This
year we have incurred an unusually high number of medical expenses due
to illness and injuries and the extended drought.
July 13, 1859
|
AUGUST 2014
|
|
AUGUST 2014
|
|
|
|
Ignacio
"Originally, Eddie Martinez, artist, and Pete Moraga came to my
home to tell me that they wanted to showcase my artwork as a montage for
the first Hispanic Heritage Week. I was honored and thrilled. In my
excitement, I said, “I’ll do a new image for the cover!” We all
agreed. I then came up with an idea of using our four kids as models.
Their ages were eight, six, five and three. I got them out of bed, still
in their pjs, and with the help of my wife, Imelda, posed them. This has
been one of my favorite paintings. Because of the response we turned it
into a poster.
|
|
|
Letters to the Editor |
||
|
Wow-wow-wow- this is a breathtaking collection of articles and essays. How in the world do you do it? How often does this come out? Mimi-you are a wizard! And all so perfect? Thank you for including our conference and thank you for the essay on the survival of the Jewish people. I loved that. I enjoyed all of it! I am humbled by your effort. Seriously-this is a Herculean job. I will return to it again. Best regards, Corinne Joy Brown corinnejb@aol.com |
Hello Mimi....your letters are always so interesting and very welcome. I am a
Texan, Anglo, but live in Mexico, a country which I love as much as Texas.
I am so glad you are writing and reminding people of our Hispanic
heritage...I always forward your letters to friends. I wish you the best always. sincerely,
Gary Hodge, Merida, Yucatan..... p.s. Most Yucatecans know nothing of the important role that Lorenzo de Zavala played in our history....I enjoy explaining the story to them ... g fresharvest08@gmail.com Editor: I wrote to Gary, curious about a possible business in Mexico and got the following response: |
|
|
Mimi, I enjoyed reading Jose Antonio Lopez's "Preserving Tejano Texas is not an option, its a must!" in the July 1014 issue of Semos Primos I am submitting this short bio on Alonso de Leon that mentions more details concerning his accomplishments and the legacy he left us with. I am a proud descendant.
Eddie U
Garcia eddie_u_garcia@yahoo.com
Alonso de Leon was born in 1639 Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon, New Spain. and died on 21 March 1691 in Coahuila, New Spain. He started his Naval career in Spain from 1657-1660 and was a successful businessman before his political career began. • Entrepreneur in Salt Mining • Mayor of Cadereyta, 1667-1675 • Gov. of Nuevo Leon, 1682-1684
• 1st Gov. of
Coachuila, 1687-91
• Led 4 Expeditions, 1686-1690 De Leon was selected to expel the French from East Texas in 1686 after rumors surfaced of a French Colony in Texas. De Leon found Fort St. Louis in 1689, La Salle's abandoned settlement. In 1690 the early advocate of frontier missions co-founded with Franciscan priest Fray Damian Massanet the first mission built within Texas, Mission San Francisco de los Tejas. The Explorer Alonso de Leon first blazed much of Old San Antonio Road (also known as El Camino Real or, the King’s Highway). Governor Alonso de Leon named such rivers as the San Marcos River, the Guadalupe River, the Medina River, the Nueces River, and the Trinity River.
P.O. 490 |
Hello Mimi...thanks for the fast reply....yes, do love
and respect the Mexican heritage....I feel that I am a part of it as I have lived most of my life in
Mexico....and too, it is such an important
part of Texas you well know.
Fresh Harvest was the name that I used when I grew gourmet vegetables in the DF. I worked with all of the top chefs there, and as you may well know, we have great restaurants which compare to anything in the us or Europe. Pujol, which belongs to a friend of mine, Enrique Olvera, is rated number twenty in the world.....it is booked sometimes months in advance. The DF is such a beautiful place....there is great art, music, food, and tremendous wealth......so many people in the US do not know what Mexico has to offer.....well, I am blabbing too much so will stop and not bore you......as to Fresh Harvest, tried to continue here but the climate is so harsh......guess what really likes it.......okra and black eyed peas.......but no one knows what they are.....
Have a great fourth....my best to you Mimi.... Gary
Dear Mimi, Mimi:
Eres un tesoro.
?Como tienes tiempo de hcer tanto trabajo?
Solamente leyendo la lista de todos tus articulos, ya estoy agotada.
Haces un trabajo tremendo.
Te conoci el año pasado en Sacramento,
durante el premio que recibimos las dos de la Conference of California
Historical Societies.
Abrazos de Maria Rieger
lareina250@att.net
|
|
| Quotes of Thoughts to Consider | |
| Much of my work is centered on preserving historical
memory. Without a common memory we allow the oppressors to define
our reality. ~ Rudolfo F. Acuña |
|
| "I
have looked on our present state of liberty as a short-lived possession,
unless the mass of the people could be informed." ~ Thomas
Jefferson
|
|
| "One has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of
conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable or dangerous to do
so." ~ Water Lippman |
|
|
|
|||
|
NCLR 2014 Conference, Reflections |
 The NCLR annual conference agenda and schedule of workshops and presenters just keeps expanding. The expertise that they attract is outstanding. Congratulations to Janet Murguia and her staff. The goal of the Somos Primos booth this year was to help heritage projects underway. Our mission goal was met. Our booth was busy and valuable contacts were made by all those exhibiting in the booth. Photos and information concerning numerous heritage projects are scattered throughout the August and will be found in the September issue also. |
 Left to right: Steve Rubin (Guy Gabaldon Statue Campaign) and Robin Collins, Diane Jones, and Scott Ennis (Rancho Del Sueño) set up displays. Isabel Quintana Hutchings, adjusting her scarf will be coordinating future exhibits for Somos Primos.
|
|
(File
photo: RGG/Steve Taylor) “What we owe our Tejano ancestors and
their descendants”
July 10, 2014 By
José Antonio López |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
SAN
ANTONIO, July 10 - For over 150 years, mainstream Texas history books have been
written as if Texas history begins in 1836. By design, conventional Texas
history books cut out or reject the foundation story of Texas, simply because it
doesn’t fit the Sam Houston model. Equally
unfortunate, that restrictive method (l) tends to treat early (pre-1836) Texas
history as Spanish & Mexican “foreign” history; and (2) ignores the
direct connection between Native Americans and today’s Mexican-descent Texans
and Southwest people. The result? Mainstream Texas history instruction omits the
very roots of Texas. That is unfair to the memory of the Spanish Mexican Tejano
founders of Texas. How can we fix this long-standing problem? For
about the last thirty years, a group of dedicated Tejano history aficionados of
both Tejano and Anglo backgrounds have tried to offer a more fair and balanced
account. However, selling that idea to a skeptical public raised on movie
myth-inspired Texas history hasn’t been easy. |
There have been other
efforts to make Texas history curriculum more inclusive (see next paragraph).
More recently, a dedicated effort supported by the Texas State Historical
Association is about to bring together Tejano history stories with the goal of
establishing a Tejano History Handbook Online. Based
on grass-roots petitions and testimony in 2010, the Texas State Board of
Education agreed that the teaching of Texas history in the classroom is
incomplete. As such, they approved the inclusion of some Spanish Mexican people
in the STAAR social studies and Texas history school curriculum. It’s not
much, but it’s a start. Albeit,
what is the main problem with the way Texas history is taught today? The clear
answer is that mainstream Texas history at all levels tends to pigeonhole Texas
history into three distinct eras: Spanish colonial, Mexican Republic, and
Republic/State of Texas. Worse, as presented in the classroom, the first two
eras are not connected to the third (Texas history). Such an approach implies
that the people who lived during the first two eras have disappeared and thus
are treated as detached (unconnected) parts of mainstream Texas history. The
fact is that the descendants of the Spanish Mexican people who lived in the
first two eras (pioneer settlers who founded Texas) are still here today in the
form of Mexican-descent Texans. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Regrettably,
generations of Mexican-descent Texas students have been treated as foreigners in
their own homeland. They know little of their ancestors’ history. What are
some lessons that a more open discussion of Texas history will provide Texas
children? Below is a partial list of topics that especially Mexican-descent
children in South Texas must discover, study, and get to know their impact on
(help or hurt) Spanish Mexican people of the U.S. Southwest: (l) The First Texas Independence occurred on April 6, 1813; (2) The 1836 Battles of
the Álamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto are part of a chronological chapter in
Mexico’s history, not the U.S. Mexico didn’t lose Texas, South Texas, &
Southwest until 1848; |
(6)
learn about “Borderlands” families that were split in two in 1848 as
a result of the U.S. Mexico War; and (7) for high school and college
students, develop lessons on the Mutualista Movement, Jovita Idar, LULAC,
Mexican-descent military veterans; Dr. Hector P. Garcia and the American
GI Forum, The Class Apart (1954 Supreme Court Decision - Hernandez v.
Texas), 1964 Civil Rights Act, etc.. Other
aspects of little-known early Texas history facts that Texas students must know
in higher grades: (a) The Black Legend (Leyenda Negra); (b) Manifest Destiny;
(c) Learn why and how U.S. encroachment into the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida,
Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Mississippi Valley and the Northwest displaced
existing Spanish settlements, presidios, and missions; (d) 1836 Texas
Independence negative effect on Spanish Mexican-descent Texans (Tejanos). In
summary, nowhere else in history has one ethnic group robbed another group of
its heritage to embellish their own. Yet, that’s what’s been done to the Álamo
and La Bahia (Goliad) Presidio. It’s
time to honor these magnificent historical structures for their strength,
beauty, and creativity of their Spanish Mexican builders. They must no longer be
marketed only because armed Anglo expatriates from the U.S. died there. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
So,
what do we owe the memory of our Tejano ancestors, founders of Texas, and their
growing number of descendants? We owe them inclusion in mainstream Texas
history. The first chapters of our state’s history may be written in Spanish,
but what’s wrong with admitting that Texas history is truly bi-cultural and
bi-lingual? Simply stated, Tejano history is not a “separate but equal”
history. Tejano history is and will always be Texas history. |
José Antonio “Joe” López was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and is a USAF Veteran. He now lives in Universal City, Texas. He is the author of three books: “The Last Knight (Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara Uribe, A Texas Hero,”, “Nights of Wailing, Days of Pain (Life in 1920s South Texas)”, and “The First Texas Independence, 1813”. Lopez 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. |
|
The Price of California Admission to Statehood by Galal Kernahan |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Long
ago, I marched the route taken by Presidents. And when I was small, I
rolled Easter Eggs on the White House lawn. Don't try this at the back
of your own place without the assistance of a five-year-old. It's fun.
It is also the dumbest custom in the whole U.S. of A.
From the backyard of the White House look off to the East. There's the Capitol a dozen or so blocks down made-for-marching Pennsylvania Avenue. My parade there was an annual event for the City's School Boy Patrol. I wore its white over-a-shoulder Sam Brown Belt, status symbol of older kids selected to make sure younger ones crossed streets safely to and from school. I was a Sixth Grader at West Grammar School when Franklin Delano Roosevelt began his second term as President. The Country was turning around from the Depression. So was my family. I worried about my shoes. When you wore holes in them, you could glue on replacement soles from the five and dime store, But when the glue began to fail, you began to flap. . .a mortal embarrassment. |
President
Roosevelt assured us "You have nothing to fear but fear
itself." I don't think he had any idea how much folks fear embarrassment.
