Rafael Peralta 
April 7, 1979 - November 15, 2004

Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta denied the Medal of Honor, 
Congressional Committee seeking a review of the case. 

Table of Content Areas

Special: Sgt. Rafael Peralta

Quote for the Month:

"When men yield up the privilege of thinking, 
the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon."
Thomas Paine

Sgt. Rafael Peralta

Berg said Monday that he stands by his conclusions. Four other experts - Peralta's battalion surgeon, and two neurosurgeons and a neurologist who examined the autopsy reports - said Peralta could have knowingly reached for the grenade. They say the ricochet was traveling at a "low velocity" and would not have immediately killed him.

Regardless, Jones said, Peralta is still a hero. Not receiving the Medal of Honor "won't change what he did out there."  Contributing: Alan Gomez

                   Big thank you to the legislatures from California who have moved quickly on this injustice.  

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
Washington, DC  20515

(R) U.S. Congressman Brian P. Bilbray       (R) U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter
(D) U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer                   (D) U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
(D) U.S. Congressman Bob Filner                (D) U.S. Congressman Joe Baca
(R) U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa               (D) U.S. Congresswoman Susan Davis

Copy of the letter was posted on: 
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20080919-1300-bn20peralta.html

Link to Letters that can be used as models, and other information concerning the Peralta issue.  Write letters of support to the congressional committee above, and to President Bush or anyone else involved,  or that should be involved in righting this wrong.  Click to http://somosprimos.com/peralta/peralta.htm

Una gran obra es esta publicacion prima. Mil gracias!
Clemente Lozano  lozanoclem@hotmail.com

Mi querida Mimí:
Hoy recibí tu correo agradecido y sobre todo emocionado de ver como la comunidad latina sigue participando de manera sobresliente en ese país. Tengo la seguridad que nuestra hermandad latina permitirá ir logrando mejores espacios en todos los rincones, económico, político, social, académico e ir dando forma al sueño de libertad y justicia que siempre hemos anhelado

Un abrazo fraternal y que Dios te bendiga.

Anacleto Villarreal
vanacleto@hotmail.com

Somos Primos Staff:

Contributors to the October Issue:

SHHAR Board: 

UNITED STATES

We Will Not Be Overlooked
By daughter Daisy Wanda Garcia

 Wanda F. Garcia, Ph.D.
Widow of Dr. Hector P. Garcia
November 15, 1919 - September  20, 2008

Latino issues are American issues 
Extract from Presidential Campaign, Latinos could swing election in key states 
by Juan Castillo, American-Statesman Staff, Monday, September 15, 2008 

Long regarded as the slumbering giant in American politics — a commentary on their underachievement and their potential as an electoral force — Latinos are now finding themselves the focus of intense interest in the presidential campaigns.  Never before have presidential candidates paid Latino voters so much attention, said Luis Fraga, a political scientist at the University of Washington and an expert on Hispanic outreach in presidential elections beginning with John F. Kennedy in 1960. Despite being the country's biggest and fastest-growing minority group, being 15 percent of the U.S. population, Latinos make up just 9 percent of eligible voters, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

Common themes:
The quest for the Latino vote evokes expectations, at least from the pundits' perspective, that candidates can tap into a singular, likeminded force. But the nation's 47 million Hispanics — plus another 4 million in Puerto Rico — comprise a disparate assortment of nationalities, class, politics, gender, income, educational achievement, language, family history and other delineations, not unlike the country as a whole.

"Latino issues are American issues."  That could be the title of the playbook for both campaigns. Though McCain and Obama differ on the issues, both campaigns are filtering their messages through what they see as universal, core values that Latinos share with all Americans. Each also emphasizes issues they say strike a chord with all Hispanics.

Sent by Daisy Wanda Garcia

Mission of the

AMERICAN G.I. FORUM NATIONAL ARCHIVES
AND HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

By his daughter 
Daisy Wanda Garcia

No series about the American G.I. Forum would be complete without the mention of the American G.I. Forum National Archives and Historical Foundation (AGIF Archives).  The AGIF Archives was a project close to Dr. Garcia’s heart.   

Photo, circa late 1980s, courtesy Dr. Hector P. Garcia Papers, Special Collections &
Archives, Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi, Bell Library

Dr. Hector P. Garcia was concerned about preserving his legacy.  He amassed voluminous quantities of memorabilia and documents about his work in the Hispanic Civil Rights Movement. These papers documented the major issues faces by the Mexican Americans since 1948. Besides his personal papers, Dr. Garcia wanted to include in this collection the memorabilia and papers from all the AGIF chapters. Also, he wanted scholars to have a place where they could research the Civil Rights Movement. He wanted the AGIF Archives to purchase his clinic upon his death to be used as the said repository.  

On May 8, 1978, Dr. Hector Garcia created the American G.I. Forum National Archives and Historical Foundation.  This Foundation is independent of the American G.I. Forum of the United States. The purpose of the Foundation was to set up a repository for this collection and a center for the study of the Civil Rights Movement.   

At the start, Dr. Garcia intended the American G.I. Forum National Archives and Historical Foundation to house the entire collection. When he learned how labor intensive and prohibitive the cost to preserve such a vast collection, Dr. Garcia decided to give most of his papers to a major university.  The AGIF Archives and Historical Foundation would house the memorabilia and papers from all the American G.I. Forum chapters. So, the search began for the right university.  Every major university contacted Dr. Hector wanting his papers when the word got out about Papa’s papers. Each University had a special incentive for my father to donate his papers. Thus, he accrued many honors during this period including an endowed chair from Yale University in 1985.  On October 6,1989, the University of Texas Ex-Students Association recognized Dr. Hector as a “Distinguished Alumnus”. University officials “wined and dined” my father. On many occasions, I was privileged to join my father and university officials at these functions.  On April 3, 1992, Dr. Hector donated his papers to Corpus Christi State University (CCSU). Later, Texas A&M University acquired CCSU.   

In the end, Dr. Hector selected CCSU because he did not want his papers to be far away from him.  The University gave my father an office to conduct the arduous task of organizing his vast collection. On one occasion, I arrived from Austin, TX, and found my father in the reception area in his clinic.  He had many file boxes with labels on the outside.  He was filing his documents accordingly. Then, asked me to join in helping him. “Here Kiki” put these in that box.”  I pointed out to Papa that he had triplicate copies of most documents.  He said the triplicates were reserved for the AGIF Archives.   

While Dr. Garcia was Chairman of the AGIF Archives, the Board focused on providing low income and deserving students with educational scholarships.  Annually Dr. Hector bestowed scholarships on deserving students at a scholarship luncheon usually held at the Holiday Inn on Broadway Blvd, in Corpus Christi, Texas.  Usually he gave 20 scholarships at the luncheon.  

After the death of Dr. Hector in 1996, Amador Garcia and the Board of Directors elected to create the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Historical and Education Center located in Corpus Christi, Texas.  The Board purchased Dr. Garcia’s clinic for this purpose. The center would honor the historical contributions of Dr. Hector and the AGIF and also other leaders and organizations that pioneered in the Civil Rights Movement.   

The building was in need of restoration.  So, the Board adopted the restoration of the Garcia building as its number one project. In 1999, I assumed my father’s membership on the Board of the Archives.   

At the present time, the AGIF Archives lists as the future projects the establishment of:

v A conference center,

v The restoration of Dr. Garcia’s personal office,

v Archive storage and workroom,

v Reception area,

v A display area for exhibits and pictures,

v And a library of books about Mexican Americans and other Mexican American issues.  

v Recovery of furniture in Dr. Garcia’s private office.
 

For five decades, Garcia cared for thousands of patients at his medical offices on Bright Street and Morgan Avenue in Corpus Christi, Texas.  He treated over five hundred families.  Some patients he treated for no charge because they were poor. In addition to providing medical care, he used his office as a meeting place to address and alleviate the social ills plaguing the South Texas communities and the nation, and to plan strategies to change these situations.  For many years, Dr. Garcia held weekly meetings of the AGIF groups.  Community leaders and politicians contacted Dr. Hector for advice about the issues of the day-discrimination, improved educational, and job opportunities for Mexican Americans.  Candidates for political office visited “El Doctor” to seek his support.  Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson conferred with Dr. Garcia regarding concerns affecting not only Mexican Americans but also the country as a whole. Dr. Martin Luther King contacted my father as well.  Bill Clinton, a future president, worked out of Dr. Garcia’s office during the Carter campaign.  As a community leader, it was Dr. Garcia who almost single handedly saved the military bases from closing during the President Carter administration.  Dr. Hector Garcia received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and honors from many national and international groups.   

The restoration of his offices represents the most fitting tribute to a real American hero.  This is what my father wished.  If you are interested in helping make Dr. Garcia’s dream a reality, please contact me at wanda.garcia@sbcglobal.net. 

