts lived on what is now highway 9, near the entrance to Big Basin State Park. It is there on a trip to visit family that Blanca met and later married Carl.

Oliver Peter CHRISTENSEN and Meta Margaret (maiden name unknown), come to America from Denmark in about 1879. With them they bring their sons, Carl and John. Landing in New York, they moved to Baltimore Maryland. After a couple of years they went westward as did many others of the time, settling in Park City Utah, and then Herber Utah, where they had family. Oliver was a cobbler and seeking a better life, the family moved to Saratoga California where Oliver set up a shop on the main street of Saratoga, on the creek side of Big Basin way. Sometime between 1896 and 1897, Carl meets Blanca Smith while she was visiting family in Saratoga.

Carl CHRISTENSEN and Blanca Rose Smith marry in 1898. They live in Saratoga where Carl is employed as caretaker of the "Tyson ranch" in the foothills near the Congress Springs road. Carl and Blanca buy a house on the "creek side" of Big Basin Way in Saratoga and have four children, Loretta Rose, Fred George, Joseph Carl, and Lucrecia (Kay). In 1905, Blanca becomes gravely ill, her older sister Rose, now living in San Jose, comes to take care of Blanca and the children. Blanca soon dies and the children are shuttled to family members and friends. At the death of his wife at an early age and having to separate the family, Carl becomes embittered.

Loretta, now called Laura, is sent for a time to live with her Grandmother, Maria De La Concepcion Blanca HARTNELL Smith, in San Jose, California. When her father’s mother becomes ill, Loretta is sent to live with her Grandmother Meta, until Meta dies in 1915. The family soon moves to Octavia Street in Oakland California, where Carl has purchased a house. At his point Carl is able to bring all of the children with him. Loretta is charged with keeping the house, cooking, cleaning, and washing. She enters Heald College and after graduating soon finds employment with one of the Tyson brothers who owns an insurance agency in San Francisco.

Henry C. Mayer born in San Antonio, Texas meets and marries Irma Wagner, born in Germany. They have a son Raymond I. Mayer, born 1898 in Del Rio, Texas.

In 1921, Laura Rose CHRISTENSEN met Raymond I. Mayer and they were married and left for the Philippines, where Raymond and His father Henry had contracted a job to install refrigeration. They were together only three months when Laura leaves Raymond and returns to California working her way home on a ship. During the trip home, Laura discovers that she is pregnant. Laura returns to the home of her father in Oakland.

Fred George Mayer is born May 16, 1922. He lives with his mother and grandfather in the home on Octavia Street in Oakland. With no contact whatsoever with his father, Fred comes to identify with his grandfather’s family. While working at Caterpillar tractor Company in San Leandro California, Fred meets and eventually marries Priscilla (Primasia) Bonelli.

Gustavo Bonelli arrives in America from Ponti e Saccio, Italy in 1913, aboard the ship Berlin. Rosa Capelli arrives in America from Pistoia, Italy in 1920, aboard the ship America. They meet in Ohio and marry in Canton in 1920. Their first child is Primasia Margaret Bonelli. When Premasia was six she started school, she did not speak any English. Her first grade teacher changed her name from Primasia to Priscilla, and she has gone by that name ever since.

Kenneth D. Mayer is born in 1950 and my brother David is born six years later.

With the death of her mother Blanca, at the early age of six, and after Laura left the company of her maternal Grandmother, she soon lost physical contact with her Mother’s family. Reading through correspondence she had with several cousins, some of the letter was written in Spanish. I never knew my grandmother even knew Spanish, let alone read and write! What an epiphany to find this out! As a young boy, and in the tradition of an oral book, I remember my grandmother telling me with pride stories of her GGGrandfather, William E.P. Hartnell, the early Californianos and our Spanish nobility heritage. Well into her nineties, my Grandmother identified old photos of her people. We had relatives in Maryland, New York, Utah, Mexico, in addition to the ones in California.

With interest in history and my family heritage I have researched my roots. I have met with or corresponded with cousins who I never knew existed, who were also driven with a desire to find the family roots. We are both the culture(s) of our parents and the culture of which we choose to identify. The blend of cultures is alive with me and the other family members who choose to keep them alive.

Salute America New Artist of the Year 2006:   Melinda Del Toro
"There's a Winner in You"©  http://saluteamerica.org/melinda_del_toro.htm
Sent by Marisol Del Toro BRN2000SUGAR@cs.com 

Melinda Del Toro
Winner Best in Show 
Salute Los Angeles Day Festival
July 4, 2006
Radio Interview with Melinda Del Toro on WKVL-AM - Listen Now
Spotlight on the Brown: Singer Melinda Del Toro 
"Pleasantly overwhelmed with the talent of a 16-year-old singer"  
 Article LatinoLA.com By: Frank Firme

Melinda Del Toro ( www.melindadeltoro.com ) Only 16 years old, Melinda has already "wowed" crowds at venues like the Plaza Mexico in Lynwood, the Norwalk Ramada Inn, and most recently at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena, with her beauty, stage presence, and singing voice. 

Easily ranging from Ranchera & Mariachi, to R & B to Soul to Latin Rock, Melinda credits her father for her early musical inspiration, and her close-knit family for giving her love and strong encouragement. 

"I come from a large, proud family whose roots are from Mexico. Even though I was born in La Palma, California, my father, uncles, and aunts all sang or played instruments and raised me on Mexican Mariachi and Ranchera music ever since I can remember, always inviting me to sing, and encouraging me every step of the way, even when I wanted to sing R & B instead of traditional music I was raised on. My parents and sisters come to all my performances, and when I see them out in the audience with tears of pride in their eyes while I'm up on stage...I just want to cry and sing my heart out just for them. Singing makes me happy that I make everybody around me happy, especially my family. I love singing and I love my family." 

That love came to people's attention when Melinda was only 3 years old, and pretty much established her as a prodigy. 

"Even though I hadn't had any formal singing training, at age 3, I was singing full songs with my Dad, entertaining family members," Melinda recalls. "My older sister was 15 at the time and was starting out as a teen-age model for a small agency my Mom helped out with. During an Agency public event, for some reason, the hosts started inviting members of the attending crowd if anybody wanted to come up and sing. Well, the crowd was sure shocked when this 3 year old little girl strutted up there and sang the complete 'Nieves de Enero' in accapella . After that, it was on! I knew then I wanted to be a singer." 

Melinda also credits her sister Marisol as one of her biggest supporters and fan, and her most ardent promoter. "My sister is always looking for talent shows, public invitations and open mic sessions for me to perform at. She and my Mom are my agents, and they do all my contacts and business deals. She has got me into places I'm not even old enough to get into, but she's got me there, and I love her for it. She's the reason I've had any success at all, and I will never be able to thank her enough...just for being my sister and looking out for me." 

[[Editor:  There is a lot of information on this site compiled by Marisol Del Toro manifesting American patriotism. Congratulations to her.  BRN2000SUGAR@cs.com
http://www.saluteamerica.org/press_releases_-_salute_america.htm ]]

Are Chicanos the same as Mexicans?

"Spanish people"
This term is used frequently in the United States to refer indiscriminately to any person that speaks Spanish. As such, it is imprecise and often inappropriate in that it includes people from more than two dozen countries, spanning all of the American continent, the Caribbean and Spain. The term does apply specifically, however, as the proper name for the native people of Spain, and for this reason it is as incorrect to use it to refer to any and all Spanish-speakers as the term "English" would be to refer to citizens of New Zealand, Australia or the United States.

Hispanics
This term is often used to refer collectively to all Spanish-speakers. However, it specifically connotes a lineage or cultural heritage related to Spain. As many millions of people who speak Spanish are not of true Spanish descent (e.g., native Americans), and millions more live in Latin America (cf., "Latino" below) yet do not speak Spanish or claim Spanish heritage (e.g., Brazilians) this term is incorrect as a collective name for all Spanish-speakers, and may actually be cause for offense.

Latino
This term is used to refer to people originating from, or having a heritage related to, Latin America, in recognition of the fact that this set of people is actually a superset of many nationalities. Since the term "Latin" comes into use as the least common denominator for all peoples of Latin America in recognition of the fact that some romance language (Spanish, Portuguese, French) is the native tongue of the majority of Latin Americans, this term is widely accepted by most. However, the term is not appropriate for the millions of native Americans who inhabit the region.

Mexican
Specifically, the nationality of the inhabitants of Mexico. Therefore, the term is used appropriately for Mexican citizens who visit or work in the United States, but it is insufficient to designate those people who are citizens of the United States (they were born in the US or are naturalized citizens of the US) who are of Mexican ancestry. The various terms used to properly designate such people are described below, however, it is important to explain why these people feel it is important to make such a distinction. US citizens who are troubled by this often point out that most immigrants do not distinguish themselves by point of origin first, (i.e., German-American), but simply as "Americans" (another troublesome term, but we won't get detoured by that here). Here are some reasons why many US citizens of Mexican extraction feel that it is important to make the distinction:

*Not "Americans" by choice
A scant 150 years ago, approximately 50% of what was then Mexico was appropriated by the US as spoils of war, and in a series of land "sales" that were coerced capitalizing on the US victory in that war and Mexico's weak political and economic status. A sizable number of Mexican citizens became citizens of the United States from one day to the next as a result, and the treaty declaring the peace between the two countries recognized the rights of such people to their private properties (as deeded by Mexican or Spanish colonial authorities), their own religion (Roman Catholicism) and the right to speak and receive education in their own tongue (for the majority, Spanish) [refer to the text of the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo]. Therefore, the descendants of this population continue to press for such rights, and many hold that theirs is a colonized land and people in view of the fact that their territory and population was taken over by military force.

*Mexicans first, "Americans" second?
Another and more numerous class of US citizens of Mexican extraction are either descendants of, or are themselves, people who conceive of themselves as temporarily displaced from Mexico by economic circumstances. As opposed to the waves of European migrants who willingly left their countries due to class and religious discrimination, and sought to make their lives anew in the "new world" and never to return to the "old land," these displaced Mexicans typically maintain strong family ties in Mexico (by visiting periodically, and by investing their incomes in homes or kin in Mexico), and usually intend to return to Mexico provided they can become economically secure. Therefore these people maintain and nurture their children in their language, religion and customs.

However, There is great tension within this population between those of Mexican birth who conceive of themselves as temporary guests in the US, and their descendants who are born in the US, are acculturated with the norms of broader US society in public schools, and are not motivated by the same ties that bind a migrant generation of Mexicans. This creates a classic "niche" of descendants of immigrants who are full-fledged US citizens, but who typically do not have access to all the rights and privileges of citizenship because of the strong cultural identity imbued in them by their upbringing and the discriminatory reaction of the majority population against a non-assimilated and easily identified subclass. This group of people feels a great need to distinguish itself from both its US milieu and its Mexican "Mother Culture," which does not typically welcome or accept "prodigals." This is truly a unique set of people, therefore, in that it endures both strong ties and strong discrimination from both US and Mexican mainstream parent cultures. The result has been the creation of a remarkable new culture that needs its own name and identity.

Mexican-American
This term is commonly used to recognize US citizens who are descendants of Mexicans, following the pattern sometimes used to identify the extraction of other ethnic Americans (e.g., "African-American). This term is acceptable to many Mexican descendants, but for those who do not identify with a Mexican heritage, but rather with a Spanish heritage, it is unacceptable (cf., "Hispano," below). Also, for those who do not view themselves as "Americans" by choice, this term is problematic, and for others the implication that the identity of the bearer is unresolved, or in limbo, between two antipodal influences, belies their self-concept as a blend that supersedes its origins and is stronger, richer and more dynamic than either of its cultural roots.

Hispano
This term is preferred by that subpopulation, located primarily in the US southwest, who identify with the Spanish settlers of the area, and not with the Mexican settlers (specifically, the Creole Spanish-Native American race). There is in fact an important number of these people located along the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico and in the northern Sangre de Cristo mountain range of the same state. This group has been traditionally a very closed and conservative one, and recent evidence provides important explanations for this: they seem to be descendants of persecuted Jews who fled Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries and sought refuge in what were then the farthest reaches of the known world. They survived by minimizing their contact with outsiders and by hiding or disguising their religious and cultural identities as much as possible. Historical researchers call them "cryptic Jews."