It isn't fair to criticize him for not knowing. He was a cripple. In
spite of things like that, Washington, D.C. was one big wonderful
schoolyard. It was the place to learn about what politicians used to
call their "Fellow Americans."
My family's worries worsened when my father bought too much house. He wanted to make up for being on the road all the time. We had to take in roomers in our upscale neighborhood to meet the payments. We lived next door to Arizona's U.S. Representative John R. Murdoch. I was recruited to be his unpaid family consultant in the late 1930s before starting Junior High. His wife wrote a newspaper column for Arizona kids. She hauled me around our Nation's Capital to get my reactions to whatever she wanted to tell them. It solved some mysteries for me. . .all but one. When marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in the annual Schoolboy Patrol Parade, I found myself staring at the Capitol. Its great white dome was beautiful. The statue at the top had |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| been
put there in the 1850s. I couldn't figure out what it was doing up
there. One day, Mrs. Murdoch bundled me into her car to go take a look.
We went all the way up within the dome and stepped out right in front of
the block on which this Statue of Freedom stands. Its base was covered
with grafitti. My juvenile indignation was shared by Mrs. Murdoch with
Arizona kids from the Mexican Border to beyond the North Rim of the
Grand Canyon. *
When I turned
round, I gasped. There were the White House, the Washington Monument
and, on this side of the Potomac River, the Lincoln Memorial. Then I
looked up at the huge statue. "What's that on her head?"
"Feathers" Mrs. Murdoch said. I figured it was a Statue of a
strange Native American who was supposed to symbolize
"Liberty." What seemed like a century later, I learned the -jfu^hn
got on the Web and dialed up the "Statue of Freedom" Report by
the Architect of the Capitol. It says she is a 19-foot 6-inch
15,000-pound lady with one hand on the hilt of a sheathed sword and the
other holding a victory wreath and a thirteen-striped shield. Topping
this lady (with the literally highest seniority in the U.S. Capitol
ever) was a ridiculous decoration. It was something the designer had
never had in mind. He had planned for Ms. Freedom to be wearing a
"Liberty Cap", symbol of a Freed Slave. |
U.S.
Secretary of War Jefferson Davis saw to it her headgear would not be a
"Liberty" cap but a bird-topped Roman style helmet. There was
plenty of evidence of what visiting birds thought of that.
During teen years, I moved to Arizona with my young adult brother. He was a fledgling Methodist minister serving a little church in Williams sixty miles South of the Grand Canyon. The Summer after my Junior Year in High School, I fought forest fires on the high plateau. Some started along the Achison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail line that crosses Northern Arizona. It was there I became vaguely aware of "checkerboarding" of the one-square-mile sections of land key to the development of the Far West including California. Laying of railroad lines was rewarded with land grants. Their sales were supposed to underwrite railway construction. The one-mile-squares of land barely touched corners. Yet they enhanced access and development rights. Following that Arizona summer, I completed high school in Phoenix and began college in California. I began studying formation of the U.S. from an association of thirteen formerly British colonies to an accumulation of forty-eight contiguous States. The total reached fifty with the addition of Hawaii and Alaska. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| One
question intrigued me: what was the varying "price of
admission" to the Union particularly in years leading up to the
Civil War? Pre-Civil War divisions in Congress effected the price. In
1849, California was amassing gold-seekers. Months before Congress got
round to admitting California to the the Union in 1850, a recent
Southern Congressman lept at California wealth opportunities even as
slavery promised to be a non-starter among gold-seekers. There is more
than one way to skin a cat.
He managed to be elected to the Monterey Convention that wrote
California's bilingual Original State Constitution. Then a November 13,
1849 Election that ratified it also elected its State Government. That
included naming California's first representatives to the Federal
Legislature. He became one on his election as one of its two U.S.
Senators. That he was returning to Washington Gold Rush wealthy and
politically powerful had to impress fellow Federal Legislators from his
home in Mississippi and elswhere in the South. |
reasoning
sometimes appearing on the California Department of Education website. .
.where it has gone so far as to urge reinterpretive rewriting of a 1947
Proclamation signed by then Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., and every
California Departmental Executive then serving. It is a novel example of
a tidy way to re-do the past. Rewrite old official documents to support
some present take you hope to establish.
Let us conclude by addressing the question of prices exacted from Californians for services of an at-heart Mississippi political operator in the Golden State's Admission to the Union as a free state. California's September 9th Admission Day near the beginning of the School Year seems to generate a brief haze of appreciation the Nation let us in. Few grasp it was was a political deal as new State admissions to the Union were during the prelude to Civil War. No one was in a better position of this than one of California's two first U.S. Senators. William M. Gwin, a Mississippian at heart, represented the Golden State in Congress' Upper House most of the decade leading up to the Civil War. Then he went home to Mississippi. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| He
sought to seem neutral about slavery. His were back in Mississippi. He
had to live without them in California, a Free State. Yet some scholars
have found him a master of "the politics of _ __ prejudice."
He was instrumental in establishing a California Board of Land
Commissioners. It ruled on the validity of Spanish and Mexican land
claims. Defending them became ruinously expensive. Mexican heritage
lands were lost.
Another Gwin accomplishment came about by tapping his Washington connections to establish a California Mint. He made money as it made money. He harvested a percentage of the wages of Californians who got Mint jobs. He already had a gold mine that made him wealthy.. .but there are so many other ways to rake in money when you are politically positioned to. |
With
the coming of the Civil War, he went back to his real Mississippi home.
His remarkable California wealth-producing success could not help but
impress Southern politicians. They had followed his usually successful
political moves. True. It is likely that his powerful presence in early
California State politics was possible because he simply ignored its
practical rejection of slavery. No Gold Rush Californians would stand
still for teams of slaves working diggings. Gwin saw he didn't need
them. He left his home. His politics of prejudice worked just as well
without them.
How Gwin maneuvered through political opportunities at Californians expense seemed to work from the beginning. He became notoriously rich and powerful. . .yet a comfort to the South when California became a State. '
|
|
Just for NALIPsters: Matador Sneak Peak |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Growing up, it was troubling to see Hispanics in movies and
on TV consistently portrayed in unflattering roles as drug dealers, gardeners
and criminals. As a parent, I’ve been disappointed to see the representation
of Hispanics in media has barely changed since my youth. This is why with your support, we started El Rey Network
– to better reflect the changing face of America and to create a destination
where second and third generation Hispanics could find storytelling and
characters they could relate to and that they could own. This is why we like to
call El Rey "the people’s network." Matador, our new original series, comes from prolific
producer/writer Roberto Orci who is of Mexican and Cuban descent. Roberto and I
knew the show had to be action-packed and entertaining but we also wanted to
have a heroic Hispanic lead. We worked diligently with the production team to
ensure that Latinos were represented substantially both in front of and behind
the camera. |
Tony "Matador" Bravo, played by Gabriel Luna, is
a CIA operative who uses his cover as a professional soccer player to bring down
adversaries. We invite you into his world with a private sneak peek at the pilot
episode, accessible here: www.vimeo.com/elreynetwork/matadorpilot
Password: ElReyMatador We don’t want to lament why it took so long for something
like this to happen. The fact is that we are finally here and want to thank you
for helping make El Rey and Matador possible. Please continue to “Ride With El
Rey” by spreading the word on this ground-breaking show. Con mucho respeto, Robert Rodriguez
|
|
Do you know what it means? |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
One detail that is never mentioned is that in
Washington , D.C. There can never be a building of greater height than
the Washington Monument. On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument
in Washington , D.C. , are displayed two words: No one can see these words.
In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they
are even there and for that matter, probably couldn't care less. Once you know Laus Deo's history , you will want to
share this with everyone you know. These
words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches
high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our
nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of
Columbia, capital of the United States of America. Laus Deo! Two
seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight and, one might
think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point
over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the
world. So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of
just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean?
Very simply, they say 'Praise be to God!' Though construction of this giant obelisk began in
1848, when James Polk was President of the United States , it was not
until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public.
It took twenty-five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to
the Father of our nation, A cross you ask?
Why a cross? What
about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church
and state was not, is not, in the Constitution.
So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a
profound meaning for those who bother to notice. When the cornerstone of
the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it
were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society.
Praise be to God! Such was
the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the
founder and first President of our unique democracy 'One Nation, Under
God.' |
I am awed by George Washington's prayer for America
.... Have you ever read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so
read on! ' Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.' Laus Deo!
"The average age of the world's greatest
civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200
years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed
through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage." Sent by Odell Harwell
|
|
|
Some Familiar Faces: Two minutes, nine
seconds......................don't miss it!!!!
In 1970, John Wayne hosted a variety show celebrating America's
history. You will see some familiar faces. Included in the cast
were the following (some were not credited): Ann-Margaret, Lucille Ball,
Jack Benny, Dan Blocker, Roscoe Lee Browne, George Burns, Owen Bush,
James Caldwell, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Bing Crosby,
Phyllis Diller, Edward Faulkner, Lorne Greene, Harry Hickox, Celeste
Holm, Bob Hope, Kay E. Kuter, Michael Landon, Forrest Lewis, Dean
Martin, Dick Martin, Ross Martin, Greg Morris, Ricky David Nelson, Hugh
O'Brian, Dan Rowan, William Shatner, Orville Sherman, Red Skelton, Tom
Smothers, Leslie Uggams, Jesse Vint, John Wayne, Patrick Wayne, Dennis
Weaver, Dan White, Hal Williams, The Doodletown Pipers. The closing
piece featured many of the show's guests. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203900770857211 Sent by Frances Rios francesrios499@hotmail.com |
|
|
| ============================================= | == | ============================================= |
|
Editors: Sharon A. Navarro, Samantha L. Hernandez
& Leslie A. Navarro The ever-changing dynamics and
demographics in the United States can be widely highlighted by the
challenges, losses, and victories of Latinas in different realms of the
political sphere. Given the under-representation of Latinas in politics,
this volume aims to cover a range of essential topics using qualitative
and quantitative work. We welcome submissions that discuss the nuances
that Latinas have as candidates and officeholders. In order to
understand the trajectory of Latinas in politics, this volume examines
candidate selection, strategies, and news coverage of Latina candidates.
Further, we analyze representation at the federal, state and local
levels. This timely volume highlights Latinas as political players in an
ever- changing landscape. Aspects that can be discussed in each chapter
include but are not limited to: |
Dear Colleagues and Friends: I'm circulating an updated version (link & PDF)
of our Call for Papers on an edited volume (reference encyclopedia),
focusing on immigration / migration in the U.S.: https://sites.google.com/site/alvarohuertasite Submission Process: Submit subject interest and
essays to any of the following editors: Submission Deadline: *September 19, 2014* (early
submissions encouraged) Notes: We seek essays on Latina/o immigrants and
beyond. We are open to a limited amount of other immigration-related
essays not included in our list of topics. Cordially, Alvaro Recommended book for Fall classes & campus
libraries: Huerta, Alvaro.
|
|
Mariano-Florentino Cuellar |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has nominated
a Mexican-born Stanford law professor to the California Supreme Court. Brown on Tuesday nominated 41-year-old Mariano-Florentino
Cuellar (KWAY'-ahr) to be an associate justice of the state's highest court. If
approved, the registered Democrat would fill a vacancy created by the retirement
of Justice Marvin Baxter, a reliably conservative member of the court, in
January. This is Brown's second nomination since returning to the
governor's office. In 2011, he filled a vacancy by appointing University of
California, Berkeley, law professor Goodwin Liu to the California Supreme Court
after Senate Republicans blocked his nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals.
|
Cuellar has taught administrative law, criminal law and
international law, among other subjects. He also served as an adviser in the
Obama White House. Source: Herald Tribune, 7/22/2014
|
|
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
LATINA Style Inc., the premier company addressing
the needs of Latina professional workingwomen and the Latina business
owners in the United States, congratulates Julián Castro on his
confirmation to serve as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development. With a bipartisan vote of 71-26, the San Antonio Mayor was
confirmed by the Senate today. Castro will replace Shaun Donovan as
housing secretary. He has become the third Hispanic cabinet member in
President Obama's second-term administration following Labor Secretary
Thomas Perez, and SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet. "I applaud the bipartisan majority of Senators who today confirmed Julián Castro as our next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development," stated President Obama on the Confirmation of Julián Castro as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. "Julián is a proven leader, a champion for safe, affordable housing and strong, sustainable |
neighborhoods.
