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"When injustice become law, resistance become duty."

Thomas Jefferson

 

Somos Primos

APRIL 2011 
137th Online Issue

Editor: Mimi Lozano ©2000-2011

Dedicated to Hispanic Heritage and Diversity Issues

Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research



Latino History Baseball Project
Photograph of the Pena brothers,who played for the Carmelita Chorizeros
 in the late 1940s at Fresno Park in East Los Angeles.  
Their father, Willie Pena, is at the far left.  Click

Society of Hispanic Historical and
Ancestral Research   

P.O. 490
Midway City, CA 
92655-0490
mimilozano@aol.com
714-894-8161

Board Members:
Bea Armenta Dever
Gloria C. Oliver
Mimi Lozano
Pat Lozano
Cathy Trejo Luijt 
Viola R. Sadler
Tom Saenz
John P. Schmal


Resources:
SHHAR
Networking
Calendar
www.SHHAR.net
www.SomosPrimos.com 


"Tyranny is always better organized than freedom."
Charles Peguy

Somos Primos staff
Mimi Lozano, Editor
Mercy Bautista Olvera
Roberto Calderon, Ph,D.
Bill Carmena
Lila Guzman, Ph.D
John Inclan
Galal Kernahan
Juan Marinez
J.V. Martinez, Ph.D
Dorinda Moreno
Rafael Ojeda
Ángel Custodio Rebollo
Tony Santiago
John P. Schmal

Contributors April Issue
Ralph Arellanes
Dan Arellano
Gustavo Arellano
David Bacon
Christopher Barrios de
    Leon
Mercy Bautista-Olvera
Jim Beal, Jr.
Jaime Cader
Roberto Calderon, Ph.D.
Terry Cannon
Gil Cardena
Ana Cervantes
Gus Chavez
Jim Churchyard
Carlos E. Cortés, Ph.D. 
Jack Cowan 
Steve Crum
Arturo Cuellar
Sal Del Valle
Bea Dever
Richard Duree
Thomas Ellingwood Fortin 
Charlie Erickson 
Jesus Esparza
Lupe Fisher
Carol Floyd
Eddie Garcia
John Garcia
Dr. Lino Garcia,Jr. 
Wanda Garcia 
Esther Garza
Ron Gonzales
Rafael Jesús González
Sylvia Gonzalez-Hohenshelt
Yvonne Gonzalez Duncan
Xalli Gordon-Chavez


Patricia Guadalupe
Odell Harwell
Walter Herbeck Jr. 
Inés Hernández-Ávila
Patty Homo
Larry Kirkpatrick
Galal Kernahan
María Elena Laborde
José Antonio López
Samuel C. Lopez
Cathy Luijt
Adam Luna
Juan Marinez
Don Milligan
Carlos Muñoz, Jr.
Paul Nauta
Sebastian Nelson
Felipe de Ortego y Gasca
Larry Ochoa
Rafael Ojeda 
Pedro Olivares
Maria Angeles Olson
Tte. Cor. Ricardo Raúl
     Palmerín Cordero
Diane Pena Gonzales

Jose M. Pena
Richard Perry

Roberto Perez Guadarrama
Renato Ramirez
Juan Ramos
Ángel Custodio Rebollo 
Annette Reed
Armando Rendon
Christopher Rincón
Frances Rios
Gene Rodriguez
Rudi R. Rodriguez
Dr. Ronald J. Roman
Moll Rudy
Tom Saenz 
Richard G. Santos
William Tapia
Susannah Taylor
Juan Tejeda
Sylvia N. Tillotson
Ernesto Uribe
John J. Valadez
Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez, Ph.D. 

a.beltran@YMAIL.COM 
chuytrevino@earthlink.net
genealogia.org.mx@gmail.com
hsalameh@celtcorp.com
jsabatini@sfexaminer.com
lactogen@MOUSEPLACENTA.COM
lostexaswranglers@yahoo.com

"Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." 
George Bernard Shaw

UNITED STATES

Creating the legislative districts
2010 Population in Southwest
Latino Point of View
Governors file suit against Federal government
Gossip
Texas students, now majority
US Stamps of Latin Music Legends
Proposed 28th Amendment to US Constitution
Congressional Reform Act of 2011
House of Representative in session
Guns for us, not for you
Accumulated National Debt increases
The 'Utah Way' toward immigration reform
Growth Trajectory Continues
Linda Chapa LaVia, A Wise Latina 
   by Mercy Bautista-Olvera
Hispanics Breaking Barriers, Part XXVII 
   by Mercy Bautista-Olvera
MALDEF, Latino Officers Charge City of Westminster

Sent by Odel Harwell hirider@clear.net

Our prayers are with the people of Japan.

Hispanic Population in US at 50.4 Million



Data for States and counties which will be used to help in creating the legislative districts. 
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/default.htm 

Sent by Juan Marinez 


Latino Point of View
LatinoPOV.com

Ruben Salazar: A Man of Courage
he Decay of Public Education
What Has Egypt Cost U.S.?
The State of the Union: For Latinos
Silent Images of Latinos in Early Hollywood
From Dream Act, to a Senate Nightmare
Peace on Earth: By Any Means Necessary
The Martyrs of the Chicano Moratorium
The LAUSD: Cutting Out the Bad Historical Roots
Arizona, SB 1070, and the Immigration Gridlock
Chicano Art: Now and Beyond

“Hispanic students for the first time make up slightly more than half of Texas public school children. Enrollment data from the Texas Education Agency show that this school year Hispanic students reached 50.2 percent of Texas’ 4.9 million public school children, compared with nearly 49 percent last year. Anglo students stopped being a majority several years ago and continue to decline in number.”
El Paso Times, 03/23/2011 by Daniel Borunda and Zahira Torres 


Latin Music Legends  U.S. Postage Stamps are available for purchase since March 17.


Kelly M. Sotelo
Hispanic Program Specialist
Bay-Valley District
United States Postal Service
Oakland 
(510) 874-8646
San Jose
(408) 437-6844
Cell
(510) 407-0916

 Sent by Roberto Calderon, Ph.D. beto@unt.edu  

2010 POPULATION IN SOUTHWEST

HISPANIC INCREASE
STATE TOTAL HISPANICS FROM 2000-2010

STATE     TOTAL    HISPANICS    Hispanic Increase
              Population                                         2000-2010

Arizona:  6,392,017    1,895,149    599,523         (46%)

California 37,253,956 14,013,719 3,047,163 (28%)

Colorado 5,029,196 1,038,687 303,086 (41%)

Nevada 2,700,551 716,501 322,531 (82%)

New Mexico 2,059,179 953,403 188,017 (25%)

Texas 25,145,561 9,460,921 2,791,255 (42%)

Totals 78,580,460 28,078,380 7,251,584 (34%)

Hispanic Link
1420 N St. NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 234-0280

(This edition’s six Southwest state analyses are provided by Patricia Guadalupe, former Hispanic Link political editor and columnist 
who now serves as director of communications
for the National Association of Latino
Elected & Appointed Officials Education Fund.)


Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.


Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to 'go sip some Ale and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. 'You go sip here' and 'You go sip there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term 'gossip.'

Sent by Jack Cowan  Tcarahq@aol.com



 

  Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."

  Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. Term Limits. 12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. 

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. 

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11. 

9. All lobbyists will be outlawed with stiff 20 years prison sentences for any violations. 

The American people did not make the current contract with members of Congress. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.   Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

Moll Rudy
moll795821@surewest.net 

This is a recent US House of Representatives in session discussing the budget. Note, two individuals on the left side are playing solitaire. Two others whose screen is visible, one is Facebook, and the other one is checking out the baseball  scores. 
House of Representative Offices
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml#
The site is an easy link to your Representative.  
Let them know that are watching them.

Sent by Juan Marinez marinezj@anr.msu.edu 

 

  Guns for us, not for you
Land of fruits and nuts could see pistol-packing politicians

The Washington Times
March 15, 2011

ASSOCIATED PRESS Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a supporter of gun control, and Chicago Police Assistant Deputy Superintendent Matt Tobias examine assault weapons in 2006.

Some of the most far-out anti-gun laws are found on the left coast, but that could change - for privileged politicians. A California state Senate committee will consider a bill next week that grants legislators permission to carry concealed firearms. The measure highlights the growing rift between the bureaucratic class and taxpayers who don’t have the luxury of exempting themselves from bad laws.

Ordinary Californians who want a concealed carry permit need to apply to the local sheriff. In practice - outside of conservative, rural counties - only celebrities and the well-connected end up obtaining the coveted document. In a state of nearly 37 million, about 40,000 permits were issued in 2007. The proposal being offered by a pair of pro-gun state Senate Democrats would automatically define as eligible for a permit “any applicant who is a member of Congress, a statewide elected official or a Member of the Legislature.” These could carry a gun “for purposes of protection or self-defense.” Coddled lawmakers living in gated communities may think they face heightened risk, but it’s unlikely poor residents in sketchy urban neighborhoods have any less of a need.

California’s gun laws are strict and include a ban on high-capacity magazines and scary-looking “assault weapons” - a statute so arbitrary that the state had to create a 96-page picture book to illustrate which items are prohibited. The latest scheme took effect last year requiring guns to imprint their serial number on every shell casing fired. This law was adopted even though such “microstamping”technology isn’t available, and it would be extremely expensive if it were.

The motivation of lawmakers in layering restriction on top of restriction hasn’t been to stop bad guys. Criminals, by definition, don’t abide by the law. Rather, the primary purpose is to harass gun owners who do try to do what’s right. Such laws have proved irrelevant anyway. The gun grabbers predicted the 2004 expiration of the federal assault weapons ban would fill our streets with blood. The latest available FBI crime stats showed a 6.2 percent decrease in violent crimes for the first half of 2010. The number of murders without the ban is now 34 percent lower than when it took effect in 1994.

Practically any bill that respects the right to keep and bear arms in a left-leaning state ought to be supported, no matter how unlikely final passage may seem. Exempting politicians may be the exception. Already the Golden State’s legislative class doesn’t have to worry about high gas prices because taxpayers fill up their tanks. They use a “per diem” scheme to avoid paying their own high taxes on about $40,000 worth of their $140,000 annual compensation. Forcing legislators to live under the same crazy laws they expect everyone else to follow may help a few to appreciate the need for true reform.

© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC.
Sent by Odel Harwell 

January 2009

TODAY

% chg

Source

Avg. retail price/gallon gas in U.S.

$1.83

$3.104

69.6%

1

Crude oil, European Brent (barrel)

$43.48

$99.02

127.7%

2

Crude oil, West TX Inter. (barrel)

$38.74

$91.38

135.9%

2

Gold: London (per troy oz.)

$853.25

$1,369.50

60.5%

2

Corn, No.2 yellow, Central IL

$3.56

$6.33

78.1%

2

Soybeans, No. 1 yellow, IL

$9.66

$13.75

42.3%

2

Sugar, cane, raw, world, lb. fob

$13.37

$35.39

164.7%

2

Unemployment rate, non-farm, overall

7.6%

9.4%

23.7%

3

Unemployment rate, blacks

12.6%

15.8%

25.4%

3

Number of unemployed

11,616,000

14,485,000

24.7%

3

Number of fed. employees, ex. military (curr = 12/10 prelim)

2,779,000

2,840,000

2.2%

3

Real median household income (2008 v 2009)

$50,112

$49,777

-0.7%

4

Number of food stamp recipients (curr = 10/10)

31,983,716

43,200,878

35.1%

5

Number of unemployment benefit recipients (curr = 12/10)

7,526,598

9,193,838

22.2%

6

Number of long-term unemployed

2,600,000

6,400,000

146.2%

3

Poverty rate, individuals (2008 v 2009)

13.2%

14.3%

8.3%

4

People in poverty in U.S. (2008 v 2009)

39,800,000

43,600,000

9.5%

4

U.S. rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings

5

9

n/a

10

Present Situation Index (curr = 12/10)

29.9

23.5

-21.4%

11

Failed banks (curr = 2010 + 2011 to date)

140

164

17.1%

12

U.S. dollar versus Japanese yen exchange rate

89.76

82.03

-8.6%

2

U.S. money supply, M1, in billions (curr = 12/10 prelim)

1,575.1

1,865.7

18.4%

13

U.S. money supply, M2, in billions (curr = 12/10 prelim)

8,310.9

8,852.3

6.5%

13

National debt, in trillions

$10.627

$14.052

32.2%

14

 

 



In the last two years we have accumulated national debt at a rate more than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our entire nation's history.  Over 27 times as fast! 

Sources: 
(1) U.S. Energy Information Administration; 

(2) Wall Street Journal; 

(3) Bureau of Labor Statistics;

(4) Census Bureau; 

(5) USDA; 

(6) U.S. Dept. of Labor; 

(7) FHFA; 

(8) Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller; 

(9) RealtyTrac; 

(10) Heritage Foundation and WSJ; 

(11) The Conference Board; 

(12) FDIC; 

(13) Federal Reserve; 

(14) U.S. Treasury

 

 

Sent by Carol Floyd

The 'Utah Way' toward immigration reform
By Lee Hockstader
Friday, March 11, 2011; 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by better than three to one in the state legislature, has passed the nation's most liberal - and most reality-based - policy on illegal immigration. And the Republican governor is expected to sign it. 

The legislation includes both a watered-down enforcement provision that police say won't make much difference and a guest-worker program that would make all the difference in the world - if it survives constitutional challenge - by granting legal status to undocumented workers and allowing them to live normal lives. In a nutshell, it's a one-state version of the overarching immigration reform package that Congress has repeatedly tried, and failed, to enact. 

Conservative Republicans here - and Republicans don't get much more conservative than the statehouse variety in Salt Lake - say their bill is a gauntlet thrown down to the feds for their inability to deal with illegal immigration and the nation's demand for unskilled labor. 

That's one way of looking at it. But the "Utah Way," as some are calling it, is also a fraternal attack on Republicans, in Washington and elsewhere, whose only strategy is to demonize, criminalize and deport 11 million illegal immigrants. 

Karl Rove, Jeb Bush and Newt Gingrich are among the Republican grandees who have distanced themselves from that approach and warned of the peril it poses for the party. In the wake of Arizona's legislation last year, a wave of copycat bills would go a long way toward permanently ridding the GOP of Hispanics, the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority. 

But it's in Utah that the Republican deportation caucus has been treated to real abuse. What's interesting is that it's coming from unimpeachable conservatives. If you want to see the most corrosive long-term wedge issue facing the GOP, come to Salt Lake City. 

Utah's guest-worker bill doesn't grant citizenship, of course, but in every other way it's exactly what national Republicans have derided as "amnesty." It would grant work permits to undocumented immigrants, and their immediate families, who pay a fine, clear a criminal background check and study English. 

The bill's chief sponsor, state Rep. Bill Wright, is a plain-spoken dairy farmer who describes his politics as "extremely" conservative, likes Sarah Palin and believes he may have once voted for a Democrat - possibly 40 years ago for sheriff. He admires the work ethic of the Hispanic farmhands he's employed over the years and doesn't care much for anything the government does, least of all the idea that it might deport millions of immigrant workers and their families. 

"That's not gonna happen," Wright told me. "They've got cars, they've got money borrowed, they own property, they are intertwined. Just be real and face facts the way they are." 

A milestone in setting the stage for Wright's legislation was the "Utah Compact," a pithy declaration of reform principles drafted last fall by business leaders and conservative elites, who feared Utah would follow in Arizona's footsteps and risk losing tens of millions of dollars in tourism and convention business, as Arizona did. The compact helped swing public opinion in Utah away from the illegal-immigrant bashers who admired Arizona's law. 

"They've had their 15 minutes in the media and now the adults are going to start talking about how to handle matters," said Paul Mero, executive director of Utah's most prominent conservative think tank, the Sutherland Institute, who helped draft the compact. "We've been able to break through that political barrier put up by the wing nuts who see every brown person as a criminal." 

Advocates of the compact included the police, some key elected officials and, critically, the Mormon church, whose members include perhaps 90 percent of Utah's state lawmakers. They understood that the fast-growing Hispanic community, which counts for 13 percent of Utah's population and may include more than 100,000 undocumented workers, is vital to the state's tourism, agriculture and construction industries. 

The advocates' genius was to reframe the cause of immigration reform, including the guest-worker program, as fundamentally a conservative project. In the face of sound bites from reform opponents such as "What part of 'illegal' don't you understand?" Utah conservatives shot back with: What part of destroying the economy don't you understand? And by the way, what part of breaking up families don't you understand? 

The question is whether Utah will inspire similar movements in other states or whether it will remain the exception. On that, the evidence is mixed. 

Discouragingly, neither Utah's two U.S. senators nor its three representatives have backed the Utah Compact or the just-passed state legislation. Most mainstream Republicans remain stuck on enforcement, which is code for deportation. And the Mormon church, which did much to sway public opinion and to inoculate the guest-worker legislation from conservative attack, has limited influence outside the state. 

Encouragingly, though, several conservative states have rejected Arizona-style bills this year. Reform advocates are at work on versions of the Utah Compact in Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Washington, Idaho and Oregon. 

The lesson from the "Utah Way" is that pragmatists in search of solutions can initiate a reform movement outside the legislature and build a case and a coalition that appeal to conservatives. By offering ideas that may provide a fix in the absence of federal action, they may trump the tired slogans of opponents of reform. 

The writer is a member of the editorial page staff. 
© 2011 The Washington Post Company

Sent by Juan Ramos jramos.swkr@verizon.net 

  Growth Trajectory Continues - Hispanic Population in Arizona, Connecticut, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Wisconsin Grew by Double-Digits in Last Decade

Hispanic population nearly 39 million in the 33 states released, accounting for 58 percent of U.S. population growth

Univision (March 11, 2011) Univision Insights: 
New York, NY -- The latest 2010 U.S. Census data reveals a steady growth momentum in the Hispanic population across the United States, according to statistics just released for Arizona, Connecticut, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Wisconsin. According to the figures:

According to these latest Census estimates, Latinos now make up 18% (50 million people) of the nation's population. To put that into perspective, the U.S. Hispanic population is more numerous than the entire population of Canada:

Hispanics contributed 48 percent of the population growth in Arizona. 1 out of every 2 individuals added to Arizona's population in the last decade is of Hispanic origin.

The Hispanic population in Connecticut grew nearly 50 percent in the last 10 years with Latinos accounting for 61 percent of the minority growth in the state.

In Ohio, Hispanics are growing faster than any other demographic in the state. In fact, the Hispanic population grew 63 percent since Census 2000.

The Hispanic population in Pennsylvania grew more than 82 percent in the last 10 years. 

In Idaho, the Hispanic population grew 73 percent since Census 2000.

Hispanics contributed 44 percent of the overall growth in Wisconsin. The Hispanic population in the state grew 74 percent in the last decade.

"The latest state-by-state U.S. Census figures continue to show the incredible double-digit growth the Hispanic population is fueling in states across our country," said Elizabeth Ellers, executive vice president, Corporate Research, Univision Communications Inc. 

Based on the 33 states released thus far by Census: Hispanic population growth is exceeding the most recent Census estimates by four percent.  Nearly 39 million Hispanics in the 33 states released as of 3-10-11.  Hispanics contributed 58 percent of the overall population growth in those states.

From Census 2000-2010 the Hispanic population in these states grew by nearly 43 percent.

Hispanics are growing four times faster than the total population.

The Hispanic population is less concentrated than a decade ago. In 2000, 65 percent of the Hispanic population residing in the 33 states released by Census resided either in California or Texas. By 2010, 61 percent of Hispanics reside either in Texas or California. 

The U.S. Census is expected to release state by state information through March 2011. Univision will continue to provide insights focused on the Hispanic data. For additional information on the 2010 Census data or to schedule an interview with Elizabeth Ellers, executive vice president, Corporate Research for Univision Communications Inc., please contact: Rosemary Mercedes at 212-455-5335 or rmercedes@univision.net.

Sent by Juan Marinez  marinezj@anr.msu.edu
Posted National Institute for Latino Policy


Linda Chapa LaVia

A Wise Latina

Nominated 
By
 Mimi Lozano-Holtzman

Written By

Mercy Bautista-Olvera

 


Linda Chapa LaVia, is a former U.S. Army Officer, she currently serves as Illinois State Representative, 83rd District. She has also been appointed to serve as a member of Barrio Foundation Board of Directors.  

Linda Chapa was born on August 16, 1966, in Aurora , Illinois .  She is the fourth and youngest child of Benito Chapa and Mary Lou Chapa, who are Texas natives. Linda’s mother Mary Lou Chapa is a successful local businesswoman who owns the Chapa Realty, Inc., Chapa LaVia has two siblings, she had one sister Esmeralda, who passed on in 1998. Linda Chapa is married to Vernon LaVia. They have two daughters Veronica and Jacqueline.  

She graduated from East Aurora High School ; she later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Chicago in Illinois .  

Chapa LaVia served as a Cadet in the ROTC program. In 1993, she served as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army, and in the National Guard, where she served as a First Lieutenant until 1998. She is currently on Inactive Ready Reserve.

Chapa LaVia attended Waubonsee College studying Journalism; her idea was to become a News Anchor. She served at the Aurora Beacon to help pay for her education. ”It was an amazing time for education in my life I really wanted to succeed. I met so many great faculty members who pushed you [me] to succeed. They really cared. When you get that sort of enthusiasm, you want to go further. Anybody can do anything if you have the heart,” stated Representative Chapa LaVia.  

However, instead of becoming a Journalist, she became a licensed Real Estate Broker with Chapa Realty, and a small business owner. She promoted economic development opportunities in her community. She served in the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Tri County Board of Realtors.  

In 2002, Chapa LaVia was elected to the Illinois General Assembly (95th) defeating Bob O'Conner, Aurora Alderman becoming the first Hispanic to win a seat in the state legislature outside of Cook County .    

Representative Chapa LaVia has received many recognitions, and awards, such as Crain’s Chicago Business’ “40 under 40” and East Aurora High School “Distinguished Alumna.”  

 

Mary Lou Chapa and daughter State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia  

In 2007, the Waubonsee Community College celebrated, and honored 40 alumni and students; two of them were State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia and her mother Mary Lou Chapa. They received recognition as members of the Waubonsee Community College ’s “Fabulous 40” alumni. Mary Lou Chapa being, owner of Chapa Realty, Inc., Mary Lou Chapa became a role model to local businesswomen, and a fixture in the local economy. She was the first Latino Realtor in the area.  

Chapa LaVia stays active in the local business community. She is a member of the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the African-American Chamber of Commerce, and the Tri-County Board of Realtors.    

Chapa LaVia was named chairperson of the Appropriations Elementary and Secondary Committee, and Co-chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Her committee assignments for the 97th General Assembly included Public Utilities, Financial Institutions, Environment & Energy, Telecommunications and Bio Technology. She sits on the Illinois Military Flags Commission, Military and Veterans Court Task Force, Funeral and Burial Pre-Arrangement Investigation Task Force, Task Force on Service Member and Veterans Education, Caucus of Women Legislators, the Latino Caucus, the Manufacturing Caucus, and the Education Caucus.  

On March 29, 2010, at the Executive Mansion State in Springfield , Illinois Representative Chapa LaVia was named Illinois “Legislator of the Year” by “Feeding Illinois” for her advocacy to end hunger. “We are recognizing Rep. Chapa LaVia for her passion for public service, and her legislative efforts on behalf of those Illinoisans who are most in need,  a consortium of eight Illinois food banks providing food to 1.4 million men, women and children,” stated  Tracy Smith, State Director of “Feeding Illinois.”  

Linda Chapa LaVia is serving her fifth term, she has been an advocate for education, provide quality health care for families and seniors, provide pre-school care for all children, improve services for veterans, and emphasize job growth. She helps young men and women to curb gang violence through community involvement programs. She has also sponsored legislation to prevent criminals from gaining access to dangerous weapons.  

As a member of Barrio Foundation Board of Directors, Chapa LaVia will help our youth to avoid bad choices, to lead productive lives in our society in a positive way to achieve better goals and succeed in life.  

Chapa LaVia grew up with good role models in her parents. She also has a history of strong women in her family. Her mother, Mary Lou Chapa, is a successful local businesswoman who overcame racial prejudice, and sexism to succeed in the realty business. Her maternal grandmother also had the community-minded spirit that has been passed down to Linda Chapa LaVia.

 

 

 

HISPANICS BREAKING BARRIERS

Part XXVII

By

Mercy Bautista-Olvera

                                                                        

The 27th article in the series “Hispanics Breaking Barriers” focuses on contributions         of Hispanic leadership in United States government. Their contributions have improved not only the local community but the country as well. Their struggles, stories, and accomplishments will by example; illustrate to our youth and to future generations that everything and anything is possible.  

Ramona E. Romero:   General Counsel , U.S. Department of Agriculture
Ed Pastor:  U.S. Representative District 4, Arizona
Laura Pastor:
 City Council District 7, Arizona
Rick Garcia:
  Housing Urban Development Regional Director for Colorado     Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Wyoming and Utah
Janet Contreras:
 Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman for the Department of Homeland Security

 

 Ramona E.  Romero  

DuPont Attorney, Ramona E. Romero has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is the first Latina to serve in this role.  

Ramona Emilia Romero was born on April 17, 1962, in Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic . The family immigrated to United States , and settled in New York when she was 11 years old.   

In 1985, Ramona earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Barnard College , Columbia University . In 1988, she obtained her Juris Degree from Harvard Law School .  

She spent 10 years at the Washington , D.C. based international firm Crowell & Moring where she handled complex commercial, fraud, and antitrust litigation.  

In 1998, Romero joined DuPont, in the industries of agriculture, food, construction, communication, and transportation. She is an advocate for the interests of minorities, and women within the legal department. She has also helped women set up and run several programs at DuPont.  

In 2007, Romero received recognition as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the U.S. from “Hispanic Business Magazine.” 

Romero served as President of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), a non-profit organization; it represents the interests of Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, and law students in the United States .  

She was one of the 25 women honored by Hispanic Business Magazine (April 2011 issue) as part of its 7th annual “Woman of the Year” Awards.    

She served on the Board of the American Red cross in the Delmarva Peninsula as well as in the Delaware Futures, a support program for talented at-risk high school students.
 

DuPont Senior Vice President, and General Counsel Thomas L. Sager stated, “We congratulate Ramona on her Senate confirmation to such a distinguished position as General Counsel for the USDA.  Ramona is a preeminent lawyer who has been a leader, innovator and pioneer, earning the recognition and respect of her peers throughout the legal community.” General Counsel Sager further stated, “As a former president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, Ramona has been a true champion in promoting and advancing diversity within the legal profession. Ramona is a committed and experienced leader who raises the energy and intensity level of people around her because of her passion, razor-sharp legal mind and common-sense attitude.”  

 Ed Pastor

 Ed Pastor is the U.S. Arizona State Representative, District 4.  In late 2008, Governor Janet Napolitano appointed Pastor to replace the vacancy left by U.S. Arizona State Representative John McCain.     

Edward Lopez Pastor was born on June 28, 1943. to Enrique Pastor (1915-2003) and Margarita Pastor in the small mining community of Claypool , Arizona .  He has two siblings. Ed is married to Verma Mendez-Pastor, a former Director of Bilingual Education for the Arizona Department of Education. The couple have two daughters; Laura Pastor, a Phoenix City Council Representative, District 7,   and Yvonne, They are the grandparents of Alexis, Frank, Sophia, Eduardo, Claudia, and Henry Jr.  

In 1966, Ed Pastor earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the Arizona State University ; he was the first member of his family to attend college.  Eight years later, in 1974, he earned a Juris Degree from the Arizona School of Law. 

Ed Pastor became a teacher after graduating from Arizona State University . He worked at the North High School teaching Chemistry, he then served as the Deputy Director of the Guadalupe Organization Inc., a non-profit, community-based organization.  

He worked with former Governor Raul Castro and helped to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ensuring that workers receive equal opportunity to work in a discrimination-free environment.  

In 1976, Pastor was elected to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors; he   served for three terms before resigning in May of 1991 to run for the Congressional seat vacated by the late Mo Udall. Representative Pastor won the special election, and was elected to Congress to serve the people of what was then Arizona 's Second Congressional District. He was the first Hispanic to represent Arizona in Congress. He easily won a full term in 1992. He was re-elected four times without opposition.  

“Since being elected to the United States House of Representatives, I have served on the House Appropriations Committee, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, the Education and Labor Committee, and the Committee on Small Business. Currently, in the 110th Congress, I serve on the House Appropriations Committee and sit on three subcommittees: the Subcommittee of Energy and Water Development, the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, and the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. I also serve on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and a Chief Deputy Whip in the Democratic Leadership,” stated Ed Pastor.  

On October 28, 2010, Pastor was awarded with the Westmarc’s 2010 John F, Long Lifetime Achievement Award on its 18th Annual Best of the West Awards at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel. The award honors individuals, organizations, or businesses who contribute outstanding service to western Maricopa County .

 

 Laura Pastor  

Laura Pastor is the U.S. Representative of the Phoenix City Council, District 7.  

Laura Pastor was born in Phoenix, Arizona, she  is a fifth generation Arizonan, and the daughter of  Ed Pastor the Arizona State Representative, District 4, and Verma Mendez-Pastor, a former Director of Bilingual Education for the Arizona Department of Education. (See above biography on Ed Pastor). Laura is married to Henry Cotto, a former major league baseball player, and current minor league coach. They have three children Henry Jr., Claudia, and Eduardo.  

Pastor attended St. Mary’s High School; she was selected as one of 30 participants in the National Urban and Rural Fellowship. She then earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Education from the Arizona State University . Pastor taught junior high school for four years in the Roosevelt and Isaac School Districts . She created a volunteer program to provide after-school tutoring, and authored an accountability program for teachers, students, and parents.  

In 2003, Pastor became Special Assistant to the Arizona Director of Insurance. She assisted with legislative matters, rules, and constituent activities, as well as represented the Director of Insurance on various boards and commissions and conducted special research projects. Additionally, she designed a consumer
awareness program for teenagers, the elderly and Hispanic constituencies embodied in Auto Insurance 101, Health Care and Home Insurance.  

In 2004, Pastor joined the Department of Employment and Rehabilitation Services at the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) as a training coordinator. She worked on several departmental programs including the Service Initiative, and the Aging Initiative.  

Recently she served as Director of the Achieving a College Education Program (ACE) program at South Mountain Community College assisting students’ transition from high school through community college to earning a bachelor’s degree.  

Pastor oversaw all fiscal and administrative management of the program, coordination, implementation, and outreach of ACE initiatives.  She was in charge with creating partnerships between national, state, and municipal agencies as well as private sector organizations.  

In announcing her candidacy, Pastor stated, “My commitment to education, public safety, and work for the people of District 7 is to strengthen and enhance our community. I acknowledged the district faces many unique issues. I share with many of my fellow district residents, however, deep concerns for the future of our dynamic community. As an actively involved and aware citizen, I am profoundly aware of the most pressing challenges facing the people of my district.”

 

Rick Garcia

Denver Councilman Rick Garcia is currently serving as Regional Director for Colorado U.S. Housing and Urban Development. He serves Colorado and five other states, Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Wyoming , and Utah .  

Garcia earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Columbia College , and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University ’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.  

He served as a Consultant on Denver business development and government affairs, state director for Small Business Development and Policy, and president of the Denver Urban Economic Development Corporation. Garcia also served as a Senior Manager for organizational development, training, and direct services in the Colorado Department of Administration and Personnel.  

In June 2003, Garcia was elected to the Denver City Council. He has made   access to new transit projects, and business development. Garcia has served as the chair of the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), and has served as Chairman of the Metro Vision Issues Committee, and a voting member of the Regional Transportation Committee.  

Garcia will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of HUD programs and services to communities, evaluate their efficiency and effectiveness. He will advice mayors, city managers, elected representative, state and local officials, congressional delegations, and stakeholders, “I am honored to have been selected and appointed by President Obama to serve as HUD’s Regional Director during this important time of economic challenge and opportunity in our nation’s history. My understanding of western cultures, land use, transportation, housing and community economic development allows me to hit the ground running and lead the Rocky Mountain region in achieving HUD’s national objectives,” stated Garcia.  

Garcia is also the former Board Chair of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority of the NEWSED Community Development Corporation and is a founding Community Advisor to the University of Colorado ’s Latino/ Research and Policy Center .  

David Zucker, owner of Zocalo Development, which is one of the greenest infill developers in Denver stated: “Garcia was a great choice. He’s a thoughtful, committed advocate of housing – of all types – who, from a broad background of experiences, is schooled in understanding the critical but complex relationship between housing, transportation, planning and energy. He’s going to be a great leader for this HUD region.”

 

January Contreras

January Contreras was appointed as the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman for the Department of Homeland Security on November 23, 2009.     

Contreras is a graduate of the University of Arizona and the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.  

Contreras served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Fraud Control Unit under the leadership of Attorney General Napolitano. She prosecuted provider fraud, cases involving the abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults.

Contreras previously served as a Senior Advisor to Secretary Napolitano, where she helped lead the Department’s response to the H1N1 flu. She worked with the leadership of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).  She also oversaw Department initiatives for the White House Council on Women and Girls.

Contreras served in the Arizona Department of Health Services, managing nearly 2,000 employees, and overseeing the state's public health, and behavioral health systems. In addition, she has 10 years of experience in litigation and policy.  

She leads the Office of the CIS Ombudsman in its efforts to interact with the public and employers to enhance the effective delivery of citizenship and immigration services. Her priorities include helping to resolve obstacles to accessing services, identifying areas in need of improvement, and recommending solutions to improve services.  

Contreras will bring to the Department her experience in policy analysis and development, regulatory, and legislative analysis and building coalitions and public-private partnerships to enhance and improve service.  

 

  More than half of California children Latino, census shows
By Carol Morello and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers, March 8, 2011

More than half the children in California are Latinos, according to new census statistics that show the nation's most populous state rapidly approaching the day when Hispanics overtake whites as the largest minority. 

Barely one in four Californians under age 18 are non-Hispanic whites, who declined in number along with black children as the number of Asian American and Hispanic children soared. Because of differing birth rates and migration patterns, the total number of children remained relatively stagnant. 

The overall population grew to more than 37 million, dwarfing the nation's second-largest state, Texas, by 12 million people. 

Among Californians of all ages, the 38 percent who are Hispanic almost equal the 40 percent who are white, a drop of 5 percent. Even in Orange County, where the airport is named after John Wayne, whites are now a minority and Hispanics make up the largest block of school-age children. 

"Hispanics are the future of California," said William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution. "Any local or state initiatives that have to do with education need to reach out to this population. That's more crucial in California than anywhere else." 

The census statistics released Tuesday suggest the Golden State is losing its luster as growth has slowed and many of its residents have decamped for states where housing is cheaper. But it remains a harbinger of trends that have broad implications across the nation. 

Analysts in California offered this caveat about the new census figures: Past census numbers came at times of relative or robust growth in the state economy. This time they were taken during one of the worst recessions in the state's history. Growth essentially stopped in the final two years of the decade. 

"The period in the 1950s and '60s, when people expected you could move to California and get a good job and stay many generations, is clearly past us," said John Logan, a Brown University sociologist. Hispanics and Asians are now leaving California for other places in the country. 

The rapid expansion in California's Hispanic population has transformed the state's political balance, putting Republicans at a disadvantage in statewide elections. 

As recently as 1990, Hispanics were 26 percent of the state's overall population. By the next census in 2000, non-Hispanic whites had already become a minority. As the number of Hispanics has grown, so has their share of the electorate, reaching 22 percent last November. 

That helped California Democrats hold back the national tide that swept Republicans into office. In California, Democrats won every major statewide office. "We looked nothing like the rest of the nation," said Thad Kousser, a political scientist at the University of California at San Diego. "We were a political island." 

Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California, said Republicans face continued problems. 

"The 2010 election is a very accurate foreshadowing of the impact of the Latino vote in statewide elections, unless Republicans figure out a different way to deal with this," he said. 

The state's population has shifted away from the coast toward inland California, presenting a geographic challenge for Democrats and a demographic challenge to Republicans. The next delegations are expected to include more minorities to reflect the growing diversity of the state. 

As congressional and legislative boundaries are redrawn, the new population figures mean white urban Democrats are likely to be at risk. At the same time, generally safe Republican districts in some of those inland areas could be more Democratic as a result of some of the population changes. 

For the first time since it achieved statehood, California will not gain even a single congressional seat as a result of the census. In contrast, Texas, with a population of 25 million, will pick up four new House seats. 

California's population grew 10 percent between 2000 and 2010, making it one of the two slowest-growing states in the West. 

"It's no longer a boom state. It's a steady state," said Dowell Myers, a professor in the School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California. "It means there is more hope for us digging ourselves out of our hole." 

Whatever the future, it is certain to include more Hispanics. More than nine out of 10 Latinos under age 18 are U.S. citizens, according to the National Council of La Raza, and the median age of Hispanics is just 27. 

"From a political perspective, any party that wants to be a majority party in the future is going to have to have a significant share of that population," said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. 

balzd@washpost.com 
Staff researcher Dan Keating contributed to this report. 
© 2011 The Washington Post Company

Sent by Juan Ramos jramos.swkr@verizon.net

 

MALDEF, LATINO OFFICERS CHARGE CITY OF WESTMINSTER, CA
POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

Plaintiffs Seek Fair Treatment and Implementation of Impartial Promotion Policies and Practices

LOS ANGELES, CA - On March 2nd, MALDEF held a press conference announcing a lawsuit filed against the City of Westminster, as well as two former Police Chiefs of the Westminster Police Department, for discrimination against Latino police officers on the basis of their national origin. Plaintiffs have been denied promotions and Special Assignments, which can lead to promotions, in violation of the law.

Plaintiffs charge that the Westminster Police Department has unlawfully discriminated against Latino police officers and has engaged in a pattern and practice of such discrimination in violation Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and both state and federal employment laws, including California’s Fair Housing and Employment Act and 42 U.S.C. Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act.

Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel, stated "More than one in five Westminster residents is Latino. In order to serve well and ably the full community, the Westminster Police Department must cease its discriminatory practices and provide equal opportunity to all, as the law plainly requires."

The plaintiffs include an active duty Major in the U.S. Marine Corps who has been promoted six times by the Marines; a long-serving police officer recognized with numerous awards including the MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Award and the Centurion Award; and an officer who has been granted in excess of 10 commendations by the Westminster Police Department, has been twice awarded the Bronze medal of merit for saving someone’s life, and was recognized as Rookie of the Year in his first year with the Department.

Victor Viramontes, MALDEF National Senior Counsel, stated "As an institution of public trust, it is unacceptable for a police department to deny Latino officers the promotions they deserve. Westminster must eliminate its discriminatory practices."
With this lawsuit, MALDEF will seek to compel the Police Department, a public institution that must protect and serve well the entire diverse community, to set the right example by implementing fair promotion policies and practices. This lawsuit addresses the right to fair treatment of Latino police officers who have been denied promotions and access to opportunities for promotion in violation of the law.

A copy of the complaint can be found here:
http://maldef.org/assets/pdf/westminster_complaint.pdf
For all media inquiries, please contact Laura Rodriguez.
Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the "law firm of the Latino community," MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access.For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org

OC Register article at : 


 


LATINOS IN THE WORLD OF BASEBALL 

Latino Baseball History Project
Memorial plaque Honoring Manuel "Shorty" Perez
Mexican American Baseball Exhibits in Los Angeles, in Pasadena, California
March 31st: Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles

LATINO BASEBALL HISTORY PROJECT
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO
JOHN M. PFAU LIBRARY

Photo by Larry Ochoa


LATINO BASEBALL HISTORY PROJECT

A collaborative effort between the Baseball Reliquary and the John M. Pfau Library at California State University, San Bernardino, the Latino Baseball History Project is a comprehensive and multifaceted humanities-based endeavor. The ongoing project is concerned with documenting and interpreting the historic role that baseball has played as a cohesive element and as a social and cultural force within the Latino, predominantly Mexican American, communities of Southern California. While the impact of minor and Major League Baseball in the region is covered, a strong emphasis is placed on the once-flourishing culture of amateur and semi-professional baseball as an important means for celebrating ethnic identity and instilling community pride. In addition to the establishment of a permanent archive at the John M. Pfau Library, the project also encompasses oral history documentation, exhibitions, a Web site, and related activities.

The Baseball Reliquary, started in 19916 is a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history and to exploring the national pastime's unparalleled creative possibilities. The Baseball Reliquary gladly accepts the donation of artworks and objects of historic content, provided their authenticity is well documented. The Baseball Reliquary is supported in part by a grant from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

For further information on the Latino Baseball History Project, contact Terry Cannon, Executive Director of the Baseball Reliquary, at P.O. Box 1850, Monrovia, CA 91017; by phone at (626) 791-7647; or by e-mail at terymar@earthlink.net. You can also contact Iwona Contreras, Administrative Analyst/Specialist at the John M. Pfau Library, at California State University San Bernardino, Pfau Library-PL-2006, 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino, CA 92407; by phone at (909) 537-3447; or by e-mail at icontrer@csusb.edu.  For upcoming events and newsletters related to the Latino Baseball History Project, visit the Web site: http://www.lib.csusb.edu/SpecialCollections/latino_baseball_history_project.cfm.

For more on the Pena brothers who played at one point together on the Carmelita Chorizeros team. http://www.baseballreliquary.org/LatinoBaseballHistory.htm 


Memorial plaque dedication
Honoring Manuel "Shorty" Perez
Belvedere Park, Los Angeles, CA
March 13, 2011


On March 13, 2011, a memorial plaque dedication was held at Belvedere Park, Los Angeles, CA,  honoring Manuel "Shorty" Perez, an icon and manager of the Carmelita Chorizeros (1947-1981), a semi-professional baseball team from  East Los Angeles.

It was a beautiful California day and the turnout was excellent.  Numerous amateur, semi-professional, and professional baseball players were on hand to sign autographs and offer their recollections. In addition, a new book by authors Francisco E. Balderrama and Richard A. Santillan, Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles, was officially released.

There were cameras and camcorders everywhere to capture this wonderful event.  I thought I would share this photo with you.  After looking at the photograph closely, it just reaffirms why I love photography.  As you can see in the photo Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina was in attendance.  She was very gracious and allowed photo after photo to be taken. 

Cathy Luijt, SHHAR Board Member

        
Authors Richard Santillan and Francisco Balderrama,Belvedere Park, L.A. March 13, 2011 
Photos by Diane Pena Gonzales

|
Cecilia Richards, Richie Pena, Bea Armenta Dever, Fritz Armenta 
Photo by Larry Ochoa
Richie Pena is one of the nine brothers who played baseball 
following their father and grandfather, three generations 

Attending the Belvedere part event dedicating a memorial plaque honoring Manuel "Shorty" Perez was quite a thrill for the Armenta family.  Many of Shorty's players were present to not not only share their memories, but to also autography their personal page in the "Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles" Book.

Our dad, Ray Armenta would have been 100 years old, but he would have enjoyed every moment.  He started playing at 19 years of age and continued most of his life.  

It was such a joy to have many of the visitors who played with my Dad seek us out. The fact that so many of the players remembered him was inspiring.  They spoke of his passion, love and talent for the game.  To our surprise, one gentleman spoke about being a batboy when my Dad played.  It was an exciting day and one that we will always remember!

The Armenta Family, Bea, Fritz and Cecil 
Bea is a SHHAR Board Member


Unveiling of the Manuel "Shorty" Perez plaque 
by his son Gilbert Perez, surrounded by wife, Lucille Perez, Armando Perez and L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina.

                 Photo by Larry Ochoa

Report by Terry Cannon
The Shorty Perez Memorial Plaque Dedication at Belvedere Park in East Los Angeles on March 13 was a major success, with more than 300 people in attendance under sunny skies.  

The event also included the release of the book "Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles," with 25 of the ballplayers featured in the book on hand to sign autographs.  

A review of the day's activities was recently posted on Michael Avelar's blog, which can be viewed at: 

http://team4orce.com/blog/mexican-american-baseball-in-los-angeles-coach
-manuel-%E2%80%9Cshorty%E2%80%9D-perez-and-the-chorizeros-of-east-l-a/
 



Photograph by Martin Zamora, L.A. County Chief Executive Office, Photo Unit

 

  Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles, in Pasadena, CA 
By William Goldstein
March 29, 2011

Exhibit closes on March 31st
Since early March, the Pasadena Central Library has been hosting two related exhibitions: “Barrio Baseball: The Los Angeles Story” and “Latinas at Work and Play: Pasadena Stories,” presented, respectively, by the Baseball Reliquary and Latino Heritage, two local nonprofits. From the 40s to the 70s, Los Angeles was home a to flourishing amateur and semi-pro baseball scene, particularly amongst Mexican Americans. That same period also saw dramatic changes in the roles of Latinas, in Pasadena and throughout Los Angeles. This joint exhibit chronicles these overlapping trends.

The exhibit closes the 31st with a discussion and signing of the newly-published Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles, featuring the authors, Professors Francisco E. Balderrama and Richard A. Santillan, as well as two of the players whose stories are chronicled in the book, Richard Pena and Al Padilla.

The event dovetails nicely with the annual Conference of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies, which is being held in Pasadena March 30 – April 2.

Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles Discussion and Book Signing
Thursday, March 31, 6 – 8 p.m.
Pasadena Central Library
285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena

 

"MEXICAN AMERICAN BASEBALL IN LOS ANGELES" DISCUSSION & BOOK SIGNING

WHEN: Thursday, March 31, 2011, 6:00-8:00 pm

WHERE: Donald R. Wright Auditorium, Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, California
The Baseball Reliquary and Latino Heritage present a baseball-related program in conjunction with their collaborative exhibition at the Pasadena Central Library. The program features a discussion with Professors Francisco E. Balderrama and Richard A. Santillan, authors of the recently-published book, Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles, and with Al Padilla and Richie Pena, two players who were an important part of the barrio baseball scene in East Los Angeles in the post-World War II era. In addition, home movie footage from the 1950s and 1960s of the legendary Carmelita Chorizeros baseball team, the "Yankees of East Los Angeles," will be screened publicly for the first time. A book signing with the authors and several players will conclude the program.



Professor Francisco E. Balderrama, signs a copy for Bea Dever Armenta, at the March 13th event.  
Both Bea's father and mother are included in the book, as are uncles and cousins. 

Another opportunity to purchase the book and have it signed by several of the players will be this Thursday, March 31, from 6:00-8:00 pm, at the Pasadena Central Library's Donald R. Wright Auditorium.  The closing of the Baseball Reliquary's exhibition, "Barrio Baseball: The Los Angeles Story," will include a discussion with authors Francisco Balderrama and Richard Santillan, as well as former East LA ballplayers Al Padilla and Richie Pena.  A highlight of the event will be the screening of a ten-minute home movie of the famed Carmelita Chorizeros, taken in the 1950s and '60s, which was recently discovered and which will be shown publicly for the first time on Thursday night.  The Chorizeros are seen in action at Belvedere Park, Evergreen Playground, and Wrigley Field.  Further information on this program can be found at: 
http://www.baseballreliquary.org/BarrioBaseballExhibit.htm 

When the Mexican American baseball display closes on Thursday night in Pasadena, it will move to the University Library at Cal Poly Pomona on Monday, April 4, where it will be on view through June 10.  Also, on Saturday, April 9, another major Reliquary exhibition, "Halos & Horrors: 50 Years of Angels Baseball," will open at the Pomona Public Library.  A jpg of the flier for the exhibition is attached.  The City of Pomona will be getting a real dose of the Baseball Reliquary over the next couple of months.

DETAILS: Admission is free. Several other authors of books documenting the Latino experience in Southern California will be present and will have copies of their books for sale: Roberta H. Martinez, Latinos in Pasadena; Alex Moreno Areyan, Mexican Americans in Los Angeles and Mexican Americans in Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach; and Lt. Col. Henry Cervantes, Piloto: Migrant Worker to Jet Pilot. Also on view will be the collaborative exhibition: Barrio Baseball: The Los Angeles Story by the Baseball Reliquary in the library's Humanities Wing, and Latinas at Work and Play: Pasadena Stories by Latino Heritage in the library's Centennial Room.

Best wishes, Terry Cannon
Executive Director, The Baseball Reliquary
www.baseballreliquary.org  e-mail: terymar@earthlink.net  phone: (626) 791-7647

DETAILS: Admission is free for the March 31st event. Several other authors of books documenting the Latino experience in Southern California will be present and will have copies of their books for sale: Roberta H. Martinez, Latinos in Pasadena; Alex Moreno Areyan, Mexican Americans in Los Angeles and Mexican Americans in Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach; and Lt. Col. Henry Cervantes, Piloto: Migrant Worker to Jet Pilot. Also on view will be the collaborative exhibition: Barrio Baseball: The Los Angeles Story by the Baseball Reliquary in the library's Humanities Wing, and Latinas at Work and Play: Pasadena Stories by Latino Heritage in the library's Centennial Room.


 


WITNESS TO HERITAGE


Story of Texas being retold, reconsidered
Travels with John Valadez By Daisy Wanda Garcia

An update on The Longoria Affair so far
Rudi Rodriguez receiving 2010 Texas Historical Commission
Myth Breakers by Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez, Ph.D. 
Little Ice Age & the Alamo in Winter Garden History by R. G. Santos
Mythologizing The Alamo by Richard G. Santos
Mis-teaching of Texas History Began in 1920s by Richard G. Santos
Stop using ‘Remember the Alamo’ slogan by José Antonio López
Tejano Heritage Police Department Mission Statements
 
In the last few years Tejanos have been very, very active in promoting correct history and public visibility to the presence of our ancestors.   This year, 175 years ago a monumental event took place, and we Mexican Americans descendants are still experiencing the results of that event.

Story of Texas being retold, reconsidered

March 2, 2011,  on this date 175 years ago, Texas declared itself a free republic.



On a cold Wednesday morning 175 years ago, about 50 delegates in a simple, windowless wooden structure in East Texas declared “that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, sovereign and independent republic.”

To many Texans today, it was a courageous act for them to sign their names, knowing Santa Anna had marched his army north, seeking revenge.

To others, the Texas Declaration of Independence and Texian victories at Gonzales, Goliad, San Antonio and San Jacinto constituted a land grab by slave owners and traitors. They say the real story of Texas has been forgotten.

“Our children are growing up ignorant of who they are. The Alamo is at the root of all of that,” said Ronald Rocha, a descendant of the Yaqui tribe of northern Mexico.

To Rocha and others, March 2 has become a symbol of Anglo dominance. When an 1861 statewide convention was held just before the Civil War, delegates chose Texas Independence Day as the day Texas would secede and join the Confederacy.

While many today view the 1835-36 Texas Revolution as a good-vs.-evil struggle, Alamo historian Bruce Winders said it really was part of a long period of political turmoil centering on how Mexico was to be governed — “a series of civil wars that lasted several decades.”

What began as a federalist movement favoring states' rights and local control became a war for independence. Alamo commander William Barret Travis, in a letter written during the siege, encouraged delegate Jesse Grimes to “let the convention go on” and declare independence, rather than rallying troops, so “the world will understand what we are fighting for.”

Noah Byars, a Baptist preacher and gunsmith appointed by Gen. Sam Houston to provide arms to the Texas army, let delegates use his crude building at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

Among its grievances, the declaration cited deprivations concerning the right to trial by jury; public education; “piratical attacks upon our commerce;” the right of “worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience;” and the right to bear arms.

Though three of the eventual 59 delegates who signed it were of Mexican descent, the declaration said an appeal to “our Mexican brethren for assistance” was “made in vain.”

“We are, therefore, forced to the melancholy conclusion that the Mexican people have acquiesced in the destruction of their liberty ... that they are unfit to be free, and incapable of self-government,” stated the document, now on display through April 21 at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin.

As ceremonies and re-enactments are held this weekend in Alamo Plaza to celebrate the state's independence, Rocha said he'll be part of a “pro-educational rally” there, talking about Native American contributions to Texas.

He argues that Santa Anna, who ordered the emancipation of slaves in Texas after the Alamo battle, was made a scapegoat by the Mexican government. He said Sam Houston used the fallen Alamo defenders as “sacrificial lambs” to get sympathy from the American public.

Rocha, who has argued for portrayal of people of color in history textbooks, said movies and television have given a distorted view of Texas history.

Gary Foreman, a filmmaker who long has advocated better historical interpretation of the Alamo, agrees that the media have oversimplified the state's history. But he doesn't support rewriting it with generalities and stereotypes.

“People who come to see the Alamo are drawn to the common value of sacrifice that transcends any label,” he said. “By getting into these little battles over interpretation, we're hurting ourselves, and hurting our history.”

Foreman's media company, Native Sun Productions, will offer exhibits and demonstrations Thursday through Sunday at the Menger Hotel and in Alamo Plaza, with Texian, Tejano and Mexican perspectives. He and Rocha agree that after 175 years, Texans should understand their complex history in deeper context.

“Regardless of how it was done, we're a beautiful state today,” Rocha said.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Story-of-Texas-being-retold-
reconsidered-1036724. php#ixzz1Fa2Yt2ax

 

 

 
Travels with John Valadez 
By Daisy Wanda Garcia 


 

The documentary film The Longoria Affair has premiered in over seventy universities throughout the nation and was shown by PBS to over 1.4 million viewers.   The documentary has also been shown at community centers, high schools, libraries, and Cultural Centers from New York to Washington State , from Wyoming to Texas to California .  In May 2011, it is scheduled to be shown at the Library of Congress. Yesterday, after I spoke to John Valadez to iron out some details about another screening, I reflected on how it all began.    

I met John only three years ago. However, it seems that I have known John a whole lifetime. Out of the blue, John Valadez phoned me and asked me to meet him for supper to discuss his upcoming documentary.  I offered to drive by his hotel and pick him up.  When I arrived in the lobby at the Red Lion Inn in Austin , Texas , I heard a man talking on the phone to his children.  Since I did not know what John Valadez looked like, I asked the hotel clerk to point him out to me. John was the man talking on the phone.  He seemed very young and energetic and he definitely loved his kids.  We went to supper at Serrano’s an upscale Mexican Restaurant. John credited my father with breaking down barriers of discrimination so that he could pursue a career in filmmaking.  I remember discussing my father, Dr. Hector P. Garcia and racism in South Texas .  John was not from Texas and I must admit that I doubted he could grasp the nature of South Texas ' entrenched racism. But I decided to give John the benefit of the doubt and work with him.  This was the first step on a journey beginning in Austin , through Three Rivers, Corpus Christi and all over the state of Texas 

The following years I spent on whirlwind interviews, phone conversations and what seemed like endless filming of the documentary at Papa’s clinic. Sometimes, John would phone me to clarify a point.  But for the most part, I was in the dark about his work on the documentary.  John mentioned that he had also interviewed Santiago Hernandez, activist and Civil Rights Director of the Felix Longoria Chapter of the American G.I. Forum and Sara Posas, Pvt. Felix Z. Longoria’s sister in law and an eyewitness to many of the events.  John combed through my father’s papers at the Bell Library at Texas A&M University with the help of Grace Charles the lead research librarian there. I never knew the scope and intensity of his work till much later.  

In April 2010, I went to the marker dedication that memorializes the Longoria Affair in front of the Rice Funeral Home in Three Rivers Texas .  John opened my eyes about the controversy surrounding the Longoria Incident. He pointed out Richard Hudson, a student at the University of North Texas who Valadez said was writing a Master’s Thesis with the dubious assertion that the Longoria Affair never happened.  After I recovered from my shock that a group of individuals would presume to deny such a well-documented historical incident, I asked Valadez if he was actually listening to them.  Valadez said he had to listen to both sides and thoughtfully consider all perspectives and evidence. In the succeeding months, the Three Rivers group became more venomous about my father and posted all kinds of lies and personal attacks on websites.  They would show up at the Texas State School Board Text Book hearings to claim that the incident never occurred. Throughout all this drama, Valadez remained neutral.  At times, I was unsure of which way he would swing. Finally, the documentary was born and aired on PBS in November 2010.  

For me the documentary brought back repressed memories of my father and his tremendous struggle to obtain equity for veterans and Mexican Americans.  I was so proud of Papa providing medical care to his patients pro bono, and standing up to the racists despite all the death threats.  To his credit, Papa never lost his focus.  I had forgotten the tremendous role that President Lyndon Baines Johnson played in the liberation of Mexican Americans.  History does not give him enough credit for the courage it took to take the stand he did.  It is unfortunate that LBJ’s accomplishments in Civil Rights will be over shadowed by his role in the Vietnam War.   

I am proud of Sara Posas and Santiago Hernandez for their courage in speaking out and in taking a stand in the face of tremendous criticism from the crew of Three Rivers.  Eventually the Three Rivers crew would aim their attacks at John as well.  

I am so proud of John.  What struck me about the documentary was John’s ability to present impartially both viewpoints. During an interview about the filming of the documentary, the interviewer asked Valadez what led him to make this film.  Valadez replied:

My family is from Texas . They fled the poverty and harsh social conditions that permeated the segregated milieu of the 1930s. I remember my Grandma telling me she hated Texas and she would never go back. Making this film brought me back to her world in a way. It made sense for me to try to understand the contours, grit, and aspirations. It gave me a clear sense that history is not for sissies.  

I was especially touched when he mentions the footage from Dr. Hector’s clinic as especially moving:  

I remember when Hector Garcia's daughter Wanda took us on a tour of his old clinic in Corpus Christi . The building is an abandoned, rotting, shell. It sits in a neighborhood still wracked with poverty and all the dysfunction and limitations that condition brings. It was so sad -- that a man who saved so many lives in those very rooms, who led the first great national civil rights struggle of the twentieth century, who ushered Latinos into the modern era (one that moved us rapidly towards equality and towards the American ideals that we all cherish), who impacted social legislation that has forever changed the lives of millions, who was an uncompromising intellect and visionary par excellence, and who worked with five American presidents over a lifetime dedicated to public service -- that the place which was the center of his national and community organizing sits today a neglected tomb. It is shameful beyond words.  

On May 12, 2011, I joined John for the screening of the Longoria Affair at the Mexican American Cultural Arts Center in Austin , Texas . During our conversation, John expressed that he was deeply troubled over the U.S. governments attempts to deport Valentine and Manuel Valenzuela, two highly decorated Vietnam veterans and deportation of some 30,000 US Veterans, most of them Latinos (some are even U.S. citizens). During the panel discussion, John stated to the audience that he would have been duty bound to include any flaws, dishonest actions or any negative aspects about Dr. Hector P. Garcia.  However, he said he could not find anything worth reporting.  He said that Dr. Garcia was the real deal - A true American hero.  John had evolved from a person in the middle to one who developed passion about his people. Gee, I thought John was beginning to sound like Dr. Hector Garcia.  

John’s next documentary (produced with Adriana Bosch, Ray Telles and PBS executive producer Jeff Bieber) will be a six hour series for national broadcast on PBS called Latino Americans.  It will be a history of Latinos in the United States .  He expects to begin work on it in June 2011.  He is also developing a project about the Valenzuela brothers and the banishment of American veterans.  I have enjoyed working with John because he has the same passion and love for his people-just like my father.  I know he will shine whatever he does.

 

 

  An update on THE LONGORIA AFFAIR so far
 We received a PRIMETIME NATIONAL BROADCAST on the PBS  series INDEPENDENT LENS.  The normal viewership for  INDEPENDENT LENS is 1 Million Viewers.  Our viewership  was 1,444,000.  This is a 40% higher viewership than
other INDEPENDENT LENS films!!
 
WE HAVE ORGANIZED A TOTAL OF 71 EVENTS IN NINE STATES: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California, Washington  State, Wyoming, Colorado, Michigan, New York &  Washington DC.  The screenings are listed on the web site.  But  here are the confirmed screenings coming up. (There are more  in the works but they are not yet confirmed) I will be attending these Apri showing:

March 31 & April 1 University of Texas Pan American, Edinburg, TX 
April 4  Houston Community College 
April 5  University of Texas, San Antonio 
April 5  Texas State University, San Marcos
April 6  University of Houston, Downtown 
April 7  Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX
April 11  University of Washington, Seattle
April 12  Central Washington  University, Ellensburg
April 14  University of California at Irvine 
May 3    Library of Congress, Washington DC

Sent by John Valadez 

 

  Rudi Rodriguez receiving 2010 Texas Historical Commission
Award of Excellence in Preserving History

WHO: Rudi Rodriguez receives 2010 Texas Historical Commission Award of Excellence 
in Preserving History.

WHAT: Rudi Rodriguez will receive the 2010 Texas Historical Commission Award of Excellence in Preserving History at the THC's 2011 Annual Preservation Conference in Austin. 

Each year, the Texas Historical Commission honors an individual, organization or project that has significantly contributed to the understanding or preservation of Texas history. Specifically recognizes achievements in preservation planning, historic site identification, preservation of significant archival or artifact collections, or research that leads to a greater understanding of state or local history.