Chicano
A relatively recent term that has been appropriated by many Mexican descendants as unique and therefore reflective of their unique culture, though its first usage seems to have been discriminatory. The most likely source of the word is traced to the 1930 and 40s period, when poor, rural Mexicans, often native Americans, were imported to the US to provide cheap field labor, under an agreement of the governments of both countries. The term seems to have come into first use in the fields of California in derision of the inability of native Nahuatl speakers from Morelos state to refer to themselves as "Mexicanos," and instead spoke of themselves as "Mesheecanos," in accordance with the pronunciation rules of their language (for additional details, refer to the file MEXICO on this same subdirectory). An equivocal factor is that in vulgar Spanish it is common for Mexicans to use the "CH" conjunction in place of certain consonants in order to create a term of endearment. Whatever its origin, it was at first insulting to be identified by this name. The term was appropriated by Mexican-American activists who took part in the Brown Power movement of the 60s and 70s in the US southwest, and has now come into widespread usage. Among more "assimilated" Mexican-Americans, the term still retains an unsavory connotation, particularly because it is preferred by political activists and by those who seek to create a new and fresh identity for their culture rather than to subsume it blandly under the guise of any mainstream culture.

For additional information and resources on Chicano Studies, a good starting point is the Chicano-Latino Network (CLNET) accessible through the University of California - Los Angeles Gopher Server:

gopher.ucla.edu 70 under the heading: ->Chicano/LatinoNet

HISPANIC BUSINESS WORLD Inaugural RECEPTION, 
JULY 20TH
HARDIN GMC Dealership
1321 Auto Center Drive

Lorena Maas, President of the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce talks to Dr. George Beloz, President of the Greater Corona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Luis Velasco (on the left), President of HBWorld and his wife Myrna talk to a member of the Advisory Board, Jeffrey Matsen.  Mr Matsen has been identified as one of the top 100 lawyers in the nation.

From left, Jim Origel and Debbie Phares, on staff with the Orange County Congregation Community Organization, discuss with Earl Beecher, Public Affairs, Church or Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, strategies for bringing Christian groups together. 

[[Your editor is serving as one of the six on the Advisory Board to HBWorld, and as a Board member of the National Latina Business Women Association. In both cases, I was invited into those capacities because of their interest in being sensitive to and aware of heritage and cultural factors in decision making.]]  

 From left to right: Board members in attendance
Marta Rodriguez, Noelle K. Afualo (Secretary), Karime Sanchez Bradvica, 
Theresa Ynzunza (President), Kenia A. Romero (West Coast Chair) and Mimi Lozano 


National Latina Business Women Association Board
Introduced at July 27th Event

Theresa Ynzunza 
NLBWA Founder

Kenia A. Romero
July 27th Event Chair

NLBWA Vision: To create more representation, visibility and business opportunities of/for Latinas in the world of business and at the executive level nationwide.

Anti-Spanish Legends

In a message dated 7/10/2006 darellano@austin.rr.com writes:

"Sangre Pura," by Dan Arellano

In a message dated 7/13/2006 Mimi writes to darellano@austin.rr.com and alexloya@integrity.com

Subject: Re: Tejano Origins


Dear Dan:

Thank you for your very thoughtful letter and supportive data.  I know that my roots include indigenous lines because I have the wedding document that refers to my gggrandmother as a mestiza.  I also know that my Pena lines (two) are Tlaxcallan tribal connections. Like you, I am proud of both my Spanish and indigenous lines.

Alex Loya has indeed done extensive research and found evidence of a Hispanic presence in the Southwest much earlier than even suspected.  His work is very much to be admired. 

With the results of my own family research, I personally do not agree with the "pure blood" emphasis that Alex points to . .   I do feel however that it is good to present the research of historians with differing opinions on that point.  It enriches the base of information that is shared. . . especially when well-researched data is the foundation of the positions taken.

I have not decided the best place for your letter yet; Texas, Southwest, Indigenous, and even Anti-Spanish would be suitable.  

Thank you for expressing your opinion.

God bless, Mimi

Re: Tejano Origins  
In a message dated  7/15/2006 from alexloya@integrity.com to Mimi and darellano@austin.rr.com
 
Sorry for taking so long to answer, I have been out of town and so  busy I have not had a chance to check my email in a few days.

When I first began to research this issue I contacted Professor Robert  McCaa of the University of Minnesota because the people of Northern  New Spain, of Chihuahua and Texas etc. are, generally speaking,  palpably whiter than the people of central and southern Mexico. I  wondered if there had been a migration from the East, from Louisiana,  to Northern New Spain rather than from the south.  Professor McCaa  stated that most of the migration was from south to north, but, that  his research had shown that whites did not intermarry very much in  Northern New Spain.  Then I found how that mestizos had been excluded  from colonization. Well, that explained the mystery of the distinct appearance of the original colonials of Northern New Spain and those of the middle and south of Mexico as is plainly visible today.

I understand your position, although I must say your disagreement is not with me but with Antonio Menchaca and such men who over and over and over and over and over and over and over stated and stated and stated and stated that they were Spaniards, that in their veins flowed the warm blood of Castile, when I write about this issue, I am simply echoing what they said which has been totally ignored until now, and now that I point it out, it is fiercely resisted by some who just as soon eliminate the Spaniard race from any existence in the making of America.  Only in San Antonio was there a majority, not of mestizos, but of mulattos, go and count the persons in the census again, and  
note that just as you say some went from being mestizo to being Spaniard, so were there those who are ignored who went from being Spaniard to being mulatto etc., showing the reverse process you refer  
to. Why, in one instace although the original population was almost exclusively Spaniard, ten years later that same town became almost exclusively quebrado, showing the total reverse process that you and  
other writers claim happened that mestizos later claimed to be Spaniard.

In all this argument, it is not the mestizos that are being railroaded, it is the criollos who have been forgotten and ignored until now, you are not the victim of injustice in this instance, it is the criollos of Northern New Spain who have been the victims of cultural genocide and even now with one little work that points to the role of the criollo, you are up in arms wanting to make us disappear from history again.

Well, I don't want to fight, sir, like I said, take it up with the Spaniard Founding Fathers of Texas, tell Menchaca he was not a Spaniard, tell Navarro his father was not Corsican and his mother was  
not criollo, tell Seguin he was not French and of full Castilian lineage (he was said to be of full Castilian lineage although French in his Seguin side,by the way, Seguins participated with the French at  
Yorktown, as did the Loya), I am merely pointing out their testimony (and note that when I call them so, I am just repeating what they or their friends or interviewers wrote of them, I did not make it up),  and then go and deny the people of Northern New Spain what they claimed was their heritage, as so many have done in their attempt to erase the Spaniard from existence in the making of America, and then  
go and change their faces in their portraits.

Like I said, I don't want to fight, sir, I will write for the criollos and you go ahead and write for the mestizos, who were a tiny tiny minority since the mixed population was that of the mulattos, not the  
mestizos.

I suppose the question is who was the majority and from whom the colonial Tejanos drew their identity... you are just wrong in saying the majority in colonial days and before the Texas Revolution were  
mestizos, and you are just wrong in saying they drew their identity from them. The fact is they claimed to be Spaniard, they called themselves Spaniard, and they had the face of the Spaniard.  The trouble is, of course, that when an original Tejano like Menchaca says he is Spaniard, you call him a liar, when the census says the vast majority were Spaniards, you say they all changed their race from mestizo to Spaniard based on one or two who changed from mestizo to Spaniards while completely ignoring those who changed from Spaniard to mestizo.  Your argument is not against me, your argument is against  
Navarro and Seguin and Menchaca, your argument is against all those colonials who said they were Spaniards, and against those like Professor McCaa who have studied this issue extensively and show that what you claim did not take place in NOrthern New Spain.

Heck, in Mexico everybody knows "Los Nortenos", the original Chihuahuans and Nuevo Leonians and Coahuilans etc are the majority mysteriously white, and to some who study criollos! In Mexico,  
everybody knows the original inhabitants of Northern Mexico are different from the Mexicans of central and southern Mexico in that they are white and gachupines as opposed to the central and southern  
Mexicans who are indios nada mas! In Mexico, and I know because I lived in Mexico for many years, every one knows that, contrary to what Dr. Tijerina claims, which is absurd (that the colonial people of  
Northern Mexico were Tlaxcalan Indians, that is absurd!) and concurring with what Dr. McCaa found, the colonial people of Northern Mexico are generally white and whiter than the Mexicans to the south, it is  
common knowledge. In fact, just 3 years ago when I took my family on vacation to Mexico we saw, in southern Mexico just outside of Mexico City, two men taller than the the rest, white with shaved though  
visibly full beards, wearing cowboy hats and boots, I mentioned to my wife that I bet they are from Chihuahua, and, sure enough, the license plate on their pick up truck was from Chihuahua, as was their accent.

But see how you deny us! One little work speaking for the criollos and it can not be tolerated! We must be eliminated! The cultural genocide which has been perpetrated against us for a century must prevail!  For some reason you despise us criollos, including the few mestizos who according to the Spaniards were assimilated into the Spanish race (you know, through the indio + Spaniard= mestizo, mestizo+Spaniard= castizo and castizo+ Spaniard = Spaniard process).

I don't know why you say that the indigenous population and background has remained silent for too long, that is all that is ever claimed!  And when one word is said about a criollo heritage, it is ridiculed,  
denied and attacked as even now you are doing.

Ultimately, it does not matter, I believe we are all racially related to Adam, although it would be nice if they would let the Spaniards in America exist.

Alex Loya

P.S.  I am aware that this response is mostly emotion, for facts you can read my book one day.

7/27/2006 From Dan Arellano to Alex Loya
cc: Don Guillermo and Mimi Lozano

Thank you for your gracious apology and I am NOT THAT OLD! Hah, I wish.

As far as the inter- marrying between the different groups you know as well as I that wherever an army travels, babies will be born. There were many laws passed as the “limpeza de sangre,” but they were unenforceable. A common saying was “obedezco pero no cumplo” (I obey but do not execute).

During the conquest friendly caciques gave women to the Spaniards and other native females went freely or were taken by force. During the sixteenth century the term mestizo was synonymous with bastard. A high percentage of the mestizos were illegitimate. Unrecognized by their fathers, most stayed with their Indian mothers and so became more culturally Indian than Spaniard. Many of these liaisons were fleeting but others ripened into long comfortable affairs. Some Spaniards had wives in Spain, and by law were required to send for them, but found it convenient to “obedezco pero no cumplo.” In 1551, according to the bishop of Mexico, there were five hundred married Spaniards whose wives were back in Spain and by one pretext or another avoided bringing them to the New World. In the meantime these men took native concubines and some even remarried, risking trial for bigamy. The crown and church wanted Spaniards married and settled to give the colony stability, and for these reasons they encouraged Spaniards to marry Indian girls. Spanish women rarely married outside their caste unless it was to a prominent mestizo, and then they were never there in large numbers. The encomenderos felt particular pressure, as they were required to marry within three years or lose their grants of Indians. As time passed quite a few Spaniards married their Indian mistresses thus legitimizing their children. By 1540 there were a good number of mestizo girls of marriageable age. They may not have been the preferred pure Spanish types, but many were recognized daughters of prosperous and socially prominent conquistadores. The child of these unions created a castiza and would pass as white, thus by the late sixteenth century there seems to have been enough females considered white to go around. A notable case is the son of Hernan Cortes, Don Martin Cortes son of the captain and Dona Marina. He was certainly a mestixo but because of the standing of his parents, he passed as white.  Pedro de Alvarados mestizo daughter also had high social status, marrying a cousin of the duke of Albuquerque. (Meyers and Sherman, The Course of Mexican History, Third Edition)

I am suggesting that perhaps Prof McCaa did not take into consideration that by the 1800”s the majority of the Indians, mestizos, mullato, etc., had been given Spanish names and were practicing the Catholic religion thus the confusion of the marriages.