I know that together with the dedicated professionals at HUD,
Julián will help build on the progress we've made battling back from
the Great Recession -- rebuilding our housing market, reducing
homelessness among veterans, and connecting neighborhoods with good
schools and good jobs that help our citizens succeed. Julián has lived
the American Dream in his own life, and I'm confident he will help
Americans across our country seize their own piece of that dream for
themselves and their children."
Mayor Julián Castro is the youngest mayor of a Top
50 American city. First elected on May 9, 2009, Mayor Castro was handily
re-elected to a third term in 2013. Throughout his tenure, Mayor Castro
has focused on attracting well-paying jobs in 21st century industries,
positioning San Antonio to be a leader in the New Energy Economy and
raising educational attainment across the spectrum. Sent by Latina
Style, Inc. info@latinastyle.com |
 A
rejection letter from Disney,1938.
|
|
Moctesuma Esparza TEDx is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading -- through TED.com, our annual conferences, the annual TED Prize and local TEDx events. Explore the talks filmed at independently organized TEDx events. With 30,000+ videos from organizers in more than 130 countries, speakers cover topics from sanitation to technological wizardry to deep policy issues to, well, designing boots for beetles. http://tedxtalks.ted.com/ In this TEDx
program, Moctesuma Esparza shares a personal and family narrative beginning in the time of Flores
Magon, a
Mexican revolutionary, and concluding on Mocte's youthful activism for social
justice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-eVmxcCgt4&feature=youtu.be
|
|
Message from Alma Morales Riojas Dear Friend, Colleague, Partner, |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
For almost fifteen years I have had the honor, privilege,
and responsibility of leading MANA, a National Latina Organization in educating,
empowering, mentoring, and promoting the advancement of Latinas of all ages. It
has been one of the most productive and happiest times in my life and now it is
time for me to start another chapter in my life. By retiring, I have brought to
a close what has been a challenging and rewarding experience that will always
hold a very important place in my heart. While leaving MANA, A National Latina Organization is sad, During my tenure hundreds of women completed extensive
training geared to strengthen their respective communities in issues including
child passenger safety, financial literacy, mentoring, addressing health
disparities and prescription care, preparing to run for office, serving on
boards of directors, working with educators, using art as a form of expression,
conducting STEM workshops and serving as policy advocates for communities across
the country. |
Thousands of young Latinas participated in the renowned
Hermanitas® Program across the country and hundreds attended the Annual
Hermanitas® National Training Institute. The Hermanitas high school graduation
rate and college enrollment remains at over 95% and teen pregnancy remains at
almost 0%. These are actual results of a federal grant study monitored and
documented by the Latino Center at the University of California in San Marcos.
The findings were later published in the Harvard Hispanic Policy Journal. Hundreds of Latinas participated in the Ford AvanZamos®
Fellowship Program, completed the Gallup Foundation " Learning your
Strengths" program and a train the trainers curriculum to train hundreds of
Madrinas® to become mentors for Hermanitas. Las Primeras® which recognizes Latinas who have
accomplished "firsts" in their career gained respect and
acknowledgement as an educational program showcasing the historical
accomplishments of Latina trailblazers. The honorees represent a multitude of
individual accomplishments ranging from being the first: astronaut, Secretary of
Labor, Marine General, college President, movie producer, race car driver, Coast
Guard pilot, mothers of outstanding children and many others. Each woman
continues to especially serve as a role model for Hermanitas and adult Latinas
across the country. So many incredible Latinas have been recognized and the
world is richer knowing about them and their accomplishments. The expression,
"there are no Latina role models" is surely obsolete! |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Through the State Farm Child Passenger Safety Training
Program hundreds of Latinas, Police Officers, Military Officers, and community
leaders were trained and certified as technicians to inspect and install child
passenger safety seats. Participating in hospital and community events, the
technicians ensured that hundreds of family vehicles were made safe for child
passengers. Since more than any other cause Hispanic children die or suffer
serious injuries in car accidents, with the leadership and help of State Farm
and it's employees and guidance of Art Ruiz, lives were saved and the number of
likely serious injuries were prevented. In partnership with the White House Initiative on
Excellence in Hispanic Education, the Department of Education, Walmart, State
Farm, General Motors, Department of the Navy, Sodexho, KPBS, the University of
California in San Diego, and the University of Texas in El Paso we conducted
"Ferias Educativas" which were held in key cities including San Diego,
California, Miami, Florida and El Paso, Texas. Parents were provided the tools
to help their children pursue a higher education, students were given tools to
do well on their college entrance exams and teachers were connected to key
national resources to facilitate their teaching roles.
|
We partnered with many sister organizations in our mutual
goal to better serve our communities in areas including educating our youth,
addressing critical health issues disproportionately affecting Hispanics,
learning to manage finances, encouraging youth to pursue STEM careers, and
making youth aware of government careers, both civilian and military. The Hermanitas® program was recognized by First Lady Laura
Bush at the "Helping America's Youth Conference" in Dallas, Texas.
Over 900 on site participants and thousands via webcast learned about the
success of mentoring young Latinas and the program was replicated by several
groups. Our national partner Telemundo aired a spot featuring First Lady Bush
and me. By invitation from First Lady Michelle Obama a briefing on
the Hermanitas® Program was given to her and key staff members. At her request,
the training curriculum was shared with the White House. Mrs. Obama was
particularly impressed with our "Latina Health and Wealth Quest"
initiative including the walking contests held during our conferences.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
During this period I was fortunate to represent MANA, A
National Latina Organization on the Hispanic Association on Corporate
Responsibility and met with many corporate partners to advocate for Hispanic
inclusion. I was honored to be elected as the first woman to serve as Chair of
the HACR Board of Directors. Serving on the Hispanic Leadership Agenda Board of
Directors allowed me to maximize our involvement and advocacy on policy issues.
It was an honor to co-chair with Aspira President Ron Blackburn Moreno and with
MANA Founding President Bettie Baca and Alex Rodriguez a reception honoring the
first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court, The Honorable Justice Sonia
Sotomayor. As a small organization being able to serve on a variety of
Boards and Coalitions was an effective and efficient way to expand the
organization's presence and in ensuring a strong Latina voice in issues ranging
from pay equity, consumer issues, employment, domestic violence, trafficking of
women and children, prescription affordability, immigration reform, health
issues, the census, childcare, home ownership, women in the military, small
business, financial stability and mentoring. |
At the recommendation of the Mexican Embassey, I was an
appointee to the President of Mexico "Comisión del Instituto de Mexicanos
en el Exterior," It was a once in a lifetime experience to discus and
recommend actions that would help improve and strengthen the lives of immigrants
on both sides of the US- Mexico border as well as the Mexico-Guatemala border. A
recommendation to extend Mexican citizenship to third generation immigrants
living outside of Mexico was adopted by the Mexico Legislature. It is a deep source of pride that many young Latinas who
worked as staff members, General Motors and Verizon interns, youth National
Board Members, Hermanitas, and volunteers have gone on to achieve greater
heights in their personal careers and lives. I would like to think that their
experience working with the organization helped each in reaching for their
dreams and aspirations and nothing can surpass my personal pride of being a
small part of their lives. None of the above would have been possible without the trust and support you have given me. To the late Vangie Elizondo who recruited me as a member in 1979; Art Ruiz who with State Farm support made it possible for us to have a national office; Mary Ramirez who helped bring in the American GI
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Forum Women; Cassandra de la Cruz Osshinayi who brought in Lambda Pi Chi
(Latinas
Promoviendo Comunidad),and AARP; Gloria Rodriguez who brought in governance and
Gallup training; Maria Crespo who brought in Chic Chicanas; Juana Bordas who
brought in the Circle of Latina Leadership |
I will always value the friendship of so many incredible
and giving women and men, congressional members and staff; corporations;
foundations; sister organizations; Federal Departments and Board Members who so
generously supported the mission and goals of the organization and who became my
cherished friends, mentors, and heroes in the process. I extend my deepest
gratitude for rewarding my life so fully and hope that we will continue to work
together to attain equality for Latinas and for our communities. The love and belief of my daughter Cynthia Esparza
Crockett, son Roland Gabriel Esparza, grandchildren, their spouses; my brothers,
sisters and many Riojas and Morales family members have always been and will
continue to be the foundation for my very blessed life. Should you want to reach me you can contact me at
almariojas@yahoo.com. I will continue to actively support the causes and
organizations working to advance Latinas, Hispanics and women.
Siempre Adelante,
|
|
WWII CRIMES ARCHIVE OPENS |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
WASHINGTON • From Adolf Hitler down to the petty
bureaucrats who staffed the Nazi death camps, thousands of perpetrators
of World War II war crimes were eventually written up in vast reams of
investigative files - files that now, for the first time, can be viewed
in their entirety by the public. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington
has obtained a full copy of the U.N. War Crimes Commission archive that
has largely been locked away for the past 70 years under restricted
access at the United Nations. On Thursday, the museum announced it has
made the entire digital archive freely available to visitors in its
research room. Although information in the documents has long been
known to investigators and historians, the public was kept out. Many of
those named in the archive were never held accountable. In addition to the allegations of mass murder
against Hitler and his high-level henchmen, the files list thousands of
obscure but no less horrendous cases The vast collection includes about 500,000
digitized microfilm images with more than 10,000 case files in multiple
languages from Europe and Asia on people identified as war criminals.
|
There are also meeting minutes, trial transcripts
and 37,000 names listed in a central registry of war criminals and
suspects. Some files have lists of personnel at concentration camps. Microfilm of documents of World War II criminals
was kept in a building near the U.N. complex in New York. Paul Shapiro,
director of the museum's Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies,
noted that Cold War politics prevented many war crimes suspects from
being prosecuted. Making the records public fosters a degree of belated accountability, he said. "By enabling people today to study and educate based on records like those of the U.N. War Crimes Commission, we can at least hold those people who committed such atrocities ... to account before history," Shapiro said.