WHEN: Friday, April 1, 2011 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Sheraton Austin at The Capitol
The Capitol Ballroom
701 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78701

WHY: Rudi R. Rodriguez is a businessman and community leader whose passion for Texas ory has led him on a fascinating journey for over twenty five years. In the last ten years, he has continued to research and champion Tejanos in Texas history through the founding of Texas Tejano.com. The firm has a multidisciplinary collection of works with its primary objectives of history research, publications and communications. Please visit www.TexasTejano.com for more information.

Under his direction, the company has created two world-class traveling exhibits viewed by 
over 2 million people to date, produced major Tejano documentaries, written and developed an exciting Tejano heritage play and developed a unique website with over 1,000,000 visits to date and has championed Tejano Heritage Month which produces heritage events and contests across the state. Additionally, as an advocate has collaborated and continue to work with associations such as Texas Historical Commission, the Texas General Land Office, the Texas State Historical Association, The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service's Camino Real de Los Tejas.

This has all lead to his most recent vision of the Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas. The Center’s mission will be to educate, elevate and celebrate the Hispanic experience of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The Center recently received its 501c3 designation and he was elected its first Chairman. The Center's goals will be accomplished through the construction of a vibrant museum, a world-class research library, multipurpose center and a lively Tejano Living Heritage Village. The Center will be located at HemisFair Park, in Downtown San Antonio, Texas. Currently, the Center is seeking a lease for interim offices located in HemisFair Park. For more information, call (210) 892-0136 or visit 
www.HispanicHeritageCenterofTexas.org.

Respectfully,
Rudi R. Rodriguez
Chairman/Founder
Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas


Myth Breakers
Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez, Ph.D. 
Very interesting about myths and here are a few other myth breakers: At the Alamo were James Bowie, slave owner; William Travis, Slave owner, and President Andrew Jackson owned about 160 slaves.(James,p31) and was president until 1837. David Crockett of course was not a Mexican citizen but a mercenary.

Presidents during the so called Texas War of Independence: Andrew Jackson bought his first slave, a young woman, in 1788.By 1794 his business included slave trading and he had purchased at least 16 slaves.(Remini,p.37, 55); and the president of the United States during the U.S Mexican War, James K. Polk was a Slave owner. In 1847 Zachary Taylor owned more than 100 slaves(Hamilton,p18) while he was in command of American troops invading Mexico from the north. His statement in 1847 in regards to slavery was,"So far as slavery is concerned, we of the south must throw ourselves on the constitution and defend our rights under it to the last, and when arguments will no longer suffice, we will appeal to the sword, if necessary." (Hamilton. p45). Finally, I include this little bit of a diagram to illustrate what the Alamo was really about and that the dynamic behind the Texas War of Independence, its integration into the union, and its eventual role in the Civil War as a slave state was slavery. By 1860 34% of the population were in fact slaves.

Statement from Stephen Austin the impresario and colonist of Texas for who the state capitol is named in regards to the subject. Recall that his father Moises was given the same status by the Spanish Colonial government and after his death at the hands of bandits, his son took over that concession which was extended by the Mexican government to Stephen.:

In a letter written to his cousin, Mary Austin Holley, on the eve of the Texas insurrection against Mexico (1835), Austin confided his ambitions for the Mexican territory:

"Texas must be a slave country. It is no longer a matter of doubt. The interest of Louisiana requires that it should be, a population of fanatical abolitionists in Texas would have a very pernicious and dangerous influence on the overgrown slave population of that state.... A great immigration from Kentucky, Tennessee etc, each man with his rifle or musket, would be of great use to us -- a very great use indeed.... To conclude -- I wish a great immigration this fall and winter from Kentucky and Tennessee, every where, passports or no passports, anyhow. For fourteen years I have had a hard time of it, but nothing shall daunt my courage or abate my exertions to complete the main object of my labors -- to Americanize Texas. This fall, and winter, will fix our fate -- a great immigration will settle the question."


Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez, Ph.D. 
Arizona State University 
Tempe, Arizona 85287
Carlos.Velez-Ibanez@asu.edu 
480 965-4908

Sent by Juan Marinez  marinezj@anr.msu.edu

 

 

THE LITTLE ICE AGE & THE ALAMO IN WINTER GARDEN HISTORY
By Richard G. Santos 
richardgsantos@yahoo.com
 
GROWING UP UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ALAMO AND REBELLING AS AN ADULT, since there has been interest on the stories written by Richard, I thought I would share a couple of others that he wrote as well. Zavala County Sentinel ...........  7-8 January 2009, and Express News (San Antonio, Texas: Saturday, March 3, 1990, page 6-C).. Juan Marinez


            Weather the last week of 2008 and first week of 2009 has been typically erratic. The 30 degree difference from night to mid afternoon was upset only twice when two strong fronts swept the area. In those cases, the high temperature for the day actually occurred at dawn and the temperature dropped thereafter. Non Winter Garden residents are frequently heard to say that this is "pneumonia weather". It is not. It is typical Winter Garden winter. It must also be noted that the coldest (or lowest temperatures) usually occur during January 12 through 24. So we shall see what happens these next two weeks. Will there be sleet or snow? Will it freeze for more than a brief over night period? Most important (because it is sorely needed) will we get any rain? We shall see.

            Weather-wise, we can point out that most people are totally unaware that climate in the North American Continent has changed drastically these last 150 years. Historians, anthropologists and sociologists in writing about society and events from the mid 1700's to late 1800's fail to consider the impact and effect of the Little Ice Age. It was composed of long extended winters, short springs and even shorter summers. The Winter Garden Area was no exemption. Fortunately, we get glimpses of this in various diaries of expeditions, military reports and even the writing of Franciscan missionaries residing or traversing the area. The severe winters of 1772 through 1776 and the blizzard of February 1836 stand out as prime examples.

            On February 8, 1836 at 7:30 AM, Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna with a 40 man escort left Saltillo, Coahuila with the 1500 man Vanguard Brigade heading toward Monclova. The rest of the Army of Operations Against Texas was stretched from Saltillo to Matehuala The daytime temperature was recorded at 51 degrees as a northern swept the area dropping the temperature for the rest of the day and night. Anxious to get to San Antonio de Bexar undetected with the Vanguard Brigade, Santa Anna rushed ahead but was delayed by bad weather and did not reach Monclova until four days later.

            The rest of the army was faring worse as (1) the conscripted men from central and southern Mexico were suffering from fatigue, (2) hunger, (3) diarrhea, (4) lack of doctors and medical supplies, (5) periodic Native American Native raids on the supply wagons and herds, and most of all (6) a slow moving pace because the women and children trailing the units could not keep up with the army's pace. The freezing temperature that first night and subsequent sleet for the next two days began to take its toll. Hence on February 12, when Santa Anna reached the Rio Grande, the army at the rear was beginning to feel the climatically harsh Little Ice Age. He had no choice but to rest.

            On February 16 Santa Anna, his escort and the Vanguard Brigade crossed the Rio Grande heading to the Nueces River. He was shortly informed by advance scouts that the Tejanos had burned the bridge over the Nueces River but there were no rebels to be found. Santa Anna had no choice but to avoid the Camino Real del Presidio de Rio Grande Crossing located off present FM 1433 in Dimmit County. He used an older crossing upriver.

            The hail that had become sleet became snow by mid morning. According to  military reports and communiqués between the units we learn the storm extended from Monclova, Coahuila to beyond the Nueces River in Dimmit and Zavala counties. The conscripted Native Americans and mestizos, their wives and families from the warm tropical areas of southern Mexico suffered the most. First, they were not accustomed to the low temperatures, hail, sleet or snow. Second, because many had been taken off village streets, ranchos, jails or churches (wherever they had been conscripted) they did not have any winter clothing, shoes or food. Third, by eating cacti, wild plants, wild berries and whatever small game they could catch (rats, snakes, rabbits, etc), many were ill with fever, diarrhea and were simply described as having el malecito (cold with light fever).  Those trembling with high fever were said to have el telele (flu). Making matters worse, fearing the conscript might escape or cause a problem (desertion, slowness, rebel, etc), they were kept tied one to another with a noose around their neck. The blizzard continued for the next three days and desertions were reported. However, it was not the conscripts who were tied to one another, but regular soldiers and wagon drivers who abandoned their units and assignments.

The mornings of the 14th and 15th were horrendous. The officers awoke to find many men, women, children, burros and even horses frozen and stuck to the ground. They also found that some of the regular soldiers had broken the wooden boxes holding provisions and ammunition and used the wood to build camp fires for warmth. Consequently, much of the food and ammunition had been ruined and could not be salvaged. The snow was described a being "over one vara high" with drifts as much as "over 40 inches high". Things were so bad that General Gaona apologized to Santa Anna over the delay in sending his daily report as the ink had frozen. He had to wait until the morning warmed a little and then warm the ink bottle and write as best he could.

            As if the storm was not enough, a hostile Commache party of unknown number attacked a wagon carrying the Musquiz family traveling from San Antonio de Bexar to the Rio Grande. They left the family stranded without any supplies or food stuff. As much as the Musquiz complained, at least they were not killed. That was not the case with straggling or deserting soldiers who were killed outright. Their horses, clothing and all belongings were taken. No one bothered to note that local Coahuiltecan and Lipan Apaches of the Winter Garden Area seemed to have disappeared from sight. At the same time, no one bothered to count the number of Mexican soldiers, conscripts, women and children lost in the blizzard. There is also no mention of any burials in the official daily reports. Nonetheless, the Camino Real from Monclova, Coahuila to the Nueces River in present Dimmit County was littered with bodies, animals and supplies.

            Separated from the three army Divisions to the rear, Santa Anna and the Vanguard Brigade took the "smugglers' Road" along present U. S. Highway 90 to reach the Medina River on February 22nd at present Castroville. The rest of the army built bridges over the Nueces and Leona rivers and crossed the Frio River at present Frio Town which is now an abandoned ghost town and not accessible to the public.

            On February 23, 1836 General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and the Vanguard Brigade entered the Villa de San Antonio de Bexar. Most local residents had left claiming they were going to their ranchos outside of town. The rebel Tejanos and Texians numbering some 150 men, some with their wives and children, had repositioned themselves at the abandoned Mission San Antonio de Valero commonly known as the Alamo. The rest of the Mexican army was still stretched from the Frio to Nueces rivers.

The blizzard of February 1836 had ended and the siege and taking of the Alamo has begun. As for the Little Ice Age, the temperature began to rise in the late 1850's and has continued ever since. It is not known how long the present earth warming will continue but every day we see evidence of melting polar caps, regional droughts and expansion of semi deserts (as in the Winter Garden Area) and deserts.

            For those wishing more detailed data on the Texas Revolution search for my book Santa Anna's Campaign Against Texas and/or Alamo Countdown published as a series by the San Antonio Express News.

 Zavala County Sentinel ...........  7-8 January 2009
Sent by Juan Marinez  marinezj@ANR.MSU.EDU



Mythologizing The Alamo
by Richard G. Santos


The Honorable David Crockett of Tennessee did not die a la John Wayne. He was captured and executed immediately after the battle of the Alamo on March 6,1836. Colonel William Barrett Travis did not draw a line while asking the Alamo defenders to choose between surrendering, attempting to escape or fighting to the last man. There were not 180, or the latest number, 189 but most likely between 250 and 257 Alamo defenders.

It is not true that there were no male survivors among the Alamo defenders. At least four managed to escape the final battle, and two have been positively identified.

One, Henry Warnell, managed to reach La Vaca, where he died of wounds suffered during the final battle and his escape. His records can be found in the General Land Office and the Texas State Archives.

The other, San Antonian Brigado Guerrero, belonged to Captain Juan Seguin's unit serving under Travis. In 1861, he finally received his military service pension from the state of Texas as the only known documented survivor of the Alamo defenders. His papers are in the Bexar County Archives, office of the county clerk.

There never was a Moses Rose and consequently, there never was a man who chose to abandon the Alamo garrison by jumping over the wall and sneaking off into the darkness.

Finally, 13,000 Mexican soldiers did not attack the Alamo or suffer casualties of 1,500 to 6,000 men.

Each of the above was the creation of tale tellers who, for whatever reason, chose to embellish, twist or obscure the facts about the battle at the Alamo.

Take the case of Felix Nuñez, who identified himself as a sergeant in General Eugenio Tolsa's Second Infantry Brigade and a participant in the battle of the Alamo. In his book,"Exploring the Alamo Legends," Wallace O. Chariton relied heavily on Nuñez to contradict the eyewitness accounts regarding Crockett's execution. Numerous other self-proclaimed historians have done likewise.

Yet, Nuñez's account is so full of errors and exaggerations that it is inconceivable that anyone would give it any consideration whatsoever. Above all, Tolsa's command, to which Nuñez supposedly belonged, did not arrive in San Antonio until five days after the battle, and none of his men participated in the final assault.

Travis' slave, Joe, in his first account of the siege, and battle stated he stayed in a room and could not see any action. Later, he is credited with saying that after being shot, Travis managed to sit up and run a sword through General Ventura Mora. Mora, acting general of the cavalry during the siege, was posted on the Gonzales Road and did not participate in the final assault of the Alamo. Moreover, he lived to a ripe old age and saw action in the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-1848.

Likewise, Susannah Dickinson originally stated she stayed in one of the rooms of the Alamo church and did not see any of the siege or final assault. Later, when rediscovered by the press and sensationalist writers, she continuously changed her "recollections" to fit whatever new story was in fashion. Her life and that of her daughter, Angelina, immediately before and long after the battle of the Alamo are tragic stories best left in peace.

Santa Anna committed approximately 1,850 men to the final battle, in which he suffered approximately 550 casualties. By military strategy, an assault unit can expect to lose up to one-third of its force, Santa Anna did just that. On the other hand whether the defenders numbered 189 or, more likely, 250, they lost on a 1 to 2 ratio, which is not bad.

Apart from the Alamo Plaza hawkers such as Nuñez who preyed on unsuspecting tourist and writers, no other person did more to create Alamo myths that William Zuber.

In 1873, a full 37 years after the battle, Zuber published his account of Travis drawing the line and the escape of Moses Rose. The reaction was so swift to his ludicrous account that Zuber admitted he had made up part of the story. Although, he never clarified which part he made up, there is no evidence pointing to the existence of any man named Moses Rose.

There was, however, a man named Stephen, alias Louis Rose, living in Nacogdoches in the 1840s who was known as a drunkard, liar and person of ill-repute. He apparently was engaged in fraudulent land claims and kept using different first names.
He claimed to have been at the Alamo before the final assault. Unfortunately for him, some of his Nacogdoches neighbors also attested that he had never left the town and was well-known for his wild claims and exaggerations.

In spite of the fact that legends myth and fiction have obscured the documented record of what really happened at the Alamo between February 23 and March 6, 1836, the men of the Alamo garrison were, and will rightfully continue to be known, as heroes.

With or without the drawing of a line, or whether killed in battle or executed immediately thereafter, the men of the Alamo garrison died heroically.


--Richard G.Santos is an international research historian, linguist and educator based in San Antonio.
________________________________
Source: "Mythologizing The Alamo", Express News (San Antonio, Texas: Saturday, March 3, 1990, page 6-C)


  THE MIS-TEACHING OF TEXAS HISTORY BEGAN IN 1920s

By Richard G. Santos
As Texas approached the one hundredth anniversary of Independence from Mexico in 1936, amateur history buffs created a number of erroneous, fictitious and outlandish scenarios to glorify the revolution and its participants.

One lady history buff created the notion that Texas had served under six flags. That was and remains simply not true as Robert Cavalier Sieur de LaSalle never claimed Texas for the French Government. He and his three ships were sailing for the mouth of the Mississippi River but a hurricane marooned the Louisiana would-be colonists on the Texas Gulf Coast. Knowing he was on Spanish soil, LaSalle moved inland, established Fort St. Louis and immediately began to look for a way to the Mississippi River. He was murdered by one of his own men and the fort was attacked and destroyed by the coastal Karankawa Indians. Several men did manage to make their way to the Mississippi then upriver to Quebec and wrote their memoirs. Several children were taken by the Indians and traded among various tribes until Captain Alonso de Leon managed to rescue three of them. Jean Grey survived by becoming the head of a Coahuiltecan tribe but he was also captured by Alonso de Leon. In light of the memoirs written by LaSalle survivors and the diaries and reports of Alonso de Leon, it is well known and documented that France never claimed or ruled Texas. Yet, that fallacious six flags over Texas claim was readily accepted and took a life of its own as the State Government, businesses and the general public sincerely believe it. Adding injury to insult, the solid green banner of the 1813 Republican Army of the North and First Republic of Texas was and continues to be ignored and omitted. Yet on April 6, 1813, the rebels issued the first formal, written declaration of Independence from Spain issued in North America. Rev Miguel Hidalgo never proclaimed independence and Rev. Morelos did so six months later on November 6, 1813. Hence to be historically correct, the French flag should be removed and the flag of the First Republic should replace it.

The Texas history revisionists preparing for the Centennial and facing the Great Depression, had a major problem with the Battle at the Alamo and its defenders. The men of the Alamo Garrison were referred to as Constitutionalists by their contemporaries. The stood, fought and died for the Mexican Constitution of 1824. William Barret Travis, perhaps David Crockett and a handful of others may have been annexationists, but they were out-numbered by the federalists under James Bowie and Juan N. Seguin. Mexican Colonel Juan Jose Sanchez Navarro recorded seeing and even drew the Mexican tri-colored flag with two blue stars signifying Coahuila y Tejas with 1824 as being flown by the defenders. 

Historical fact did not keep the revisionists from re-inventing the battle and participants. Even though six defenders were known to have survived the battle and Brigido Guerrero received a government pension as a survivor, the revisionists claimed there had been no surviving defenders! A large monument was sculptured and installed at Alamo Plaza in front the Alamo Church and still stands proclaiming the falsehood that no defenders survived. The number of Alamo defenders was and continues to be a problem. Only 150 men were listed as defenders by 1920. That number had grown to 183 by 1968. Today there are 189 listed. Yet, the Mexican officers who collected the remains of the defenders counted between 250 and 256 defenders! The sixty plus unidentified men were probably (1) San Antonio residents who, like the Esparza family, chose to join the 

Alamo Garrison as the Mexican Vanguard Brigade entered the city, (2) Mexican Army deserters from the December 1835 siege of Bexar who knew they would be executed if captured on either side of the Alamo walls, (3) Tejanos and perhaps Anglo American colonists from the farms and ranches not belonging to any rebel unit who cast their lot with the Alamo defenders. Finally, there is also the possibility of some Native Americans and free blacks who might have chosen to stand by their friends against the invading Mexican force. The sixty-some-odd unknown defenders may never be identified but their remains were collected and cremated by the Mexican Army. See my book Santa Anna’s Campaign Against Texas for the documentation regarding the number of defenders.

It was also in 1920 when the Dallas News began a cartoon series on Texas history. Magnolia Petroleum Company acquired the comic strip and as a part of Mobil Oil, published the comic strip as TEXAS HISTORY IN MOVIES. From 1928 to the 1950’s, the booklet was used as the official Texas textbook used in the classroom and distributed to all school children. Yet, the booklet is a most racist, insulting, fictitious account of Texas history. Spaniards, Tejanos and Mexicans were referred to as “pepper bellies, enchiladas eaters, greasers and depicted as dirty, illiterate, untrustworthy and murderers. Needless to say, the textbook was a highly damaging, traumatic racist assault on the well being of Hispanic seven grade students. The textbook reinforced and fueled a racist hatred toward Tejanos, Mexican Americans and Mexicans. 

Mobil Oil donated the racist cartoon textbook to the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) in 1961. The book was supposedly sanitized “of potentially offensive stereotype” with the removal or re-wording of specific cartoons. TSHA never realized or simply refused to admit the psychological damage already done by the book to the Hispanic population of Texas. Moreover, as stated in the current internet ad for the book “some of the most vivid and memorable history of the state was found in the Texas History Movies.” And “from the late 1920s to the late 1950s, the Texas History Movies were the way that many of us were first introduced to our state’s unique history.” They should add that what we the Hispanics of Texas learned from the racist textbook and the 1936 Centennial has not been forgotten or forgiven. 

Editor:  In an addendum comment to an email sent on a discussion of this essay . . . Richard wrote: "you should read Hidalgo's last will and testament and his confession. He pledged his loyalty to the King and urged his followers to lay down their arms and remain loyal to the king. There is a contemporary copy at the archives of San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio (where I first read it) and also at the Archivo General de Mexico - Ramo de la Inquisicion. Mexican apologists say he INTENDED to declare independence but just never had time to get around to it. Well you cannot document an intention.  sorry, Richard"

ZAVALA COUNTY SENTINEL ……………………. 9 – 10 March 2011

Books recommended by Jesus Esparza  jae1861@gmail.com
Forwarded by Walter Herbeck Jr. wlherbeck@gmail.com  and Pedro Olivares  pedro.olivares5@sbcglobal.net


Duel of Eagles
by Peter Townsend, a much better compilation of what happened at the Alamo.
 
The History of Texas 4th Edition: authors Robert A. Calvert, Gregg Cantrell, and Arnoldo de Leon, a much more detailed history of Texas with much more original resources and documentation.
 
Passionate Nation: The Epic History of Texas by James L. Haley, a better depiction of Tejanos and Germans.

It’s time to stop using ‘Remember the Alamo’ slogan
José Antonio López
SAN ANTONIO, March 16 - Historian and civil rights activist José Antonio López has taken issue with a guest column from state Sen. Jeff Wentworth titled ‘Remember the Alamo.’

Wentworth’s column focused on the Battle of the Alamo 175 years ago and the birth of Texas as a state.

“What was supposed to be the unceremonious end of the defenders of the Alamo instead became the birth of a rallying cry: “Remember the Alamo!” The death of these defenders inspired other Texians and Tejanos at the Battle of San Jacinto, where Texas independence was won on April 21, 1836,” Wentworth wrote.

However, López criticized the thrust of Wentworth’s remarks. He said that as an eighth generation Texan and a Gutiérrez de Lara descendant, he took offense at the “chauvinistic” article.

“From the looks of it, Wentworth’s view of Texas independence is 1950s vintage. To many Spanish Mexican descendants, the ‘Remember the Alamo’ slogan is a senseless grudge against the memory and integrity of our Spanish Mexican ancestors who died fighting on both sides, no different than in any other civil war,” López said.

“The slogan should now be put to rest. That is especially true today since most folks are now becoming more familiar with the real story of Texas independence and the role of ‘Mexicans’ on both sides of the argument. What is so hard about admitting Texas history for what it is – bilingual, bicultural? 

The Guardian has posted both Wentworth’s column and a letter López sent to the San Antonio Republican in response further down this page.

López was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and is a USAF Veteran. He now lives in Universal City, Texas. He is a direct descendant of Don Javier Uribe, one of the earliest families that settled in what is now South Texas in 1750.

López is the author of two books: “The Last Knight (Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe, A Texas Hero),” and “Nights of Wailing, Days of Pain (Life in 1920s South Texas).” He is also the founder of the Tejano Learning Center, LLC, and www.tejanosunidos.org, a Web site dedicated to Spanish Mexican people and events in U.S. history that are mostly overlooked in mainstream history books. 

“Senator Wentworth sees fit to start the article by reminding his voters that it was the Mexicans who attacked “us” at the Alamo,” López told the Guardian. “Never mind that the battle took place in the sovereign Province of Texas, Republic of Mexico, and it was Crockett, Travis, et al who were the armed intruders.”

López said Wentworth needs to be reminded that the 1836 Battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto are a chronological chapter in Mexico’s history not that of the United States, since Texas didn’t join the U.S. as a slave state until 1845. “Besides, it was on that year that paradoxically the Anglos traded their ‘independence’ to join the U.S. as a slave state,” López said.

López said he takes issue with the notion that Sam Houston was able to beat Santa Anna at San Jacinto because of brilliantly executed cavalry charges. He said very few people realize that it was Col. Juan Seguin who led the cavalry made up entirely of Tejanos. 

“Remember that up to that time no one had ever seen an organized cavalry unit in action in America. Also, it was Juan Seguin’s organizing methods that the U.S. Army later copied to set up its first cavalry units,” López said.

“When observing Tejanos on horseback, many admiring U.S. Army officers stated openly that they had never seen better horsemanship than that displayed by the citizen-soldier Tejanos, in my view, the true Cossacks of Texas.”

López said he believes attitudes are changing. He pointed out that the recently concluded Texas independence commemoration in San Antonio was excellent. 

“This year’s festivities included many references to Tejanos in the story of our state’s independence. For the first time ever, the general public is rediscovering the key help provided by Tejanos. More specifically, many people now understand that Spanish Mexicans (Creoles, Mestizos, etc) are the ones who first had the vision (e.g., Don Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara) of individual freedoms and independence in Texas,” López said.

Here is Sen. Jeff Wentworth’s op-ed, sent to news outlets on March 4:

Remember the Alamo

The corpses of the Alamo defenders were stacked in three piles and burned. Pablo Diaz, a San Antonio resident, wrote that the pyres were about 10 feet high, made up of alternating layers of wood and bodies. To help them ignite, melted tallow was poured over the bodies.

The stench of the burning bodies mixed with the lingering smell of gun powder, blood, and sweat from the pre-dawn battle.

No Christian burial or prayers. No flag-draped coffins or 21-gun salutes. No bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace” or bugles sounding taps. Just the roar of the flames and the shadows of buzzards circling overhead.

What was supposed to be the unceremonious end of the defenders of the Alamo instead became the birth of a rallying cry: “Remember the Alamo!” The death of these defenders inspired other Texians and Tejanos at the Battle of San Jacinto, where Texas independence was won on April 21, 1836.

175 years after the Battle of the Alamo, we still remember and praise the fallen soldiers for their courage and their sacrifice for the cause of liberty.

But what were these Texians doing here in the northern frontier of the Mexican territory of Texas?

Many were attracted to Mexico because of inexpensive land. Each head of a family, whether male or female, could claim 4,605 acres at a cost of about four cents an acre -- $184 -- payable in six years.

Some were land speculators. Others came to escape creditors, and many farmers who had lost their land to foreclosure in the states headed west with their families to start life over again.

Like early Europeans arriving in the New World, their hearts were full of hope. They dared to dream of a better future in a new land of opportunity.

Misunderstandings, mistrust and missteps, however, soon marked the relationship between the Mexican government, which changed frequently, and the immigrant Texans.

The fledgling Mexican government was undergoing great change. In its first 15 years of independence from Spain, Mexico had 13 presidents. Rule changed from emperor, to a republic, to a dictatorship. The war for independence followed.

Before dawn 175 years ago, 2,000 Mexican troops advanced to the walls of the Alamo. The first charge was driven back by Travis’s cannons. Santa Anna’s troops charged a second time, and again, they were stopped.

Finally, on the third charge, the Mexican army prevailed. The battle ended before daylight. All the Texians and Tejanos defending the Alamo either died in battle or were executed once the fighting ended.

The Alamo defenders were ordinary men willing to make extraordinary sacrifices. They did not retreat. They stayed and fought, even though they were outnumbered ten to one. They knew that no prisoners would be taken.

We honor our heroes of the past for their courage and to acknowledge that their sacrifices paved the way for the Texas we know today. We honor them in teaching younger generations that sometimes we are called upon to serve something bigger than ourselves.

As long as there is a Texas, we will “Remember the Alamo.”

Senator Jeff Wentworth

Here is José Antonio López’s letter to Sen. Wentworth:

Dear Senator Wentworth

Reference your March 4th article, “Remember the Alamo”. With all due respect, your article is full of debunked Texas history myths created by Hollywood directors and one-sided books written by generations of Anglophile writers. How typical of you to begin the article by attacking members of the Mexican military, the legitimate army of the 1836 Provincia de Tejas. Additionally, just because you condescendingly mention Tejanos in your piece doesn’t mean you know either the definition or the real Tejano story in building this great place we call Texas. As such, the note below is provided.

(Note: Senator, be advised that your harsh attack against Mexican honor and the military actions of the Mexican Army in your article is an attack against all Spanish Mexicans, including Tejanos. You should know that Mexicans and Tejanos are one and the same family group. Tejanos are a robust blend of white Spanish European and brown Native American stock. The first Tejanos were Mexican citizens who settled the Texas Province from Monclova, Monterrey, Queretaro, Zacatecas, etc. In 1848, when the present U.S. Mexico border was drawn, it set up a permanent Mason-Dixon Line, separating families. Today, many Tejanos have extended family in northern and central Mexico. That’s the main reason why residents on both sides call this region The Borderlands.)

Sir, I totally disagree with the xenophobic central theme of your paper. First and most important, your perspective of the battle’s significance is in error. The 1836 Battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto are a chronological chapter of Mexico’s history, not the U.S. Besides, instead of remembering the Alamo for the reasons you suggest, you have forced many living Tejanos to remember a more recent time. That may have been your real intent. The not-so-subtle rhetoric in your paper reminds some Tejanos of the anti-Mexican mindset of 1950s Anglos and the popular “No Mexicans Allowed” signs in public places in Texas. Your article brings back ominous memories of the stench, not of funeral pyres, but of kerosene-soaked wooden crosses burning in South Texas as white supremacists terrorized Tejano families for years without any of them ever being held accountable for their murderous acts.

Senator, it would take a long time to take issue with your article’s over-romanticized contents. However, two of your statements are addressed below, simply because they demonstrate the high fever of ignorance that most Anglos are hopelessly infected with regarding Texas independence.

Ref. your comment “No Christian burial or prayers. No flag-draped coffins or 21-gun salutes. No bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace” or bugles sounding taps.” That statement is inflammatory and goes to the root of your lack of knowledge. Senator, what flag would you have draped over the coffins? The U.S. flag? No, it wasn’t until 1845 that the Anglos traded their independence to become a slave state in the U.S. The Texas flag? No, that flag didn’t exist and wasn’t accepted until 1840. The Mexican flag? No, that would prove that they were armed and dangerous U.S. expatriates committing treason in Mexico.

March 8, 2011

Senator, you naively make it sound as if Texas was already part of the U.S. when the battle occurred. However, you are not alone since that is the most common and foolish assumption that Anglos make.

What did you expect in Mexican Texas of 1836? Does the phrase “armed U.S. intruders in Mexico” mean anything to you? Do you really fault Mexican soldiers for doing their sworn duty to protect their sovereign country? Are you implying that only the Mexican Army ever built funeral pyres? Do you know why the pyres you mention were located so far away from the Alamo? Have you really ever asked that question? More importantly, are you able to stand the answer? For instance, if all armed Anglo expatriates from the U.S. supposedly fell at the Alamo why were their corpses burned elsewhere and their ashes buried in San Fernando Cathedral and not in the Alamo Presidio’s Camposanto? Are you aware that after Texas won their independence from Mexico, Anglos treated Tejanos as the enemy by initiating ethnic cleansing drives in San Antonio and other towns? Or, that afterwards, the victorious Anglos rewrote Texas independence history, erasing key Tejano contributions by using only an Anglo pen? Are you aware that it is that biased rendering of Texas history that robs Tejanos of their dignity to this day?

Ref. your closing comment “As long as there is a Texas, we will “Remember the Alamo.” Yes, we must remember the Alamo, but for the correct reasons. That is, the Alamo and La Bahia Presidio must be remembered for their strength, beauty, and creativity of their Spanish Mexican builders. They must no longer be remembered only because armed Anglo expatriates from the U.S. died there.

Senator, it is time you accept the real reason for the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829. That angered U.S. Anglo immigrants who owned slaves and wished to retain them in Mexico. That’s the reason Anglos decided to separate from Mexico, betraying the native-born Tejanos who believed until too late that they were fighting for a federalist government in their country.

The subliminal message in your article is unmistakably divisive. It’s meant to strike fear in Anglo Texans against the increasing browning of the population in Texas. Senator, the rise in the number of Hispanic Texans is inevitable and a natural process. Remember that Tejanos held that distinction when the waves of mostly illegal immigrant Anglos flooded into Texas in 1835-36.

Realize that this is no longer 1950s Texas. Tejanos will no longer be intimidated nor will they continue to serve as junior partners to the Anglos in Texas history. Anglophiles must no longer treat Texas as one of the 13 English Colonies. It never was, is not today, and never will be, for this is New Spain, not New England. Senator, stop believing myths created in movie lots. Stop contributing to the polarization between Anglo and Spanish Mexican-descent citizens in Texas.

Bottom line: Stop waving the “bloody shirt” against Mexico and its people. It’s time to end the 175-year old Anglo grudge against Mexican soldiers who only did their job to protect their sovereign land. It is time to accept Texas history for what it truly is – bilingual, bicultural. Come aboard and join us in teaching students a fair and balanced, seamless Texas history. We owe it to future Texans.

José Antonio López

© Copyright of the Rio Grande Guardian, www.riograndeguardian.com. Publisher: Steve Taylor. All rights reserved. 
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
 Sent by Juan Marinez marinezj@anr.msu.edu

Tejano Heritage Police Department Mission Statements

 

 ·       To correct all and any misrepresentation of Tejano History.  

·       To inform, in a respectful manner, all and any individual, enterprise, newspaper, journal, or all media: of any misinformation given to the general public related to Tejano History.  

·       To continue to be vigilant regarding any article, book, essay, or any other media that portrays the Tejano in a derogatory manner and to quickly correct such version.  

·       To make sure that the Tejano Story is properly included in all versions detailing the History of Texas, from the very beginning ON November 6, 1528, including also our Native American family.  

·       To write articles and books dealing with the true History of the Tejanos and their immense contributions to the development of Texas.  

·       In so doing, liberate all Texans of all persuasions from the erroneous version of Texas History that has been perpetrated to our youth for many decades now.                                                                                      

Co-founders:   Dr. Lino Garcia,Jr. and José Antonio López  2008
                        lgarcia@UTPA.EDU   jlopez8182@satx.rr.com   


                    

 

ERASING HISTORIC REALITY
PERSISTENCE OF THE BLACK LEGEND

AMERICAN HISPANICS AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE:  
THE CHICANO EXPERIENCE

By Felipe de Ortego y Gasca

Scholar in Residence/Chair, Department of Chicana/Chicano and Hemispheric Studies, Western New Mexico University

 

A

 popular American misconception is that the Civil Rights Struggle of the 60's was essentially an African American endeavor. While the focus of visibility rightly centered on African Americans in that struggle, the aggregate strength of the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's came from the myriad groups that formed that movement which included Mexican Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans.

The Mexican American struggle for civil rights began almost as soon as they became Americans by conquest and by fiat as part of the spoils of the U.S. War against Mexico (1846-1848). Once Mexicans, now Americans, but always mejicanos, Mexican Americans quickly became painfully aware of their diasporic condition and the limitations that standing entailed–principally their legal status. Despite the “safeguards” of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (February 2, 1848), Mexican Americans were brutally subjected to the harsh apodictic codes governing a conquered people.

Fully aware of their new status, Mexican Americans were nevertheless perplexed by the paradox of place: though now Americans, they were still in the same place they were when they were Mexicans. No longer now Mexico but the United States how were they to refer to their “new homeland”? And what would become of them as Mexicans now that they were Americans? These were critical questions for Mexican Americans as they grappled with the realities of readjusting their lives to a new political order.

These questions framed the Mexican American agenda for the next century and a half, during which the succeeding generations of Mexican Americans labored to define the boundaries of their “homeland” while mainstream America sought to diminish their presence on the American scene by subjecting them to the same public code applied to African Americans and all other peoples of color in the nation.

An ungrateful nation never thanked them for their sacrifices to the country during military con­flicts even though during World War II more than 500,000 Mexican Americans were in uniform, dying in Europe and the Pacific for a nation that would discriminate against them until well into the 1970's and beyond.

        Important to bear in mind is that Mexican Americans did not go gently into that good night of American occupation after 1848. Insurgency politics dominated most of the transition period from 1848 to 1912. Even during the period of Americanization from 1912 to 1960 when Mexican Americans sought to become what the nation wanted them to become, they were considered and treated as second-class citizens, reviled as the stereotypes that demonized them,  disenfranchised, working at jobs of last resort, their children thrown into English-language schools to sink or  swim.  The period of the Chicano Movement from 1960 and after sparked the rise of confrontational militancy among Mexican Americans now becoming Chicanos. They had reached the end of “patience”.

In 1948 George I. Sanchez commented that instead of helping Mexican Americans to lift them­selves up by their bootstraps the American government took away their boots (Forgotten People).  Bootless, with the advent of the Chicano Movement, Mexican Americans forged their manifesto of liberation and found succor in identifying where they lived as Aztlan–the mythic homeland of the Aztecs, the people of their indigenous roots in the Americas. All of the Mexican Cession, including Texas, became Aztlan–an emblematic homeland. As Chicanos now, Mexican Americans were home.  

O

ne of the jobs of last resort for Mexican Amer­icans was picking crops in the fields that supplied the nation’s food and sup­ported its produce structure. Mexican Americans became migrant farm workers at seasonal employment wherever there were crops to pick across the nation. One season would find them picking beets in Minnesota; another season would take them to the apple orchards of the Yakima Valley in the state of Washington. Oftentimes they picked cotton in America’s Southland. Mostly, though, the migrant trail was confined to the harvest crescent of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Given the significance of farm work to Mexican American existence, it was only logical that the early efforts of the Chicano Movement would emerge among Mexican American migrant workers. Indeed, Mexican Americans worked across the spectrum of Labor activities in the United States, but they were aggregated principally in the work of the fields.

The early stage of the Chicano Movement was not only about the struggle in the fields. It was about the struggle everywhere. Nevertheless, it was the struggle in the fields that caught the attention of the American public, starting with the Delano strike against California grape-growers, principally Schenley farms, in 1965 led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

Almost from the beginning of their colonization, Mexican Americans organized various groups for their well-being and protection. In 1883 Mexican American vaqueros organized a strike against cattle companies for better wages. In the 1880's, Mexican Americans organized the Caballeros of Labor to ward off Anglo land-grabbing schemes. By the end of the 19th century, they organized in Arizona for better mining conditions. In 1903, Mexican Americans organized a sugar beet strike in Ventura, Cali­fornia. And in 1913, they organized a strike against the Durst Ranch in Wheatland, California for better housing conditions.

Organizing sustained efforts to improve agricultural conditions for Mexican Americans proved dif­ficult despite successes like the El Monte berry strike of 1933 and the San Joaquin Valley strike of that same year. A succession of farmworker groups gained prominence throughout the 30's, 40's, and 50's, but none prevailed, owing largely to the repres­sive retaliatory measures of growers who saw only subversion in Mexican American efforts to organize farmworkers. The most disastrous effort at organiz­ing Mexican American farmworkers occurred in 1947 with the DiGiorgio Fruit Corporation and Rich­ard Nixon’s duplicitous participation in the affair.

        Success with the struggle in the fields came with the charismatic organizers Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta who organized the Farm Work­ers Association which later became the Na­tional Farm Workers Association. That success has been credited to Chavez’ philosophy of non-violent confrontation which had to surmount attitudes like those of W. H. Knox of the Arizona Cotton Growers Association who in his refusal to deal with Chavez and the farmworkers union said: “Have you ever heard, in the history of the United States, or in the history of the human race, of the white race being overrun by a class of people of the mentality of the Mexicans?” History acknowledges Chavez’ achievement in the fields with his red flag and black eagle.  

I

n a real sense, during the Civil Rights Struggle, Mexican Americans did not take back the schools. American schools are still an educa­tional gulag for Mexican Americans despite their ostensible academic gains. Though Enron-like she­nanigans manipulate school data, the actual drop-out rate for Mexican Americans is still, at 50%, distress­ingly high.  American schools have not only failed Mexican Americans but they have failed the nation as well, for it’s an educated citizenry that betokens the well-being of the State.

In a landmark work of investigative reporting, “Montezuma’s Children” (Felipe de Ortego y Gasca, The Center Magazine, November/December 1970), the statistics about the education of Mexican American children in the South­west were appalling. The educational level of Mexican Americans was slightly better than 4.8 years of schooling, with most Mexican Americans dropping out of school by the 6th grade. In Texas 39% of the Mexican Americans had less than a 5th grade education. Only a third of Mexican American children were enrolled in school.  Almost half of the Mexican Americans in Texas were considered functional illiterates. In their aggregate, their dropout rate was more than twice the national average.

According to government studies of the time, 80% of Mexican Americans were falling two grades behind their Anglo cohorts by the time they got to the 5th grade. Until the late 40's, throughout the Hispanic Southwest, Mexican Americans attended segregated schools. Until the advent of Bilingual Education in 1968, Mexican American children with limited English or no English skills began their education in English-language immersion classes with monolingual English teachers who had no training in language theory or  second-language instruction. Rules prohibiting Spanish in the public schools and their campuses (except in Spanish classes), brought harsh punishment for infractions.

Mexican American children were frequently relegated to classes for the mentally retarded simply because many teachers equated linguistic ability with intellectual ability. In the Hispanic Southwest, Mexican American students accounted for more than 40% of the so-called “mentally retarded.” Massive protest and walkouts seemed to be the only remedy for Mexican Americans in their efforts to reform the schools.

        Since 1935 when Herschel T. Manuel pointed out the deficiencies of the Stanford-Binet test in assessing the abilities of Spanish-speaking Mexican American children, efforts to reform “standardized testing” vis-a-vis Mexican Americans has met with limited success owing to hard-core insistence that doing so is a diminution of standards.

The end result of the educational gauntlet Mexican American children were historically forced to undergo severely limited the outcome of Mexican American college graduates, Their numbers in college and university populations then (and even now) did not and do not reflect their numbers in the American population, even though, here and there, the large presence of Mexican American students in Hispanic-serving colleges and universities suggest otherwise.

The fundamental question here is: To whom do the schools belong? Since Mexican American taxes support the schools as well (lower and higher education), excluding them from or restricting their access to those schools is tantamount to “taxation without representation.”  

T

he apothegm “Everything is political” may best characterize the Mexican American struggle for political power in the United States. While formation of La Raza Unida Party in 1971 may epitomize to many the apogee of Mexican American politics, the truth is that Mexican Americans have been “political” since day one, and glistening here and there in their historical presence in the United States are any number of spikes comparable to the apogee they achieved in forming La Raza Unida Party.

From the beginning of their colonization starting in 1848, the “conquest generation” of Mexican Americans organized all manner of organizations for their survival, some of them political, most of them fraternal and beneficial societies intended to help them keep a cohesive sense of community and to withstand the brutal bombardment their presence in American society engendered against them. The American legal system was slow in responding to the legal and political grievances of Mexican Americans. That situation would not change until the advent of the Chicano Movement and its focus on the structural experiences of Mexican Americans.

Growing consciousness of their plight and rising expectations to improve their situation, Mexican Americans organized for social change and embraced their aspirations for social justice in an ideology of self-determination, independent of the social system that had held them at arm’s-length for so long. Community identity and community control emerged as key objectives in the renaissance empowered by the Chicano Movement.

        Historical organizations like the Alianza Hispano-Americana, League of United Latin American Citizens,  and the American G.I. Forum played important roles in advancing the political agenda of Mexican Americans, but that agenda gained more immediacy after 1960  with formation of Mexican American political groups like the Mexican American Political Association, the Political Association of Spanish-Speaking Organizations, Mexican American Youth Organization, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Southwest Voter Registration Project, the Crusade for Justice, La Raza Unida Party,  United Farm Workers Union, National Council of La Raza, National Association of Latino and Elected Officials, and others.

Important to bear in mind is that today Mexican Americans are essentially a native-born population despite the public perception that they are recent immigrants. More than a million of them have served in the American armed forces since the Civil War to the present conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Over the last 163 years they have had a modicum of success in electing Mexican Americans to Congress, state legislatures, and municipal posts. They are still not represented in the professions in terms of their numbers in the American population. They still lag in educational achievement; and poverty is still a specter in their daily lives. Their growing numbers in the population, especially in Texas and California, augur significant political changes in those states.

While not absent from the Mexican American political agenda, Chicano nationalism has given way to new realities of pragmatism in order to offset meretricious perceptions of them as “lazy rather than hard-working . . . living off welfare rather than being self-supporting” (Tom Smith, “Ethnic Survey,” GSS Topical Report, Number 19. National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, 1990).  
 

 

HONORING HISPANIC LEADERSHIP

Frank Bonilla, Educator, Activist 1925-2010
Eddie Galvan, Music Teacher  1927-2011
Jack D. Forbes, Scholar, Educator  1934-2011

Frank Bonilla, Educator, Activist 1925-2010


 Our good friend, Gil Cardenas of the University of Notre Dame, just sent us this sad news:

 Dear Colegas, I am very sad to hear that Frank Bonilla passed yesterday. Natasha shared the sad news, but also conveyed that Frank passed peacefully. We are greatly indebted to Frank's scholarship and community leadership throughout the years. We will be in touch once more information is available.  

gilberto

Here is an abridged version of the entry on Frank Bonilla in Wikipedia, followed by his biography on the website of the Centro de Estudios Puertorrqueños at Hunter College:

Professor Frank Bonilla (born 1925) is an American academic of Puerto Rican descent who became a leading figure in Puerto Rican Studies. After earning his doctorate from Harvard University, where his dissertation was supervised by Talcott Parsons, he had held faculty positions at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and the City University of New York. He is a key figure in the establishment of the Puerto Rican Hispanic Leadership Forum and the Center for Puerto Rico Studies at the City University of New York. 

Biography:  Bonilla was born in New York City in 1925. His parents were both from Puerto Rico and had moved to the United States early in their lives. His mother emigrated to the United States in hopes of attending college, and his father had been a cigar maker and had served in the U.S. Cavalry. They were on the same boat going to the United States, and it was there where they met and began their courtship. 

Bonilla was raised around East Harlem, a neighborhood full of diversity of culture and race. He said that children were very often exposed to multiple languages at an early age and that they became bilingual to interact with people in their day-to-day lives. Bonilla spent his first years of high school attending a Franciscan high school in Illinois, where he showed academic and leadership skills. His favorite subjects were classical Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, and German. He was also elected President of his class. Bonilla then transferred to Morris High School (Bronx, New York). After he graduated from Morris high in 1943, he was drafted and assigned to a weapons platoon. Bonilla was taught to be a mortar gunner and was assigned to the 290th Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division. 

World War II service: The 290th Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division was involved in the Battle of the Bulge. Bonilla served in this battle at the front of the line for nearly a month. After serving at the front lines, Bonilla sustained an injury and had to be hospitalized in France. After a brief three week hospitalization, Bonilla was reassigned to a replacement depot in France. It was there that he was invited to join the Puerto Rican National Guard near Frankfurt and assigned as the company clerk. He soon realized that the Puerto Rican soldiers had a divide. The Puerto Rican soldiers raised in the United States were looked down upon by those who had grown up in Puerto Rico, and referred to the emigrated Puerto Ricans as "American Joes". Bonilla said of this experience, "The military experience helped to consolidate my sense of being Puerto Rican and also a sense of wanting to study and be a scholar." 

Post-war career:  Bonilla returned to the United States after he was discharged from the military and made use of the educational benefits of the G.I. Bill to attend the College of the City of New York. He graduated cum laude in 1949 with a B.A. in business administration. He went on to pursue a master's degree in sociology from New York University, which he earned in 1954. He attended Harvard University and received a doctorate in sociology soon after.  

Dr. Bonilla played a key role in the formation of the Puerto Rican Hispanic Leadership Forum to help manage the needs of Puerto Ricans in New York. He also played an instrumental role in the formation of the Center for Puerto Rico Studies at the City University of New York, where he served as founding director until his retirement in 1995. He died after a long illness on December 28, 2010. 

 

Frank Bonilla: Centro Profile 

Dr. Frank Bonilla, Thomas Hunter Professor Emeritus, Hunter College of the City University of New York, devoted his life to understanding and exposing the political and economic forces that engender exploitation and injustice and to joining community struggles against racial and ethnic oppression, especially in education. The fruits of his labor are found in the thriving of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at CUNY's Hunter College; in his pioneering research on the political economy of Puerto Rico and migration to the United States; and in his extensive contributions to collaborative research on Latinos in a globalizing economy. Moreover, Bonilla is known to a multitude of Latinos and African Americans for serving as a bridge-builder between communities of color and to advocacy groups and progressive policymakers across the United States for his determination in the global quest for human rights and dignity.

Education and Early Career Born in New York in 1925 of parents who migrated to the U.S. from Puerto Rico, Bonilla lived as a child in East Harlem and the Bronx, though several years of middle and high school were spent in Tennessee and Illinois. In many of his writings and speeches, he described his school years in the South as a transformative experience. The concept and implications of "race" in the United States first became constituted for him at the Mason-Dixon Line where, though his New York birth certificate categorized him as "white," he was instructed by the driver of a Greyound Bus to surrender his seat and move to the back. His subjection to forced segregation as a person of color in the South, combined with the social, political, and economic marginalization of Puerto Ricans in New York, informed his career choices and life trajectory. Following his graduation from Morris High School in the South Bronx, Bonilla was drafted into the U.S. Army, served with the 190th Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry, and fought in World War II's Battle of the Bulge. When an injury removed him from the front lines, he joined the ranks of the Puerto Rican National Guard in Germany. Upon returning to the U.S., he earned his B.B.A. in 1949, graduating cum laude from the College of the City of New York, his M.A. in Sociology from New York University in 1954, and his doctorate in Sociology from Harvard University in 1959.

Bonilla began his academic career in 1960 as a member of The American Universities Field Service in Latin America. Starting with a project initiative on behalf of UNESCO and the Economic Commission for Latin America, his research for the next three years in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Brazil investigated the relationship between social development and education in Latin America. In this period, Dr. Bonilla lectured at seven U.S. campuses and at the Pontifícia Unversidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro.

When Bonilla joined the Political Science Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1963-1969), he pursued his interests in Latin America as a senior staff member at MIT's Center of International Studies. He joined an extensive investigation into Venezuelan politics, conducted in collaboration with the Center for Development Studies of the Central University of Venezuela (CENDES), served as Program Advisor in Social Science to the Ford Foundation in Brazil, and lectured as Visiting Professor at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. His support for his Latin American students and collaboration with Latin American colleagues continued for decades following his return to the United States.

Bonilla's years of residence and research agenda in Latin America yielded several notable books. The Failure of Elites (1970) presented a far-sighted study of how oil companies and the U.S. state in the 1960s acted as socializing agents in Venezuela, producing leaders in business, politics, and the armed forces who became partners of multinational capital but lost the capacity to act on behalf of national development. Bonilla found that Venezuelan elites in the period had little or no sustained contact with the mass of people and no sense of obligation to meet the needs of the population. The second book, Student Politics in Chile (1970), co-authored with Myron Glazer, contributed a vital piece to the comparative study of campus politics in Latin America by offering a comprehensive view of the Chilean student movement from the early 1900s to the 1960s.

As Professor of Political Science and Senior Associate of the Institute of Political Studies at Stanford University (1969-1972), Bonilla created opportunities for dialogue among Latin Americans, Chicanos, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans in the United States. In 1972, Brazilian, Venezuelan, Panamanian, Jamaican, Argentinian, African American, Chicano, and Puerto Rican scholars and students attended a seminar to explore ways to establish a common framework for analyzing inequality and dependence. The seminar produced Structures of Dependency, the volume of essays edited by Bonilla and Robert Girling that challenged the dominant dependency paradigm used by the Left academy to analyze Latin American political economies. In his contribution, Bonilla noted as one major flaw of dependency theory its failure to identify strategies that would permit oppressed nations to act against imperialism.

The Stanford seminar was also an occasion for developing critical perspectives on theoretical and methodological approaches in the study of Latinos and other minority groups in the U.S. As an early advocate of the militant efforts of minority students and faculty to establish space within U.S. universities and to accomplish their own intellectual work, Bonilla joined students, faculty, and community activists in New York in proposing a research institute for investigating the Puerto Rican experience. When the proposal was accepted and funded by CUNY and the Ford Foundation, the search committee formed in early 1973 unanimously chose Bonilla as the first Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies. (See "Finding Aids" for an account of the mission, historical development, and achievements of the Centro.) The forming of the Centro and his appointment as Director was a profoundly significant personal achievement, as it gave Bonilla the opportunity to return to New York to serve his community in ways that would have a profound and long-lasting impact.

Tenure at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Most significantly, in his twenty-year tenure as Director, Bonilla provided the intellectual, political, and organizational leadership that helped to define the field of Puerto Rican Studies and to firmly establish the Centro as a vital academic and community resource. Within a short time of its founding, the Centro's organizational structure and research agendas were shaped by commitments to collective governance, scholarship in service of community, and broad accessibility.

As Director of the only university-based institute in the United States devoted to the interdisciplinary study of the Puerto Rican experience, Bonilla oversaw research in history, political economy, demographic transitions, and social and cultural development. His most well-known contributions were made to the History Task Force, through his close collaboration with Ricardo Campos. In the published version of its findings, Labor Migration under Capitalism (1979), the History Task Force critiqued the dependency framework as inadequate for explaining the colonial relationship between Puerto Rico and the U.S. and located the root of massive post-World War II labor migration from the island to the U.S. paradoxically in the development model known as "Operation Bootstrap." In a subsequent study, "A Wealth of Poor: Puerto Ricans in the New Economic Order" (1981), Bonilla and Campos further illustrated the flaws of the political-economic model which caused persistently high levels of unemployment, extreme social stress, and "brain drain" from Puerto Rico to the United States.

Bonilla was also greatly concerned about the disproportionate levels of imprisonment in communities of color and the need for prison reform. Bringing the experience of similar initiatives with him from Stanford, he encouraged the Centro's Prison Task Force to develop a program of college study for inmates in New York. He worked resolutely worked for community empowerment by joining dozens of community-based and policy advocacy organizations and coalitions intent on combating institutional racism and promoting educational opportunities for minorities; in many cases, he was the principal public spokesperson. He served on the Boards of Directors of the Empowerment Institute of the Community Service Society of the City of New York, a 140-year-old nonprofit organization involved in social and education issues, and of Open Mind, The Association for the Achievement of Cultural Diversity in Higher Education. A small sample of additional affiliations includes the Social Science Advisory Board of the Poverty and Race Research Institute, the National Puerto Rican Task Force on Educational Policy, and the Puerto Rican Organization for Growth, Research, Education and Self-Sufficiency (P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S., Inc.). Throughout his life, he remained committed to strengthening bonds between African Americans and Puerto Ricans. Of special note are his participation in the National Commission on Minorities in Higher Education, his advocacy of redistricting policy reform, and his invited testimonies before the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus on the deleterious effects of U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico.

Despite his extensive community commitments and administrative responsibilities, Bonilla was a passionate educator who was broadly accessible to his students at CUNY's Graduate Center, where he taught in the Political Science Department from 1973 to 1993 and in the Sociology Department from 1977 to 1993. In 1986, he was appointed Thomas Hunter Professor of Sociology at CUNY's Hunter College. As a popular dissertation advisor at the Graduate Center, Dr. Bonilla mentored many students who remained close to him long after completing their degrees. Throughout his life, he encouraged new scholars to understand the political implications of social scientific research and to embrace their potential role in the service of liberation of oppressed peoples.

Ten years after his retirement, Bonilla was honored by the staff and friends of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at its 30th Anniversary Celebration in 2003, where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Rossana Rosado, publisher and CEO of El Diario-La Prensa, the oldest Spanish-language daily newspaper in the United States.

Inter-University Program for Latino Research

One of the most enduring projects Bonilla launched as the Centro's Director is the Inter-University Program for Latino Research (IUPLR), co-founded with three colleagues in 1986. What began as a national consortium of eight university-based research centers grew to include more than twenty universities and to serve as a model for other initiatives that pursue interdisciplinary research cooperation in Latino Studies. Bonilla served IUPLR as Managing Co-Director from 1988 to 1993 and Executive Director from 1993 to 1995. He remained on IUPLR's National Board of Advisors for several years following his retirement.

As Director of IUPLR, Bonilla was the principal coordinator of the project entitled, "Latinos in a Changing U.S. Economy." The multinational team he assembled tracked the impact of international, national, and regional forces in shaping labor force participation and earnings of Latinos in the U.S. He was one of the driving forces as well in convening the conference in Northern Italy that brought together scholars, policy makers, and activists involved in analyzing the globalizing economic forces at the center of the "Latinization of the United States," and the emerging political consequences and opportunities. Borderless Borders: U.S. Latinos, Latin Americans, and the Paradox of Interdependence (1998), co-edited by Bonilla, Edwin Meléndez, Rebecca Morales and María de los Angeles Torres, is the acclaimed product of the conference.  

Additional Publications, Activities and Honors

Frank Bonilla was a prolific writer and advocate of collaborative research among scholars of the Latino diasporas. He wrote, edited, co-authored or co-edited dozens of books, monographs, articles for refereed journals, and chapters in edited books. He delivered papers internationally on human rights, minority experiences in the U.S., and research methodologies; encouraged cultural and educational exchange programs between the U.S. and Caribbean countries; and acted as confidant and critic to countless aspiring scholars and community organizers.

Among his many honors, Bonilla received the Distinguished Alumni Award from CCNY in 1972 and the Ralph C. Guzmán Award of the American Political Science Association in 1986 for Excellence in Scholarship and Service to the Profession. He was recognized by Mercy College in 1987 and by the University of Washington, D.C. in 1993 with Doctor of Letters Honors Causa Awards, by Hunter College with the President's Medal in 1993, and by the Council of Dominican Educators with its Service Award also in 1993. In 2003, he was the first recipient of the Public Intellectual Award of the Latino Studies Section of the Latin American Studies Association; and the Award was subsequently named after him.

Retirement Years: Family, Recreation, and Ongoing Intellectual and Political Concerns

Bonilla has been a central figure in his large, extended family. Among his three children, five grandchildren, great grandchild, siblings, and many nieces and nephews, he is known to cherish family gatherings and to give generously of his time to his loved ones. He spoke proudly of the "mosaic of kinship" in his family that depicted the "multiracial reality of Puerto Ricans and other Latinos as well as Afro-Americans that is now exploding in the U.S." Though the passions that drove him to apply his intellectual talents to the pursuit of justice left Bonilla with little time for leisure, his recreational pastimes included swimming, fishing, biking, reading, and writing. For some years in the 1980s and 1990s, he enjoyed these pleasures at his home in Montauk, on the East End of Long Island, New York.

Though formally retired by the late 1990s, Dr. Bonilla continued to emphasize the importance of promoting Latino academic and policy research capabilities and bringing Latino voices and perspectives into the U.S. foreign policy arena. In his words, "we must continue to seek a place within the university from which to articulate the social and intellectual problems of our community while reaffirming the intent to define and control our own intellectual agenda.... To create new knowledge and quickly and comprehensibly transfer it to a long-denied community is the principal goal of all our effort...."

Sent by Walter L. Herbeck Jr. wlherbeck@gmail.com

 

Eddie Galvan
Music Teacher
1927-2011

Mimi, Recently a Hispanic high school band director Eddie Galvan passed away.  He was an inspiration to many of his students in this community.  I wrote the following letter to the editor and it was published on Feb 22, 2011.   
 
Sent by Esther Bonilla Read, Director
Pan American Round Table of Corpus Christi, TX 

"Una Para Todas y Todas Para Una"
"One For All and All For One"

Influence

When I first came to teach in this city, a friend took me to a high-school football game. Having just graduated from a university I had seen many a halftime show at football games during my four years in college.

However, this halftime show surprised me. A band appeared on the football field running and moving their white gloved hands in a vertical fashion. The spectators rose and loudly cheered. I, too, became excited.

A voice on the loudspeaker wailed, “The Miller High School Buccaneer Band.” More cheers. The band performed and the crowd yelled and clapped enthusiastically. I asked about this band, and that was when I first heard the name Eddie Galvan, the band director at Miller.

Years later I heard his name again in the form of testimonies: A young man told me, “I was going down the wrong path when I was in high school. Mr. Galvan took me aside and told me to join the band. That was when I straightened out my life.”

A grandmother told me, “He was our musical father. He took us — many students didn’t have much — and he told us if we worked hard, we could win contests and earn awards. We believed him and it happened. I can’t even put it into words.”


 
I also heard the following terms: “teamwork; working hard; aiming high; we were a family.” What I was hearing was that Eddie Galvan, through his role as a band director, was teaching life skills, attitudes and approaches that would help them succeed in the future.

Esther Bonilla Read

 



Jack D. Forbes, Scholar, Educator
1934-2011



Mil gracias to Professors Inés Hernández-Ávila and Carlos Muñoz, Jr. for sending us these essays of remembrance in honor of the late great scholar Jack D. Forbes.  We copy and include the essays and photograph they forwarded today and earlier. 
I can say that I met Jack Forbes only once at UC Davis at a conference that Inés and others of her colegas at UC Davis organized.  This was in the mid-1990s.  And yes, I do recall there being a poetry reading in the evening in which I too joined the chorus of voices who read and shared our spirits in the conference's final event.  Jack Forbes read some of his poetry and it was in some ways a coming home of sorts for me to have very humbly shared the same forum as he.  I can't say that I knew him, but at least our paths met for that fleeting moment. 
I thank Inés for that cherished invitation.