According to Michael C. Meyer and William L. Sherman in “The Course of Mexican History,” and Augustin Cue Cavanos, Historical social y enconomica de Mexico (1521-1854) (Mexico, 1972), p. 134:

In 1793 The General Population of New Spain is thus:  Indians 2,500,000 (52%),Peninsulares 70,000 (1%), Criollos 1,025,000 (21%), Mestizos 1,231,000 (25%various mixes), Blacks 6,000 (0.1%)

For a total population of 4,832,000

In 1810 The General Population was: Indians 3,676,281 (60%),Peninsulares 15,000 (0.3%), Criollos 1,092,367 (18%), Mestizos 704,245 (11%), Mulattoes and Zambos(Afromestizos) 624,461 (10%), Blacks 10,000 (0.2%) for a total population of 6,122,354.

This count almost certainly minimizes the numbers of the castes: doubtless many of the “Spaniards” were technically castizos and mestizos, and a good share of the “Negroes” were probably mulattoes and zambos. At independence, in 1821, almost exactly three hundred years after the conquest, the total population of Mexico was around seven million, of many varied racial strains.(Meyers and Sherman)

Thus these are the people that would migrate to the north of Mexico and eventually into Texas.

Sincerely,
Dan Arellano
Author/Historian
512-826-7569
www.tejanoroots.org
drellano@austin.rr.com

 

Mr. Arellano,

Thank you for accepting my apology sir, maybe you are a young grandpa!

The things you mention are true, sir, as you say, there were 1,025,000 criollos in New Spain in 1793, and 1,092,367 in 1810, true... and only 30 years ago or so, when the population of Mexico was 70,000,000 the whole state of Chihuahua, in the 1970's, had no more than 800,000 people.  Two hundred years earlier, the more than one million criollos were more than enough to populate all the northern provinces of New Spain many times over, and, in fact, when you check all the census records as a whole, that is exactly what they did, the criollo population was most concentrated in the north. Of those 1,025,000 criollos of 1793, and the 1,092,367 of 1810, the highest concentration was in Northern New Spain. You made my point quite well, Mr. Arellano, thank you! 

Or actually, you made the point of the colonists of Northern New Spain, because the majority of them claimed to be Spaniards, and you made the point of the Founding Fathers of Texas, because they also claimed to be criollos, and you made the point of what they teach in Mexican government issued history books, because in them they teach that "En el norte no ocurrio tanto el mestizaje, por lo cual es posible observar en los nortenos caracteristicas mas europeas" (In the north the mixing of the races did not occur as much, for that reason it is possible to observe in the people of the north more European characteristics), I am merely echoing what they said, my study is exegetical.

Now, it is true that the Tables of Ethnicity of the Spaniards stated that the union of a white man with an Indian produced a mestizo, a mestizo with a white man, produced a castizo, and a castizo with a white man, produced a white man (a Spaniard), and that some of the Spaniards were castizos in this regard.  In my book, in the final edition which is not out yet, I state that a small number of the Spaniards that I count are the offspring of mestizos with Spaniards, and that I do so because that is what the Tables of Ethnicity did, in it I say that the offspring of mulattos with Spaniards I count as mulattos because the Tables of Ethnicity said African blood could not be assimilated (the offspring of coyotes with mestizos I count as mestizos).

Genetically, as it pertains to the mestizos turning into Spaniards through intermarriage with Spaniards, that is exactly what happens, the Indian genotype is assimilated into the European genotype, so that after just a couple of generations, a castizo Spaniard looks like a Peninsular, which is why the Spaniards, without knowing genetics, concluded that the union of a castizo with the Spaniard produced a Spaniard. In Northern New Spain there were more than enough criollos, and few enough mestizos, for the mestizos to be assimilated and diluted genetically into the European genepool. That does not take away from their "Spaniardness" anymore than some Indian blood takes away from the "Angloness" of many Anglos who have Indian blood at some level, especially when DNA studies of Europeans, including Nordics, Jews and Italians, all who contributed to the formation of the Spaniard "race" in Spain, who have never left Europe have shown 
haplogroups present in Native Americans.

Hey, Jesus was a pure Palestinian Jew before the Jews intermarried so much with the Europeans, He is counted by God as the Jewish Messiah and Salvation is of the Jews... yet in the genealogical line of Jesus we find the prostitute Rahab, who was a Canaanite, and Ruth, who was a Moabite, yet Jesus, and King David whose great grandmother was the Moabite Ruth, and whose great great grandmother was the Canaanite Rahab, yet Jesus and King David were both Jews among Jews, and God the Father Himself counted them as Jews among Jews, with her ggggmother a mestiza, and some other Indian somewhere way back, Mimi is a Spaniard among Spaniards, especially when Indian haplogroups are found among Europeans who have never left Europe. The only "pure" race is the Human race.

The issue here, Mr. Arellano, is not "purity of race", rather, it is purity of identity, the colonial pioneers of Northern New Spain, including Texas and the American Southwest, considered themselves Spaniards, they called themselves Spaniards, and that in contrast to the "all Indian groups, including the Mexicans".  One thing is absolutely certain, they were not the deeply racially mixed and Mexican Indian crowd that many claim, they were distinctly Spaniards, whether because they did not intermarry at all, or because some of them who were mestizos were assimilated, by the Tables of Ethnicity, and by the very real genetic assimilation and dilution.

1,029,000 criollos in New Spain in 1793 is a whole lot of people! A lot! Especially when one remembers that in central and southern Mexico the criollo population was negligible and the Indian population was, and is, overwhelming.

Over a million criollos in 1793, when there were only 2.5 million people in all of the 13 formerly British colonies, is certainly way more than enough to populate Northern New Spain... and in fact, they did. 

Alex Loya  alexloya@integrity.com

[[Editor:  To read Alex Loya's full response to Mr. Arellano's Open Letter to Alex Loya, Alex invites you to click on the link link below and read chapters 3 and 4 entitled "Spaniard Americans" and "What Happened To The One Million?" respectively (they have been updated to respond to Mr. Arellano's concerns).  
http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/images/texforum/txforumloya.htm  ]]

Military and Law Enforcement Heroes 

CUENTOS

"La Isla en El Cielo" 
La Mesa de Cartujanos
"The Ancestral home"
Written by Anita Rivas Medellin

La Mesa de Cartujanos originated in 1697- but did not reach acclaim until it was purchased by my third great-uncle Don Santiago Vidaurri in the mid 1800’s. La Mesa was bought originally as a hiding place for cattle and horses. Back then a man was not considered rich by how much money he had, but by what he owned in livestock. Don Santiago did not only keep his personal livestock there, but also that of his son in-laws Don Patricio Milmo O’Dowd and that of his army. He ended up falling in love with the place and had a home built.

His last request was to be buried there, with his beloved wife under the capilla. The stipulation being that La Mesa is in possession of a descendent, it was his desire and final wish.

Su deseo era que se lleven sus restos a Monterrey, y que el y su amada esposa sean removidos a La Mesa, y depositado alli, en una capilla modesta y sencilla, que se fabricara en caso que vuelva a poder de la familia dicha Mesa ~

Don Santiago had been a man of detail, who left specific instructions as to the materials that were to be used in building La Capilla, and its dimensions. He used the simplest of materials and design for he was a simple man who’s occupation had been one of fearless General and powerful Governor.

The love of land is something that was imbedded into Dn. Santiago’s sub consciousness since the early stages of infancy- he was the second great grandson of Don Jose Vasquez Borrego. Don Jose was an early pioneer who amassed a latifundio that consisted of eight Haciendas/Ranchos that spanned four of the Northern Mexican states and what we know today as South Texas. This is why our family is known as Los Vidaurri y Vasquez Borrego de Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas y Texas.

Having been there myself I understand how my uncle fell in love with La Mesa. It is a place where silence and solitude are the best of friends. A magical place that’s only sound in the evenings is of the crickets singing their lullabies. A wondrous place where Jupiter is found nestled amongst the millions of stars that gather around La Mesa in the evenings. For my uncle it was also the feeling of being safe, of being closer to heaven.

The marriage between my uncle Dn. Santiago Vidaurri and my cousin Dona Juana Maria Vidaurri Borrego produced three children: Indalecio, Pudenciana y Amelia. In General Slaughters account of tio Santiago’s execution he states that he left Indalecio money and a gift of equal value to Pudenciana, Amelia was not mentioned.

La Mesa today is owned by descendents of Dona Pudenciana Vidaurri and Don Patricio Milmo O’Dowd. Their marriage produced six children: Sara, Santiago, Pudenciana, Patricio, Leonor y Jose.

Leonor Milmo Vidaurri married Frank O’Hart Kilgallen; this union produced two children: Leonor y Patricio- Leonor married Dr. Alfonso Eduardo Guerra and their marriage produced eight children: Alfonso Jr, Nora, Maria Josefa, Maria Beatriz, Francisco, Maria Elisa, Patricio and Maria Guadalupe Guerra O’ Hart. Leonor was also the keeper of the family secrets, and the owner of the historical archives that were confiscated by the state of Nuevo Leon- they were to be kept from public view for the first one hundred years after Dn. Santiago’s death-something that did not occur.

Pudenciana Milmo Vidaurri had been a lively and vivacious young woman. She married Prince Albrycht Wocjciech Radziwill in 1896, however before they could conceive a child the prince met with a premature death due to illness, Pudenciana had been madly in love with her husband and inconsolable, she never remarried.

Santiago Vidaurri Milmo was an adventurous young man, who believed in modern convention. The legend at La Mesa is that one rainy evening he and his girlfriend chose to go down la cuesta on horse back. His horse slipped on rocks and fell; landing on top of him, crushing his body. They brought his body back to La Mesa where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He left no natural children. His request was to be buried along side his grandparents, as a child he never tired of listening to the many tales of his illustrious grandfather, El Caudillo del Norte. His girlfriend never recovered from his death and never married.

Jose Milmo Vidaurri was murdered at La Hacienda de San Juan near Ciudad Victoria, Tamualipas. He also never married and left no descendents. Jose had been the youngest of the boys and had been doted on by his older brother Patricio.

Patricio Milmo Vidaurri married Laura Hickman Morales. Their marriage produced five children: Patricio, Jose, Tomas, Josefina and Laura. Patricio married a descendent of Juan Zuazua and from this branch, we have Milmo Hernandez. Jose married Barbarita Garza Madero; from here, we have the Milmo Garza Maderos. Tomas married Berta Zambrano and from this marriage, we have Milmo Zambrano and Milmo Santos. Laura married Emilio Azcarraga Vidauretta; from this branch, we have Azcarraga Milmo. Josefina married Eduardo Mascarenas - from this branch we have, Mascarenas Milmo.

Sara Milmo Vidaurri’s first marriage to New York banker Eugene Kelley did not produce children- neither did her second marriage to Harold H. Reeder of New Orleans. Family history mentions that Harold was so enamored of La Mesa that he asked Sara to leave it to him in her will. Fulfilling a family legacy, Sara left La Mesa to her three nephews: Patricio, Jose y Tomas Milmo Hickman.

The caretaker of La Mesa for over a decade was Patricio Milmo Hickman- he stayed behind while his younger brothers went away to college. Jose and Tomas after finishing their studies went to work for their uncle, Emilio Azcarraga Vidaurretta. The boys never forgot their duty to their legacy; they periodically sent money home to help with the maintenance of La Mesa.

Patricio loved ranching so much that he dedicated his whole life to it. My opinion is that Patricio Milmo Hickman knew first hand how expensive it was to run the ranch at La Mesa- as much as he loved it; he also realized it was a financial burden. He knew that it required more then heart. He finally retired his branding iron and sold his portion of La Mesa to his brothers, Jose and Tomas Milmo Hickman.

Jose Milmo Hickman was a country boy at heart- he never forgot his first love, it was important to him that his children become familiar with the place of his childhood. One summer when the children were old enough-they embarked upon the journey to La Mesa.

The family took a train to Monterrey from Mexico City- where they arrived the following morning. At Monterrey, they changed to a train named "La Marrana". This train made several stops to Laredo, TX via Villaldama, Bustamante and Lampazos. The train stopped at Villaldama, where the children remember eating lunches of cabrito, sold by the local vendors through the windows of the train.

At Lampazos the family was met by two peones, in two old Ford pick up trucks- there they were taken to El Cargadero-the down part of La Mesa. Once they reached el cargadero, they each mounted a donkey/mule and began their climb up la cuesta- ninety minutes later their ten-day vacation began. For Alberto Milmo this vacation would turn out to be unforgettable, today he is the majority owner of La Mesa, and through Alberto and his wife Liz, La Mesa will one day become a modern oasis in the sky.