About the Honorable Mario G. Olmos
Law & Cultural Diversity Memorial Lecture
September 11, 2008

Eric Yamamoto
Professor of Law, University of Hawai'i
William S. Richardson School of Law

NICASIO IDAR (1855-1914)

Newspaper editor and publisher and civil-rights advocate

Nicasio Idar, newspaper editor and publisher and civil-rights advocate, was born in Point Isabel, Texas, in 1855, either on December 11 or 14, the son of Manuel and Eleuteria Espinoza Idar. He moved to Laredo in 1880 after attending school in Corpus Christi. He and his wife, Jovita, had eight children, of whom three, Jovita, Clemente, and Eduardo Idar,qqv were involved in the publication of Idar's La Crnicaqv in Laredo. Idar's seventeen-year publishing career also included La Revista, a Masonic newspaper with an international distribution. He was active in nearly all local social and fraternal Texas Mexican organizations in Laredo and helped found the Caballeros de Honor and the Sociedad Hijos de Juárez. He also served as a justice of the peace and assistant city marshall in Laredo.

La Crnica probably began publication in the 1890s, though Idar perhaps did not assume the role as publisher and editor until 1910. Under his leadership the paper took on major political, social, economic, and educational issues facing Mexican Texans in the early 1900s. The newspaper's logo reflected this commitment: "We work for the progress and the industrial, moral and intellectual development of the Mexican inhabitants of Texas." La Crnica documented the segregation, lynchings, and denial of civil rights of Texas Mexicans. In a series of articles that ran during late 1910 and early 1911 under the rubric "The Mexican Children of Texas," Idar spoke out against separate schools and neighborhoods for Mexican Americans,qv who by linguistic segregation were "isolated and kept ignorant." He also reported social and working conditions of Mexican Texans in the interior of the state. Often La Crnica pointed out that most Mexican Texans labored in menial jobs in agriculture or domestic work and that the few professionals among them lived along the border. The paper covered incidents of injustice, including the "barbarism" in the case of Antonio Rodrguez,qv who, after being accused of killing an Anglo woman near Rocksprings, was burned and hanged by a mob. Idar sought also to make La Crnica a mouthpiece for the organizations in which he was involved and for news on the cultural life of Laredo. The newspaper often reported on theater groups from Mexico and other artistic ventures. Like other Spanish-language newspapersqv La Crnica was a literary vehicle for poets and is an important record of Texas Mexican literature of the early twentieth century.

Idar organized the Gran Concilio de la Orden Caballeros de Honor not long after 1910. The council was meant to unite Mexican Texans for cultural and intellectual discussions and to gain the respect of the "americanos." The group called for members that were noble, generous, and patriotic persons who would also provide assistance and fraternity to other Mexican Texans. Idar and his family organized a conference in Laredo to address racial discrimination on September 14-22, 1911. The Congreso Mexicanistaqv focused on the need for teaching Spanish in schools, women's groups, and protection of the lives and land rights of Mexican Texans. Through La Crnica the Idars urged Caballeros de Honor lodges and other Mexican-Texan groups to send delegates to the convention. They tried, evidently without success, to establish a group called La Gran Liga Mexicanista; its intended motto, "por la raza y para la raza," foreshadowed the Raza Unida party.qv

Idar continued to publish his newspaper until he fell ill with an intestinal disorder. He died in his family home in Laredo on April 7, 1914. At his funeral, which was attended by many townspeople and members of social fraternities, he was eulogized as "a good father, noble friend, and benevolent counselor."

BIBLIOGRAPHY: La Crnica, December 17, November 26, 1910, January 2, February 2, 1911, April 18, 1914. José E. Limn, "El Primer Congreso Mexicanista de 1911," Aztlán 5 (Spring, Fall 1974).

Teresa Palomo Acosta

The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/II/fid2.html (accessed September 9, 2007).

(NOTE: "s.v." stands for sub verbo, "under the word.")

The Handbook of Texas Online is a joint project of The General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin (http://www.lib.utexas.edu)

NATIONAL ISSUES

Southern California's dual citizens see little conflict

Mario Fuentes poses at outside of Trinity Episcopal Church where they run their community organization. Fuentes, an El Salvadoria immigrant has joined the mainstream middle class, as a homeowner, fluent English speaker and labor/community organizer.

With dual citizenship on the rise, many residents who are also citizens of other countries say their status doesn't make them any less loyal to the U.S.

By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
teresa.watanabe@latimes.com
September 11, 2008

Salvador Gomez Gochez was 25 when he first came to Los Angeles with $3 in his pocket and painful memories of his Salvadoran homeland torn apart by repression and war.

Working his way up from a parking lot attendant to a manager, he learned English, bought a home, volunteered for a Salvadoran community organization and became a U.S. citizen, grateful to the country he says saved his life.

But Gomez Gochez, now 54, also retained his Salvadoran citizenship. Now, as a dual citizen, he has made the dramatic decision to return to his impoverished hometown in El Salvador and run for mayor after nearly three decades away. His hope: to revive his town's agricultural base with his U.S. contacts and empower the villagers with U.S. practices of participatory democracy.

"America is the country that gave me the opportunity to be alive, and I'll be loyal to it until the end of my life," said Gomez Gochez in a phone interview from his home in Atiquizaya, a bedroom community of 52,000 about 50 miles west of San Salvador, the capital. "But I also want to give something back to my hometown. I want to teach them about the U.S. political process and how we as U.S. citizens use our rights, respect the Constitution and participate in the democratic process."

As international business, travel and communications explode, a growing number of nations are allowing dual citizenship, and more immigrants are claiming it. Some, like Gomez Gochez, aim to use their bilingual and bicultural experiences to infuse their homelands with U.S. values and strengthen bonds between both countries.

Others cite personal benefits, such as easier travel and better business opportunities. At a U.S. citizenship ceremony last month in Los Angeles, Ben Raposas, 38, a Simi Valley nurse, said he would apply for dual citizenship from his native Philippines to save tax dollars, have wider job choices and retain the right to return and retire. As an American, he said, it will be easier to get visas to travel and qualify for more jobs.

But the trend is also stirring some unease. Some argue that dual citizenship weakens a person's commitment to the United States, threatens a common national identity and violates the oath of allegiance taken by every naturalized citizen to "absolutely and entirely renounce" fidelity to any foreign government. A person cannot be loyal to two countries any more than to two spouses or two religions, critics say.

"For me, the idea of being American means your primary attachment is to the United States and not your country of origin," said Stanley A. Renshon, a political science professor at City University of New York Graduate Center. "The harm that comes from dual citizenship reflects the question of which identity will be primary."

Although the U.S. government does not keep statistics on dual citizens, some studies suggest that the number is large and growing. A 2007 study by Florida and Chicago researchers estimated that 77% of first-generation Latino immigrants who are U.S. citizens have dual citizenship. Renshon estimated that more than 90% of immigrants from the top 20 sending nations between 1994 and 2002 who are naturalized U.S. citizens had dual citizenship.

More than 150 nations allow some form of multiple citizenship, including Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and France, according to Renshon. The number has particularly increased in the last 15 years in Europe and Latin America.

The U.S. government does not require a person to renounce the former country when becoming a citizen. But it does not recognize or encourage dual citizenship because of the problems it could create over potentially conflicting obligations for military service and the like, said Chris Bentley of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. He cited as one example Japanese Americans in Japan during World War II who were drafted into the Japanese military.

"There are serious ramifications, and that's why we don't encourage it," Bentley said.

Both sides in the dual-citizen debate see validation for their arguments in recent studies by Florida State University political science professors Jeffrey K. Staton and Robert A. Jackson, and Damarys Canache of the University of Illinois. In a 2007 study examining claims that dual citizenship weakens ties to America, the researchers found that Latino immigrants who were dual citizens were less likely to be fluent in English, identify as U.S. citizens, consider the United States their homeland, register to vote and vote in a U.S. election than Latino immigrants who were sole U.S. citizens.

But the researchers' latest findings, scheduled for publication this year, show that those differences disappear among the U.S.-born second generation, Staton said. "If these differences go away across generations, it doesn't strike me as a matter that is all that worrisome," Staton said.  And community activists assert that the massive energy invested in the last two years to register immigrants to vote, get them to the polls and better integrate them into U.S. society has deepened their connections to their new nation.

Renshon, who argues that citizenship without emotional attachment is the "civic equivalent of a one-night stand," advocates deepening the integration of new U.S. citizens through free universal English classes. He also argues that dual citizens should be discouraged from voting in foreign elections, holding foreign office and serving in foreign militaries.  But many dual citizens themselves dismiss such concerns and say their binational connections richly benefit both nations.  "The U.S. is my home and El Salvador is my home. It's not either/or, it's both," said Mario Fuentes of the Salvadoran American National Assn. in Los Angeles.

The organization actively promotes binationalism as a way to connect people to the riches of their joint heritage. The group hosts frequent delegations between the two nations, holds an annual Salvadoran Day, sponsored a historical tour to El Salvador last month and brought El Salvador's most important religious icon, a statue of the Divine Savior of the World, to Los Angeles churches. The group promotes immigrant participation in U.S. civic affairs with voter registration drives and other activities.