|
|
NORMANDY BEACHES, 70 YEARS LATER THEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AND NOW |
 |
 |
|
Tourists
walk along the beach-front in the Dorset holiday town of Weymouth. The
port was the departure point for thousands of Allied troops who took
part in the D-Day landingsReuters
|
|
 |
 |
|
June
6, 1944: US reinforcements land on Omaha beach during the Normandy
D-Day landings near Vierville sur Mer, FranceReuters
|
Holidaymakers
enjoy the sunshine on the former D-Day landing zone of Omaha beach
near Vierville sur Mer, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
6, 1944: Members of an American landing party assist troops whose
landing craft was sunk by enemy fire off Omaha beach, near Colleville
sur Mer, FranceReuters
|
A
tourist carries a bucket and spade to her child on the former D-Day
landing zone of Omaha beach, near Colleville sur Mer, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
| June 6, 1944: US Army soldiers of the 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, move out over the seawall on Utah Beach after coming ashore in front of a concrete wall near La Madeleine, FranceReuters |
Children
walk over the remains of a concrete wall on the former Utah Beach
D-Day landing zone near La Madeleine, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
6, 1944: A Cromwell tank leads a British Army column from the 4th
County of London Yeomanry, 7th Armoured Division, after landing on
Gold Beach on D-Day in Ver-sur-Mer, FranceReuters
|
A
couple walk inland from the former D-Day landing zone of Gold Beach
where British forces came ashore in 1944, in Ver-sur-Mer, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
194: A crashed US fighter plane is seen on the waterfront some time
after Canadian forces came ashore on a Juno Beach D-Day landing zone
in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, FranceReuters
|
Tourists
enjoy the sunshine on the former Juno Beach D-Day landing zone, where
Canadian forces came ashore, in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
6, 1944: US Army troops make a battle plan in a farmyard amid cattle,
killed by artillery bursts, near the D-Day landing zone of Utah Beach
in Les Dunes de Varreville, FranceReuters
|
Farmer
Raymond Bertot, who was 19 when allied troops came ashore in 1944,
poses on his property near the former D-Day landing zone of Utah Beach
in Les Dunes de Varreville, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
7, 1944: US Army troops congregate around a signal post used by
engineers on the site of a captured German bunker overlooking Omaha
Beach after the D-Day landings near Saint Laurent sur MerReuters
|
Tourists
walk past a former German bunker overlooking the D-Day landing zone on
Omaha Beach near Saint Laurent sur Mer, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
18, 1944: US Army reinforcements march up a hill past a German bunker
overlooking Omaha Beach after the D-Day landings near Colleville sur
Mer, FranceReuters
|
Youths
hike up a hill past an old German bunker overlooking the former D-Day
landing zone of Omaha Beach near Colleville sur Mer, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
8, 1944: A US flag lies as a marker on a destroyed bunker two days
after the strategic site overlooking D-Day beaches was captured by US
Army Rangers at Pointe du Hoc, FranceReuters
|
An
Italian tourist views a bunker at a strategic site overlooking the
D-Day beaches which had been captured by US Army Rangers at Pointe du
Hoc, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
July
1944: Canadian troops patrol along the destroyed Rue Saint-Pierre
after German forces were dislodged from CaenReuters
|
Shoppers
walk along the rebuilt Rue Saint-Pierre in Caen, which was destroyed
following the D-Day landingsReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
15, 1944: The body of a dead German soldier lies in the main square of
Place Du Marche in Trevieres after the town was taken by US troops who
landed at nearby Omaha BeachReuters
|
Tourists
walk across the main square of Place Du Marche in Trevieres, near the
former D-Day landing zone of Omaha BeachReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
6, 1944: US Army paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division drive a
captured German Kubelwagen at the junction of Rue Holgate and RN13 in
Carentan, FranceReuters
|
Girls
run across the street at the junction of Rue Holgate and RN13 in the
Normandy town of Carentan, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
June
6, 1944: German prisoners-of-war march along Juno Beach landing area
to a ship taking them to England, after they were captured by Canadian
troops at Bernieres Sur Mer, FranceReuters
|
A
tourist sunbathes on a former Juno Beach landing area where Canadian
troops came ashore on D-Day at Bernieres Sur Mer, FranceReuters
|
 |
 |
|
August
21, 1944: German prisoners of war captured after the D-Day landings in
Normandy are guarded by US troops at a camp in Nonant-le-Pin, FranceReuters
|
A
farm field remains where German prisoners of war were interned
following the D-Day landings in Nonant-le-Pin, NormandyReuters
|
|
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/d-day-landing-sites-then-now-normandy-beaches-1944-70-years-later-1450286
|
| Honor Flight
The purpose to letter is to solicit funds to send the remaining WWII Veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the WWII Memorial. We have about 30 left and about 15-20 able to get around. Please forward, respond. Thank You. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
In 2004 the WWII Memorial was dedicated to the surviving WWII Vets. Immediately a program was set up nationwide to transport the WWII Vets to visit the memorial dedicated to the Greatest Generation. The Honor Flight Program was established. The Honor Flight Program in the major cities in Texas has sent 25 flight to this memorial from Texas. It is strong in Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin. More than 2,500 have made the flight. None from Laredo have been sent, although there have been several attempts. Many of the Laredo WWII Vets have never visited the memorial dedicated to them. At this time there are less than 50 surviving WWII Vets out of a total of 2,200 with the number decreasing weekly. This trip is available at this time to honor our local WWII Vets and the time is running out. |
I have taken the initiative to honor these few vets by doing something that they have wanted to do for years. I am organizing a flight out of Laredo to Washington on Sept 26 or Oct 3 (based on schedule) and return one day later. We have 15 plus vets willing to take advantage of this opportunity. Many need support to make this trip and the families are willing to assist them in any way they can. This flight is at no cost to the vets. The Laredo Fire Dept. EMS has been asked to support this operation by providing paramedics. This is necessary due to the age and the physical condition of the vet. Family members have volunteered to be the respective vet's guardian. This is at no cost to the veteran. There are supporting organizations along the way, at the Dallas Airport for the change of planes, at the memorial for the tour, at the hotel where they will spend one night. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
This has been completely successfully by thousands of veterans from all across the country. The valley has one on the way at this time. We will do this but we need support. Each veteran has a cost of $1,000 to cover the expense. Excess expense over this amount is supported by organizations all across the country. We are asking for your support to fulfill this long denied opportunity to allow the WWII Vets to see their memorial. Each veteran has an expense value of $1,000 and each support personnel has a value of $400. there will be about 15 vets and 12 supporting personnel, paramedics and support staff.
|
This is a non-profit organization and each donation is tax deductible. A receipt will be provided for each donation regardless of the amount. It will be mailed to the donor at the time of the processing of the check. If this is something you would like to participate in please make your check payable to Honor Flight-Austin and mail it in care of Douglas M. Alford, Director, 8919 Tucson Lane, Laredo, Texas 78045. Sent by tejanos2010@gmail.com |
|
Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept 15 to |
HERITAGE
PROJECTS |
|
Preparing for Hispanic Heritage Month by Mimi Lozano Preserving our past in the proof of Spanish horse's DNA by Robin Collins Honoring Bernardo de Galvez by Joseph D. Perez Chicano Marine, Guy Gabaldon Statue by Mimi Lozano New project for 'Longoria Affair' filmmaker Valadez by Daisy Wanda Garcia 4th Annual Pilgrimage in honor of Sor Maria de Agreda by Jerry Javier Luján The Needle and the Thread, documentary in production, by Victor Mancilla |
| Please
help to increase an understanding of the historic Latino
presence. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with solid, credible
information, in your home, in your community, in your church. Somos
Primos is a resource which can help you. About 20 years ago, I wrote an article on the History of Hispanic Heritage Month. In 1968, a bill to recognize the Hispanic presence in a positive way was passed by our Congress. A week was set aside for observing and recognizing the Latino presence. In 1988, the time period was changed to a month. Full text: http://www.somosprimos.com/heritage/heritage.htm#MONTH It has been about 45 years since our Congress recognized a need to acknowledge the Spanish presence and contributions. The sociological term, Cultural Lag is certainly appropriate to the challenge that 300 years of negative and purposeful neglect of the Spanish presence has resulted in. Now the immigration issue makes the need to search out the good and positive, even more needed. A resource for community and classroom use.> www.somosprimos.com/heritage/heritage.htm There
is time to ask your city council for a proclamation recognizing
Hispanic Heritage Month. |
|
Preserving
our Past for our Future’
Saving
the whole package
for future generations
by
Robin Collins, President Heritage Discovery Center & Rancho del Sueño hdcincrlc@aol.com www.ranchodelsueno.com
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
In
order to plan our future we must conserve and understand the world
as it was before our generation. A word often used for this effort
is ‘Preservation’ and today as our planet is demonstrating the
problems that can occur with progress; perhaps preservation and
stewardship are more important for humanity to implement and
practice than it has been for previous generations.
First
we must have knowledge of our past and share this knowledge in any
way we can. This awareness shares, strengthens and enriches our
lives and resources for national and international appreciation of
our planet. This is a major goal and role of the Heritage
Discovery Center. One of the current HDC projects to help preserve
our history and resources is to expand our preservation breeding
program.
|
Rancho del Sueño is currently preserving our Colonial Spanish
Horse. In addition, we plan similar preservation/conservation
programs for our Colonial Spanish Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Pigs,
other Equids (Burros & Mules), and Foul (Chickens, Ducks,
etc.) Rancho del Sueño's vision is to host all Colonial Livestock
brought to the Americas by the Spanish.
The
Rancho del Sueño Area of the HDC will not only be focused on
preservation/conservation genetic programs but will also serve as
an extensive educational and learning center for young and old
alike to realize and develop a comprehensive appreciation for the
nature of and contribution of each species. Without the
introduction of these marvelous animals our cultural development
and lifestyles would have been enormously different. Can you
imagine our western history without Farms or Ranches?
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Preservation
breeding is a description of the practice of preserving genetic
variability by breeding animals within specific bloodline groups.
Breeding
goals are important, but it is important to save all the pieces if
we are to have a complete picture. (Without knowing where you are
headed it is impossible to know when you arrive) Within the
context of the overall goal, a preservation breeder will consider
the genetic contribution of the specific animal. Sire or dam lines
that are endangered are noted and special effort is made to breed
the replacement individuals to carry on the tradition. True
Spanish genetic populations are very rare, sometimes finding just
one Spanish individual is difficult and a true gift to the
delicate balance of preservation of the breed.
By
the time Spanish explorers were setting sail for the New World,
Spanish horses had become world famous, and much sought after by
the Royal Stud farms throughout the world. There were three main
types of Spanish horses being bred, and all three were brought to
the New World as part of Spanish Exploration.
|
Hi
Robin
These
Spanish horses are without a doubt the best moving horses I have ever
ridden. I have worked hundreds or Quarter horses, Morgans, Arabs, Appys,
Paints, Walkers, Andulusians. Nothing can compare to the ease and strength
of movement these horses naturally possess. They are very old souls; not
with the skittish, flight-oriented mentality of the modern breeds. In my
opinion, today's horses have been linebred and inbred so much that they have
lost the traits these old Spanish horses possess; calm minds, excellent body
strength, great ability to travel without stress or high ambition.
Should
you want to go to the mountains for very long rides, gather cattle day after
day, work in the corrals roping and branding--you would not need a string of
horses--just use one of these every day and they will be there every time
for you.
The
amount of show ring performance ability varies with each individual as it
does with every breed of horse. We have one Spanish horse that shows as much
or more reined cow horse talent as any of the other horses we have or have
shown in the past.
The
greatest thing I find with the Spanish horse is his desire to bond with you.
No meanness ever, no aggressiveness to people ever, extremely kind and at
the same time very aware of everything that goes on for miles around them.