I say this as a Chicano historian who read his first historical essay on Chicano history from the journal Aztlán at a time 
when my older siblings were attending Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde, Texas, during the early 1970s while I was still in high school in Eagle Pass.  These were essays they had received as assigned reading in some of their courses and the issues of  Aztlán were included among the volumes at home resting on the small bookshelf along with the World Book Encyclopedia.  When I later graduated and attended Brown University in 1974-75 working 20 hours per week in Brown's cafeterias as a work-study student to earn the break-even cash needed to pull through the semesters, I was fortunate to read in that first year two "books" in Chicano history.  Purchased at the Doorwar Bookstore, a wonderful place on Thayer Street, I purchased and read Armando Rendón's Chicano Manifesto and Jack D. Forbes's, Aztecas del Norte.  We were Aztlán, a people with a history.

Much reading had preceded the reading of Aztlán and these two classic books in the small border town where I grew up and in whose public library I read countless books whose titles I cannot possibly recall today.  But reading Chicano history was a new experience and it occurred around the time that I was a sophomore in high school and later a freshman in college.  Jack Forbes was part of this new reading and newfound world of Chicano history.  Many of us became Chicanos in college and it happened during our first semester in college not later.  We went on to organize Brown's first Latino student organization during the fall of 1974 and conducted a Third World student strike in the spring of 1975 that included taking over the administration building.  We were on our way.  In reading early Chicano history texts we who were 18-19 years old learned that history is something that's lived every day.  We acted on the basis of this new knowledge empowered with notions of our own humanity and Aztlán in our hearts.  Le deseamos buena jornada a Jack.

Roberto R. Calderón

A Tribute to Jack Forbes from Ines Hernandez-Avila
Department of Native American Studies, University of California, Davis

Dear community: 

As I meditated on what to write about the passing of my colleague, Jack D. Forbes, some of my first thoughts were of his poetry and of something the late Sarah Hutchison, another of the founders of our program, used to say about him. She mentioned to me several times, “You know, Inés, Jack really wants to be known as a poet.” As I remembered her words, I thought about Jack’s joy, his gusto, at participating in poetry readings, at his enthusiasm for hearing other people’s work, at his urging of me to publish the pieces I was reading, “because they need to be out there,” he would say. He created songs in his poetry, chants, rhythms, movements. This elder, warrior, scholar-activist, incredible leader, was a poet. So I would like to begin with an excerpt of a poem in which he talks about the Los Angeles neighborhood where he grew up:

Eagle Rock
the spirit is still there
somehow
in Mother Earth
when you can see
snow-covered Mt. Wilson
on a clear day
the spirit
of the Eagle
is still there

El Aguila vive![2]                   

Así es.  This is how it is.  The eagle lives.  El Aguila vive.  He is this eagle, and now we must look up high to the spirit world to know that he is still there.  But he is journeying and for now we must wish him Godspeed, which is what so many of us here and across the country are doing for him at this time. 

Jack was a remarkable human being.  I remember the first time I saw that he received his Ph.D. in 1959, which made my head spin.  In 1959 I was 12 years old and yet he never seemed that much older than me.  But when I learned that he was born in 1934, I understood that he achieved the doctorate at the age of 25, and I realized what a precocious child he must have been. His poetry tells us of a childhood growing up in the mixed-race “depression flats of / South El Monte” in a home his parents built with their own hands, his father “working so hard” to earn a living, “always trying / Something new.”[3]  Jack himself sold “salve from house to house / before [he] was eight” which earned him a telescope “to look at / things far away and near,”[4] a practice he carried into adulthood.  He grew up close to the earth, the smells, the feel, the expanse of sky and earth and all that lived in those worlds.  He writes, “I could lay in the grass / and have / Little baby ducks or geese / crawl under me / They followed me all around / thinking I was their mother.”[5]  He writes straight from the heart to tenderly sustain the memory of this cherished early life, in loving tribute to his parents, and to what they provided.  His refrain is “Earth-child I am / always free and wild.”[6] 

This makes sense to all who knew him.  And he stayed consistent.  He was a man of learning who looked far and near, or to use the expression of his colleagues and students, he was a “walking library.”  He demonstrated unfailingly that his intellect held worlds of information from likely and unlikely sources, and that he delighted in pursuing inversions, uprooting contradictions, finding anomalies, subverting dogmas, and like his father “trying something new.”  One of the many significant works that represents his unswerving determination to uncover and recover is The American Discovery of Europe (University of Illinois Press, 2007). 

As Jack wrote, “I suppose I am searching for practical things / And impractical things / Searching for meanings / For experience/ For answers to internal questions . . . / For more noble things . . . / To find myself I search / To find my soul I search.”[7]  Perhaps this search for himself led him to pursue one of his greatest legacies as a scholar.  We are known throughout the country and beyond for our hemispheric approach to Native American and Indigenous Studies.  To say that Jack is one of the beloved founders of our hemispheric program is not enough—this man of magnificent vision, with a poet’s heart, devoted his life’s work, passionately, brilliantly, as a true great spirit, with all the power of his words and actions, to finding indigenous peoples, recognizing them, celebrating their faces and hearts in all their colors.  For him, “indigenous” is everlastingly embracing, generous, loving.  This is the heart of his legacy. 

As a scholar and a creative writer, Jack remained steadfast to expanding the idea of “Who is an Indian?” With books like Aztecas del Norte: Chicanos de Aztlan (Fawcett Publications, 1973) and Africans and Native Americans: The Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black Peoples (University of Illinois Press, 1993), he used all of his immense critical, scholarly skills to put in relief how racial/ethnic identities are formed, by whom and for what purpose, questioning, unlayering, untangling, asking us eloquently to see what he was seeing.  One of my first memories of him is hearing his important refrain about how the West, the United States in particular, always “finds African Americans and loses Indians,” referring, of course, to the way drops of blood have historically been manipulated to discriminate in such highly politicized and deliberate ways.  A major part of his life’s work was to expose these lies and prevent the ongoing erasure of indigenous peoples.  It is not by accident that Aztecas del Norte was published in 1973 during the period when our hemispheric program was taking shape and the DQU project was being articulated as a College of the Americas.  Jack was honored throughout his life for the inspiration he gave to so many Chicanas/os around the issue of their indigenous roots.  Africans and Native Americans was published in another landmark year of our program, the year that we achieved departmental status and established our Designated Emphasis as a step towards our graduate program.  At the start of Africans and Native Americans, Jack writes of the way the spirit-powers from Africa established relationships with the spirit-powers of the Americas, coming to mutual and respectful understandings.  In both of these studies, he turned his scholarly and heart’s eye to a radical reassessment of institutionalized formations of identity. 

In his creative production as well, Jack collapsed contemporary borders in favor of recalling ancient landscapes and early trade, cultural, social, linguistic relations; he was often poignant and acutely direct in his narratives. The title short story in Only Approved Indians Made in the USA (University of Oklahoma Press, 1995) is about a basketball tournament in which the Tucson team is disqualified because the players, a Tarahumara from Mexico and a Yaqui, and some Papagos, don’t have BIA enrollment cards.  The officials decide that the Tucson team members “are not Indians within the meaning of the laws of the government of the United States.”[8]  The irony in Jack’s story is that the Tucson players are all dark young men with long black hair.  The opposing team from the Great Lakes are lighter-skinned but they “are all land-based and federally recognized Indians (although living in a big Midwestern city) and they had their cards to prove it.”[9]  They are the ones who start the rumor that the Tucson players are “really Chicanos,”[10] that is, not Indians. In his novel, Red Blood, however, he pursues more of the intricacies of these identity issues and the ways in which racial/ethnic formations were intentionally established, enforced, perpetuated by the state and very often internalized by indigenous peoples throughout the hemisphere.  His eagle eyes give witness, meticulously, to these dynamics in his writing.

Because of all that he has accomplished and the way in which his voice has gone beyond any imposed borders or categories, Jack belongs to the world.  His spirit will live on with innumerable people on this campus and beyond, from local to regional, national, and international communities.  Certainly in Hart Hall, the impact of his passing is profound.*  Adalijiza Sosa-Riddell, professor emerita of Chicana/o Studies wrote a moving statement about Jack’s role in the community of scholar-activists who created the ethnic studies programs.  She concluded by saying, “I thank you, Jack, for always treating me as an equal partner in any struggle, for showing me respect, and for being a friend.  But most of all, I thank you for helping me understand that equality was not a gift to be awarded to me by those in power.  I must claim equality for myself.  I will keep a vigil for you on el Día de los muertos, for you are family.”  Isao Fujimoto, professor emeritus from Asian American Studies and Human and Community Development, also remembers the early years, saying, “To avoid getting hit by any ‘divide and conquer’ type approaches, he suggested that the financial support offered by the University to our ethnic studies programs be evenly divided. We could then build up from there, instead of wasting time on arguments like who was more deserving, etc.” Professor emerita of Women and Gender Studies, Judy Newton remembers Jack as “a force of nature,” writing, “I admired Jack for his incredible productivity, his willingness to speak out politically, and for the kindness and warmth that went into his admonitions and gestures of friendship and into his efforts to cross borders and to work with the collectivity that took shape.” 

            Michael Smith, Professor of American Studies, writes of his first memories of Jack, of how in meetings, “he watched everything with a serene but knowing look.  Every now and then he'd say something -- irreverent, sometimes wickedly funny, always straight to the point.  In a couple of sentences he could cut to the chase, aiming everyone's attention at the Real Issue with the sheer clarity of his words. You could feel the room shifting, like a creaky old ship struggling to change course.  All because of this one guy.”  Moradewun Adejunmobi, Professor of African American and African Studies, wrote, “What I remember about Jack was his continued involvement with the business of protecting ethnic studies at UC Davis, even after he retired. I’m not sure how many of the younger faculty realized he was actually a professor emeritus since he was often around and appeared so well informed. His knowledge of the institutional history of ethnic studies at UC Davis will be greatly missed.”  

            Of all the current administrators, Barbara Horwitz, Vice-Provost of Academic Personnel, knew him the longest, and she writes, “I was saddened to see that Jack had died.  I always felt that Jack was a man of great integrity and I know that his commitment to the importance of research/teaching the history and culture of indigenous people has had a major impact on our campus as well as others.  There is no question that he will be missed.”  Griselda Castro, Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs, also someone who knew Jack for many years, wrote, “I first read Jack’s work when I was in high school during the sixties and greatly enjoyed working with him as a colleague at UC Davis.  He was and always will be a great spirit.” 

At the national level, Jeani O’Brien, President of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA), and Professor of History, University of Minnesota, says, “Indigenous studies scholars in so many places are mourning the loss of a towering figure, an intellectual, a leader in building indigenous studies in ways that have benefitted all of us in the indigenous world.  I think of him as such as bold thinker, courageous in his work, selfless, generous in building the infrastructure that we’re still working with.”  Lee Francis IV, National Director and President of the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, says, “The Wordcraft family is saddened by the news of Jack's passing.  He was a great supporter of Wordcraft Circle and he served on our National Caucus for many years.  He was a tremendous writer and mentor and we will always remember his talent, his wisdom, and his generosity. Blessings on his next journey!”  These are but two of the many voices, nationally and internationally, who we know are mourning his passing and remembering his tremendous contributions. 

In speaking of our program, it is good to remember how Jack considered David Risling, Jr., another of our founders, his elder brother.  Their relationship spanned forty years, and Jack always credited Dave with bringing him to Davis.  Barbara Risling, Dave’s widow, says the two had “a very good partnership on everything—Jack was the idea man, ideas way beyond what most people believed.”  She says that Jack was “kind, conscientious, and he stood up for people’s rights, he wasn’t afraid of anything.”  Jack considered Dave a tenacious fighter and warrior for the people, so the two were a match.  Add to the mix, Sarah Hutchison, herself a fierce woman warrior, and George Longfish, a passionate artist, and we have a formidable combination of elders who were the pillars of our program for decades.  Professor Emeritus Longfish is the last of these four, still practicing his art full-time in retirement.  What he remembers about Jack is his humanity, and that “in his heart he was always for the people.”  On a lighter side, one of George’s first memories of Jack is that when he first came to Davis, Jack took him on a trip to visit a reservation in the Southwest, which is when he learned of Jack’s love of the blues, because he would sing for what seemed like eight hours a day while they were on the road.     

Several other NAS faculty sent me comments for this tribute.  Martha Macri, Professor, former chair of the department, and the Yocha Dehe Chair in California Indian Studies, who will remember Jack as a dear friend and dinner companion, says, “He was an inspiration to so many of us.  I particularly appreciate his understanding that the story of Native Americans did not begin with European contact. Instead of ignoring the work of archaeologists, he used archaeological knowledge along with oral tradition to present a vibrant image of creative and intelligent Native populations throughout the Americas.” Zoila Mendoza, Professor, says: “One of the things I will most remember from Jack is his belief that change can be made and things can be done if we have a strong commitment to what we do. He inspired me to look at things differently using the perspective of indigenous people and their struggle to maintain and re-vitalize their world.  His encouragement was crucial in my decision to create a Quechua language and culture series.” 

Victor Montejo, Professor and former chair of the department wrote:

I arrived around 3PM [on Feb. 23] and stood at the side of his bed for three hours.  Carolyn was there with him and she said that he was on his way to the spiritual world.  I was so sad to see a great man, an extraordinary poet, writer and academic laying there with no more strength and breathing with difficulties ready to leave the material world behind.  I approached his bed and touched his forehead talking to him as a friend and colleague, a person that I admired and respect because of his contribution to the field and department in which I was hired.  Jack Forbes was a genuine warrior whose action and legacy are palpable for Native American colleagues and students here at UC Davis.

Victor met Jack at the first Returning the Gift, the first North American Native Writer’s Festival held in 1992 in Norman, Oklahoma.  Jack and Stefano Varese were the ones who invited Victor to apply for the UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, which is how Victor became a member of the faculty. 

Stefano Varese, Professor Emeritus and former chair of the department, wrote:

Querido and dear Jack,

Otra vez me ganaste la mano! Once more your trickster spirit won the race! Remember that in 1981 at the Russell Tribunal in Rotterdam we had compared ages and stages of life and agreed that our undertaking, although not difficult in essence, required immortality and that your commitment to unpopular causes and to justice and peace could be helped, like poetry, by the touch of love. You did it Jack, like the Blackfoot say: “Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way”. You are immortal, you were immortal already when we were young and you are teaching us, like Plato did many centuries ago, that “Death is not the worst that can happen to humanity”.  So long, Jack, hasta siempre. Stefano

Oaxaca, February 27, 2011 

I myself am deeply grateful to Carolyn Forbes for allowing me to say good-bye to Jack over the phone on the evening of February 23.  I had been ill so I didn’t want to visit the hospital, but I called and Carolyn said she was going to put the phone to Jack’s ear—she said, “He’ll hear you.”  I believe this way, too, so thank you again, Carolyn. 

There are countless students, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, that Jack impacted in his decades-long career.  When I think of him working with students I not only think of the knowledge he imparted, but of his humor, his wit, his ability, as Michael Smith said, “to cut to the chase.”  This humble tribute must simply say that there will be more to come from the ones whose paths he counseled, from the ones who received his learning.  

In reference to a new edition of Columbus and Other Cannibals, Jack wrote, in July 2008,

Wherever one is, one must be on a good path, a spiritually beautiful path, if one is to avoid being an exploiter or a beneficiary of aggression. This is not, however, a matter of dogma or adherence to a restrictive philosophy, but is simply a recipe for a good life where mistakes can and will be made, but can also be overcome by the discovery of a better path.[11]

In the Preface to the 1992 edition of this book, Jack honors and credits those who helped him find his good path, beginning with a loving tribute to his parents—his father who gave him “a legacy of authenticity which [he] hope[s] to pass on to [his] children” and his mother who gifted him with the love of “plants and growing things.”[12]  He also credits his Native American, Celtic, and Swiss ancestors for the inspiration they gave him, especially their examples of courage in the struggles for justice.  He voices his thanks and respect to all the animals in his life, “authors” themselves who taught him “a great deal about the joy and spontaneity of authentic life free from the pettiness or evilness sometimes found in the human world.”[13]  He thanks the trees and plants who have been “his great friends”, as well as his adopted uncle Antonio del Buono, for “his honesty, frankness, optimisim, and absolute immunity from pettiness or corruption”.[14]  And, he thanks Carolyn for her “spirituality, vigorous sense of justice, and deep understanding of pain and suffering [that] had a lasting impact upon [his] consciousness.”[15] He considers her co-author of the book.  In this preface, Jack speaks to the near in his life, what has made it possible for him to look far and wide, what gave him his roots, his grounding, his certainty, throughout his life. 

At the conclusion of Red Blood, Jack writes, “The time had come.  A woman had given birth to him.  Now it was the time to return to another mother-woman, the Earth, for the lessons that she and the other spirit-powers might bring, away from the people.”[16]  He writes this in relation to his character, Jesse, seeking a vision.  But it is a good to recognize that Jack himself is now on another good path of learning that has to do with the immensity of Spirit, his own and the Creator’s.  Dear Jack, as you walk in radiance, sing to your heart’s content, to your place of peace and grace.  Ometeotl. 

* The reference to Hart Hall has to do with the building where all the ethnic studies departments and program are housed, along with American Studies and Women and Gender Studies.  The six units have a history of working together in solidarity and supporting each other's autonomy. [1] The Eagle Lives! [2] From the poem “Memorias de Eagle Rock” by Jack D. Forbes, in the collection, El-Lay riots: Memorias de Ya-Town and Home Boy Poems (Bandon, Oregon: Kahonkok Press, 1992, p.29. [3] From the poem, “Earth Child Remembers,” ibid., pp. 10-11. [4] Ibid., p. 10. [5] Ibid., p. 9. [6] Ibid., p. 11. [7] From the poem, “The Search,” ibid, p. 16. [8] “Only Approved Indians Made in the USA,” in Only Approved Indians Made in the USA, p. 4. [9] Ibid., pp. 3-4. [10] Ibid., p. 3. [11] http://nas.ucdavis.edu/Forbes/CANNIBALS.html [12] Columbus and Other Cannibals, Autonomedia Press, 1992, p. 7. [13] Ibid., p. 8. [14] Ibid. [15] Ibid. [16] Red Blood (Penticton BC: Theytus Books, 1997), p. 212.


PRESS RELEASE - Jack D. Forbes Obituary & info (press release)
February 25, 2011

A Tribute to Professor Jack D. Forbes (Powhatan-Renape, Delaware-Lenape) (1934-2011)
By Steve Crum and Annette Reed, UC Davis


            A husband, father, family member, friend, colleague, mentor, and professor Jack D. Forbes (UCD Professor Emeritus), moved on to the Spirit World on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. 

            Survived by his wife Carolyn, his daughter Nancy O’Hearn, his son Kenneth Forbes, son-in-law Bill O’Hearn and grandson Jack O”Hearn.

            Born January 7, 1934, he lived an eventful life and left behind a visible and profound legacy. His impact was extensive.  Jack earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Southern California in 1959.  His doctoral dissertation, The Apache, Navaho, and Spaniard (1960), was published in a matter of months after earning his doctorate.  Jack went on to write numerous books and journal articles, and his scholarship represented pathfinding work and reflected the particular time in which he wrote.  For example, his book, <I Columbus and Other Cannibals (1992) was one of several books that focused on the Quincentennial (mainstream society's so-called 500 year anniversary of the supposed “discovery of America” or 500 years of survival, post-invasion) event of 1992.  His 1966 journal article, “An American Indian University: A Proposal for Survival,” Journal of American Indian Education) had a significance influence on the Tribal College Movement and was published two years before the creation of the first tribally-run college (the Navajo Community College; renamed Dine College in 1997).  Today, Native America now has 35 tribal colleges which enroll approximately 33% of the Native American postsecondary population.  Jack's article helped ignite the tribal college movement.  In 1970, he co-founded DQ University, an indigenous university/tribal college, located near Davis, California.

            In addition to his significant scholarship, Jack stepped forward and took a political position on various Native American issues.  He provided an important voice in the 1975 documentary, The Broken Treaty at Battle Mountain (narrated by movie actor Robert Redford) in which he asserted that the tribal people in Nevada had legal entitlement to roughly 85% of the land base in the state.  Much of this land base is classified as federal government land and labeled as Bureau of Land Management (BLM) domain.  Jack believed so strongly in his political positions that he was willing to go against the so-called authorities who wanted him to keep quiet.

            Jack emerged as one of the founding leaders of Native American Studies which began in 1969.  Well before this year, he advocated the establishment of Native American subject matter but faced deaf ears and opposition from mainstream higher education.  However, due to the political times--Affirmative Action, the takeover of Alcatraz Island, the larger Student Protest Movement of the 60s--Jack and several others were able to establish Native American Studies programs at different universities.  Thus, NAS programs came into existence at UC Davis when Jack was hired in 1969.  The creation of other NAS programs he influenced at that time included UCLA, UC Berkeley and the University of Minnesota.

            Before his retirement from UC Davis in the mid-1990s, Jack worked hard to create a strong Native American Studies program at UCD.  Through his effort, along with the support of his NAS colleagues, NAS at UCD became an academic department in October 1993.  Jack also began the creation of a graduate program which became reality in 1999 after his retirement.  However, before retiring he created a graduate seminar in the 1980s entitled “Native American Ethnohistory” (NAS 280).  This seminar still exists today.  He also pushed for another seminar, “Basic Concepts in Native American Studies” (NAS 200) which was first taught in the winter quarter 1994, some six years before the graduate program came into existence.

            Jack extended his academic career beyond the U.S. borders.  In 1980 -1981 he served as a Visiting Fulbright Professor at the University of Warwick, England.  He received the Tinbergen Chair at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam in 1984; was a Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology and Fellow of Linacre College at Oxford University, England in 1985-6; and a Senior Fulbright Scholar at the University of Essex, England in 1993.

            Although Jack retired in the mid-1990s, he never really retired.  He always made his presence known, both on and off campus.  He continued to take political stands on various issues and remained committed to his beliefs and convictions.  He gladly served on the committees of Native American graduate students at UC Davis, UC Berkeley and other universities.  His students hold him in high regard for his rich ideas and guidance.  As recent as the winter quarter 2009 he taught an NAS graduate seminar on Termination policies and their impact upon Native American populations.

            We will miss Jack. We respect him for his courage, humor, intelligence and humanity.  He will always remain in our hearts.

Written by Prof. Steven Crum, UCD and Prof. Annette Reed, CSUS


 

NATIONAL ISSUES

More Illegals entering through Canada, than Mexico
Pig Races in Texas
An American Muslim's View
Muslims rate US as better than their home country
Mrs. Sabaditsch-Wolff convicted of hate speech
Invasion by Sea
Utah immigration idea gets hearing in Arizona
Utah’s Immigration Bills – A Blast from the Past
Birthright ban could hamper U.S. military recruiting
Colorado underlines lopsided immigration debate 
Immigrants, not Australians, must Adapt

Ciudad Juárez and Mexico's 'Narco-Culture' Threat
San Francisco circumcision ban on November ballot

 

Editor: Information that is included in Somos Primos, under National Issues about Muslims, immigration, drugs, and our government is intended to alert citizens to events and activities which may be damaging to the well being of the United States of America. 


Editor:  It appears that more illegal are entering through Canada, than Mexico
http://www.canadaupdates.com/content/more-us-illegal-immigrants-enter-through-canada-mexico-16110.html


Editor:  Pig Races in Texas. . .  this is an interesting case.   A Muslim group has purchased land next to pig farm and is in the process of trying to force the family pig farm to move.   http://www.youtube.com/embed/dUr1NxJDC94?rel=0

 

 


Million Muslim March Set for July 4th, Washington, DC

The March 3rd pro-Sharia protest rally was postponed. It was suppose to be a call on President Obama to accept Islam and for America to come under Sharia law.  Instead the group has set up a website which clearly defines their goals for America.

 The site is called Shariah 4 America which closely resembles another group called Islam 4 UK which is now banned.  Go to their site for more understanding of their goals for America, 
including plans to demolish the statue of liberty and turn the White House into an Islamic place of worship. 

.http://shariah4america.com/

 

Material Support to Designated Entities Act of 2011

A crucial piece of legislation to prevent jihadist acts of terror is being considered now in Tennessee. The “Material Support to Designated Entities Act of 2011,” also known as House Bill 1353 and Senate Bill 1028, is on the cutting-edge of anti-terrorism legislation, because it would be the first of its kind to empower local and state law enforcement to deal with the enemy’s stated threat doctrine—the law of jihad, as enunciated in Islamic jurisprudence, or Shariah. 

The bill’s sponsor, Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), said “this bill does not interfere with the constitutionally protected rights of those who practice Shariah religious law.” Ketron added: “This is not about religious rights or about those who practice Islamic beliefs. It’s about protecting our citizens from acts of terrorism that come from Shariah jihad which is a growing threat in all our states.

The proposed law is on the federal material support of terrorism statute upheld recently by the US Supreme Court. The Court found that Americans found to be providing “training,” “expert advice or assistance,” “service,” and “personnel” to designated terrorist organizations constitute material support and, thus, would be in violation of the law. 

The second section of the bill, the legislative intent, states clearly that the target is a violent jihad-driven Shariah, not any peaceful Islamic religious practice. 

The final section is the criminal section, which makes it a crime to provide an identified terrorist organization with material support, again tracking the federal material support statute.


Both Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) were named by the U.S. Justice Department, as recently as November 2008, as a party to the financing of millions of dollars to the terrorist organization Hamas.

Source: http://www.hudson-ny.org/1941/tulsa-mosque-has-
extremist-ties


This is an amazing testimony of a terrorist Muslim conversion to Jesus Christ.  The Lord appeared to him.  Do watch it. .  it is beautiful.   http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/vod/AL32v1_WS

 

  An American Muslim's View :
Why Our Community Needs the King Hearings On Radical Islam by Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser


Representative Peter King’s (R-N.Y.) decision to hold hearings on American Muslim radicalization has presented an incredible opportunity to American Muslims. 

The course of radicalization over the past two years makes it exceedingly difficult for anyone to assert with a straight face that America is immune to the global Muslim radicalization problem. American Muslims must take the lead in creating solutions to the radicalization of our own. These hearings will provide the long overdue platform for us to step away from the standard denials and apologetics in order to reclaim our Muslim identity from the terrorists and redefine ourselves within the framework of the American pantheon.

The attacks of 9/11 brought the fight to our shores and woke us up to the reality of the global threat to American security and our very way of life. The attacks also redefined what it meant to be an American Muslim. 

For me, the attacks led to the creation of our American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) and mobilization of a lifelong mission to contribute to building the future of Islam for our children through liberty and freedom and the separation of mosque and state. The biggest obstacles to that legacy for American Muslims are Islamists, domestic and foreign advocates of the platform of political Islam. It is time for our diverse Muslim communities to reclaim our faith from the control of Islamists.

Without a paradigm shift in the way we address the issues of Islamist terror and ideology, I am ever more fearful of what lies ahead for American Muslims. Radicalization and terror are but a symptom of an underlying ideological conflict between modern western liberal democracy and the false dream of the Islamic state and its instrument of shar’iah law.

Most Muslim organizations seem to have spent the past decade building the American Muslim identity on a collectivization of American Muslims portrayed as victims of American racism instead of benefactors of American freedom. They have fed into the global narrative that America is at war with Muslims and Islam. They are obligated to do that with their allegiance to the myopic platform of political Islam and the collectivization of Muslims.

American Muslim communities have suffered one of the greatest cases of identity theft in U.S. history. American Muslims are allowing their identity to be hijacked by Islamists including the radicals, the victimologists and contrarily to a growing anti-Islam movement. The sad part is that the first two are from within our own community and give credibility to the third. Congressman King’s hearings may finally present the opportunity to demonstrate the ideological diversity of American Muslims.

We have seen a tremendous surge in the number of attacks from Islamist radicals on US soil. American Muslims need to view the attacks of 2009 and 2010 as just as earth shattering as 9/11. The continuum of radicalization in America is hard to miss with acts of treason by Faisal Shahzad, Mohamed Osman Mohamud, and Umar Abdulmuttalab, and the massacre at Fort Hood committed by Major Nidal Hasan. 

We have also seen the breakup of terrorist cells in every corner of the United States from Los Angeles to Baltimore. American Muslim communities need to seize the opportunity that was missed with 9/11. We need to reclaim our identity and define for ourselves a continuum of liberty that is the only way to counter the separatism of political Islam that ultimately ends in radicalization.

As the contest of ideas grows in the struggle for the very souls of Muslims, the continuing acts of Muslim radicals make me fear for the future that my children will inherit. Americans are still waiting to see a palpable counter-Islamist movement from within the House of Islam. If their patience wears too thin, the response may turn visceral and further constrain reform activism.

That movement must build institutions that advocate and disseminate ideas that provide a liberty-based alternative to Islamism. Those ideas must be the substance of our paradigm shift toward internal change.

I believe that the “silent majority” of American Muslims are here to embrace the freedom that America guarantees and reject the ideology of political Islam, its theocracy, and shar’iah that at its core threatens the very existence of American freedom. This silent majority must define a Muslim identity rooted in freedom of thought, separation of mosque and state, and disavow the entire construct of the Islamic state and the necessity for shar’iah in government.

We must transmit to our children a love for America and its founding principles in addition to a love of God and our personal faith of Islam. Muslims can better practice Islam in an environment that universally protects the rights of every individual to practice their faith as they choose much better than one labeled by man as “Islamic”. Universal religious freedom is an absolute requirement for the free practice of all faiths.

While shar’iah means God’s law too many Muslims, the reality is that when it is applied by government it is manmade law. We must convince Muslims that governments and legal systems based in reason and the separation of mosque and state are preferable to those based in shar’iah. No matter how “democratic” a shar’iah based system is presented, its entire foundation is predicated on a supremacist ideology, familiar only to Muslims, that is incompatible with the US Constitution and universal religious freedom. The purest practice of Islam is one in which Muslims have complete freedom to accept or reject any of the tenants or laws of the faith.

Defining the Muslim identity as an Islamist, a salafist, a jihadist or a wahhabist can no longer be acceptable to a moderate Muslim at home with American liberty. We Muslims must step away from history and redefine the moderate Muslim to our youth as someone who embraces Islam and liberty. The future of American Security depends upon Muslims mustering the courage to dissect the Islamic ideas that fuel volatile separatism from a modern Islam that we want to leave our children.

Representative King’s hearings are the springboard American Muslims have needed. This platform will set the stage to begin the hard work of internal reform necessary to defeat the ideology of Islamism that is the root cause of radicalization.

Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a medical doctor and a former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, is the founder and president 

March 09, 2011  | FoxNews.com
Sent by Susannah Taylor  

 

 

Muslims rated the United States as better than their home country
In a message dated 3/10/2011 11:01:24 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, editorial@publicagenda.org
 
In Public Agenda's survey of immigrants, A Place to Call Home, we found virtually no signs that large numbers of Muslim immigrants feel disaffected from America-far from it. Nine in 10 (92 percent) Muslim immigrants said the United States would be their permanent home, compared to 69 percent of all other immigrants. Some 68 percent were already U.S. citizens. Six in 10 said they were "extremely happy" in the United States, compared to 33 percent of other immigrants.
 
And the reasons? Muslims rated the United States as better than their home country on:
 
"Having a legal system you can trust": 80 percent of Muslims said the U.S. does a better job here, compared to 69 percent of other immigrants
"Having a free and independent media": 80 percent of Muslims said the U.S. is better, compared to 54 percent of other immigrants, a 26-point difference
"Having a good education system": 78 percent of Muslims give the U.S. the edge, compared to 62 percent of other immigrants
"Having a higher standard of morality": 64 percent of Muslims say the U.S. has a higher standard, against 48 percent of other immigrants
 
This doesn't mean that there are no Islamic radicals or disaffected Muslims in America. But it does mean that fears of widespread disaffection among Muslim immigrants are overblown. This is not the profile of a restless, unhappy group looking for radical change. These are people who, by significant margins, believe they made the right choice coming to this country. And as the debate continues, that's something to remember - and something to feel proud about.

 

 Mrs. Sabaditsch-Wolff convicted of hate speech
An Austrian court has convicted Mrs. Sabaditsch-Wolff on the charge of hate speech. "Mrs. Sabaditsch-Wolff insists there has never been "any hate speech in [her] seminars," and that no one, based on the evidence, could ever have thought that there had been. The judge agreed, saying, "The language used in the seminars [was] not inciting hatred, but the utterances regarding Mohammed and pedophilia were punishable." Because, it would seem, these were colloquial rather than strictly in accordance with the medical definition of the term".

"The court did not find that she had made her comments maliciously: "I am the first Austrian ever to have been convicted of the hate speech charge," she notes, "I was not found guilty under the hate speech charge [paragraph 2, 83, section two]." Instead, the charge of denigration of religious teaching was introduced after the court proceedings were underway, apparently to ensure a guilty verdict. Denigration has a lower burden of proof than hate speech."

"Defending the doctrines, beliefs, and figures of various "legally recognized" religions is liable to have unanticipated consequences. As Mrs. Sabaditsch-Wolff observes, "the judge didn't deny that Mohammed had sex with a nine year old. It is actually now proven in court that Mohammed had sex with a nine year-old." However, she says, "it's just that I am not allowed to say that he was a pedophile." Mrs. Sabaditsch-Wolff is not allowed to, because, in the words of the judge, as she passed sentence, "pedophilia is a sexual preference which solely or mainly is directed towards children. Nevertheless, it does not apply to Mohammad. He was still married to Aisha when she was 18." 

Source: by A. Millar March 8, 2011 at 5:00 am
http://www.hudson-ny.org/1946/austria-law-guilty-questioning-islam 


  Invasion by Sea

U.S. Seeks to Counter Maritime Smugglers
by Brittany Levine, The Orange County Register
March 5, 2011

 

U.S. Border Patrol agents plan to increase their Orange County presence as maritime smuggling of people and drugs is on the rise, officials said. 

"You’re going to see a lot more Border Patrol agents in your area," Steve McPartland, supervising agent at the Border Patrol station south of San Clemente, told about 60 people at a town hall meeting Thursday night in Dana Point. 

Border Patrol agents want local residents to look out for panga boats like this one photographed April 14 at San Onofre State Beach. The patrol’s San Diego sector plans to increase its presence in Orange County as more immigrant smugglers land on the county’s coast. More than 20 people from this boat were detained.
 
It was the first time the Border Patrol had held a meeting to address its new battle on the sea following at least four recent apprehensions at local beaches of groups of people suspected of sailing to the country illegally. In one those cases, Feb. 15, agents apprehended 18 Mexican nationals in a boat off Dana Point. That was a day after a similar group was apprehended at San Onofre State Beach. 

Officials point to tighter scrutiny of land borders as a cause for the new sea smuggling routes. They say that despite the rise in illegal operations on the water, the overall number of people trying to enter the country illegally has dropped. 
The Border Patrol’s San Diego sector, which covers San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties, has held many town halls in border towns to talk about how to report suspicious activity connected to land crossings. But now agents are preparing coastal communities to do the same and described Dana Pont Harbor as an optimum spot for smuggling. 
"Quite frankly, we can’t be everywhere at once," McPartland said. 

He flipped through a slide show of images of panga boats, water scooters and sailboats, all of which could be used by smugglers. In fiscal 2010, which began in October 2009, federal agents apprehended 867 people coming in from the sea, according to Border Patrol records. In fiscal 2009, maritime apprehensions were about half that, and a quarter as much the year before. Paul Beeson, chief patrol agent of the San Diego sector, said apprehensions are likely to reach beyond 2010's numbers this year. 
The boats often start at Rosarito Beach, Mexico, go out 40 miles and then head north. Many stop on the San Diego coast, but recently more are stopping along the 42 miles of Orange County coastline, often in the pre-dawn hours, with the occupants rushing toward vehicles ready to spirit them away. 

"Orange County has become the issue now. It’s the center of the action," McPartland said. 
If you see a small boat, a life vest or gas cans and other fuel containers along the beach, report it, agents said. 
And while human smuggling is increasing onshore, more drugs are being transported in ultra light aircraft – a common occurrence along the Arizona border that is creeping into California as well, officials said. Pleasure boats also are beginning to be used more for drug transport because they are unexpected, McPartland said. 

http://www.ocregister.com/news/border-290703-patrol-agents.html

Contact writer: blevine@ocregister.com or twitter.com/danapointnews 

  Utah immigration idea gets hearing in Arizona
By Elizabeth Stuart 
Deseret News (March 2, 2011) 
For months, Utah legislators have argued for and against following in Arizona's footsteps in immigration reform. Now some in Arizona are looking to the Beehive state for leadership. 

A citizen advisory board in Mesa, Ariz. - hometown of the author of the infamous SB1070 , which makes illegal immigration a state crime - is considering drafting a document similar to the Utah Compact, the Arizona Republic reported. 

Mesa's Human Relations Advisory Board, which advises the City Council, voted unanimously to assign the matter of an "Arizona Compact" to study by subcommittee. The board's job is to examine and make policy recommendations on issues of civil rights and diversity. 

"We want to be thoughtful, deliberative and purposeful in our assessment so that if we make a recommendation to the City Council, they know we have done our homework," said Rory Gilbert, a member of the Human Relations Advisory Board. 

Thus far, the City Council has been "leery" of commenting on the issue, the Arizona Republic reported. In the meantime, according to the New York Times, Arizona State Sen. Russell Pearce is pushing for a bundle of immigration measures that may make SB1070 "look mild." 

Somos Republicans, an Arizona-based Hispanic lobbyist group, has been pushing for an Arizona Compact since December as part of a campaign to get all states in the union to heed Utah's example. Legislators in Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Maine and Indiana have already crafted their own versions of the Utah Compact. 

"There is a wave of anti-immigrant policies being implemented, and we want to remind the American people what made America great," the Somos Republicans announced on its' web site . "The State of Utah set a fine example of how the topic of immigration should be discussed." 

Sent by Walter Herbeck 
wlherbeck@gmail.com



UTAH'S IMMIGRATION BILLS - A BLAST FROM THE PAST
By David Bacon
In These Times, web edition
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/7098/utahs_immigration_bills_a_blast_from_the_past 

OAKLAND, CA (3/17/11) -- Last week the Utah legislature passed three new laws that have been hailed in the media as a new, more reasonable, approach to immigration policy. Reasonable, that is, compared to Arizona's SB1070, which would allow police to stop anyone, demand immigration papers, and hold her or him for deportation. The Utah bills were signed by Republican Governor Gary Herbert on Tuesday, March 15. Arizona's SB 1070 is currently being challenged in court.

Utah's bills were called "the anti-Arizona" by Frank Sharry, head of America's Voice, a Washington DC immigration lobbying firm. According to Lee Hockstader, on the Washington Post's editorial staff, the laws are "the nation's most liberal - and most reality-based - policy on illegal immigration."

The Utah laws, however, are not new. And they're certainly not liberal, at least towards immigrants and workers. Labor supply programs for employers, with deportations and diminished rights for immigrants, have marked U.S. immigration policy for more than a hundred years. 

One bill would establish a state system to allow employers to bring people from the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon as "guest workers." Under this program, workers would have to remain employed to stay in the country. They would not have the same set of labor and social rights as people living in the communities around them. 

Another bill would give undocumented workers now living in Utah a similar guest worker status, 
lasting two years. The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) says the third bill, the Arizona 
look-alike, "requires police to interrogate individuals and verify their immigration status in a wide array of situations, promoting harmful and costly incentives for law enforcement to racially profile."

Utah, like most states in the west and Midwest, has been down this road before. From 1930 to 1935, 345,839 Mexicans were deported from the U.S. Last year alone, the Federal government deported almost 400,000. Even given the growth in population, this is greater than that Depression-era wave.
In those years "the climate of scathing anti-Mexican sentiment created intense polarization, producing a sweeping suspicion of foreigners ... which linked housing congestion, strained relief services and social ills to the large presence of Mexicans," recounts Zaragosa Vargas, professor at the University of North Carolina. 

Most immigrants in Utah were farm workers, many laboring in sugar beet fields for the Mormon-backed Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. Their wages were so low that families went hungry 
even when they were working. When beet workers in nearby Colorado tried to organize a union and 
went on strike, Vargas says their communities were targeted with deportations.Then World War Two created a labor shortage. To supply workers to growers at low wages, the government started the bracero contract labor program, bringing immigrants first into the beet fields of Stockton, California, and then into the rest of the country in 1942

Braceros were treated as disposable, dirty and cheap. Herminio Quezada Durán, who came to Utah from Chihuahua, says ranchers often had agreements between each other to exchange or trade braceros as necessary for work. Jose Ezequiel Acevedo Perez, who came from Jerez, Zacatecas, remembers the humiliation of physical exams that treated Mexicans as louse-ridden. "We were stripped naked in front of everyone," he remembers, and sprayed with DDT, now an outlawed 
pesticide. Men in some camps were victims of criminals and pimps. Juan Contreras, from Tuxtla 
Gutierrez, Chiapas, tactfully recalls that "in Utah, women often went to the camps, and they were rumored to be especially fond of Mexican men."

During the war, Utah-Idaho Sugar first used labor from the Japanese internment camps in Minidoka, Idaho; Topaz, Utah; and Heart Mountain, Wyoming. When that wasn't enough, they brought in braceros. In the 1950s, at the height of the cold war that followed, the combination of enforcement 
and contract labor reached a peak. In 1954 1,075,168 Mexicans were deported from the U.S. And from 1956 to 1959, between 432,491 and 445,197 braceros were brought in each year. 

The civil rights movement ended the bracero program, and created an alternative to the deportation regime. Chicano activists of the 1960s - Ernesto Galarza, Cesar Chavez, Bert Corona, Dolores Huerta and others - convinced Congress in 1964 to repeal Public Law 78, the law authorizing the bracero program. Farm workers went on strike the year after in Delano, 

California, and the United Farm Workers was born. They also helped to convince Congress in 1965 to pass immigration legislation that established new pathways for legal immigration - the family 
preference system. People could reunite their families in the U.S. Migrants received permanent 
residency visas, allowing them to live normal lives, and enjoy basic human and labor rights. 
Essentially, a family- and community-oriented system replaced the old labor supply/deportation 
program.

Today Congress, and now the states, are sliding back into those cold war ideas. That slide didn't start in Salt Lake City. For five years Congress has debated, and almost passed, bills that would have done the same thing -- vastly increase immigration enforcement and set up huge new guest worker programs. Some undocumented people might have been able to gain legal status with those bills, but most proposals would have forced them into a temporary status, a la Utah.

This combination was defended by Michael Chertoff, secretary of Homeland Security under President Bush. "There's an obvious solution to the problem of illegal work," he said, "which is you open the front door and you shut the back door." "Opening the front door" refers to guest worker programs, and "closing the back door" means heavy immigration enforcement.  The Council on Foreign Relations proposed the same goals when President Obama took office. "We should reform the legal immigration system," its 2009 report advocated, "so that it operates more efficiently, responds more accurately to 
labor market needs, and enhances U.S. competitiveness." At the same time, "we should restore the integrity of immigration laws through an enforcement regime that strongly discourages employers and employees from operating outside that legal system." This again couples labor at competitive, or low, wages, with an enforcement regime of raids and firings.

Sound like Utah? 
Congress never passed those "comprehensive immigration reform" bills of the last few years, but that is increasingly irrelevant. The guest worker and enforcement provisions provisions those bills contained are becoming the reality on the ground -- despite Congress' inaction. Today the number of 
deportations is rising. Thousands of undocumented workers are being fired from their jobs as part of the same enforcement policy. And in California, for instance, where only one grower historically used the federal H2-A guest worker program for farm workers, dozens are now using it today. 

Utah's bills simply follow the same pattern. Its guest worker bill was written by a dairy farmer. "The root of this discussion is productivity," according to the bill's sponsor, State Rep. Bill Wright. To this conservative Republican, no one, including citizens, have a right to a job. "People think because you're born here ... 'I have a right to that job, I'm going to charge what I want for my labor even if 
I'm not productive.' Wrong." 

But those immigrants don't have any rights to jobs either. And they better not try to organize and get more expensive. If they do, or they're just lazy and don't work, he warns, they "need to go."

The Utah bills were the product of negotiations, called the Utah Compact, between the Salt Lake Chamber, a statewide business group; and the Salt Lake City Police Department and mayor's office. The Mormon Church of Latter Day Saints and the Catholic Church signed off on it, as did some local immigrant advocates.

Other immigrant rights groups, however, warn the laws violate the Constitution. NILC's Marielena Hincapie calls the Utah laws "fundamentally unconstitutional. Taken together, the laws signify an even more sweeping state takeover of federal immigration regulation." NILC supports legislation legalizing undocumented people, and believes it must pass at a Federal level.

Some anti-immigrant nativists agree about the bills' unconstitutionality, but for different reasons. Dan Stein, president of the anti-immigrant Federation for American Immigration Reform, says, "States do not have the constitutional authority to write their own immigration policies." FAIR wants the Federal government to stop virtually all immigration and deport the 12 million undocumented people living in the U.S. It sees the Utah bills as a weak distraction, but supports Arizona's SB 1070, 
despite the fact it's a state law.

One prominent Washington DC immigration think tank, the Immigration Policy Center, also questions the constitutionality of state immigration bills. The IPC, however, supported the labor supply/enforcement tradeoff when it was contained in the Federal bills of the last few years. According to the IPC, "Enforcement strategies must be coupled with reform of our legal system of immigration in order to meet legitimate labor force needs."

This declaration, by one of the most powerful voices in Washington, goes beyond questioning the right of states to set immigration policy. It restates the purpose of immigration pollicy itself, tying enforcement (firings and deportations) to labor supply schemes (work visa programs).. This idea, it 
believes, should guide all immigration reform. The problem of the Utah bills, therefore, is not  that they run counter to that purpose. It is simply that they are state bills, not Federal ones.

Some immigration reformers, however, bellieve that the purpose iteself is wrong whether it's stated by the IPC, the Council on Foreign Relations, Michael Chertoff or Utah legislators. They argue for a different system, as Chicano and Asian activists did in the 1960s. For them, the purpose of immigration policy should be to give immigrants a way to come to the U.S with social equality and rights. Among these groups are the Binational Front of Indigenous Organizations in California and Oaxaca, Derechos Humanos in Tucson, Arizona, the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, and the AFL-CIO's constituency group for Latino workers, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. They've agreed on the basic principles of what they call the Dignity Campaign. People 
coming to the U.S. would have access to permanent residence, rather than being forced into guest 
worker programs. The current wave of  deportations and mass firings would be halted, while protections for labor and human rights would be strengthened. To diminish job competition in an era of high unemployment, the Federal government would establish programs guaranteeing a job for anyone wanting to work. And U.S. trade policy in countries like Mexico would stop promoting unemployment and poverty, which boost corporate profits but create the pressure for migration.

Some argue that these principles are not politically realistic - that today's Congress would never pass such a bill. But Utah's laws are no closer to enactment on a Federal level than are the Dignity Campaign. In reality, political movement towards immigration reform is deadlocked in Washington DC. No legislation in Salt Lake City will change that. 

But that's not really the purpose of the Utah bills. The state's legislators want to popularize an immigration policy that has strong corporate support and deep historical roots, in one of the most conservative, Republican states in the country. And they are well on the road toward accomplishing that.

For more articles and images, see http://dbacon.igc.org

See also Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants 
(Beacon Press, 2008) Recipient: C.L.R. James Award, best book of 2007-2008 
http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2002


See also the photodocumentary on indigenous migration to the US Communities Without Borders (Cornell University/ILR Press, 2006) http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4575 

See also The Children of NAFTA, Labor Wars on the U.S./Mexico Border (University of California, 
2004) http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9989.html 

David Bacon, Photographs and Stories http://dbacon.igc.org 

 

 

Birthright citizenship ban could hamper U.S. military recruiting

by Daniel González - Mar. 23, 2011 The Arizona Republic
Here is something to think about in terms of how it will impact the future of the US. Juan

Hundreds of thousands of children born to illegal immigrants every year would no longer be eligible to join the military if efforts to restrict birthright citizenship are successful.

That has some immigration experts concerned that ending birthright citizenship could exacerbate chronic shortages of U.S. troops and hamper national security in the future.

"What happens is, if you take all these people out of the (recruiting) pool, it's going to have a huge impact on the military," said Margaret Stock, a retired Army Reserves lieutenant colonel and immigration attorney in Anchorage, Alaska. She specializes in military cases and has testified before Congress on immigration issues related to the military.

About 350,000 children born in the U.S. in 2009 had at least one undocumented parent, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C. About 8 percent of all children born in the U.S. from March 2009 to March 2010 had undocumented parents, according to the center.

Based on those numbers, Stock estimates that the military could lose 8 to 10 percent of its recruits in the future. That would be a significant loss, Stock said, because the U.S. military is all voluntary and requires a large pool of people to produce enough qualified recruits.

Under legislation pending in several states and Congress, the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants would no longer be granted automatic citizenship. They would be considered illegal immigrants and therefore not be eligible to join the military. Currently, people who want to join the military must be at least a legal permanent resident. Last week, the Arizona Senate rejected bills aimed at limiting birthright citizenship, but supporters have vowed to pursue the measure.

Nearly 12 percent of enlisted men and women in the military are Latinos, according to the Defense Department.

"(For Hispanics) serving in the military is a point of pride, culturally," Stock said. "The Pentagon has done longitudinal studies on immigrants in the military showing they are more likely to join than native-born citizens and stay in longer."

The Army Junior ROTC program in the Phoenix Union High School District is especially popular with Latino students, and many are the children of immigrants.

About 1,700 students participate in the program, and 80 percent are Latinos, said retired Lt. Col. Daniel Hink, director of Army instruction for the school district. About 78 percent of all 25,000 students in the district are Latinos.

Hink said that not all students who participate in the program join the military but that those who do often see it "as a stepping-stone to move forward."

"Generally speaking, people join the military for two reasons," Hink said. "They either join the military for an experience, leadership or a challenge, or they join the military for some sort of technical training they can use later in life or for college benefits."

The military does not keep track of how many members of the armed forces are children of immigrants, said Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

But Jeanne Batalova, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research center in Washington, D.C., estimates that of the 1,430,985 military personnel on active duty as of September, about 115,900, or 8.1 percent, were U.S.-born children of immigrants, both legal and illegal. The estimates are based on Department of Defense and U.S. Census Bureau data.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that he knows many immigrants serve in the armed forces but that it's unclear how ending birthright citizenship would affect the U.S. military.

"One of the great strengths of our military, from my perspective, is that we have opened the doors to immigrants to serve," Mullen said in response to a question from an Arizona Republic reporter while he was speaking this month at a forum at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in downtown Phoenix.

State Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who sponsored the House version of the Arizona birthright-citizenship bill, said any effect on the military is 18 years away. But if the recruitment pool were reduced, he said, the solution would be to increase the quota for legal immigrants.

"We can just as easily satisfy that demand with legal immigration as illegal, and, given the choice between legal and illegal, I will opt for legal anytime," Kavanagh said.

Stock agreed that restricting birthright citizenship would not directly affect the military right away. But the military has had trouble recruiting enough men and women in the past, and limiting birthright citizenship could make it harder in the future, Stock said.

She pointed out that the Defense Department has supported the Dream Act because it would increase the pool of possible military recruits. The legislation, first introduced in 2001, would allow undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. at a young age to gain citizenship if they served in the military or attended college. It failed again to advance in Congress in December.

"So, the Pentagon is not going to have recruiting problems immediately. They'll have recruiting problems 17 years away. But these are still things I think people should be concerned about," Stock said. "This is going to have a major demographic impact. We are already having major problems because we've got decades now of kids who can't join the military, the Dream Act kids."

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/03/23/20110323birthright-
citizenship-us-troops.html#ixzz1HRUrlA6V
  

Sent by Juan Marinez marinezj@anr.msu.edu



Colorado Latino lobby day underlines lopsided nature of immigration debate 
By John Tomasic | 03.03.11

Durango Rep. Ellen Roberts on Latino Advocacy Day
Photo by J. Boven
http://coloradoindependent.com/77781/colorado-latino-lobby-day-underlines-
lopsided-nature-of-immigration-debate

DENVER– When hundreds of Coloradans flocked to the capitol here Monday for the state’s fifth-annual Latino Advocacy Day, it was a rare recent instance in the state and around the country where support for policies that embrace immigration, U.S. Latino communities and the rights of undocumented residents stole the spotlight from support for policies that set deporting “illegals” and establishing border security as top priorities. 

Attendees rallied on the west steps of the capitol and then fanned into lawmaker chambers to talk about the issues that matter most to them this legislative session. Top of the list was opposition to the Arizona-style immigration laws introduced this year, which have mostly failed to gain traction, and support for a bill that would offer in-state college tuition to undocumented students. 

“I came here today because I know how much what goes on in this building can affect my life, my family’s life and my friends’ lives,” event speaker Cecelia Rodriguez told the Colorado Independent. “The most pressing and necessary bill we can pass is SB 126, the Colorado ASSET bill, which would make it possible for more graduating [high school] seniors in Colorado to attend colleges here.”

The ASSET bill is the work of Pueblo Democratic Senator Angela Giron, who received a hero’s welcome Monday as she moved through the capitol halls toward a committee room. The crowd cheered and Giron waved and then posed briefly for snapshots with supporters. 

A young woman named Laura from Durango came to see Republican Ellen Roberts, her district representative. Laura said she came to relate her experience as an undocumented Colorado high school graduate who now attends university in New Mexico, where she and all undocumented Colorado residents can pay in-state tuition. 

Giron and co-sponsor Mike Johnston say the ASSET bill would keep students like Laura in state and so, instead of draining resources, the bill would significantly add to the state’s bleeding higher education coffers. The bill sponsors have estimated that it would translate to roughly 900 more students attending colleges and universities here per year for a net gain of $2 million to $4 million. 

Roberts told Laura she was sympathetic but that she couldn’t support the ASSET bill.

“I completely understand what you are talking about but this [bill] doesn’t necessarily cover all of the costs [it would incur],” Roberts said. “The benefit to being a resident is in-state tuition and I know because I moved here and wasn’t a resident at the time and had to wait a certain period of time before I could get in-state tuition.”

Roberts added that she thought immigration policy was a matter best taken up on the federal level. 

The unloved Obama plan

The events in Denver came as President Obama unveiled a 2012 budget proposal that would increase funding for immigration enforcement and border security even while it would ratchet down funding for immigration services. Alternet’s Walter Ewing broke down the numbers. 

The budget for Customs and Border Protection would rise 3 percent to $11.8 billion; Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding would rise 1 percent to $5.8 billion; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would dip 5 percent to $2.9 billion. 

Lawmakers either criticized the proposal as an inefficient use of resources or lamented its lack of vision. 

Pro-immigration policy reform advocates who have been monitoring debate on the topic for years saw a deeper problem with the proposal. The fact that the president would seek to address the country’s inadequate immigration system by emphasizing punishment was as disappointing to them as it was unsurprising. 

Messaging matters 

At a University of Denver law school forum held last week sponsored in part by the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition the ACLU and Amnesty International, speakers lamented the lopsided nature of the current state of the debate, where firebrands on the right were pounding home simple messages that failed to adequately address the complexity of the issue.

DU graduate Chris Newman, legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said that there was reason to think the conversation might be at a low point and that it might now start to expand in more productive directions. 

“Current debate is at a standstill,” he said. “Policy is being worked out on the fly and on the ground… The good news is that the laws aren’t working and need modernizing and that that’s a point of agreement on all sides.”

He said the failure of the nation’s laws has created a sense of crisis and that, for many reasons, Congress can’t move to address it, creating a political vacuum into which local demagoguery has rushed and been raised onto the national stage. 

The prescription offered by leaders of the anti-illegal and/or nativist movement has benefited from clarity, Newman said, clarity on display most dramatically at the Arizona state house but also here at the capitol in Denver and in Washington. The goal is to pass laws that add security and infrastructure along the border with Mexico; that work to remove undocumented residents either forcibly or by creating legal hurdles and hassles that spur them to “self deport”; and that limit the number of foreign-born people who can enter the country.

By comparison, the pro-immigration reform side is burdened by complexity. Leaders agree on establishing a fair path to citizenship for undocumented residents but, beyond that, questions dominate. What sort of path to citizenship? Who should be allowed to immigrate to the county and in what numbers? What level of immigration enforcement is adequate? Should enforcement stop at the border and with federal authorities? What would efficient reliable guest-worker programs look like? What kind of labor laws should govern those programs and how will they be enforced? 

Living in Arizona

Attempts to address these questions tend to lead away from demagoguery, said Alfredo Gutierrez, former president of the Arizona State Senate. In the present debate, so many issues are not being talked about in the kind of nitty-gritty way that leads lawmakers to introduce policy that can be implemented and tweaked to solve the problems most Americans agree exist and need to be solved. 

“You don’t want to live in a place like Arizona. You don’t want to go down that road,” he said. “What we think of as abhorrent in other parts of the country– neo-Nazis marching to the capitol, racial profiling, prison camps in the desert, laws restricting medical attention for children unless they can produce papers– you don’t want that in Colorado. Hate is contagious.” 

He said the dominant reductive security-driven approach to immigration ends in the quest for enemies. It forces us to search for people who are the problem. The problem, however, is not only about the immigrants. It’s a problem with a long history, where U.S. policies over the course of hundreds of years alternately encouraged and discouraged immigration, celebrated our immigrant national culture while also setting up classes of favored and less favored immigrants. It’s a problem complicated by the fact that industry labor requirements have set immigration policy officially and unofficially for almost all of U.S. history.

The anti-immigration forces ask a simple question to which I have a simple response, Gutierrez told the packed law school crowd. 

“‘What part of illegal don’t you understand?’ they say. ‘What part of complicit don’t you understand?’ I say.” 


 

 Immigrants, not Australians, must Adapt . . Take It Or Leave It. 


Prime Minister Julia Gillard - Australia 

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.. 

Separately, Gillard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying she supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:  Immigrants, not Australians, must Adapt . . Take It Or Leave It.  

I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. ' 

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom' . 'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!' 

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.' 

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' 

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.' 

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.' 


"Speaking to a crowd of more than 10,000 immigrants waving Turkish flags and shouting "Turkey is Great!" in the German industrial city of Düsseldorf, Pro-Muslim Erdogan said. "We are against assimilation. No one should be able to rip us away from our culture and civilization. Our children must learn German, but first they must learn Turkish."

Source: Islam "Does Not Belong" in Germany by Soeren Kern
March 9, 2011 

http://www.hudson-ny.org/1947/islam-does-not-belong-in-germany



 
Ciudad Juárez and Mexico's 'Narco-Culture' Threat
By John P. Sullivan and Carlos Rosales
http://www.mexidata.info/id2952.html  February 28, 2011
 

·   The cartels may not seek a social or political agenda, but once they control turf and territory and effectively displace the state
they have no choice—they become “accidental insurgents”

·   The warehousing of huge quantities of drugs in Mexican border cities has resulted in an astonishing increase in drug addiction
across Mexico

Mexico’s drug war continues to spiral out of control with a seemingly never-ending list of attacks, atrocities, and escalating barbarism. Mexicans call it the inseguridad.  The narco threat to civil governance is characterized by violence, insecurity and impunity.

Nowhere exemplifies this toxic brew more than Ciudad Juárez—the most dangerous city in North America, perhaps the world.  Cd. Juárez, the border city across from El Paso, is a city under siege.  Cartels, gangs, and criminals of every stripe battle each other, the police and military, and at times attack civilians in a brutal “feral” cityscape.

The more things change the more they stay the same ... perhaps a cliché but when it comes to murder and Ciudad Juárez they coexist side by side.

Juárez has a checkered past when it comes to violence.  First it had a legacy of femicides—that is murders of women.  These still unsolved— and perhaps continuing—crimes and Juárez’s brutal undercurrents were memorialized in the fictional city of Santa Teresa in novelist Roberto Bolaño’s powerful novel 2666.  The violence and degeneration in Santa Teresa were horrific and surreal, yet they pale in the face of the actual state of Juárez today.

In 2010, over 15,000 persons were killed in Mexico’s drug violence. Over the past four years Mexico experienced nearly 35,000 narco- murders; nearly 10% of those occurred in Juárez last year.

The conflict accelerated in January 2008, when the Sinaloa Cartel went to war with its old partners in the Juárez Cartel, led by Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, for control of the city and the surrounding drug-distribution plaza. Both sides recruited cross-border (third generation street/3 GEN) gangs to wage their fight. The Juárez Cartel recruited Barrio Azteca while the Sinaloa Cartel recruited a rival gang called the Artist Assassins (Double A’s).

A surge of 45,000 troops and 5,000 federal police failed to stem the tide.  As a consequence, every day is a virtual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).  Comparisons to Dante’s Inferno (El Infiero—also the name of a popular movie about cartel violence in Mexico) are not unwarranted.  In the words of Ioan Grillo, “If Dante had ever been to Juarez he would have placed it squarely in the seventh circle of hell, the one housing ‘violence’ and ‘ringed by a river of boiling blood.'"