Salvadoran association members aim to share their U.S. democratic experiences and know-how with compatriots in El Salvador. Gomez Gochez's mayoral campaign, for instance, is based on grass-roots organizing skills he learned on the streets of Los Angeles.

Gomez Gochez said he had talked so far with more than 4,000 people in 167 home meetings to seek their input -- a new political style, he said, in a country with a history of repression and political oligarchy.  "No one ever did that before in El Salvador," he said. "I learned a different kind of politics in the United States."

Some dual citizens admit to emotional twinges, however, at the ultimate moment when they raise their right hand, renounce all fidelity to other countries and pledge allegiance to the United States. "You get a little ripped in the middle. You say you're putting the other guys behind you," said Gene Hernandez, 40, a Valencia physical education instructor who became a U.S. citizen last month.

But Hernandez said there was no question where his primary allegiance lies. He left Mexico when he was 5 and has never returned. He grew up on U.S. football and speaks English with his wife and three children.  Although proud of his native Mexico, he said he became even more patriotic toward his adopted homeland after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"I love America and I hold it really close to me," he said. "You mess with America, and you're messing with me."

 

Potential Creation of the 
National Museum of the American Latino Act

Sheriff Joe of Maricopa County

NEW WEBSITE: 
HispanicTips 
HispanicTips has 43,803 stories & 115,000+ visitors a month.
Check out today's 65 stories - Knowledge is Power!

Tomas Custer: Web Master of HispanicTips

Please join me on this adventure that I call HispanicTips.

I started this site when I couldn’t find all the information and news that I knew was out there about Hispanics and Latinos in any single spot. After a year, I realized that this site was unique and needed. I am proud to have started and maintained this site (trust me, not an easy job), collecting thousands of news items to create a useful tool for my community.

Through HispanicTips, I have gone to the Latin Grammys, been interviewed on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday and am going to the Democratic National Convention to mention a few highlights.   Who knows where I might go next.

I am a Hispanic Gen-Xer. I was born and bred in Chicago to a mother of Mexican descent and an American father. I was very lucky to attend good schools and have good parents, family and friends.  Unfortunately, I grew up not speaking Spanish as it wasn’t as politically correct back then. Yes things good and bad have occurred in my life and I am sure more will come.  

Documentary ‘Border’ Delivers Rarely Seen Side of Illegal Immigration
Posted on: September 15th, 2008  on HispanicTips

http://www.hispanictips.com/2008/09/15/documentary-%E2%80%98border%E2%
80%99-delivers-rarely-seen-side-of-illegal-immigration/

Editor:  I received information on HispanicTips, the same morning that the following information appeared in the Orange County Register, September 17: 
 
Morelia, Mexico. 7 killed in Mexico Independence Day grenade attack  
Assailants threw two grenades into a crowd of Independence Day revelers, killing seven and injuring more than 100 in an attack that escalates the war between the army and drug gangs.  

The fragmentation grenades shattered a gathering of thousands in the streets not far from where President Felipe Calderon grew up.  He pledged an immediate military response.

"Those who believe they can use fear to hold our society hostage and immobilize us are mistaken . . , "Calderon said Tuesday. "They are doomed to fall."

Since taking office in 2006, Calderon has sent 25,000 soldiers to confront the cartels, and the gangs have responded with shooting-outs, assassinations, beheadings, and massacres.  

The latest came during the traditional "grito," or shout for shout for independence, late Monday night, Michoacan Gov. Leonel Godoy had just finished shouting "Viva Mexico!" from a balcony, when the two grenades exploded simultaneously in the crowd, blocks apart. 

For more information, go to the web:

"The attack comes only days after 24 bodies were found bound and killed execution-style in a rural area outside Mexico City in one of the largest massacres in recent history."  http://www.whec.com/article/stories/S582321.shtml?cat=619

http://www.bordermovie.com/

 
ACLU Challenges 
State Department's Refusal to Issue Passports to U.S. Citizens
Mexican-Americans From Southern Border States Face Delays & Denials

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2008

CONTACT: Maria Archuleta, national ACLU, (212) 519-7808 or 549-2666; media@aclu.org
                 Dotty Griffith, ACLU of Texas, (512) 478-7300 x 106 or 923-1909; dgriffith@aclutx.org

McALLEN, TX – Today nine American citizens sued the federal government, challenging the U.S. Department of State's refusal to issue them passports because of their race and ancestry and because their births were attended by midwives. The class action lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, the international law firm Hogan & Hartson LLP and Refugio del Rio Grande, Inc., builds upon a complaint filed earlier this year.

The lawsuit charges that the State Department categorically questions the citizenship of virtually all midwife-delivered Mexican-Americans born in southern border states. According to the lawsuit, the State Department has been forcing these applicants to go to unreasonable lengths to prove their citizenship by providing an excessive number of documents that normally are not required. Then, even after the applicants supply further proof of their citizenship, the Department responds by summarily closing their applications. 

"Based on blanket race-based suspicion, the State Department is sending this select group of passport applicants on a veritable scavenger hunt and then refusing to issue them passports without a fair examination of their individual cases," said ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project attorney Robin Goldfaden. "Denying passports to U.S. citizens in this way is clearly against the law and violates our core American values of fairness and equality."

The need for a passport has become particularly urgent for citizens who need or wish to travel outside the U.S. By virtue of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), every American who wishes to enter or reenter the U.S. must have a valid U.S. passport or passport card by June 2009. Prior to WHTI, only a U.S. driver's license was required to enter or reenter the U.S. from Canada or Mexico. As a result, there has been a surge in passport applications. Americans who must cross the border daily for work or family obligations but have not yet received their passports will be effectively barred from conducting the everyday business of their lives.

For countless Latinos who were delivered by midwives in the Southwest, however, trying to obtain a passport has become an exercise in futility. Although midwifery has been a common practice for more than a century, particularly in rural and other traditionally underserved communities, the U.S. government has imposed unsurpassable hurdles on midwife-delivered Latinos to prove their citizenship and eligibility for U.S. passports – even when their citizenship has already been established in the past. The government has demanded documents that never existed, like a 1935 census report; that no longer exist, like elementary school records that school districts long ago destroyed; and documents that only the government itself could produce, like immigration documents returned to the Immigration and Naturalization Service years ago.
 
The lawsuit contends that this pattern and practice by the State Department amounts to discrimination on the basis of race and ancestry in violation of applicants' right to equal protection under the law. The lawsuit also charges that the Department's practices violate due process and the Administrative Procedure Act, which was enacted as a safeguard against arbitrary and capricious government agency procedures.

"The U.S. government has effectively reduced a whole swath of the population to second-class citizenship because of their last names and because they happened to be born at home with a midwife," said Vanita Gupta, ACLU Racial Justice Program staff attorney. "Our clients have more than satisfied the requirements for a U.S. passport. It's wrong for the government to raise the bar to impossible heights and then arbitrarily shelve the applications for an entire group of people."

David Hernandez, a plaintiff in the case, is a U.S. citizen and was born in San Benito, Texas in 1964. Hernandez lived and attended school in the Rio Grande Valley and served honorably in the U.S. Army, earning various medals and ribbons. Hernandez's passport application was closed even after he responded to the Department's demand for additional documents by providing further evidence of his birth and baptism in the U.S., evidence of his mother's residency in the U.S. at the time of his birth, his immunization records, school records, and even a letter from the Mexican Civil Registry stating that there was no record of Hernandez being born in Mexico.
 
"I thought that in America everyone was supposed to be equal," said Hernandez. "I was born here. I've lived and worked here and served in the Army. I feel betrayed, like my country is stabbing me in the back just because my mother didn't have the luxury of having me in a hospital."

Juan Aranda, also a plaintiff in the case, was born in Weslaco, Texas in 1970 and has lived and worked in the U.S. his entire life. He works as a supervisor at a U.S. company that sells drinking water in Mexico and must frequently cross the border as part of his job. In anticipation of the new passport requirement, he applied for a passport last year and included his birth certificate in the application. He received a letter from the Department stating that more documentation was necessary to prove he was born in the U.S., including records of prenatal care that his mother did not have. Aranda sent in school records, immunization records, his baptismal certificate and a letter explaining that his mother did not receive prenatal care because she could not afford it.
 
"The cases of Mr. Hernandez, Mr. Aranda, and the other plaintiffs in this case are just the tip of the iceberg," said Lisa Brodyaga, the attorney for Refugio del Rio Grande, Inc. "There are countless other passport applicants like them who have done everything in their power to track down extra evidence, only to be told that their applications were being closed."

ACLU of Texas Legal Director Lisa Graybill said, "For citizens living on the border, a passport is as necessary as a driver's license. It's wrong for the government to deny people their basic rights because their parents could not, or chose not, to have them delivered in a hospital."
 
Defendants in the case before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas are Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Under Secretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Maura Harty, Passport Services Directorate Managing Director Ann Barrett and the United States of America.
 