~ Gary
Long Performance Horses
|
| ============================================= | == | ========================================= |
 |
 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
A
Plea for Help Medical
help desperately needed for endangered, historical, Colonial
Spanish Horses The Wilbur-Cruce
Colonial Spanish horse are the genetically pure descendants of the
horses brought from Spain to “The New World”. There are
approximately 180 of this breed in the world today. Rancho Del Sueño is
currently home to over 50 of these horses. We have the responsibility
and privilege of caring for and conserving this historically significant
breed.
|
|
|
| We now have
one of our foundation stallions in Pioneer Equine Hospital for treatment
with a renal condition. The cost of this treatment is over a thousand
dollars daily. We can only save this foundation stallion with
contributions and gifts…PLEASE help us save our stallion ‘Entonado’.
He has served his human partners with love and kindness and been
a wise example for us to learn from. Anything you can give can save his
live, any amount would be received gratefully, Robin Lee Collins Rancho Del Sueno, 501 C-3 www.ranchodelsueno.com hdc.ranchodelsueno@gmail.com 559-868-8681 |
|
|
|
Honorary U.S. citizenship for Bernardo de Galvez Being Sought |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
There are two bills currently being reviewed that pertain to bestowing honorary
U.S. citizenship to Bernardo de Galvez. The House Bill is House Joint Resolution
105 (HJ Res 105) and the Senate Bill is Senate Joint Resolution 38 (SJ Res 38). |
CONGRESS: Go to www.house.gov |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
These bills are currently being reviewed so act now. If these bills pass, you
will be able to say that you helped make it happen.
Joe Perez, Governor General, Order of Granaderos y Damas de Galvez For more information on Galvez' contributions, please click. |
||
|
July
17, 2014 HONORABLE
LAMAR SMITH Dear
Congressman Smith, As
a voting constituent of the district in which you represent, I
urge you to pass House Joint Resolution 105 conferring honorary Gálvez
fought against the British along the His
heroic efforts and those of his troops have already been
recognized by President George Washington as a deciding factor
in the outcome of our War of Independence.
In 1778, the United States Congress declared its
gratitude toward Gálvez and in 1783, Gálvez helped draft the
terms of the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution in
our favor. The
existing statues and other monuments currently in the As
a Congressman from As
you depend on my vote, I also am depending on your vote to pass
House Joint Resolution 105 conferring honorary Respectfully, Joseph D. Perez
|
|
THE GUY GABALDON STATUE CAMPAIGN March 22, 1926–August 31, 2006 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
 "The Pied Piper of Saipan" by Henry Godinez |
 This is a clay model by artist Ignacio Gomez, behind is a 6 foot figure/statue of Cesar Chavez by Ignacio. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
THE GUY GABALDON STATUE CAMPAIGN HELP US SPREAD THE WORD – THIS EXTRAORDINARY HERO
OF WORLD WAR II, A NATIVE SON OF LOS ANGELES AND A HOLDER OF THE U.S.
MARINE CORPS’ HIGHEST HONOR – THE NAVY CROSS - DESERVES A LASTING
SALUTE. GUY GABALDON Editor: Guy Gabaldon was one of the bravest
men of World War II. During intense fighting in the Pacific, in the
hellish jungles of Saipan, he single-handedly captured approximately over
1500 Japanese
soldiers and civilians. One time, he brought it, 900. It took
several days to go from side of the island to the base. How did you do
it, I asked. "I made them strip to their shorts, and slept
sitting up with my rife on my lap. I did have to shoot one man, but I
had no choice. He was challenging me, and I could have lost
control." |
I am honored to say that Guy was a friend. I met Guy while assisting Rick Leal at the Hispanic Medal of Honor Society booth at numerous locations, and events. I met Guy and his very supportive wife, Ohana. I remembered the movie Hell to Eternity and was awed that I was actually talking to the real person about whom the movie was made. Guy was an extraordinary individual, tough, with a will unmatched by anyone I've ever known. During WW II, my uncle Albert Chapa also served in the Pacific. My uncle Al told me about the torture that the Japanese inflicted on any Marines they captured. He said the torturing was done at night, so their screams could be clearly heard, demoralizing, terrorizing the men. It almost drove one of the men crazy. He was serving at the same base with his brother, who was captured. Every night the screams would start and he was sure it was his brother screaming. However, in spite of that, every night Guy would leave
the safety of the base and go into the jungle. That is why I consider
Guy a hero, a hero of the century. Most heroes react in the
moment, behaving unselfishly, without regards to themselves. |
| ============================================ | ============================================= | |
|
I ask Guy, "Why would you risk being captured and tortured to death?" Guy gave me two reasons. "I loved the Japanese people. My best friends
were Japanese. |
Japanese mamasons were jumping off cliffs, landing on the rocks below to kill themselves and their babies. They thought we would eat their babies. I had to do something. I thought if I could talk any of them into giving up, at least I would have saved some of them, men, women, and children. . . and, at the same time stop them from killing us. Besides if I died, my death, would be proof that I was an American and had died in service for my country." Those that think that Guy favored war, do not understand him, or what he did. He was saving lives, lives from both sides. |
 |
 |
|
 |
Photo above on the left are Ignacio Gomez,
artist, and Andres Tijerina, historian/professor/cultural activist
behind the monumental, multi-figured Tejano Monument that sits on the
Austin State Capitol grounds. Prof. Tijerina was making
recommendations and offering advice for the Guy Gabaldon Statue
Campaign.
Second photo on the right, Duncan Gonzalez, the chair of the
Heritage Museum of Orange County, and newly hired staff member of US
Representative, Loretta Sanchez, and I joined the discussion. |
|
For more information on the Guy Gabaldon Statue
Campaign, please contact Steve Rubin directly, fastcarrier1944@gmail.com
(818) 739-4074 or me, mimilozano@aol.com
714-894-8161.
|
|
A new project for ‘Longoria Affair’ filmmaker Valadez by Daisy Wanda Garcia |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
This week, I had the pleasure of meeting filmmaker John
Valadez for dinner in Austin to discuss his latest projects. The latest is that
over the summer, Valadez — who directed the Emmynominated film “The
Longoria Affair” about the birth of the Mexican-American civil rights movement
and Lyndon Johnson’s long relationship with Dr. Hector P. Garcia — has
landed at Texas State University in San Marcos, President Johnson’s alma
mater. John is an Artist-in-Residence at Texas State, working on
a companion book to the film and a documentary “The Head of Joaquin Murietta”.
Dr. Frank de la Teja and the Center for the Study of the Southwest brought
Valadez to Texas State to work on these projects. The significance of Valadez’s book is that it will bring
awareness to the role that Texas and Dr. Hector P. Garcia played in shaping the
civil rights destiny of the country and explore the critical role of the
American GI Forum as a national rights organization. |
As John put it, “When most people think about civil rights they think about the traumatic events that happened in the South. They think about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, they think about Emmitt Till and Medgar Evars, they think about the Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-ins and the Freedom Rides and the March from Selma to Montgomery. But there is a part of that story that most Americans still do not fully appreciate and that is the role that Texas played in shaping the civil rights destiny of the country.” When he was a U.S. senatory, Lyndon Baines Johnson intervened and facilitated Felix Longoria’s burial in Arlington National Cemetery. Valadez describes it as “two stubborn and savvy leaders who forged a path for Mexican-American equality from their common experiences in South Texas.” After the Longoria Affair, Papa and President Johnson forged a close political relationship. Johnson consulted with Papa on many highprofile civil rights issues such as voting reform. Garcia and the American GI Forum had been pressing Johnson to pass national reform. Valadez plans to use materials in this book which he did not use in the Longoria Affair and hopes to release the book in 2015, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Johnson’s landmark civil rights legislation. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Also, John is also working on an intriguing new film
entitled “The head of Joaquin Murrieta” which he hopes to finish by the end
of the year. The film is a strange tale about his own family, the lynchings of
Mexican-Americans in the Southwest and a human head in a jar. He says he
doesn’t want to say too much about a film he has yet to make, but he did
conclude that “Texas history is not for sissies,” and that our shared past
is far more complicated than he ever imagined. According to Valadez, “The Heroes are often the villains. The villains are often the victims. And the victims are often villainous in their own way. It’s enough to make your head spin.” We wish John the very best in his endeavors and look forward to viewing the documentary and reading the book. |
John Valadez’s Emmy-nominated film, “The Longoria
Affair,” told the story of World War II Army Pvt. Felix Longoria (above), who
was killed in the Philippines during the battle of Luzon in 1945. His burial
launched a national civil rights movement, led by Mexican-American veterans.
|
|
4th Annual Pilgrimage in honor
of Sor María de Ágreda At
the San Gregorio de Abó Mission Ruins National Monument Dedicated to the Memory of Dr. (Fr.)
Henry J. Casso Did a miracle take place during the
pilgrimage? You decide
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Narrative and captions by Jerry Javier Luján
(Albuquerque) *Note:
The photo essay below that follows the narrative is by Dave
Wessel, Official Photographer of the Margil Sor María Initiative,
unless otherwise stated. Devotees of Sor María de Jesus de Ágreda,
better known as the legendary Mystical Lady in Blue, held their 4th
Annual pilgrimage in honor of Sor María on June 28, 2014 at the San
Gregorio de Abó Mission Ruins National Monument in central New
Mexico, nine miles west of Mountainair, NM off U.S Hwy 60.
The pilgrimage began at St. Augustine Church at Isleta Pueblo
(below). A car, van
caravan then proceeded to the Abó Ruins where the celebrations took
place. |
|
| ============================================= | === | ======================================= |
 |
Enrique Madrid of Redford, TX and Jumano Apache Tribal Historian displays Madre Ágreda cross created by him with special symbolic emblems; |
|
At
the top of the cross is a picture of Madre Ágreda, at the
center
a white dove representing the Holy Spirit surrounded by light, at
bottom a shell from the Concho River near San Ángelo, TX, used for
the baptism in the thousands of Jumano baptisms that took place there
in 1629. It was on the insistence of Sor María that brought the
Jumanos in contact with Isleta Pueblo, to ask for priests to go to the
Jumano strongholds to baptize them.
The Jumanos went to Isleta Pueblo every July from 1620 to 1929,
when an entourage of 33 friars arrived at Isleta Pueblo with a letter
from the Archbishop of Mexico City to investigate an Indian Nation,
who had been taught the Faith by Sor María.
Fray Alonzo de Benavidez, Custodian of the Faith in New Mexico
was at Isleta Pueblo, and told the entourage that the Jumanos were
there, camping at Isleta. Immediately,
several friars were sent to the Jumanos who took them to the Texas
Panhandle where in a matter of several days, over 10,000 Jumanos were
baptized. Most attendees were from Albuquerque and the Mountainair area of central New Mexico, but several came from West Texas and the Las Cruces area. This year’s event was dedicated to the memory of Dr. (Fr.) Henry J. Casso founder of the movement now known as the Margil Sor María Initiative. The devotion for Sor María stems from historical records going back to 1620-1631. It is said that she evangelized the huge Jumano Nation through more than 500 bilocations from her convent in Ágreda, Spain. Sor María was born in that convent, and never left its cloistered walls, physically. For more information on this Google, the Lady in Blue and the Jumano Indians or buy the book “Mystical Lady in Blue,” by Marilyn Fedewa. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
|
Fr. Sena,
Pastor of St. Alice Church of Mountainair approaches the alter to
begin the solemn celebration of the mass assisted by five other clergy. Mass was celebrated within the walls of the 400
year old church ruins. The
old “open air” church was filled with approximately 200 persons.