The Body Count

How many homicides in Juárez in 2010? Depends on who you ask, estimates will vary by a few dozen.  According to Chihuahua state police 3,111 persons lost their lives in drug related violence. Frontera NorteSur, a New Mexico State University border news service, states the number could be between 3,075 and 3,156, depending on what law enforcement agency or media you source.  A safe estimate is 3,100 "Souls, Lives, Persons" DIED in organized crime and/or drug related violence in 2010.  Notable attacks included the murder of 16 teenagers at a party, 17 recovering drug addicts at a drug rehab center, and the March attack of a US consular employee and her husband as they left a children’s birthday party.

More than 30 Juárez municipal police officers lost their lives in a myriad of attacks.  Most were ambushed and shot while they patrolled or came to work.  The dead included both male and female officers.

A ‘Bloody’ New Year?

The Most Dangerous City in the World, as some have called this city of  more than a million residents, continues to earn its title on a daily basis in 2011.

With the New Year barely minutes old the race was on to beat last year's death toll of some 3,100 lives lost as Juárez's first homicide occurred when a lone male victim was shot to death in an empty lot at 1am January 1st.  Was it drug related? Probably, given the fact the victim was shot multiple times by what local police termed "a high powered weapon." Will the murder be solved?  Doubtful, given the fact that less than 20 percent of last year's homicides were solved, let alone few were arrested for the deaths.

As we write, the mayhem in Juárez continues: three days, 53 killed, including four cops….

In mid-February, 53 people were killed in a 72-hour span.  The attacks began Thursday (17 February) with 14 people killed, including a municipal police officer. On Friday—the most violent day—20 peoplewere murdered, including a municipal police officer who was killed by a carjacker.  Hours later, a state police investigator was executed on his drive home.  Saturday, a highway police officer was killed, among 19 others killed that day in separate shootings throughout the contested city.

In the first 40 days of 2011, Juárez is averaging eight homicides per day; in February, at least 24 women have been killed in 20 days.  (The femicides continue to provide a macabre backdrop to the narcocides.)

One manner in which some homicides were solved was to capture an alleged cartel or gang member and pin dozens of homicides on them. The suspect is alleged to be a "sicario" or assassin, and sent to the slammer to never be heard of again or as often happened last year, released after a few months when judicial panels find "discrepancies" in police reports or evidence that resulted in the suspect QUIETLY being released.  Impunity does compromise efforts to reform the criminal justice system.

Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on who you ask), tighter security along the US-Mexico border has slowed the smuggling of drugs through US Ports of Entry and across the porous border, forcing drug cartels to warehouse huge quantities of drugs in Mexican border cities.  The result?  An astonishing increase in drug addiction across Mexico.

So much so that local drug sales are beginning to account for a large portion of cartel profits.  The increase in addiction has also
contributed to a rise in robberies and other crimes in border cities.

New Crimes

With drug smuggling activities slowed members of the cartels and other organized crime groups have turned to other "means of support." Crimes like extortion and kidnapping have been added to the criminals' repertoire, making an already ruthless cutthroat business even more dangerous and bloodier.  Victims of levantones—kidnappings and extortion—range from well known politicians like former PAN party chief Diego Fernandez de Cevallos, who was kidnapped and kept for more than seven months and only recently released, to down-and-out panhandlers who sell fruit at street intersections and gunned down when they can't pay their daily quota to local gangs.

State Capacity and Feral Enclaves

Proceso called Cd. Juárez a place “Where the Narco rules.” Essentially, we are seeing a war of “all against all.”   Beheadings,
mutilations, low-tech car bombings (consider the 15 July 2010 attack on the Policia Federal), drive-bys, and fire-bombings or
assassinations of civil society actors punctuate the daily press.  Indeed, the press is victim to the violence as the cartels seek to
establish the agenda for public reportage.

Ciudad Juárez’s El Diario newspaper printed an editorial last year that asked Mexico’s drug cartels the question of what and what not is OK to publish? The editorial, published a day after the funeral of one its photographers who was murdered during his lunch break, essentially asked, “What can we publish?”  This implicitly acknowledged the agenda-setting and latent political power of the cartels in the battle for Mexican social space.

The cartels are effectively engaged in a “power-counterpower” battle with the state. Call it subversion of information operations—the  result is the same.  Cartels are a de facto challenge to state capacity —whether they seek to or not.  “Mexico’s criminal groups are fighting not only for the control of physical territory but also for control of information in many areas of the country,” according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Is Mexico a failed state? Many (especially those on the ground in  contested colonias) would say yes, given the fact that several cartels like La Familia survived and grew by becoming a warped version of Robin Hood (acting as social bandits) to thousands of poor peasants  who could not rely on the Mexican government for jobs and essential services. Members of La Familia provided food, shelter and yes—legitimate jobs to citizens when the government could not or would not.

Even Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzman, leader of the Sinaloa cartel, the largest organized crime organization in Mexico, does it. He provides money and food to many residents of small towns in Sinaloa, not only guaranteeing loyalty but guaranteeing his safety as citizens serve as lookouts—knowing full well Guzman is their provider and they will give him a heads-up when Mexican law enforcement units show up.  More recently, we see examples of Los Zetas providing social goods in their “conquered“ areas.

The cartels may not seek a social or political agenda, but once they control turf and territory and effectively displace the state, they
have no choice—they become “accidental insurgents.”

Societal disintegration or Urbicide?

Juárez is expected to end up with an estimated 8,500 orphaned children  by the year 2012, according to a study by researchers at the  Autonomous University of Juárez.  Added to the daunting specter of the cartels and war of all against all, endemic and expanding street gang violence, endemic femicides, and judicial impunity, this seems to be the recipe for societal disintegration.  Civil society is chilled, journalists are silenced, and criminals reign.  Police, paramedics and taxi drivers are killed; workers flee (becoming refugees or internally displaced persons)—even the mayor sleeps across the border in El Paso, Texas!

Narco-culture (narcocultura) promises to overtake established culture as the marginalized seek a viable place in the social strata.
Consider the video game "Call of Juarez: The Cartel."  A graphic shoot-‘em up that uses feral Juárez and cross-border conflict as a backdrop, the game has been lambasted by US and Mexican officials, but the draw of mayhem continues.

If you don’t have a computer you can opt for the alternate “narco- saint” of your liking: Jesus Malverde, if aligned with the Sinaloa
crew; or Santa Muerte if you feel affinity with the Zetas.  An alternate reality that challenges Western state sensibilities appears
to be in the making.

Expanding Barbarization

Ciudad Juárez seems to be the tip of the iceberg, a dark spot on the map of Mexico, yet the conflict expands. After four years of dramatic military sweeps in Chihuahua (largely in Cd. Juárez itself) and neighboring Tamaulipas, the narcos are extending their control over large areas and the state governments seem powerless to stop them.

Monterrey, Mexico’s “second city,” and Ciudad Victoria in Tamaulipas, not to mention Acapulco (increasingly known by the moniker “Narcopulco”), are also under the gun.

Barbarization is also apparently on the rise.  Earlier this month police found the severed head of a two-month-old baby dumped in the town of Delicias, in Chihuahua, in a cruel revenge attack.

The narcos have yet to successfully wage a major terror attack like their Colombian counterparts, who set off powerful car bombs in busy streets and killed 107 people in bombing a commercial airliner in 1989. But sicarios (hit men) have killed at least 14 mayors across Mexico over the past year….

Conclusion: Finding a solution

Cd. Juárez is effectively under siege from criminal elements.  Call it brigandage, “criminal insurgency” or what you may, but the siege must be broken—both symbolically and practically.

Is there a solution? Many believe a new president may be able to  negotiate with the cartels instead of declaring war on them like
Felipe Calderón did.  No matter who is elected the problems will continue until a solution is found to the growing economic disparity between the haves and have-nots in Mexico.

Perhaps helping Latin American countries, nations in our own backyard, develop their economies instead of assisting other countries halfway across the globe could be one solution. If Latin American counties can provide legitimate employment and education to their own citizens they may not have to resort to other means to provide food and shelter for their loved ones.

Certainly security is a prerequisite to stability and vibrant civil society.  Reforming the police, enhancing civil society actors,
judicial reform, and meaningful social and economic opportunity are essential.  Yet, the means to building security requires great
effort.  As we write, state police in Mexico are seeking authorization from SEDENA (Mexico’s DOD) to arm themselves with grenades.  Certainly grenades are not the staple of civil police in normal times.  Mexico seems to be in a “state of exception.”

Militarization of the police is not the answer.  Acknowledging the depth of the threat, building new security structures (such as a
gendarmerie or civil guard), bolstering the Federal Police, strengthening state and local police, and building counter-violence
initiatives within civil society institutions would be a start.  So would an end to the legacy of impunity.

——————————
John P. Sullivan is a senior research fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies on Terrorism. His current research focus is the
impact of transnational organized crime on sovereignty in Mexico and elsewhere.

Carlos Rosales is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering Latin America.  His specialty is covering drug cartels across Mexico and Latin America.

 

 
San Francisco circumcision ban headed for November ballot
By: Joshua Sabatini 02/18/11 Examiner Staff Writer 


San Francisco voters appear likely to be voting on banning male circumcision in November. (Getty Images file photo) Most bans in San Francisco are enacted by the Board of Supervisors, but come November, it sounds like voters will have the opportunity to jump on the ban wagon by deciding whether to ban male circumcision.

San Francisco resident Lloyd Schofield said Thursday he is “on track” to have enough signatures to place his proposed measure on the November ballot that would make it illegal to “circumcise, excise, cut or mutilate the foreskin, testicle or penis of another person who has not attained the age of 18.”

Schofield has until April 26 to submit 7,168 valid signatures to make it onto the ballot. He would not disclose how many signatures were collected at this point. 

Schofield said he became the proponent of the local ballot measure after being asked to champion a local bill during a July symposium on circumcision held at the UC Berkeley. Schofield said he was approached by those affiliated with a group pushing for a federal bill to “end male genital mutilation in the U.S.,” according to its website, mgmbill.org. 

He said he thought about it for two weeks and then decided to do it. “I always knew this was something wrong to do to a child,” he said. 

The signature-gathering is being run by a committee of about 10, he said. Schofield would not divulge the identities of the committee members, but said several are spending their own money to pay for signature-gatherers to help out. Schofield said he is out there himself — not being paid — collecting the signatures outside grocery stores and in neighborhoods like SoMa, the Castro, the Haight and Noe Valley. 

“We say: ‘Would you like to help protect the children from forced circumcision? This is a human-rights issue,’” Schofield said.  The proposed measure would assess of up to $1,000 and up to one year in jail for someone who performs a circumcision. 

jsabatini@sfexaminer.com
 

ACTION ITEM

"Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, 
can transform the world." Historian Howard Zinn 

   Decorated War Vets Face Deportation
    Historic Treviño Uribe Ranch House
    Lanier basketball team learns a harsh lesson about life
    It shouldn’t be this hard

 

Decorated War Vets Face Deportation

Colorado Brothers Born In Mexico, Raised In U.S.

 September 21, 2010
 
Valente and Manuel Valenzuela can’t believe the Department of Homeland Security wants to deport them. The two brothers, who were born in Mexico but grew up in the U.S., are decorated war veterans, whose mother was a U.S. citizen.
Valente, 62, of Colorado Springs, told 7NEWS that he volunteered for the Army to avoid having to repeat 10th grade.
“They sent me to Vietnam,” he said, “after telling me they wouldn’t.”

Valente was awarded a Bronze Star for his bravery. He still has the scars to prove how difficult his job was.

“I have been dealing with post traumatic stress disorder for 42 years. I have Agent Orange on my hands,” he said. “My skin is discolored from Agent Orange from burying the canisters. I have bullet burns on my belly and have undergone three surgeries.”
Valente’s brother, Manuel, said he joined the Marines to avoid being drafted into the Army.
“We were in the jungle. It was hard,” Manuel said. “All you want to do is forget it.”
The brothers were stunned when they received letters from the Department of Homeland Security in 2009 informing them that they would face deportation hearings.
“It made me angry,” Valente said. “At first I wanted to go back to the International Bridge and burn an American flag and throw my medals back across the river. I was that angry.”
Then he and his brother decided to fight for their rights.
When asked why the government wanted to deport them, Valente said he had a domestic violence charge on his record from years ago.
Manuel said he too got into trouble and resisted arrest.
Both brothers believe their behavior may have been related to PTSD, which they are now receiving counseling for.
“I feel sick to my stomach that they’re going through this,” said attorney Mariela Sagastume. “They bravely served their country. They are war heroes. Who’s going to stand up for them?”
The attorney said that if the brothers are deported, “They will be stripped of all these resources, all the help, and they will be sent to a country they haven’t been to in decades.”
Sagastume told 7NEWS that both brothers crossed over to the U.S. as legal permanent residents in 1955.
“Because their mother was a U.S. citizen born in the U.S., they should have been issued citizenship,” she said. “I believe that an error was made.”
Immigration law was slightly different from 1941 to 1952 when the brothers were born.
The law then required the American parent to have resided in the U.S. for at least 10 years, five of those after the age of 16.
Sagastume said the brother’s mom met that requirement. “They lived along the border and she crossed over frequently,” Sagastume said. “We believe we can prove continuous presence here.”
“We are veterans and we are proud of what we did,” Manuel said. “It was hard during the war, but this is worse.”
Valente said he feels his government is being treasonous toward him.  “I feel my government has stabbed me in the back,” he said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities declined to comment for this story, saying they have very strict privacy policies for individual cases.
Speaking generally, a public affairs officer with the Executive Office for Immigration Review said there are a variety of reasons why a deportation hearing might be initiated against an individual and that breaking the law is one of them.
Members of the American G.I. Forum in Denver believe the brothers are getting a raw deal.
The Latino veterans group is backing the Valenzuelas in their battle against Homeland Security.
“We have a good cause here and we’re not going to stop until everything is resolved,” said Vice Commander Russell Lopez of the Skyline chapter.
Fellow veterans will lead a rally in support of the Valenzuela brothers at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 29 in front of the new Immigration Court at 621 17th St.


Sent by Wanda Garcia

 

Historic Treviño Uribe Ranch House
 San Ygnacio, Texas


Note the historic plaque and icon, 
and the condition of the site.

Mimi, Chema, Walter, Juan, FYI.

Cordy and I visited with our relatives in San Ygnacio, Texas, yesterday, March 18.  The visit itself was great as usual.  However, we were terribly disappointed in the lack of progress in restoring one of the outside walls of the historic Treviño Uribe Ranch House, our ancestral home.  

To put things in perspective, remember that back in Jan 2010, I wrote to you to tell you of the careless actions of a paving contractor that resulted in black tar being sprayed on the limestone/sandstone walls of the historic home.  Guess what?  It is still there.   

My understanding is that the repair work is tied up in bureaucratic red tape.  Unbelievable!  My question is, “Why is this situation being tolerated?”  

The picture below is worth a thousand words.  (The damage to the left of the picture is just as bad).  Sadly, the paving contractor’s project manager was clueless as to why these plaques are placed in historic buildings.   

I have a favor to ask each of you.  Can you use your wide email network of contacts and let folks know that the damage has not been repaired?  For those who wish to help, please contact The River Pierce Foundation, email: riverpierce@hotmail.com; phone no. 956.765.5764.  I would hope that those people who live in the Laredo, Zapata, Hebbronville area will do all they can to speed up the process.  Specifically, those of you who live in Zapata County should contact your county commissioners and urge them to seek a quick resolution to the problem.  Thank you all for what you do to further knowledge of the rich history of our Spanish Mexican ancestors.

Saludos, Joe López    


Yes, it's true! For over a year now, the building has exhibited the asphalt damage from what we call "The Tar Incident" of 2010.  On 11 January 2010 around 5pm, I was across the street in the River Pierce Foundaiton Guest House preparing for some very important visitors.  The road paving crew had just finished laying the asphalt on the street and I watched it happen.  There was no visible damage on the facade of the Treviño Fort when they work crew finished and I went on with my tasks.  It was then that the contractor came to the door and visibly alarmed explained to me that my building had been ruined!  We have filed a police report and because the Texas Historical Commission owns an easment on the historic facade, the Attorney Generals office was in San Ygnacio to meet the contractor the next week.  I have been working personally with the insurance adjustor and we have one more meeting before we settle.  Once River Pierce Foundation settles that issue, we can begin the work and continue with large scale restoration plans, but if the insurance settlement is not going to be adequate, then we'll really need to make some noise and I'll need a mob of angry villagers.  See, they didn't just damage my building.  Mine is just the the most visible because it's on the exterior.  But All my neighbors have found cracks and damage in the their structures.  The people to call about that are Reim Construction Inc. at 304 W. St. Jude Ave.  Alton, TX 78574   956-580-2675.  They seem to have regular work and its usually well done (like black tops at the Laredo Airport) but the San Ygnacio Tar Incident remains a mystery and their only hope of , well, cleaning up this mess is to make sure the insurance settlements are adequate.  I urge everone who has sustained damage from this project to call them and inquire about the process for filing a claim with them.  Let's see how they respond.  We have to stand up to protect this architectural heritage.  My visit with Joe Lopez yesterday brought it very much to life for me. Let's hope that by the time we meet again on April 16 in San Ygnacio that I will have some good news to report on the "Tar."  Joe will be doing a couple of presentations at the Treviño Fort that day.  And on Monday we will announce the news that the Fort has received a Save America's Treasure grant to begin restoration!!  In the mean time, plese send me any emails of support, or even angry eletronic conniptions!  It will all help when time comes to present the angry villagers!  This fight isn't quite over yet.
 
As for your commissioners, please tell them that you believe that historical preservation is not just about saving our heritage but that heritage tourism can help spread the news about our history in this country by inviting visitors to admire all the work (and damage) that has been done so far.  Governer Perry has already wipe out Texas Commission for the Arts and the Texas Hisrotical Commission, so for places like San Ygnacio grass roots preservation efforts are our only hope for education and econmic development and they need to put more resources into saving our history than repaving the roads that weren't broken in the first place (or museums that don't exhibit anything). 
 
In fact if you really wanna put your money into a hole in the ground, let it be for archeology!  And, now that I have your attention, can any one tell me anything about the Native American burial at the corner of Trevino and Washington?

Yours, Christopher Rincón
Executive Director
The River Pierce Foundation
www.riverpierce.org
956-765-5784 tel
riverpierce@hotmail.com


Chris, now will you let us know exactly how you feel?  Just kidding.  This is a great recap and written by someone with a cool head on his shoulders.  You are the right man for the job of Exec. Director, as they say.  Now, all the rest of us need to do is help you push the wagon some more to get it done.  If nothing happens soon, just let us know and we’ll dust off our pitchforks and torches and join you!   

As to your question on the Native American burial, when I was a child, I remember grownups talking about a Native American clan (los Indios) having lived near the area you point out.  However, by that time, they had intermarried and blended with the locals (whose assimilation was (is) very common between our white Spanish and brown Native American ancestors).      

So, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out that the burial area you refer to is theirs.  Unfortunately, many of them died during the dreaded 1950s polio epidemic.  Who knows, some of San Ygnacio’s current residents may be descendants and may not know it.  Just a thought.  Try talking to cousin Manuel Uribe (you met him yesterday) and Fernando, his older brother who lives across from the Fort.  They were born and raised there.  Someone else who may help is Tio Rodolfo Sánchez (I’m sure you know him) who also lives in San Ygnacio. 

Good luck and thank you for helping us bring back our beautiful historic building.

(Exigimos solamente lo que merecemos! (Dr. Lino Garcia))

Warm Regards, Joe López

 


All,

Michael Tracy, the owner of the Trevino Fort, just spoke with one of our (Texas Historical Commission) staff yesterday about the status of the property. The tar will be removed. His foundation was just selected to receive a Save America’s Treasures grant and will be announcing it on April 18. A conservator may have the tar removal complete by then, if not soon after. The River Pierce Foundation has been in negotiations with the pavement contractors since last year over the settlement for damages and Mr. Tracy admits it has taken a long time.

This property's future is safe and we are confident that it's preservation will soon be a model for South Texas. Please feel free to contact Sharon Fleming, sharon.fleming@thc.state.tx.us 
for more information.

Thanks, 
Esther Garza
Executive Assistant, Administration
Texas Historical Commission
P.O. Box 12276
Austin, TX 78711
512.463.5768
www.thc.state.tx.us  

Dear Folks,
 
If everyone is up in arms about repairing the damage that was done during a sloppy paving job they should start by getting upset that they were laying asphalt (black tar) on the old streets of San Ygnacio in the first place. There was no asphalt in 1755.
 
If folks are serious about refurbishing the streets, sidewalks and walls of old San Ygnacio to look like the original pueblo, they should start thinking about CONSULTING experts in the field of restoration as to how to go about getting it done Right.
 
For starters, what would be lovely is they would hire some company to carefully remove by hand and wheelbarrow, all the asphalt on the streets around the central plaza and hire expert stonemasons on laying cobblestone streets who still do this type of work in their villages in Mexico and get special permits for these experts to come to San Ygnacio and do the job properly. Someone in Zapata County can start by finding sites where they can gather the right kind of stones to pave the streets in the original cobblestone that was used to pave San Ygnacio streets initially or if possible from stone quarries close to old Guerrero ( yes, I am aware of problems with Zeta )..If this is not possible, then perhaps the purchase of cobblestone from some quarry in Texas or Mexico delivered in San Ygnacio along with all other material necessary to lay cobblestone on the streets around the San Ygnacio square.
 
The esthetics achieved by having cobblestone streets and the careful refurbishing of the walls and old woodwork on the houses around the plaza would be fantastic... cobblestone would also help control traffic speed around the plaza and you would never have to worry about getting tar smeared walls again.
 
How much could this cost? How about looking for US Government grants for restoration of National Heritage Historical Sites? South Texas never gets any of these grants.. so bug Congressman Henry Cuellar to do some arm twisting in Washington. 
 
How about hitting all the oil and gas companies that have been draining our natural resources for decades in Zapata County and never leave anything in the community.. just go to the county records and check how much natural gas these companies have piped out in the past and are currently piping out of Zapata County.. you can start with the likes of Conoco, Chesapeake, Halliburton, Exxon-Mobile, etc. Set up a committee headed by someone like Judge Mercurio Martinez or Banker Renato Ramirez or both, also include the current Zapata County judge and all the county fathers. Perhaps you could form a committee to go to Houston and visit all these possible big oil company benefactors who have made many, many millions of dollars in Zapata County. These are folks that think nothing when it comes to giving big bucks to the Houston Opera, Houston Museums, art galleries, and other cool artsy-fartsy happenings in Houston but never think of giving to the county where they made most of their money, and happens to be Zapata County.
 
Ya Basta! 
 
Just thinking out loud..
 
Ernesto Uribe
Falls Church, VA
Euribe000@aol.com


  Lanier basketball team learns a harsh lesson about life

By Veronica Flores-Paniagua / Vflores@express-news.net 
Saturday, March 12, 2011 
Some basketball seasons are legendary at Lanier High School for the winning ways they've ended. This year's march to the University Interscholastic League's state 4A finals will be remembered for the Voks' hard work on the court, certainly, but also for something that never should have happened — not at a sporting event, not anywhere.

The TV website kens5.com first reported the March 4 incident that took place at Blossom Athletic Center's Littleton Gym, the site of the Voks' unsuccessful regional game against the Cedar Park High School Timberwolves. According to the account and to several people I talked to who were there, a group of 15-20 Cedar Park students hurled disparaging cheers at the Lanier team, teasing the boys for their Hispanic ethnicity and questioning their citizenship.

Lanier Principal Miguel Elizondo said the first of a series of chants began late in the first quarter, after a Cedar Park player scored. “USA, USA, USA,” the students shouted.

“I thought that was the kid's nickname,” Elizondo told me Friday. “But when it continued, I knew it was something else.”

You need only look at the basketball team's all-Hispanic roster to understand what that “something else” was. But in case the jeers had missed their mark, the Cedar Park students continued with, “Arizona, Arizona, Arizona,” in apparent reference to Arizona's legislative assault against illegal immigrants and, “This isn't soccer, this isn't soccer.”

By Wednesday, the incident had drawn an apology from the Leander Independent School District and Cedar Park High School's principal, Barbara W. Spelman. And on Friday, San Antonio Independent School District Athletic Director Gil Garza filed a formal complaint with the UIL about the Cedar Park students' poor sportsmanship.

In her letter to Elizondo, Spelman relayed that Leander officials had addressed the students' behavior and planned to use the incident as a learning opportunity. Cedar Park, whose student body is mostly white, recently started a “No Place for Hate” organization, Spelman wrote.

I hope the lessons stick. The students responsible for the boorishness obviously need to learn empathy and respect — principles that are valued in the USA.

My concern is greater, however, for the Voks team. The assault they endured was relentless and degrading. I'm not so sure a Voks win that night would have been a salve. The insults weren't intended as motivation.

Voks head basketball coach Rudy Bernal has counseled the team, assuring them this pocket of ignorance wasn't representative of the entire Cedar Park community. Elizondo addressed the issue with the Lanier student body during Friday morning's announcements, essentially offering the same message. SAISD's top administrator for high schools, meanwhile, also met with the Voks team Friday morning in a meeting that featured Cedar Park's athletic coordinator on speakerphone again expressing apologies.

The close community support will help players get past the hurt and, with any luck, show them how to do so with forgiveness and grace.

“They understand that not everybody's like this,” Elizondo said. “If they don't think that, then everybody loses out.” vflores@express-news.net

Veronica:Veronica Flores-Paniagua / Vflores@express-news.net

Our Hispanic Community thanks you for publishing such an unbiased and so lucid an account of a flagrant attack against a fabulous team -- just because the members look or are Hispanic. Here are some comments that some of my friends have made. Please see that our comments reach those responsible:

From me:  Jose M. Pena

This is indeed sad and disgusting; such hatred slurs should not take place in a simple school game. The real sad thing is that with the recent ruling by the Supreme Court -- re "Freedom of Speech" by those jerks who picket soldiers killed in battle..." such expressions -- even detestable -- would probably be judged "legal by the Courts...." 

Friend One: 
They may be legal, but common decency should shape behavior . . 

Look at the response the Muslims have gotten . . . all they have say is that they are offended and they achieve their goal of being untouchable.

The officials of the basketball tournament should have had the guts stop the tournament and kick out the hecklers. The chants and comments had to have affected the boys. It was quite unfair, and it was entirely racist. An apology after does not cut it . . the damage was done. 

May we be wise for the benefit of our youth . . . and their future.   
God bless 

Friend Two: Fifty-five years ago in March the Laredo Martin High School Tigers won the 4A Texas State Basketball Championship in Austin, Texas beating Houston Milby, North Dallas in a historical games. Why historical? Because the Tigers were all Mexican-Americans and that was the first time ever that Chicanos had won that title. The Laredo team did experience discrimination in places like, of all places, the Rio Grande Valley. Some of us had non-Spanish names but we all were Mexican-Americans and yes we all spoke Tex-Mex. We are still very proud and honored of what we are and what we done for Laredo, Tejas. mas later

Friend Three: 
This is terrible it makes my blood boil. We should counter with "Tejano, Tejano". I would like to know if anyone contact the State UIL official to see why this was not stopped by the officials. If (the insult) had been directed at them they would have kicked the students out.

Friend Four: 
Jose, This is despicable. I wonder what this world is coming to? I'm heart broken to believe this has a place in our society. Writing a letter and complaining is not enough. There should have been a protest march at the UIL the day of the incident. Where is Univsion, Azteza, and the rest of the Hispanic media. You know Austin American Statesman buried this somewhere or didn't think it merits publishing. 

I am disgusted. Someone should be fired.

Friend Five: I see the "Snake" is very much alive and still injecting venom at every possible opportunity

Here are comments from The Original Person Who Read the Article; he speaks for all of us:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jlopez8182@satx.rr.com
To: marinezj@anr.msu.edu, JMPENA@aol.com, MIMILOZANO@aol.com, wlherbeck@gmail.com
Sent: 3/12/2011 3:34:01 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: Lanier High School Incident

Juan, Chema, Mimi, Walter, below I have pasted a copy of an article that appeared in today’s San Antonio Express-News. It falls right into line with the subject of my paper last year entitled, “Preparing Hispanics for the Immigration Debate”. In that paper, I warned about a deliberate attack against anyone who looks Hispanic or more specifically “Mexican” during the eventual immigration debate in Congress.

Obviously, some parents are not waiting until then and are actively teaching intolerance to their children. It is this type of incident that should unite all Hispanics in the U.S regardless of political affiliation, especially descendants of Spanish Mexican pioneers, the first citizens of Texas. Why is it so hard for some people to see that the history of Texas is bilingual, bicultural? 

My heart goes out for the Lanier students, whose experiences on March 4th will remain in their minds forever. How sad is that? As the article states, “The assault they endured was relentless and degrading.”

Regards, Joe López

EDITOR:  I hope that if such an incident takes place where any of us are in attendance, that we will take action right away, before it escalates.  Whoever is in authority or responsible for the tournament should be sought out immediately, and presented in a calm, confident, and respectful manner.

  It shouldn't be this hard
From: Adam Luna, America's Voice  info@americasvoiceonline.org 
To: Richard Esquivel  larazasoul@aol.com 

Richard --

Did you hear the good news? Thousands of supporters banned together to send 10,000 faxes to DHS and demanded that they stop Pedro’s deportation, and it worked!

Pedro Gutierrez, an Arizona military DREAMer facing deportation, has been allowed to stay in the country for one more year. From Pedro and all of us at America's Voice: thank you.

While we are excited for Pedro, it simply shouldn't take thousands of faxes and an entire community to save just one talented and committed young person like Pedro.

We’re collecting signatures for a petition asking the President to stop deporting DREAMers. We’ll hand-deliver the petitions to the White House and we want your name on the list. Will you join us?

Pedro is safe for another year, but we’re already hearing about more cases of DREAMers facing deportation in Georgia, Connecticut and elsewhere. This has to stop.

While we’ll continue to fight for the DREAM Act in Congress and to stop the deportation of individual DREAMers, it just makes no sense for the Obama administration to continue arresting and jailing young people like Pedro who grew up in the United States and consider this country their own.

Please take 30 seconds to read the petition and sign it!  Thanks for making a difference,

Adam Luna
America’s Voice

Sent by Richard Esquivel  larazasoul@AOL.COM
Please take the time sign this form and support gente from being deported by the administration.
Mil Gracias, Richard Esquivel





BUSINESS

The National Hispanic Business Women Association 
Hispanic grocery stores proliferate in Maryland 
Frijolitos Inc.
The current financial crisis explained in a single picture:
Mexicans & Jews Fight for the Rights of Mercado Workers
 
National Hispanic Business Women Association 
Navigating the Seas of Investment 
in 2011
By Patty Homo
From left to right: Board members Pat Danel, The Principal Financial Group, Patty Homo, VALPO Medios Inc., Yobany Banks-McKay, UPS, Jeff Golan, The Principal Group Regional Managing Director, board members Lilian de la Torre, Jimenez Communications and Teresa Mercado-Cota, Santa Ana College.

The National Hispanic Business Women Association held its first networking luncheon of the year this past February 10th at the beautiful Mesa Verde Country Club in Costa Mesa. Our speaker, Jeff Golan from The Principal Financial Group, presented us with key insight about the current economy and the impact on short term and long term investments. He emphasized the importance of seeking professional guidance when making investment decisions. Attendants included small business owners and business representatives.

2024 N. Broadway, Suite 100, Santa Ana, CA 92706 - 714-836-4042
www.natkionalhbwa.com
http://nationalhbwa.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/March-2011-News-Brief.pdf

 

 

  Hispanic grocery stores proliferate in Maryland 
By Danielle Douglas
Washington Post (February 28, 2011); 15 
Mega Market International, a Hispanic grocery chain based in Silver Spring, has kept pace with the Latino population boom in suburban Maryland, opening five stores in the past decade. 

The supermarkets sprang up in central immigrant hubs in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, including Hyattsville and Rockville. New arrivals from Latin America and the Caribbean can find familiar labels of beans, flours and grains from back home at these 10,000-square-foot stores. 

"We saw great opportunities to serve the community, even though the market was getting crowded," said Eric Velasquez, a partner in Mega Market. 

A crop of bodegas, said the El Salvadoran grocer, have popped up in recent years, adding to the competition from Korean grocers and mainstream stores like Giant Foods that also cater to Hispanic tastes. 

"You can find Hispanic groceries on almost every corner of Hyattsville and Langley Park these days," said Jorge Ribas, president and chief executive of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in the District. He has recently added nearly a dozen new grocers to his membership rolls of more than 450 businesses in the Washington area. 

Within Takoma-Langley Crossroads, around University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue, there are seven Hispanic supermarkets, according to Robert Duffy, a planning supervisor with the Prince George's County Planning Department. Across the way in the central Kenilworth Avenue corridor, there are four of these stores. 

Duffy is not certain when they all opened, but said that "it speaks to the growth that certainly the recent census numbers have shown us about the dominant and aggressive growth of the Hispanic population." 

Prince George's and Montgomery counties gained roughly 137,000 Hispanic residents over the past decade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. During that time, Latinos made great strides in entrepreneurship. The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in Montgomery grew 56 percent to 11,555; in Prince George's, they rose 48 percent to 6,412 between 2002 and 2007, the most recent census data. 

Carlos Castro, owner of Todos supermarket in Woodbridge and Dumfries, witnessed waves of Hispanics move to suburban Maryland as jobs dried up and anti-immigrant sentiment surged in Northern Virginia in recent years. 

"Maryland has been welcoming to Latinos and that is where the boom is now," said Castro, who is gearing up to take over a former 53,000-square-foot Giant in Woodbridge. "They seem to be opening a new grocery store every two or three months." 

Despite the downturn, the national retail sales of Hispanic foods and beverages grew 6.9 percent to $7 billion in 2009, according to Packaged Facts. The research firm anticipates sales will top $9.5 billion in 2014. It's no wonder that stores like Whole Foods carry sofritos and malta. 

Juan Lopez, the Mid-Atlantic division manager for Goya Foods, said supermarkets of all types across the region have taken a shine to the company's Latino products. To meet the demand, Goya, now celebrating its 75th anniversary, has introduced some 500 new products in the last five years. 

Compared with long-established Hispanic hubs, like Los Angeles or New York City, the suburban Maryland Hispanic grocers sector is in its infancy. "Because immigration here is fairly recent, the diversity of stores and offerings is at least 30 years behind," said Ribas of the business chamber. "But it's easy to catch up if people are willing to put in the capital." 

That may be difficult in the current economic state. Existing Hispanic grocers are struggling to stay afloat as some customers continue to rein in spending. Mega Market slowed its expansion last year following the launch of a Gaithersburg location. 

"Instead of buying eight or four pound bags of beans, people are buying just two," Velasquez said. "Business is okay, but not what it used to be." 


Walter L. Herbeck Jr. wlherbeck@gmail.com 
Juan Marinez marinezj@anr.msu.edu 

       Frijolitos Inc.
Hello Ms. Lozano, Please allow me to introduce you to my mother's company, Frijolitos, Inc. 

Frijolitos Inc. is a family-owned educational merchandising company based in the Los Angelesarea. Over the past few years, my team and I have built a brand of  bilingual (English/Spanish) illustrated children’s books, also called Frijolitos. I believe our unique products offer opportunities for ventures such  as licensing, animation, and an array of other possibilities.

You can visit our websites at www.frijolitosinc.comand
For an introduction to  what we do:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frijolitos-Inc/114467543514 

Our characters include:
Albóndiga, a dog who opens a music school for dogs.
Picadillo, a fun-loving armadillo who befriends a lonely girl.
Tuguita Tere, a reading turtle on a quest for her library card.

The books and plush toys we create enjoy broad appeal throughout Southern Californiaand sell quickly at small retailers here. This indicates that the Frijolitos brand holds the potential to be a hit across several industries including publishing, toys, television, etc.

If you see the potential in our products, I invite you to examine our products on our site and review the press we have received. I look forward to an opportunity to further discuss a possible article on the life of Martha Barrios and her company.

Sincerely, Christopher Barrios de Leon
Creative Director of Frijolitos
323 722-1081  
323 365-7663

America's Problem - The current financial crisis explained in a single picture:

Editor:  When two of my grandsons were preschool age, I would frequently stop at construction job sites so the boys could observe the workers and the heavy equipment being used.

They are both in their 20s now; this picture triggered a memory of one occasion.  City workers were in the process of covering an opening in the street, much like this hole, with a regular piece of 4x8 plywood.  There were about 6 men in the crew.

Using a crane, one man kept attempting to pick up the plywood and pull it over the hole.  Repeatedly he attempted  the task, while the other 5 men, just stood and watched. 

 After, about half an hour, in frustration, I wanted to yell out the window to the men . .  "pick it up you guys, just do it!"  

However, I did not think that would set a good example to my grandsons and did not.  Shaking my head in unbelief with the waste of manpower, we finally left with the task still not completed.  

 

 

 

  MEXICANS AND JEWS FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF MERCADO WORKERS 

Photographs by David Bacon
David Bacon dbacon@igc.org 
OAKLAND, CA 3/13/11 -- Rabbi Sheldon Lewis joined Members of the Progressive Jewish Alliance, the Jeremiah Fellowship, Mexican supermarket (or mercado) workers and union organizers protest the firing of 300 workers by the Mexican market chain, Mi Pueblo. They sang and protested inside an Oakland store, and then picketed outside it. 

An estimated 10,000 mercado workers work in the Bay Area and most are recent immigrants from Latin America and Asia. Workers lack proper meal and rest breaks, earn poverty wages, and often endure abuse. Benefits such as paid vacations and holidays, medical coverage, and pension plans are practically nonexistent. Overtime and double-time pay violations are common. 

Mercado workers are organizing the Mercado Workers Association to take action to improve work conditions. Together with Local 5 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, they demand that Mi Pueblo's owners and other markets agree to the Mercado Code of Conduct, which includes:

- Markets will pay no less than the minimum wage and abide by all state and federal laws regarding    overtime, breaks and lunch periods, and health and safety.
- Markets will pay in a timely manner with a written record of hours worked, earnings and deductions.
- Workers with a year on the job shall receive at least two days of paid sick leave and five days of paid vacation per year.
- Markets will not discriminate against any employee, and will not retaliate against workers by making them re-verify their   work authorization status.
- Markets won't fire or retaliate against workers for filing complaints under this Code or with a government agency over   violations of their rights.
- Markets will abide by fair business, advertising and food safety standards.
- A market representative will attend at least one class on employment rights and standards.
- Markets will recognize workers' right to join a union of their own choosing, will not retaliate against them, will remain  neutral about union representation, and will voluntarily recognize any union workers choose.
- Markets will post this Code in English and the primary languages of workers and will agree to monitoring of their   compliance.
For more articles and images, see http://dbacon.igc.org

See also Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press, 2008)  Recipient: C.L.R. James Award, best book of 2007-2008
http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2002 

See also the photodocumentary on indigenous migration to the US
Communities Without Borders (Cornell University/ILR Press, 2006)
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4575 

See also The Children of NAFTA, Labor Wars on the U.S./Mexico Border (University of California, 2004)  http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9989.html 

Sent by David Bacon, Photographs and Stories    http://dbacon.igc.org    dbacon@IGC.ORG



EDUCATION

Cartoon by Sergio Hernandez
Santamaria v. Dallas Independent School Itinerant Farmworkers' Children        
Islamists wage 'soft jihad' to give students 

 
Sergio Hernandez 
chiliverde@roadrunner.com


Santamaria v. Dallas Independent School District

At Preston Hollow Elementary School, a public school in an upper-income neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, Latino and other minority students were segregated into the school’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. They were kept separate from the Anglo students in the school, even though the majority of the Latino students in the ESL classes were proficient in English and some had even tested in English and been classified as “gifted and talented.” The Latino students were not allowed to mix with the Anglo students even in art, music, and physical education classes and were grouped in classrooms in separate hallways from the Anglo students.

In April 2006, MALDEF filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas against the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) and Principal Teresa Parker of Preston Hollow Elementary School alleging that the defendants had segregated and discriminated against Latino school children in violation of their civil rights. MALDEF represented Latino parents who alleged that Preston Hollow illegally used its ESL program to segregate Latino and minority students from Anglo students, irrespective of their language abilities.

Following trial, and in a lengthy opinion, U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay criticized the defendants for their “separate but equal defense” and ruled that Principal Parker segregated minority students on the basis of their race in violation of the U.S. Constitution by operating, in effect, a private school within a public school for the Anglo students. Judge Lindsay ordered the principal to immediately cease the segregation and pay punitive damages to the injured students.

This victory against the principal’s blatant discriminatory practices preserves access to equal educational opportunities for all students.  

http://maldef.org/education/litigation/santamaria_v_dallas_school_district/


David G. Hinojosa,
Senior Litigator, MALDEF

110 Broadway, Ste. 300, San Antonio, TX 78205

(210) 224-5476, ext. 203   (210) 224-5382- fax  
Sent by hsalameh@celtcorp.com  

 

 

 
Itinerant Life Weighs on Farmworkers' Children    
    
By PATRICIA LEIGH BROWN

Published: March 12, 2011  

SALINAS, Calif. - A girl in Oscar Ramos's third-grade class has trouble doing homework because six relatives have moved into her family's rusted trailer and she has no private space.

A boy has worn his school uniform for two weeks straight because his parents are busy with harvest season.  

And while Mr. Ramos patiently explains the intricacies of fractions, he is attuned to the student who confides, "Teacher, on Saturday the cops came and took my brother."

"I know you still love your brother," Mr. Ramos gently told him. "But let's talk about your vision for your future."

In the clattering energy of Room 21 at Sherwood Elementary here, Mr. Ramos, 37, glimpses life beneath the field dust. His students are the sons and daughters of the seasonal farmworkers who toil in the vast fields of the Salinas Valley, cutting spinach and broccoli and packing romaine lettuce from a wet conveyor belt: nearly 13 heads a minute, 768 heads an hour, 10 hours a day. One-third of the children are migrants whose parents follow the lettuce from November to April, Salinas to Yuma, Ariz. Some who leave will not return. "Dear Mr. Ramos," they write, from Arizona or Oregon, "I hope you will remember me. ..."

Mr. Ramos, the child of migrants himself, always does. Schools like Sherwood, and teachers like Mr. Ramos, are on the front lines, struggling against family mobility, neighborhood violence and the "pobrecito," or "poor little thing," mentality of low academic expectations. But the often disrupted lives of the children of migrants here is likely to grow still more complicated as the national debate over immigration grows sharper.

Efforts by lawmakers to rescind automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrants are already stoking fears among many agricultural workers, and that has consequences for their children. Some parents, as they move with the crops, are already keeping their children out of school when they get to Arizona because they are worried about the bureaucracy and tougher restrictions in the state.

Despite the resilience of their young charges, educators at Sherwood face a catalog of need: 97 percent of students are near the poverty line, compared with 56 percent statewide. Seventy-seven percent have limited English, versus 32 percent throughout California. Only 6 percent of parents here attended college - the state average is 55 percent - and many are illiterate in their native language.

Though there has been progress, Sherwood hovers near the bottom of the state's performance index, along with more than 100 California elementary schools with a similar demographic, many in the agricultural strongholds of the San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys.

Even as Latino enrollments grow, the number of new teachers earning bilingual credentials has fallen in the last decade to 1,147 per year from 1,829, according to the California Teacher Commission.

The shortage of bilingual teachers is hurting Latino academic achievement, said Bruce Fuller, a professor of education and public policy at the University of California, Berkeley.

Teachers like Mr. Ramos, "who have both language skills and the framework to respond to these kids' cultural assets," Professor Fuller said, are all too rare.

Mr. Ramos, one of eight children, grew up following the lettuce, too.

Home was a farm labor camp near Salinas, and he has traveled far.

The camps - a setting for John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" - were the subject of his undergraduate thesis at the University of California, Berkeley.

In his classroom, he has built an altar of sorts: a collection of Berkeley memorabilia, crowned with the inspiring message "Class of 2024." But even for the most determined students here, poverty and college often do not mix. The challenges for children in East Salinas, known as Alisal, have deep roots: during the Depression, thousands of Dust Bowl migrants packed into tiny shacks. Today, Sherwood sits on a fault line of violence between the Hebbron Heights Surenos (blue) and the Fremont Street Nortenos (red) street gangs; a first grader was wounded by gunfire last year hiding behind a play structure. Students must dress in black and white to avoid gang colors.
Bruce Becker, Sherwood's violence prevention specialist, counsels students who sleep beneath carports and live in such cramped quarters that their parents take them to the local truck stop to wash up before school. Jose Gil, a high school teacher who has started an after-school basketball academy, said many of his students did not see much of their parents during harvest season. "They have little brothers and sisters to take care of, maybe cook for," he said. "Yet they're supposed to turn in a 10-page paper by tomorrow? I mean, it's unreal."

Recent crackdowns at the border have meant longer family separations. "My mom's in Mexico with my little baby sister," says one girl in Mr. Ramos's class, a frequent hand-waver. "Every day she calls me, but some days she forgets."

Mr. Ramos's approachable style contrasts with the tumult in his students' young lives. He firmly discusses rules and respect for others with a boy who misbehaves at recess, but takes him aside to talk about superheroes and Mexican soccer, two affinities they share. And in time he learns that his student was worried about his father, who has been deported. Talking with another boy whose father and brothers were jailed for gang activities, Mr. Ramos suggests that he does not need to follow the same path. They discuss the boy's goal of joining the Marines. "He wanted to get away," Mr. Ramos said. "He didn't want to spend his life in Salinas."

Like those of many Sherwood parents, the life stories of Benjamin Soto, 51, and his wife, Oliva Resenaiz, 38, are told in their hands. Mr. Soto completed sixth grade in Mexico; his wife stopped with fifth. The family lives in a landlord's afterthought of a house down a dirt drive. A garden brimming with vegetables and a homemade swing beneath the avocado tree perk up the modest home. Though Oscar Soto does his homework on a plastic storage bin, he is one of Mr. Ramos's most gifted students, able to solve complex math problems in his head.

When Mr. Soto wants to encourage his son to work harder in Mr. Ramos's class, he displays his hands, thick with calluses, his thumb and forefinger permanently crooked from years of gripping a field knife. "It shows him what a hard life he'd have," Mr. Soto said. Rocia Picazo, whose daughter Sara is in Mr. Ramos's class, leaves at 5 a.m. to pack romaine. Her face is barely visible beneath the protective gear that shields her from the chlorine used to sanitize lettuce. She was shocked to learn that Sara's teacher had labored in the fields, picking chilies, walnuts, apricots and lettuce. "I see his face and his hands, and I never imagined he'd do that kind of work," Mrs. Picazo said.

The $394 million federal Migrant Education Program, created in the 1960s, provides health care, summer school and tutoring for migrant children. Still, nearly half do not complete high school. California has about 200,000 children in the program, one-third of the national total.

Sherwood's migrant student population dropped 10 percent last year, in part because other crops are providing year-round employment. In addition, said Rosa E. Coronado, the migrant education director for Monterey County, "Parents are getting the message that it's not beneficial for the children to move around so much." One boy in Mr. Ramos's class did not attend school for five months. He spent his time on PlayStation. This year, his father will move for work. But his mother is staying in Salinas, worried, she said, that "my son is falling behind."

Families may also be more hesitant to uproot because of the immigration climate.  Measures proposed in Arizona recently would deny education to illegal immigrants and require proof of citizenship to enroll in public and private school. The Supreme Court has ruled that every child is entitled to a public education.

Representative Steve King, Republican of Iowa, who introduced a bill to repeal "birthright" citizenship, said that conferring automatic citizenship and educating children of people who are here illegally is a "misapplication" of the 14th Amendment. "I don't think lawbreakers should be rewarded," said Mr. King, the vice chairman of the House immigration subcommittee.

For families in East Salinas, disparities in opportunity come down to education. Terri Dye, the principal of Sherwood Elementary, said the trick was "understanding where the students come from but also having high expectations." And so at 6:45 a.m., Mr. Ramos can be found stapling "Student of the Month" notices to the class bulletin board. There are signs of progress in Room 21: last year, 13 students moved up a level in math, surpassing the state average. During reading vocabulary exercises, hands are raised often, accompanied by exuberant shouts of "Mr. Ramos, I've got it!" Outside the classroom one recent morning, Melissa Aledo described a change she had noticed in her son, Paul Gray. "It's 'Mom, Mr. Ramos liked that college,' " she said, "or 'That's where Mr. Ramos went.' Curiosity has got my son."       

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/us/13salinas.xml  
Sent by a.beltran@YMAIL.COM

  Islamists wage 'soft jihad' to give students sanitized view of Islam
Dr. Karen Gushta - Guest Columnist
3/18/2011

There was plenty of drama at the Homeland Security Committee hearing earlier this month with Rep. Keith Ellison's (D-Minn.) tearful testimony leading media coverage. Ellison, the first Muslim-American to be elected to Congress, was among those Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) invited to testify at the March 10 hearing to investigate possible terrorist recruitment within the American Muslim community. Ellison complained to the committee that the proceeding was "the very heart of scapegoating."

Nevertheless, committee chairman King has declared that the hearings will continue. The committee will investigate radicalization of Muslim Americans in U.S. prisons, strategies of al-Qaeda and other organizations to recruit Americans, and how the Department of Homeland Security plans to address the "increasing radicalization of individuals within the United States," reported Yahoo News.
 
King's committee should also investigate the Islamist indoctrination taking place in America's schools.
 
The fact is, government schools have been using textbooks that glorify Islam and denigrate Christianity for some time. Such materials give children a favorable view of Islam and a negative view of Christianity and the Judeo-Christian heritage.
 
In June 2008, after two years of painstaking study, the American Textbook Council (founded in 1989 as an independent national research organization) released a 48-page report entitled "Islam in the Classroom: What the Textbooks Tell Us." The report summarized the Council's detailed evaluation of the major history and social science texts in use in government schools in 2006.
 
Of particular significance is the portion of the Council's report regarding seventh-grade world history textbooks, since many seventh-grade curricula, following the lead of California schools, now require students to receive instruction and engage in activities to learn about Islamic history, culture, the Qur'an, and the religious practices of Muslims.
 
The report notes that "textbooks reviewed avoid all conflict and bloodshed in describing Islam's push out of Arabia and rapid conquest of most of the Mediterranean world. They fail to explain how Islam spread in the seventh and eighth centuries. Islam appears out of nowhere, spreads smoothly and by implication without conflict. Once it was common to say that Islam was spread by the sword. Now, textbooks implied, it moved peacefully, with traders. Islam is brought to apparently willing populations."
 
It was the Clinton administration that opened the door to teaching about the history and religious practices of Muslims. In 1995, President Bill Clinton directed his Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley, to prepare guidelines for religious expression and activities in America's schools. The guidelines, set forth in "Religious Expression in Public Schools," declared that government schools may not provide religious instruction as such, but they may "teach about religion." The kicker, however, as ACT! for America has reported, was the additional statement that "...students generally do not have a Federal right to be excused from lessons that may be inconsistent with their religious beliefs or practices" [emphasis added].
 
Thus, parents who may object to their children being compelled to assume a Muslim name and recite prayers to Allah as part of their "learning activities" have no recourse and may not withdraw their children from these activities.
 
One highly publicized case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2006, but the Court rejected the appeal "without comment" and let stand the ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in favor of the school district.
 
The suit brought by Christian students and their parents challenged the content of a seventh-grade history course at Excelsior Middle School in Byron, California, in the fall of 2001. The teacher was supposedly following an instructional guide when she told students they would pretend to be Muslims for three weeks in order to learn what Muslims believe. According to news reports, during this time they were required to wear Muslim dress, memorize verses from the Qur'an, pray to Allah, simulate Ramadan by fasting, use the phrase "Allah Akbar" (Allah is great), and play "jihad games."
 
The federal judge in the Ninth Circuit ruled that such activities constitute teaching "about religion" and declared the program devoid of "any devotional or religious intent," and therefore educational, not religious in nature.
 
Stories of similar cases rarely get reported. But one writer, Cinnamon Stillwell, shared a number of examples of Islamist influence in schools in a 2008 opinion article in The San Francisco Chronicle. In "Islam in America's Public Schools: Education or Indoctrination?" Stillwell writes: "Islamists have taken what's come to be known as the 'soft jihad' into America's classrooms and children in K-12 are the first casualties. Whether it is textbooks, curriculum, classroom exercises, film screenings, speakers or teacher training, public education in America is under assault."
 
What can parents do? The first step is to find out what's happening in your child's school. Take a look at the textbooks for history, geography and/or social studies. Gateways to Better Education has an excellent article, "How to Evaluate Your Child's Textbooks," that will help you identify the assumptions, biases, and opinions disguised as facts that result in unbalanced and slanted textbooks. Find out if your child's textbooks are presenting a "politically correct" view of Islam while denigrating Christianity and the Judeo-Christian heritage.
 
Equip yourself with the facts of what's happening in your children's school and classrooms and then speak to the appropriate teacher and the school principal. You'll find additional pointers on how to do so at the Gateways to Better Education website.
 
As parents and concerned citizens, we cannot sit idly by. As Stillwell writes: "Probably the single greatest weapon in the arsenal of those trying to fight the misuse of America's public schools is community involvement." Over 80 percent of Christian parents send their children to government-controlled schools. If even 20 percent of these parents took an active role in the fight against indoctrination in the public schools, substantial improvements would be made.
 
Are you willing to be a part of that 20 percent?

Odel Harwell hirider@clear.net 

 


CULTURE

Lalo Sings, No Chicanos on TV
Immerse Yourself in Chicano Art
Canto de la Monarca: Mujeres en México
2010-2011 Austin Music Awards
Luis Germán Cajiga 
Latin@ Printmakers Exhibition: Grabados de Paz y Guerra
Latinopia.com
 
Culture Clash Show-Lalo Sings No Chicanos on TV
The lovable, famous Lalo Guerrero crystalizes the obvious........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZt6lZ6R
DAU&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Sent by Richard Ramirez  mbfserenogroup@cox.net


Sent by Roberto Calderon, Ph.D. 
beto@unt.edu


Canto de la Monarca: Mujeres en México

Song of the Monarch: Women in Mexico
Fundraising campaign on Kickstarter (KS), for my newest commissioning and recording project. It is Canto de la Monarca: Mujeres en México / Song of the Monarch: Women in Mexico. In brief, I have asked 17 composers from 6 countries --México, the US, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, and Great Britain-- to write a short piece for solo piano inspired in a woman, historical or legendary, who was born in México or chose to live there. The "muses" range from Sor Juana to Remedios Varo to the song La Sandunga. 

This is an "all-or-nothing" fundraising effort, and we have until 27 May to make --or exceed!!-- our goal of US$10,000.  It occurs to me that you might be able to pass on this information to your network of contacts and perhaps even mention it on SomosPrimos. I am very proud to say that Monarca is --as far as I know-- the ONLY fundraising campaign on KS which is bilingual English-Spanish.
De nuevo, ¡mucho gusto y un fuerte saludo!   Ana Cervantes

Here's the link:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anacervantes/canto-de-la-monarca-ana-cervantes-commissioning-ar?ref=email

2010-2011 Austin Music Awards
March 19, 2011, 7:05pm Austin Music Hall

13 categories Los Texas Wranglers in the SXSW/
Austin Chronicle/KGSR 29th Annual Austin Music Awards

2010-2011 Best Austin Musicians
Best Acoustic Guitar-4. Junior Sandoval (Los Texas Wranglers)
Best Drums/Percussion-Julian Fernandez (Los Texas Wranglers)-winner
Best Male Vocals-6. Amador Salazar (Los Texas Wranglers)
Best Miscellaneous Instrument -Sonny Trujillo, accordion (Los Texas Wranglers)-winner
Best Songwriter-5. Julian Fernandez (Los Texas Wranglers)

2010-2011 Best Performing Bands
Best Country/Bluegrass - Los Texas Wranglers-winner
Best Instrumental-4. Los Texas Wranglers
Best Latin Traditional-2. Los Texas Wranglers
Best None of the Above-2. Conjunto Los T-Birds

2010-2011 Best Texas Recordings
Album of the Year-6. Texas Treasures (Deep South), Los Texas Wranglers
Song of the Year-6. "Could've Been a Country Star," by Julian Fernandez for Los Texas Wranglers

2010-2011 Best of the Year 
Band of the Year-5. Los Texas Wranglers
Musician of the Year-3. Julian Fernandez (Los Texas Wranglers)

2010-2011 Related Categories
Best Local Label-2. Deep South Productions
Best Record Producer-5. Ryan Radar for Texas Treasures, Los Texas Wranglers

******************************************************************

Los Texas Wranglers also nominated our friends and here are the results.
Best Cover Band-4. The Frank Gomez Band
Best Folk-10. John Dunn
Best Hip Hop/DJ-2. Trampia
Best Indie-7.Los AT Boyz
Best Latin Rock-Los Lonely Boys-winner
Best World Music-2. The Nash Hernandez Orchestra
Best Bass Guitar-6. Danny Gomez, Frank Gomez Band
Best Acoustic Venue-3. Austin Bergstom International Airport
Best Live Music Venue-5. Ray Benson's Road House (ABIA)
Best New Club-2. Texas Mist (1150)
Best Radio Station-4. KTXZ 1560AM
Best Record Store-2. Turntable Records

Congratulations it's so good to see the Mexican-American, Hispanic, Latino, Chicano, Tejano musicians, bands and businesses placing in almost all categories. Thank you Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle, SXSW, KGSR and the fans for making dreams come true.  
Siempre Amigos-Los Texas Wranglers
Los Texas Wranglers and Los T-Birds | 2912 Govalle Avenue | Austin | TX | 78702 

 

 

Luis Germán Cajiga

Luis Germán Cajiga was born in Quebradillas Puerto Rico , a town on the North West side of the island in 1934. Luis worked in his fathers (Don Guillo's) cigar shop until the age of eighteen, dreaming about being an artist but uncertain about what his artistic future would look like.


Luis G. Cajiga is one of the most known Puerto Rican artist. He has been specialized in serigraphy, since he started his studies in the Division of Community Education in Old San Juan on 1952. There he met Lorenzo Homar, Rafael Tufiño, Félix Bonilla, and José Meléndez Contreras, who were his first teachers. He also studied a course of perspective with the great teacher Fran Cervoni.

Cajiga’s first exhibition was in 1956 in the Puerto Rican Atheneum. Since that, he has exhibited in many educational and cultural institution and commercial galleries. Many cities and countries have seen his works. In the US, he exhibited in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Loma Linda, California. He participated in exhibitions of Puerto Rican art in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, France, Spain, Japan and Russia.

In 1964, Cajiga, with other 9 Puerto Rican artists visited New York for the opening of the exhibition of the island’s most known artists in the Riverside Museum. Heading this tour was the director of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, Doctor Ricardo Alegría and his wife, Mela. This was an opportunity to visit museums art schools and galleries of the great city.

Cajiga won the second price in the contest sponsored by the Fire Department in 1957. It was a poster design for the Fire Prevention Week. On 1965, he won the first price in the Puerto Rican Atheneum, in the Christmas Festival. A year later, he won the first price on the contest sponsored by the IBEC company in the city of Caguas. In 1969 the contest of San Juan City Hall gave him a second price for a painting of the old city. He won also a price for his design of a plate celebrating the 450 anniversary of the foundation of the city of San Juan. This price was given by the Sterling House of Santurce.

Among the distinctions Cajiga won, are a proclamation of the Puerto Rican Senate; a proclamation of Major Washington of Chicago, and another of the majors of Perth Amboy and Elizabeth in New Jersey; the government of Boston, The Director of Human Resources of Washington DC, the Puerto Rican Free Enterprise Association, and the Superior Council of Art.

 

A design of Cajiga was chosen for the Hispanic Heritage Month of the year 1997. For the opening of that month; Cajiga visited The Post Office Center in the nation’s capital.

One great exposition was held in the Museum in Ponce, the greatest and more important museum in the island. His exhibition in the San Juan Museum of Art and History in Old San Juan, on 1987, was a great one, for he present 200 serigraphs, created in a span of 30 years.

Now, at the age of 66, Cajiga is working more on acrylics. He has his own gallery, Estudio Cajiga, in Old san Juan, in front of Pier 4, where he has his recent acrylics,, and many of his serigraphs. Also he has reproductions and engravings.