Tomas Milmo Hickman yearned for the country and retired early in his career. He returned to his first passion- La Mesa, where his nephew Patricio Milmo Hernandez taught him how to fly. There was not much of an age difference between them, with Tomas having been the youngest of the Milmo Hickman’s. In his last will and testament, he bequeathed his portion of La Mesa to his two sons’: Lorenzo y Tomas Milmo Zambrano.

There are many fond memories of being at La Mesa for the Milmo Hernandez’s- of the endless foot races that ensued as the young girls Consuelo and Laura race to see which of them would be the first to reach the top of la cuesta.

Patricio Milmo Hernandez was a boy of ten, when he climbed La Mesa for the first time- without informing his parents; he set off on his first adventure. This adventure started in Lampazos and consisted of a childhood friend and a canteen of water. The boys had no idea as to the length of the journey and were not prepared. Halfway to their destination they realized they were out of water. Lucky for them that en route to La Mesa was a deserted ranch with an abandoned well. This well provided two scared little boys with the amount of water that was needed to complete their journey.

For Patricio Milmo Hernandez seeing La Mesa for the first time- was love at first sight. From that moment on it was his dream to one-day reach La Mesa by plane. His dream turned into reality at the age of nineteen. Patricio also engineered the runway/La Pista, where new generations of Milmo Vidaurris arrive by air.

There are stories of ghosts at La Mesa- there is one room in particular where the doors and windows open on their own. Where the sound of moving objects can be heard throughout the silent hacienda.

A re-counted story of Consuelo Milmo Hernandez is of playing inside the capilla as a child. It was growing dark and soon the shadows began to descend upon the church. A shining light entered the capilla lighting a way for Consuelo and her friend to see their way back outside. It scared the girls so much, that they ran all the way back to the hacienda. When they got back they retold their tale to their parents, but the adults were busy and dismissed their story as child’s play.

This same shining light has been seen many times through out the years, roaming around the hacienda, from room to room. Making its way back outside into the vast land, that surrounds the house. I am of opinion that this shining light is my uncle, ensuring that all is well into the night.

There is also the ghost of a man, dressed in white. These sightings have both taken place at Rancho Encinas and La Mesa. He is either seen walking or riding a black horse. Having the privilege of seeing the family photos, I am of opinion that this ghost is of Patricio Milmo Hickman, who could not be separated from his beloved Encinas and La Mesa, even in death.

There is another legend that has turned into folklore through the passing of time- the story of the buried treasure. They say that Don Santiago had forty mules brought to La Mesa- each carrying a basket filled with gold. The family through the generations has tried locating this buried treasure, but they come up empty handed. I am of opinion that the shining light would lead us to the treasure, if we had the courage to follow it.

La Mesa is located in Candela, Coahuila- it stands one thousand six-hundred and fifty feet and is approximately forty thousand acres; it is described as an elevation from the earth. La Mesa can be reached by plane or several hours by mule, making many of Don Santiago’s descendents expert pilots.

Patricio Milmo, co-pilot 
Jose Felipe Dela Pena

La Mesa and Los Pajaros
 azules in the background

My absolute favorite animal at La Mesa- besides the puppy was the wild Turkey that chased Karen dela Pena and me during our morning walk. Karen and I to this day- still get a huge laugh out of the morning’s adventure.

One of the many highlights of my visit was when Cousin Alberto and Liz took us on a partial walk down la cuesta. It was thrilling to stand at the edge of La Mesa- next to the rocks made of sillar. The legend is that tio Santiago placed his flag in-between those rocks as a message to the Apaches letting them know he was in residence. The flag was saying "I am here, come up if you dare?"

Farther north of the hacienda is El Alamito- a fortress made of sillar. Los Vidaurristas used the fort as a shield against the Apaches. Near the fort is the lake, scattered all around it are several peach trees, the family believes they were planted by tio Santiago, the trees have been there since before anyone can remember.

The mountains to the south of La Mesa are called Los Pajaros Azules- Liz Milmo mentioned that if one were to get lost at La Mesa, not to panic but to walk towards the mountains- they would lead you back to the hacienda.

Across from la capilla is the canyon, to reach the primitive animal drawings- a person has to go around the canyon and then climb down by the use of rope. With the passing of time, many workers commissioned to work at La Mesa vandalized it due to ignorance. However, this vandalism can be rectified with the modern technology of refurbishing; something that I hope will happen in the future.

One controversy surrounding La Mesa is that most historians are of opinion that the correct name for La Mesa should be Catujanes, for the Indians that lived in the region. However the actual name given to La Mesa by tio Santiago was Cartujanos, this is only something that the immediate family would know. La Mesa is also registered with the Index Mundi as Cartujanos- the correct name is La Mesa de Cartujanos.

Today there is new generation of Milmo Vidaurris at play- creating childhood memories of tribal dancing out in the rain. They are the Milmo Garza twins: Elena y Mateo. One of their favorite past times occurs in early December- it is called the gathering of the cattle. The children love to watch the cattle jump into a tub filled with water and splash about with unbridled abandon- creating a beautiful splash of water. The twins also enjoy camping outside with their father- listening to his gentle voice as he explains to them all about the moon, and the stars.

I enjoyed my visit to La Mesa, my cousin Alberto and his wife Liz were the most charming of hosts. It was a pleasure for me to have a tour of the hacienda and have them share their family stories. The memories of the Milmo Vidaurris are what make La Mesa so valuable; they are what nourish and keep the memories of El Vidaurrismo alive.

I am grateful for the experience of seeing first hand the beauty and the wonder of our family’s history. However, most important was being able to pay my respects to the man that preserved our family’s honor, to the man that led our family out of the darkness and into the light- to my uncle Dn. Santiago Vidaurri.

Bibliography
Verbal conversations with Patricio, Consuelo y Laura Milmo Hernandez.
Verbal conversations with Alberto & Liz Milmo Garza (Madero).
E-mail correspondence with Patricio Guerra O’ Hart.
E-mail correspondence with Alberto Milmo Garza (Madero).
Verbal conversations/ E-mail correspondence with Jose Felipe & Karen dela Pena Vidaurri.
"Don Jose Santiago Vidaurri Borrego y Valdez" written by Anita Rivas Medellin.

My first memory of Uncle Tony was the most tragic, because he had me on his lap during the burial of my father. And I will never forget how Large tears flowed down his stoic face during this terrible time.

It was a comfort to be with him because he look a lot like my father, and it remained esay to love him and feel comfortable with him.

Uncle Tony was the oldest next to Uncle Joe who remained a blank In my mind even though the story of how he returned from the war In France all covered with sores from having been gassed by the Germans in l917. He had also been born in Mexico.

He was already an athlete when the arrived in Austin and settled.

And the opportunities remained available to pursue playing baseball.  He was a second baseman and a good hitter. Legends has it he was Recruited by the Chicago White Soxs and had to turn the offer down Because 'apagrande' Antonio would not allow it. Surely this was true since Uncle Joe was inducted into the U.S. Army.

Apparently Uncle Tony thrived from the go in Austin with a craft that Grandpa had passed on to him. Interior decorator during building booms that in practice broke down to being a house painter and an All around builder of homes or anything like them. He and Uncle Babe
(Evaristo el bebe) became main money-makers for old man Zilker*)

He married a strong minded and yet small women named Rebecca Montez who was a protestant -something that hit a main nerve in papagrande. He ended up banning him from the Sifuentes family.

Love conquers all and although 'apagrande' refused to spent a penny on their wedding they married and starting having a bunch whole bunch of Sifuentes (three boys and five girls).

He had been active in the community via Mexico Patriota Organization In a leadership role.
As a novel Tio Tono would be the protagonist.

Museum of Mexican History, Monterrey, Mexico



"Looking for Greener Grass."  . . . Traveling in Mexico
by Micheal Lozano,  
Part 4

On the Mexican side of the border is Ciudad Miguel Aleman. I was stopped by a Mexican border policeman who asked, "What is your business in Mexico?" I said, "I’m going to try to find family in Monterrey." "What are their names and where do they live?" he asked. "I don’t know their names, but I’m hoping to find some Lozanos in a small town outside Monterey called Santa Maria La Floreña." "Do you mind pulling your truck over to the parking area, I want to search your truck."

He proceeded to look over everything in my truck. He even looked in my ice chest. After not finding anything suspicious, he let me go. I was through my first challenge.

As soon as you cross into Mexico you know you’re in another country. The buildings all look different. Most of the buildings are made of stucco. The stucco is mostly tan, white or yellow. The doorways and windows are all arched. You see a lot of brightly painted signs advertising various businesses. Music is always being played over speakers. People walk everywhere. There is wrought iron on the windows, fences and over the entrances. Many vendors sell their wares in little kiosks lining the sidewalks. The roofs on the houses are flat and many are made of rounded ceramic tiles. All of the buildings are crowded together and very few of them are higher than two stories. And everything is in Spanish. The stop signs say "Alto." Slow is "Despacio."

I headed next to Ciudad Mier. It is at a crossroads of Route 2 and Route 54. I took 54. After Ciudad Mier, I entered the wide-open spaces of lonely cattle ranches. In the middle of this deserted area, I came upon a roadblock. There were lots of soldiers checking every car. They were armed with automatic rifles. When it was my turn, a soldier came up to my window and asked for my identification. I showed him my official papers that allowed me to travel legally in Mexico. It was scary, but he said, "Move on." After driving a couple of hours, I came to the town of Cerralvo. I was told that my grandmother, Refugio Lozano Bosque, was born here. I have no proof of this, but one of the first businesses that I saw had a big sign on it that read "Bosque Restaurante." This was a good sign that I was on the right trail. Since this is a larger town of several thousand people, I decided to proceed to the town that my grandfather was from because it is a very small village. I reasoned that I would have a better chance of finding relatives if there were fewer people living in the village. Everyone would surely know all the people there.

I traveled about another hour. The road was very narrow. Unlike in the U.S., there are no aprons on the roads here. The surface of the road was very bad and I hit some deep potholes and bounced on some dips in the road. I was more afraid of the truck drivers on this road because they came very close to me when they headed in the opposite direction or were passing me. This definitely was a white-knuckle drive. I was warned to never drive on these roads at night because livestock roam over the road at that time of day. There are no fences out here. I wondered why do I only have to beware of this danger at night, because without fences what’s to keep the cows off the road in the daytime as well? I saw a sign that pointed right for the town of Pesqueria. This was the county seat of the smaller village that I was looking for. My destination was the hacienda of Santa Maria La Floreña. This area is mostly flat but you can see the Sierra Madre Mountains in the distance. Pesqueria was founded in 1669 by our relative, Captain Don Francisco de la Garza Falcón. The original ranch that became Pesqueria was called Espiritú Santo. Pesqueria is a city of about 2,000 people. When I drove through the town, it appeared deserted. There were very few people around. The houses were made of stone and stucco. Every building had a square look to it. It did not look very prosperous. There was a corner store with a large sign that read "Mini Market Super Lozano." It had Coca-Cola and Corona beer signs plastered all over it. There was a church in the center of the town. We would call it the town square; they call it their plaza. In the plaza was an elevated gazebo. The church is named Nuestra Señora de Loreta. It was built in 1889. It was obvious that the town was very proud of its one recreation facility—a pool and water park called Ojo de Agua. I passed a police station. I had read somewhere that the police might try to shake you down for bribes if they see you are from the U.S. As I drove by the police station, I saw that there were several police officers outside. When they saw me, they tried to wave me over. I acted like I didn’t see them and kept on driving. They didn’t pursue me. I quickly passed through the narrow one-way streets of Pesqueria and entered the farming lands on the outskirts of town. Just outside of town, on the east side, is the river that gives Pesqueria its name. I followed this road straight for another 15 miles until I came to Santa Maria la Floreña.