Volunteers from the Mountainair area and members of the
National Park Service provided an outstanding set-up and logistical
support that contributed much to the ambience, especially from Juanita
Chavez and Marc LeFrancois. Mass
was celebrated by Father Sena, Pastor of St. Alice Catholic church in
Mountainair, and assisted by five other clergy, including Fr. George
of Isleta Pueblo.
|
| ================================================== | === | ====================================== |
|
|
St. Alice Parish choir of Mountainair showered the attendees
with their harmonic angelic voices and magical guitars and other
instruments added greatly to the highly spiritual ambience felt by all
in attendance.
|
| Adding to the spiritual ambience and pageantry
was the unveiling of a Sculpture of Sor Maria preaching and teaching
the faith to the Jumanos. This was sculptured by renowned sculpturer,
don Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera.
The unveiling and blessing of the sculpture was performed
immediately following the end of the mass, by Fr. Sena. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
|
Sonny Rivera turns to ask Fr. Sena to bless the sculpture |
|
|
Don
Desiderio “Desi” Baca helps don Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera unveil
the sculpture of Sor María by Sonny Rivera; “oohs and aahs” could
be heard from the crowd upon completion of the unveiling. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
Blessing of Sor María’s sculpture by Fr. Sena |
 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
Master of Ceremonies, Ambassador Ed Romero, addresses the crowd stating the pilgrimage is being dedicated to the memory of our beloved late Dr. Casso (pictured below) who founded our group, the Margil Sor María Initiative was a “great tribute” to the founder of our movement. He then proceeded to read a special letter addressed to the Margil Sor María Initiative and the pilgrims from the Abbess of Ágreda, which he read in English and Spanish. Our
beloved Dr. (Fr.) Henry J. Casso, Rest in Peace, Founder of the Margil
Sor María Initiative, whose goal is the beatification and
canonization of Sor María and the promulgation of her master literary
work, “the Mystical City of
God,” that was dictated by the Blessed Mother to Sor María for
the transformation of the Church and humanity. |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
 |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
 |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| A procession followed, led by the
by the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard, followed by the clergy, then a
statue of the Blessed Mother. Marc LeFrancois said, “The statue
of the Bridal Madonna came from Manzano and has been there a very long
time. My understanding
is that depicting her as a bride is an old Spanish custom
that filtered into New Spain.” The Knights of Columbus led the
procession, followed by the clergy, the statue of the Bridal Madonna,
the sculpture of Sor María, the choir from Mountainair, and the
pilgrims in attendance. Photo of the “Bridal
Madonna” by Carveth/Luella Kramer presented to Marie Rendón who presented it
to this author |
 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
 |
Sor María’s sculpture followed in the procession and was carried by Governor Paul Torres of Isleta Pueblo (front right), Gabriel Carrasco, Jumano Apache Tribal Chief from El Paso, TX front Left), Roberto Lujan, Jumano Tribal Historian, of Presidio, TX ( rear right) and Juan Benavidez, descendent of the Piro and Tompiro Nations from Las Cruces, NM (rear left). |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
 A close-up of the St. Alice Parish choir in procession |
 Madre Ágreda behind the Blessed Mother with Honor Guard at attention and sword salute |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Following the procession a set of short lectures were done by Park Ranger, Marc LeFrancois on the history of the Salinas Valley National Monuments (places where Sor María bilocated to continue her evangelization of the natives before the arrival of Spanish clergy and the erection of the church ruins where pilgrimages are held. Enrique Madrid, Jumano Historian from Redford, Texas followed Marc, and shared the impact the Lady in Blue had on his Jumano ancestors and how the Lady in Blue is reputed to have brought the Blue Bonnet to Texas which is now the state flower. As Sor María departed from her last visit to the Southwest in 1631, in the San Angelo, TX area, wherever her cloak touched the ground, blue bonnets started to spring up. | ||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Last year’s pilgrimage was led by Dr. Casso to
the Quarai Ruins north of Mountainair.
It was a pilgrimage of thanksgiving to Sor María of whom he
had asked her for intercession to save his other leg from amputation
due to his diabetes. She
saved his leg and documented the miracle!
His doctors were most surprised. This year’s miracle is being claimed by don
Desiderio “Desi” Baca and his wife doña Martha.
Desi Baca at one time was Superintendant of Albuquerque Public
Schools. One of
their daughters, Dr. Louise Baca, Psychologist, age 55, of Tempe AZ
was diagnosed with juvenile leukemia, the most aggressive form of
leukemia. She was
fortunate enough to find a compatible bone marrow donor, her own
sister, nurse practitioner, Gloria Baca.
Louise underwent chemo and radiation treatments.
Those treatments work at times, but are “iffy.” |
|
|
Both Desi and Martha Baca have had a strong
devotion to Sor María for years.
According to them, “On
June 28th, 2014 we had been invited by our daughter, Dr.
Louise Baca, to attend the pre-nuptial blessing at Tempe Arizona.
Our daughter, Dr. Louise, would be unable to attend the wedding
of her daughter Andrea, in Palo Alto, California on July 5th,
2014, because of her serious illness with leukemia.
Therefore, it was decided to have a pre-nuptial blessing on
June 28th in Tempe, Arizona. As parents,
we needed to chose attending the pre-nuptial blessing in Tempe or
attending the attending the Sor María de Ágreda celebration at Abó,
New Mexico. We chose to
attend the Sor María celebration and asked Sor María de Ágreda to
cure our daughter, Dr. Louise Baca.
Immediately after the mass celebrated in honor of Sor María de
Ágreda at Abó, New Mexico the condition of our daughter improved in
a remarkable way. We
attribute Sor María de Ágreda and several other saints and our Lord
for her remarkable improvement. The
improvement has been so remarkable that she attended the wedding mass
of her daughter at Palo Alto California.
|
|
| It is
remarkable and a true miracle that our youngest daughter, Gloria Baca
a nurse practitioner was a perfect match for the bone-marrow
transplant. Gloria Baca
resigned her nursing job in order to assist her sister Dr. Louise Baca
with the bone-marrow transplant. The process of a bone marrow
transplant is very painful for the donor, but our daughter, Gloria,
showed so much courage, generosity and kindness in being a donor and
in helping save the life of her sister, Dr. Louise Baca. |
|
The Needle and the Thread |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
|
There were numerous reported visits occurring most frequently for approximately three years beginning in 1620 and according to substantiated reports, the visits occurred while the nun physically remained in the convent located in Ágreda, Spain. Today the Jumanos live in what is now modern New Mexico and Texas but centuries before, their ancestors requested missionaries to come baptize them. Prior to responding, the Catholic overseer of the region Father Alonzo de Benavides, inquired as to why the Jumanos wanted to be baptized. They responded to his inquiry by relating that they had been visited by a Lady in Blue who had told them to turn to the Church. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
In response Father Benavides sent Franciscan Friar Juan de Salas to visit them in 1629. Father Salas found little difference in the accounts that had been reported. The Jumanos indicated that the Lady in Blue had visited them in the area now known as the Salinas National Monument, near Albuquerque. Examinations of Sister María de Jesús de Ágreda’s body contained in her casket at the monastery where she had lived in the 17th century reportedly show that the state of the body showed no signs of rot and decay after death. Could this represent the condition defined as
incorruptible?
|
These questions and others together with seemingly miraculous events fascinated a local historian Dr. Henry J. Casso who contacted documentary filmmaker/director Victor
Mancilla. Dr. Casso invited Mr. Mancilla to explore and record the story of the Lady in Blue. “The power of faith has healed many people,” said Dr.
Casso, “And this story, much like a great tapestry will emerge stitched together with needle and thread for the Jumanos and others to judge, to believe or not believe.” The Needle and the Thread is seeking financial support to cover production and anticipated post-production expenses, including filming of a 2015 planned pilgrimage by the Jumanos to Ágreda, Spain to pay homage at the resting place and home of Sister María de Ágreda, their Lady in Blue. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
 |
For information contact: Eravision Films, Victor H. Mancilla Director/Produecer Jim Nikas Producer, at 415-860-4250 Jerry Lujan President of the Sor Maria Initiative New Mexico 505- 203-7609 Email: jimnikas@gmail.com eravisionfilms@yahoo.com We enjoyed having Victor Mancilla and Jim Nikas displaying at our
NCLR booth. Photo: left to right: Mimi Lozano, Isabel Quintana
Hutchings, Jim and Victor, who co- produced a documentary on Jose
Guadalupe Posada, famous Mexican artist/printer. Next month, we
will include a full article on their film, Art and
Revolutions. |
| Historic
Exclusion Results in Historic Confusion |
|
|
The Head by Daisy Wanda Garcia |
|
THE HEAD By Daisy Wanda Garcia It is always a treat for me to talk to John Valadez
and learn about his projects. Besides being named the
Artist-in-Residence at Texas State University - where he is working on a
companion book to his documentary “The Longoria Affair” - John is
also making a film called “The Head of Joaquin Murrieta,” which is
due to be finished sometime in the fall. In 1853, Joaquin Murrieta was
hunted down and executed by bounty hunters, the California Rangers. They
cut off his head and displayed it in a glass jar in brothels, hotels and
salons across California. A hundred and sixty years later Valadez acquired
the purported head. While
some accounts claim that Murrieta’s severed head may have been
destroyed in the great earthquake of 1906 while in the San Francisco
Museum, Valadez told me how he acquired the purported head and decided
to make a film about it. John learned about the artifact from author
Richard Rodriguez and Father Alberto Huerta, a Jesuit priest. The head
is mentioned Rodriguez’ book, “Days of Obligation” in which he
wrote an essay about a visit with a man who claimed he had the head of
Murrieta. John decided to follow up but was told he had gotten rid of
it. Disapointed Valadez gave up but received a strange package in the
mail fifteen years later. But what was it? The head? A head? A fake
head? According to Valadez, “I didn’t know what it was, but it was
very shocking and disturbing. I knew I had a mystery to solve.” Valadez decided he needed to bury the head, to lay
this unsettled soul and this dark history to rest.
So he and the head took a cross-country road trip from New York
to Arroyo Cantua in California - the place where Murrieta was killed and
decapitated. Along the way
Valadez learned about a dark and disturbing side of American history:
that Mexican Americans were lynched in the Southwest in the same
proportion as African Americans in the South.
By the time he arrived in El Paso, Texas, Valadez learned about
an unexpected connection that he had with his travel companion and about
his family's Tejano roots and the land they lost long ago.
John eventually buried the head in an undisclosed
location. Finally, the spirit of Joaquin Murrieta can rest. Since my
curiosity was peaked, I kept asking Valadez more questions. Finally he
told me too watch the film and my questions would be answered. Then he
paused and said, “Well…actually like any great story of the American
soul you may find that there are no easy, simple or pat answers to be
found. For every mystery solved you may find two more riddles rise. It
is as though…the closer you get to the light the greater the
darkness.” After all his research and experiences, Valadez
concluded that Texas history and the history of the American west is for
more complicated, mysterious and profane than he ever imagined. We wish
John the very best in his endeavors and look forward to the release of
the documentary and the book. For more information about the lynching of
Latinos read Harvard Civil Rights –Civil Liberties law review article,
“Law of the Noose, History of Latino Lynching” by Richard Delgado.
|
|
The Genesis of Today’s Illegal Alien’s
Crisis.