Sent by Rafael Jesús González
rjgonzalez@mindspring.com
 

Latin@ Printmakers Exhibition: 
Grabados de Paz y Guerra
March 14 through April 30, 2011

The Latin@ Printmakers Exhibition: Grabados de Paz y Guerra, features the work of respected Latina/o printmakers on the topic of war and peace, and is scheduled to take place this spring at Berkeley City College's Jerry Adams Gallery. Curated by artist and BCC visual arts instructor Juana Alicia Araiza. This exhibit is part of BCC's college-wide project "Sorrows of War, Struggles for Peace." The show comments on war, violence, immigration, international movements of resistance and peace: Featured Artists: Ester Hernández, Juan Fuentes. Tirso Araiza, Artemio Rodríguez, Jesús Barraza, Melanie Cervantes, Emmanuel C. Montoya, Gabriel Martínez

The six-week exhibit will be part of an eighteen-month long project at Berkeley City College, entitled Sorrows of War: Joys of Peace, which will include a lecture series, exhibits, curricular offerings and other important activities and events. The exhibit will take place March 14th through April 30th,  The opening reception as held on March 18th, with renowned Berkeley Poet Rafael Jesús González reading his poetry. 


LATINOPIA.COM

A CORNUCOPIA OF LATINO CULTURE FOR THE DIGITAL AGE  

  

          Music, recipes, poetry, art, cinema, theater and history make up the rich cornucopia of Latino culture showcased on www.Latinopia.com  a new website set for launch March 19, 2011.  

          The brainchild of veteran Los Angeles television director and documentary filmmaker Jesús Salvador Treviño, the video-driven website is designed as a one-stop web destination for all things Latino.  

          “As U.S. Latinos enter the digital age, we need a website that can offer videos about all aspects of our history culture and life,” explains Jesus Treviño, whose television credits include programs like Law and Order-Criminal Intent, The Unit, Criminal Minds and Resurrection Blvd and who shot and edited much of the video footage on Latinopia.com.  

          “We’re starting with five-minute videos in seven subject areas--interviews, music performances, short films, theater plays and authors reading from their works,” Trevino explains. “We are excited that top Latino writers, artists and musicians from around the U.S. have seen the value of Latinopia.com and are enthusiastically sharing their time, stories and creativity.      

          A click on Latinopia’s Art section will take the visitor to video profiles of Chicano, Puerto Rican and Cuban American artists, painters and muralists such as Gilbert “Magu” Lujan, Ester Hernández, Frank Romero, Yolanda López, César Martínez, Rupert García, José Montoya, Gronk, Judy Baca, Carmen Lomas Garza, Zarco Guerrero as well as print interviews and special features.

          The Literature section features a timeline on the emergence of Chicano, Puerto Rican and Cuban-American literature in the United States in addition to listings of Latino books. Video interviews include such important Latino writers such as Rudolfo Anaya, Pat Mora, Dagoberto Gilb, Judith Ortíz Cofer, Alberto Rios, Denise Chavez and Luis J. Rodriguez. Dramatic re-enactments and additional footage bring their works to life.  

          The website’s Theater section includes video interviews with Chicano, Puerto Rican and Cuban American playwrights, actors and stage directors and groups like Culture Clash as well as excerpts from plays written performed and directed by Latinos in New York, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco; among them Crystal City 1969, Gaytino, Regeneración, and The Silver Dollar.  

          Interviews with leading Chicano, Puerto Rican and Cuban musicians are an attraction in the Music section: Los Lobos, Little Joe and La Familia, Flaco Jimenez all discuss their art. There are also performances by such groups as Mitote, Los Pochos, La Santa Cecilia, Olmeca.

          In Cinema and Television many of the nation’s leading Latino actresses and actors discuss their work and making their way in Hollywood: Hector Elizondo, Lupe Ontiveros, Jimmy Smits, Edward James Olmos, America Ferrera, Evelina Fernandez and are among those to be featured. Behind the camera talent will also be featured such as writer/producer Dennis Leoni (Resurrection Blvd), Director of Photography Rey Villalobos (Nine to Five, Urban Cowboy) and Director Leon Ichaso (El Cantante).  

          A visit to the History page will reveal videos of important historical events in Chicano and Latino life along with event timelines, biographies and documents. It includes profiles of important Chicano, Puerto Rican and Cuban American leaders and historical figures such as Jose Marti, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.  

          Latinopia Food offers Latinopia’s recommendations on the best places in major cities in the United States to eat Mexican and Latino food along with “how-to” videos on making great Mexican food--enchiladas, guacamole, Spanish rice, salsa-- as well as Puerto Rican and Cuban American cuisine.  

Cartoonist Sergio Hernandez invites us all to view his wife Diane's videos in the food section "Cocina Hernandez"..

Check out Tamalada, Enchiladas, Fideo and Guacamole.........Serg

          “We are launching modestly with a few dozen videos,“ Jesús Treviño explains, “but we add new videos each week and will grow the site into more than hundred videos by the end of the first year. Seeing is believing. Check us out at www.Latinopia.com  

           “Once we establish an audience of regular visitors, we plan to expand beyond short videos into original webisodes and longer form dramas geared to the Latino public. The potential is as rich and limitless as is the life and culture of America’s 47 million Latinos.”


Sent by Armando Rendon, armandorendon@sbcglobal.net
lactogen@MOUSEPLACENTA.COM  and chuytrevino@earthlink.net




LITERATURE

I am a Human by Xalli Gordon-Chavez
1st Annual Call for Entries - 

       Bringchange2life Short Stories Awards!

Playwrights take on immigration in “Performing 
       1070 Short-Play Festival” 
 
Friends,

This poem was written a few days ago by my 12 year old granddaughter Xalli Gordon Chavez. She is also a great artist and is currently helping her master art mentor paint murals at a hotel in San Francisco. We are very proud of her, little brother Gavilan and parents Juanita and Jaime.  Jaime was born and raised in Corozal, Belize. In more than one way and in struggle, you all are part of my nieta Xalli's spirit.  

Augustine (Gus) Chavez  
guschavez2000@yahoo.com

March 8, 2011

I am a Human 

by Xalli Gordon-Chavez

 

Everyone asks me "exactly, what are you?" I am human with a heart bold & true "no, I mean your ethnicity, roots...."

 

I am from the grand Chickasaw Nation

through their grandparents stories they got their education

 

With roots of Jamaica grooves and rocks with culture streaming down in thick dreadlocks

 

From the Aztec temples I have originated dancing powerful dances our ancestors created

 

I come from Belize's Blue Hole

where freedom and peace was their true goal

 

From the slashed backs of the Garifuna slaves who kept trucking for freedom making big huge waves

 

I am Chicana with pride and dignity

in the fields working for white men with no pity

 

Born by the Mayan gods powerful and wise made me with a heart in the biggest size

 

But most of all I am Human

I am Human, just like you and you the only difference is that my heart is true

 

 

 
1st Annual Call for Entries - Bringchange2life Short Stories Awards!
 
Latinas between the ages of 18 and 25 and who live in Indiana can submit short memoirs/life stories - Maximum:    5000    Minimus:    3500

$100.00 award given to the one  best story submitted by the 15th of each month beginning with April of 2011 thru April of 2012. One of the monthly winners will become a Grand-prize winner. Grand prize will receive $1,000.00 in 31st of April of 2012.

The Rules, regulations and official entry form will be listed on this site shortly. There will be a $20.00 entry fee for the first story or only story for each submission. An additional entry will be $15.00 Please go to bringchange2life.com web site for further information.  Turnkey Publishing, LLC  reserves the right to withhold prizes or disqualify entries that do not meet the criteria listed in the rules.
  Playwrights take on immigration in “Performing 1070 Short-Play Festival” 
PHOENIX -- With Arizona’s controversial immigration bill as a catalyst, 12 short works by local and national playwrights and a group of Phoenix high school students will be performed in the groundbreaking “Performing 1070 Short-Play Festival” March 30 at ASU West in Glendale, Arizona, and March 31 at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona.

“The way Arizona is addressing immigration has garnered the attention of the world, so ,” said James Garcia, a Phoenix-based playwright and the project’s organizer. “

New Carpa Theater Company, founded by award-winning Phoenix playwright James Garcia, will produce the 5- to 10-minute plays. The 12 plays were chosen from 70 submissions by a talented array of playwrights in Arizona and at least 12 states across the country. All are centered on themes related to immigration. See below for the final list of works chosen, along with a synopsis and the author’s name and city of residence.

Garcia also worked with a group of students from Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix to bring a series of vignettes they wrote to the professional stage. Though all of the playwrights bring impressive resumes, most having awards and/or professionally produced plays under their belts, New Carpa is especially honored to present an excerpt from Detained in the Desert, a new work by Josefina Lopez, author of the acclaimed film Real Women Have Curves, which starred America Ferrera.

A local panel of judges finalized the list in early March, and a team of local directors and actors, will stage the plays 7-9 p.m., March 30, at ASU West in Glendale, and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., March 31, at the Arizona State Capitol. Admission is free, but donations to the nonprofit New Carpa Theater Company will be accepted. 

The purpose of this short-play festival is to highlight the effects of a series of state-based immigration-related legislation enacted or proposed in Arizona over the past decade, culminating in the signing of SB 1070 by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010. This is a non-partisan, grassroots, community-based theater project designed to provide theater and performance artists an opportunity to express their views on one of the most compelling human and civil rights issues of our time.  

List of plays to be produced at the “Performing 1070 Short-Play Festival”  (listed alphabetically)

Build a Wall by Cary Pepper of San Francisco, CA
Two men trying to build a wall to keep each other out find a cause that brings them together.

Detained in the Desert (excerpt) by Josefina Lopez of New York, NY
A Latina woman and her Canadian boyfriend get lost in the southern Arizona desert and have a run-in with immigration officers. 

The Dirty Irish by Ann Marie Shea of Worcester, MA
In Prohibition-era New England, the Brahmins can’t always get what they want, so they just send the immigrant domestics to procure it for them.

A Few Moments by Gabriel Fernandez of San Antonio, TX
A man gets pulled over in Arizona with his two young children in the car.

Freedom Trail by Terry Tess Earp of Phoenix, AZ
A man and a woman sit in a bar drinking and waiting for the man’s brother to arrive after crossing the border from Mexico.

God’s Flea by Diane Lefer of Los Angeles, CA
God's Flea moves Carrasquilla's tale to today's US-Mexico border. In this contemporary adaptation, the saintly Peralta persists in aiding the poor and the undocumented in defiance of his greedy sister and the very devil of a sheriff. Because of his goodness, Jesus grants him five wishes. Peralta's choices are strange ones, but the humble old man may not be as foolish as he looks. 

In Old Arizona by Guillermo Reyes of AZ
A Native American woman pleads for authorities to spare her Spanish soldier boyfriend and allow him to stay in Arizona.

Joe Arpaio Meets La Virgen de Guadalupe by Stella Pope Duarte of Phoenix, AZ
Sheriff Joe tries to arrest the Virgin of Guadalupe in the desert.

Run, Zombie, Run by Randy Gross of Enola, PA
A woman riding on a bus to the Pittsburgh Point Zombie Refuge is accompanied by her zombie boyfriend, much to the chagrin of a bigoted Senator.

Should We Stay or Should We Go? by drama students and teacher Trish Galindo Kiser of Carl Hayden High School, Phoenix, AZ
A reporter interviews high-school students who tell in their own words their stores of coming to the U.S. and their dilemma of whether to remain here or return to a country most have never known. 

Theresa’s Story by Sandra Fenichel Asher of Lancaster, PA
Theresa is an undocumented worker who spoke to the group through a translator at considerable risk to herself, because, she said, she wanted her story told. It is a harrowing tale of the violence she endured while crossing the border and the discrimination and heartbreak she faces daily in this country, all to eke out a decent living.

www.newcarpa.org; 623-252-2772;  jgarcia@americanlatino.net 

  Texas A & M University Press invites submissions to the forthcoming anthology

New Border Writing: A Still Life in Words

An Anthology of Texas/Mexico Border Writing


We are seeking submissions for a collection of the best fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction depicting life, culture, and issues of the Texas/Mexico Rio Grande Border tentatively titled New Border Writing: A Still Life in Words. In his essay, “A Sense of Place,” Mercedes, Texas writer Rolando Hinojosa says,

For the writer--this writer--a sense of place was not a matter of importance; it became essential. And so much so that my stories are not held together by the plot as much as by what the people who populate the stories say and how they say it, how they look at the world out and the world in; and the works, then, become studies of perceptions and values and decisions reached by them because of those perceptions and values which in turn were fashioned and forged by the place and its history.

We invite such writing about the Texas/Mexico border--“fashioned and forged by the place and its history”--in all literary forms: stand-alone novel excerpts under 7,000 words, short fiction under 5,000 words, creative non-fiction essays under 5,000 words, five one page poems, or work in other literary forms (flash fiction, one-act plays, etc). Although we are looking primarily for previously unpublished works, published works will be considered. 

We are also inviting scholars to seek out previously unpublished works by classic border authors such as Américo Paredes, Jovita Gonzalez, John Houghton-Allen, Hart Stilwell, Gloria Anzaldúa, John Rechy, or others. 

Works in Spanish will be translated by the editors in a bilingual format. We particularly encourage writers to submit work reflecting a perspective from the Mexican side of the border. 

Please send prose submissions to both brandon.shuler@ttu.edu and rjohnson@utpa.edu and poetry to Erika Garza-Johnson at poetapower@gmail.com. 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS JUNE 15, 2011

Acceptances announced no later than August 31, 2011.  

Editors: Brandon D. Shuler is a Literature, Social Justice, and the Environment Ph.D candidate at Texas Tech University. He recently edited the unpublished manuscript of Hart Stilwell’s Glory of the Silver King, due for release on Texas A&M University Press April 2011. He is currently editing the letters of Tom Lea and J. Frank Dobie for UT Press. Erika Garza-Johnson's poetry has been published in The Texas Observer, Bordersenses, LUNG, and La Bloga. She is a graduate of the University of Texas-Pan American's MFA in creative writing program and teaches composition and literature at South Texas College. Rob Johnson is a Professor of English at the University of Texas Pan American. He is the author of The Lost Years of William S. Burroughs: Beats in South Texas (Texas A and M University, 2006) and the editor of Fantasmas: Supernatural Stories by Mexican-American Writers (Bilingual Press, 2001). He teaches courses on south Texas literature and frequently writes and lectures on border issues. 

Recognizing Great Value in the Arts of the Rio Grande Valley 
Self-submit your events to Central Arts Calendar using instructions at www.ArtsRGV.com 
Sent by Roberto Calderon, Ph.D.  beto@unt.edu

Hi All:
 
As observed by my Primo, Joe Lopez, The Treviño Uribe Fort in San Ynacio, Tx -- hugely damaged by a sloppy Contractor's work-- has not been repaired?  By means of this e-mail, we are asking your help.  Please contact The River Pierce Foundation, email: riverpierce@hotmail.com; phone no. 956.765.5764.  and let's demand the company to correct the damage.  This company did a horribly botched job and now needs to correct the damage to our history.
 
Those people who live in the Laredo, Zapata, Hebbronville area we expect them to do all they can to speed up the process.  Specifically, those of you who live in Zapata County should contact your county commissioners and urge them to seek a quick resolution to the problem.  Thank you all for what you do to further knowledge of the rich history of our Spanish Mexican ancestors.
 
Joe Lopez, Mimi Lozano, Jose M. Pena
 

 


BOOKS

Latinos in U.S Sport: A History of Isolation, Cultural Identity, and Acceptance
      By Iber, Regalado, Alamillo, De Leon
Islenos of Louisiana: On the Water's Edge
The Book of Want by Daniel A. Olivas 
Madre Perilous Journeys with Spanish Noun
El Beso del Escapulario by Nicolás Rosendo García by Liza Bakewell
 

Latinos in U.S Sport: A History of Isolation, Cultural Identity, and Acceptance

Short Description

Latinos in U.S. Sport presents a long-overdue look at the history of Latino participation in multiple facets of American sport and provides a balanced history of the contribution of Spanish-speaking people to the world of U.S. sport. 

Product Description

Latinos in U.S. Sport: A History of Isolation, Cultural Identity, and Acceptance is the first comprehensive exploration of Latino culture and its relationship to sport in what is now the United States. Spanning a period of 500 years from the 16th century to the present and discussing a wide range of Latino communities, regions, and sports, Latinos in U.S. Sport offers an accessible examination of the Latino sporting experience in the United States by covering topics ranging from cultural issues to economics.

Using newspaper accounts and primary sources as well as dissertations and scholarly articles from history, education, sport business, and other disciplines, the authors provide a thorough and enlightening account of this population’s role in U.S. sport history. The text details the experiences of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, and others as it chronicles the community, school-based, and professional influences of Latinos within a variety of sports and sport contexts. The authors discuss the evolution of sport, games, and physical activity. They also examine the shifting perceptions both within and outside of the Latino community and the outcomes of these changes.

The timeline within the text gives readers a visual presentation of the key events and figures in this culture’s history. The book highlights Latino athletes and teams who overcame great odds to succeed at the local, high school, collegiate, and professional levels and details the early participation of such individuals in international athletic competitions, such as the Olympics and Pan-American Games. In addition to examining well-known figures such as Nancy López, Chi Chi Rodríguez, Pancho González, and Roberto Clemente, special Unknown Heroes sidebars introduce readers to many lesser-known but influential athletes and coaches.

Latinos in U.S. Sport begins by detailing the games and diversions particular to the Spanish conquistadors, various Native American groups, and the integrated culture of the mestizo, and it traces the ways in which American influence moved into these regions. Moving ahead to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the text describes how European Americans used baseball as part of their attempt to bring "civilization" to the areas of the Caribbean and the Southwest. The text also discusses how the success of Cubans and other Latin Americans within Major League and Negro League Baseball helped to challenge the perception of Spanish speakers among the broader U.S. population. The final section of the book discusses the increasing presence of Latinos in all fields of sport competition, their growing presence in management and ownership of sport franchises, and their increasing economic power as consumers of athletic events.

Latinos in U.S. Sport presents a long-overdue look at the history of Latino participation in multiple facets of American sport and provides a balanced and more complete history of the contribution of Spanish-speaking people to the history of U.S. sport. The text aims to generate discussion and inspire further recognition of the influence of Latinos in the U.S. sport world.

Contents

Chapter 1. Games of Spaniards, Pre-Columbians, and the Peoples of New Spain, 1500-1821
Los Españoles (the Spaniards) and Sports
Sports, Games, and Entertainment Activities of Pre-Columbian Peoples
Games and Sports in New Spain, 1521-1821
Conclusion

Chapter 2. Games Mexicans Played, 1821-1880s
19th-Century Borderlands
Games and Sports in Mexico’s Far North, 1821-1848
Games and Sports in the U.S. Southwest, 1848-1880s
Into the Modern Sports Era
Conclusion

Chapter 3. Getting in the Game: Latino-Style American Sport, 1880s-1930
Athletic Ability of Latinos
Baseball Craze
Rise of American Football
Marginal Sport Claiming Its Place in Barrio Life
Dribble Diversion
Boxing Ring as a Place for Creating Tough Hombres
Other Sports
Conclusion

Chapter 4. Sports and Community Life in the Great Depression and World War II, 1930-1950
Athletic Abilities of Latinos: Beginning of a More Realistic Assessment?
Lots of Energy to Play Ball
Football
Pride and Identification Through Soccer
Basketball in the Barrios and in Big Tournaments
Boxing and Community
Track and Field: An Athletic Challenge
Burgeoning Latino Presence in Golf
Early Years of Latino Tennis
Conclusion

Chapter 5. Expanding Opportunities From High Schools to the National Stage, 1950-1965
Key Historical Trend
Baseball
Football
Basketball
Boxing
Tennis
Running
Golf’s Presence in the Barrio
Horse Racing
Conclusion

Chapter 6. Latinos and Sport During an Era of Social Activism: 1965-1980
Activism and Stardom on the Baseball Diamond
Football
Hoops and Ethnic Pride During the Chicano Era
Soccer and Recreational Independence
Boxing as an Outlet for Teenage Frustration
Does Playing Golf Make One Less Latino?
Conclusion

Chapter 7. Becoming Part of the Mainstream as Consumers, Performers, and Leaders, 1980-2010
Four Illustrative Stories
Key Themes
Burgeoning Presence on the Baseball Diamond and the Front Office
Spanish Surnames More Common on the Gridiron
Basketball at the Heart of the Barrio and Beyond
Latinos and Latinas as Part of the Tennis Boom
Soccer (Fútbol): Cultural Spaces in Unlikely Places
Continuing Latinization of the Boxing Ring
Latinos as Consumers
Other Sports
Conclusion

Audiences

Text for graduate and undergraduate courses in sport history, cultural and ethnic studies, sociology of sport, and ethnic sociology courses. A reference for sport and social historians as well as academic, high school, and public libraries. 

Jorge Iber, PhD, is associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of history at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Over the past decade, Iber has specialized in the history of U.S. sport, with particular focus on the history of Mexican American athletes in Texas. He has published and edited several books and written articles on Latinos and sport for journals such as International Journal of the History of Sport, Journal of the West, and Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Iber also served as guest editor of an issue of International Journal of the History of Sport that focused on the topic of Latinos in U.S. sport history. He is a member of the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) and other professional historical organizations.

Iber and his wife, Raquel, reside in Lubbock, Texas.

Samuel O. Regalado, PhD, is a professor of history at California State University, Stanislaus, in Turlock, California. He instigated the study of Latino participation in United States sports with his book Viva Baseball!: Latin Major Leaguers and Their Special Hunger, and he coedited the anthology Mexican Americans and Sports: A Reader on Athletics and Barrio Life. Regalado also authored articles on ethnicity and sport in several journals and was a 1994 Smithsonian fellow. His documentary film appearances include the award-winning Roberto Clemente, which aired on the PBS American Experience series. His current manuscript looks at the history of Japanese American baseball and their community.

Regalado lives in Turlock, California. 

José M. Alamillo, PhD, is an associate professor and coordinator of the Chicana/o studies program at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, California. He teaches courses on Chicana/o-Latina/o studies, labor and immigration, and race and gender relations in U.S. sport. Alamillo has written Making Lemonade out of Lemons: Mexican American Labor and Leisure in a California Town, 1900-1960. His current book project is Playing Across Borders: The Rise of Transnational Sports in Greater Mexico. Alamillo is faculty advisor to the Latino Baseball History Project and the Studio for Southern California History.

Alamillo resides with his wife, Leilani, and three kids in Newbury Park, California, where he enjoys playing tennis.

Arnoldo De León, PhD, is a professor in the department of history at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. De León specializes in the study of Mexican American history and has authored numerous scholarly works on this subject. In 1988, De León was awarded an endowed professorship in history from Angelo State University. He was awarded the title of fellow of the Texas State Historical Association in 1987.

De León lives in San Angelo, Texas, with his wife, Dolores. 

Sent by Juan Marinez  marinezj@anr.msu.edu

 

  The Islenos of Louisiana: On the Water's Edge
I wanted to email and let you know that the book, The Islenos of Louisiana: On the Water's Edge, is now available! Based on a blend of research and interviews with living Islenos, the book traces the history, culture, and accomplishments of these little-known but influential people from their arrival in the late 1700s, from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010.

The book is intended for general readership, but it incorporates a lot of academic research in the field, so there's something for everyone in it. There's even pictures--haha. It was seriously a lot of fun to be a part of this project, and I hope everyone will enjoy reading the book as much as I did writing it.  
http://www.amazon.com/Islenos-Louisiana-Waters-Edge/dp/160949024X/ref=sr_
1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299277284&sr=8-1

 It's also available in local bookstores and Barnes and Noble.
Sent by Bill Carmena  JCarm1724@aol.com


THE BOOK OF WANT BY Daniel A. Olivas

I am delighted that on Thursday, March 24, the University of Arizona Press will officially release my first full-length novel, The Book of Want, as part of its award-winning Camino del Sol series. My novel's cover is adorned with a painting by the acclaimed artist, Gronk, whose "La Tormenta" has become an iconic figure and perfectly captures the spirit of my book.

As Los Angeles Magazine said of my novel:

"The first novel from L.A. writer (and California deputy attorney general) Daniel A. Olivas focuses on Belén, the deceased, cigarette-puffing matriarch of a Latino family who continues to meddle in her daughters' affairs through their dreams. Olivas, who also edited the anthology Latinos in Lotusland, grew up in Koreatown and Pico-Union, and sets much of the fanciful story near his old haunts. His brand of magical realism has a sense of humor about itself, and he succeeds in harnessing the genre's unique ability to expose what's beneath the surface."

To celebrate the release, I will be making book appearances throughout California. Here are the appearances that have been scheduled so far:

March 26, 6 p.m.: Libros Schmibros, 2000 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA. Phone: 323-302-9408.
March 30, 7:00 p.m.: Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA. Phone: 650-324-4321.
April 5, 7:00 p.m.: Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA. Phone: 626-449-5320.

April 9 (full day event with various author panels and book signings): I will be a guest author at Literary Orange on the campus of UC Irvine. For a full schedule, visit http://literaryorange.org/Events.php  

May 7, 4:00 p.m.: Metropolis Books, 440 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA. Phone: 213-612-0174.
May 28, 1:00: Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore, 13197-A Gladstone Ave., Sylmar, CA. Phone: 818-528-4511.

I hope to see you at an event! 
Saludos, Daniel Olivas
http://www.danielolivas.com 

Madre: Perilous Journeys with a Spanish Noun

By Liza Bakewell

Reviewed by Anne Hoyt, of Washington, D.C.,
Ms Hoyt is a contributing columnist with Hispanic Link News Service,, 

Vol. 29 No. 4, Feb. 24, 2011 7 Your News Source Since 1983
Founder/Editor: Charlie Erickson 

Liza Bakewell, an anthropologist and a professor at Brown University, was studying in Mexico in the late ’80s and ’90s when she
first noticed the different forms that Mexicans use for the Spanish word “madre.” Some of the meanings have completely
opposite charges. Like:
un desmadre is a major disaster.
De poca madre is fabulous.
Vale madres, it is worthless.
Dar en la madre, beat someone up.
Mamacita, delicious creature.

Although author Blackwell felt herself to be fluent   in Spanish, the recondite meanings of such a powerful noun were completely lost on her. Hence, the book is an account of her expeditions in Mexico in search of the diverse meanings of the word and what they reveal about the Mexican culture in general.

Even though she is an academic, Bakewell’s linguistic explorations did not include experts or intellectuals, but simple people she happened to befriend: “artist and food types” mainly, by her own description. Bakewell observed the usage of the word in
such “scientific” settings as cab rides, weddings, dinner parties, art studios, restaurants. Being from the United States and a feminist, she takes the obvious route.

Her interpretation of why Mexicans use madre the way they do underlines the macho aspect of the society. However, there is much more to it than the simplistic feminist vision. Thankfully, the book does not pretend to be an archeological or sociological treatise. Her observations are tongue in cheek.

The problem is that there are other books about the use of language in Mexican culture and Bakewell’s attempts at arriving at a conclusion seem amateurish and banal by comparison. It might be a good read for a foreigner who has no idea of the way language is used by men in Mexico (i.e. to reaffirm their masculinity; to joke among themselves with the word-play of albur), but anyone who has delved into these issues in a more professional way, the book is just a piece of entertainment.

In Bakewell’s own words, the book is “part memoir, part travelogue and part investigation into a culture and its language. If taken just by its two first definitions, “Madre: Perilous Journeys with a Spanish Noun” is a good enough read.

For someone who is really interested and wants to go deep into the culture, better stick with what has already been said in better books. W. W. Norton, New York, 222 pages, hardcover.

 

 

 

 

 

 


El Beso del Escapulario by Nicolás Rosendo García

n.rosendo.gar@gmail.com

Estimados paisanos:

Mi nombre es Nicolás Rosendo García y nací en Salvatierra, Guanajuato. En el barrio de Santo Domingo, mejor conocido como barrio del Canta Ranas.

Desde 1986 vivo con mi familia en Colima, Col. México 

En mis años de inmigrante en Chicago y Nueva York, siempre creí que nuestras tradiciones y costumbres son las raíces más profundas de nuestra identidad, son parte de nuestra gran riqueza cultural porque en ellas expresamos los valores y actitudes que conservamos como pueblo mexicano.

Son un tesoro muy valioso del que nos es difícil desprendernos porque las llevamos en la sangre. Muchos de nuestros hijos que nacieron en el extranjero aprecian nuestra patrimonio cultural, otros, pretenden ignorarlo o simplemente no lo conocen.

Escribí una novela y un libro de superación humana, donde empleo cientos de palabras (mexicanismos) que escuché en mi infancia y que ya casi olvidaba. Son mexicanismos que reflejan la riqueza lingüística de nuestros pueblos y rancherías.

La novela se llama: El Beso del Escapulario. 
El libro de Superación Humana: No tengas miedo de saber quién eres.
Los pueden pedir por internet a: Barnes and Noble, en Amazon y en ordenes@palibrio.com 
En Estados Unidos pedidos al: 1-877-407-5847


Síntesis: El Beso del Escapulario

Trata de un joven provinciano que sufre extraños y misteriosos sucesos. El encuentro con un hombre sepultado en negras vestimentas le causa miedo. Sus amigos también perciben el peligro. Don Lencho, campesino viejo y experimentado, les confirma la presencia de fuerzas malignas. 

Es ungido como profeta por un anciano enigmático, conoce a Buda y a Jesús. Después de esta vivencia mística comienza a transformar su manera de pensar. La experiencia de la casona macabra le confirme la existencia de entes siniestros. En un monasterio benedictino su alma se deleita en la oración interior perpetua y la contemplación mística de la “Noche luminosa”. Conoce la Filocalia, libro ascético. 

Profetiza contra empresarios y prelados de la iglesia. Ahí reconoce a Monseñor Romero, mártir y profeta. Regresa al monte a meditar, sus familiares intentan convencerlo para que vuelva al pueblo, los acompaña el padre Antonio, hacedor indiscutible de “milagros y prodigios” y de quien el gentío afirma, de manera equívoca y chusca, que hasta los muertos del panteón le hacen los mandados. 

Predica contra las damas “santas”, recuerda el día en que las esposas de los altos funcionarios visitaron su pueblo para donar triques y cachivaches que los habitantes mandaron al carancho. Visita el purgatorio, un ánima le muestra lo que ya nadie dice creer: millares de hálitos deambulando como seres sin ser. Los caciques pepenan con la lengua los gargajos y escupitajos de sus antiguos tamemes. Las mujeres fantochas lucen descuacharrangadas, con las chichis y nalgas guangas, rogando pa’que cualesquier macuarro les sobe el culo. Los caranchos políticos chapuceros, se achacan las mesmas tranzas: chingo de robos, traiciones, asesinatos…

Soportó la tortura de una partida de militares. Naufraga entre la idea de un Dios misericordioso, benigno… y la realidad de la vileza humana. El capitán, que vomitaba crueldad descontrolada, ordenó: ¡Asegúrese de dejarlo bien muerto, mátelo tres veces si cree conveniente! 

En el último capítulo, bajo la espiritualidad de San Juan de la Cruz, Santa Teresa de Jesús y San Francisco de Asís; comprendió cómo la oración es un diálogo acaramelado de exquisito amorío. A pesar de encontrarse en un estado místico, sucumbe ante los pies del maléfico. Cuando todo está perdido. Ernesto recuerda, “Siempre que tengas miedo o estés en peligro, dale un beso, está bendito... ”


Síntesis: No tengas miedo de saber quién eres

Libro de superación humana escrita para que asumas el compromiso ineludible de ser el actor de tu vida mostrándote tal y como eres. Para que agradezcas las bondades que la vida te otorga como don y salgas al encuentro de aquellos que le dan sentido a tu existencia: los demás, la familia, la sociedad… Te exhorta a compartir tus sentimientos y emociones internas, a expresar sin temor tus debilidades humanas abandonando tus falsos yo, ocultos o favorecidos por esta sociedad sin rostro. 

Alienta a tu espíritu a que rompas con las representaciones y poses sociales hipócritas, las caricaturas y máscaras que te apartan de tu esencia. Ya no puedes continuar con enfermedades ficticias y angustias imaginarias por no exteriorizar lo que verdaderamente sientes y crees. Basta de complacer a las personas con piropos y mentiras que te arrastran al fracaso, al sufrimiento doloroso por no ser tú mismo, no necesitas de disfraces ni disimulos para ser aceptado. 

No existen pretextos para culpar a otros de tus flaquezas o falta de compromiso personal, si deseas superarte estás obligado a que tu verdadero yo se ponga de pie y decida encaminarse a la felicidad. 

No tengas miedo de saber quién eres te muestra el compromiso, las actitudes y habilidades para lograr relaciones verdaderas y profundas, para ello es indispensable autocumunicarte, ser honesto, abrir tu corazón y permitir que tus riquezas se distribuyan. La persona es un poder ser, perfectible, abierto al cambio y a la superación constante. Tú posees la capacidad interna de realizarte más allá de cualquier obstáculo, éstos son la prueba de tu fortaleza y voluntad de espíritu. Aprenderás que nadie puede indicarte por dónde debes ir, tu destino es sólo tuyo y lo estás construyendo día a día, con penas, sufrimientos y sinsabores, al final serás tú quien conquiste lo que mereces.

Experimentarás que el cambio de vida personal es posible si luchas con empeño en conquistar tus ideales. Ya no tendrás miedo a decir quién eres.  Muchas gracias.


 


USA LATINO PATRIOTS

NCLR 2008 Conference, San Diego
Lft. to Rt.  WWII Jet Pilot, Lt. Col. Henry Cervantes,
Medal of Honor Recipient, Rudy Hernandez,
Rick Leal, President, Hispanic Medal of Honor Society

www.TheLongoriaAffair.com 
A soldier dies...and the battle for civil rights begins. John J. Valadez, Producer
johnjvaladez@aol.com
  516-810-7238 

March 3rd, Harvard University agreed to allow ROTC back on their campus, now with the repeal of the .
Estimada Mercy and Mimi, Two Hispanics appointed to the VA Minority Advisory Committee. Also our very own Filipino from Tacom, Brigidier General O. Hillman, one Native Am: Molino and one from Guam: Palacios.
Rafael Ojeda  Tacoma,WA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
http://www.helpmypayment.com/va_panel.html (These may have been previous members.)
 

 

  A Message to You, from Debbie Lee, 
Gold Star Mom 
Supreme Court Wrong on Westboro
Radical Hate Group Allowed to Attack Troop's Funeral Services

It was a sad day for America as The Supreme court ruled that the hate filled, vile Westboro Baptist Protesters can continue to spew their vitriolic hatred towards our troops, inflicting unimaginable pain into the hearts of the families of the fallen. 

I was devastated last as I read on my computer that the verdict had been returned and that they had ruled in favor of Westboro and against the Father of Matthew Snyder, a Marine who gave his life defending the very freedoms that the protesters continue to take advantage of and abuse. 


I began to shake, the tears streamed down my face and I felt sick to my stomach as I remembered my confrontation with the cruel, inhumane vileness of these protesters at the Memorial service of my son Marc Alan Lee, the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq 8-2-06.

It's hard to believe that there could be people filled with so much hate who then pretend to be Christians on a mission for God. The Westboro Baptist protesters have so twisted and convoluted the scriptures and are nothing but a cult who have found a way to be constantly in the media. They will have a rude awakening when they die and find out just like the Muslim extremist that there isn't 72 of anything waiting for them in Heaven but will be turned away. 

I remember when we received notification the week before Marc's service that the Westboro haters were coming. I was mortified, not only was I dealing with the death of my youngest son but now I was going to face protesters who were going to make a mockery of my son, my hero. How much more pain can a Mother endure? 

After they protested at Marc's Memorial service they traveled to 3 other funerals of fallen heroes just that week. I was puzzled as to who would donate to allow them to fund their insanity and torture? I began to research them and found that there were 11 lawyers in the family. Fred Phelps himself had filed over 400 frivoulous lawsuits They raised their funding by suing those who when they incited them by their vile speech and actions, responded in their grief by attacking them for disgracing and dishonoring their loved one who had just died. These are our brave warriors who sacrificed their lives defending our country and the freedoms we enjoy each and everyday, including freedom of speech.

My question to the Supreme Court justices is what happened to "Hate speech" which is described as "any speech, gesture or conduct, writing or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence. The wacko Westboro protesters were hoping at Marc's Memorial service to incite people to violence. When they chanted at me that "I had failed my son" that "I sent my son to hell" that "I raised him to chose an occupation of murder" they hoped I would attack them. It seems that would be defamation of character as they attacked me and my parenting skills.

They were hoping that with the flag cut in half, strapped to their ankles as they walked all over it that the Vets couldn't tolerate to see Old Glory desecrated and that they would attack them. I am not violent or aggressive but if the Patriot Guard riders hadn't been there that day to shelter and protect me from their vitriolic speech in the midst of the deepest pain I have ever known in my life, I would have attacked them and I would have been sued and they would have won the case.

To hear Phelps daughter say that God had stood by them, giving them victory and now their voices will be louder and bolder, it sickens me!! To know more families of our fallen will have to endure their terrorism and torture, that more of our heroes who have sacrificed their lives will be humiliated and dishonored and can't even be buried in peace is repulsive. Where is the justice??? Canada will not let the Westboro clan enter their country because of hate speech. They can get it right, why can't our Supreme Court understand.

As a nation we must stand and honor our fallen heroes and protect the families of the fallen from enduring the hatred and poison from these protesters. These families have given their very best for this country and we must stand up to this injustice. We must attend these funerals and be shields so the families burying their loved ones don't hear or see the protesters and be subjected to their vileness. We must past laws in each state that place a distance of 1000 feet away from the service, funeral, burial site from one hour before to one hour after the service.


To sign a PETITION, CLICK HERE and SIGN IT! http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop_the_wbc/

We need to appeal to the media to not give these protesters any media coverage at all. They are media whores and that's why they continue to do what they do.

I am so proud of each and every one of our men and women who have served and sacrificed greatly for my freedoms and I will never forget the sacrifice my son and so many others made giving their last breath defending America. As American's we owe it to them to defend them and their families against this injustice.

God Bless, Debbie Lee
Gold Medal Mother

Miguel de la Pena: American Warrior
Code name ’MIKE’ 
Special Forces Veteran 
By Roy Cook, SFA-75 
A Military veteran three times over, Mike de la Peña feels strongly about the country in which he grew up. Miguel de la Peña was the son of Mexican nationals. His Date of Birth is 02-17-1919, After spending his childhood in Mexico, Milwaukee, Wis., Peoria, Ill. and San Antonio, Texas. He grew up speaking only Spanish until the fifth grade. "My heritage, my family -- I'm proud of 'em,'' de la Peña said. "But I am an American. 

Mike is a combat veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Talking about combat, Mike said, "I can't describe it. You know you're in danger, but you can't be terrified because then you're helpless," then he said. "You go out there, you lose people, you feel bad about it. You shoot people; they shoot back," he said. "What else is there?''


He was a participant at the time of the reorganization of Special Forces by Colonel Aaron Bank. He became the first commander of the Army's first Special Forces unit, called the 10th Special Forces Group (hoping to confound the Russians with suspicions of nine more). In 20 June 1952 the first of the Special Forces groups, the 10th Special Forces Group, was activated. In establishing the 10th, Col. Bank was flexible. He drew upon former members of the "1st Special Service Force" known as the Devil's Brigade, as well as veterans of the OSS, the Parachute Infantry units, and guerilla elements in the Pacific.

This unit at Fort Bragg, North Carolina became the nucleus of the Special Warfare Center, now known as the John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance, at Fort Bragg. The next unit to be formed was the 77th Special Forces Group, which was also activated at Fort Bragg, on 25 September 1953.

Mike de la Pena transferred over from the 82nd Airborne to the 77th group in 1954. On April 1, 1956, 16 soldiers from the 77th were activated as the 14th Special Forces Operational Detachment; in June they were sent to Hawaii, and shortly thereafter to Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. Special Forces were now casting their glance to the Far East, departing from their previously heavy European orientation.
 
The 14th SFOD was shortly followed by three other operational detachments, each designed for Asia and the Pacific -- the 12th, 13th and 16th. These were soon combined into the 8231st Army Special Operations Detachment. On June 17, 1957, the 14th and 8231st joined to form the 1st Special Forces Group, stationed at Okinawa and responsible for the Far Eastern theater of operations. Mike was the S2 officer of this Okinawa group. 

In a recent telephone interview Mike warmly recall previous commanders like Col. Edson D. Raff. Col. Raft commanding a battalion in the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, he led the first paratrooper attack against Vichy French forces in French North Africa during the Torch landings, the first U.S. invasion of territory held by Nazi Germany and its allies. 

However, some historians said, the battle over the green beret might have hampered Col. Raff's career - even though he was one of the Army's most storied World War II paratroop commanders. 

Col. Raff took part in the first and last paratrooper assaults in Europe in World War II. Col. Raff, a 1933 graduate of West Point, joined the paratroops after reading about German paratroopers' attacks in the early years of World War II. 

Col. Raff wrote a book called "We Jumped to Fight" about the early days of U.S. airborne training and that first jump into North Africa. One of Mike’s most significant lifes experience also was in the WWII time period. Mike De la Peña and his 2nd Infentry unit reached the shores of Normandy the day after D-Day. In World War II the 23rd Infantry as part of the 2nd Infantry Division came ashore on Omaha Beach on D+1 June 7, 1944, and immediately entered the fierce hedgerow fighting culminating in the seizure of the city of Brest. The 23rd saw heavy combat across France and held the line at St. Vith during the Battle of the Bulge. For its gallantry in WW II the 23rd Infantry was awarded four Presidential Unit Citations. 

After first suffering a concussion at Normandy, de la Peña was wounded by another artillery shell in Bretagne, France. He ended up in a hospital in Taunton, north of Liverpool, England, where another injured soldier persuaded him to go on a double date with a nurse there.  
"I met her on a blind date and I became blind right away," de la Peña said.


Miguel de la Peña’s first injury in World War II landed him in the infirmary for two days. His second injury landed him his wife of 58 years.  Miguel de la Peña’s first injury in World War II landed him in the infirmary for two days. His second injury landed him his wife of 58 years.

This ‘Heart attack" in question was Ruby Anne White, now Ruby de la Peña. Ruby was a Canadian who worked as a registered nurse at the infantry hospital.  "Her smile attracted me primarily," said de la Peña, holding a photograph from the day they first met. "I saw the guys that she took care of. They really cared for her a lot, but not as much as me."




Two months after they met, de la Peña asked Ruby to marry him. They spent the next few months apart, as de la Peña rejoined the 23rd Infantry unit in Belgium and crossed the Rhine to Leipzig, Germany. He was in Czechoslovakia when the war ended and was granted leave to go see Ruby in Verdun, France, where she was working in the 101st General Hospital.

On June 25, 1945, De la Peña and Ruby were married, twice. They were wed by the mayor of Verdun in a civil ceremony that morning, and by the Catholic chaplain in the Cathedral of Verdun in the afternoon.

"While we were in the church getting married, she reached for my hand because hers was shaking and she said, 'You're an old combat soldier, you'll give me strength,' but my hand was shaking more than hers," de la Peña said.

When the newlyweds returned from Europe, de la Peña, who’d entered the Army in 1942, met Ruby’s family in Michigan and took a job at a local bank. He never liked his job there and felt he belonged somewhere else. "One day I said to Ruby, 'For two cents, I'd go back into the Army,' " he recalled. "And she handed me two cents."

De la Peña re-enlisted in the Army in December of 1948, and stayed on active military duty until his retirement on April 1, 1967. During those 19 years, he fought in two other wars, Korea and Vietnam, and left the Army at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.


Mike served during the Korean conflict with the 1st Cavalry, 7th Regiment. This unit was unfortunately part of some of the bloodiest battles in the Korean conflict. These included the skirmishes between the enemy and the Allied Forces that took part at different locations. The battles were conducted at Poksong-Dong, Hwanggan, Kwanni, and also covered the Naktong River Defense, which is commonly known as the Battle of Pusan Perimeter.


With Kennedy firmly behind them, new 
With Kennedy firmly behind them, new Special Forces groups sprang up with dizzying rapidity. On Sept. 21, 1961, the 5th Group was activated, followed in 1963 by the 8th on April 1, the 6th on May 1, and the 3rd on Dec. 5, 1963.

By July 1954 the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam, numbered 342. In October of that year President Dwight D. Eisenhower promised direct aid to the government of South Vietnam, headed at that time by Premier Ngo Dinh Diem. From 1954 to 1956 Viet Minh cadres were forming action committees to spread propaganda and to organize the South Vietnamese to oppose their own government. In July 1955 the People's Republic of China announced an agreement to aid the Viet Minh, and the Soviet Union announced aid to Hanoi. In August Diem's government rejected for the third time Hanoi's demands for general elections throughout the two Vietnams, and in October South Vietnam was proclaimed a republic by Premier Diem, who became the first president. 

President John F. Kennedy announced on 21 September 1961 a program to provide additional military and economic aid to Vietnam. 


Mike de la Pena was the Lt Col of 5th group. The group was deployed to Vietnam in 1964. Special Forces operations in the III CTZ in 1965 were the responsibility of Detachment C-3 at Bien Hoa that was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Miguel de la Peña. In January, Captain (CPT) Joseph S. Stringham took command of Detachment A-301 at the Ben Cat CIDG camp. (6) Several major VC attacks in and around Ben Cat from December 1964 through May 1965 led to the formation of the MIKE Force. This was a reaction force of well-trained troops to quickly reinforce a camp under heavy attack. Forming, training, and leading this new force became Detachment A-302’s mission. 

“The unit was named the MIKE Force. This came from LTC Miguel “Mike” de la Peña. Mike was his code name,” said Stringham. (20) The MIKE Force was composed of three 150-man companies. With 348 Company as the nucleus, A-302 recruited Nungs to fill the ranks of the other companies. Nungs were also hired to form the reconnaissance platoon. (21) There were no Vietnamese CIDG or Special Forces in the first MIKE Force. 


Ben Cat was constructed in September 1964 adjacent to the Iron Triangle to the south and War Zones C and D to the north. At Ben Cat, A-301 had three 150-man CIDG companies and a South Vietnamese Army Special Forces (LLDB) detachment. (7) Two of the CIDG companies, 348 and 349, were made up of Chinese Nungs and the third, 346, was filled with ethnic South Vietnamese from the Saigon area. 

“The Nungs were Chinese that had been run out of China [into Vietnam in the 3rd century BC],” recalled CPT Joseph Stringham. “There was no doubt where their loyalties lay. They were 100% anti-Communist.” (8) The tough, experienced Nungs became the nucleus of the MIKE Force after proving themselves in two fierce battles near Ben Cat. 

The basic structure of the Special Forces Group (Airborne) consisted of a headquarters and headquarters company, three or more line Special Forces companies, a signal company, and an aviation detachment. The headquarters and headquarters company encompassed all the usual staff sections for command and control, as well as the major portion of the group medical capability and the parachute rigging and air delivery elements. The line Special Forces company was commanded by a lieutenant colonel and was normally composed of an administrative detachment and an operations detachment C, which commanded three operations detachment B's, each of which commanded four operations detachment A's. The A detachment was the basic twelve- man team.


By the time the 5th left Vietnam, its troops bravery was awarded 16 of the 17 Medals of Honor awarded to Special Forces soldiers in Vietnam. Also, one Distinguished Service Medal, 60 Distinguished Service Crosses, 814 Silver Stars, 13,234 Bronze Stars, 235 Legions of Merit, 46 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 232 Soldier's Medals, 4,891 Air Medals, 6,908 Army Commendation Medals and 2,658 Purple Hearts. SF soldiers earned their reputations in places like Dong Xoai and Plei Mei, where the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese threw everything they had at them but found out that wasn't enough. 

They earned their Medals of Honor in places like Nam Dong, where Capt. Roger H.C. Donlon was awarded the first MOH of the war for his actions on July 6, 1964, when he led Nam Dong's successful defense against a Viet Cong attack, despite sustaining a mortar wound to the stomach. 

"Pain, the sensation of pain, can be masked by other emotions in a situation like that," Donlon recalled. "I was fighting mad right from the start; I also felt fear from the start ... fear anybody would feel. It got to the point where we were throwing the enemy's grenades back at them. Just picking them up and throwing those grenades back before they could blow." 
Back home in America, a confused public searching for heroes in a strange and unfamiliar war quickly latched onto the Special Forces. John Wayne made a movie about them, Barry Sadler had a number-one hit song about them, and the green beret took its place alongside the coonskin cap and cowboy hat as one of America's mythic pieces of apparel. 
Mike retired from the Army on April1, 1967 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was employed by the Michigan Automotive Command.

Miguel and Ruby Anne also had special romantic time together. For their 50th wedding anniversary, the de la Peñas took a trip to Europe and visited the landmarks of their past. The hospital in Somerset and the mayor's office in Verdun were still there, half a century after the end of WWII, like Ruby Anne and Mike de la Peña themselves. "There's a song in Spanish that has to do with our marriage," Mike said. "'I love you more than yesterday but less than tomorrow

Sent by  Jack Cowan   

 

 


PATRIOTS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Galvez! Spain, Hispanics & The American Revolution, documentary
A Florida 500 Year Anniversary documentary
Granville Hough, Ph.D. Research Available
 
GALVEZ! 
Spain, Hispanics &
The American Revolution


Long forgotten Revolutionary War heroes, who lent of their influence, their fortunes, and some even their lives, making the difference that brought about the independence of The United States!

These were the people of Spain, and of Spanish America, who at that time occupied the Deep South of the continental United States, the Caribbean, Central and South America… 

…and a great leader, Bernardo de Galvez, a man of the Old World Enlightenment who fell in love with the New World and its expanding ideas.

This is a story that is timely because of the on going debate over Hispanic immigration and the misconceptions and prejudices too commonly held about the contributions of both Spain and our Latin American neighbors.

Now, through the latest technology of HD visual media, dynamic music, feature film quality production, combined with intelligent historical re-creations and creative presentations by leading scholars, this documentary will tell the story of how the people of Spain and Latin America made the critical difference in the gaining of our independence, and at the same time set the whole Western Hemisphere ablaze with the spirit of liberty!

A Documentary Feature Film 
By Thomas Ellingwood Fortin, Executive Producer, Director, New Albion Pictures   

Also underway at New Albion Pictures is  
A Florida 500th Anniversary Documentary 
By Thomas Ellingwood Fortin 
NEW ALBION PICTURES  
Copyright Oct 12, 2010

For sponsorship information, please contact Thomas directly at newalbionpics@gmail.com

Both documentaries will be completed for the Florida's 500 year celebration, to honor the first European settlement on United States soil, April 2, 1513 on shores of  Melbourne Beach, Florida.

 

GRANVILLE HOUGH, Ph.D.

A visionary and activist who worked tirelessly to give visibility to the efforts of the Spanish colonists in support of the American Revolution, was West Point graduate, Granville Hough.  After retiring from the Army, Dr. Hough taught at the University of California at Fullerton.

Soon after joining the Sons of the American Revolution, Dr. Hough noticed a lack of Hispanics member in the SAR.  In 1996, Dr. Hough decided to correct that situation. Newly retired from academia, he worked full-time, determined to identify all the Spanish soldiers serving in the Americas between the years of 1779-1783.  Although Spain had been financially supportive of the efforts of the colonists to free themselves from English rule from the inception of the revolt, much of Spain's support was done surreptitiously.

Dr. Hough, with the support of  his daughter produced a series of eight volumes, Spain's Patriots in its 1779-1783 War with England During the American Revolution.  Our society, Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, SHHAR was honored by the task of publishing and distributing the series, as they were being produced. Since then, after the completion of the set, arrangements were made with Borderlands Books to distribute the series.

After the completion of the 8 volume series, Dr. Hough continued researching and publishing articles in Somos Primos, of the Spanish soldiers in South America and the Caribbean in support of the America Revolution.   http://www.somosprimos.com/sitesearch.htm  

The South Coast SAR chapter, in Orange County, CA, Dr. Hough's home chapter, have announced that they will be making the contents of the initial research, the 8 volumes available online. 

Jim Churchyard, jim.churchyard@att.net directs: www.southcoastsar.org
hen to Historical Articles
then to Spanish Soldiers
then to Borderland Studies
and you will find the table of contents and a link to download the first book.  

To read more of Dr. Hough's studies, go to:
http://www.somosprimos.com/hough/hough.htm

 

 

 

FAMILY HISTORY

Season Two: The Generations Project
Downloadable Forms
9 Million Free Browsable Images from 9 Countries Added
 


Season Two: The Generations Project

The second season of BYUtv’s The Generation Project premiers Monday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. MDT. The Generations Project is a reality-based family history show that uncovers the remarkable stories and family histories of everyday people. The people take a hands-on journey to learn about their ancestors, and in the process they discover more about themselves.

The second season of The Generations Project “takes you from Germany to Holland to New York's 'Little Pakistan' and everywhere in between, following eleven journeys into the past: the Denkes explore the origins of their children’s life-threatening genetic disease. Kerry hopes his ancestors will help him find his estranged son, and Ty delves into his complicated heritage as a son of Nazi Germany. They along with eight other guests engage with the past to understand the present.”

BYUtv is available through many local satellite and cable companies. In addition, The Generations Project can be viewed live online at http://www.byutv.org (you'll need to register for a free account to view the show live). All episodes are also available to be viewed immediately after airing at http://www.byutv.org/thegenerationsproject/episodes (no registration required).

A link to more information has been placed on the home page of the FamilySearch.org website. Please share the information in this e-mail with others.

 

Downloadable Forms
http://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy/family-history-forms
Midwest Genealogy Center

  • Ancestor Chart (PDF, 17K) - simple four-generation family history chart
  • Family Unit Chart (PDF, 16K) - two-page chart to detail a husband, a wife, and their children
  • Individual Worksheet (PDF, 14K) - worksheet to serve as a guide for biographical information about an individual
  • Six-Generation Chart (PDF, 20K) - simple six-generation family history chart
  • Research Log (PDF, 14K) - log for recording research completed or planned research
  • Research Checklist (PDF, 285K) - checklist for research on an individual

               Ancestor Chart   Family Unit Chart  Individual Worksheet  Six Generation Chart     Research Log Research Checklist

 

Census Forms

 

 

Find this announcement online at FamilySearch News and Press.  22 Mar 2011

9 Million Free Browsable Images from 9 Countries Added

New Records for 
Brazil, Canada, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Italy, Mexico, U.S., and Venezuela
   

The bounty just keeps coming from FamilySearch’s digital pipeline. Mexico collections earned the top spot this week, with nearly 5 million new browsable images added. The Mexico records date from 1545 to 1984. In addition to Mexico, FamilySearch continued this week to strengthen its freeonline international collections by expanding 7 more of its collections. Millions more records or images were added for Brazil, Canada, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Italy, and Venezuela. The U.S. collections were also expanded, with new data for California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Texas, Union Provost Marshal’s File, and Virginia. See the table below for more details. You can search all of the record collections now for free at FamilySearch.org.

If you enjoy the steady stream of free records added weekly, please consider “giving back” by contributing a little time online as a FamilySearch volunteer. You can start and stop volunteering at any time. Find out more at indexing.familysearch.org.

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch has been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org orthrough over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

Collection

Records

Images

Comment

Brazil, Catholic Church Records

0

1,007,788

New images added to existing collection:
Minas Gerais: Diocese of Luz, Diocese of Patos de Minas; Paraná: Archdiocese of Curitiba; Rio Grande Do Sul: Diocese of Santa Cruz Do Sul; Sao Paulo: Archdiocese of Sao Paulo, Diocese of Itapeva, Diocese of Presidente Prudente.

Canada, Quebec, Notarial Records, 1800-1900

0

113,475

Added browsable images to existing collection.

Chile, Concepcion, Civil Registration, 1885-1903

0

696,721

New browsable image collection.

El Salvador, Civil Registration Records, 1836-1910

0

41,876

New browsable image collection.

Guatemala Civil Registration, 1877-1934

0

5,241

New browsable image collection.

Italy, Civil Registration, 1806-1940  

0

115,035

New browsable images added to existing collection: Rovigo, Oristano, Trieste, and Teramo.

Mexico, Chiapas, Catholic Church Records, 1558-1978

0

752,385

New browsable image collection.

Mexico, Guanajuato, Catholic Church Records, 1576-1984

0

168,067

New browsable image collection.

Mexico, Morelos, Catholic Church Records, 1598-1969

0

1,448

New browsable image collection.

Mexico, Nayarit, Catholic Church Records, 1596-1967

0

452,505

New browsable image collection.

Mexico, Puebla, Catholic Church Records, 1545-1970

0

4,378,429

New browsable image collection.

U.S., California, County Marriages, 1850-1952

281,432

0

New index collection.

U.S., California, San Diego Naturalization Index, 1868-1958

22,506

0

Records courtesy of Footnote.com. Indexed records linked to images on Footnote.com.

U.S., California, San Mateo County Records, 1856-1967

0

18,857

New browsable image collection.

U.S., Illinois, Probate Records, 1819-1970

0

244,131

New browsable image collection.

U.S., Louisiana Confederate Pensions, 1898-1950

0

198,414

New browsable image collection.

U.S., Louisiana, Orleans Parish Estate Files, 1804-1846

0

83,768

Added browsable images to existing collection.

U.S., Maine, State Archive Collections

0

13,919

New browsable image collection.

U.S., Montana, Rosebud County Records

0

40,990

Added browsable images to existing collection.

U.S., Nebraska, Broken Bow Homestead Records, 1890-1908

39,373

0

Records courtesy of Footnote.com. Indexed records linked to images on Footnote.com.

U.S., New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891

0

422,545

New browsable image collection.

U.S., New York, Kings County Estate Files, 1866-1923

26,082

492,465

Added images and index to existing collection.

U.S., Texas, Mills County Clerk Records, 1841-1985

0

1,506

Added images to existing collection.

U.S., Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866

0

107,471

New browsable image collection.

U.S., Virginia, Surry County Marriage Records, 1735-1950

0

19,618

New browsable image collection.

Venezuela, Civil Registration

0

88,680

New browsable image collection.

 

 

 

DNA RESEARCH 

Female mtDNA Haplotypes of Isabel Olea
By Crispin.Rendon@gmail.com


Many people with roots in the Mexican States of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas descend from my 10th great grandmother, Isabel Olea. My database identifies 59,570 individuals as her descendants. This report is limited to her female descendants that share her mtDNA haplotype. The idea for creating this and similar reports came from the interest shown by fellow family history researchers.

Last year I gave a presentation at a SHHAR (Society of Hispanic Historical & Ancestral Research) meeting on mtDNA testing. I had helped some SHHAR members retrieve and interrupt test results and thought the membership would enjoy learning about it. It was a learning experience for me too. It has been over thirty years since I took genetics in college.

Fortunately, information on genealogy related DNA testing is available, on the web, at sites like wikipedia.org as well as the testing companies web sites like FamilyTreeDNA.com so I became current on the topic at least at a nonprofessional level. I focused my presentation on what we can and have learned from mtDNA testing of the Mexican gene pool. I will not get into the details here except to say that we learn much more by sharing our test results with the group.