Lawyers on the case, Castelano, et al. v. Rice, et al., for the plaintiff class include Goldfaden of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project; Gupta of the ACLU Racial Justice Program; Graybill of the ACLU of Texas; Adam K. Levin, Melissa Henke, David Weiner and Robert Wolinsky of Hogan & Hartson; and Brodyaga of Refugio del Rio Grande, Inc.

The complaint is online at: www.aclu.org/immigrants/gen/36669lgl20080905.html

Podcasts with community leader Father Mike Seifert, Hernandez and Goldfaden are available online at: www.aclu.org/racialjustice/gen/passports.html

Roberto Lovato
Contributing Associate Editor
New America Media  www.newamericamedia.org
244 Madison Avenue, #149
New York, NY 10016

ACTION ITEMS

 

Luis Ramirez Murder Case Update

4th Pa. teen charged in killing of immigrant

Sat Sep 6, 2008                                                      Crystal Dillman, fiancee of Luis Ramirez
                                                                                                  walks to the Schuylkill County Courthouse

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080906/ap_on_re_us/immigrant_killing_students;_ylt=ApHEqIiZE_ODK0PRn3TsrfOs0NUE

Judge grants bail in Shenandoah beating death

August 26, 2008  
Two teens charged with third-degree murder in the beating death of a Mexican immigrant in Shenandoah were granted bail today by a Schuylkill County judge. 
Judge William E. Baldwin set bail for Brandon Piekarsky, 16, and Colin Walsh, 17, at $50,000 and set several conditions. The boys will need to comply with a 7 p.m. curfew and cannot have any contact with anyone else involved in the case. They will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing and monitoring by the county's probation office.
Video  Related links  

• 3 teens charged in Mexican's beating death
• Echo of killing still reverberates in Shenandoah
• Schuylkill County Press Conference About Ramirez Slaying Video
• Shenandoah beating death hearing Photos
• Vigils Call For Tolerance Photo

Bail was set after Piekarsky testified that he is a straight-A student at Shenandoah Valley High School and a member of the National Honor Society. Piekarsky has no family outside Schuylkill County and is totally dependent on his mother, who is a widow. After Baldwin granted his bail, both the prosecutor and Walsh's lawyer agreed to the same conditions for Walsh. Baldwin then accepted the conditions.

Walsh's father plans to mortgage the family's home to meet bail. The judge said Walsh's father would need to prove that the family's home is worth $50,000. Walsh is also a student at Shenandoah Valley High School. Piekarsky and Walsh are charged as adults in the death of 25-year-old Luis Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was attacked July 12. A third defendant, 18-year-old Derrick Donchak, is charged with aggravated assault and other offenses. Authorities say a fourth teen was involved and plan to charge him as a juvenile.

--Reporting by John Moser, The Morning Call http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-schuylkill-0826cn,0,2658324.story  

 Brown Berets

       
             I had wanted to be a "Brown Beret" since I was a kid. I grew up in Oakland, California.   I looked up to the Brown Berets of the Oakland Chapter.  I saw them as the heroes del Barrio. Unfortunately by the time I was old enough to join, they had disbanded the chapter.  There wasn't much talk anymore about the Brown Berets in my neighborhood. But, about 3 months ago I stumbled upon a story about the Brown Berets that stated they were recruiting.

I thought okay, let's see if I can make contact with anyone. I sent out an e-mail and was told that there weren’t any CHAPTERS in Nuevo Mejico .  I then spoke with Prime Minister Victor San Miguel of the San Antonio, Tejas Chapter.  After an extensive interviewed with me Victor anointed me as The Prime Minister of Nuevo Mejico.

He then told me about someone that he felt could fill the same chanclas in Colorado. His name was Dominic Mendez.  El Victor had already spoken to Dominic but, hadn't yet anointed him. Victor, the  smooth soldado  had already made up his mind on Dominic; however, he told me to interview Dominic and decide whether to anoint him or not. I did not know Victor was testing me to check on my judge of character, my instinct.   I interviewed Dominic and just knew right away he would be the perfect vato for the Colorado Chapter. I then anointed Dominic to be The Prime Minister of the Colorado Chapter. Then I reached Victor to inform him and hoped I made the right decision.  Victor told me he had the same thoughts about Dominic as I did. He said I did well.  

Then Victor Brought up an IDEA that we three form a three-chapters alliance, which we have done.  We are now the "Tri-State Alliance, Tejas-Nuevo Mejico-Colorado.  We will be making all decisions together and speak as one, The Tri-State Alliance.  The other two Ministers are, Victor San Miguel and Dominic Mendez. Victor is an original Brown Beret from the Sixties.  We learn more and more from Victor every day, a very intelligent man.

Our group is more into Protecting LA RAZA and helping to Preserve our cultura and Historia in the Communities. We are trying to Change things from how it was in the 60's and 70's to a much more Peaceful Organization. "KNOWLEDGE" is The "Biggest weapon you can have. Spreading the WORD to los "Jovenes" to stay in school, to take advantage of the Grants and Loans that are out there for them. Things can’t get Better if we don't make them better. You have got put your Future and the Future de Nuestra Gente in your Own Hands.

Much Love and Respect to my Gente, 
Juanito Burns Jr.
Prime Minister: Los Brown Berets de Nuevo Mejico
y La VOZ del Tri-State Alliance: -Tejas-Nuevo Mejico-Colorado
Phone Number-575-751-1184
or E-Mail Address  juanitoirene420@yahoo.com

BUSINESS

JUDE GABBARD Y MUNOZ
Designer with a World Perspective
MODNIK

EDUCATION

Texas School Named after S/Sgt. Jose Riojas

Hispanic Scholarship Fund to Induct Five Exemplary Latinos Into Its Prestigious Alumni Hall of Fame

Accomplished professionals 
honored at annual event to inspire Hispanic youth  

Address to the 
Fall 2008 University of Southern California Student Body
by Efrén Paredes, Jr. 

BILINGUAL EDUCATION

Dr. George Castro Programs 

Chicano Center History

The Chicano Resource Center arose out of planning efforts in 1979 and early 1980, which involved faculty from the Mexican American Studies Department, the College of Social Work, the bilingual program in the College of Education, and the University Library. Dedicated in 1982, the Chicano Resource Center has provided a single focus for books, periodicals, reference tools, pamphlets, and clippings relating to Mexican American History, culture, and community. More...

Chicano Oral History Project

The Chicano Oral History Project at SJSU began in the late 1980’s as a collaborative effort between the Mexican American Studies Department and the Chicano Library Research Center. Funding for the program was provided from library, campus and CSU Affirmative Action & Faculty Development Funds and CSU Research and Lottery Funds. More...

Titles of full articles that can be accessed from:
http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/special/chc/chicano_hist.htm#castro

1996 Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards 
2000 Hall of Fame Inductee George Castro from Technica Henaac 
American GI Forum 38th National Convention Publication 
Interview with Dr.George Castro from Informe San Jose Unified School District 
Advanced Light Source Report vol 7 no 1 September 1994 
Latinos in the Lab article from Hispanic September 1996 
1987 Hispanic Engineer cover story on George Castro vol.3 
Hispanic Outlook 2000 George Castro mentoring 
IBM Physical Science San Jose Research Division publication 1982 
IBM Physical Science San Jose Research Laboratory 1980 
Make A Wish Come True 1985 IBM Charitable Contribution Campaign brochure 
Ninth Annual Portraits of Success Awards from San Jose Mercury News 1994 
Portraits of Success 1994 Exemplary Leadership Awards 
SACNAS News Spring 1992 
SACNAS News Spring 1994 
SACNAS News Summer 1996 
Tomorrows scientists are in school today from Washington Square Summer 1995 
White House recognizes SJSUs George Castro from On Campus SJSU November 1999 
White House Recognizes Associate Dean George Castro from The Scientist 2000

The Center for Applied Linguistics
Informational Brochures

Why Start and Maintain an SNS Program?
American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese and the Center for Applied Linguistics
Use this brochure to advocate for a Spanish for Native Speakers program in your school or district, start one, or improve one already in place. The brochure can be used with school board members, school and district administrators, Spanish teachers, and parents of Spanish-speaking students.

Working Together to Build a Multilingual Society
Center for Applied Linguistics
This brochure offers tips for parents, teachers, school administrators, and policymakers to help establish or improve a multilingual environment in homes and schools. Doing so not only addresses American security and economic needs, but also creates opportunties for Americans, both at home and abroad.

Why, How, and When Should My Child Learn a Second Language?
Center for Applied Linguistics
This brochure helps parents and schools become aware of the benefits of helping children learn a second language at an early age. It can be used with school boards, parents, and school and district staff to advocate for new or improved early foreign language programs.

Sent by Rafael Ojeda
Tacoma,WA

BOOKS

  
Gilberto Bosques (1894 – 1997)

Bosques' War is a translation of an oral history of the World War II experiences of Gilberto Bosques (1894 – 1997), who, as Mexico 's Consul General in Marseilles, France, used his country's neutrality in the early part of the war to protect and save tens of thousands of persecuted people. Grabman, as an introduction to the interview, provides a brief overview of Mexican diplomacy in the 1930s and 1940s to provide the reader with a historical perspective on Bosques' diplomatic activities, which continued with the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960s.