A rationalization based on
fact.
It
was created by the United States due mainly to four causes: 1)
1)
By
taking over (some may argue, seize) lands that belonged to Mexico,
selfishly seeking its own grandeur while disregarding the rights and
sentiments of others. 2)
2)
By
imposing on their people a totally different philosophy of life, set of
rules and lifestyle instead of blending in to form a more homogeneous
society. 3)
3)
By
advocating race superiority and thus encouraging the rise of a
subculture in which the Mexicans were marginalized and treated as
underclass citizens. 4)
4)
As
a consequence Mexicans felt betrayed and harbored deep resentment toward
what they considered to be their invaders. Every
living Mexican would like to reclaim those lands, but since it can’t
be done by means of force and much less by political persuasion, they
resorted to an invasion in reverse in which the vast majority of their
people would eventually rule and take them over, a process to be greatly
facilitated by the fast-approaching decline of the United States. This
would explain the Mexican Government’s reluctance to intervene and its
hands-off policy letting events just take their course. The
United States paid $15 million in 1848 for those lands comprising 55% of
the total Mexican territory. Grave mistake as it failed to recognize
that money can’t buy pride, honor, and dignity. It also alienated all
Central American countries by pursuing a pernicious foreign policy
detrimental to their people and supportive of iron-fist oligarchies. July,
2014. Carlos B. Vega, Ph.D. author of Our
Hispanic Roots: What History Failed to Tell Us, 2nd * Hispanics
and the American Revolution: The Alliance that Won a War and Freedom
* Infamy at Wallabout Bay: 11,500
Freedom-Fighters Left to Rot on British Ships in the American Revolution.
|
|
Past can help solve border crisis Commentary
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
I know
what we should do with the waves of unaccompanied minors from Central America
who are crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally.
We should let them stay. Not
only will we be doing right by them, we’ll be making America better. And I’m
not just talking better in a don’twe-deserve-a-gold-star? sort of way. According
to reports, more than 52,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the border
between Oct. 1, 2013, and June 15 of this year, more than double the number
during the same period last year. Many are fleeing unprecedented gang-related
violence in their home countries. Imagine how bad things must be for a parent to
send a child as young as 5 alone on a long, perilous journey into an unknown
future. You
don’t have to imagine because the same scenario, while not exactly analogous,
occurred between 1854 and 1930 when an estimated 250,000 orphaned and abandoned
children from East Coast cities were put on what became known as “orphan
trains” and sent to unknown futures in the Midwest and West.
|
Most of
them eventually found their way and grew up to become adults who contributed
greatly to American society. I spoke
with author (and friend) Andrea Warren, who has written two young adult books
about the episode, “Orphan Train Rider” and “We Rode the Orphan Trains.”
She said most of these children were immigrants who came to the U.S. from
Ireland and other Western European countries. “Their
families spent their last dime (to come to America) on the promise that the
streets were paved with gold and there’d be jobs when they arrived,”
explained Warren. The
reality, of course, was much more harsh, and by the mid-1800s, thousands of
children had been turned out to live on their own on the mean streets of New
York and other big cities. Eventually,
humanitarians came up with a plan to send these children out West where the air
was clean, food plentiful (because of the farms) and there were plenty of
families to adopt them. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
It took
a certain amount of idealism to believe such an audacious plan would work but,
according to Warren, the orphan trains were, for the most part, successful. “People
took these kids in often without knowing anything about them. Many didn’t even
have birth certificates,” she said. “But they did it as a matter of
faith.” Sure,
many people saw these kids as free help. And some failed to fulfill the
guardianship responsibilities they’d agreed to. But according to surveys done
at the time and Warren’s own research, many of these children grew up to be
stable, productive citizens. |
A 1910
report from the Children’s Aid Society, one of the largest agencies to run
orphan trains, said that 87 percent of the children had “done well”
following their relocation. Warren
found children who later served in World War I and II and who became teachers
and nurses and doctors. A governor of North Dakota, a territorial governor of
Alaska, two members of Congress and a Supreme Court justice all rode orphan
trains. Sure,
there were probably some criminals in the mix, but it’s apparent that,
overall, these kids helped make the country better than it would have been
without them. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
It would
take a few years, but who is to say the kids crossing the border today won’t
grow up to be just as productive and contribute just as much to American
society? This
familiar transition from unwelcome aliens to upstanding citizens has played out
with each new wave of immigrants. And
it’s happening still. I
recently interviewed a woman who teaches a class of refugee children at a local
elementary school. She says they’re hard workers, appreciative of the
opportunity they’ve been given and — of interest to the English-only crowd
— quickly learn to speak the language well enough to communicate with their
teachers and classmates.
|
I asked
Warren — who has an adult daughter adopted from Vietnam shortly before the
fall of Saigon — whether the U.S. has the resources to take in all these
children. She
hesitated a moment and then said, “Oh, there’s always enough, if we want to
do it.” She’s
right. And we should. rmarini@express-news.net Twitter: @RichardMarini Sent by Jose M. Pena JMPENA@aol.com
|
Mexican folk hero shoots Brownsville marshal
July 13, 1859
|
||
|
Source: Texas Day by Day
On this day in 1859, Juan Nepomuceno Cortina shot Brownsville city marshal Robert Shears, who had brutally arrested a former employee of Cortina's, and set off what became known as the first Cortina War. Cortina, born in Tamaulipas in 1824, moved with his wealthy family to the Brownsville area while he was still a child. There he came to hate a clique of judges and Brownsville attorneys whom he accused of expropriating land from Mexican Texans unfamiliar with the American judicial system. He became a hero to many, though he was indicted at least twice by a Cameron County grand jury for stealing cattle. |
Several months after shooting Shears, Cortina rode back into
Brownsville at the head of forty to eighty men and seized control
of the town. John Salmon (Rip) Ford and Robert E. Lee were among
the military leaders who became involved in the subsequent
conflict. Finally, in December 1859, Cortina retreated into
Mexico. After Texas seceded from the Union, he reappeared on the
border and started the second Cortina War. In May 1861 he invaded
Zapata County, but was defeated by Santos Benavides and again
retreated into Mexico. In 1871 the Texas legislature denied a
petition seeking Cortina's pardon because of his service to the
Union during the Civil War, and stockmen in the Nueces Strip
accused him of heading a large ring of cattle rustlers. Subsequent
American diplomatic pressure led to Cortina's 1875 arrest and
removal to Mexico City. He died in 1894.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tito Monsalvo Fernandez, Jr. Member of the
Order of Granaderos y Damas de Galvez |
|
Tito Monsalvo Fernandez, Jr.
Tito Fernandez with the Spanish Flag and his son below him, Roland Fernandez
in1988. |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
He was preceded in death by his parents, Tito F. and Consuelo Fernandez; the love of his life, Angela Salinas Fernandez; brother, Rudy Fernandez. He is survived by his children, Cynthia F. Flores, Tito S. Fernandez III, Arnold W. Fernandez, Roland R. Fernandez, Carlos O. Fernandez; sisters, Gladys F. Price, Olga Muhich, Guadalupe Avila; sisters-in-law, Carmen Maldonado and Diana Salinas; 11 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.
Interment Ft. Sam Houston
National Cemetery, |
|
Text taken from Tito’s obituary. Mere words can not express what a kind man and great friend he was to all Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez and what he has contributed to our organization over the years. With his wife, Angie, he was always willing to lend a hand whether it was a group activity or a personal favor. We will miss our dear friend, Tito. Joe Perez,
Governor General Arthur Angel Louis Pagan & Zena-Antoinette Pagan
|
|
|
|
|
Por Alberto “El
Morgan” Lovato (Julio del año 2014) |
|
Aquí
me pongo a hacer unas reminiscencias Entraba
alguien a esa mazmorra Al
rato llegaban los demás “troles” Ya
que estábamos todos los “Katzenjammer Kids” reunidos allí ¡Que
buenos ratos pasamos allí, con el primo Tomás! Tomás
Atencio –
¡ Hombre del Renacimiento,
¡Akaíkikí!
|
|
Lorenzo Santos Luera, died at 78 1936 - 6/18/2014 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The celebration took place at the OC LULAC Foundation
Center: Larry my friend...Rest In Paradise! I always enjoyed listening to your stories and jokes! You will be missed! ~ Alex Ochoa, Buena Park,, California Saturday, June 28, 2014
|
Dear
Tio Lorenzo...thank you for being in my life. You are a role model. I
always felt like a special someone while growing up. I look towards the
stars and the moon because of you. ~ Daniel Luera Sierra, Los
Angeles, California, June 27, 2014 Tio rest in peace . Love will always be in our
hearts . Say hi to my papa. We will miss you. ~ Adela Glover,
Anaheim, CA June 27, 2014 Thank you for loving us Tio Lorenzo. You always
seemed so proud of us regardless of what we were doing. You never
questioned my desire to go into the ministry. You always loved us. I
will miss you. ~ Ana Maria, Guadalupe, Arizona June 27, 2014 I love you and miss you dad ~ Ines
Luera, Cypress, California
|
|
Ten year anniversary of John O.