It was after the presentation that it occurred to me to examine my records for the largest haplotype groups. The method I use is simple. First, I make a copy of my database, which has over 200,000 individuals all linked to me. Second, I delete all of the records of males. Third, I run a computer program that identifies the remaining records by group size. The largest group belongs to Ines Rodriguez. The last time I checked, www.familytreedna.com has 62 people’s test results that match that haplotype. The second largest group in my records belongs to Isabel Olea the subject of this report. Based on the Ines Rodriguez haplotype I think there are dozens of people with mtDNA test results that belong to the Isabel Olea haplotype. I do not know of any of them that have made the connection. Last month in the process of helping someone create a family history book I checked and found that he belongs to the Isabel Olea haplotype. He decided to get mtDNA tested so now we wait? There is no need to wait if you already have test results. You can check this report to see if I have made a connection between your mtDNA line back to this haplotype. The following page is a list of all the surnames found in this report. If you find the surname of your end-of-the-line mtDNA ancestor on that page then go to the index at the end of the report. You will find everyone in the report listed in the index.

http://home.earthlink.net/~crisrendon/mtdnaisabelolea.pdf

Crispin Rendon 
3430 Bahia Pl
Riverside, CA 925o7

Crispin.Rendon@gmail.com

March 10, 2011

Number of individuals by surnames

ABREGO 3, ACUNA 5, ADAME 2, AGUIRRE 21, ALANIS 1, ALEGRIA 2, ALMAGUER 3,

ALMARAZ 1, ANDA 1, ARAGON 1, ARCHIONDO 1, ARISPE 13, ARREDONDO 6, ARRESE 3,

ARRIOLA 6, AVILA 1, AYALA 24, BAEZ BENAVIDES 2, BAEZ TREVINO 1, BARBA 3,

BARRERA 1, BARRO 1, BAZAN 1, BENAVIDES 11, BERRIDI 5, BORREGO 8, BOSQUE 11,

CABALLERO 1, CABALLERO OLIVOS 2, CADENA 2, CANALES 3, CANAMAR 1, CANO 9,

CANTU 50, CANTU RIO CERDA 2, CARDENAS 12, CARDENAS PINILLAS 1, CARVAJAL 2,

CASAFERNIZA 1, CASAS 1, CASSO 1, CASTILLA RIOJAS 3, CASTRO MIRELES 3, CAVAZOS

8, CEPEDA 20, CEPEDA CABALLERO 1, CERDA 2, CHARLES 3, CISNEROS 11,

CORONADO 1, CORRAL 1, CORTINAS 7, CUBILLOS 4, CUELLAR 15, DAVILA 8, DELGADO

4, DIAZ 4, ECA MUZQUIZ 2, ELIZONDO 48, ESCAMILLA 1, ESPARZA 1, ESPINA 2,

ESPINO 1, ESPINOSA 6, ESTRADA 2, FARIAS 8, FERNANDEZ 1, FERNANDEZ CASA

FERNIZA 2, FERNANDEZ RUMAYOR 3, FERNANDEZ TIJERINA 4, FLORES 64, FLORES

ABREGO 5, FLORES VALDES 12, FUENTE 23, FUENTES 13, FUENTES FERNANDEZ 1,

GALINDO 15, GARCIA 48, GARCIA DAVILA 27, GARCIA GARZA 1, GARCIA GUERRA 2,

GARCIA PRUNEDA 1, GARCIA SEPULVEDA 1, GARZA 157, GARZA FALCON 11, GARZA

MOYA 2, GARZA RENTERIA 2, GIL LEIVA 7, GOMEZ 12, GOMEZ CASTRO 18, GOMEZ

CORRAL 5, GONGORA 1, GONZALEZ 78, GONZALEZ AMAYA 1, GONZALEZ HIDALGO 11,

GONZALEZ MAYA 2, GONZALEZ OCHOA 3, GONZALEZ PAREDES 3, GONZALEZ

TREVINO 1, GOSEASCOCHA 2, GRACIA 2, GUAJARDO 11, GUERRA 36, GUERRA

CANAMAR 5, GUILLEN ABREGO 2, GUIMBARDA 1, GUTIERREZ 64, GUTIERREZ BAEZA

1, GUTIERREZ BAEZA OLEA 1, GUTIERREZ CASTRO 2, GUTIERREZ GARCIA 1,

GUTIERREZ LARA 16, GUTIERREZ OLEA 2, HERNANDEZ 4, HINOJOSA 16, HOYOS 5,

IBARRA 1, IGLESIAS 1, IRIGOYEN 1, JAIME 4, JAUREGUI 2, JIMENEZ 18, JIMENEZ

CISNEROS 5, JUAREZ 2, LEAL 28, LEAL LEON 10, LEON 12, LIZARRARAS CUELLAR 1,

LLANO 2, LOBO ACUNA 1, LOBO GUERRERO 6, LOPEZ VEGA 1, LOZANO 27, LUNA 6,

MALDONADO 6, MARTINEZ 90, MARTINEZ GUAJARDO 5, MARTINEZ NAVARRO 1,

MARTINEZ SALAZAR 1, MARTINEZ URIBE 2, MATA COS 2, MEDINA 2, MELO 1,

MENCHACA 12, MENDEZ TOVAR 5, MIRELES 3, MOLANO 5, MONTEMAYOR 11,

MONTES OCA 6, MORALES 12, MORALES BURGOS 1, MUGUERZA 1, NARRO 8, NAVA 2,

NAVARRO 3, NUNCIO 6, OCHOA ECHAGUEN 2, OLEA 1, OLEA CAMACHO 2, OLIVARES

2, OLIVEIRA 3, OYARVIDES 1, PALACIOS 6, PAZ 2, PENA 25, PEREDA 1, PEREZ 9,

PERREN 3, PRUNEDA 2, QUINTANILLA 14, RAMIREZ 36, RAMON 17, RAMON ARRIOLA

1, RAMOS 10, RAMOS ARRIOLA 15, RAMOS MASCORRO 1, RECIO 1, RECIO LEON 3,

RENDON 10, RESENDEZ 2, RIVERA 2, RODRIGUEZ 58, RODRIGUEZ NAVARRO 1,

ROSALES 1, SADA 6, SAENZ 12, SALAZAR 4, SALDIVAR 1, SALINAS 11, SAN MIGUEL 6,

SANCHEZ 40, SANCHEZ NAVARRO 2, SANTOS 9, SANTOS COY 9, SAUCEDO 1, SENDEJA

LLANAS 7, SEPULVEDA 7, SERNA 7, SERRANO 2, SILLER 3, SILVA 4, SOBERON 7,

SOBERON GARCIA 1, SOLIS 1, SOTO 1, TAMEZ 1, TIJERINA 6, TORO 3, TREVINO 82,

URIBE 18, URO CAMPA 1, URSELY GUIMBARDO 1, VALDES 21, VALLE 3, VARA 1,

VARGAS 3, VASQUEZ 1, VEGA 1, VELA 1, VELASCO 3, VIDAURRI 5, VILLANUEVA 1,

VILLARREAL 61, VILLAVICENCIO 5, VIVANCO 2, WESEL GUMBARDA 1, YANEZ 1, 

 

 


ORANGE COUNTY, CA

SAVE the date, November 13, 2011
RootsMagic by Tom Saenz, SHHAR monthly meeting, April 9th: We are not Alone, 
     A Musical Tribute to Tomás Rivera
Writer brings heart to Huntington Beach, 
     Elva Trevino Hart by Ron Gonzales
Santa Ana Library Mexican State Oral History Project
A Voice From The Past Re-visits El Modena!
OC Unified School District Finally Honoring 
     Lorenzo Ramirez by Gustavo Arellano
SAVE THE DATE: November 13, 2011
Los Amigos of Orange County is joining the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research to once again celebrate the signing of the first California Constitution. The Bilingual California Constitution was  signed November 13, 1849.  The event will be held at Chapman University, sponsored by Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences.    Report by  Galal Kernahan 
 


What: Exploring the "RootsMagic" Genealogy Software.

When: Saturday, April 9, 2011 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where: Orange Family History Center, 674 S. Yorba Street, Orange, CA.

Details: A free presentation...Everyone welcome...No cost. The presentation by Tom Saenz, SHHAR Secretary is sponsored by the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research (SHHAR). The presentation will include a discussion of the "RootsMagic" Genealogy software that helps enable individuals in researching, organizing, and sharing of their family tree records. Other programs used to produce records and charts such as the Personal Ancestral File software (PAF) will also be discussed.

One-to-one research assistance is provided from 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Presentation begins at 10:15 a.m. For more information on this event, call Mimi Lozano at 714-894-8161.

 


WE ARE NOT ALONE

A Musical Tribute to Tomás Rivera

Part 3 of 3

by Carlos E. Cortés
Professor Emeritus of History            
University of California, 
Riverside  

  

   

     In the past two issues of Somos Primos, I described the new musical, We Are Not Alone: Tomás Rivera -- A Musical Narrative.

    It will have its world premiere at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 22, 2011, at the University of California, Riverside’s Culver Center for the Arts in downtown Riverside.

A unique multi-genre musical collaboration, We Are Not Alone tells the compelling story of the life, struggles, and achievements of Rivera, an internationally renowned poet-novelist and a national leader in higher education.  The 95-minute musical consists of four short acts, separated by three brief intermezzos. 

The youngest and first minority chancellor in the history of the University of California, Rivera became UCR Chancellor in 1979, a position he held until his sudden death in 1984.  In addition, he wrote numerous acclaimed works, such as his prize-winning novel, . . . and the Earth Did Not Swallow Him, and the epic poem, The Searchers.   

     The idea for the Rivera musical came from Juan Felipe Herrera, the Tomás Rivera Chair of creative writing at UCR.  Herrera then asked Carlos Cortés, UCR professor emeritus of history, and composer Bruno Louchouarn, professor of music, multimedia, and cognitive science at Occidental College, to join him in the endeavor.  Herrera and Cortés designed the show, developed its book, and wrote most of the lyrics, with Louchouarn composing original music performed by the Onda Sound Project.  Additional music is provided by four other musical groups.

Act 1 uses a chamber opera format to tell the story of Rivera’s childhood as the son of poor Mexican migrant workers.  It examines his relationship with three adults - a Mexican teacher, an Iowa librarian, and a Mexican poet -- who deeply influenced his life and exposed him, as a young boy, to the world of literature and to the possibility of using it to tell the story of his people.  
    
 

Karen Wilson, Blue Wave West

Later acts and   intermezzos feature four other musical styles through different musical groups: Karen Wilson and Blue Wave West; IE Hip Hop Crew; Mayupatapi Andean Ensemble, and Senryu Taiko at UCR.  In Act 2, Karen Wilson and Blue Wave West provide a blues-infused jazz interpretation of Rivera’s literary achievements and his personal struggle between continuing his writing career or entering academic administration.


 
     
   
In Act 3, the IE Hip Hop Crew examines Rivera’s administrative career, followed by a Nueva Canci
ón-style evocation of Rivera’s memory. 

Act 4 offers a look at Rivera’s lasting impact.  It begins with a rock celebration of the continuing reverberations of his iconic line, We Are Not Alone, that pervades The Searchers. This is followed by a finale that pays tribute to Rivera’s intercultural significance, beginning with Taiko, echoed by Andean and jazz interpretations.       

 

    Since Rivera’s death in 1984, UCR has presented an annual 
conference in his honor: sometimes an academic conference; sometimes with a banquet and well-known speakers; sometimes through performance pieces featuring traditional Mexican music. This year we decided to look at Rivera through the prisms of multiple musical genres, a reflection of Rivera’s universality and intercultural symbolism. 

    Tomás Rivera was a unique, complex, and multitalented man: a gifted writer; a pioneering college administrator; a dedicated man of the people; and a humanist who continues to inspire.  By drawing on different sets of eyes and exploring him in diverse musical ways, We Are Not Alone provides a fresh look at the richness of his life.

     Tickets can be purchased through the Culver Center at www.culvercenter.ucr.edu/performances.  Seating is limited.  

For more information about the show, contact Carlos Cort
és at  carlos.cortes@ucr.edu or Juan Felipe Herrera at juanfherrera@mac.com).  

 

 Elva Trevino Hart's visit to Orange County

http://www.ocregister.com/news/book-293399-stories-migrant.html

Writer brings heart to Huntington Beach

2011-03-23 

 

child-alone-migrant-time

With her career launched in Silicon Valley, Elva Treviño Hart had made it.

She worked for companies like Control Data Corp. and IBM. She drove a Mercedes, lived in the San Francisco Bay area and flew around the country on business.

She earned a bachelor's degree in theoretical mathematics, and in 1978, a master's in computer science/engineering from Stanford University. She worked in the computer industry for 20 years. Her childhood in South Texas, traveling back and forth to Minnesota with her farmworker family, was far behind.

"I had proven that a Mexican migrant girl could do it all and have it all," she writes in her 1999 memoir "Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child." "But I was disconnected and distant from my culture, my family, and from my heart and soul."

She decided to write. And on Thursday, March 24, she will discuss her book and her journey during a presentation for Huntington Beach Reads One Book.

"Barefoot Heart" is the 2011 selection for HB Reads. Hart's visit to Huntington Beach follows a series of book discussions and other events that began in early February.

"She tells her own story of migrant workers families in the 1950s; an important part of our country's history that is oft overlooked," said Fred Provencher, chairman of HB Reads. "Mrs. Hart tells how she took her dad's dream for her education and succeeded way beyond his hopes and dreams. These hopes and dreams are the same all parents have for their children."

Hart, 61, lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. Together, she and her husband have six sons. By email, she had this to say about her work:

Q. Why did you decide to write "Barefoot Heart"?
A.
I didn't start out wanting to write a book. I love genealogy so I was interviewing elderly relatives to gather stories. I decided it might be interesting to interview my siblings about our migrant years and write our stories....I signed up at the local YMCA for a "write your life story" class. One lady in the class loved my stories and kept taking them home to her husband. It turned out he was a communications professor at the university. He asked me if he could read my unpublished stories at an annual short story reading he had done for 20 years. Two hundred people showed up and he read my stories for two hours. At the end of the evening, he got a standing ovation and people wanted to buy the book. That's when I decided it might be a book and began shaping it into one.

Q. How would you describe it?
A.
It's a memoir. I wanted to take people with me to the migrant camps and the fields so they could see what it was like. I wanted to show what it was like to grow up Mexican American in a segregated town in South Texas where some schools had totally separate schools (k-12) for the Mexicans and the Anglos. I wanted people to know that poverty and racism needn't keep a woman from an education.

Q. Has it been selected for any other community reading campaigns?
A.
Traverse City, Michigan also chose it for their community reading campaign. California State Stanislaus and Utah State University chose it as the book all their incoming freshmen would read.

Q. You open each chapter with a dicho, a Spanish saying. Why?
A.
My father was a dichero, occasionally making up dichos on the spot, but more often using traditional dichos to illustrate a point. I used dichos to honor him and in lieu of chapter titles... for me the dichos are a nugget (a bouillon cube) that makes the same point as the chapter.

Q. What was your reaction to its selection in Huntington Beach?
A.
The book was published 10 years ago. I am thrilled that people are still finding it useful, timely, and worth reading.

Q. Anything else you'd care to add?
A.
Tell your readers to come to my talk and I will have plenty more to say.

Contact the writer: 714-796-6999 or rgonzales@ocregister.com

© Copyright 2011 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved.

 

Santa Ana Public Library conducting
Mexican State Oral History Project 
The S.A. Public Library is conducting a Mexican State Oral History Project as part of this year’s Cinco de Mayo Celebration for the City of Santa Ana. They are making a documentary of people’s perspectives of growing up in Mexico and what they are doing now. Interviewees should be 45 years of age or older, library is flexible with this age guideline. Their goal is to have interviews of people from each of Mexico’s 32 states.

This oral history project seems to have sufficient interviews from people from the states of Jalisco, Guerrero, Michoacan and…… any one know of people from: Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Yucatán, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, NuevoLeón, Morelos, Hidalgo, Durango, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima. 

The library’s goal is to celebrate the Mexican culture and traditions as well as preserving oral history. They want to hear from personal testimonies and real-life experiences about, the culture, food, music, art, beauty, great spots to visit, and their experience coming to and living in the U.S. etc.

The interview will be filmed and recorded. They have one interviewer, one camera person and one library staff person who supervises the project. They are currently scheduling appointments at the Central Public Library on Ross and Civic Center in Santa Ana. 

Contact: Lucia Ochoa, 714-292-8131   lucia_ochoa587@yahoo.com 


-------------------------------
Chican@s Unidos has been interacting with the S.A. Public Library. C.U. assisted the library’s teen tutor group with fabric for revolutionary attire for the 16th of September Parade, assisted with sugar skull and tamale making and now with compiling oral history documentary from gente that grew up in Mexico. 

Sent by Lupe Fisher afisher605@msn.com

 

 

  A Voice From The Past Re-visits El Modena!

I am attaching an Orange Unified School District Board Agenda item (Item No. 9-E) and a Proclamation recognizing and honoring Lorenzo Ramirez, a great hero of the 1940's, for his role in desegregating the schools in Orange, California during that era. Lorenzo Ramirez represented the El Modena Community within the City of Orange and he was one of the five families representing four school districts: Lorenzo Ramirez (El Modena), Thomas Estrada & Gonzalo Mendez (Westminster), William Guzman ( Santa Ana), and Frank Palomino (Garden Grove). Their legal challenge in the courts culminated in the successful case: Mendez et al V. Westminster. We applaud the Orange Unified School Board of Education for bestowing this distinct honor on Lorenzo Ramirez and for presenting the Ramirez family this well deserved Proclamation.

I recently had an opportunity to interview Phyllis R. Zepeda, daughter of Lorenzo Ramirez and I was moved by her continued efforts in maintaining and promoting her father's legacy. In keeping with her father's dream Phyllis became a bilingual teacher and has worked for the Los Angles School District for years. She shared that all the five families made many sacrifices during hard times and especially as relates to paying the legal fees for the famous case. With this in mind, she prefers to refer to the case as Mendez ET AL. V. Westminster and thus giving recognition to all the participants. Phyllis is continuing her quest to bring greater attention and recognition for her father's work and contributions to education and to society. She is part of the Committee for Ramirez that is chaired by Bob Torres Jr. of Orange. The Committee plans to petition the Orange Unified School Board to consider naming one of its schools after Lorenzo Ramirez.

The Lorenzo Ramirez recognition comes to us at this critical time when we are facing many education issues in the Hispanic Community. One wonders if it is not a deliberate calling by his spirit at this hour of need. Is Mr. Ramirez tapping us on our shoulders and whispering words of wisdom? Is he telling us to pick up the "torch" that he left behind, to re-ignite it and keep moving it forward? Is he also asking each of us what is it that we are doing to improve our own education, that of our family members and those in the community? Some food for thought!

Tomas 'Tom' Saenz
Board member of SHHAR


Orange Unified School District Finally Honoring Lorenzo Ramirez, Local Desegregation Icon
by Gustavo Arellano, Gunkist Memories, 
 
Tonight, the Orange Unified School District is taking an extraordinary step, one anathema to the Orange County mind: admitting that our discriminatory present past was wrong and honoring those brave souls who fought those wrongs only to get disappeared by local historians.

The person in question is Lorenzo Ramirez, who sued the then-El Modeno School District (now part of Orange Unified) as part of the landmark Mendez, et al. v. Westminster, et al. case in the 1940s for denying his children the right to attend an integrated school. Ramirez's story became a footnote even in Orange County, where nearly all the attention has been put on the Mendez family at the expense of the other four families who sued school districts--but Orange Unified is taking baby steps to right that wrong.

The conservative board is issuing a proclamation honoring Lorenzo; his wife, Josefina (who's still feisty even in her 90s); and their children for fighting for "educational equity for all of our nation's children." The proclamation gives a brief summary of Ramirez's life and cites it as an "inspiration to students, parents, educators and other community members" because the Ramirezes stood "up for American ideals" and gave a "significant and lasting contribution to the quality of education in Orange, California, and across the nation," one "deserv[ing of] our gratitude." Kudos to the board for referring to the case by its proper name instead of the shorthand that has unfortunately taken hold in popular discourse.

The Ramirez family will be in attendance tonight, along with supporters. And rumor has it that the board is at least considering renaming a school after Lorenzo. And so our Sunkist memories finally fade into the past . . .

Sent by Tom Saenz 

 



LOS ANGELES, CA

The new power of a Latino-Jewish coalition in 
       Los Angeles
April 16: Architects and Architecture 
       of Los Angeles, from Adobe to High-rise
 
Introduction to:  The new power of a Latino-Jewish coalition in L.A.
By Jonah Lowenfeld
Jewish Journal (March 9, 2011)
 
On May 17, 2009, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Israeli Consulate co-organized "Fiesta Shalom" to celebrate the 61st anniversary of Israel's founding in the formerly very Jewish - and now overwhelmingly Latino - neighborhood of Boyle Heights. Photo by Steve Gold. 
 
On a Shabbat afternoon in February, state Sen. Alex Padilla spoke on a panel at Young Israel of Century City (YICC), the largest Modern Orthodox synagogue in Pico-Robertson. The event was co-organized by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and Padilla knew what message he was expected to deliver. The panel's trilingual title - "Israel at lo levad! Israel ¡No estas solo! Israel, you are not alone!" - made that clear.  
 
Padilla, who represents part of the San Fernando Valley in California's state Senate, talked mostly about his two trips to Israel. He first traveled there in 2003 when he was president of the Los Angeles City Council on a trip sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. His went again on an AIPAC trip for Latino leaders in December 2009. 
 
When it came time for questions, a white-haired man in a gray suit raised his hand. "How can we make sure that Latino youth don't get incorrect information about Israel?" the man asked. A second man wanted to know why Israel isn't more widely recognized - in all communities - as a democratic society that upholds liberal values.  
 
Responses to these questions came from all over the room, not just from those on the podium. Even YICC Rabbi Elazar Muskin, from his seat in the front row, mentioned a program aimed at improving Israel education among the city's Latino youth. 
 
Among the 100 or so people in the sanctuary - most of them men, most of them in suits - Karra Greenberg stood out, and not only for her shoulder-length blond hair and her stylish yet modest green patterned dress. Unlike those who wanted to hear Padilla express his unequivocal support for Israel, Greenberg, a doctoral candidate in sociology at UCLA, asked what motivates the panelist's friends and family.  Her question was simple: What can the Jewish community do to build an alliance with Latinos?
 
Bridge-Building Gains Momentum
 
As the Latino population and its political influence have grown, the number of Jewish groups across the country working to build and strengthen Latino-Jewish ties has increased as well. The New York office of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) held a meeting last week for Latino and Jewish leaders, and AJC's Latino and Latin American Institute is planning a national Latino-Jewish leadership summit for 2012. In addition, in San Antonio, Texas, former mayor Henry Cisneros and local Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg are organizing a strategic dialogue between about 80 Latino and Jewish leaders later this month.  
 
Since last December, leaders from some of Los Angeles' most influential Jewish organizations have been meeting, coming together on two separate occasions with their Latino community counterparts. The exact outcome of this organizing effort is still to be seen, but it could lay the groundwork for an unprecedented level of Latino-Jewish cooperation.  
 
In Los Angeles, Latino-Jewish relationships are not new. The communities' leaders often point to the election of Ed Roybal, Los Angeles' first Latino city councilman, supported in large part by Jewish and Latino voters in 1949, as the first great victory of the Latino-Jewish alliance. Some even credit the intercommunity connections with staving off a wider explosion of tensions in 1998, after the state Senate primary between Richard Katz and Richard Alarcon got particularly nasty. 
 
Even so, the number of efforts by Jewish organizations in Los Angeles to "reach out," to "build bridges" or to otherwise connect with Latinos has soared in recent years. There are projects that create curricula about Israel for teachers in the city's Catholic schools, whose students are predominantly Latino. There are Spanish-language courses about Judaism for Latino Pentecostal pastors. For years, film producer and civil rights activist Moctesuma Esparza has worked with Jews on various projects, including his effort to increase and improve the representations of Latinos in film and TV. Bilingual pro-Israel programs regularly take place in Latino-dominated Evangelical churches, and dozens of Latino leaders from the L.A. area have taken part in leadership delegations to Israel.
 
Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) asks "What can Latino and Jewish leaders in Los Angeles agree on in terms of the future of our city?" Vargas asked. "And what can we do together to improve life in Los Angeles?"

 

 


Architects and Architecture of Los Angeles . . . 
from Adobe to High-rise


Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium
Saturday, April 16, 2pm1Q

The second lecture in the 19th annual Marie Northrop Lectures series is presented by architectural historian, author, and UCLA professor Thomas S. Hines. Dr. Hines will discuss Los Angeles architecture from 1900 to 1950. Sponsored by the Los Angles City Historical Society and the LAPL's History and Genealogy Department. Free and open to the public.
-----
Overcoming Brick Walls in Your Genealogy Research
Central Library, Meeting Room A
Saturday, April 30, 12pm

Find out what to do when you hit a brick wall in your genealogy research. Linda Serna, APG, GSG, will provide ideas about how to approach the challenge, uncover overlooked clues and sources, and achieve breakthroughs in your research. Sponsored by LAPL's History & Genealogy Department. Free and open to the public.
-----
In addition to these, I encourage you to look at the Los Angeles Public Library's Events Calendar to learn about other upcoming cultural and educational programs, including the Culinary Historians of Southern California's popular lecture series, an afternoon of chamber music with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and docent-led library tours (http://events.lapl.org/).

Validated parking is available at the Westlawn Garage at 524 S. Flower Street to Los Angeles Public Library cardholders. On Saturdays, parking is only $1 between 10am and 5:30pm with validation.

Thank you, Mary McCoy
Librarian - History & Genealogy Department
Los Angeles Public Library
630 W. 5th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 228-7412
mmccoy@lapl.org

 


CALIFORNIA 

Rita Nieblas Remembered with Plaque
The Maple Street Project
Come tour the California State Archives!
Resident of  Spain seeks California links.
The Terrible Curse of Griffith Park
East Bay cities see huge influx of Latinos

 

Nieblas Remembered with Plaque at Historical Society
by Jonathan Volzke 
The Capistrano Dispatch 




Juaneno Tribal Leader David Belardes leads a blessing over the memorial for Rita Nieblas. Photo by Jonathan Volzke About 50 people, most members of Capistrano’s oldest families, gathered earlier this month when the Historical Society unveiled a memorial marker for Rita Nieblas in the rose garden at the O’Neill Museum.

Nielbas was a proud Juaneno Indian who lived in Capistrano from the day she was born until she passed away in October. 

Nieblas was born on the dining-room table of the Congdon House on Alipaz Street. She attended Capistrano Union High School, and celebrated all of her sacraments at the Mission. She worked at the Mission for a time, as well as for the Head Start Program and Capistrano Unified School District.

She is survived by her children, Gigi, Toby and Dee, grandchildren Milani (Carl) Nieblas Vanderplas, Airian, Chenoa, Siara, Kiana (Tyler) Lawrence, Briana and Cheyenne and great-children Gianna and Nicholas.


Historical Society President Tom Ostensen remembered Rita Nieblas as a society board member, and as a friend and confidant who loved to tell stories about old Capistrano.

Her nephew, Jerry Nieblas, told those assembled at the museum in the Historic Los Rios District, that although “Aunt Rita” didn’t like attention, the rose-garden ceremony was a perfect blend of quietness and spirituality. “She has left us a strength,” he said. “The traditions she has left us, the cultures she has left us, will live on.”

The O’Neill Museum, in the 1870-1889 Garcia/Pryor House, is at 31831 Los Rios Street and houses the society’s archives of photos, books, documents, maps, genealogical records, oral histories and more. It is open to the public. 

Call 949.493.8444 or see www.sjchistoricalsociety.com  
Copyright 2011 The Capistrano Dispatch. All rights reserved. 
Sent by Frances Rios, first cousin of Ria Nieblas 
francesrios499@hotmail.com

  CALENDAR OF April  EVENTS in California Missions 
Saturday, April 9: 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Living History Day San Juan Capistrano Mission
Displays of weapons (firearms, edged weapons), women's clothing and crafts.
-----
Saturday and Sunday, April 30 & May 1
"Romance of the Ranchos"
Homestead Museum, 15414 E Don Julian Rd, 
City of Industry - Celebration of California's Rancho Period with demonstrations of historic music, arts, crafts and re-enactors. Free: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. both days.
-----
Sunday, May 1: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Rancho Fiesta Day Heritage Hill Museum
A day of celebration and remembrance of California's Rancho Period. Demonstrations of crafts, tools, artifacts, costumes, dance and music. Directions: Lake Forest Rd east from I-5; left on Serrano Rd; right into parking lot.

Source: April Issue - The Historian 
Published by Living History Society, Editor: Richard Duree 
richard.duree@sbcglobal.net
 

The Maple Street Project

 

 

The photos is of my grandmother, Lupe Marmolejo-Rodriguez. Lupe, born 1907 in "Pico" (now Pico Rivera) - California and relocated to Fullerton when she was very young. 

Ms. Lozano,

I just discovered the SHHAR website while searching for information on photographic collections of Mexican-American families of early Orange County. My family (paternal) has a long history in OC; my grandfather was born in 1910 in Anaheim, CA and my grandmother was born in 1907 in 'Pico' (LA county) and moved to Fullerton when she was very young.  I am very extremely fortunate to have inherited a collection of family photographs that I am, finally, digitizing/archiving. It is my desire that my family's history, their story, may be preserved and help to document and educate others of the important role that Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans had in the founding of Orange County, California.

Recently, I have started to upload these images to a collection that I have created and named, "The Maple Street Project"*. The collection/project is in its infancy as there is a sizable volume of photographs to add but, due to their age, all of these require editing; a lengthy-process. It is my goal to meet others in the Orange County area that may have images to add to this collection. Unfortunately, the tags/words that I have used to search within the "Flickr" photo community and through the internet have yielded no results, no leads. I would be honored if you were to view this small but growing collection of photos. Your suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated! Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Ms. Lozano, I thank you for your time! Best wishes!

Respectfully,
Gene Rodriguez
Lake Forest, CA
(949)215-3676
indigenous_2@yahoo.com
  

 http://www.flickr.com/groups/maplestreet/

Maple Street = a common name given to streets throughout America, including Fullerton and other cities of early Orange County. Maple Street in early Fullerton was the street address for many Mexican American families; recent immigrants and multi-generational Americans of Mexican ancestry. In Fullerton, Maple Street's name has been changed to Valencia Drive but Maple Elementary School, established in 1924, serves as a historical reminder of the street's original name. 
The Maple Street Project is a group has been created to document and preserve images that depict the important role of Americans of Mexican ancestry (Mexican-Americans) in the founding of early Orange County, California. 

If you have a interest in early California history and/or early Orange County history, please join our group! Anyone with family photographs are strongly encouraged to share these with this important, historical preservation project. 

http://www.flickr.com/groups/maplestreet 



Come tour the California State Archives!
Come tour the California State Archives!
One Friday each month, we will be providing a free, behind the scenes tour of the California State Archives! Everyone who is interested in California's rich history and its state government is invited to tour the State Archives' collections of
historic records, which include more than 100 million documents, 20,000 maps and architectural drawings, 250,000 photographs and thousands of video and audio recordings.  Tours will begin at 12:00 noon and will last approximately one  hour.
Right now, we are scheduling tours for:
*   March 25, 2011
*   April 29, 2011
*   May 27, 2011
*   June 24, 2011
*   July 29, 2011
*   August 26, 2011
*   September 30, 2011
*   October 28, 2011
*   November 18, 2011
*   December 30, 2011
Sebastian Nelson
Archivist II
California State Archives
Office of the Secretary of State
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
phone: (916) 653-2385
fax: (916) 653-7363
sebastian.nelson@sos.ca.gov
 
To RSVP or for more information, contact the Archives Tour Coordinator (sebastian.nelson@sos.ca.gov) or call (916) 653-2385.  http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/tour.htm   Sent by Sebastian.Nelson@sos.ca.gov
Visit the California-Spanish website at  http://www.sfgenealogy.com/spanish 


Resident of Huelva, Spain seeks California family links.
Mi nombre es Juan Flores Sánchez, y actualmente resido en Huelva, España. Desde hace tiempo intento contactar con unos familiares míos o sus descendientes, que emigraron a los Estados Unidos en la segunda década del siglo pasado, pero hasta ahora la investigación no ha tenido ningún resultado.

Una hermana de mi abuela llamada Martina Vázquez Sánchez, natural de Almonaster la Real (Huelva), contrajo matrimonio con Juan Seija (ó Seijas) Paredes, natural de Zamora y de esta unión nacieron cuatro hijos: Basilisa, que vivió varios años en Cuba, Paula que emigro a Barcelona y allí falleció, Juan que murió en la Guerra Civil de España y Dolores Seija Vázquez que se casó con Alfredo Blanco.

Este último matrimonio, Dolores y Alfredo, fueron a residir a San Francisco de California y tuvieron tres hijos: Rafael, que falleció en el desembarco de Normandía, Dolores y Alfredo Blanco Seija, de quienes hace muchos años no he recibido noticia alguna.

En esta fotografia que enviaron desde San Francisco de California, estan Dolores Seija Vázquez y su hijo Rafael Blanco Seija, que fue el que murió en el desembarco de Normandía.

Dada la difusión que tiene SOMOS PRIMOS entre los descendientes de españoles, puede suceder que, bien ellos o algún familiar o amigo pueda conocer esta petición y pudiera facilitarme alguna información, con lo que al fin, podría establecer contacto de nuevo con mis familiares en los Estados Unidos, ya que los de España, por sus edades, han fallecido todos.

Mi dirección electrónica es: zancolin29@yahoo.es

Agradezco la colaboración, 

Querida Mimi,
Gracias por tu informacion que resulta de utilidad pero creo seria interesante publicar la petición de Juan Flores, ya  que se daria la oportunidad a que mucha gente que se encuentra en la misma tesitura, de no encontrar a familiares, podrían intentarlo. Además creo que seria muy util para los lectores de Somos Primos.
El problema es que la familia de Juan que emigro a America, no tiene por aqui mas descendientes, solo Juan y el contacto esta totalmente perdido ya que la Guerra Civil Española incomunicó a muchas familias que estaban en el extranjero.
Otro problema que tenemos aquí es que muchos de los registros civiles fueron quemados tambien en esa Guerra Civil, por lo que es muy dificil obtener datos de algunos ancestros.
Juan que esta intentando localizar mas datos, me ha enviado una fotografia de su familia que emigro a San Francisco, te la voy a enviar porque puede ser de utilidad publicarla junto con su petición.
Un abrazo,                              Angel Custodio Rebollo


  LA CASA DE ESPAÑA EN SAN DIEGO
The traditional Fiesta de las Regiones
Saturday, April 16, at 2:00pm
"San Jordi, el dia de la Rosa y el Libro" where traditionally the lover gives the girl a rose 
and she gives him a book or something similar.  If someone would like to follow the tradition and bring a rose and something printed, it would keep it fun and traditional. You can bring a flower for a girl and a card for a guy. We ask the Catalonians and friends to help us with the menu and music.

We hope to make fideua at the casita and we hope that people would like to contribute with their best Catalonian dishes or wines. People with dishes or wine get in free.  Members without dish - $5
Non-members - $10 (if they become members that day, they get in FREE)  Under 18 - Free

Information: Contact the Honorary Consul of  Spain in San Diego, Maria Angeles O'Donnell Olson conhon.espana.sd@gmail.com
The Terrible Curse of Griffith Park
Los Angeles, California 

http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=123   
Griffith J Griffith raised ostriches on the cursed land of Don Antonio FelizAt 4,210 acres, Griffith Park in Los Angeles is not only the second largest park in California but also one of the nation's largest parks. Located within the park is the Griffith Observatory, the Greek Amphitheatre, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Museum of the American West, the Travel Town train museum, two golf courses, a merry-go-around, countless hiking and horse trails, the Haunted Hollywood Sign, a few ghosts, and an old 1863 curse.
                                                                                  Don  Antonio F. Coronel

What? A curse, you say? Originally all this land belonged to the Felizes and was called Rancho Los Feliz. Eventually it became the property of Don Antonio Feliz who resided on the land with his sister named Soledad and his 17 year old blind niece, Dona Petranilla. In 1863, Don Antonio Feliz passed away and instead of leaving his land to his family, he left all of it to Don Antonio Coronel (there is still a very small street in LA probably named after him, consisting of less than a dozen houses). The story relates, how Don Antonio Feliz was wasting away with smallpox and on his deathbed, Don Antonio Coronel visited him with a lawyer, Don Innocante. Supposedly these two gentlemen drew up the will and the story claims that a stick was attached to the back of Don Antonio Feliz to help the poor dying man nod his head in agreement to the new will. The new will was witnessed by several ranch workers with the surname Paco who resided a short distance from the main house. Regardless of if that story is true or not, the land went to Don Antonio Coronel and not Dona Petranilla. A few items supposedly went to Soledad and some other relatives. His godson received a few horses, but the land the lion's share of the wealth went to Don Coronel and Petranilla received nothing.     

                                                                                                                                              
Dona Petranilla was, to say the least, obviously not pleased. Don Feliz's niece laid down a curse on the land, Don Coronel, Don Innocante, and even the judge that upheld the will's legality. Afterwards, in order to put the final touch on the curse, she apparently dropped dead. If you believe the stories, the lawyer, Don Innocante, was soon shot and killed and the judge apparently also met an untimely end. Don Coronel's family supposedly slowly died of misfortune and disease. When Coronel passed away, he left the land to his young wife, who promptly remarried. Her new husband and her faught over the inheritance and in the ensueing divorce, the lawyers consumed most of the inheritance. The land eventually passed to Leon "Lucky" Baldwin, whose lucky streak immediately ended when he started a ranch and dairy on the property. The cattle on the land died, fires destroyed grain, grasshoppers devoured crops, and nothing basically went right. After he went bankrupted and was forced to sell the land to pay for the mortgage, Baldwin was supposedly gunned down by an outlaw (some stories say Mexican bandits). The land ended up with a Thomas Bell, a financier rom San Francisco. He didn't hold the land long though before selling it to Colonel Griffith J Griffith. Bell apparently lived into his eighties and then fell from his mansion's banister - or was pushed by mistress depending on the story you believe.

Now where did this story come from? Well from the fanciful mind of one Horace Bell, a frontier author who wrote and founded a newspaper devoted to social commentary called the Porcupine. Often Bell's stories attacked the social elite of the area, and his attacks on Griffith J. Griffith were no exception. The truth of the matter is probably slightly different then the one portrayed by Mr. Horace Bell. Petranilla, was apparently not blind. She did not die after placing a curse on the estate, and lived for another thirty four years after the events depicted in the story, apparently dying of a heart problem. Although there is no proof that she did or did not place a curse on the estate. She was probably in her early twenties at the time that Don Feliz passed away. The godson who received some horses was her son, Juan Sanchez, who she had with Esteban Sanchez. 

Griffith J Griffith

The land was sold to a Colonel Griffith Jenkins Griffith in 1882. Yes, his first and last names are the same, and his military rank is believed to be made up (in fact the only military title he probably held was Major of Riflery Practice with the California National Guard). Griffith was well known for his aristocratic pretensions and his uncanny knack for finding silver and gold. He allowed a man named Frank Burkett to start an ostrich farm on the property to lure residents to the area and Griffith's other surrounding properties. By 1884, the curse popped up again as a huge storm racked the land. Lightning came down upon some of the oak trees on the property and the ranch hands claimed to see Don Antonio Feliz riding the rain. Don Antonio continued to haunt the land after the storm, often appearing near an area called Bee Rock. Griffith refused to visit the land except at midday and the stories claim that the ostriches stampeded at night. 

Calvary Cemetery was during its time LA's primary cemetery, following the Plaza Churchyard. Not too long after the incident with Griffith, in the early 1900s the occupants of the cemetery were unearthed and relocated to New Calvary Cemetery east of the LA river. 

In the location, the corner of North. Broadway and Bishop's Road, Cathedral High School was built. Strange disturbances have occurred ever since. Legends abound of grave shaped holes appearing outside after heavy rains, spooks wandering the halls, restless spirits disturbing the living, and old coffin parts appearing occasionally throughout the grounds!
With ghosts appearing and ostriches stampeding, Griffith eventually foreclosed on the ostrich farm which was failing, causing Burkett to vow vengeance. Burkett ended up attempting to gun down Griffith with a shot gun outside Old Calvary Cemetery, now Cathedral High School on North Broadway. Burkett apparently used bird shot instead of buck shot, which was the only reason Griffith survived. Apparently Burkett thought he had succeeded in killing Griffith so he committed suicide with a revolver to the head. 

The Grave of Griffith J Griffith in Hollywood Forever Cemetery To get away from the cursed land and the ghost, Griffith donated 3,015 acres to the city of Los Angeles in December 1896. But the curse wouldn't let him get away that easily. Afterward, Griffith, a devout Protestant, came to the conclusion that the Pope and his Catholic wife, Christina Mesmer, were conspiring to poison him and steal all of his money. Christina was a well to do, very rich society woman herself. It is reported that at dinner, Griffith would often switch his plate with hers when she wasn’t looking, thus ensuring that the “poisoned” food was in front of her instead of him. He eventually took a pre-emptive strike and shot his wife while they stayed at the Arcadia Hotel in Santa Monica. Although she survived, having to throw herself from the window, land on an awning and crawl to safety through yet another window, she was disfigured and blind in one eye afterwards. Griffith served only two years in San Quentin for attempted murder, but his reputation was never the same. After he was released from prison, the city ignored his attempts to continue building up Griffith Park, wanting nothing officially to do with him. Griffith did, however, set up a trust fund to have his improvements, the Observatory and Greek Theater, built and cared for after he passed away. He passed away in 1919 and is laid to rest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. 

If you believe writer and newspaperman Horace Bell, Don Antonio Feliz again appeared in 1898. Apparently the city's influential people had gathered in Griffith Park to celebrate a fiesta. The specter appeared at the head of an oaken banquet table and also chased the party goers on horseback as they fled the party. 

Due to plans he set aside before he died, Griffith J Griffith arranged to have the Griffith Observatory builtIn this century, Los Angeles has only suffered one unfortunate event on the land. That was when a 1933 fire left 29 people dead and 150 more injured. This fire is the deadliest in Los Angeles history. 

However, even though the curse doesn't appear to be inflicting pain upon anyone any more, several ghosts have been sighted throughout the park. In addition to Don Antonio Feliz, who besides his famous 1898 party crashing scene, has been seen riding the parks trails and laughing crazily on top of large rocks overlooking the park, there is also his niece, Dona Petranilla. The original curse layer has been seen wandering the land dressed in white. She additionally appears occasionally in an old adobe used for the park headquarters and has been seen riding a white horse around midnight. An additional mounted ghost has been spotted riding in the park. This spirit is believed to be the ghost of Griffith J. Griffith as the style of the rider does not match that of a Spanish Don. A ghost girl has been seen throughout the park and she seems to be looking for help. Some people believe she was abandoned in the park and eventually died from exposure and that now she is wandering the park looking for the parents that left her behind. And of course the ghost of Peg Entwistle, a suicide victim, can be found lurking around the Hollywood Sign. 

One location that Dona Petranilla is said to haunt is the Crystal Springs Ranger Headquarters also called the Paco Feliz Adobe. She apparently appears as a ghostly senorita in a white dress watching from the adobe's windows on dark and rainy nights. Of course, she never lived in this adobe, but it is the only remaining structure from that time period and probably served as the house for servants or ranch hands. In 1921, the park managed to demolish the original Feliz manor. 

Lastly, the park has also been used as locations in several movies including Back to the Future, Back to the Future II, The Rocketeer, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In the Roger Rabbit movie, the tunnel that serves as the entrance to Toon Town can be found within Griffith Park.

So there you have it. The history of Griffith Park is full of ghosts, death, fraud, and ostriches. Add into that a blind curse wielding niece, a paranoid man with the same first and last name who believed the Pope was colluding with his wife to kill him, along with the entrance to Toon Town, and Griffith Park easily earns its entry here at Weird California.

Sent by Sylvia Gonzalez-Hohenshelt | Manager of Public Programs, Villa Finale
National Trust for Historic Preservation | 122 Madison, San Antonio, TX  78204
Phone: 210.223.9800 | Fax: 210.223.9802 | Email: sylvia_hohenshelt@nthp.org | www.VillaFinale.org 

 

 


Census: East Bay cities see huge influx of Latinos
By Matt O'Brien, Contra Costa Times
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_17577139?source=rss 
SAN PABLO -- Nearly a quarter of Contra Costa County residents and about 34 percent of the county's children are Latino, according to 2010 census figures, evidence of an ongoing shift in the region's ethnic makeup.

The change happened fastest in the former farm towns of the outer East Bay, and coincided with a growth in the total population there. It reached a tipping point on the other side of the county in Richmond and San Pablo.

"We had been expecting there would have been an increase in the Latino population," San Pablo Vice Mayor Cecilia Valdez said. "We see that in our festivals, our events, our schools."

San Pablo now has a Latino majority, at 56.5 percent, a Latino majority on its City Council, 

a quarterly city newsletter in Spanish and English, and other services reflective of a community where most people speak Spanish at home. 
"We are here representing the whole community," Valdez said. "We need to see what the needs are, and try to fill them."

In neighboring Richmond, where the total population reached 103,701 people, Latinos are now 39.5 percent of the population. Latinos in the past decade surpassed the black population, which had been the largest group since the 1970s.

The Latino population in the young city of Oakley swelled from 25 to 35 percent in the past decade, the most dramatic change of any East Bay city.

Yoli Cortes, who sells piñatas and quinceañera favors at a gift shop on Oakley's Main Street, moved here from Oakland in 2001.  "The houses are bigger here," she said in Spanish. "In Oakland, they were smaller, older and also more expensive."

Cortes and her eight siblings settled in Oakland after emigrating from Mexico City in the 1980s, but decided to move together to East Contra Costa to raise their families.

"When our friends saw that we were coming out here, they all started coming, too," Cortes said.

The Latino population grew in almost every Bay Area city, but it declined in two of the region's best-known Latino neighborhoods: San Francisco's Mission district, which experienced an influx of non-Latino whites, and the Fruitvale district of Oakland, where the census reports a decline in the total population.

But many of the amenities that once made those districts special -- shops selling Latin American goods and fresh produce; Mexican and Central American restaurants; cultural centers promoting music, dance and networking; and language-appropriate social services -- are also now more commonplace across the cities and suburbs of the East Bay.

On the 23rd Street business corridor that crosses through Richmond and San Pablo, Camilo Alberto is opening a new Peruvian-Salvadoran restaurant this week called El Chalateco. He expects a lot of Latino customers, but could not have imagined such a profound change when he was one of the only Latino students in his local middle school in the early 1990s.

Unincorporated areas have experienced some of the most significant changes: the Latino population is 62.6 percent in Montalvin Manor, 61.8 percent in Rollingwood, 54.9 percent in Bay Point and 50.1 percent in North Richmond. In the county's biggest city, Concord, the Latino population is 30.6 percent.

The U.S. Census Bureau does not consider Hispanic or Latino to be a racial category. A person can identify as Latino, but also be white, black, Asian or American Indian.

Concord has about 10,000 more Latinos than a decade ago, and its non-Latino white population dropped by 15,000 people.

Mayor Laura Hoffmeister said the increasing diversity in her city comes as the world is becoming more interconnected, with better mobility for individuals and more global connections through technology.

"Society globally has changed and become more diverse," Hoffmeister said. "We're just a microcosm of that."

She pointed out that Concord's founders, Don Salvio Pacheco, Don Fernando Pacheco and Don Francisco Galindo, were Latino.

"America is just an ongoing ebb and flow of multiculturalism and it just depends on what snapshot of time you take," she said.

Staff writers Hannah Dreier, Lisa Vorderbrueggen and Paul Thissen contributed to this report.

Sent by Jaime Cader
jmcader@yahoo.com


NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES 

Spanish language Family History Symposium Salt Lake City  
Digital Storytelling Workshop
 

Spanish language Family History Symposium in Salt Lake City  

Sábado 23 de Abril a las 10:00 a.m. en el Auditorio del Museo de la Iglesia que se encuentra ubicado en el 45 W, North Temple St. Salt Lake City, UT 84150 con el siguiente programa:

¿Cómo empiezo mi historia familiar? 10:00 a 10:50 am

¿Qué podemos encontrar en los Registros Civiles y Parroquiales? 11:00 a 12:30 pm

Registros Diocesanos (Nivel Intermedio) 1:15 a 2:00 pm

¿Cómo utilizar el programa Family Search? El tradicional, Pilot, y Beta en un solo lugar. (Nivel Intermedio) 2:10 a 3:00 pm

¿Cómo utilizar el programa New Family Search? Corrigiendo errores en la base de datos. 3:10 a 4:00 pm

Este seminario sera completamente en Español y ademas tendremos la oportunidad de ayudarles en su investigacion genealogica en forma personal (uno a uno). Mayor informacion en el telefono (801) 240-6490 con Arturo Cuellar.

Muchas gracias por tu apoyo Mimi y nuevamente ofrezco mi ayuda a ti y a todos los primos desde las montañas del Lago Salado

Arturo Cuellar
Family History Library
35 W, North Temple St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
(801) 240-6490
(801) 240-1925 fax



 

Digital Storytelling Workshop
Our Stories:
Indian Child Welfare
Digital Storytelling with Relative Caregivers
Digital Storytelling Workshop Co-sponsored by:
• Did you care for a relative child who was placed with you through Indian Child Welfare (ICW)?
• Is the case closed or no longer active?
• Are you interested in telling your story?
• Would you like to learn how to make a movie about your story?

Why does MY voice as a relative caretaker matter? A digital story is a short digital video that combines voiceover, photos, video clips and music to tell a true story from your own life. The stories are short and are between 3-5 minutes in length and are told in the first person point of view. Digital stories use mostly still photos, unlike shooting a film or video, which makes it a lot easier to finish your project in a short amount of time.

What is a digital story? Of course, the best way to learn about digital stories is to WATCH! Visit the nDigiDreams website to view some sample digital stories at: http://www.ndigidreams.com/stories.html .

4 day intensive digital storytelling workshop.
Partners for Our Children and the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute of UW are bringing DigiDreams facilitators to Seattle to assist former Indian child welfare relative caretakers to produce meaningful digital stories from their own lives.

No prior training or experience is required. Participants just need to be familiar with basic computer use. All equipment will be provided. Workshop participants will receive a $300 stipend for
their participation and reimbursement is available for related travel and child care expenses.

May 2nd 1pm-5pm   May 3rd- May5th  8am-5pm  Location: Seattle Area

Come Join Our Stories: Digital Storytelling Workshop
For More Information Call Glenda a t 206-543-7411
Sent by Don Milligan donmilligan@comcast.net 

 


SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
   

April 13-15, Our Lady of the Lake Conference
17th Annual tribute to New Mexico's Hispano Legislators
Estevan Rael-Gálvez, Ph.D. National Trust for Historic Preservation
June 8-12, 2011, MANA Leadership Institute, 37th Conference

Onate's Soldiers, The Fathers of the New Mexico Hispanic People by Dr. Ronald J. Roman

 
April 13-15 
Our Lady of the Lake University’s 
8th Annual Center for Mexican American Studies & Research Conference
Featuring Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Gloria Holguín Cuádraz, Arizona State University Associate Professor of Sociology
University professor, scholar, writer and student mentor. Co-author of an award-winning book titled "Telling to Live: Latina Feminist Testimonios." Has worked with photography, video and film to reach a broader audience for her scholarship.


Maria Antonietta Berriozabal, Community organizer, activist, politician
The first Mexican American woman to serve on the city council of a major U.S. city when she served as representative of San Antonio's District 1 from 1981-91. This summer, a book about her life and heritage will be published, titled "María: Daughter of Immigrants."


David Rice, Author, screenwriter
An author, educator and filmmaker, this young native of Weslaco, Texas, won the American Library Association "Best Books for Young Readers" Award in 2001 for his short story collection, "Crazy Loco." He has worked on films with actors Valente Rodriguez ("Ernie" on "The George Lopez Show") and Venezuelan telenovela star Fernando Carrillo.

Father Francis Theodore “Ted” Pfeifer, OMI Missionary, author
An Oblate Missionary Priest, born in the Rio Grande area, who served the indigenous people of southern Mexico for 44 years. He defied death numerous times, using the Gospel as his weapon against the guns and violence of the drug cartels. A documentary is planned about his life.

The conference will showcase scholarly papers and creative poster and film presentations which contribute to a broader and deeper understanding of Mexican American culture and expertise. Conference presenters will be addressing historical and contemporary issues in higher education, community inclusively, and creative expressions relevant to Mexican American people, culture and contributions. This year, "The Legacy of Revolutions" will include voices and images of revolutionary changes which were/are driven by social justice, inclusivity, enrichment, and representation in a spirit that celebrates contributions of, by, or about Mexican Americans in the U.S.

Conference Strands: 
• Higher Education: Trends, patterns and “best practices” leading to degree completion of first-generation, Hispanic, and/or Mexican American students
• Curriculum & Areas of Study: Resources, creative pedagogy, & programs of study focused on Mexican American culture 
• Community leadership and activism: Promoting inclusion and representation; challenging the ‘status quo’
• Religion, Spirituality and Culture: Intersections, separations and voices from within
• Historical Milestones and Landmarks: Revolutionary moments and movements
• Emerging Scholars: Students' works in progress of, by, or about Mexican American scholars and scholarship 

Register online at www.ollusa.edu/MexAmerConference
For information, call: 210-434-6711, Ext. 4147 
Our Lady of the Lake University
411 SW 24th St.
San Antonio, TX 78207

Sent by Roberto Calderon, Ph.D.
beto@unt.edu
 

 17th Annual tribute to New Mexico's Hispano Legislators
The 17th Annual tribute to New Mexico's Hispano Legislators, held in February  was a complete success.   Ralph Arellanes reported:
 
There were some really great moments.  Every single Veteran we honored last night received a rousing standing ovation.  Every veteran was highly appreciated but when we read Dr. Miguel Encinias Bio - people were in dis-belief.  Many were shocked to learn that someone who had enlisted in the Army in 1939, flew over 246 combat missions in 3 wars, served as a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany and so many other incredible feats, was actually having dinner with them and speaking to them.  After the rousing applause he got, I saw his eyes well with tears.  I heard his wife and daughter in the crowd were crying tears of joy.  Every Veteran was so impressive.
Then the speakers were great.  Lt. Governor John Sanchez spoke about the importance of reaching across the aisle and working together on specific legislation and particularly in education.  He spoke about his family's long history in New Mexico and his family ties to the Anton Chico Land Grant.
 
Secretary of Economic Development Jon Barela spoke about important business and economic development programs he is working to establish and focus on minority business opportunities.  Secretary Barela proudly called himself a member of the Hispano Roundtable of New Mexico
 
State Auditor Hector Balderas spoke about working hard and sticking together as a community for our children.
 
Assistant Attorney General Seth Cohen spoke passionately about the importance of the White Peak victory and the historical significance of the victory.
 
Finally, our Chavez y Chavez "Walking the Talk" Award recipients this year were second to none.  Every single recipient was incredibly amazing in their own right by their own accomplishments and convictions.  I may be biased, but these awards are by far the most beautiful awards I have ever seen.  Each award is a work of tin art that takes many hours to complete.   
 
I was very impressed with Assistant Attorney General Seth Cohen, who spoke right after Hector Balderas.  He was the attorney that worked with us on the White Peak land swap case.  He was very impressive.  He called the land swap attempt reminiscent of the "Santa Fe Ring Operations" and "an attempt to steal public lands unlike anything seen before Statehood".
 
He called the victory against this land swindle "a true victory for the people that produced a groundswell of grass roots support not seen in recent memory".  He himself referred to it as a "land swindle". 
 
He was amazing.   He said one of the reasons New Mexico was held back from Statehood for so many years was because the federal government did not want to legitimize the operations of the Santa Fe Ring which sent so many of our people into poverty when their lands, farms and ranches were stolen outright. 
 
My opening comments focused on education and employment/poverty issues.  When I said we are in an "Apartheid" situation, I meant it.  Total Business Sales and Gross Revenues in New Mexico for 2009 amounted to $132.5 Billion.  Hispano business share of this was $6.5 Billion.  Our slice of the Business pie in New Mexico is 5%.  This has been the case for many years.
 
At the height of the Apartheid in South Africa during the mid 1980's, 10 percent of the population there was White, 90% of the population was Black.  Yet Whites controlled over 90% of the wealth and the Blacks controlled close to 10% of the wealth.
 
That is what is happening here in New Mexico today.  We are in an Apartheid situation.  We need to fight back to level the playing field in business and wages earned.  For too long we have been kept as the servants in the business world.  They want us to be the waiters/waitresses of the business world.
When Hispano median income is $16,023 dollars per year as of 2009 and we are only generating 5% of the Gross revenues and net profits from our Business's, we are regressing not progressing.   We are quickly becoming the minimum wage State in the country.  We are the 3rd poorest state in the nation and by the slimmest of margins only a fraction away from being the poorest.
 
We made a call last night not only to eliminate the education achievement gap but to create incentives and opportunities to eliminate the economic gap.  Yes we are the majority in New Mexico as Hispanos comprise 46% of the population and Whites comprise 41% and by 2015 both California and Texas will become Hispano majority states.  This means that by the year 2015, the Southwestern part of the United States will be Hispano majority.  These population shifts are occurring very rapidly but what good will it do if we don't educate, empower and get our community out of the cycle of poverty.
 
Our community needs to establish the business and education networks and programs to move our entire community forward.  Otherwise we will be relegated to continue being the servants of society and we will continue to have our own United States version of an Apartheid if we don't wake up. 
 
That said, it was an incredible night focused 100% on Hispano business, education, veterans and community leadership.

Ralph Arellanes
Chairman, Hispano Roundtable of New Mexico
New Mexico LULAC State Director
National LULAC Board Member
505-846-0038 (w)
505-688-2973 (cell)

Estevan Rael-Gálvez, Ph.D.
New Vice President of Historic Sites 
National Trust for Historic Preservation

We are pleased to announce Estevan Rael-Gálvez, Ph.D., will be joining the National Trust for Historic Preservation as Vice President of Historic Sites in May 2011. He succeeds Jim Vaughan, who retired in January of this year.

A native of New Mexico, Dr. Rael-Gálvez currently serves as the executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The NHCC hosts award winning programming on a 51-acre campus, which includes an art museum, a performing arts center, an archive/library and a vibrant educational department. Prior to his time at the NHCC, Dr. Rael-Gálvez served eight years as the State Historian of New Mexico, the leading advocate and authority on New Mexico history, implementing a scholars in residence program, an internship program and the nationally award winning New Mexico Digital History Project.

Dr. Rael- Gálvez has also served as the chairman of the New Mexico Cultural Properties Review Committee, the advisory-policy making board that oversees the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division and establishes preservation policy for the State of New Mexico. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Rael-Gálvez received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, where he completed his dissertation on American Indian slavery and its legacy in the Southwest, which garnered a Ford Foundation fellowship.

The Vice President of Historic Sites provides leadership to staff and volunteer stewards of the National Trust’s diverse and nationally significant historic sites. The sites include historic buildings and landscapes, museums and cultural centers, working farms and city townhouses — each dynamic in their own way and collectively representing broad and significant elements of the American experience. The 29 National Trust Historic Sites include one of the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited community at Acoma Pueblo; President James Madison’s home, Montpelier; Lyndhurst, a Gothic Revival-style house in Tarrytown on New York’s Hudson River; Mies van der Rohe’s modernist masterpiece, the Farnsworth House; South Carolina’s Drayton Hall and the Philip Johnson Glass House in Connecticut to name a few.

Sent by Tanya Bowers | Director for Diversity, Office of the President
National Trust for Historic Preservation | 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-588-6245 | Fax: 202-588-6082| Mobile: 202-320-9902| Email: tanya_bowers@nthp.org | www.PreservationNation.org


Frank Emile Sanchis III who is of Puerto Rican extraction was the National Trust’s Vice President, Stewardship of Historic Sites, from 1986 to 1999.


June 8-12, 2011, MANA Leadership Institute, 37th Annual Conference
Hermanitas® Leadership Institute 
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
 
WORKSHOPS (Not Final)

TRACK 1. Registered Youth
"Being the Best You" College and Career Choices
Preparing to be a Teen Driver 
Native American Educational Experience

TRACK 2.  Registered Adults 
Latinas Running for Office at the Local, State and National Levels
Environmental Issues Advocacy Training
Latina Authors and Painters: Writing and Painting Your Stories

TRACK 3. MANA and Affiliate Pre-selected Members
AvanZamos® Madrinas® Trainer Fellowship Program 

TRACK 4. MANA and Affiliate Pre-selected Members 
7th Annual Premier State Farm Teen Driver and Child Passenger Safety Fellowship Program

TRACK 5. MANA and Affilliate Pre-selected Members
6th Annual Latina Financial Literacy, Long-term Care and Retirement Training

TRACK 6. SATURDAY Registered Members and Affiliates 
Board of Directors Governance Training
Fundraising 101

Join Our Mailing List!  MANA, A National Latina Organization
1146 19th St., NW, Suite 700, Washington, District of Columbia 20036
202-833-0060 

Sent by Yvonne Gonzalez Duncan  yvduncan@yahoo.com

 


Onate's Soldiers*

The Fathers of the New Mexico Hispanic People
Dr. Ronald J. Roman

 

*I recently came across this wonderful research in my files.  Please note,  in order to remove the emotional mind-set that the word conquistador elicits, I substituted "soldier" for "conquistador" . 

In 1598 Juan Onate brought to New Mexico approximately 130 soldiers (1) and their families with the purpose of establishing a permanent settlement in what was then northern New Spain. Living conditions were hard and most of the settlers became disillusioned, realizing the hoped for gold they sought was not to be found. Several soldiers died or were killed in the first two years including Pedro Robeldo who died only a few days after crossing the Rio Grande in May of 1598(2), his son Pedro Robeldo II died in the December 1598 battle at Acoma(3) and two of the four deserters who stole horses and were captured and executed by Captains Perez de Villagra and Geronimo Marquez in November 1598(4).

Juan Onate was forced to find reinforcements for his dwindling ranks and in November 1600 he brought an additional 80 soldiers and their families to New Mexico. However, condition had not improved for the settlers and in September 1601 while Onate was away from San Gabriel on one of his excursions, most of the settlers in a mass exodus, packed up and returned to New Spain(5). In November when 'Onate returned to San Gabriel no more than two dozen colonists turned out to greet him. Who then, of the original 210, were the remaining conquistadors who would come to be the fathers of the New Mexico people?