This book should fascinate those interested in World War II history, Mexican history or the well known feats of Raoul Wallenberg, who was specifically sent by the Swedish government to save people from the Nazis. Bosques did it all on his own and is finally being recognized for his effort.

36 pp. Editororial Mazatlán, 2007 $35 MXP (click the image)

500 years of Chicana women's history/
500 años de la mujer Chicana

by Elizabeth "Betita" Martínez.
 
 New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2008.
Bilingual Edition,  xii, 332 pp. 600 illustrations, paper, $23.95

From Warriors to Soldiers
by 
Gary Robinson and Phil Lucas

Reveals Native American Stories of Sacrifice in the U.S. Military

Floricanto Press
650 Castro St, Ste 120--331
Mountain View, California 94041-2055.
415-552 1879  Fax 702-995 1410
www.floricantopress.com
Inter American Development Inc.
"Por nuestra cultura hablarán nuestros libros.

Our books shall speak for our culture."  

CULTURE

Undocumented: Latino Immigrant Portraits
By Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez

Exhibition dates: August 23 – October 17, 2008
Compass Point, 731 Market Street (2^nd floor), San Francisco, CA 94103

A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll but pure Tejano

Arnold Garcia, EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Sent by Dorinda Moreno  fuerzamundial@gmail.com

The Stage Is Set For!

The World United Radio/Membership Conference
San Marcos, Texas November 14-15-16, 2008. 

The number one destination in the world 
for real radio & music industry education and networking. 

  Animator Bill Melendez Obituary , Whittier Daily News 

CAMBALACHE TEATRO EN ESPAÑOL
New Theater Group
4218 Newton Ave. Suite D
Dallas, Texas 75219

Sent by Willis Papillion 
willis35@embarqmail.com

  
Quinceanera Ritual Blessing to be Published

LA LEYENDA NEGRA/THE BLACK LEGEND 

HISTORICAL DISTORTION, DEFAMATION, SLANDER, LIBEL, AND STEREOTYPING OF HISPANICS

Cultures in Conflict--Number 3 in a series on La Leyenda Negra
By Felipe de Ortego y Gasca
ortegop@wnmu.edu

Scholar in Residence, Western New Mexico University ; 
Professor Emeritus, Texas State University System—Sul Ross

 The success of the Spanish enterprise in the Americas was stunning, and as exploits of that success circulated throughout Europe and the rest of the world during the 16^th century, resentment toward Spain hardened into virulent propaganda. By the end of the 16^th century, Spain ’s dominion in the New World and the riches it amassed therefrom made it one of the world’s most singular powers. It was the first global empire of the 16^th century and would remain a superpower for the next 150 years. Fierce competition with Spain over the spoils of the New World fueled the pitch and stridency of The Black Legend emanating from England, Holland, and France. With English, Dutch, and French toeholds in North America in the 17^th century, the prejudices of The Black Legend in Europe took root in Colonial America. The clash of cultures was inevitable. 

This bitter war of words has become more pronounced in the 21^st century in the form of “hate speech” anent the topic of undocumented Hispanics in the United States . American English-only efforts are a direct outgrowth of The Black Legend. As are the “distorted images that still prevail in American history textbooks, school curricula, radio programs, and political circles nowadays” (Miguel Perez, “The Black Legend Returns,” Creators Syndicate, March 25, 2008 ). The impediment to getting the historical recognition American Hispanics deserve is “an inconvenient truth”—denial of the Hispanic heritage of the United States , a denial “rooted in age-old stereotypes” (Tony Horwitz, “Immigration—and the Curse of the Black Legend,” The New York Times, July 9, 2006 ). According to Tony Horwitz, “most Americans associate the early Spanish in this hemisphere with Cortes in Mexico and Pizarro in Peru . But Spaniards pioneered the present-day United States , too” (Ibid.).This historical amnesia is the crux of the problem today for American Hispanics. To justify the westward expansion of the United States and the seizure of Spanish land, Americans pounced on Manifest Destiny and The Black Legend.

Gendered perceptions of American Hispanics, especially of Mexican origin, in 18^th century America saw Mexican males as degenerate and cruel but found Mexican women by and large as exotic, winsome, and sensual. These perceptions were greatly exaggerated in the 19^th century, especially after the Texas War for Independence and the Battle of the Alamo . More historians today regard the U.S. War against Mexico (1846-1848) as precipitated by The Black Legend.

Copyright © 2008 by the author. All rights reserved.

NCLR LAUNCHES WE CAN STOP THE HATE 
WEBSITE 2.0 TO COMBAT 
HATE IN THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE

Washington, DC—A revamped website launched today by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) documents how hate groups in the U.S. have been reenergized by the immigration debate and how the growing intolerance fanned by these groups is leading to a record increase in hate crimes against Latinos, spotlights hate in the immigration debate with analyses of the leading groups, spokespeople, and media allies of the anti-immigrant movement. 

The acclaimed website: www.WeCanStopTheHate.org 

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

"El Ruco, Chuco, Cholo, Pachuco"
One-Man Performance
Written and performed by Pepe Serna

Serna’s show takes the audience on a journey dating back to the pre-Columbian era and moves forward into the present and future through his cultural exploration of the Chicano experience. Serna’s one-man show is billed as an eye-opening experience that will engage the audience and encourage them to celebrate their own unique cultures.

Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature films and 300 television shows. He has also lent his vocal talents to the Fox series “The PJ’s,” which was created by Eddie Murphy and he starred in “Kingpin” on NBC. Serna is best known for his performances in several motion pictures, most notably “Scarface” with Al Pacino. Other films for which Serna is best known include “The Rookie” with Clint Eastwood; “American Me” with Edward James Olmos; “Silverado” with Kevin Costner; and the science fiction classic “Buckaroo Banzi.”

After many years in front of the camera, Serna has taken his talents behind the scenes as an associate producer for the widely acclaimed independent film “Luminarias.” He is also an artist whose paintings reflect the vibrant and tropical colors of Mexico. His works hang in galleries throughout the Southwest. He was recently commissioned by the Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project and the Mark Taper Foundation to paint an inspirational canvas on the subject of reading. It was turned into a poster and given to students in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the many Americans of Hispanic descent who have made outstanding contributions to our Nation.

The rich cultural traditions of the Hispanic-American community have made a remarkable impact on American society. The diverse backgrounds of Hispanic Americans and their dedication to family have become an integral part of America. With a deep commitment to faith and a strong desire to live the American dream, these citizens are realizing the full blessings of liberty. Educational opportunities are helping a new generation work toward success, and many Hispanic Americans operate thriving small businesses.

We also honor Hispanic Americans for their strong tradition of service in the Armed Forces. These proud patriots have fought in every war since our founding, and many have earned the Medal of Honor for their courage. Hispanic service men and women have shown their love for the United States by answering the call to serve, and we owe them and their families a tremendous debt of gratitude. Their patriotism and valor have added to the character of our Nation.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the spirit and accomplishments of Hispanic Americans everywhere. To honor those achievements, the Congress, by Public Law 100-402, as amended, has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating September 15 through October 15 as "National Hispanic Heritage Month."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2008, as National Hispanic Heritage Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH  

2008 HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH POSTERS
Thank you to Rafael Ojeda for sending along these Resources.

Latin Jazz Stamp Brightens Up Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic themes have been featured on more than 50 stamps since 1869 By Louise Fenner, Staff Writer

The new stamp premiered on September 8 so it would be readily available during Hispanic Heritage Month September 15-October 15, said Marie Therese Dominguez, a USPS official who oversees the stamp program and also handles policy and legislative issues. 

Hispanics are the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority — currently numbering around 46.7 million, or 15 percent of the U.S. population. This will jump to 30 percent by 2050, when Hispanics will total 132.8 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections.  (See “U.S. Minorities Will Be the Majority by 2042, Census Bureau Says.”)

“Hispanics and Latinos are representatives of the beginnings of this country,” said Dominguez. “Take my own personal history. I am an eighth-generation New Mexican and can trace my family on my father’s side to Cabeza de Vaca.” (The Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca landed in Florida in 1528 and traveled across what is now the American Southwest and Northern Mexico.)

“Hispanic contributions are really important, and I think the Postal Service will continue to acknowledge that,” she said. “We like to look at it as one of many things that make the American culture unique.”

The Postal Service has issued more than 50 stamps celebrating Hispanic people and culture, said Dominguez.  The first was issued in 1869 and commemorated the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World (although Italian-born, Columbus sailed on behalf of Spain with Spanish crews).  Topics for the stamps range from the serious – Mexican Independence, civil rights and farm labor leader Cesar Chavez – to the seriously fun, such as Let’s Dance: Bailemos! featuring the merengue, the mambo, the cha-cha-cha and the salsa.

Baseball great Roberto Clemente and Civil War Admiral David Farragut both appeared twice. Several cultural icons have been honored, including artist Frida Kahlo, entertainer Desi Arnez and singer Richie Valens.  Several stamps mark the Hispanic presence in North America, particularly in California, Florida and the Southwest.