Santa Maria la Floreña is a village, or hacienda, of about 300 people. The town looked very primitive. Some of the houses looked run down. There were clumps of scattered trees throughout the area. You could see the mountains in the distance. The only vehicles on the dusty road were late model pickup trucks. Both sides of the road were lined with rough fences made from cut limbs and barb wire. There were prairie grasslands everywhere growing in patches in the parched white salty soil. The village itself was comprised of a group of scattered, old buildings mostly made of white stucco. Two small mini markets and a cantina were the extent of business in town. As I drove through the town I saw some school girls and their mothers collecting money for a charity. There was a uniformed policeman who was helping to stop cars so the girls could ask for a contribution. I asked what they were collecting for and one of the girls told me they were raising money to learn to speak English. I gave them five dollars and asked for information on any Lozanos in town. The policeman directed me to the mini-market to ask there. Before I went to Mexico, I had prepared a letter of introduction that explained who I was looking for written in Spanish. The letter read, "I am looking for information on my family. My great-grandfather’s name is Eugenio Lozano. He is from Pesqueria. He died in Santa Maria la Floreña. He was born in 1852 and died in 1923. He was married to Antonia Elizondo. I am looking for relatives of Eugenio and Antonia. Can you please help me with any information that might be useful?" The owner of the store asked everyone who was hanging around the store if they knew of any Lozanos until one old man said that he knew of a man by that name who owned some property down the street. We waited around for a while talking because he said that the man usually comes by late in the day. The owner of the store gave me a free bottle of Coke. After waiting about half an hour, the guy figured that I would not be a very good conversationalist since I only spoke limited Spanish, so he agreed to take me to the house where I could wait on my own. I thanked him and sat in front of a great looking house waiting for Mr. Lozano to return.

The only sounds were of the occasional trucks that went by and the crowing of the many roosters and chickens in the nearby yards. I didn’t know what to expect since I was told by my father that the village was very isolated. As far as I knew, it could have been a shack in the desert. This house looked like one of the best houses in the town. It had a light-reddish hue. Citrus trees surrounded it. Some were orange and some were lemon 
trees. 

There was an empty swimming pool and a pavilion-like shelter in the yard. While sitting out front in the comfortable sun, I noticed several boys looking at me from across the road. I waved hello to them and they came over to see who this stranger was. I introduced myself and asked if the people who lived in the house were expected back soon. They said they didn’t know. They told me their names. Jorge Garza was 11 years old. He was short and of light  complexion. He was the most talkative of the boys. Another boy was Antonio González who was 14. He was light-skinned and had reddish-blond hair. Antonio had dropped out of school. I found out that most kids in Santa Maria had dropped out by 14 years of age. There was Orlando Perez who was 12 years old. He had a dark complexion, bright smile and was very smart. The oldest was Alejandro Garza who was the 15 year-old brother of Jorge. Alejandro was shy. He had also dropped out of school and was working full-time picking fruit from citrus trees. After waiting another hour, I asked the kids if they could direct me to the cemetery. They said they would take me there if I wanted. I said they could if they would go ask their parents for permission. They went home and came back with Jorge and Alejandro’s father. He said that he worked as the caretaker of the house and that the man would not be back until tomorrow afternoon. He also said it would be alright if the boys took me to the cemetery to look for the grave of my great-grandfather Eugenio. I gave the kids some tacos I had in my cooler and some cold drinks and then we drove down dirt roads to the cemetery. I was glad they were taking me there because I’m sure I would have never found it.

The cemetery was in a very isolated spot, tucked away in the middle of nowhere. There was a cement facade that looked like the front of a church. It had the name of Santa Maria la Reina— Saint Mary the Queen. The boys and I spread out and started looking for Lozanos. Every time we found the name, they called me over and I took a photograph of the headstone. The cemetery was overgrown with weeds and had prickly stickers all over. I was concerned that we would step on a rattlesnake. After about an hour, we covered the entire cemetery and found a lot of Lozanos, but I did not find anyone whose name I recognized. I took the kids home and told them that I would return the next afternoon. As I reflected on my good luck of locating my grandfather’s house, a feeling of extreme excitement and pride overcame me. I felt like I had just won the lottery. Here I was in a country that I knew nothing about. I barely spoke the language. I really didn’t know where I was going because all the maps that I had were not very detailed and did not even show Santa Maria la Floreña. With all of these obstacles, I had made extraordinary progress on my first day.

We first went to a house just outside of town where I met Hilda Gloria Garza González who was 64 years old and handicapped. She sat on a rug on the floor. She said she was related to the Lozanos and that the Garzas were also related to the Lozanos. She wrote down the names of her deceased mother and father and the names of her brothers and sisters. We did not have too long of a conversation because she was obviously not well. There was a woman who cared for her as a nurse/caregiver. I thanked her for her information and proceeded to our next destination to meet a man named Osvaldo Lozano Cantú.

He is the grandson of my great grandfather Eugenio and his second wife Ramona Garza. He lived about 20 miles away in a town named Agua Fria. We came up to this beautiful walled compound with a six foot wrought iron gate. Inside was one of the nicest houses in the neighborhood. There, I finally would meet my cousin Osvaldo Lozano, Blanca his wife, and his Aunt Elida who is 80 years old. Blanca is the daughter of the Mayor of Aqua Fria. Osvaldo’s grandfather was half-brother to my grandfather Gustavo. Osvaldo number 1 inherited the cattle ranch where the house is located in Santa Maria la Floreña. Osvaldo number 2 took over the ranch. The first two generations of Osvaldos are dead now. The person I was meeting was Osvaldo number 3 who was about 40 years old. He no longer lived in Santa Maria and has a neighbor look after the empty house. Osvaldo told me that his cousin, Salvador Lozano, had the most knowledge about the family. Salvador lives in Monterrey. Salvador’s half brother is Noe Lozano who lives in California. He has a PhD and is the Associate Dean of Engineering at Stanford University. My cousin, Osvaldo, and his aunt had the family trait of being very light-complexioned. We talked for about an hour about our family. Osvaldo said that he was a teacher. Elida was the daughter of Osvaldo. I thanked them for helping me and expressed my gratitude for making this one of my greatest moments. I was glad that little Jorge had videotaped the whole meeting that I had with my new found cousins. All of this side of the family is half-cousins because they were from my grandfather’s second marriage to Ramona Garza. I still had to find my relatives through my great grandfather’s first wife, Antonia Elizondo. My direct grandfather, Gustavo, was the youngest son of Eugenio and Antonia. The oldest child was Antonio. The second son was Jose Guadalupe. There were two girls, Josepha and Felicitas. As the sun started to set, I reflected on how God had blessed me on my quest. I was on a high of good fortune. It would be getting dark soon and I needed to get back fast so as to not get caught on these country roads at night. Tomorrow I would be searching for my original family documents in the Archives of the State of Nuevo Leon.

The first place that I needed to locate was the State Civil Registration Office at the corner of Zaragoza and Cinco de Mayo. There were long lines of people everywhere I looked. There were about four floors in this modern building. I didn’t have a clue as to how to get started. Which line do I get into or who to ask for help? I wandered around the building trying to look for a likely target. Finally, I saw an office with a pregnant receptionist who was probably the clerk for one of the supervisors. I went up to her and said that I was from the United States and that I was looking for help to find some of my relative’s records. I then gave her my pre-typed letter that described who I was looking for. I don’t know this woman’s name but she got on her computer and within a few minutes she brought up the name of my great grandfather, Eugenio Lozano. The record was from August 13, 1935. It was a birth record for a child named Eugenio Lozano González. The child was born in Pesquería. The parents were Filomón Lozano and Cleofas González and the grandparents were Eugenio Lozano and Ramona Garza, and Felix González and Virginia Gutiérrez. Filomón was the third child born to my great grandfather, Eugenio and his second wife Ramona Garza. The child, Eugenio Lozano González, was named after my great grandfather, Eugenio Lozano González. I then asked the nice woman if there were any more records about the older Eugenio Lozano. She said, "We only have records at this office back to 1935. You will have to go to the Archives General of the State of Nuevo Leon at the corner of Juan Ignacio Ramon and Zaragoza for all records before 1935." She said, "Talk to Raul Olivas." She then said, "Let me call him for you and tell him to be expecting you." I couldn’t believe my good luck, especially since so many other people were standing in long lines and looking frustrated. I came in and I got immediate service. This young receptionist probably was not even responsible for the information that I was asking for, but she dropped everything she was doing to help me. I don’t think I would have been so lucky if this was in a U. S. government office. I thanked her profusely and then I headed out to find the other office.

The next day, I determined to be back at the State Archives Office first thing in the morning. I got there just when the doors opened and asked a short, slightly overweight man if he would help me. His name was José Maria. He immediately went to work personally looking at the complicated index systems that were written in Spanish. He asked a woman by the name of Consuela to help him. Before I knew it, they were bringing me the exact documents that I was looking for of all my relatives. They brought me the marriage certificate of my great grandfather. They brought me his birth certificate. They even showed me the birth certificates of all his children. What was even more amazing is that they did this all within a couple of hours. For some unknown reason, they gave me priority treatment even though there were long lines of people waiting. This whole experience was unbelievable. I was overwhelmed by the helpfulness of complete strangers. This was the first time that I had certified sources to back up my personal family sources. Furthermore, I was able to identify who my great-great grandparents were. My great grandfather Eugenio’s father was Antonio Lozano and he married Augustina González on November 20, 1848 in Santa Rosa, Mexico. Agustina’s parents were Ygnacio González and Maria Luisa Guajardo. My Great Grandfather Eugenio had five children by his first marriage to Antonia Elizondo. The children were: Antonio(1880), José Guadalupe(1882), Josepha (1884), Felicita (1886), and my grandfather Gustavo, (1888). The second marriage of Eugenio Lozano to Ramona Garza produced six more children. The children were Osvaldo, Salvador, Filomon, Domingo, Celia, and Quiotilda. I also found out that my great grandmother’s parents were Francisco Elizondo De la Garza and Isabel Elizondo Elizondo who were married on May 4, 1833. I couldn’t believe that I began this search with only being able to trace my family to the early 1900s and now I was in the early 1800s. I next would try to search the Catholic Church records at the nearby Cathedral.

I headed out early to find the catholic archives which were located on the corner of Zuazua and Ocampo. This ended up being about 15 blocks away. It was quite a hike, but there were lots of new sites to see on the way. I came upon the Municipal Palace which is located next to a huge open Plaza covering about 40 acres. At the center of the Plaza is Neptune’s Fountain, an impressive bronze sculpture created by noted Mexican Artist, Luis Sanquino. There is also a great outdoor shopping area that rivals anything in the United States, just blocks across from the Catholic Church on Ocampo Street. When I went to the Church office to ask to see their archives, the nun there told me that they are kept in another building located near Washington and Arista streets at number 230 South Arista. The problem was, it was 15 blocks back in the same direction that I had just walked. As I puffed and panted back, I saw a gigantic white stone building located between Doctor Coss and Diego Montemayor Avenues.

There is a long plaza in front of the Museum of Mexican History. In the plaza is a fountain that sprays water 50 feet into the air. There is also a river and a large reflective pond that surrounds the building and is filled with koi fish. On a wall next to the building, there is an 80 foot long proclamation to the King of Spain from the Founder, Diego Montemayor, naming the City Monterrey in the year 1596. I decided to go in the building. Inside were exhibits from Aztec Indians to modern times. There was also a library and a cafeteria. I didn’t stay long because I wanted to get to the church archives, but I decided to return later to check out the resources in the library.

I then proceeded to the church archives. When I got to the right street, I couldn’t find anything that looked like a church. I walked around the block a couple of times without spotting the church. All I saw were flat roofed houses built one next to the other. They all looked like private residences. Finally, I went up to one of the houses and saw a small sign on the door that said it is only open until noon. It was already past noon so I would have to come back tomorrow at 9 a.m. I decided to go back to the Museo de História Mexicana.

I went straight to the library where I asked for information about the first settlers who came to Nuevo Leon. The director of the library, Blanca Muñoz, did not speak any English but her assistant, Mariana González, was proficient in English. Blanca was a short, dark-haired, light-skinned woman in her mid thirties. Mariana was a tall beautiful light skinned girl with long light brown hair. She brought me all the books that they had that contained information about the history of Monterrey. I found wills and stories about the Lozanos of Nuevo Leon. Mariana and Blanca were busy all afternoon helping me. I learned of a person on the internet by the name of Leticia Montemayor who was a professor. She writes about genealogy and regional history. I asked the two women if they knew this person. They said that they had heard of her, but did not know her personally. They began calling various people until they located her. When they contacted her, I talked to her about my interest in learning more about my family history. She agreed to meet me the next day at the Museum of Mexican History. Just before the Museum closed, the librarians heard about a special program being held that night about the town of Pesqueria. This was an unbelievable coincidence since this was the home of many of my relatives. This had again been an example of Divine Providence. Everything seemed to be falling in place for me. When night came, I made my way to the meeting room at the Museum. The guest speaker was professor Mario Elizondo Montalvo. He spoke about the history of the town of Pesqueria. He explained that the first settlers attempted growing various crops. They tried corn, beans, oats, melons and sugar cane. Sugar cane didn’t succeed because the soil was too salty which caused the sugar to be less sweet. There also were not enough mills to process the cane that was grown in the area. There was a prison in the town for a while. This particular prison had a bad reputation because they housed women there. The people of the town protested the treatment of the women prisoners. The Mayor finally decided that he had to improve the conditions in the prison.