During a research project on the genealogy of the Torres family of Truth or Consequences, NM it was discovered that a number of their ancestral grandfathers were Onate's conquistadors. The paternal grandparents of this Torres family were Guillermo Torres (b. 1872) and Constancia Garcia (b. 1886) and the maternal grandparents were Benjamin Bouvet (b. 1897) and Pueblita Garcia (b. 1899). Benjamin's father was bom in France while his mother was born in New Mexico of parent born in Mexico. Benjamin therefore, had no ancestral grandparents among Onate's conquistadors.

The Onate soldiers that remained in New Mexico, or at least their offspring that remained in New Mexico, gave rise to this Torres family.  This group of settlers was not among that group which deserted in November 1601 or among that group which died without leaving descendants to populated New Mexico. Twenty six of Onate's soldiers can be found on the Torres family tree as ancestral grandfathers. They are listed here with the number of times each appears as a grandfather in the Torres family tree.

Asencio de ARECHULETA 6
Diego BLAND1N 4
Francisco CAD1MO 2
Juan de Vicotora CARVAJAL  5
Hemando de HINOJOS 11
Avaro Garcia HOLGADO 3
Pedro Gomez DURAN(DURAN Y CHAVES) 29 
Juan GRIEGO 15
Juan de HERRERA 1 
Juan Lopez HOLGUIN 88 
Geronimo MARQUEZ 87 
Alonzo MARTIN BARBA 2 
Heman MARTIN SERRANO 3 Bartolome de MONTOYA 62 
Juan de PEDRAZA 3 
Juan PEREZ DE BUSTILLO 34 
Pedro ROBLEDO 7 
Sebastian RODRIGUEZ DE SALAZAR 3 
Bartolome ROMERO 4 
Juan RUIZ CACEREA 10 
Pedro SANCHEZ DE MONROY 3 
Cristobal VACA 57 
Bias de VALENCIA(VALDIVIA) 6 
Alonso VARELA 6 
Pedro VARELA 12 
Francisco VASQUEZ 75


These 26 soldiers are among the ancestral grandparents of the Torres family of Truth or Consequences and have contributed to the Hispanic population of present day New Mexico. The remaining approximately 184 soldiers cannot be ruled out as contributors to the Hispanic population of present day New Mexico but two logical arguments can be developed to suggest that most (or all) did not leave any recorded descendents permanently in New Mexico.

First the mass desertion of the settlers in late 1601 left very few of the original conquistadors and their family members in New Mexico. Although the estimate that only "two dozen people greeted Onate on his return to San Gabriel" in November of 1601 most assuredly underestimates the size of the remaining population, the population of New Mexico in the mid 1600s was not great. Friar Alonso de Posada stated (in 1650-1660) "...this land does not have more than a hundred citizens, more or less, and among this number are mulattoes, mestizos and all who have any Spanish blood, even though it is slight."(6) (It is questionable if Posada actually meant "families" rather than "citizens".) In the two generations since Onate's arrival each child might have had the blood of two conquistadors in their veins. By 1680 each child may be expected to have the blood of six or eight conquistadors in their veins. To find an acceptable marriage partner four generation after Onate arrived in New Mexico would require marrying into one of the original soldier families not yet part of the family tree. It seems unlikely that more than 27 to 35 of the original soldiers remained in New Mexico contributing to its population. In the Torres family it is shown that at least 26 of the soldiers are the contributors to the New Mexico population. But can it be asserted that it was only these 26 soldiers who remained in New Mexico and who were the ancestral grandparents of those in the present day Hispanic population who can trace their New Mexican roots to the early 1600s?

The second and more compelling argument that there were in all probability only these 26 soldiers  who contributed to the population is that New Mexico in the 1600s and 1700s was essentially a closed society. Immigration and emigration were strictly controlled and limited. Suitable marriage partners were difficult to find. The Catholic church discourage marriage between couples relate in the 4th degree consanguinity or closer (3 cousins and closer) and 4th degree affinity. A dispensation was required should a couple, closely related, wish to marry. As described in "Roots", and "When Jesus Came the Corn Mother Went Away" (7) one argument that a marriage between two closely related individuals should be allowed was the lack of a suitable marriage partner in the community. Suitable meaning both a non-relative (by blood or marriage) and a person of equal social status. As a result many dispensation were granted for couples related in the 4th and ever 3rd degree consanguinity or affinity. In addition in the generations between the soldiers and the present population of New Mexico genealogical study shows that within any family there have been many marriage between 4th, 5th, 6th and more distant cousins. In the most current generation of the Torres family there is one married couple who, until the current genealogic study of the family, did not know they were 5th cousins. In fact cousin/cousin marriages within this family has results in one ancestral grandfather being listed on the family tree in 88 different positions! The phrase "somos primos" is to be interpreted literally, not just figuratively.

Because of cousin/cousin marriages resulting the appearance of a set of grandparents in multiple positions on the family tree it not necessary to have developed the complete family tree to have identified the names of all of the grandparents of a family. In the case of the grandparents of the Torres family who occurred in the family tree 88 time, a statistical argument can be made that these grandparents would have been identified as grandparents of this family even if only five percent of the family tree have been determined. In the Torres tree the names have been filled in for approximately 3500 grandparent positions. However, these 3500 names represent only about 700 different individuals - each grandparent occurs on the family tree an average of five times. This average of five times that each grandparent appears in the family tree includes all grandparents of all degrees. The average for those grandparents from the generation of the conquistadors is 20, much higher as there are more generation in which cousin/cousin marriage can have taken place. In all probability, any soldier that was an ancestral grandfather on the Torres family tree would have been included among the 3500 grandparents thus far identified. The 26 soldiers identified as grandfathers of this family are all of the soldiers that are in the Torres family tree. Although, as evidenced by the occurrence of two of the ancestral grandfathers from among the soldiers that showed up in the family tree only once, there is a slight possibility that other, so far yet not identified soldiers  are also in the family tree.

The point of this is that if a family's New Mexico ancestors can be traced back to the time of the earliest soldiers and settlers,  as is the case with the Torres family, in all probability it can be demonstrated that a connection exists to ALL of the soldiers that came with Onate.  

 


MIDDLE AMERICA

Native Waters, the Chitimacha Indians
Morgan Blanchard: "The Crawfish Boil" Video
Alejandra "Ollie" Zuniga wins statewide honor
New Orleans Collection, Ursuline Convent


 

Native Waters, the Chitimacha Indians

While the tribe’s numbers have decreased to approximately 1,000 members and their sacred fishing and hunting grounds have been depleted by man-made incursions such as the Atchafalaya River Levees following the 1927 Mississippi River Flood and the increased sediment and plant life that are slowly filling up their lakes, the tribe has had a cultural renaissance. A grant from Rosetta Stone has allowed the tribe to research and resurrect their almost forgotten language and teach it to young tribal members in school. The creation of a Cultural Center has allowed the tribe to document many of their historical artifacts including the tribe’s unique baskets
Join us for Native Waters: A Chitimacha Recollection as we present our audiences with a vision of one of the most unique natural landscapes in North America and home to the Chitimacha from time immemorial.

http://beta.lpb.org/index.php?/site/programs/native_waters_a_chitimacha
_recollection/native_waters_a_chitimacha_recollection
 
Sent by Bill Carmena JCarm1724@aol.com

Morgan Blanchard: "The Crawfish Boil"-Official Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=memp62N0yr8 
http://morganblanchard.com/

 

 

 

Alejandra "Ollie" Zuniga wins statewide honor
Published online at MLive.com: Monday, March 21, 2011, 12:45 PM 
Originally published in Sunday, March 20, 2011 edition of The Saginaw News (hard copy) 
By The Saginaw News staff, by Rosa Morales

SAGINAW TWP. — A lifetime of community service has won Alejandra “Ollie” Zuñiga statewide attention and honors.  Zuñiga, 87, received the Maria Zavala Award for her lifetime achievements serving the Hispanic community at the 18th annual Dia de La Mujer (Day of the Woman) Conference at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Center on Saturday.

This is the first time a Saginaw County woman was recognized by the student organizers of the largest Latina women’s conference in the state. The committee voted for Zuñiga based upon her biography.

Alejandra "Ollie" Zuniga: “To me, it’s an honor,” Zuñiga said from her Saginaw Township home as she recovered from a recent illness that prevented her from receiving the award in person. “To all of the Latinas who are doing the hard work for the benefit of Hispanics, I wish them the best.”

A native of Gonzales, Texas, Zuñiga moved to Saginaw with her family in the 1940s. As former migrant worker in family of 11, Zuñiga said realized the power of an education, even though she had to drop out in the 11th grade to help her parents during World War II. Her brothers had enlisted in the Army, and it was up to Zuñiga and her sisters to support the family. She is the last survivor of that family. She is a widow and mother of five adult children.

Zuñiga served as a volunteer translator for Spanish-speaking patients as a surgical technician in the 1950s at the former Osteopathic Hospital and is the founder of Project Pride, a tutoring program in the Saginaw Public Schools helping as many as 80 students in the 1980s. Reflecting on her life’s work, Zuñiga said working with students was the best part of her mentoring experience.

“There has never been a program in this area that served that many Hispanic students at one time. We made quite an impact,” she said. 

As a lifetime member and former officer of American GI Forum, she has met three presidents and governors and continues to speak out on political issues that affect Americans, especially Hispanics.

Saginaw GI Forum Commander Frank Ornelas called Zuniga “a tough little lady” who has always had the drive to fulfill the GI Forum’s mission of making “education everybody’s business” when others saw only the barriers. 

“It’s an honor for all the GI Forum chapters — men and women — and for the entire Hispanic community for Ollie to be recognized,” Ornelas said.

He added that Zuñiga is the founder of the five-year-old César Chávez Scholarship Luncheon that has raised $10,000 in scholarships each year. 

Zuñiga said she plans to be at the luncheon March 31 at Saginaw Valley State University to help her chapter.  “As long as there is a light of hope, no matter how dim, we can help students can achieve their dream,” she said.

For information about the conference and the award , see www.//ocat.ddlm.msu.edu .
Sent by Juan Marinez  marinezj@anr.msu.edu 


Historic New Orleans Collection
Williams Research Center
410 Chartes St.
New orleans

library
OF THE ursuline convent

When The Collection acquired the library of the Ursuline Sisters of New Orleans in 1998, the order had been in the city for more than 270 years. Their library, in turn, documents virtually the entire history of educational, cultural, and political life in New Orleans from the city's founding through the 20th century. Comprising more than 1,900 pamphlets, textbooks, diaries, and chronicles, the collection includes a number of extremely rare colonial materials. One of the most significant items is an original pamphlet, a 1769 New Orleans imprint, issued by the governor of Louisiana, Don Alejandro O'Reilly, as a medium for inform­ing the colonists about Spanish laws and government. Equally interesting is a manuscript copy of the earliest known music to survive in New Orleans and the entire ;   lower Mississippi River valley.

The manuscript, which dates from the 1730s and was given to the Ursuline nuns in the 1750s, features music by more than 30 distinguished French and Italian compos­ers of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. As part of the award-winning series Les Chemins du Baroque, French record producer K-617 produced Manuscrit des Ursulines de la Nouvelle-Orleans: Baroque Music in New Orleans, a CD featuring selections from the Ursuline manuscript. Copies of the CD are for sale in the Shop at The Collection.

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly

2 Volume XXIV, Number 2 - Spring 2007

 


TEXAS

Status of "El Tejano" Monument
April 6th: The Green Flag Republic
Tejano Conjunto Festival
Maureen Brown, new Manager of Casa Navarro
300 years of Tejano History by Dr. Lino Garcia, Jr.
The Alamo a touchstone for songwriters
The other Texas Independence Day by  José Antonio López
Mujeres in Texas History by José Antonio López

"El Tejano" 
Central bronze vaquero figure in the Tejano Monument  has arrived in Austin. The finished work will be installed on  the front lawn of the Texas State Capitol in Spring of 2012.

The construction of the Tejano Monument is progressing very well. We have delivered the Vaquero to Austin. The longhorns are currently being cast. The granite base is being mined in Marble Falls and should be on site this summer. The smaller statues should be finished by September and we should have a complete monument in late November. Because of the tight agenda this year, we have opted to have an unveiling ceremony in late February or early March 2012. We had the first meeting with the event managers firm in Austin. We are trying to decide what to include in the program and who to invite to the stage. If we accept Ricky Munoz’ offer for a pro-bono performance joined by Ramon Ayala, we will have thousands of people there. It is a matter of funding the cost of the ceremony. Jerry Diaz, Charro Productions from New Braunfels, wants to do a performance for us. If you are not aware, Jerry has a Lienzo Charro in German country in New Braunfels and the inaugural event is Sat, March 27 at 4 p.m. He is an accomplished Charro and he wife does some great trick riding standing on horses jumping obstacles.

Insofar as fund raising, we have had some success, mostly from the people from Zapata. Fully 75% of the private funds have come out of Zapata residents. Sadly, the metropolitan/suburban (San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth, El Paso, Laredo, etc,) areas have not stepped up to the plate. I have made presentations to the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, to the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and netted only encouragement—no funds.

I have a tentative commitment from Walmart for $200,000 for the unveiling ceremony and $25,000, each, from AEP and AT&T, and $50,000 from another Zapata resident. However, we need to raise some $500,000. The last $200,000 are really getting hard to get. I am scheduled to make presentations to John Nau (Budweiser), Valero, The Houston Livestock Show Tejano (Go Tejanos Committee), HEB, and Exxon Mobile. I repeat, the overwhelming support from Zapata County residents has made this monument possible. 

I am willing to travel anywhere to make a presentation if there is enough interest to warrant the trip. I am attaching a powerpoint presentation on my fund raising efforts.

Renato Ramirez
Chairman of the Board, CEO, IBC-Zapata
P.O. Box 1030, Zapata, Texas 78076
cell: 956-251-3224   RenatoRamirez@ibc.com 


  April 2: Los Bexarenos April Meeting
Title of Presentation: Hispanic Heritage Matters
Speaker: Rudi Rodriguez

Bio: Rudi Rodriguez is a businessman and community leader who has a passion for Texas history. He was inspired to establish Texas Tejano.com by his great-great uncle Polly, who was one of the first settlers of San Antonio and Bandera. Texas Tejano.com, along with other community and state leaders, has developed the concept of the Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas to champion the true lives and legacies of Texas Tejanos. Rudi is a Board Member of the Institute of Texan Cultures and serves as a member of the Texas State Historical Association and is a member of several area historical associations, including: Atascosa County Historical Society, Historical Society of Leon Valley, Somerset Historical Society, Selma Historical Society and the Bandera County Historical Commission. 

Summary: The Center's mission is to educate and celebrate the Tejano pioneer experience of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. This will be accomplished through a museum, research library and Tejano Living Heritage Village at HemisFair Park, San Antonio, Tx. The Center will provide educational, acquisition and collection programming, collect oral histories and artifacts and establish an awards and markers program. Also, it will provide the community and state with a cultural asset that will help deepen the ties with Mexico and Spain. This year, the Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas will launch a new "Hispanic Heritage Matters" awareness and education campaign. A year-long list of planned events, exhibits, lecturers, symposiums and contests will be conducted.

Sent by Larry Kirkpatrick elindio2@hotmail.com 

The Green Flag Republic

April 10th from 2-5 PM

 

The Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin and the Bexareno Genealogy Society of San Antonio invites you to the 5th annual reenactment of the reading of the First Texas Declaration of Independence proclaimed by Jose Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara on April 6, 1813. This event will take place at the Spanish Governors Palace 105 Plaza de Armas in downtown San Antonio Sunday April 10th from 2-5PM. 

Recently the State Board of Education approved adding the “Battle of Medina,” the biggest and bloodiest battle ever fought on Texas soil, as part of the 7th grade social studies curriculum. Author Dan Arellano, whose testimony was adopted by the SBOE, will be speaking along with US Army Major General Alfred Valenzuela (retired), past President of the Texas Historical Society Robert Thonhoff, and Texas History Professor from Sam Houston State University Dr Carolina Castillo Crimm. Also Joey Cardenas Texas LULAC Director with Master of Ceremony Maclovio Perez 

On April 1st 1813 flying the Emerald Green Flag of Freedom, the 7th flag of Texas, Bernardo Gutierrez  de Lara and the Republican Army of the North captured San Antonio and by April 6th Texas had it’s first written Declaration of Independence. As Leonidas and his 300 Spartans stood and fought to the last man at Thermopylae so too did our Tejano ancestors at the “Battle of Medina.” This event brings a historic and a renewed sense of pride to our Tejano community with a story that belongs to them, their families, their history and their hearts.  The event is free, bring your lawn chairs and enjoy an afternoon of Tejano History.


On Wednesday March 30, 2011 on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives at approximately 11 AM State Representative Eddie Rodriguez will read two resolutions; 

1. Primetime Tejano is celebrating its 20th year bringing entertainment and informative programming to the Austin area. The show began operations in 1992 with the purpose of presenting the latest Hispanic and Latino music while also informing the community of the latest economic, political, and social issues that directly impact its viewers. Primetime Tejano is consistently one of the best variety shows on public access and was selected as one of Austin's top 10 music shows in 2005 by the Austin Music Network. 
The resolution given to Primetime Tejano
from the Texas Legislature stated the following: "RESOLVED, The House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby congratulates Primetime Tejano on its 20th year of Programming and extend to the program's management and staff sincere best wishes for continued success."
The show currently airs on Thursdays at 8pm on channel Austin 10

2. A resolution recognizing April 6 as Tejano Day. On April 6, 1813 after driving out all Spanish officials from Texas, the Tejano community declared their Independence from Spanish tyranny. This event has been celebrated in San Antonio for the last five years.

For more information contact: Dan Arellano
President Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin
darellano@austin.rr.com

www.tejanoroots.org
512-826-7569



 

 
CONJUNTO ALERT!     SAVE THE DATE.       CONJUNTO ALERT!       SAVE THE DATE.
 
Camaradas de Conjunto: as many of you already know, we're finalizing plans and preparations for the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center's historic 30th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio 2011 which will take place May 10-15 at the Guadalupe Theatre and Rosedale Park. I've attached this year's winning poster design by Al Rendón and Robert Herzick (that's Narciso Martínez "El Huracán del Valle," one of the "Fathers of Conjunto Music," on accordion that's pictured in the poster), and the complete schedule with musical line-up and times, plus workshop and pricing information. We hope that you and your family can join us for this landmark event that celebrates nuestra música y cultura, and showcases the very best in Conjunto Music. You can also order your tickets and discounted 3-Day Rosedale All-Events Passes by going to www.guadalupeculturalarts.org scrolling down and clicking on Tejano Conjunto Festival. Please spread the word. Como siempre, gracias por su apoyo, y nos vemos en mayo.   en conjunto carnalismo, Juan  

Juan Tejeda juantejeda@sbcglobal.net

 

  Maureen Brown, new Manager of Casa Navarro
Volume 7, Issue 1, March, 2011
Friends of Casa Navarro Newsletter

Mo is a native (5th generation) San Antonian. She has a bachelor’s and master’s in anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has been a professional archaeologist for over 20 years working primarily on historical archaeology projects in south Texas, the Caribbean, and Central America. Ms. Brown worked for the Texas Historical Commission’s Archaeology Division as archaeologist and collections manager for the state’s in-house collections. She was the founding director of the Museum of the Coastal Bend at The Victoria College, in Victoria, Texas. Prior to the museum position she was the education outreach coordinator for the THC’s Fort St. Louis Project where she promoted awareness of La Salle’s 1685-1689 lost colony and the overlying Spanish site of presidio La Bahia around the state to schools. In San Antonio, she worked at UTSA’s Center for Archaeological Research as the “Legacy: Hands on the Past” education outreach director, and archaeologist. Mo and Jose Zapata, the former site manager of Casa Navarro, worked on investigations at the San Antonio missions, the Alamodome project, and the Camp Elizabeth project (a buffalo soldier site in west Texas). Ms. Brown also lived in Jamaica for five years where she assisted with an underwater survey project searching for Columbus’ last ships, was coowner and designer of the first historic walking tour of old Spanish Town, Jamaica, conducted historical research for her master’s thesis on British colonial merchant taverns in Port Royal. Mo recently served as a Historic and Design Review commissioner for the city of San Antonio, is an active contemporary artist, and stays busy having fun with her 11 year old daughter, Emma, and her dog and cat, Chipotle and Hawkeye.
Board of Directors
Sylvia N. Tillotson, President
Sandy Salinas, Vice President
Sharon Navarro, Secretary
Brenda Kahlig, Parliamentarian
Robert Alvarado
Jerry Geyer
Bill Huddleston
Vera Flores Kahlig
Dorothy Perez, Membership
Rueben Perez
Sarah Salinas
Troy Salinas
John R. Tillotson
Helen Garza, Chaplain
Maclovio Perez, Honorary
Al Gerdes, Honorary
The Navarro Biography
José Antonio Navarro; In Search of the American Dream in Nineteenth-Century Texas By David McDonald,  Order from the Friends of Casa Navarro!  Hardback $49.95 Paperback $24.95
Casa Navarro State Historic Site is officially closed for renewal.
King William Fair Parade  Saturday, April 16, 2011 10:00 am  King William Historic District
Contact: ssalinas@hts-tx.com
Contact: Casa Navarro (210) 226-4801
or mail to: Friends of Casa Navarro,
228 So. Laredo, San Antonio, Texas
78207 - 4544
www.visitcasanavarro.com
Friends of Casa Navarro
Casa Navarro State Historic Site
228 South Laredo St.
San Antonio, Texas 78207- 4544
Friends of Casa Navarro is a 501 (C)3
Sent by Sylvia Tillotson  STillotson@aol.com

                      300 years of Tejano History 

Pánfilo Narváez left Spain on June 12, 1526, for the voyage to the New World. On board the five vessels were 600 men, also on board, and serving as treasurer for the expedition was Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. It took them four months to cross the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in Santo Domingo. He remained there for forty five days, losing some of his men to desertion. From there, Nárvaez sailed to Cuba, although his expedition was almost destroyed by a hurricane.

1.) In the year 1527, Narváez sailed with five ships and about 400 men, sailing to the coast of Florida and arriving in northwestern Florida in mid June, 1528, and they remained there for about four months, but were faced with dangers from local tribes, and food shortages. He decided to leave Florida by sea, having established himself and his crews as the first Europeans Hispanics to appear on what is now the United States of America.

Later on, using five make shift ships, he left the Bay of Horses with about 250 men. It was named so because their horses were slaughtered to provide much needed food. On September 22, 1528, Narváez and his men left Florida, after having first brought into the United States of America the horses, cattle, goats, and the ranching industry that was prevalent in Medieval Spain . The horses later on in Tejas or Texas would provide much needed transportation in such endeavors as the herding of cattle which was also brought in mass into Tejas or Texas by the Spanish settlers around 1749. The cattle (beef) were later on driven up north to feed the soldiers during the American Revolution, and later on would also help feed the emerging American Industrial Revolution . This was done by Hispanic (Tejano) cattle and ranching families before any other cattle baron appeared on the Tejas/Texas scene; and almost one hundred years before the King Ranch drama became part of Texas history.

2.) On November 6, 1528, the barge carrying Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his men landed on Galveston Island. Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, with about forty others including an African slave named Estevanico landed there the previous day, making them the FIRST Hispanics ( Tejanos now) and non-Indians to land in what is now Tejas or Texas. Those named: Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes Carranza, Estevanico, and Alonso Castillo Maldonado—later known as the Four Ragged Castaways—were the only ones to survive the Narváez expedition.

This is the beginning of Spanish exploration and eventual settling of Tejas or Texas, with the big expeditions of land grants or “porciones” given to individuals who had initiated the exploration of the land, and who were deemed worthy by the Spanish Authorities to receive and work the land in the name of the Spanish King. In 1749- 1767 land grants or “ porciones” were given in thousands of acres at one time, and with this began the bringing into what is now Tejas or Texas what we see prevalent today, like ranching, and cattle drives, and long before the Chisholm Trail, or the King Ranch, were established, Spanish Land and Cattle barons roamed the entire state of Tejas or Texas. These hardy individuals became the “vaqueros” upon which the modern culture of the Cowboy has built its image.

Between November 6th., 1528 when Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Pánfilo Narváez first landed in Tejas or Texas until 1848 when Tejas or Texas became part of the United States of America, or about THREE HUNDRED YEARS, towns, villages, cattle drives, ranching, banking, and all kinds of commerce were the daily life of Texas Hispanics or Tejanos.

Between 1528 and the present, there is a total of 479 years or almost FIVE centuries of Hispanic/Tejano presence on Tejas or Texas soil long and certainly long before any other European culture arrived. 

3.) This presence translates into the Spanish language being the first European language spoken in Tejas or Texas, the Catholic religion was the first organized religion that appeared on the Tejas scene, and later leading to the Christianization of the native population, the first system of public schools outside the missions in Villa San Fernando ( later San Antonio de Béxar), compulsory and tuition free were established in 1746 for the children of Spanish soldiers and citizens, thus setting the base upon which the modern schools were established, and furthermore there were several Spanish Missions established on Tejas soil, as well as banking, townships, and everything that makes a civilized society was present in Tejas or Texas before 1848.

Sadly, during the 20th century and into the present, Texas history has over emphasized the Battle of the Alamo, and has practically ignored almost three hundred years of Hispanic presence and history in Tejas or Texas that was prevalent before 1848 when Tejas became part of the United States of America. Thus, Tejanos and Texans of all persuasions are being robbed of the richness of the Medieval Spanish Culture and History that was first brought into this land by the early Spaniards 1528 and that , throughout the years, has made this state unique from any other state in the union. We must all keep this in perspective as the national debate on immigration prevails.

Written by: 
Dr. Lino García, Jr.-Professor Emeritus of Spanish Literature- The University of Texas-Pan American-Edinburg, Texas
381-3441 office 383-5423 home e-mail: drlinogarcia@SBCGlobal.Net  




The Alamo a touchstone for songwriters
Compelling story a natural for music-makers.
By Jim Beal Jr., By Jim Beal Jr. 
jbeal@express-news.net
 

On one end of the Alamo music spectrum are chestnuts including “Ballad of the Alamo” and “Across the Alley From the Alamo.” On the other are songs such as D.C. Bloom's “I Can't Forget the Alamo,” an ode to all the establishments with “Alamo” in the name; Matthew Dunne's “Forget the Alamo,” a title that's not anti-Alamo, but pro-cultural confluence; and Rich Minus' “Santa Ana's Foot Soldier,” a nod to the conscripts in the Mexican army.

Storied honky-tonk performer Johnny Bush has several Alamo and Alamo-related songs in his considerable repertoire, songs that include “Across the Alley From the Alamo” and “Can't Get the Hell Out of Texas.”

“To me the Alamo is a strong song subject because of the independence thing, the defiance,” he said. “Those guys knew they were going to die, but they fought to buy time so Sam Houston could raise an army. The other side of the coin is I think Crockett and the other Tennessee guys didn't realize what they were getting themselves into. But I think the enduring attraction is there were a lot of people willing to die for a cause.”

Manchaca-based K.R. Wood is a singer, songwriter, camp cook, storyteller and more. Wood and a small herd of music-making Texas friends have released several CDs in the Fathers of Texas Series. Titles include “Fathers of Texas,” “The Crockett Chronicles,” “Los Tejanos” and “Davy Crockett's Fiddle Plays On,” much of which was recorded live in the Alamo with Mike W.B. Fowler playing Crockett's fiddle on loan from the Witte Museum.

“The Alamo is a compelling story about man's struggle for liberty and the willingness of people to put their lives on the line, to pay the price for the freedom we often take for granted,” Wood said.

The continuing appeal of the songs mirrors the appeal of the Alamo.

“The Alamo is one of the most recognizable icons in the world,” Wood said. “People come to San Antonio from all over the world, and the first thing they want to do is go to the Alamo. It's a landmark of liberty. It stands for the character of our country.”

Wood grew up enthralled by the Davy Crockett legend. He watched John Wayne play Crockett in the movie “The Alamo,” he played Davy Crockett on his grandparents' ranch, and he's sung Alamo songs thousands of times. But Wood also has delved into many facets of the Alamo.

“Without the Tejanos, there wouldn't be any Texas,” Wood said. “Juan Seguin was a scout for Sam Houston. Gregorio Esparza had his wife and five kids in the Alamo. Jose Toribio Losoya was born in the Alamo, inside the mission walls. He had his family in there. He returned to fight and die inside the Alamo. Talk about putting lives on the line. I'm also working on a series of songs about the African American heroes of the Alamo.”

People also became interested in Alamo songs because of the adventure aspects of the story.

“It's one of those things that captivated the rest of the country,” said Hank Harrison.

A fiddler and mandolin player, Harrison leads the bluegrass band Tennessee Valley Authority and the Lone Star Swingbillies. He's well-versed in music ranging from western to old-line jazz and blues.

“When the Alamo fell, the East was fairly well settled, and the story caught on,” he said. “You were able to read up on it. People were entranced by it. Davy Crockett was here. Choosing to lose is exotic.”

Not all songs about the Alamo involve the Alamo legend, or reality.

“There's an old jazz tune called ‘On the Alamo.' The writer thought the Alamo was a river,” Harrison said. “‘Across the Alley From the Alamo' was a novelty song, a hit for the Mills Brothers.

“Some people don't even know what attracts them to the Alamo. Movies have also cranked up a lot of interest in people writing songs. It's one of those touchstones that attract songwriters and singers. Old songs stick around and new songs bubble up.”

Bush and Harrison agree attraction to the Alamo and to San Antonio go hand-in-hand.

“People have always loved San Antonio,” Harrison said. “And it always amazes people the Alamo is downtown and not on a windswept prairie with broken sabers in the dust and bloodstains on the wall.”

K.R. Wood and the Electra Lone Star Kids will perform in front of the Alamo at 2 p.m. Thursday. K.R. Wood and the Gone to Texas Band will perform in the Cavalry Courtyard on the Alamo grounds from 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday, in front of the Alamo from 1 to 2:30 p.m. March 6.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/The-Alamo-a-touchstone-for-
songwriters-1029409.php#ixzz1FbFA2CKI

 

 



The other Texas Independence Day 

(Gutiérrez de Lara led the first war for independence.)

By José Antonio López/Special To The Express-News, Tuesday, March 8, 2011



We just celebrated the 175th anniversary of Texas independence March 2. Now, let's celebrate the 198th anniversary of Texas Independence on April 6! What? How can that be? The answer is simple. Sam Houston took over a work in progress. Here's how it all came about:

Father Miguel Hidalgo's Grito on Sept. 16, 1810, inspired Don Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara's vision for Texas independence. Don Bernardo organized the first Texas army. After winning battles against the Spanish, he took the regional capital (San Antonio) and the Alamo on April 1-2, 1813.

Don Bernardo became the first president of Texas and wrote the first Texas Declaration of Independence on April 6, 1813. A week later, he issued the first Texas Constitution. Sadly, the defeat of the Texas army at the Battle of Medina (Aug 18, 1813), under another commander, blocked the independence path.

The Texas Historical Commission calls it the largest battle ever fought on Texas soil. More Texas patriots (some 800) died there than in all the 1836 battles. Said another way, Tejanos had already done the heavy lifting, sacrificing and dying for Texas independence. Put in today's trendy terms, if Texas independence was filmed accurately, Don Bernardo would star in the original movie with Sam Houston starring in the sequel.

When Anglo immigrants first came to Texas, the separation of Texas from Mexico wasn't an issue. The political situation in Texas in 1835-36 was clearly between supporters of a centralist government and those backing a federalist system.

Arriving Anglos from the U.S. joined the federalists, but there was a big problem: Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829 and Anglos owned slaves. When told that they had to free their slaves, Anglos were upset. They opted for a clean break from Mexico, achieving that on March 2, 1836. Thus, the Anglos betrayed the Tejanos who believed they were fighting for the federalists. Ironically, Texas independence lasted only nine years. In 1845, Anglos traded their independence for U.S. statehood as a slave state!

It's time to fill in the missing pieces. Coincidentally, there are indications a more accurate picture is emerging. Blas Herrera Day was recently celebrated in Austin. Although it took the Texas Legislature 175 years to honor him, better late than never. And the State Board of Education recently approved the inclusion of several Spanish-surnamed heroes and events in the school curriculum — a first! Equally important, the Tejano monument in Austin will depict the genesis of the unmistakable Spanish-Mexican roots of Texas.

Lastly, thanks to the Express-News and Texas Monthly for several recent pieces that helped Tejanos re-establish that April 6 is the 198th anniversary of Texas independence. Viva Tejas!

Sent by author, José Antonio López who spent 37 years in the U.S. Air Force. His ancestors settled in what is now South Texas in 1750. jlopez8182@satx.rr.com



Mujeres in Texas History

By 
José Antonio López
jlopez8182@satx.rr.com



The Dreeben School of Education, University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), San Antonio, Texas, recently hosted a Women’s History Month event honoring Texas Tejana women.  The presentation was dual-focused.  It included:  (l) summaries of six Tejanas who are little-known in Texas history and (2) an inspiring discussion led by Tejano music star, Patsy Torres.   

It was a special honor for me to share the stage with Patsy Torres, world famous Tejano singer.  Ms. Torres and I found out that we share a common passion.  That is, we both enjoy instilling in our youth a sense of worth and purpose through education.  

Ms. Patsy Torres & Jose Antonio Lopez,  Women's History Month
University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, March 8, 2011


A San Antonio native, Patsy shared her experiences as a Tejano music recording artist.  She detailed key steps she took as a woman competing in a mostly male-dominated music business.  To the delight of the audience, she blended two of her beautiful songs into her presentation.  Although very busy with her demanding singing and entertainment career, Patsy is soon to receive a doctoral degree from UIW.  Also, Patsy visits school campuses where she seeks to inspire students; encouraging them to pursue their education and set positive goals in their lives.
 

My presentation involved summarizing each of the stories of six Spanish-surnamed women in the history of Texas.  They are: Sister Maria de Agreda (1600s; Inspirational Leader); Manuela Sánchez (Early 1700s; Explorer), Ignacia Gutiérrez de Lara Uribe (Early 1800s; Pioneer), Patricia de León ((Mid 1800s; Pioneer, Empresaria), Jovita Idar (Early 1900s; Teacher, journalist, political activist), and Trini Gamez (1900s–Present; Equal Rights; Labor Organizer).  

The traditional passive, subservient role of Spanish Mexican women shown in movies and most books is not accurate!  For example, women were granted rights by Spanish law.  Women owned and managed many large ranchos in early Texas.  They were “head and shoulders” above the status of Anglo women in the U.S.  The following is but a small part of the true story…  

Sister Maria de Agreda.  In reality, it was Sister Agreda who is responsible for the exploration in Texas and later settlement by the Spanish.  In 1629, about fifty Jumano Indians from Texas arrived unexpectedly at the doorstep of the Convent of Saint Anthony, in Isleta, New Mexico.   After walking many miles, they asked for the building of a mission in their village.  When asked why, the Indians replied that the “Lady in Blue” had sent them.  Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Spain, Sister Maria de Jesús reported to her religious superiors that she had often visited and prayed with the indigenous tribes of America in Texas and the Southwest.  What makes the story so intriguing is that Maria never left her convent in Spain.  From all indications, she entered a deep trance while in prayer.  It was in such a state that she visited America. Sister Maria is the inspiration behind the Texas Bluebonnets.  An Indian legend in Texas says that when she last preached with the Indians, her spirit disappeared into the nearby hills.  The next morning, a cloak of small blue flowers was growing in the spot where she last appeared.  The legend says that this is when the first Bluebonnets began to grow in Texas.  Sister Maria is under consideration for sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church.  

Manuela Sánchez.  Manuela was a step-granddaughter of Diego Ramón, commander of early 1700s Presidio San Juan Bautista, on the Rio Grande, across modern-day Eagle Pass.  She is the first powerful Spanish female in early Texas history.  Manuela was the first European woman to travel across Texas – from San Juan Bautista to Natchitoches, LA.  Manuela married Louis St. Denis, a French explorer and trader who began the Spanish settlement of Texas.  Although he was French, St. Denis swore allegiance to Spain.  He saw an opportunity in trade between the two European powers in America.  Manuela and Louis had seven children and lived in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  Manuela was strong of body, mind, and very resourceful.  She carried on her husband’s business activities after his death.  She died in 1758.  

Ignacia Gutiérrez de Lara Uribe.  Doña Ignacia was born in Revilla, Nuevo Santander, just across the Rio Grande from present-day Zapata, Texas.  She was a true pioneer woman of early Texas.  When her husband died, she decided to cross the Rio Grande on her own.  Her late husband, Don José Dionisio, owned property on the northern side of the river (now in Zapata County, Texas).  So, she went to live there with her small children, Blas Maria (11), and Juan Martin (9); to make a new start. Amazingly, Doña Ignacia did it all on her own!  She put her two young children and her meager belongings on a raft she helped build and maneuvered the craft to the other side of the treacherous river.  Making her brave stand in the middle of the South Texas brush country, she single-handedly fought off constant Indian raids.  She endured droughts, storms, and other hardships, but she was able to survive and thrive.  Many of her descendants still live in the area, now modern-day Zapata and Webb Counties.   

Patricia de Leon.  The de León family settled the Victoria area in the 1820s.  Patricia and her husband Martin led Mexican citizens into the “despoblado” part eastern New Spain, setting up large ranchos in the area and along the Guadalupe River.  Sadly, the credit for East Texas settlement has gone to another impresario, Stephen F. Austin.  In reality, Martin and Patricia were Austin’s mentors in Tejas.  The de Leons survived under four different governments (Spanish, Mexican, Texas Republic, and the U.S.)   After Martin’s death, Doña Patricia became the matriarch of the family and continued operating their ranchos.  Under violent political pressure after the 1836 Texas Revolution, Doña Patricia was forced into exile in New Orleans and Mexico.  Returning to Texas, she fought for and won back some of her confiscated property.   Doña Patricia’s somewhat good fortune was rare.  Many other Tejano families who also lost everything by the same manipulation of the new laws never recuperated their losses.  The damage to the Tejano and Tejana psyche continues to this day.  

Jovita Idar. Jovita was a teacher, journalist, and political activist.  She was born in Laredo in 1885, one of eight children.  At 18, Jovita earned a teaching certificate in 1903.  She began teaching at a small school for Mexican children.  Inadequate equipment, poor conditions, and her inability to improve them, frustrated her.  She resigned and joined two of her brothers as writers for her father's weekly newspaper, La Crónica.  In September 1911, Jovita organized a congress that has been called the first militant feminist social movement in Mexican American history.  For some of the women in the audience, it was the first political meeting they had ever attended.   In 1913 during the Mexican Revolution, Jovita served as a nurse, travelling in northern Mexico with revolutionary forces.  Returning to Laredo, she joined the newspaper El Progreso.  She soon offended the US Army and Texas Rangers with an editorial protesting the posting of U. S. troops on the border who, aided by the Rangers, terrorized law-abiding citizens of Spanish Mexican descent.  When rangers arrived to close down El Progreso, Jovita stood in the doorway to keep them from entering.   (One Ranger unit; one Jovita Idar!!!)   El Progreso eventually closed soon after her father died in 1914.  So, she took over La Crónica.  In 1917 Jovita married Bartolo Juárez and moved to San Antonio, where Jovita was active in socio-political issues and established a free kindergarten.  She died in San Antonio in 1946.  

Trini Gamez.  Trini is a true Mexican American activist.  Trini was taught to aspire to be the best.  In the 1940s, she saw as unfair working conditions of Mexican Americans in Hereford, Texas, where she lived.  She decided to get involved.  The life of migrant workers was dismal.  They endured unspeakable living conditions, on and off the fields.  Trini noticed Mexican American laborers enriched Anglo farmers and ranchers, but their employers did not allow migrant children to attend the same schools as Anglo kids.  Able to speak English fluently, Trini became an advocate.  As often as she could, Trini made the point that migrants are U.S. citizens, not immigrants.  They just happen to use Spanish as their language of choice.  She taught others about their civil rights and often faced death threats in areas not friendly to labor organizers.  Trini has done it all in the labor, education, civil rights, and voter registration movements.  

In summary, these stories are but a small sampling of hundreds of Hispana (Tejana) women’s stories waiting to be re-discovered.  When it comes to the role of women in early Texas, Tejanas are often overshadowed by the Hispanic “macho” persona myth created by movie directors, “western” novel writers, and biased historians. In other words, footprints of early Texas history belong equally to Tejanas.  In truth, they shared the same vision as men in the development of our state.  Tejanas fought for freedom at the Alamo!  It is time to recognize that women had an active hand in shaping this great place we call Texas.

(For additional information on little-known Spanish Mexican people and events in Texas and Southwest history, please visit www.TejanosUnidos.org .)


MEXICO


6th Binational History Conference, Mar 11-12th,  Coahuila, Mexico
Delfino Palmerín Mejía
El Museo del Valle del Pilón
Defunciones del Valle del Pilon, Montemorelos, N.L., Familias Cantu y de Leon
Doña Esther González Pemoulié de Pérez Treviño
The Irish Presence in Mexico by Rose Mary Salum
Personajes en la Historia de México por José León Robles de la Torre
     Jose Maria Iglesias Inzurragas
    Juan Nepomuceno Laureano Méndez Sánchez
Cronica de la Revolucion Mexicana por Roberto Blanco Moheno
San Francisco Soyaniquilpan
Genealogía de México  


Editor:  The 6th Binational History Conference was held in March 11-12th in Coahuila, Mexico.
Although this conference has passed, it is noteworthy that it took place and that cooperative and binational efforts are underway to promote an understanding of the interwoven histories of Mexico, Texas, and the borderlands.  Sent by Tte. Cor. Ricardo Raúl Palmerín Cordero who writes:

Este es el poster de la Sexta Reunión Binacional dde Historia, en la fotografía de la parte superior se encuentra mi Abuelita Otilia Salinas Kruzen de Cordero, con sus hijos menores Julio, Carolina y María del Refugio ( mi Madre ).  El tema de mi exposición El Capitán de Dragones Don Felipe Calzado, es nuestro Ancestro , el fué el Padre de Don Cecilio Calzado abuelo de Don Guadalupe Cordero Calzado. mi abuelo.


Delfino Palmerín Mejía






Sra. Mimí.

Le envío 2 fotos, una de mi padre cuando tenía 15 años de edad era Cadete de la Banda de Trompetas de la Escuela de Caballería del Colegio Militar el año de 1921, en la otra se encuentran el General, Jefes y Oficiales del 37 Regimiento de Caballería en Saltillo, Coahuila el año de 1924, el Comandante del Regimiento era el Sr.Gral. Evaristo Pérez Jefe de Operaciones Militares, en esa foto está mi Padre el Teniente de Caballería Delfino Palmerín Mejía y su compañero del Colegio Tte. de Cab. Benjamín Monteagudo que son el segundo y primero a la derecha de la segunda fila de pié.

                                                                                                                    


Mi Padre y Benjamín Monteagudo, en Mayo del año de 1920 fueron de los alumnos del Colegio Militar que escoltaron al Sr. Presidente de la República Don Venustiano Carranza a su salida de la Cd. de México rumbo a Veracruz, combatieron contra las fuerzas rebeldes en la Villa de Guadalupe, Apam, Tepexpam, San Marcos, Rinconada, Aljibes y Apizaco.

Reciba un cariñoso saludo de su amigo
Tte. Cor. Ricardo Raúl Palmerín Cordero

 

 

                    El Museo del Valle del Pilón 

 


 
Esta foto me fue tomada en Montemorelos, N.L. el día 27 de Mayo del año 2008, cuando se inauguró el Museo del Valle del Pilón, los artículos militares son de mi propiedad: Uniforme de Gala del Colegio Militar que usé los años de 1964-1966, cartuchera y fajilla, Casco Prusiano que perteneciera a mi Padre cuando era Cadete y  su Sable Toledano.

Reciba un cariñoso saludo de su amigo.

Tte. Cor. Ricardo Raúl Palmerín Cordero

 

 

 

 

 

 


DEFUNCIONES DEL VALLE DEL PILON,  
MONTEMORELOS,N.L.) 
FAMILIAS CANTÚ Y DE LEON
Márgen izquierdo. Doña Agustina Cantu. Viuda.

" En 19 de febrero de mil setecientos diez y ocho años en esta Yglesia Parrochial del Valle del Pilon le dí sepultura eclesiastica al cuerpo de Doña Agustina Cantu viuda del Gral. Alonso de Leon, se confeso y recivio los demas sacramentos y hiso testamento y para que conste lo firmo.= " Br. Domingo Guerra. 

 

DEFUNCION DE CARLOS CANTU.
Márgen izquierdo Carlos Cantu Español. año de 1719

" En esta Yglesia parrochial del valle de S. Matheo del Pilon en dos días del mes de noviembre dí sepultura eclesiastica al cuerpo del Capn. Carlos Cantu casado con Doña Josepha Gonzalez recibio los Santos Sacramentos y hiso disposicion testamentaria y por que conste lo firmo." Fr. Joseph de Bergara
DEFUNCION DEL SARGENTO MAYOR CARLOS CANTU.
Márgen izquierdo El Sargento Mayor Carlos Cantu Español.

" En esta Yglesia Parrochial del Valle de S. Matheo del Pilon en tres dias del mes de Enero de este presente año de mil setecientos veinte, di sepultura eclesiastica al cuerpo del Sargento Mayor Carlos Cantu recibidos los Santos Sacramentos dio poder para testar y por que conste lo firmo. V. Supra. " Br. Joseph Bergara

DEFUNCION DEL GENERAL CHRISTOVAL DE LEON.
Márgen izquierdo. El General Christoval de Leon. Español.

" En esta Yglesia Parrochial del Valle de S. Matheo del Pilon en diez y ocho dias del mes de Marzo de este presente año de mil setecientos veinte y siete años, di sepultura eclesiastica a el cuerpo del Gral. Christoval de Leon vecino del Valle de la Mota viudo de Doña Leonor Garzia de Avila, recibio los Santos Sacramentos seria de edad de sesenta años y hiso su testamento y para que conste lo firmo." Fr. Josep Bergara.
DEFUNCION DE DOÑA ALDONZA DE LEON.
Márgen izquierdo. Da. Aldonza de Leon. Casada.

"En esta Yglesia Parrochial del Balle de S. Matheo del Pilon en primero de junio de este presente año de mil setecientos veinte y siete di sepultura eclesiastica al cuerpo de Da. Aldonza de Leon, española, vecina del Valle de la Mota de esta feligresia, casada con el Capitan Juan Garzia Davila recibio los Santos Sacramentos y hiso su testamento seria de edad de mas de sesenta años y por que conste lo firmo Vr. Supra." Fr. Joseph Bergara.
Como puede observar en el registro de la defunción del General Don Christoval, dice "viudo de Doña Leonor Garzia De Avila", y en la defunción del Sargento Mayor Carlos Cantú en el siguiente registro está escrita la defuncion de Doña Leonor Garzia Davila. yo transcribo todas mis investigaciones tal como fueron escritas. 

Investigador de Genealogía e Historia.
Tte. Cor. Ricardo Raúl Palmerín Cordero

 


Doña Esther González Pemoulié de 
Pérez Treviño,  fotoomada en 1937

Doña Esther: Una mujer fuera de serie
Por Orquídea López Allec
Piedras Negras, Coah.- Doña Esther González de Pérez Treviño era una mujer fuera de serie, enfatiza orgullosa, María Elena Laborde y Pérez Treviño, su nieta.

Y es que la mujer quien fuera esposa de del General Manuel Pérez Treviño, y quien fuera reconocida por su gran labor humanitaria en España cuando su esposo fuera embajador de México en aquel país en 1936, fue un ejemplo de mujer mexicana.

“Cualquier mujer mexicana hubiera hecho lo que yo, Dios debió de hacer algún milagro”, precisa María Elena que doña Esther se refirió con estas sencillas palabras en la entrevista que el periodista español, Castillo R. Messeguer del periódico madrileño Ya, le hiciera en 1960 en uno de sus viajes a España.

Doña Esther, así como su esposo, el general, Manuel Pérez Treviño, quien fuera el embajador de México en España durante los seis primeros meses de la Guerra Civil Española (julio de 1936 a enero de 1937), vivieron dos guerras: La Revolución Mexicana, y La Guerra Civil Española. 

“Ella era apenas una adolescente cuando vivió la revolución mexicana, la que le quitó muchas cosas: A su padre, a su madre y su juventud”, indica.

“Le quitó su nombre, lo mismo que el de sus parientes cercanos, estaba en la 'lista negra' del usurpador y asesino de su primo hermano, el presidente Francisco Ignacio Madero González”, añade Laborde y Pérez Treviño. 

Y es que la guerra hizo a doña María Esther crecer rápidamente, pues se vio en la necesidad de sacar adelante a sus tres hermanos menores.

El general Manuel Pérez Treviño, ingeniero civil por el Colegio Militar, quien diseñaba y construía cañones para el ejército de Don Venustiano Carranza, en Piedras Negras, Coahuila, contrajo nupcias con Esther González Pemoulié.

Fue en Parras, Coahuila, el primer día de abril de 1920, cuando ella llegó a pie a la iglesia de la Hacienda El Rosario, y salió del brazo de su flamante esposo, que en ese tiempo era jefe del Estado Mayor del presidente Álvaro Obregón.

De ahí, precisa su nieta, se fue a vivir a “Los Pinos”, hoy en día residencia del Presidente de la República mexicana que en ese tiempo estaba destinada como casa habitación del jefe del Estado Mayor Presidencial. 

“En España, vivía el matrimonio Pérez Treviño con sus siete hijos cuando la Guerra Civil española”, indica la escritora.

Sin importar la ideología, confesión religiosa, partido político y demás, en medio de la gesta recibieron a 1,200 refugiados españoles en la embajada de México en España.

Y cómo no hacerlo, pues ya el embajador y su esposa doña Esther sabían de los atroces momentos que se viven en una guerra, por lo que velan por los refugiados.

“Se desvivían por ellos, alojaron a una multitud y Doña Esther organizó la vida de los refugiados”, resalta.

La casa estaba abarrotada, al igual que sus pasillos, escaleras, jardines, en todos lados se acomodaban los asilados, e inclusive el matrimonio tuvo que rentar otra casa para alojar a más gente.

Doña Esther por su parte, salía a buscar comida con gran valor, ya que en muchas ocasiones tenia que hacerlo en medio de bombardeos.

“Fueron padrinos de una niña, hija de refugiados que nació en suelo mexicano, y la llamaron Esperanza Guadalupe”, destaca. 

Gracias a la muestra fehaciente de lo que es la protección de derechos humanos, como muestran los propios escritos de los refugiados en aquel momento, doña Esther, ya viuda, recibió el 21 de noviembre de 1946, de parte del Ministerio de Gobernación de España, la “Orden Civil de Beneficencia con distintivo negro y blanco, categoría Cruz de Primera Clase”, distinción que se le otorgó por Actos Benéficos con riesgo personal. 

Mimi;  I am sending you a testimony written by a refugee, which verifies the facts of the article. 
Source http://www.zocalo.com.mx/seccion/articulo/dona-esther-una-mujer-fuera-de-serie/
Zocalo Saltillo

Sent by María Elena Laborde y Pérez Treviño 
mayelena47@hotmail.com

 

 


THE IRISH PRESENCE IN MEXICO
By Rose Mary Salum


HISTORY OF MEXICO 
An educational project of the Houston Institute for Culture

Throughout their history, Mexico and Ireland have experienced many similar events, in spite of their physical distance. Because these events have had such an impact on Mexico, it is often said that there is a real Irish presence in Mexican soil.

William Lamport, born in 1615, was one of many Irishmen who became famous in Mexico for his adventurous life. The story tells us that a scandalous love affair caused him to flee to Mexico (Nueva Espa ña), where he was moved by the poverty and degradation of Indians and Africans. Ultimately, he was accused of plotting a war of independence against the government, which led to his imprisonment. After ten years, he escaped and lived as a fugitive, continuing his life and love affairs in the New Spain. Eventually, he was captured and sentenced to death by the Inquisition, launching his name into legendary martyrdom. At the time, his adventurous and charitable lifestyle had such an impact, that citizens dubbed him the famous "El Zorro."(1)

Another prominent Irishman who had a hand in Mexican politics was Dublin-born Hugh O'Connor, who moved to Nueva Espa ña to escape the harsh conditions that reigned in Ireland at that time. In his adopted homeland, he became one of the most notable bureaucrats, taking office as governor of the region of Texas and commander of the northern frontier. He was also the founder of the town now known as Tucson, Arizona. In the18th century, several bureaucrats and officers who represented Spain in Mexico were either Irish, or of Irish descent. O'Connor was one of the most important and distinguished.(2)


A plaque commemorates Los San Patricios in Mexico. 

A third example of an individual who motivated immigration and increased the Irish presence in Mexico was James Power, who founded a new Irish settlement under Mexican jurisdiction in the State of Texas. Due to his efforts, the laws in Texas particularly favored Irish immigration.

The Refugio and San Patricio were areas of south Texas colonized by the Irish. Heading this colonization were four Irish businessmen, James Power and James Heweston (in Refugio) and John McMullen and James McGloin (in San Patricio). These men made contracts to colonize the land with people who were "Irish, Catholic and of good moral character." Power and Hewetson contracted with the Mexican government to bring over oppressed Irish settlers to colonize the area. Power traveled to his hometown of Ballygarrett, and eventually organized some 600 people to emigrate.(3)

Many immigration stories were triggered by the potato famine of 1845, which brought devastation not only to Ireland, but also to the rest of Europe. For the Irish in particular, it was the beginning of mass evictions, starvation, sickness, and death for thousands. Some Irish were fortunate enough to afford the fare for an escape to the New World. Yet even while escaping, thousands died as a result of inhuman conditions aboard England's vessels.

The trouble did not end once the Irish arrived in America. By the middle of the 19th century, the enormous number of Irish-Catholic immigrants dwelling in the United States increased the sentiment of hatred towards the Irish. Names and phrases like, "that Yankee hates Paddy," were common. Because they were victims of prejudice, the Irish found themselves becoming sympathetic to Mexicans. Subsequently, many of them deviated from their original plans of settling in the United States and crossed into Mexico.

PERSPECTIVE 
Stolen Birthright: The U.S. Conquest and Exploitation of the Mexican People by Richard D. Vogel

In the spring of 1846, the United States was eager to invade Mexico. According to some historians, the ostensible reason was to collect on past-due loans and indemnities; the more likely reason, however, was to provide the United States with control of the ports of San Francisco and San Diego, the trade route through New Mexico's territory, and the rich mineral resources of the Nevada territory (which belonged to the Republic of Mexico). The United States had previously offered $5 million dollars to purchase New Mexico's territory and $25 million dollars for California, but Mexico had refused. At the time, Irish immigrants felt empathy for Mexico, who it saw as another Catholic country being invaded by Protestant foreigners. In turn, they decided to fight with the Mexican battalions. The following are some excerpts of what was said in those times:

"Can you fight by the side of those who put fire to your temples in Boston and Philadelphia? Did you witness such dreadful crimes and sacrileges without making a solemn vow to our Lord? If you are Catholic, the same as we, if you follow the doctrines of Our Savior, why are you murdering your brethren? Why are you antagonistic to those who defend their country and your own God?"(4)

The Irish division was known as Los San Patricios, or "Those of Saint Patrick." It participated in all the major battles of the war and was cited for bravery by General López de Santa Anna, the Mexican Commander in Chief and President. At the penultimate battle of the war, these Irishmen fought until their ammunition was exhausted, and even then tore down the white flag raised by their Mexican comrades, preferring to struggle on with bayonets. Despite their brave resistance, 85 of the Irish battalion were captured and sentenced to bizarre tortures and deaths at the hands of the Americans, resulting in what is considered even today as the "largest hanging affair in North America."(5) The event had a profound effect in Mexico. Since then, many authors have written novels and history books about the subject and monuments and statues honoring Los Patricios have been erected in major Mexican cities. Movies have been filmed and even special dates have been marked on the Mexican calendar, to commemorate Irish aid.

In almost every Mexican account of the war, Los San Patricios are considered heroes who fought for the noble ideals of religion and a just cause against a Protestant invader of a peaceful nation. In U.S. history, Los San Patricios are often portrayed as deserters, traitors, and malcontents who joined the other side for land or money. Now, thanks to the highly regarded research of Michael Hogan and his book, The Irish Soldiers of Mexico, there is a much more objective analysis of the "San Patricios'" phenomenon.

The battle influenced Mexico in such a way that it has become a critical development in the official version of Mexico's history. Every year, September 12 is remembered and celebrated. Recently, after 150 years, Mexico remembered the St. Patrick's Battalion with full military honors at the Plaza San Jacinto. A military band even performed the Mexican and Irish national anthems.(6) In 1993, the Irish began their own ceremony to honor the San Patricios in Clifden, Galway.

The Irish in Mexico have an honorable reputation and a respectable legacy. To this day, an Irishman will be told countless times about the famous "Irish martyrs" who defected from the U.S. Army and gave their lives trying to save Mexico from U.S. aggression.

The St. Patrick's Battalion impacted Mexico's social movements more than any one can imagine. Six years ago, almost 150 years after the historic event that marked Irish influence in Mexico, Marcos, the spokesman of the repressed and marginalized people of Chiapas, invoked the spirit of Los San Patricios in one of his famous speeches against the Mexican Government:

"When Mexico was fighting, in the last century, against the empire of the bars and crooked stars, there was a group of soldiers who fought on the side of the Mexicans and this group was called 'St. Patrick's Battalion'. And so I am writing you in the name of all of my compañeros and compañeras, because just as with the 'Saint Patrick's Battalion', we now see clearly that there are foreigners who love Mexico more than some natives who are now in the government do. And we hear that there were marches and songs and movies and other events so that there would not be war in Chiapas, which is the part of Mexico where we live and die.

We like the Irish around here!"(7)
After the historic war against the United States, Irish and English miners continued to migrate to Mexico, replacing the former Spaniards. They mostly settled in mining areas such as Zacatecas and Guanajuato. Others invested in local and national business.

Today, Irish involvement in Mexico takes many forms. Although not a major trading partner, Mexico is a profitable venture for Ireland: the European country exports far more than they import.(8) Irish-based multinational companies also operate in Mexico.(9) As Mexican wages are lower than many countries in southeast Asia, where labor rights are severely restricted, economic and social instability may not stop firms from "relocating" or expanding to Mexico.(10)

On the diplomatic front, Mexico recently opened an Embassy in Dublin, while Ireland has an Honorary Consul, Romulo O'Farrill Jr. Owner of several newspapers and a member of one of Mexico's most powerful families, O'Farrill is a good example of Irish names in prominent places. Only a few towns in Mexico lack a street named O'Brien, which, later on, became the Spanish "Obregón." There's also an "O'Brien City," better known as Ciudad Obregón, in the northern state of Sonora.

In the realm of Mexican art and literature, Ireland is also a presence. Artist Juan O'Gorman was a painter and an architect who was born in Mexico City in 1905. The oldest son of an Irish father and Mexican mother, he adhered to a philosophy of "progressive socialism," which ultimately affected both his writings and buildings. Influenced by Irish and European modernists, O'Gorman produced some of the first examples of functionalist architecture in Mexico. "In his works, he integrated vernacular forms and detailing with modern structural and spatial arrangements to achieve a culturally, socially, and environmentally significant architecture."(11) He also practiced mural painting. Some of his works include Autoretrato, De unas ruinas nacen otras ruinas, Monumento fúnebre del capitalismo industrial and UNAM's library. His buildings can be found throughout Mexico City.

In literature, the Irish writer James Joyce had a huge influence in Mexico. His innovative monologue style and his linear writing structure greatly impacted the way in which the best Mexican writers approached literature. Salvador Elizondo was obsessed with his writings. He dedicated a complete book about Joyce called: Invocación y evocación de la infancy. Joyce is also present in his short stories and novels. Juan Rulfo's Pedro Páramo is overflowing with the interior monologue that characterized Joyce's work.

Ireland has had an historical impact on Mexico's culture, as evidenced by figures like William Lamport, Marcos or Juan O'Gorman. But even more important, Ireland has served as an example of international camaraderie that extends beyond culture and religion. Hopefully, in the years to come, this relationship will influence many of us, as we discover that violence is not the most powerful human resource.

Copyright © 2005 by Rose Mary Salum. All Rights Reserved.
Sources: 
1. http://www.geocities.com/bajorama/OBrienClanofMexico.html.
2. Ibidem.
3. http://www.northwexford.com/ballygarrett_history.htm.
4. Davis, Graham. Irish Pioneers in Mexican  & Revolutionary TX. 1st ed. College Station, TX: TX A&M Uni Press, c2002 
5. Hogan, http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0407f.asp.
6. http://www.dayproductions.com/in_distribution/years.htm.
7. EZLN, Documentos y Comunicados. Cronic by Carlos Monsivais. Era, Mexico DF, 1995.
8. In 1994 £61.5m worth of food, drink & other goods - bulk being chemicals - exported to Mexico, only £8m imported.
9. One of them is Smurfit.
10. Strikes must be declared 'legal' by the government - the majority are not.
11. http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Juan_O'Gorman.html.