This stamp, part of a series on U.S. journalists, honors the life and work of Los Angeles Times reporter and columnist Ruben Salazar. (Ruben Salazar, from the Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429), Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA

To receive Google daily alerts of Hispanic Heritage Month activities, go to:
http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en&gl=

Or contact: googlealerts-noreply@google.com

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_
view&newsId=20080908005059&newsLang=en

Examples of Googles contribution to Hispanic Heritage Month: Google News Alert for: 2008 Hispanic Heritage Month Sent through out September 

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, which was observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a monthlong celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15). America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

Population 45.5 million: The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2007, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 15 percent of the nation’s total population. In addition, there are approximately 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.

Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/ 011910.html and http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/ 011109.html

Things to do during Hispanic Heritage Month
http://www.shapethefuture.org/features/hispanic_heritage.asp

60^th Anniversary of Desegregation in the Military
http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=1266  

National Register of Historic Places Official Website - Part of the National Park Service
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/hispanic/

Military and Law Enforcement Heroes

Latinos/Latinas – Ultimate – Sacrifice

Part IX

 By

Mercy Bautista-Olvera

In the coming months this series “Latinos/Latinas Ultimate Sacrifice” will present the stories and contributions of heroes who have sacrificed their lives for United States . The reason for me to be interested in writing about Hispanics, who lost their lives in Wars, I want to be one of their voices. We do appreciate their sacrifice. It is my sincere belief and commitment, that these heroes are never forgotten. Take time to look at their faces, read their histories, and keep their spirit alive…  

Army Spc. Frances M. Vega 20, of Fort Buchanan , Puerto Rico., died on November 2, 2003, in an attack on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter near Fallujah , Iraq . The helicopter, a U.S. transport helicopter shot down by a ground-to-air missile struck in the crash. Sixteen people were killed. Vega assigned to the 151st Adjutant General Postal Detachment 3, Fort Hood , Texas . 

Frances M. Vega was born in San Francisco but Army records show her permanent address in Puerto Rico . Husband Pvt. Abednego Vega II, is a member of Company a, 15th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. Her father is a retired 1^st Sergeant, and her father-in-law is a Command Sergeant Major.

The post office on Camp Victory North in Iraq was renamed Frances M. Vega Army Post Office during a dedication ceremony that took place on Memorial Day 2004. Approximately 100 people attended the outdoor ceremony for Vega.  "Specialist Vega was very outgoing and proud of where she came from," said Spc. Dionn Overton, an administrative specialist who served with Vega. "She was such a beautiful person." Overton and Vega worked together at Fort Hood , Texas . She remembers leaving Killeen for the first time to go to San Antonio with Vega. "She made everywhere we went fun," Overton said, reminiscing about Vega.  Army Spc. Frances M. Vega was buried in Bayamon 's National Cemetery in Puerto Rico , where she received full military honors. Army Representative Jose Pagan said Vega was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple

Heart. “We feel overwhelmed by her loss but at the same time with pride that she was a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice,” said her mother.  

Army Staff Sgt. Jorge L. Peña-Romero 29, of Fallbrook , Calif. , died on July 16, 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his humvee as his unit was conducting a mounted patrol in Baghdad . Assigned to the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin , California .

Jorge L. Peña-Romero graduated from high school in 1995 than join the army, he was a machine gunner “He was well-liked and a mentor to many of the guys in the troop,” said Lindsey Key, whose husband is the commander of Peña-Romero. “He took joy in doing little things on the side to help Iraqis, such as coordinating a clothing drive through his Seventh-day Adventist Church in Fallbrook.”  Jorge L. Peña-Romero was known for staying cool and lifting the moods of people around him. “As an individual this guy was incredible- easy to talk to, always had some kind of smile on his face, and always knew how to lighten people’s moods: said Sgt. Jason Morris.

Army Pfc. Ramon A. Villatoro Jr. 19, of Bakersfield , Calif. , died on July 24, 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley fighting vehicle in Baghdad . Assigned to 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson , Colorado .     Also killed was his best friend Ernest W. Dallas of Denton , Texas .

The son of Mexican and Salvadoran immigrants, Ramon A. Villatoro enlisted to get education money so he could become a doctor. Al Capilla, middle school principal urged Villatoro to apply for scholarships instead of enlisting in the Army but Ramon A. Villatoro made a decision   to enlist in the Army.  

Villatoro’s father also named Ramon said his son got the idea to join the Army while watching the World Trade Center collapse. “Dad I’ve go to go and do something,” He met his wife in high school, he was excited to become a dad, he called home and told his father to open the front door. There stood his bride, with

a box in her hand. It contained a positive pregnancy test. “Dad, we’ve got great news,” he said on the phone. “We’re going to have a family.”  

Photo: Courtesy of the family: Morales, Ernest W. Dallas and Ramon Villatoro in Iraq

   Army Sgt. Milton M. Monzon Jr. 21, of Los Angeles , Calif. , died on July 24, 2005 when and improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley fighting vehicle in Baghdad .  Assigned to 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson , Colorado .    Also killed were Staff Sgt. Jason W. Montefering, Spc. Ernest W. Dallas Jr. and Army Pfc. Ramon A. Villatoro Jr.  

Army Sgt. Milton M. Monzon''s parents wanted him to go to college and even offered to help pay for it. However, the Los Angeles High School graduate had a different plan that would fulfill a childhood dream, he join the Army. His father was supportive. "It seems like we’re fighting for no reason," Milton Monzon Sr. said. "But as a father, my son made me proud. He made everyone proud because he was doing what he wanted to do." Milton Monzon Jr., deployed for a second tour in March, several months after he proposed to his wife Christy in front of his family at Christmas. She said yes and the couple married. His mother, Cecilia, was worried about her son serving a second tour. "I felt scared," she said. "I was afraid that when he went back, something would happen." 

  Marine Pfc. Ramon Romero 19, of Huntington Park , Calif. , died on August 22, 2005 when the vehicle in which he was riding was struck by an improvised explosive device while he was conducting combat operations near Fallujah. Assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. ; attached to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)

 Ramon Romero was a 2002 High School graduate; he took Taekwondo lessons for three years at Blue Dragon Taekwondo School . “He was the ideal student disciplined, very respectful and always willing to lend a helping hand,’ instructor Thomas Dueñas said. After boot camp, Romero was shipped off to Iraq with a brief stop in Ireland , where he wrote home. “Never in my life did I dream about going to the other side of the world,” he wrote. “I’m prepared for what awaits, and I will take care of myself. Whatever happens, it will be God’s decision.” Marine Pfc. Ramon Romero wanted to become a police officer after his service in the Army.

  Army Sgt. Alfredo B. Silva 35, of Calexico , Calif. , died on September 15, 2005 when and improvised explosive device detonated near his humvee during patrol operations in Baghdad . Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard, Modesto , Calif.

 Alfredo B. Silva was born in Chula Vista , California . His father died when he was 4 his mother moved in with her parents in San Diego County . He had a great relationship with his maternal grandfather; they would spend weekends together at the horse races in Caliete or at the family ranch south of the border.  As an adult his own fast-pitch softball career rarely wavered, he would drive west to play in night leagues in Chula Vista or Tijuana , Mexico . His catcher Efrain Arvizu remembered Silva as a man of “heart and determination. “In his high school, he played football and basketball. “Alfredo was a great leader of his teams and his school, he touched the lives of many people,” said Mr. & Mrs. Seckler, his high school Principal and teacher.
 

Marine Lance Cpl. Raul Mercado 21, of Monrovia , Calif. , died on January 7, 2006 when his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Karmah , Iraq .  Assigned to 2nd Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune , North Carolina .

 Raul Mercado was born in Los Angeles , moved with is family to Ixtlahuácan, near Guadalajara , Jalisco when he was 7 years old. The family returned to California when he was 17 and enrolled in Monrovia High School as a sophomore. Raul was a member of the school’s Spanish Society and competed in several sports. He played basketball, track and field and cross-country runner and fascinated by mathematics. Raul Mercado worked hard in his English to score well enough on the verbal portion of the SAT to get into West Point , New York .  He was disappointed when he did not make it, so he joined the Marines as a way to achieve his dream. Monrovia High School college adviser Oscar Ibarra said. “That’s what he had his heart set on.” With a 3.5 grade point average, he was accepted at several universities, but he wanted to achieve his goal even if it meant going to Iraq . “This was a young man whose sense of personal self was very strong,” said Mayor Hammond, who had handed Mercado his diploma when he graduated. “He was very determined. He did not make decisions lightly. Monrovia weeps for one of its sons.” Mayor Hammond addressed Raul Mercado’s mother Celia at the funeral; he told her that Monrovians would never forget her son. “Raul Mercado, will remain in all of our hearts.”   
 

Marine Pfc. Javier Chavez Jr. 19, of Cutler, Calif. , died Feb. 9, 2006 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Fallujah , Iraq . Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton , Calif. ; attached to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward.)