There were many stories about the revolutionary, Pancho Villa who tried to get the people to support his cause, but the people didn’t think much of Pancho because he drank heavily in all the bars. The professor talked about the founder of the town, Francisco De La Garza Falcón, who developed a successful cattle ranch operation. They had stock that numbered in the thousands, mainly sheep, cattle and horses. During the war with the United States in 1844, the men of the town were very active in the fighting. They battled over three days on September 22, 23, 24 of 1844. He told the standing-room-only crowd that my relatives José Maria Guerra Lozano and Dolores Elizondo fought very bravely. Antonio González Garza was killed. The Mexican soldiers fought guerrilla warfare against the U.S. soldiers after being defeated in the battle for Monterrey. The Mexicans captured supplies and horses in numerous ambushes against the U.S. soldiers. I decided after hearing about the more personal side of history from this seminar, to try to find out what my ancestors did during their lifetime. That night after I went to my room, I dreamed of the great things that my Mexican ancestors did over the centuries.

It was only a short walk from the hotel to the church archives. I was the first one there. It was a one-room office. In the center of the small room was a conference table. There was one attendant who sat at a small desk in front of a doorway that led to a large area in the back for storing the valuable papers. I gave the attendant the span of years and the name of the town that I was looking for. He brought out the bound books of all the marriage, birth and death records. While I looked through one book, he looked through the other books. Before long, I found that my great great great grandparents were Juan Nepomunceno Lozano Ayala and Trinidad Montemayor González who were born in 1806 and 1809 respectively. They were the parents of Antonio Lozano. Trinidad’s parents were Andres Montemayor and Rafaela González. The final record of my family that I found at the church archives were the parents of Juan Nepomenceno who were Francisco Lozano de Gongora and Gertrudis Ayala Guerra. They were married on February 6, 1782. Their parents were Andrés Lozano de la Garza and Antonia de Gongora. Gertrudis’s parents were Ramon Ayala and Francisca Guerra. I took pictures of every original record. A few minutes before the office closed, I met a woman who was also searching for records. She told me her name was *Edna Yolanda Elizondo*. She said that we should stay in touch because we might find some common relatives. As it turned out, her ancestors were from the same town as mine and we had many common relatives. We have since communicated regularly. I found this cousin just by fate. My second cousin, Cesar González Elizondo, who is the Mayor of San Benito, Texas, is also related to this branch of the Elizondo family.

My meeting with the renowned historian Letecia Montemayor de Lazos was set for noon at the Mexican History Museum. I arrived there to meet a middle-aged, professionally dressed woman. She was very attractive and carried herself in a businesslike way. She definitely was a leader of people. I felt very fortunate that she was taking the time out of her busy day to meet with me. We went to the cafeteria to have coffee. She asked to see my research on my family tree. After she looked it over, she immediately recognized

 

that we were related through my Montemayor relative, Trinidad Montemayor, who married Juan Nepomenceno Lozano. She then told me that we were related to the General who founded Monterrey in 1596, Diego Montemayor. Letecia then wrote down for me some of the famous family tree that she has documented. She gave me a brief rundown of the significance of the Montemayor family line. I was amazed at what I was hearing. My family arrived with the first conquistadors of Mexico. They were also of Spanish royal blood. They were wealthy landowners in Mexico. She took me to the library and made me copies of some of her documents and promised that she would get me more by the next day. When we departed, the businesslike formality broke down and we gave each other a warm hug of long lost family. I couldn’t believe the good fortune that had been with me since I began this journey. I was very thankful to God for guiding me in all the right directions. I was on cloud nine and I didn’t think that I would ever come down. I just needed to walk and reflect on all that had happened on this great day.

When I entered the lobby to my hotel, the night attendant informed me that a phone call had come from a man named Eduardo Montemayor. I said that it was too late to call him back, but he insisted that the man wanted me to call him no matter how late it was. Since I couldn’t make a long distance phone call from the hotel, I had to go find an all night convenience store and buy a phone card. I then had to go to a street phone to make the call. When I finally got Eduardo on the phone, we tried to communicate with each other. His English was about as bad as my Spanish. Because we both struggled to understand each other it took much time. In the process, the phone card ran out of time. I then had to go back to the store to buy another one. After about three tries, I finally got him back on the phone. He then said that he was going to come over to the hotel. He showed up about a half hour later. He was a short man. Eduardo was from the south suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia. He was a thin short man in his late forties. He was a light-skinned, blue eyed Mexican. He told me that blue eyes were a family trait. I know this to be true because my great great grandfather, Eugenio Lozano, had blue eyes. Eduardo’s hair was light brown and he had a graying thin mustache and goatee. In many ways he resembled me. He had an injured left arm, similar to Bob Dole. Eduardo told me that he was a schoolteacher. It seems like we have our share of military men and schoolteachers in my new family tree. We talked all night about our common family tree. He brought with him a thick photo album that was well organized into various sections that described different family members. In order for me to fully understand him we asked the hotel night clerk to translate for us. I will always remember how thankful I was for this complete stranger who spent a couple of hours helping us to tell our family stories to each other. One of the persons that we were related to, that Eduardo was proudest of, was a Hollywood movie star popular during the 1960s to the 1980s by the name of Yvette Mimieux. She was born to Yolanda Montemayor and Rene Mimieux. It is such a coincidence that her big movie break was in one of my favorite childhood movies—"The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells. She played the role of Weena. This Movie received the Oscar for Best Special Effects. Yvette became famous as the teenage, blond, beach bunny in the movie, "Where the Boys Are" and was also in the "Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" with Barbara Eden. Yvette starred in the movie "Toys in the Attic," with Dean Martin. Life Magazine adorned its cover with Yvette in 1960 and 1963. She also starred in the popular T.V. series, "Dr. Kildare." Her first husband was film director Stanley Donen who directed "Singing in the Rain," and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." As the sun slowly began to rise, I said goodbye to Eduardo.

I woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning to begin my journey back into the United States. On the way back, I stopped at a few towns. One was Cerralvo and the other was Marin. I found virtually no one moving around in either of these towns, partly because it was so early, and partly because people stay in their homes unless they are working. Even though Cerralvo was said to be the birthplace of my grandmother I thought I would save that search for the future. My temporary car insurance would be expiring tomorrow. As I reentered the U.S., I felt overwhelmed by what I had just experienced. This trip so far was definitely a life altering experience. I had achieved so much in such a short time. I couldn’t wait to see what new discoveries were awaiting me on the rest of my journey.

SURNAME

Jack Cowan, President of TCARA
Texas Connection to the American Revolution

Hector Diaz, Bernardo de Galvez reenactor was participating at the activities at the National Archives.  He writes: Congratulations on an EXCELLENT presentation! I can see from the pictures the outstanding job TACARA did! (Click to see photos online) 

When you come from an outstanding and historical family, the entire lineage might be in an encyclopedia of families. Those histories are not usually acceptable because of their historical origins in the U. S. They may be more accurate in Spanish domains. What we did for at least two cases is to lay out the history as it was found in known histories, and then say, "this is the lineage as it is accepted by my family, and that is what we will to prove in the attached documentation." Then we 
would find the best documentation we could for each generation.

You could join the closest SAR chapter in the state where you live. Even if you joined us, you would want to transfer to that chapter later. The advantage in joining us is that our chapter and state 
officers have already processed applications from Spanish soldier descendants and know about some ot the different sources of information. I must say, however, that you will be the first descendant with Cuban ancestry that I know about, so it will be a learning experience for all of us.

With my regards and best wishes, Granville W. Hough, South Coast SAR 

Thank you for your efforts.
July 07, 2006 

Alisa wrote to Granville Hough:

I was able to join the DAR under a Canary Islander in September of last year and just returned from the 115th Continental Congress held in Washington, D.C.

I came in under an established patriot named Salvador de Torres who settled in Valenzuela under Bernardo de Galvez.  His daughter, Melchora married my family's surname, Ramirez.  I am presently trying to determine how Miguel Ramirez came to be in Terre Aux Boeufs in 1779 as he does not show up on any of the identifiable ships passenger logs.

Miguel Ramirez is listed in Villere's_ The Canary Island Migration to Louisiana:  1778 - 1783_. Villere's reference is the Libro Maestro...Tierra de Bueyes...Papeles de Cuba which I believe is 
available on microfilm at The Historic New Orleans Connection in New Orleans. Ramirez's marriage, death and childrens' births are diaried in the Catholic records for Assumption Parish, after his move from Terre Aux Boeuf north to the settlement at Valenzuela.  Is what I have located thus far sufficient?  Or do I need to follow the source documents?

I could not find Miguel Ramirez in the SAR Spanish records.  Would the microfilm be more enlightening?  I don't read Spanish. 

If you're in Baton Rouge, please visit the Canary Islanders Heritage Association monthly meeting at 1:00 p.m. the second Saturday of each month at the Louisiana State Archives on Essen Lane.

Thanks again for all your hard work.  
Alisa R. Janney

CHILE PATRIOTS DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 
Part 2, C-I
Granville Hough, Ph.D.

ORANGE COUNTY, CA

August 19 2006, Grijalva Reunion Anaheim-Members of the Grijalva, Yorba, Peralta and Dominguez family will gather for their 250th reunion.
Last year, about 100 people attended. This year many more are expected.

The annual event runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Yorba Regional Park, Shelter No. 1, 7600 E. La Palma ave. in Anaheim, CA. There will be food, games and prizes.

Tickets are $15.00 and $7.50 for children 10 years-old and under. For tickets and information, call the Santa Ana Canyon Historical Council at 714-838-7595
Sent by Eddie Grijalva 

 For Reservations & Sponsorship Opportunities

Call (714) 547-2646 or visit 
www.ocblackchamber.com or  www.banquet-ocblackchamber.com

Black Chamber of Orange County
2323 North Broadway, Suite 302
Santa Ana, California, 92706

Cocktail and Historical Reception 6:00 pm
Silent Auction throughout the evening.

Dinner and program 7:15 pm

In Memoriam:  Stephen Vasari, emeritus professor of foreign languages and literatures, died March 18 at home.  Vasari, who had earned his doctorate in Hispanic languages and literatures at UCLA, had served the campus for 19 years and was noted for his publication record and service as library coordinator for Spanish, as as well as on departmental and universitywide committees.  
(Sent by emeritus professor, Dr. Granville Hough)

Dr. Hough also sent information of Diana Guerin named new Academic Senate Chair.  Dr. Guerin is professor of child and adolescent studies.  "I did not know Diana W. Gerin, but her name does sound Hispanic." [[ Editor: Looking in Dr. Lyman D. Platt's book: Hispanic Surnames and Family History, I did find Gueran.  Comments welcomed.]]

Somos Primos was invited by Rick Leal, President of the Hispanic Medal of Honor Society to display The Pied Piper of Saipan, Guy Gabaldon at the Hispanic Medal of Honor Recipients booth.  SHHAR Volunteer Luis Velasco enjoyed a once-in-a-life time experience.

Luis on the right side stands with Medal of Honor recipient Rodolfo P. Hernandez. Corporal, Company G, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat ... and his wife Denzel.

Editor:  I was not able to attend the first day of the National Council of La Raza's national conference in Los Angeles.  Luis Velasco, an Orange County resident and Somos Primos reader volunteered to be at the booth on Saturday.  We were on the phone, as I was checking to see how things were going, when all of a sudden, Luis said "Wait a second, something is happening.  There are lots of people. Oh my . . .Mimi, there is the governor  and mayor of  Los Angeles, both of them, together.  They are walking, walking right towards the booth. Right towards me. I'll, I'll . . .  talk to you . .  ."  Click. 