State Histories Traditions of Mexico Search Houston Institute for Culture
Sent by Yvonne Gonzalez Duncan  yvduncan@yahoo.com

 

 

File:José María Iglesias.jpg  

PERSONAJES EN LA HISTORIA DE MÉXICO

Por: JOSÉ LEÓN ROBLES DE LA TORRE

AÑO DEL BICENTENARIO DE LA INDEPENDENCIA DE MÉXICO, 1810-2010 
Y CENTENARIO DE LA REVOLUCIÓN MEXICANA, 1910-2010


Jose Maria Iglesias Inzurragas

 

Datos del Tomo V de XIII, Libro 40 de mi obra inédita: "La Independencia de y los Presidentes de México", relacionados con el señor Lic. don José María Iglesias Inzurraga, Presidente de México No. 34, que estuvo en el poder del 28 de octubre de 1876 al 17 de enero de 1877, total dos meses y 20 día.

Lic. don José María Iglesias Inzurraga, trigésimo cuarto Presidente de México, del 28 de octubre de 1876 al 17 de enero de 1877.

Nació en la Ciudad de México el día cinco de enero de 1823, siendo hijo de don Juan N. Iglesias y de su esposa doña Mariana Inzurraga y Carrillo. Su instrucción primaria la realizó con profesores particulares y a la edad de 12 años en 1835 ingresó al colegio San Gregorio, donde fue un brillante estudiante hasta recibir su título de licenciado en 1842, luego durante los años de 1844 a 1846, impartió la cátedra de Filosofía y Letras en el mismo colegio y a finales de ese año de 1846, fue nombrado director del periódico El Siglo XIX.

En mayo de 1849 se enamoró y luego se casó con la señorita Juana Calderón y Tapia y procrearon tres hijos: Fernando, Julia y Ángela Iglesias Calderón.

A finales de 1849 el licenciado José María Iglesias, era Magistrado del Supremo Tribunal de Guerra... en 1850, redactó él junto con otros amigos... en 1852, fue Diputado Suplente al Congreso de la Unión. En 1855 fue Oficial Mayor del Ministerio de Hacienda.

En 1857, fue nombrado por el Presidente Ignacio Comonfort, como Ministro de Negocios Eclesiásticos e Instrucción Pública. En septiembre de 1863, se fue a San Luis Potosí para unirse al gobierno itinerante de Juárez. De esas fechas hasta 1867, se le encomendó escribir un boletín titulado "Cuestión Extranjera". En 1873 fue Presidente de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación y el 26 de octubre de 1876, pidió permiso para separarse de la Suprema Corte para asumir la Presidencia de la República, por Ministerio de Ley, porque no estuvo conforme con la reelección de Lerdo de Tejada, estando en el poder hasta el 17 de enero de 1877, embarcándose voluntariamente en el buque granada con rumbo a los Estados Unidos, específicamente a San Francisco, California. Había desempeñado por dos veces en el Ministerio de Justicia en el Gobierno de Juárez.

Al regresar al país, se retiró de la política y se dedicó durante diez años a escribir diversas obras sobre historia.

Su hijo Fernando Iglesias Calderón fue embajador y escritor.

El licenciado José María Iglesias cayó enfermo y lo sorprendió la muerte el 17 de diciembre de 1891, fue sepultado en el Panteón Francés de México, D.F., en la capilla familiar, aparece en el libro que cito al principio de las flores, 77 y 79 y la placa que aparece en su tumba, dice:

"José María Iglesias,
Diciembre 17 de 1891.
Juan Calderón
De Iglesias,
Diciembre 22 de 1897.
R.I.P."

 

PERSONAJES EN LA HISTORIA DE MÉXICO

Por: JOSÉ LEÓN ROBLES DE LA TORRE

AÑO DEL BICENTENARIO DE LA INDEPENDENCIA DE MÉXICO, 1810-2010,
Y CENTENARIO DE LA REVOLUCIÓN MEXICANA, 1910-2010


Juan Nepomuceno Laureano Méndez Sánchez 

 

Datos del Tomo V, de XIII, Libro 41 de mi obra inédita: "La Independencia y los Presidentes de México", relacionados con el General de División don Juan Nepomuceno Laureano Méndez Sánchez, trigésimo quinto Presidente de México del seis de diciembre de 1876 al cinco de febrero de 1877, total dos meses.  

General de División don Juan Nepomuceno Laureano Méndez Sánchez, trigésimo quinto Presidente de México, del seis de diciembre de 1876 al cinco de febrero de 1877. Total dos meses.   

Nació el día dos de julio de 1824 en Tetela de Ocampo, Oaxaca, siendo hijo de don José Mariano Méndez, comerciante y particularmente en la compra de polvo de oro que luego mandaba refinar y lo vendía en la capital de la Ciudad de México. Él estaba radicado en Puebla, Pue., y tenía su mujer con la que no se casó, doña Mariana de Jesús Sánchez, con la que procreó varios hijos, y entre ellos Juan, que fue bautizado como hijo natural.

Estudió en la Escuela de Tetela con el maestro don José María Vergara. Después de terminada la primaria, ingresó al colegio Carolino de Puebla, donde estudió durante dos años, regresando luego a Tetela donde se dedicó al negocio de la agricultura y poco después al comercio en el ramo de la compra de oro y plata que afinaba y le rendía buenos dividendos.

Muy joven contrajo primeras nupcias con la señorita Trinidad González que tenía 15 años de edad, el 31 de agosto de 1843, ella era originaria de Huamantla y radicada en Tetela. Él tenía 19 años.

En 1845, fue nombrado regidor en el Ayuntamiento de Tetela después fue comerciante ambulante por los caminos de Veracruz. En 1855 se hizo cargo de la subprefectura política del partido y formó el cuerpo de guardia nacional con algunos indígenas.

El día siete de febrero de 1857 falleció su esposa y a mediados de ese mismo año fue electo diputado a la Legislatura de Puebla, y en septiembre de ese mismo 1857 fue nombrado Coronel de Infantería del Batallón de Guardia Nacional de Puebla.

En abril de 1868 se encargó de la tesorería general del Estado de Puebla, y todo el año de 1859, fue jefe político de Zacatlán.

El 12 de octubre de 1861 fue nombrado secretario general del Gobierno de Puebla. Participó en la Batalla de Puebla en 1862 y fue herido en el brazo izquierdo que le valió que le otorgaran la Cruz de Mayo.

En 1863 fue ascendido a General de Brigada y era amigo muy estimado del General Porfirio Díaz Mori.

En 1867, participó en la Batalla de Tepeaca y ese mismo año fue nombrado Gobernador y Comandante Militar de Puebla. Se retiró por algún tiempo de la política y regresó en 1871 para participar en el Plan de la Noria. En junio de 1876 estuvo al frente de la Batalla de Tulancingo.

El seis de diciembre de 1876, el Presidente Porfirio Díaz Mori, dejó encargado del Poder Ejecutivo al General Méndez y duró hasta el cinco de febrero de 1877, cuando regresó Porfirio Díaz y recibió nuevamente la Presidencia de parte de Méndez.

Y el 20 de mayo siguiente, fue ascendido a General de División don Juan Nepomuceno Laureano Méndez Sánchez y a finales de ese mismo año fue electo Senador de la República.

En 1878 fue nombrado Benemérito del Estado de Puebla.

En 1880 fue nombrado Gobernador del Estado de Puebla y en 1884 fue nombrado Presidente de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación. Poco tiempo después se retiró de la política y falleció el 29 de noviembre de 1894. Fue sepultado en la Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres del Panteón de Dolores en México, D.F., y en una placa de blanco mármol, dice:

"GENERAL DE DIVISIÓN JUAN N. MÉNDEZ, 29 de noviembre de 1894".  
Source: www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx  
Sent By Mercy Bautista-Olvera

 

 

Dear Mimi:

Any bibliography on Mexican History should include the book: Cronica de la Revolucion Mexicana por Roberto Blanco Moheno, first published in 1957. This erudite work not only about the military actions of the Mexican Revolucion,
but also an excellent account of the political life in Mexico at that time. It is beautiful and exciting reading.

Best regards, William Tapia, aka Guillermo Tapia wtmac@citlink.net 

p.s. My father was a well known 3-Star General of the Mexican Army and also Congressman, Senator. Postmaster General (a very critical position during WWII because of the strict censorship of all mail between Mexico and the United States. After the war he became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His name was Jose Maria Tapia 


At San Francisco Soyaniquilpan, in the State of
Mexico, a hybrid 16th century facade is
contrasted with and complemented by an exquisite
18th century altarpiece.

Please go to our home page and follow the links
at:  http://www.colonial-mexico.com
rperry@west.net

Genealogía de México 
Estimado mimilozano@aol.com,

genealogia.org.mx@gmail.com le invita a visitar la empresa "Genealogía de México" en Infored : 

http://Guadalupe.infored.com.mx/282352/Genealogia-de-Mexico.htm  

 l 
Investigaciones Genealógicas, Heráldicas, localizacion de Actas de Bautismo / Nacimiento, Matrimonio, Testamentos. Genealogía Molecular mediante análisis del Cromosma Y y del ADN Mitocondrial.

Saludos cordiales,
genealogia.org.mx@gmail.com

INDIGENOUS
http://www.nmai.si.edu/ National Museum of the American Indian

Ball-play of the Choctaw: Ball-up, 1846-50
200-Year-Old Mural Wants Spotlight Again
This Place Matters: Protecting Chimney Rock 
 

George Catlin (1796-1872). Ball-play of the Choctaw: Ball-up, 1846-50. Oil on canvas; 65.4 x 81.4 cm. Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr. Smithsonian American Art Museum 1985.66.428A. In 1834 Catlin watched Choctaws playing stickball during his travels in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma).

On St. Patrick's Day, the museum would like to call attention to a remarkable gift from the people of the Choctaw Nation to the people of Ireland 164 years ago. We asked Judy Allen, executive director of public relations for the Choctaw Nation, to tell the history of what she describes as "an act that shaped tribal culture."

The Choctaw people have a history of helping others. Only sixteen years after their long, sad march along the Trail of Tears, the Choctaws learned of people starving to death in Ireland. With great empathy, in 1847 Choctaw individuals made donations totaling $170-estimated to be the equivalent of more than $5,000 today-to assist the Irish people during the famine. Though they had meager resources, they gave on behalf of others in greater need.

In 1995, Irish President Mary Robinson, later UN Commissioner for Human Rights, visited the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma to thank the Choctaws for their generosity toward the Irish, a people with whom she noted their only link was "a common humanity, a common sense of another people suffering as the Choctaw Nation had suffered when being removed from their tribal land."

President Robinson also acknowledged the many Choctaws who have visited Ireland to take part in commemorating the Famine Walk. "Earlier in the month I met one of the members of the tribe, the artist Gary Whitedeer," she said. "He explained to me that taking part in that walk and remembering the past between the Choctaw Nation and Irish people and relinking our peoples is completing the circle. I have used that expression recently at a major conference on world hunger in New York. I spoke of the generosity of the Choctaw people and this idea of completing the circle."

This charitable attitude resonates still today when crisis situations occur across the world. In 2001, tribal people made a huge contribution to the Firefighters Fund after the Twin Towers attack in New York City and have since made major contributions to Save the Children and the Red Cross in 2004 for tsunami relief, in 2005 for Hurricane Katrina relief, and more recently, for victims of the Haiti earthquake. Good works are not exclusive to humanitarian organizations and funds. The Choctaw Nation received the United States National Freedom Award in 2008 for the efforts made in support of members of the National Guard and Reserve and their families. There are countless stories of Choctaw individuals who have looked past their own needs to help their neighbors.

Traditional stickball games are still played today. Photo by Judy Allen, Executive Director of Choctaw Nation Public Relations. Courtesy of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will celebrate its festival here at our D.C. museum June 22 to 25 with four days of food, workshops, and performances, including a reenactment of a traditional Choctaw wedding, stickball games, Native dancers, singers and storytellers, and booths showcasing beadwork, pottery, flutes, the Choctaw language, and tribal cooking.

AP: Survey: Native and American Indian firms increase

The latest findings in a survey conducted every five years by the U.S. Census Bureau show some growth in businesses owned by Alaska Natives and American Indians, but the increase has failed to equal more jobs. Survey results released Tuesday show almost 237,000 businesses brought in a total of more than $34 billion in receipts in 2007, a 28 percent increase from 2002.

AP: American Indian leaders urge business expansion

American Indian tribal leaders urged fellow tribes on Tuesday to go beyond gambling and tobacco when it comes to generating revenue for their economies."Our nation has three casinos -- we do very well with it. We also sell an awful lot of cigarettes," said Robert Porter, president of the Seneca Nation of Indians, based in New York state. "It's just too narrow for the future." Porter told tribal government leaders, entrepreneurs and U.S. government officials in Las Vegas on Tuesday that tribes should work with the United State government to try to get more freedom over their land and money.

Proposed class-action settlement could pay big for Oklahoma Indians

A proposed settlement to a massive federal class-action lawsuit alleging mismanagement of American Indian trust assets could mean tax-free payments of millions of dollars to Oklahomans - some of whom may be unaware of the case or the money awaiting them. More than half a million American Indians in the western half of the United States - including about 35,000 in Oklahoma - would be eligible for payments under the proposed settlement of the 1996 federal class-action lawsuit, which attorney Keith Harper said was the largest settlement against the U.S. government ever. 

Sent by Dr. Carlos Muñoz, Jr.
Source dorinda moreno fuerzamundial@gmail.com

http://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2011/03/on-st-patricks-day-the-museum-would-like-to-call-
attention-to-a-remarkable-gift-from-the-people-of-the-choctaw-nation.html
 



200-Year-Old Mural Wants Spotlight Again
Curbed SF - Feb 18th

Somewhere between 1790 and 1791 a mural was painted by Ohlone Indians on the entirety of the rear wall of Mission Dolores, San Francisco, CA. In 1796 a Baroque-style Mexican altarpiece was put it front of the mural, concealing it from view for more than two centuries. Now Ben Wood, an artist, is trying to raise a minimum of $8,300 so a trio of artists can recreate the mural on a commercial building. "This is a way to make an important part of San Francisco history, of California history, accessible to the public," said Ben Wood. The mural is painted in natural red, white and black dyes, depicts two hearts, pierced by a sword and daggers. Wood's would like to recreate a piece of the mural on a 20-by-5 foot section on the exterior of a building on 22nd and Bartlett streets. It'd be the first of many murals that Wood hopes to see go up on Barlett Street as part of a neighborhood revitalization effort connected with the outdoor Mission Community Market. 

This article originally appeared on Curbed SF
http://beta.local.yahoo.com/200yearold-mural-wants-spotlight-again-curbed-sf?woeid=55970963
Sent by Jaime Cader jmcader@yahoo.com


THIS PLACE MATTERS
Protecting Chimney Rock 

Not many people think of great archeological sites when they think of the Forest Service, but -- thankfully -- there is one U.S. Senator who does. On Tuesday (March 8), Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate that would elevate Colorado’s Chimney Rock to National Monument status. Chimney Rock, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, is the place where, more than 1,000 years ago, ancient Pueblo Indians gathered six million stones to build a Great House at the base of twin rock pinnacles now called Chimney Rock. National Monument designation would ensure the preservation of this vital piece of our nation’s history, as well as encourage an increase in tourism, resulting in a boost in the Archuleta County economy. A truly positive outcome for everyone involved.

2011 National Trust for Historic Preservation
1785 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036-2117
202.588.6000 | 800.315.6847




ARCHAEOLOGY


Cracked Mayan Code May Point to 8 Tons of Lost Treasure
Published March 01, 2011, 
FoxNews



A ceramic head found in a newly discovered tomb sits on display at the Mayan Tonina archeological site near Ocosingo village in Mexico's Chiapas state. AP Photo/Miguel Tovar
It's a treasure hunt even Indiana Jones would be proud of. Buried beneath a lake in Guatamala sits a fortune in lost treasure -- Mayan gold to be precise -- and a group of German archaeologists has just set off to find it. Their only guidance, a freshly decoded ancient book containing a map to the treasure. 

It sounds like a movie, but it's very much real, reported FoxNewsLatino. Joachim Rittsteig, an expert in Mayan writing who is heading up the mission to Guatemala's Lake Izabal, the site reported. Rittsteig claims to have cracked the famous Dresden Codex, a pre-Columbian Maya book possibly from the 11th century, and discovered in its pages specific information that leads to a treasure in the lake.

"The Dresden Codex leads to a giant treasure of eight tons of pure gold," said Rittsteig, who has spent more than 40 years studying the document. According to the German newspaper Bild, which is sponsoring the expedition, two reporters from the publication, a photographer, a television camera, and a professional diver will visit Izabal in an attempt to find the gold.

A professor emeritus at Dresden University and author of various publications about the Maya culture, Rittsteig stressed that the information is in the Codex. 

"Page 52 talks about the Maya capital of Atlan, which was ruined by an earthquake on October 30th in the year 666 BC," he said. "In this city, they kept 2,156 gold tablets on which the Maya recorded their laws."

Read more about the quest for lost Mayan treasure (really!) at FoxNewsLatino.

Sent by John Inclan 
fromGalveston@yahoo.com



AFRICAN-AMERICAN

Traditional Racial Labels No Longer Define New Generation
     of College Students
The 3,000-Mile Field Trip
Black and White and Married in the Deep South: 
     A Shifting Image by Susan Saulny

Traditional Racial Labels No Longer Define New Generation of College Students

by Afi-Odelia E. Scruggs , March 14, 2011
Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Sergio Chavez (left), Johnathan Dimanche (center) and Adedamola Onafowokan (right) are students at Liberty University.

Last year, a panel of students at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio, gathered to discuss the challenges facing the African-American male. But another topic unexpectedly emerged: who, exactly, was African-American?

That was a loaded question for many of the panelists and the audience because Columbus is home to one of the country’s largest Somali communities. For those students, “African-Americans” are American-born Blacks — an identity they didn’t embrace.

“There was rich dialogue around the difference between African, African-American and an African who is an American,” recalls Renee Hampton, Columbus State’s special assistant to the provost for diversity. “Those are things we have to be aware of in dealing with the students. We are trying to educate ourselves.”

Columbus State, like many other colleges, is finding that traditional categories of race and ethnicity don’t begin to cover the diversity of its student body. Like America itself, higher education institutions are confronting a new wave of intra-ethnic diversity that is expanding old definitions of race and national origin and challenging colleges’ traditional methods of student services.

“There’s a tendency to treat immigrants as a monolithic group, when there are big differences among them,” says Jill Casner-Lotto, director of the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education, housed at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, N.Y.

A New Understanding of ­Diversity

It’s no secret that America is becoming more multicultural. According to census estimates, minorities make up more than one-third of the nation’s population. Twelve percent of the population is foreign born, and 20 percent speak a language other than English at home.

When it comes to recordkeeping, though, the students are funneled into one of six racial categories: American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African-American; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander;  White; and Some Other Race. Two minimum standards for ethnicity also were added in 1997: Hispanic and non-Hispanic.

White students make up nearly 70 percent of Columbus State’s student body, while Blacks account for 24 percent. Asian and Hispanic students represent 3 percent and 2 percent of the population, respectively.

But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

A look at the college’s student clubs adds some nuance. Columbus State has a Black Student Union, a Liberian Student Association, a Pan-African Student Union and a Somali Student Association. The school also has an Asian Student Association and an Indonesian Student Association. In addition, Christian and Muslim students each have clubs.

“It’s not like it was when we were in college, when it was the Black student union and that’s all we had,” says Hampton. “That unified front has been broken into several different units.”

Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Va., came to that understanding about seven years ago. That’s when the school reorganized the office that had served both international and minority students and created a center for each constituency. The Christian evangelical institution has 12,000 residential students, of whom 66 percent are White, 8 percent are Black and 3 percent are Hispanic. Between immigrant and international students, 71 countries are represented.

Nevertheless, minority students still find themselves correcting generalizations about their ethnicity.

“I can recall an instance when a professor once said to me in front of class, ‘I wish they had a buffet at the local Mexican restaurant. Don’t you agree, Mr. Chavez?’” says Liberty student Sergio Chavez. “I explained to him that I’m from Nicaragua and our food is somewhat distinct from that of Mexicans. It was awkward to explain my culture to people who assumed I was Mexican. At times it was frustrating.”

Experiences like Chavez’ prompted the school’s Center for Multicultural Enrichment to sponsor a series called “What’s the Difference” to build multicultural competencies, says Center director Melany Pearl. One panel was held during Hispanic Heritage Month.

“We have found that a lot of our Latino students are mistaken for being Mexican,” she says. “We had a panel of students from Ecuador, Nicaragua, Spain, and Mexico, to talk about this very thing.”

The school is also planning a similar event for Black History Month, with the emphasis placed on building awareness of different African ethnicities.

“They tend to be (looked at) as ‘Oh, they’re African,’” Pearl says. “Well, no, they’re Nigerian. There’s something beyond their continent.”

Cultural Distinction

But schools are finding that awareness of intra-cultural diversity goes further than explaining ethnic differences to well-meaning Americans. It also means dealing with distinctions within ethnic groups that aren’t apparent to outsiders.

Through its Center for Workforce Development, Columbus State works with several community organizations to offer English as a Second Language instruction at four apartment complexes with large immigrant populations. The program also offers instruction to the Somali community, as well as to Somali Bantus, a minority group within Somalia. The Bantus are descendants of East Africans who were enslaved in Somalia during the 19th century but kept their indigenous language and culture. They were victims of discrimination and prejudice within Somalia. Hampton says the distinction was one that the school had to recognize and become sensitive to.

“We’re learning as well,” she says.

Such cultural distinctions are also showing up in the membership of student clubs and organizations. Although Whites comprise close to 90 percent of the student body at South Dakota State University, there are two organizations for students of African ancestry: the African Students’ Association and the Black Student Union.

The memberships are dissimilar, says Dr. Onyeka Ezenwoye, the adviser to the African Students’ Association, which is made up of immigrants and international students. Members of the Black Student Union are native-born Blacks, he says.

“There is a noticeable separation among those two groups. We don’t have common members,” says Ezenwoye, an assistant professor in the department of electrical engineering and computer science. “We have made attempts at bringing the two groups together. We made efforts to invite members of the leadership to our meetings and things like that, but the groups are quite separate.”

Even among the members of the African Students’ Association, there are differences in experiences. The members who are refugees or immigrants from Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia have more family ties, because people from those countries were settled into the area, Ezenwoye says. The international students, meanwhile, often band together for support because they are disconnected from their families and cultures.

Teaching Life Skills

When it comes to offering services for immigrants and refugees, colleges must also deal with another kind of diversity: diversity in the skills the students bring.

“You have immigrants with low skills and limited English who have little prior education and lack of literacy in their own native language,” Casner-Lotto says. “Then there are some immigrants who have higher levels of education and may even have credentials in their field. But they still lack English language proficiency and have not been able to get their credentials recognized and are therefore unemployed or under-employed.

“There’s diversity in the immigrant population and that diversity calls for programs that are customized to meet the needs of the population,” she says.

Casner-Lotto points to ESL instruction as an example, noting that many immigrants respond best to a contextual approach that blends language proficiency with vocational training.

“It’s a model that facilitates immigrants’ entry into jobs quicker than the more traditional ESL model where they have to reach English language proficiency before they can go on to more academic or vocational courses,” she says.

If demographic trends are any indication, multiculturalism is becoming a norm. In 2000, for example, 12.5 percent of the U.S. population was of Hispanic origin. Now, according to estimates from the Census Bureau’s 2005-2009 American Community Survey, that figure has grown to 15 percent. The Pew Center for Research also found that one in seven marriages in 2008 was interracial or inter-ethnic. The report was based on data from the Center’s telephone survey conducted in 2009 and from the American Community Survey. As diversity is becoming more common, Elena Bernal, vice president of diversity at Iowa’s Grinn ell College, says she sees more students who are comfortable with it by the time they enter college.

“We are recruiting a student body that have come from homes and personal life experiences, where they’ve already done the cross-cultural work,”  she says.

But students aren’t the only ones who need to do cross-cultural work, says Adedamola Onafowokan, a Nigerian immigrant currently earning a graduate degree at Liberty. He urges college faculty, administrators and staff to undergo cultural competency training to help them deal with immigrants they are sure to meet.

“Immigrant students know when they are being treated with a dismissive attitude or looked down upon by staff and faculty,” says Onafowokan. “It can be rather off-putting.”

Distributed by Dr. Frank Talamantes, Ph.D.
Professor of Endocrinology (Emeritus)
University of California, Santa Cruz, California


The 3,000-Mile Field Trip

The inspiring story of a how this bus driver teaches troubled young students through travel

By Tanya Walters, Los Angeles, California

Sent by Odell Harwell hirider@clear.net



Black and White and Married in the Deep South: 
A Shifting Image by Susan Saulny 
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — For generations here in the deepest South, there had been a great taboo: publicly crossing the color line for love. Less than 45 years ago, marriage between blacks and whites was illegal, and it has been frowned upon for much of the time since. 

So when a great job beckoned about an hour’s drive north of the Gulf Coast, Jeffrey Norwood, a black college basketball coach, had reservations. He was in a serious relationship with a woman who was white and Asian. 

“You’re thinking about a life in South Mississippi?” his father said in a skeptical voice, recalling days when a black man could face mortal danger just being seen with a woman of another race, regardless of intentions. “Are you sure?” 

But on visits to Hattiesburg, the younger Mr. Norwood said he liked what he saw: growing diversity. So he moved, married, and, with his wife, had a baby girl who was counted on the last census as black, white and Asian. Taylor Rae Norwood, 3, is one of thousands of mixed-race children who have made this state home to one of the country’s most rapidly expanding multiracial populations, up 70 percent between 2000 and 2010, according to new data from the Census Bureau. 

In the first comprehensive accounting of multiracial Americans since statistics were first collected about them in 2000, reporting from the 2010 census, made public in recent days, shows that the nation’s mixed-race population is growing far more quickly than many demographers had estimated, particularly in the South and parts of the Midwest. That conclusion is based on the bureau’s analysis of 42 states; the data from the remaining eight states will be released this week. 

In North Carolina, the mixed-race population doubled. In Georgia, it expanded by more than 80 percent, and by nearly as much in Kentucky and Tennessee. In Indiana, Iowa and South Dakota, the multiracial population increased by about 70 percent. 

“Anything over 50 percent is impressive,” said William H. Frey, a sociologist and demographer at the Brookings Institution. “The fact that even states like Mississippi were able to see a large explosion of residents identifying as both black and white tells us something that people would not have predicted 10 or 20 years ago.” 

Census officials were expecting a national multiracial growth rate of about 35 percent since 2000, when seven million people — 2.4 percent of the population — chose more than one race. Officials have not yet announced a national growth rate, but it seems sure to be closer to 50 percent. 

The contour and the shade of the change are not uniform. In states like California, Hawaii and Oklahoma, where people of mixed race already made up a significant percentage of the total, the increases were smaller than in places like Mississippi, where there were far fewer mixed-race people to start with. In Hawaii, for instance — where the multiracial group accounts for 23 percent of the population, highest of any state — the growth since 2000 was 23.6 percent. 

Also, in Hawaii, the predominant mix is Asian and white and native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, while in Oklahoma, it is American Indian and white. In Mississippi, the most common mix is black and white — historically and today the two groups least likely to intermarry, sociologists say, because of the enduring social and economic distance between them. (It was also against the law until 1967.) 

Mississippi led the nation in the growth of mixed marriages for most of the last decade, according to Mr. Frey’s analysis of the American Community Survey. Still, multiracial people are a tiny percentage of the state’s population: 34,000, about 1.1 percent. And many here complain of enduring racial inequities. 

There was an uproar last year over comments by Gov. Haley Barbour suggesting that the civil rights era in Mississippi, with its sometimes fatal strife, was not that bad. And some are rankled that the state flag still contains a miniature version of the Confederate battle standard. 

Nonetheless, many here also see progress, something akin to “a door opening,” in the words of one resident. 

“Racial attitudes are changing,” said Marvin King, a professor of political science at the University of Mississippi who is black, married to a white woman, and the father of a 2-year-old biracial daughter. “Day in, day out, there is certainly not the hostility there was years ago, and I think you see that in that there are more interracial relationships, and people don’t fear those relationships. They don’t have to hide those relationships anymore.” 

Mr. Norwood and his wife, Patty Norwood, agreed. “It’s been really smooth here,” said Mr. Norwood, 48, a Hattiesburg resident for 11 years and a men’s basketball coach at William Carey University. He had been most recently coaching at a college in the culturally diverse area of Cajun Louisiana. “I think some people who may not have been comfortable with this in the past have no choice now. I mean, people always told me, the farther south you go, the more racism you’ll feel. But that has not been true.” 

Mrs. Norwood, 39, a photographer who is Thai and Chinese on her mother’s side and white on her father’s, added: “I think if people see that you are genuine and in love, and that you are comfortable with yourselves, they are put at ease.” 

And unlike in many states, Mississippi’s population has not grown much over the last decade, suggesting to researchers that any change in culture is happening not primarily as a result of newcomers. (Mississippi’s population grew by 3.8 percent since 2000. In contrast, North Carolina’s grew 18.46 percent.) 

“North Carolina grew rapidly with Hispanics and blacks and people coming in from out of state and changing things,” Mr. Frey said. “In Mississippi, I think it’s changed from within.” 

Changing Identities 

The share of the multiracial population under the age of 18 in Mississippi is higher than its share of youth in the general population, suggesting that much of the growth in the mixed-race group can be explained by recent births. But in Mississippi and in other states, some growth may also be a result of older Americans who once identified themselves as black or some other single race expanding the way they think about their identity. 

“The reality is that there has been a long history of black and white relationships — they just weren’t public,” said Prof. Matthew Snipp, a demographer in the sociology department at Stanford University. Speaking about the mixed-race offspring of some of those relationships, he added: “People have had an entire decade to think about this since it was first a choice in 2000. Some of these figures are not so much changes as corrections. In a sense, they’re rendering a more accurate portrait of their racial heritage that in the past would have been suppressed.” 

Experts say there are some elements, like military service or time spent on a college campus, that lay the groundwork for interracial relationships. With the Camp Shelby military base on its southern side and the University of Southern Mississippi as an anchor, perhaps it is not a surprise that Hattiesburg, a city of about 50,000 residents, and its surrounding counties would show rapid mixed-race growth. 

They are also part of Mississippi’s coastal culture, which has historically been more liberal and outward looking — given the port towns — than the rest of the state. (Harrison County, south of Hattiesburg and home to the Gulf Coast cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, has the highest share of mixed-race residents in the state, according to the 2010 census.) 

Sonia Cherail Peeples, who is black, met her husband, Michael Peeples, who is white, in the science building at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2003, when they were both students. Friendship ensued, then a crush. “I never dated a black girl before,” Mr. Peeples confided. His family was “old Mississippi,” living mostly around Jackson. At one time, they ran a luggage company. 

Sonia Peeples’s ancestors were longtime Mississippians, too, but they were sharecropping cotton. 

The differences in the past did not matter in the present, they both agreed. 

“I really never thought twice about it,” Mrs. Peeples, 29, said of dating Michael, 30. “Everyone was open to it and I thought: ‘He has potential. I could marry this guy!’ ” 

And she did. Now they have two boys: Riley, 3, and Gannon, 5, who Mrs. Peeples likes to say are “black, white and just right!” 

“It’s a generational thing,” Mr. Peeples added, noting that his mother has been hot and cold about the relationship over the years, accepting his new family, then sometimes pulling away for a while, only to return, drawn by her grandsons. “I think many older people are set in their ways, but 40 years old or younger, you’ll never get the sense that something’s wrong,” he said. 

After college, the couple moved to Denver, but eventually decided to return to Hattiesburg, where Mr. Peeples works at a local dairy. 

“I told the Realtor, ‘Don’t put us in a predominantly white or black neighborhood,’ ” Mrs. Peeples recalled. “And sure enough, we have a biracial kid next door.” 

According to the census, multiracial people are more likely to live in neighborhoods that have a broad mix of races with a higher share of whites than those who identify as black alone. This suggests they enjoy higher socioeconomic status, Mr. Frey, the demographer, said. 

Lingering Tensions 

Still, for the Peeples family, there have been some testy moments. There was the time when another parent at Gannon’s school asked if his terrible allergies had something to do with “race mixing.” And there was the hospital worker who treated Mrs. Peeples as though she was trying to snatch a white baby when she took Riley, who had blond curls, out of his crib in the nursery. “This is my baby! He just looks like his dad,” Mrs. Peeples, who has deep brown skin, remembered scolding the woman. 

But both Sonia and Michael Peeples are mindful that those few incidents are insignificant in comparison to what previous generations endured. 

“I would not have wanted to live in my parents’ or grandparents’ time,” said Mrs. Peeples, a full-time homemaker. “We’re teaching our kids all of it, all their history. My 5-year-old asks, ‘People who looked like you, why did they treat them so bad?’ It’s hard to explain to a biracial child in 2011. In a perfect world, race wouldn’t matter, but that day’s a while off.” 

The Norwoods have also experienced minor tensions. A waitress at a restaurant might abruptly decide that she cannot serve their table. Even when they are locked arm in arm, someone might ask incredulously, “Are you together?” Clerks at the supermarket want to ring up their groceries separately. 

But there is one place where they know that old thinking patterns are being challenged: at their church. 

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called Sunday morning church service the most segregated hour in America, but one would not know that at Grace Temple Ministries, the neighborhood church where the Norwoods worship and socialize with other mixed-race families. The pastor is white and the assistant pastor is black, and the creative arts pastor is Latino. During a recent sermon, the congregation’s guiding ethos on social issues was clear: “Let us not be guilty of thinking as the culture and society decides,” said the pastor, Dwayne Higgason. 

Unlike the Peepleses, Jeffrey and Patty Norwood did not seek a diverse neighborhood, but found themselves in one anyway. In 2001, they bought the first home built on a developing street before any neighbors had even purchased lots. As houses sprang up, their neighbors turned out to be black families, white families and mixes of the two. 

“Between our church and the neighborhood, this is the most diverse place I’ve been,” said Mr. Norwood, a native of Tupelo, Miss. “I’ve never experienced anything quite like this.” 

Growing up in Victoria, Tex., Mrs. Norwood said she was never quite sure what race to mark on forms, and she hardly ever saw people like herself 

“I usually went with Asian because I could only check one box,” Mrs. Norwood said. “Our daughter’s life will not be like that. She knows what she is and she’s exposed to a little bit of everything. The times have certainly changed.” 
rgrbob@earthlink.net

 

EAST COAST 

400-Year-Old King Signs Autographs

500 years Countdown Celebration of the Discovery of Florida

Women of Impact 2011/ Mujeres de Impacto 2011

 

Improv Prank 



400-Year-Old King Signs Autographs


New York's "Improv Everywhere" staged an unauthorized autograph signing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art with an actor who bears a striking resemblance to King Philip IV of Spain. Standing in front of the 400-year-old Velázquez painting, the "King" greeted museum patrons and offered free signed photos.

Editor: Do see the video.  
Reactions of the audience is fun to observe.

 

  500 years Countdown Celebration of the discovery of Florida
U.T.B.United Bridge, Inc. &  The Florida Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber Commerce, Inc. 

Come join us at Rafael Picon Studio on Saturday, April 02, 2011 at 1725 Cedar Street, Rockledge, Fl. 32955, starting at 2pm on the 500 years Countdown Celebration of the discovery of Florida by Don Juan Ponce de Leon at Melbourne Beach the First Landing. 

Establishment of the Royal Order Society of the Juan Ponce de Leon Historical 500 years Celebration Committee Membership Drive.  The commencement of the ground breaking ceremony of the Juan Ponce de Leon Statue. 

ALL ARE WELCOME

Food and refreshment will be served. 
For more information call Samuel C. Lopez 321-863-5165


Women of Impact 2011/ Mujeres de Impacto 2011
Changing the Future/ Cambiando el Futuro

SAVE THE DATE APRIL 26th 2011 . . . .  BILINGUAL EVENT / EVENTO BILINGUE

Your are invited: Estas Invitado: An event where we recognize women who have make a contribution and a positive impact to the community!

Un Evento en donde Reconocemos a Mujeres ,quienes por su dedicada contribución han creado un positivo impacto en la comunidad! 

Join us for a business breakfast, gifts and lots of surprises!
Comparte desayuno de negocios sin costo, rifas, regalos, y muchas sorpresas.!! 

Join us and enjoy this event. REGISTER HERE
Ven y Disfruta con nosotros REGISTRATE AQUÍ


Time 8:30 AM-12:30 M 
Place American Intercontinental University
2250 N. Commerce Hwy 
Weston, FL 33326


CARIBBEAN/CUBA

Trace your Puerto Rican ancestry
Source: Spillalstreet.com  
A Genealogy and History Blog, 
March 6th
http://spittalstreet.com/?p=1412   

 


Puerto Rico, nicknamed Land of Enchantment, has a unique heritage. Christopher Columbus claimed the island for Spain when he landed there in 1493 and 400 years later following the Spanish-American War Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States. By that time the Spanish had left their mark on the island, which is evidenced by the language and social norms.

Although Puerto Rico’s official languages are both Spanish and English the island’s culture is definitely Spanish with a twist of African, Indian and Anglo influences.  Immigrants from all over the world have settled there, so when you trace your Puerto Rican roots, you shouldn’t be surprised to find, in addition to Spanish, you might also find African, British, French, Dutch or South American ancestors.

When Columbus arrived, Taino Indians lived on the Island but, as you’ll learn in texts like “A Patriot’s History”, the combination of European diseases and enslavement by the Spanish diminished their numbers.

The island’s first town of Caparra, was founded in 1508 and by 1521 the town had moved and renamed Puerto Rico (rich port). The name was changed yet again to San Juan and the entire island became known as Puerto Rico. Spain turned San Juan into a military outpost in the second half of the 1500s and the British, French and Dutch began to settle the on other Caribbean islands.

In the late 1700s the Spanish encouraged Canary islanders, French settlers from Louisiana, and Spaniards from Santa Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) to settle in Puerto Rico. Large sugar cane plantations were prosperous.  In the mid-1800s, immigrants arrived from China, Italy, Germany, Scotland, Ireland and Lebanon. When Spain ceded the island to the United States in 1898, Americans began moving there.  Today, the island is a self-governing territory of the United States and its residents are United States citizens.

Facts to consider:
•Civil Registration started 1885
•Puerto Rico – US territory status 1898
•First US Census 1910
•Birth, Marriage and Death records began 1931
•US Commonwealth Status 1952
As with all family history research, if possible, you should gather as much information as you can from relatives, then focus on an ancestor you know to start your family tree.

The Family Search Latin American Outline is a good place to start learning about the type of records at your disposal as you plan your research strategy.  Here’s a list of links that could prove to be very useful in your ancestral search:

Hispanic Genealogical Society of New York
NARA North East Region-NewYork City
Demographic Registry (Registro Demografico) 
Puerto Rico General Archive (Archivo General de Puerto Rico) 
Family Search – Puerto Rico Civil Registration 1836-2001 and Puerto Rico Roman Catholic Church Records 1645-1969

Census Information:
Family Search U.S. Census 1910, 1920, 1930
Ancestry.com (You have to pay for this one but many libraries have a subscription)
Heritage-Quest Online (also free through subscribing libraries)
Organizations and Archives
Florida International University Libraries Latin American and Caribbean Information Center 
The Hispanic Society of America 
Hunter College Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro de Estudios Puertorriquenos) 
New York State Archives 
Puerto Rican/Hispanic Genealogical Society 

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

María Dolores Vargas de Urdaneta
por Eumenes Fuguet Borregales 
 
 
Historia y Tradición
María Dolores Vargas de Urdaneta
Eumenes Fuguet Borregales (*)

En Santa Fe de Bogotá nació en 1800 María de los Dolores Guadalupe Vargas, hija del abogado y prócer Don Ignacio Vargas y Doña Ignacia París Ricaurte, tía del prócer Antonio Ricaurte (1786-1814) inmolado en San Mateo en marzo de 1814. Don Ignacio partidario de la independencia al ser capturado fue mandado a fusilar por Morillo el 19 de junio de 1816, a pesar de que la joven entregó joyas y objetos de valor por un costo de cuarenta mil pesos a cambio de la libertad de su padre y de su abuelo. Aún niña tuvo que encargarse por un tiempo por el cuido de sus dos hermanos menores. Luego del triunfo en Boyacá el 7 de agosto de 1819, entran el día 10 a Bogotá, Bolívar, Santander y Anzoátegui con el glorioso ejército, son recibidos como héroes por el pueblo agradecido. María Dolores al frente de veinte damas de la sociedad bogotana, vestidas de blanco le cupo el honor de colocarle al Libertador una corona de laurel y pronunciar el emotivo discurso de agradecimiento. El 31 de agosto de 1822 contrajo matrimonio en la Catedral de Bogotá con el general de en jefe, el marabino Rafael José Urdaneta Faría, denominado por Bolívar como "el brillante", "El más sereno y constante oficial del ejército, "El eje sobre el que rueda la máquina de Colombia" y "De Usted depende el éxito de cualquier empresa para restablecer el orden"; es después del Libertador quien más recorrió el territorio nacional. Este matrimonio perduró hasta la muerte de ambos, teniendo que sufrir en diferentes oportunidades con sus once hijos, las penurias de las desgracias, del egoísmo y de la politiquería reinante. En Bogotá nació en 1823 Rafael, futuro general de la Federación; en Maracaibo Luciano en 1825, ingeniero que construye el Palacio Federal, sede actual de la Asamblea Nacional; en 1826 nace en Maracaibo Octaviano. Amenodoro ve la luz primera en Bogotá en 1829; Adolfo en la misma ciudad en 1830. El general Urdaneta último presidente de la Gran Colombia, cargo que recibió contra su voluntad el 3 de septiembre de 1830, mientras regresara el Libertador, aspecto que no sucedió, por haber salido hacia Cartagena y Santa Marta último destino terrenal. Urdaneta entrega el poder en la Convención de Apulo el 3 de mayo de 1831, sufriendo persecuciones y amenazas de muerte por su definida lealtad hacia el Libertador; tiene que salir apresuradamente hacia Curazao gracias a las facilidades de Joaquín de Mier y Benítez, el mismo que alojó a Bolívar en la quinta San Pedro Alejandrino. En Curazao la familia soportó dignamente quince meses la precaria situación económica, allí nació Rosa Margarita en 1831; Urdaneta y sus menores hijos tuvieron que vender peinetas elaboradas por Doña Dolores y periódicos para el sustento familiar. A finales de 1831 obtienen permiso para regresar a Venezuela con la condición de no realizar actividad política; el noble soldado se instaló cerca de Puerto Cumarebo en el hato Turupìa, donde crió ovejos y chivos; sembraba yuca, algodón y maíz, con las manos con que antes firmaba los importantes documentos de Estado, llevaba las bridas del caballo, la espada y llevaba a ristre las lanzas de la libertad. En esa finca de diez hectáreas facilitada por el general Rafael Hermoso, nacieron Dolores Juliana en 1832 y Susana en 1834. El pueblo de Coro agradecido del comportamiento de Urdaneta cuando los liberó el 11 de mayo de 1821, lo eligió senador en julio de 1835, cargo que no ocupó por ser designado por Soublette Ministro de Guerra y Marina. Instalado en Caracas nació Eleazar en 1839; Neptalí en 1841 y Rodolfo en 1843. En 1845 el general Urdaneta ciego de un ojo y afectado seriamente el otro fue enviado como Embajador Plenipotenciario a España para lograr el reconocimiento de nuestra independencia; al llegar a Londres le hacen ver la necesidad de operarse de una litiasis vesical (cálculo en la vejiga, el cual se encuentra en el Museo Urdaneta de Maracaibo), con un mes de reposo para la recuperación; el ilustre paladín, esclavo del deber y del honor, prefirió continuar su comisión; al llegar a Paris le sucedió la muerte el 23 de agosto, no sin antes dictar su voluntad testamentaria a solicitud del Diputado neogranadino Joaquín Acosta que lo acompañaba: "Dejo una viuda y once hijos en la pobreza". Había ordenado a sus dos hijos acompañantes, Rafael y Luciano, que devolvieran el dinero no utilizado en la misión. El Congreso venezolano le asignó a Dolores una pensión. La historia y tradición registra que, cuando el presidente Antonio Guzmán Blanco fue a inaugurar en Caracas el ecuestre del Libertador el 7 de noviembre de 1874, al ver a Doña Dolores la buscó y tomándola del brazo ante los asistentes expresó: "Sin la presencia de esta dama faltaría el calor que ha de dársele a este acto de justicia". Esta digna matrona que con esmero atendió a su querido esposo, inválido a causa de las fatigas de la guerra emancipadora, falleció en Caracas el 22 de octubre de 1878; sus restos reposan en el Cementerio General del Sur.
(*) General de Brigada
eumenes7@gmail.com
___

Sent by Roberto Perez Guadarrama 
robertoperezguadarrama@gmail.com




SPAIN

Barberos en la Edad Media
Hernando de Alarcón

BARBEROS EN LA EDAD MEDIA

 

Nació esta profesión con el nombre de barberos, porque su labor principal era rasurar a los clientes, además de cortar el pelo, pero con la evolución que estos profesionales han tenido, ahora se han convertido en  peluqueros, porque son los que cortan y manipulan el cabello, habiéndose casi perdido la labor de afeitar y arreglar la barba.

Pero en la Edad Media, los barberos, además de afeitar y cortar el pelo, no se limitaban a esta labor, llegaban a desempeñar funciones mas propias de los médicos, algo que produjo enfrentamientos y disputas profesionales,  ya que los barberos ejercían como dentistas, eran los que hacían las pequeñas curas de heridas e infecciones, sajaban los diviesos y realizaban las sangrías, algo muy normal en aquella época.

Cuando llegaba la primavera en la Edad Media, era normal que los campesinos fuesen desde las aldeas a las ciudades, no solo para cortarse el pelo, también iban para una renovación de la sangre, ya que tenían la creencia que renovando la sangre, especialmente en la estación primaveral, se alejaban las enfermedades. Para ello, los barberos sumergían el brazo del paciente en agua caliente y se lo presionaban con un torniquete. Entonces, buscaban las venas que estaban hinchadas y, a la que creían más conveniente  le extraían la sangre mediante una incisión.

Los barberos en aquella época eran considerados como cirujanos de bajo nivel, ya que para ejercer la profesión no era necesario efectuar exámenes, como lo hacían los cirujanos de carrera.

Los cirujanos de academia o de carrera, en Europa, habían pasado por una Universidad y en nuestro País, se efectuaban los estudios en el Real Colegio.

Eran curiosas las prerrogativas de cada uno,  porque a los cirujanos de carrera se les permitía utilizar caballerías, pero  los barberos tenían que hacer sus rondas a pié, porque no les permitían su uso. 

Después del Descubrimiento de América, las autoridades vieron la necesidad  del envío de barberos-cirujanos para la atención de nuestra tropa y la de los colonizadores que fueron poblando las diferentes zonas y se ofrecieron muy buenas condiciones económicas para los que quisiesen emigrar desde España, por lo que fueron familias completas acogidas a estos beneficios.

Entre los antecedentes que he podido consultar sobre los barberos que emigraron de nuestra provincia de Huelva, he encontrado tres y cuyos datos son como sigue:

Francisco Canciano, natural de Gibraleón, que embarco para México el 1 de abril de 1538. El apellido Canciano no me parece sea de esta zona, pero hemos de tener en cuenta que en Gibraleón había un gran numero de funcionarios, al frente de los negocios del Duque de Béjar, Señor de la Villa, y es posible que este perteneciese a alguna familia foránea.

También tenemos a Francisco Hernández, natural y vecino de Ayamonte. Hijo de Antonio de Vega y de Águeda Fernández, que acompañado de su mujer, Maria González y su hijo Cristóbal, embarcaron para Yucatán el 22 de febrero de 1571.

Además fue el natural y vecino de Santa Olalla, Francisco Sánchez, hijo de Ana Lope y de Francisco Sánchez. Este iba acompañado de su mujer, Juana Pérez, también natural de Santa Olalla que marcharon con destino a Nueva España el 4 de junio de 1572.

Entre los datos que poseo, no he encontrado más paisanos, pero no dudo que irían más barberos entre los emigrantes de nuestra tierra.

Y esta es la pequeña historia de los barberos-cirujanos, profesión que ha ido disolviéndose con el transcurso del tiempo, hasta convertirse en lo que decíamos al principio, peluqueros.

Ángel Custodio Rebollo Barroso
Publicado en la Revista Zancoli, de Almonaster la Real, Huelva, Espana

HERNANDO DE ALARCÓN

 

Los primeros datos biográficos que sobre Hernando de Alarcón llegaron a mi poder, decían que se desconocían las fechas y lugares de su nacimiento y muerte, pero investigando un poco mas al personaje he sabido que se dice había nacido en Trujillo, alrededor del año 1500 y que era un navegante y explorador español, recordado por haber sido el primer europeo que había explorado a fondo el río Colorado, que antes fue conocido por el nombre de río del Tizón.

Tras una visita que hizo Fray Marcos de Niza al norte de Méjico, se difundió ampliamente la leyenda que más al norte estaban las siete ciudades de oro, del reino conocido como “Cíbola”.

Como es natural cuando surgía alguna de estas leyendas que alimentaban mucho el morbo, las autoridades no querían dejar pasar ni un día para emprender su búsqueda.

Y eso ocurrió con Cíbola, que el virrey Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco ordenó que se formaran dos expediciones; una que iría por tierra, al mando de Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y otra fluvial remontando el Colorado, que lo haría al mando de Hernando de Alarcón, que llevaba de piloto a Domingo Castillo.

Lo previsto era que estas dos expediciones se encontrasen donde habían calculado que estaba Cíbola, pero lamentablemente esto no ocurrió, porque Hernando de Alarcón y su expedición desapareció en el río, no sabemos si porque se hundió su barco o porque fueron atacados por los indígenas.

Pero Hernando de Alarcón fue previsor y había manifestado antes de partir  que dejaría enterrados, a lo largo del viaje, informes sobre lo que le aconteciera, algo normal para establecer comunicaciones en aquella época.  Y fue un tiempo después cuando de un destacamento de 80 soldados que Coronado había dejado en la zona de Sonora, el Sargento Melchor Díaz, que con un pequeño pelotón había partido en busca de Hernando de Alarcón, encontró dos cruces y enterrada la información que había dejado el navegante español.

Hernando de Alarcón afirmaba que la Baja California era una península y no una isla como se había creído anteriormente. Con esto confirmaba lo atestiguado por Francisco de Ulloa, que mantenía ese mismo criterio. 

De Alarcón no se volvió a tener noticias y se dio por desaparecido.


Ángel Custodio Rebollo

Publicado el 9 de marzo de 2011 en Odiel Información. Huelva

 


INTERNATIONAL

31 minutes of Canary Island music
A Toast to the Hispanic Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

Canada's Multicultural Trap: A Country Under Siege

Actuación de la Parranda de Luis en Arucas.
http://www.bienmesabe.org/television/video.php?id=765
31 minutes of Canary Island music.
 

A Toast to the Hispanic Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

     One of the characteristic features of the early history of Spain is the succesive waves of different peoples who spread all over the Peninsula. The first to appear were the Iberians, a Libyan people, who came from the south. Later came the Celts, a typically Aryan people, and from the merging of the two there arose a new race, the Celtiberians, who, divided into several tribes (Cantabrians, Asturians, Lusitanians) gave their name to their respective homelands.

      While many people occupied Spain, around 1500 B.C. the Celts invaded northern Spain and thus the blood of the Irish came to Spain, but the first Irish came from Spain to begin with according to a new study on the origins of the people of Britain and Ireland.  Scientists have discovered the British are descended from a tribe of Spanish fishermen. DNA analysis has found the Celts — Britain's indigenous population — have an almost identical genetic "fingerprint" to a tribe of Iberians from the coastal regions of Spain who crossed the Bay of Biscay almost 6,000 years ago.

       People of Celtic ancestry were thought to have descended from tribes of central Europe. But Bryan Sykes, professor of human genetics at Oxford University, said: "About 6,000 years ago Iberians developed ocean-going boats that enabled them to push up the Channel.

     "Before they arrived, there were some human inhabitants of Britain, but only a few thousand. These people were later subsumed into a larger Celtic tribe... the majority of people in the British Isles are actually descended from the Spanish."

      A team led by Professor Sykes — who is soon to publish the first DNA map of the British Isles — spent five years taking DNA samples from 10,000 volunteers in Britain and Ireland, in an effort to produce a map of our genetic roots.

     The most common genetic fingerprint belongs to the Celtic clan, which Professor Sykes has called "Oisin". After that, the next most widespread originally belonged to tribes of Danish and Norse Vikings. Small numbers of today's Britons are also descended from north African, Middle Eastern and Roman clans.

       So if you have Hispanic roots, you come from an amalgamated group of people that includes an array of cultures that inhabited Spain throughout history.  By the time the first Spaniards came to the Americas they were already a mixture of several cultures that evolved through time.  More Significant than any other culture, Rome left in Spain four powerful social elements: the Latin language, Roman law, the municipality and the Christian religion that are part of our own culture today here in America.   The Spaniards brought then brought Christianity, the concept of municipality, the Spanish language, many laws, the horse, cattle, pigs, and goats and many customs, food and flora that are abundant in America today.  So here we are a Celtic/Greco/Roman/Muslim/Visigoth/Spanish  people who are now Mexicans, South Americans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Central Americans from a mix of the Spanish and Indians of the Americas.                                           

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Ben Figueroa, BA,MA,CPM,LCDC,CPS Fax 361-592-4209

Sent by Eddie Garcia 
fs1830garcia@yahoo.com


Canada's Multicultural Trap: 
A Country Under Siege

by Christine Williams
March 16, 2011 at 4:30 am

http://www.hudson-ny.org/1960/multicultural-canada

Multiculturalism in Canada contains loopholes that threaten Canada's homeland security, national identity and democratic heritage as well as pose a threat to the United States of which it borders.

Although the Canadian Multicultural Act celebrates the racial diversity of Canada, and is harmless in the cultural context of embracing different foods, dance, languages and the arts, in a political context, it presents critical dilemmas where individual rights at times conflict with Western democratic traditions.

The Multicultural Act, enshrined under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, has empowered courts with sweeping interpretive powers at the highest levels of decision making. The court's mandate becomes balancing individual rights with that of multicultural rights -- a task which has increasing lead to socio-political upheavals. For example, what constitutes hate speech and so-called propaganda is left to Judges to decide. These Judges are heavily under the influence of political correctness to appease special interest groups that not only drive their own agendas, but which are often quick to levy accusations of racism and intolerance -- the curse words of this era. The absolute right to free speech—a prized tenet of democracy—is in effect dissolved; this erosion bears direct significance in the face of growing Islamism.

In 1999, the United Nations endorsed the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights (CDHR) which stipulates simply that Human Rights must be seen through the eyes of Shariah law. According to article 24: "All the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic Shari'a,". This poses a conflict with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the CDHR supersedes. This UN endorsement spilled outside of Islamic regimes as OIC countries has vehemently promulgated their "defamation of Islam" mission in the global arena.

At the U.N. Durban I anti-racism conference, the Western right to free speech was challenged; and in March, 2010, the UN General Assembly finally passed a defamation of religion resolution that was introduced by Pakistan, and that accused the West of targeting Muslims. Pakistan is well known for its barbaric Blasphemy laws in which the Christian Minority Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was gunned down recently for publicly calling for its abrogation.

Three months ago, the so-called moderate Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan—upon receiving the absurd Al Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights—glowed with pride as he delivered his acceptance speech about Islamophobia and the evils of free speech in the West. The West has noted many accounts of the democratic rights of a citizen acquiescing to what amounts to the arrival of Shariah law on Western soil. Citizens have been subjected to a shakedown by Human Rights Commissions or dragged before courts for so-called hate speech against Muslims in Europe and Canada, where multiculturalism rules.

The Canadian high profile cases of human rights lawyer Ezra Levant and political commentator Mark Steyn highlight this. Levant—who was then publisher of the Western Standard-- republished the controversial Danish cartoons depicting Mohammed in 2006. Syed Soharwardy of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada and the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities subsequently lodged a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission. Similarly, political writer Mark Steyn and Maclean's magazine were dragged to the B.C. Human Rights Commission for a so-called islamophobic article in that publication entitled: "The Future Belongs to Islam". This too stemmed from a complaint filed by a Muslim group: the Canadian Islamic Congress.

Frustrations over violating the democratic rights of citizens to free speech accompanied by mounting reports about homegrown radicalization have led to European leaders condemning multiculturalism. Recently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British PM David Cameron and French PM Nicholas Sarkozy finally declared multiculturalism a failure in recognition of the extent to which it encourages group segregation and a lack of a strong national identity – both of which constitute fertile soil for extremism. Another factor is that the words "Islamic terrorism" only need to be whispered for Islamists to start screaming Islamophobia and racism.

Under multicultural Canada, diversity incentives are embraced as the answer to combat racism. But the implementation of metrics with which to measure diversity are woefully misinformed and have led to the abuse of the word "racism." Just one unfavorable glance at a member of an identifiable group—especially Muslims-- can earn one the reviled label of racist, Islamophobic and a counter-diversity bigot. This attitude is now so severely institutionalized in Canada that when three terrorist suspects were arrested during Ramadan a few months ago, the RCMP embarrassingly issued an apology to the Muslim community for executing the arrest during their holy season, and then met with a group of Ottawa Muslims to reassure them that they are not being targeted. At this meeting there was no food nor drink allowed out of respect for Ramadan fasting. This move was condemned by the moderate Muslim Canadian Congress and by Dr. Zuhdi Jasser (American Islamic Forum for Democracy) in an interview in which he discussed the culture of victimization entertained in the Muslim community. Shortly after, as the outspoken moderate Tarek Fatah—founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress—lay recovering from a health issue in hospital, he received death threats from a fellow disgruntled Muslim. Toronto police sent two Muslim police officers to speak with Mr. Fatah. To his dismay they refused to press charges, an abandonment of duty that led to his commentary entitled, " Some Death Threats Don't Count."

Multicultural Canada has also become lucrative for Islamists. It has seen Muslim men draining taxpayer dollars by importing their harems and claiming welfare aid for each one. In Ontario, wives in polygamous marriages are recognized as spouses under the Ontario Family Law Act after the marriages have taken place abroad. Al-Jazeera in English has also been launched in Canada; Maher Arar—on a U.S. terrorist list-- became an instant millionaire on the backs of taxpayers. Arar, who has dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship, was detained by U.S. authorities in New York on terrorism suspicions, then sent back to his country of origin where he was tortured in prison. A judicial inquiry decided that the RCMP mislabeled him as extremist, even as he remains on a US terrorist list. The RCMP shared information with US authorities which led to his deportation. For this, Arar was issued an apology from the Prime Minister and $10.5 million from the government, significantly down from his requested $400-million.

Islamists playing up the notion of victimhood is ironic: there exists an enshrined Muslim superiority in which women are regarded as inferiors, as are "Unbelievers." In the new world order envisioned by Islamists -- a global Muslim Caliphate -- "Unbelievers" become Dhimmis, or second-class citizens, forced to pay an extra tax, give way to Muslims on the street, be permitted employment in limited jobs, and wear special clothing to make them easy to identify (the origin of the Nazi yellow Star of David that Jews were required to wear during the German Third Reich). It is also a Muslim command to lie to and deceive infidels (al-Tiqiyya), if the end is regarded as justifying the means.

This infiltration has developed into a Muslim Brotherhood population in Canada, with an exponential membership, bent on conquering by peaceful means, but meanwhile providing the incendiary language on which eventual terrorism feeds. Members have succeeded in penetrating every facet of Canadian institutions, an expansion made easy under the umbrella of diversity and multiculturalism. The "leaders" know well how to manipulate multicultural loopholes to conquer a democracy and slowly replace it with the tenets of Shariah law.

Canada's multicultural loopholes are hollowing out and weakening its national identity, using the vacuum created as fertile ground for terrorists to hide out and Islamists to prosper. The mere mention of racism, anti-diversity and Islamophobia creates a nervousness within Canadian institutions which, for the sake of national security, must be challenged, as well as to solidify a collective identity that embodies free speech. To not retain that right will soon translate into the loss of further rights.

Canada stands at the crossroads and vulnerable with: a minority Conservative government, a leftist mass media that embraces diversity without question, a widespread acceptance of Israel as an "apartheid" state. Yet in Israel there are Arab parties in its government, Arab members of its parliament, Arab doctors and patients (180,000 last year alone) alongside Jews in its hospitals, and Arab teachers and students alongside Jews in its universities. Guilt over colonialism -- without knowledge of the still flourishing black slave trade by Arabs – also holds Canada hostage to special interest groups, as well as a blind tolerance in the country for anyone with a kind smile.