Javier Chavez Jr.  was born in Visalia ( Tulare County ), but moved to the small town of Cutler when he was 5 years old. His parents divorced and Chavez lived with his father, stepmother, brothers, and sisters until high school. Javier played soccer and took karate when he was younger, his father said. He went to Orosi Union High School in the Cutler area. He also visited and lived with his mother Maria Leon sometimes. “We called him 'Javi", said his stepmother Veronica, He was a smart and thoughtful little boy, very respectful,

and nice. He had a lot of friends." Just before shipping out, Javier turned 19 on New Year's Eve. He was just married he married his girlfriend, Janie in a civil ceremony. They planned to have a big church wedding after he got back from Iraq . Javier Chavez Jr., went to basic training a shy, skinny kid and came back much more mature physically and emotionally. "You could see it just in the way he talked to adults, he had much more confidence," her stepson was mature beyond his age, and a little shy, especially around adults. When his sister, Olga, was having problems dealing with their parents' separation, Javier would comfort her.  "He would tell her, 'it’s OK, we're going to go see mom soon,'   "His wife told me he was scared to tell his mom where he was going," she said.” He wanted to tell her he was going to Japan instead. He had to tell his father, though, and he asked him how he felt about it. Javi said, 'I'm scared but I'm going to come back.' 

Army Staff Sgt. Ricardo Barraza 24, of Shafter, Calif. , died on March 18, 2006 when he came under small arms fire by enemy forces during combat operations in Ramadi , Iraq . Assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis , Washington . 

Ricardo “Ricky” Barraza was born in Toppenish , Washington . Eventually the family moved to California . He graduated from Shafter High School , (in the Bakersfield area.) Ricardo “Ricky” Barraza  graduated from Shafter High School in 1999, he was an accomplished athlete who played basketball, football and track; Ricky as he was called had a good relationship with his coaches and some of his teachers. He enlisted in the Army after graduation, he loved traveling and seeing the world, Ricky had great respect for the military and was very proud to be a United States Ranger. He chose to dedicate his life in service to his country. Army Staff Sgt. Ricardo Barraza was a squad leader assigned to 2^nd Battalion, 75^th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis , Washington .  Barraza completed One Station Unit Training, Airborne School and Ranger Indoctrination Training at Fort Benning , Georgia . Army Staff Sgt. Ricardo Barraza was a six-time veteran of the Global War on Terrorism, deploying three times in support of Operation enduring Freedom, Afghanistan and three times in support of Operation Iraq Freedom.

Navy Medic Geovani Padilla-Aleman 20, of South Gate , Calif. , died April 2, 2006   of enemy action in Anbar Province , Iraq . Padilla-Aleman was on patrol, riding alongside Marines west of Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded. .Assigned to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda , Maryland .  Navy Medic Geovani Padilla Aleman was permanently assigned to Bethesda Naval Hospital , USNS Comfort Detachment; operationally. Assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2/28 Brigade Combat Team

Geovani Padilla-Aleman was born in Guadalajara , Mexico . He grew up in Boyle Heights and South Gate . An exceptional student in school, graduated from High School, and than he joined the Navy.  Geovani Padilla-Aleman wanted to be a surgeon. During a farewell potluck luncheon, Geovani Padilla Aleman stood up and said he welcomed the opportunity to Iraq and said it as his duty. “All of 20 years old and in the Navy for just two years, he demonstrated maturity and dedication to duty well beyond his years,” said Eugene de Lara, one of his bosses. Padilla-Aleman joined the Navy, sent to Iraq , determined to treat the wounds of his fallen military comrades. “He did not go there to fight, He went there to heal,” said his cousin Salvador . He said Geovani loved adventure and joined the Navy; it was a way to pay for college and explore the world. Rear Adm. Adam. M. Robinson, commander of the National Naval Medical Center said “Padilla-Aleman “died as a hero, a corpsman doing exactly what he was trained to, serving with valor, integrity and purpose.”  Medic Robert Hellman said Padilla-Aleman was a good friend who could make even a monotonous task, such as shredding paper enjoyable, He also recalled snowboarding with Padilla in Maryland; Padilla went down the hardest trail. “He fell down the entire mountain,” At the bottom, Padilla stood up and could not stop laughing, than he wanted to do it again. Rear Adm. Adam. M. Robinson, commander of the National Naval Medical Center said Padilla “died as a hero, a corpsman doing exactly what he

was trained to do. “Serving with valor, integrity and purpose. He epitomized the Navy’s Motto: “Not self, but country.” 
 

Special thanks to Alan Lessig, Director of Photography, for the website, “Military   Times, Honor the Fallen” (www.militarycity.com) for granting permission to reproduce photos for this article. 

OBSERVNG 63^RD ANNIVERSARY OF A MOST HORRIFIC INCIDENT

By

Richard G. Santos

Please forgive me for stating this has been a most difficult article to write.  It has been more difficult that some of my books such as translating the five versions of the Diary of the Expedition to Texas of the Second Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo. It has almost been more demanding in detail than Santa Anna’s Campaign Against Texas and Alamo Countdown. And surprisingly, more soul-slicing that Silent Heritage with dealing the Mexico City based Inquisition and the burning at the stake of some of my ancestors. What occurred in the Pacific Ocean 63 years ago has reverberated with the desperation, horror, terror and screams of the dying and surviving crewmen of the USS Indianapolis [CA-35]. 

Pearsall , Texas native Seaman Basilio Perez must have been as curious as his fellow crew members at the special attention given to the ship’s cargo upon their arrival at Tinian Island on July 26. Army Air Corps officers and strange looking civilians were acting like stevedores overseeing and helping unload the secret cargo. Unknown to Perez and the other crewmen of the Indianapolis at the time, they had just delivered the key mechanism for the world’s first atomic bombs soon to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki , Japan .  

Having delivered their precious secret cargo, the Indianapolis was refueled and re-supplied before setting sail for Leyte Island where they were expected to arrive July 31^st. Unescorted and still under radio silence, the ship set off to its assigned position. At the same time, Captain Mochitsura Hashimoto commanding Japanese submarine I-58 was patrolling the waters between Tinian and Leyte Islands . At five minutes after midnight July 30, the first Japanese torpedo struck the Indianapolis . Other torpedoes followed shortly thereafter. Some U.S. seamen were instantly killed, others suffered burns of various degrees and since the Indianapolis was listing and about to sink, the order to abandon ship was issued. 

Of the 1,196 men aboard the ship, 33 were U. S. marines and the remainder Naval personnel. Approximately 880 men jumped ship. Some had life preservers, many did not. Wooden crates used as potato bins and assorted pieces of furniture and other floating items soon became survival rafts. The yelling of men trying to communicate with their fellow crewmen soon filled the night. When possible they gathered in groups of three on up. Those who had suffered burns were already suffering excruciating pain. Others had swallowed oil or salt water and were beginning to show their effect. The worse was yet to come. 

The fins of one, two three and soon what seemed hundreds of sharks appeared in and out of the waves by mid afternoon of the first day. The agonizing screams of men being bitten by sharks soon filled the air. Others were dragged under water before they made a sound. The waters began to churn bloody red as the survivors saw their friends and fellow crewmen falling victims to the men-eating sharks. 

By the second day ( August 1, 1945 ), those who had drunk salt water or oil were violently sick. The retching and coughing of the sick filled the air along with the screams of those being attacked by sharks. Some seamen were now hallucinating and convinced fresh water, food, ice cream and safety could be found on the Indianapolis below the water, they dove underwater never to be seen again. The desperation and terror of the survivors adrift in the sea infested with man-eating sharks drove others temporarily or permanently insane. Adding to their desperation and frustration were the airplanes seen periodically flying high overhead. 

Because the Indianapolis had not yet been reported missing, no one was searching for the ship or survivors. It was not until the fourth day (August 3^rd) that a small plane after flying high over the survivors circled back to take a look at the scene. Waving its wing to acknowledge seeing the survivors, the small PV-1 Ventura called base. Soon one other plane appeared and the survivors were finally reported to the nearest base. It was not until near midnight of the fifth day that rescue planes began to arrive. They were soon joined by ships of various sizes. Of the 1,196 crew of the Indianapolis and approximate 880 men who jumped into the sea, only 316 survived. Two days later the survivors rescued by planes must have been at some hospital while those rescued by ship must have still been aboard on August 6 when President Harry S Truman made a social announcement. That is, that a B-29 called from Tinian Island had just dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima . Three days later a second atomic bomb, also from Tinian Island was dropped over Nagasaki . For all practical purposes the World War II was over,  only the formalities of signing a surrender treaty agreeable to all remained. Little did the world know then and even fewer today, what an important role the USS Indianapolis played in ending the war and saving millions of lives that would have been lost had the allied forces invaded the Island Nation of Japan. 