About 10 minutes later Luis called, very excited. He said, "I was standing right there, next to both of them.  Of all the booths, the Hispanic Medal of Honor booth was the only one that  Governor Schwarzenegger and Mayor Villaraigosa stopped at and took photos.

In all the press of people gathering around, the dry-mounted lithograph of the Pied Piper of Saipan, Guy Gabaldon fell and Luis handed it to the Governor to view it.  Then with the other hand, he grabbed a camera and took a photo. Luis was born in Chiapas, Mexico.  Educated at BYU and is a design engineer with JPL, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Mimi, you might be used to all of this, but to me it was a thrill." 

As he was an expert on irony, Guillermo would have noted the ironic fact that the remains of his ahijado Clyde Torres were identified this week--along with those of Clyde's compañera Miss Betty Haas-- in New Orleans. Both were victims of la Katrina and both were my most intimate compas. This explains why we had not heard from Clyde in almost a year. Since some of us knew they had taken a rare vacation to Nuevo Orleans a few weeks before Katrina hit the coast, we all suspected what we found out this week: que se los había llevado la Catrina.
dear hilda, respetado juan, y queridos companeros del movimiento of our destiny, hearts, politic, y esperanza. this is a week, a month and year of years, where disaster upon disaster has hit all of us close to home... every day brings noticias that one more person dear to us has passed on, or is vulnerable in health. that la catrina has visited with her danza of death...

i have wished writing to the family and friends sharing nuestras remembranzas of our departed loved one's as dr rene nunez, dr saul solache, dr carlos cortez, francisca flores... ramona zapatista, who carries the adelita in all we mujeres of aztlan whose black shawl is cast aside for a bandera of victory-- y de los/las muchisimo/as otro/as--each holding a special lugarcito in our chicano firmament of memory. and, wanting for the time beyond another petition and alert of impending doom, for picking up the phone and calling those cherished yet amongst us as virginia chacon in silver city, it was reported just about a month ago-- la virginia got out from her respite to luchar against 'city hall', one more time in behalf of the legacy of her late husband ramon chacon, 'salt of the earth'.

and, today, noticias of guillermo hernandez, uc berkeley/sfbayarea, of our academic panorama of queridos colegas. i was amongst the professors/students recruited along w/l00 others for a six week curriculum development seminar, mexico df, museo de antropologia, universidad del tercer mundo in l971, that guillermo officiated. and, for years juan rodriguez (clydetorres) was unico in getting out the 'palabra' on the goings on of writers y poeta's of the consafos era, and who still cruises cyberspace in behalf of the veteranos y jovenes del futuro...

with promises to also call hermano raul salinas, who communicates and travels with an energia that boils from the mera neta of his espiritu guerrillero de la pluma-- out from the hospital in tejas. i quick write this reconcimiento of our estimados despedido's, with an appreciation of their contribuciones, mejores tiempos, gratos recuerdos... giving my respects and sadness. gladness that each crossed our lives.

each of our antepasados leaves a special circle on the tree line marking the years of the sagrado movimiento of our corazon. as we remember also, cecelio garcia-camarillo whose commemoration (organized by roberto y patrisia) which i attended at mi alma mater 'estanfor', (ralph maradiaga) where i read from my work cecelio had published way back when in 'caracol' (contoy el grito de 'la llorona') reading together with his son, cecelio jr... the beautiful son who read poetry to his departed father, himself passed on not to long after, attests to the 'irony' of our stories written for us by destiny.

margarita cruz, gran dama de la politica, i will call you soon as i press the send button forwarding this despedida...

ahora, mas de nuestros hermanos y hermanas y la danza de la catrina. she is coming for each of us, one at a time. sometimes 2-3...

afectuosamente, dorinda moreno
elders of 4 colors 4 directions
hitec aztec communications

Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and the Santa Barbara Housing Authority (SBHA) offer Cultural Activities & Summer Adventures (CASA) Summer Camp Seeks to Provide Low-Income Children with an Educational & Fun Summer Camp Experience

Sent by Bob Smith  Regriffith6828

Now in its fourth year this annual summer camp is offered through the Trust and the Santa Barbara Housing Authority (SBHA). Each summer SBHA recruits approximately thirty children aged six to twelve to participate in two sessions of a two-week long day camp in the months of June and July. In a city filled with excellent, but expensive day camps, the Trust is proud to continue to offer this camp at no cost to qualified SBHA families.

Each year the Trust works to secure grant funding to pay for the cost of the camp, including various museum admission fees, workbooks, snacks, and educational supplies. This year the Trust received grants from the Williams-Corbett Foundation, the Towbes Foundation, and an anonymous organization. The Trust’s education department develops curriculum and manages the camp activities. Karen Schultz Anderson, Director of Education at the Trust, hopes that this camp will “broaden children’s knowledge of local history in a way that is both fun and exciting.” Anderson commented, “The children seem to be truly enjoying the variety of educational activities that she and John Stark, the Education Assistant, have planned.”

The SBHA is in charge of recruiting for the camp, children are selected from 492 public housing units throughout Santa Barbara, and providing transportation for the children each day. Maria Esther Loza, in her third year as Youth Service Coordinator for SBHA, explains that when the buses pickup the children in the morning “the parents are just as enthusiastic as the kids. These families are low-income and have no money to send their children to summer camp. They realize this is a very valuable resource for their children and they are excited for the opportunity to be involved.”

The purpose of the CASA camp is to share Santa Barbara’s distinct heritage, including Chumash, Spanish, and Mexican cultural history, as well as the natural history of the local area with the young campers. Participants increase their knowledge of the rich cultural diversity of their city as they have fun exploring different state parks and museums throughout Santa Barbara County.

Camp sessions include learning about: El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, including its history as a Spanish fortress, adobe brick making, food preparation techniques from over 200 hundred years ago, ceramics, and archaeology done on site, visits to La Purisima Mission State Historic Park &the Santa Barbara Mission, a sample of California’s Mexican period at the Casa de la Guerra Museum, Chumash culture as seen at the Chumash Interpretive Center and Museum in Oakbrook Regional Park and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, nautical history at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, and marine life at UCSB’s Marine Science Institute, Carpinteria State Beach, and the Ty Warner Sea Center. Through these various activities the Trust hopes that this experience will help participating children become more caring and thoughtful adults, interested in their community and proud of their heritage.

 

CALIFORNIA

Richard Alonso "Poncho" Gonzalez is largely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in the world. Due to his Mexican background, Gonzalez was not accepted by the elite circles of the tennis establishment and played in relative obscurity during his prime. Gonzalez was inducted into the "Tennis Hall of Fame" in 1968, while still an active player. He never had a formal tennis lesson, yet went on to defeat some of the era's best players including Jimmy Conners, Rod Laver, and Arthur Ashe.

Join us in celebrating an extraordinary Latino individual that should be honored and emulated for his courage, tenacity and talent...an exemplary role model!

There will be an introduction of the film by the award-winning filmmaker, Danny Haro - Director/Executive Producer. Reception @ 6 PM, Film Screening @ 7 PM.  Conversations following film with Danny Haro. Ticket Donation: $10 Chocolate Fountain and Champagne - Entertainment by "Trio Madrigal" Screening at 'Chabot College Little Theater' 25555 Hesperian Blvd. Hayward, California. To RSVP call 1-510-536-4477 www.hccac.com

Do come and join us in celebrating an extraordinary Latino individual that should be honored and emulated for his courage, tenacity and talent...an exemplary role model! Event supported in part by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Alameda County.

Sent by Kentara Padron
Universal Hispanic Latino Community Cultural Info. & Events News 
OutreachKentara@kentara.info

[[Editor: Richard Alonso Gonzalez graduated from  Roosevelt High School in East L.A.. David Fuentes shared that information with considerable pride. As Howard Shorr, former teacher at Roosevelt High, said recently, "Go Rough Riders." ]]

Los Soldados 
Photos: Soldiers of the Royal Presidio of Santa Bárbara 

Articles and Timelines:

• Desde San Gabriel Hasta Santa Bárbara: From San Gabriel to Santa Bárbara dibujos/RiveraIllus.htmdibujos/RiveraIllus.htm
• Historical Characters: one page vignettes of 18th Century people in the Californias and Northern New Spain
• A biography of Governor Philipe de Neve
• California Becomes a Province of the Mexican Empire
• Fernando de Rivera y Moncada and a Chronology of his life.
• The Founding of Los Angeles
• Lanza de Cabelleria
• Military History of Baja California
• Organization of the Spanish Empire
• Presidio Line
• Soldados de Cuera
• Settlement of The Channel Coast
• Don Jose de Zuniga

Pictures of Soldiers and Explorers of the Californias and Northern New Spain:

• Illustrations of Rivera y Moncada
• Catalonian Volunteers and the Spanish Royal Artillery
• Soldados de Cuera field uniforms 1791-1804
• Soldier of California in a cuera blanca with his esposa, 1791
• Tropa Liguera and Officers
• Vancouver 1793 visit to Santa Barbara and Cuera Dragoons 1797-1830 by Hefter

Note that some paintings or drawings on these pages are thumbnails. Click on those see more detail.

Additional Web Sites of Interest:

• Mission Santa Barbara
• Presidios & Soldiers in the Californias & Northern New Spain - A Bibliography hosted by the California Mission Studies Association.
• The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation

For further information, write or e-mail to: 
Michael R. Hardwick 
205 Vernal, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Can anyone tell me if you have had success getting (marriage) records from the SF diocese? Especially when searches at individual churches have failed?

Felix NIEBLAS, my gr-gr-grandfather, was born about 19 May 1840 in Mexico, or a portion of California that was a Mexican territory in 1840. He died 5 Sept 1895 in SF, so the Earthquake took his death records. I got  this info from his Obit via Jim Faulkinberry's SF Call indices. I'll confirm the
birthdate at Holy Cross Cemetery the next time I'm in SF.

Felix was married in about 1875 to Eugenie LAIR, a young girl from France, b. 4 Mar 1847, d. 19 Nov 1909.

My CURRENT QUESTIONS:
1) Where were they married? I checked St. Dominic's Church for any record of the family. They lived in this neighborhood for many years, but no records for them could be found.
2) Where in Mexico (or the portion of California that was Mexico) was Felix born?


6/15/2006, stevejc@bresnan.net  responded: 

The Archive for the Archdiocese of San Francisco is located in Menlo Park. They have a room full of file cabinets, and all the drawers in the cabinets are full of microfilm rolls from SF, San Mateo and Marin Co. churches. They have a CARD INDEX of vitals from their own "Monitor" newspaper but don't expect all vitals to be noted. However they do NOT have any staff that will perform searches. If you have already contacted "local" churches then there is no "master list" at the diocesan level.

If SF Call newspaper index doesn't show the marriage license then the marriage may have been in a different county.San Mateo Genealogical Society has published their marriages in an index that is available for purchase (1853-1899) - however I do not see this couple listed.

For post 1905 records - The State of California can "find" marriages in unknown counties - it was a 6 month wait when I requested my grandfather's marriage license (for early era, they have no master index either). Turns out that he married 2 counties further away than I had searched.

A lookup volunteer might be able to check for Felix's tombstone, which might have date of birth:
http://www.raogk.com/californ4.htm

Due to the volume of requests at Holy Cross (Colma, San Mateo Co.) there is a fee, and a wait, for researching burial cards. I do not see his name in the SF Mortuary Register :
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cabf1905/San-Francisco/SanFranCoIndx.htm  [remember that the "date" shown is the date of entry in the book and NOT the actual DOD]

If the obituary does not note his "age" at death, then his date of birth may have been unknown. If the age is provided in y/m/d, then use the birth calculator to determine date of birth: 
http://www.longislandgenealogy.com/birth.html

There is possibility that father's specific birthplace might be noted on baptismal or marriage records of one of their children. Remember when searching for the family parish - it might not be local if the 
church wasn't built yet! (it seems that St. Dominic's parish began in 1873, but Mr/Mrs Nieblas could have been married at an "older" church or another county). If you were unable to find baptisms for 
Nieblas children at St. Dominic's - and Eugenie was French - perhaps they attended Notre Dame des Victoires Church (if it existed that early): http://www.sfarchdiocese.org/sfparishes.html
(I have "French" cousins and that is the church they used).