At this time when the nation is experiencing an anti-Mexican, anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic hysteria, and specifically on the 63^rd anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, we pause to identify the U.S. Navy personnel of Hispanic ancestry. We begin with Winter Garden native Basilio Perez of Pearsall , Texas . From other communities throughout the nation we list Charles M. Acosta, Dante Adorante, Harold D. Allmarás (sic; Almaráz), Lorenzo Armenta, Raymond Barra, Concepción Bernacil, Paul Campana, Paul Candalino, Adolfo Celaya, José Cruz, Verlin Fortin, Vicente Frontino, Juan Gabrillo (Cabrillo?), Angel Galante, Ray Gonzalez, John G. Guerrero, Harold Guyon (Guion?), Ponciano Holden, Daniel López, Sam López, Robert Lucas, Clarence Machado, Sam Murillo, Baltazar Nieto, Mike Obledo, Ernest Ochóa, José Pacheco, Santos Peña, José Saenz, Alfred Salinas, Nuraldo Sámano, Alejandro Sanchez, Fernando Sanchez and Philip Silva. Others with Latin based surnames who may or may have not been Hispanic are Frank Spino (Espino? Espinosa?), Patrick P. Castaldo, Frank Centazzo, Frank Fantasia, Melvin Maas, Joseph Malena, John Olijar and Ralph Sordia. 

Because ethnicity and race are not cited in the U.S. Navy History reports that I used, I have no way of actually determining the race or ethnicity of the known or suspected Hispanic crewmen of the USS Indianapolis. However, as an historian, Tejano and native-born U.S. citizen, I sincerely extend our muchisimas gracias to ALL CREW MEMBERS OF THE USS INDIANAPOLIS regardless of race, ethnicity or religious beliefs who played a little known but important role in bringing an end to World War II. 

In closing this most difficult article, we note Captain Charles Butler McVay III was court-martialed by the U. S. Navy. He was charged and found guilty of not zig-zagging the ship while in enemy waters thus leading to its sinking. As noted by Captain Hashimoto who sank the Indianapolis , it did not matter if the ship had zig-zagged or not. The ship did not have an escort or accompanying submarine spotters. Consequently the USS Indianapolis was doomed from the moment the ship appeared on the Japanese periscope. After a concentrated campaign and lobbying effort by the survivors, the late Captain McVay was exonerated in 2000. May he and the men who died during those horrific five days and the men who have left us since, Rest in Peace. We honor your memory on this 63^rd anniversary of your ordeal.

Zavala County Sentinel – 6-7 August 2008.

 
Velia "Belle" Lopez Ortega, 
20 Jun 1930 - 11 Aug 2008

Patriots of the American Revolution

The Relations Between
Spain and the United States

Lousiana and the Middle West Territory (1763 - 1795)

By Antonio R. Peña

http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2002_summer_fall/spain_english.htm

Key words: middle ground territories, Continental Congress, Continental army, Western Conventions, Virginia Assembly, Louisiana, Mississippi, Spanish government, Great Britain, France, James Wilkinson, José Bernardo Gálvez, Esteban Miró, Conde de Aranda, Floridablanca, George Washington, State Board.

Palabras clave: territorios del middle ground, Congreso Continental, Ejército Continental, convenciones del oeste, asamblea de Virginia, Luisiana, Misisipí, gobierno español, Gran Bretaña, Francia, James Wilkinson, José Bernardo Gálvez, Esteban Miró, Conde de Aranda, Floridablanca, George Whashington.

"The Indian territories had a warrior population of 12.000 Indians: 6.000 Creecks, 4000 Chocktaw, 2000 cherokees and 600 Chikasas [33] , so all together with the Spanish support they could confront the Unites States. Governor E. Miró and Baron Corondelet negotiated with the Indian tribes through Natchez, Gayoso de Lemos and the Spanish agent for Indian territories, Alejandro Mac Gillibray. The matter of an agreement with the Indians was very urgent, because the Yazoo Company (through which the United States acted) was entering more and more in those territories. The Yazoo Company was even entering the Spanish territories and tried to convince the Anglo-Saxons in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio to fight against Louisiana. Provocation from the Yazoo Company was constant, and was looking for a direct answer from Spain that could get the United States to declare war [34] .

The danger was so clear, that the Indian Nations accepted to make an alliance. In June 1784 they reached the first agreement in the Mobile and Penzacola Indian Congresses. But the situation didn't change, the agreements were not effective and the traditional Indian arguments upon the territory continued. Only at the beginning of the 1790 decade, when the United States were occupying the territory and storming the border of Louisiana and Florida, the Indian decided to forget their traditional conflicts and to reach an alliance between them and Spain. But then it was too late. It was impossible to stop the demographic, political and military pressure of the United States. The collapse and the disappearance of the Spanish borders were inevitable [35] .

The alliance Spain-Indian nations materialized in the Treaty of Nogales in 1793. The treaty established a confederation between the Creeck, Choctaw Cherokee and Chikasa nations in the central territories to Kentucky. Also it established a federal system of state, with a joint government."

Hispanics in the American Revolution
Sully Historic Site
October 5, 2008

PATRIOTS OF PERU DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
(Mi through N)
Part 12

CUENTOS

My Uncle Oscar Chapa
by 
Mimi Lozano

One of my First Memory

EASTER LAMB CAKE . .  

Does anyone remember these Easter lamb cakes?  Apparently  they are still traditional.   
I found the above photo on the homepage of the Little Goose Haus Bed and Breakfast in Canyon Lake, Texas. 

LIFE IS A PICKLE JAR
by Ben Romero

“Storing food in old jars is not very sanitary,” our intellectual son, Gabe, used to complain. But he found them to be a great place to save his money.

Ben Romero
Author of Chicken Beaks Book Series
559-301-1545

INTERESTING OLD MEMORIES OF THE GOOD OLE BAD DAYS

By

Richard G. Santos

richardgsantos@yahoo.com  

Movie theatres made their appearance as soon as the Spanish population was large enough to support the endeavor. Most towns had one theatre. Others, like Crystal City, had three. Regardless of how many theatres a town might have had, the menu was the same. Mexican movies in Spanish, vaudeville shows featuring singers and/or dancing groups and local talent shows. Mexican movie stars (and especially starlets, dancers, singers and up-coming artists) made the rounds of the towns drawing people to their movies and getting known to develop a following. Recording artist did likewise as they pushed their latest or favorite recordings to boost record sales.  

All along fond memories were being made. The viewers and attendees remember what movie star, singer or group they saw “way back when”. The family and sometimes relatives of the theatre owners remember how they operated the theatres. For some this included hosting the star in their homes due to lack of accommodations or lack of up-front money. To others, like Pepe Treviño it is recalling how every family member had specific jobs and you graduated by age and experience. His mother manned the ticket booth and the concession stand where she sold soft drinks as well as chewing gum and candies for a penny a piece. His older brother in time succeeded his father in running the projector until he had outgrown the job and 14 year old Pepe took over. Up to that day he had been part of the cleaning crew as the youngest son, the “go-fer”.  Manning the movie projector and actually running the movies was a major promotion of which he still speaks with glee.  

Meeting the movie stars, singers and performers was another perk of the owners and their families. Picking them up at San Antonio, Laredo or Eagle Pass and driving them to town was a major responsibility. However, the owner and family still had to house and feed them! All this was done without advance pay and strictly by sharing ticket sales. As could be expected, some personalities drew larger crowds than others. Some also ate more than others.  

As far as the theatres themselves, well, some reportedly had rats and or mice running about. Others did not have roofs so movie goers had to tolerate passing trains, mosquitoes and other flying insects and bats and finally the summer DDT spraying trucks! But who cared? Those things were minor distractions and part of the reality of life. After all, they were in the presence of Pedro Infante, Toña La Negra, Pedro Armendariz, Agustin Lara, Amalia Mendoza or enjoying a movie or serial by Las Tres Calaveras, El Enmascarado, or the comedic movies of Cantinflas or Tin Tan, or perhaps a semi-horror movie of La Llorona and such. Some theatres advertised their movies via a pickup truck and a loud speaker. In Pearsall Mr. Treviño’s loudspeaker was known to frequently drown out the services at the nearby Catholic Church. Guess he took advantage of a captive audience counting on some rushing to the theatre after service. In Crystal City, friends have told me that when they were kids they chased after the pickup carrying La Llorona, El Enmascarado, King Kong or such hurling rocks and teasing the costumed person until the driver stopped and chased them off.  

So the theatre was across the tracks. So the minorities were not welcomed at the English Language theatre. Yet most of that is forgotten when a person over 50 recalls their youth in the good ole bad days in rural south Texas 50 and more years ago. Finally, it should be noted that I cannot relate some of the stories I am told for this is a family oriented newspaper. However, you can well imagine what travesias (mischief) those kids of old got themselves into and fondly recall before they became grandparents! Throwing rocks or popcorn at the villains on screen, whistling, yelling, stomping and of course, those way in the back or corner hot dates usually between a young girl brought to the theatre by her parents who paid for her ticket while the secret boyfriend waited anxiously inside. Well, ‘nuf zed as you can imagine the rest.  

Zavala County Sentinel – 3-4 September 2008  

LITERATURE