Its been my experience that if the person was born in area that became California then they usually are listed correctly as to birth place in 1880 census etc. Voter list might be able to settle the 
birthplace question - was Felix registered to vote in 1890, or was he seen in the list of foreign voters at: http://cefha.org/usa/ca/fbvca/indexfbv.html

Either source could provide clue as to whether he was born in CA or  MX (ie was he a naturalized citizen?) Hope this helps - J

Go to http://www.sfgenealogy.com/spanish

NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES

George Ryskamp will be teaching a special course of advanced Hispanic research the day prior, Friday, October 13, 2006. 

Un curso de jornada completa sobre metodologías avanzadas de la investigación genealógica en España y Latinoamérica – 13 de octubre de 2006

El viernes 13 de octubre de 2006, el día antes de la conferencia anual de historia familiar hispaňa, George R. Ryskamp, profesor de historia y director del Centro de Historia Familiar y Genealogía en Brigham Young University, ofrecerá un curso de jornada completa sobre metodologías avanzadas de la investigación genealógica en España y Latinoamérica. Se tratarán registros y técnicas más allá de los comunes. Se enfocarán las presentaciones en cuatro temas:

1. Conceptos de pruebas, desde las directas a las circunstanciales, y su aplicación en el mundo de la genealogía hispánica

2. Los protocolos notariales como fuente principal de parentescos así como fuente para conocer mejor a los antepasados, sus vidas y experiencias.

3. El uso de padrones (censos) y registros similares cuando hay falta de registros parroquiales

4. El encuentro y uso de registros menos conocidos.

El curso se hará en dos partes, de 9:00 a 12:00 horas y de 14:00 a 17:00 horas, en el aula de clases en el piso B-1 de la Biblioteca de Historia Familiar en Salt Lake City. El curso se ofrece gratuitamente.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Family History Library, the BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy and Legado Latino. 

For more information: 
George Ryskamp 801-422-8047  Director, BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy
Ruth Schirmacher 801-240-1530  Latin American specialist, Salt Lake FamilyHistory Library
Karen Jepson 801-240-1161 Community Relations Manager, Family & Church History Dept. 

SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES

Dorinda Moreno with her grandfather (Francisco Garay) friend at 87 years, Ernesto Nava Villa,
 last living son of Pancho Villa.

I am leaving to Mexico City, probably in l976-77, taking a student to start a university with Jose Angel Gutierrez, 'becas de aztlan' project, that awarded scholarships to U.S. Mexicano/Latino's, for studying law and medicine... (A study reportedly is being done on the duration and results of this l0 year project and its accomplishments under the Luis Echeverria term of office) 

The picture was taken in Daly City (San Francisco), at the now defunct 'El Torito' restaurant which gave way to the 'chili's' type venues in the yuppified south of the border palate. ( I really like that Sandino hat. Some time following this picture I attended a Chicano conference in San Diego organized by Alicia Crowe, I think with the Department of Literature. I remember that was the conference that had a play entitled 'Los Moreno, or Familia Moreno' and coincidently the famed singer Carmen Moreno, sang on the program. Also on the bill was a play on the illustres mujeres of raza literature (Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Gabriela Mistral, Alfonsina Stori (with each poet dressed in period costume, a sabroso 'taco' of the memoria for sure). I gave my signature performance of, 'la llorona'. In the audience was a young girl, probably around l2 years old, so inspired that she jumped onto the stage like a grasshopper and started to play on the piano, giving an impromtu classic that rocked the house. She commented how she loved my hat, so I took it off and gave it to her on the spot! Sometimes,my life seems like I watched a good movie. . . a little like the story of me, Gloria Moreno Wycoff, and Deanna Moreno Martinez, meeting at the steps of the post office, converging from Los Angeles and San Francisco to this central coast town of Santa Maria-- the Moreno's, marking their places in history. I know that for the rest of her life that young girl treasured the moment, as I have. I always wondered what happened to Alicia Crowe. 

Lead article by Dorinda Moreno in La Razon Mestiza, June/July 1970

The best t-shirt I bought myself was this, 
"The most dangerous Weapon is an Educated Chicano".



SK2(SW) Gonzalez, Robert
FISC Deployed Ship's Team LSR
Robert_Gonzalez@yoko.fisc.navy.mil 
SIPR Gonzalez.Robert@CNRFE.NAVY.SMIL.MIL
DSN: 243-6426 Cell: 090-9311-7249 "Lead, follow or Step aside"

BLACK

   Asociación para el Fomento de los Estudios Históricos en Centroamérica

Bulletin de la AFEHC  
Sent byJaime Cader jmcader@yahoo.com

http://afehc-historia-entroamericana.org/index.php?action=bul_aff

August 29th, 30th, 31st, and Sept. 1st Catalina Island & Portuguese Bend

Prosperity Exchange: $350.00 Boat-Ride to Catalina, 3 days Lodging, 4 days Meals, All GrandMother's Teachings and Ceremonies, Transportation to Tongva Site, Evening Entertainment.

Participation on September 1st Only 
Portuguese Bend/Tongva Gathering Site, Prosperity Exchange: $75.00
Morning Star Foundation/ W.O.M.B. are dedicated to honoring Indigeous Grandmothers and their Traditional Medicine Teachings. All generations of women from the 4 directions of Mother Earth are drawn together by a calling to celebrate a cultural awakening of Spirit.

Sponsored by: Morning Star Foundation.
Open Meadows Foundation
Jeanne Meurer Fund for Indigenous Women
Non-Profit 501C-3 Organizations

Traditional Medicine Grandmothers
Olive Bullock, Maori, New Zealand
Margarita Garcia & Tonalmitl, Azteca, Mexico
Angela Folguith & Elsie Kahn, Navajo, Arizona
Marlene Sekaquaptewa, Hopi, Arizona
Rhonda Funmaker, Lakota, Wisconsin
Kay Peet, Chickaloon, Alaska
Gloria Arrellanes, Tongva, California
Carol Ramerez , Tongva, California
Joyce Fifi Gubevu, Zulu Swati, South Africa
Jeanne Shanandoa, Onondaga, Washington

Sent by Debra Perez Hagstrom  thyme2be@yahoo.com

Hello there,

I'm also a Dental Surgeon, a Periodontist to be more exact.   Americans, and I mean this in a racial context (Indians, Native Americans, First Peoples etc...) do often exhibit certain characteristic teeth morphologies (Talon Cusps et al).  This is the same whether the ancestry is South, Central or North-American.  All Americans are a subgroup and descend from the Asian (formerly Mongolic) race.  There are no genetical differences between Mayas, Aztecs, Mapuches, Tainos, Caribs, Apaches, Cherokees, Inuit et al.  In this sense, all are (Native) Americans.

Best Regards.

Manuel L. Iravedra, BSPHARM, DMD, MA
yravedra@netscape.net
Practice Limited to Periodontics
Diplomate of the American Board Of Periodontology
San Juan, Puerto Rico
USA

This Nahuatl Culture and Mexican Muralism Course is a total- immersion cultural experience, taking participants on-site to dialogue and create with the ancient spirits of the Teokaltin, Centers of Wisdom. We will examine the work of the Tlakuilo, writers who recorded through their beautiful art, the history and philosophy in manuscripts, temples, sculptures and walls. Furthermore, we will visit traditional cultural centers of today, indigenous towns, and museums, where we will analyze the symbolism in the ancient and contemporary Mexican murals of Rivera, Siqueiros and Orozco.

Saturday Aug 5, 2006: Arrival to Hotel Real de Ocotepec
Ocotepec, a traditional village north of Cuernavaca, the capital of the
State of Morelos. It is one hour south of Mexico City.

Sunday, Aug. 6
Ocotepec, Morelos, Opening Ceremony and Orientation. View Martha Ramirez town mural Ayudantia, Local Indigenous Government Office Xochicalco, Morelos Site Museum and 600 A.D. Ceremonial Center. Study and draw the glyphs in the Ketzalkoatl temple. Then in Cuentepec, Morelos have lunch with the Domingo family, Nahuatl speaking descendants of Xochicalco sages.

Monday, Aug. 7: "In Tlamatini" Ramirez-Oropeza mural in State Education Department building. Explanation of the mural which expresses the definition of what the process of education was in ancient Mexico. Visit to Cuernavaca center plaza, and museum. Free afternoon.

Tuesday, Aug 8: Malinalco, ancient school where Kuauhtemok, the last Tlahtoani studied. The only ceremonial center that was sculpted on a mountain. View church murals which were commissioned by missionaries and painted by the indigenous people. They reveal the overlapping of ancient Mexica among the European images.

Wednesday Aug. 9: Temixco, healing center ìMitotiliztli, ancient healing and Aztec danceî Martha will introduce the participants to Capitana Martha Sole, who will prepare us for the ìTemazkaliî purification sweat-lodge ritual. We will also paint an image of Tlazolteotl as part of our offering.

Thursday, Aug. 10: Restoration work of Ocotepec Mural. Learn color theory applied directly to a Martha Ramirez mural done in the Ayudantia Municipal of Ocotepec. Free afternoon.

Friday Aug. 11: Tepoztlan, Morelos Climb to ancient temple, to sketch and photograph the Valley. Visit the museum and market place.

Saturday, Aug. 12: Mexico City
Leave Hotel Real de Ocotepec and Check in Hotel Cathedral. Visit to Narional Anthropology Museum and Bellas Artes. On site class the history of the Mexican Muralism Movement, headed by Siqueiros, Rivera and Orozco.

Sunday, August 13: Visit to the Diego Rivera murals in National Palace. Study the composition of the Rivera murals. Visit the women's economic kitchen and hear the story of their mural and movement.

ìAug. 13 Celebration of the Defense of Mexico-Tenochtitlanî, Closing Course Ceremony in Mexico City Zocalo *Schedule subject to change

SEPHARDIC

I always felt that there was something special about my family. I knew our last name was unique, but wasn't sure as to why I felt different. My father told me to always honor the Jewish people and to bless them. It wasn't until I was thirty-three years old that my uncle told me that we had a Jewish heritage. My aunt (his sister) confirmed this as well.

I've heard that my grandfather would not step into a church and disliked icons. I believe mirrors were turned over after a death in the family, but it is not something that the family practices today. As far as kosher practices, we avoided eggs with blood spots. My mother mourned the passing of my father for a year by wearing dark clothing.

As far as my connection to Judaism, I feel that I lost thirty-three years of my life by not knowing of my heritage. When I go to temple services, I love the prayers, reading of Torah, and wearing a kippah. I desire to embrace more of Judaism as I become aware of it. I want to be part of the Jewish community. I want the blessings of the God of Israel! The Proenza family migrated from Portugal to theAzore Islands. It is possible that they went to North Africa before settling in the Caribbean (Cuba). The family surnames that might have Jewish ties are Proenza (Proencas in Portuguese), Portelles, Rodriguez, Vega and Hernández

SEPHARDIM - CONVERSOS - MARRANOS
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW W/ BIBLIOGRAPHY

A JewishGen InfoFile
http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/sefard5.htm
Sent by John Inclan fromgalveston@yahoo.com

Author: Bernard I. Kouchel
Divisions of Jewry in the Diaspora (Ashkenazim and Sephardim are the two main divisions)

ASHKENAZIM:  People of the north'. Originally German Jewry, later came to designate Jews of northern France, Poland, Russia and Scandinavia. Yiddish was widely spoken by Ashkenazim.

LEVANTINE: People of the Levant.  Jews of the eastern Mediterranean area that is now occupied by Lebanon and Syria and Israel.

MIZRACHIM: 'Eastern'. Jews of North African and Middle Eastern ancestry.

ORIENTAL: Jews of South and East Asian ancestry.

 

ROMANIOTE: Jews of the Eastern Roman Empire, spread throughout much of Asia Minor (mostly under Roman control) before and after the destruction of the Temple. Latin speaking.

SEPHARDIM: Descendants of Jews whose ancestors lived on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). In Mediterranean countries the Sephardim spoke Judeo-Spanish (Ladino).

OTHERS: Ethiopian Jews, Anusim, Karaites, Samaritans, and Lost Tribes.

Sephardim

Anusim

Bibliography