Leal's death . . died August 10th, 2004 |
|
Editor: I met John in the early 1980s attending a
Texas State Hispanic Conference in San Antonio. |
|
|
|
San Fernando Cathedral is considered one of the oldest
active cathedrals in the United States. During the trip I decided to get a copy
of my birth certificate, which was not in our family records. I was shocked to
find out, I was not to be found in the civil records. I turned to the
Catholic Church and there I was able to get a copy of my baptism. During one conference that the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research held in Orange County, John stayed in our home. Through the years John and I kept in touch, always a kind chauffer when I visited San Antonio. John's pride was his heritage and his joy was helping others in finding their ancestors. I will always be grateful to mi primo, for his dedication to our ancestors, and those antepasados of others. |
|
Archivist can't slake thirst for by Susana Hayward express-news staff writer Big thanks Rueben Perez and Carrie Perez for sending this 1997 article. RPerez106@satx.rr.com |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
John Ogden Leal can't stop bringing the dead back to life. When he was a young boy living on a Poteet ranch, his family would gather under shade trees and swap stories about relatives who came from faraway islands to settle a new city. Many years later. Leal would track down those people. And other people, too. Thousands of others. "There wasn't any television," said Leal, 68. "We'd sit and talk at night when it was cooler. I heard these stories about how the family came from these islands. I'd wonder. 'What islands?' Later. I found out it was the Canary Islands." Archivist for Bexar County for 10 years. Leal has recorded more than 266 years of births, baptisms, marriages, illnesses and deaths of thousands of people who lived, loved and died in San Antonio. His research, however, was neither part of his job as archivist, nor was he paid for it. He did it out of curiosity and an insatiable thirst to know, first about his family and then about San Antonio. |
•'Since I was a child, I was looking for my ancestors,'' he said. "Little by little I started writing." One thing led to another and before he knew it, Leal had a veritable treasure chest of names. It started after he returned in 1973 from Los Angeles, where he was working as a machinist for an airline company. Moving to San Antonio, he got a job as curator at the Spanish Governor's Palace and began digging into the San Fernando Cathedral records. It was there he found a wealth of old Spanish documents, written in Castilian. Before he knew it, he was translating and transcribing "very flowery Spanish" into modern English. Actually, what pushed him over the historic edge were late-night telephone calls and knocks on his door at all hours. Leal had a reputation. He was known as the poor man's genealogist. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
"People would come to my house and call me, 'Can you find my grandfather?' Finally, I said, 'Let me do the whole thing.' " The whole thing hasn't stopped yet. Leal is currently working on the San Fernando baptism records from 1891 to 1907. Left an orphan when he was 12, Leal had to drop out of school in the seventh grade, but he eventually obtained his high school diploma and went on to graduate from El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., where he studied world history. "What I do is not taught in school," Leal said. "There's no school that teaches you how to translate church records, military records and civilian records in the Spanish period." Beginning with his ancestors who were founders of San Antonio in 1731, Leal has traced and translated documents that fill 30 volumes of books in the Central Library. Other stacks of boxes with Leal's work are waiting to be bound. "John has made it a lot easier for people who are doing basic
genealogical research. For a long time even the microfilm was not available. He
was able to put it together," said Jo Myler, general manager of the Texana
and Genealogy sections of the library. |
In 1988, Leal was presented a citation from then-mayor Henry Cisneros recognizing his work as archivist and for translating and transcribing Spanish records. Leal has no office. Retired, he lives in a small home that is cramped with piles of books, records and papers. He works at least three hours every night typing on an old IBM Selectric. During the day, he can be found scouring libraries, courthouses or churches. |
|
=============================================
============================================= |
|
Lorenzo Santos Luera, died at 78 1936 - 6/18/2014 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The celebration took place at the OC LULAC Foundation
Center: Larry my friend...Rest In Paradise! I always enjoyed listening to your stories and jokes! You will be missed! ~ Alex Ochoa, Buena Park,, California Saturday, June 28, 2014
|
Dear
Tio Lorenzo...thank you for being in my life. You are a role model. I
always felt like a special someone while growing up. I look towards the
stars and the moon because of you. ~ Daniel Luera Sierra, Los
Angeles, California, June 27, 2014 Tio rest in peace . Love will always be in our
hearts . Say hi to my papa. We will miss you. ~ Adela Glover,
Anaheim, CA June 27, 2014 Thank you for loving us Tio Lorenzo. You always
seemed so proud of us regardless of what we were doing. You never
questioned my desire to go into the ministry. You always loved us. I
will miss you. ~ Ana Maria, Guadalupe, Arizona June 27, 2014 I love you and miss you dad ~ Ines
Luera, Cypress, California
|
|
Thank a Teacher! |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| As
thousands OF California teachers prepare to celebrate the 32nd annual
Day of the Teacher on May 14 this year, they might look back to its
origins in Mexico and Latin America, where teachers have been honored
with a day of their own for almost a century.
That's what inspired Galal Kernahan, a retired CTA staffer, journalist and teacher who taught graduate school in Argentina. Remembering the Dia del Maestro celebrations and recognizing the ties between California and Mexico, Kernahan took the lead in helping CTA establish Day of the Teacher in California. "It was a chance to build bridges, take advantage of what you can learn from other cultures and bring it here," says Kernahan, who was struck by the deference and respect shown to teachers in Mexico. As Kernahan describes it in an oral history segment he did for CTA's 150th anniversary, he just walked in the door of state Sen. Joseph Montoya's office in 1981 and said, "We oughta do this." He recalls that Montoya told him to "write it up. but it can't cost any money." |
Thus
was born California's first Day of the Teacher in 1982. The
growing Association of Mexican American Educators (AMAE) got involved
and co-sponsored SB 1546, the legislation that established Day of the
Teacher.
•'I couldn't have asked for anything better in terms of interest and support," Kernahan says of the relationship CTA forged with AMAE. These days, AMAE sponsors its own poster contest (see this year's poster above). The winner receives $ 1,000. "This year, our theme is 'Your Dreams Become Our Future — Sus Suefios Son Nuestro Future,'" explains Christina Vala-dez, AMAE president and Santa Maria Elementary Education Association member. Day of the Teacher is always observed the second Wednesday in May. This year's theme is "California Teachers: Inspiring our students, strengthening our communities." It's a great opportunity for CTA chapters to reach out to local organizations and businesses to strengthen that connection with our communities. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| "All
teachers deserve encouragement and recognition. We are talking about
something profoundly human and essential when we talk about
education," says Kernahan. "It's that side of the profession
that needs to be emphasized. I'd like to recommend that Day of the
Teacher be most enthusiastically, persistently and thoroughly celebrated
by teachers themselves."
Noting that teachers teach by example, Kernahan recommends that teachers themselves seek out the educators who made a difference in their lives and thank them.
|
Now
88, Kernahan still takes Day of the Teacher seriously. Each year, he
requests copies of the CTA poster, which he then brings to local
libraries and businesses for posting. He plans to do the same this year.
Why has he made this such a commitment? "First you start with teaching." he says. "That profession is a pillar of society, and the hopes for the future are hingied on teaching. You don't find that in any other profession.'" • |
| Congratulations to my dear friend Galal. He has
been a constant support, encouraging my efforts every step of the
way. Galal also started Kinder Kaminata, in which I participated long before I met him. He is still working towards California's Real birthday being recognized, the signing of the Bilingual California Constitution in November 13, 1849. Click to more on this. |
Academia de Arte Yepes
|
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
In 1992, the Academia de Arte Yepes was founded by
Painter/Muralist, George Yepes, as the First Free Mural Art Academy in Los
Angeles. Since 1992, the Academia de Arte Yepes has provided free
High-Standards-Based Interdisciplinary Fine Arts Masters courses in Painting for
Elementary, High School, and College students. Since 1992, (with no funding) George Yepes, the sole teacher, has taught over 2,000 students (for free) from the low-income neighborhoods of Chicago, San Antonio, and East Los Angeles. In 1993, the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) set goals for scientists and engineers to reach out to students nationwide to generate renewed interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and to cultivate and inspire the next generation of explorers. |
To date, the Academia de Arte Yepes students have completed
over 30 murals in Los Angeles and Chicago, including the expansive 340 foot long
"Cassini Science Return" Mural for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Pasadena, California
USA. |
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
City of Los
Angeles, State of California Resolution Academia de Arte Yepes "...WHERAS, the Academia de Arte Yepes was founded in
1992 in Los Angeles, California as the first public art Academy dedicated to
teaching young students the fine art of mural painting; and "...WHERAS, the Academia de Arte Yepes has maintained
the vision and created a high-standards-based school where young children from
Los Angeles study art at a professional level through a school-to-work-career
program; and "...WHERAS,
the Academia de Arte Yepes in 1997 incorporated the learning standards for
Visual Arts adopted by the California Department of Education; and "...WHERAS,
the Academia de Arte Yepes Director, George Yepes in 1997, was named State
Superintendent of Public Instruction Task Force on the Visual and Performing
Arts for the California Department of Education; and "...WHERAS,
the Academia de Arte Yepes Director, George Yepes in 1997, was honored by Mayor
Richard J. Riordan and the City Council as "Treasure of Los Angeles;"
and "...WHERAS,
with this resolution, the City of Los Angeles will mark the beginning of a new
Art Educational model for the students of the Second Millennium Renaissance: ...NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that by the adoption of
this resolution, the Los Angeles City Council hereby congratulates the ACADEMIA
DE ARTE YEPES for its artistic talent, vision, dedication, and hard work in
establishing a visual arts training program for teachers, and further commends
the Academia for assisting teachers to more effectively implement learning
standards for the visual arts in ways that will result in improved student
achievement, which is of great value to the community and to the City of Los
Angeles, and in furtherance of our common goal of making this city a better
place in which to live. I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing resolution was adopted
by the Council of the City of Los Angeles at its meeting held October 15, 1999. John Ferraro, President of the Council Sent by Dorinda Moreno
|
||
|
|
|
|
Murals Under the Stars 2014 by Gregorio Luke The Legendary Jesus Helguera Photo Gallery Why Destino Is Not Fatalism, Pgs. 81-83, Juana Bordas Enjoy, Exploring Colonial Mexico |
 |
|
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | ||
|
Under the Stars and Everywhere... This Summer MURALS UNDER THE STARS will be held in parks
and plazas throughout Los Angeles. A total of ten different shows!
Come to one show and enjoy! Become part of the ARCoS movement to make
local communities the most exciting place to engage with the arts.
All events are free. Bring your own chair and a blanket to hold your
picnic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
El león, ojos de cornerina,
|
|
The lion, carnelian eyes,
Rafael Jesús González
|
|
|
The Legendary Jesus Helguera Photo Gallery Here is a site showing the Calendars that I was looking for. The legendary Jesus Helguera painted them and were all over the bars, restaurants, and places. Beautiful.....Jose M.Pena
I did a google search and found another site which had
some works that I had not seen, such as this one dated 1943. http://mexicoart.org/tag/jesus-helguera |
|
|
|
The Power of Latino Leadership by Juana Bordas Because every person is unique, one's
destino is as distinct as her fingerprints or DNA. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Anthropologists who study and categorize cultures deem the
tendency to believe that outside circumstances or outside forces control one's
life as fatalism.2 Could it be that most anthropologists come from an
individualistic perspective and do not understand that destino does not mean
that a person cannot mold or change her future? Fatalism implies being stuck,
unable to choose. Destino is not fatalism, because it does not prescribe or
determine. People can still choose how to respond to and utilize life's
experiences. Latinos dance with their destino. Like the right-left-right of
salsa dancing, it is a back-and-forth interchange. Destino differs from the Anglo-American belief in
individual effort and self-determination. In fact, one of the distinctions
between We-oriented cultures and those that are more 7, or individualistic,
revolves around the question, How much control do I have or assume in my life?
The independent focus says, "To a very great extent, I control my life,
chose my experiences, and shape my destiny. I am the captain of my ship."
Self-identity, self-determination, and self-interest are keystones in I
cultures. Individuals believe freedom and |
individualism dictates that people can become whatever they set
their mind to and work hard for.3 Ironically, the basis of White privilege is that Anglos
have an advantaged position in society just by the nature of their color and
race. These social assets remain largely invisible and unconscious partially
because Anglos have traditionally not identified as a culture or race. In
reality, then, even in the strongly 7-oriented Anglo society, people's destiny
is shaped by outside forces such as social privilege, which gives a head start. On the other hand, people from collectivist We cultures
believe some things happen to them and accept that a life power and external
influences affect their lives. Latinos know it is impossible to control chance,
fate, natural disasters, or unplanned events. Serendipity, which means
"good fortune, luck, or coincidences," happens to all of us, such as
meeting a person "by accident." Latinos see life as an interchange
between individual efforts and the experiences, gifts, surprises, and lessons it
brings. I may be the captain of my own ship—but the sea of life determines
much of my course. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
It is important to remember that US Latinos often got the
short end of social opportunity and had to make compromises simply because of
their heritage, social class, or lack of English fluency (which they had limited
control of). Acceptance was a survival mechanism. When people are enslaved,
colonized, or marginalized, they can't always change their status. Patience and
learning to make the best of your lot might be the best plan. But doesn't that imply passivity? Isn't this exactly the feared fatalism— the dreaded anthropologist disease that sideswipes Latinos like the wet handkerchief crossing my father's brow in the tropical heat? No! When the hurricane and tidal wave wiped out Cabo Gracias a Dios, a natural disaster that no amount of individual determination could have prevented, my father moved his familia to Bonanza to earn money to bring us to a new land. He defiantly looked destine in the face and followed a new path. There is always choice on how to respond to situations. |
Latino optimism and the ability to
celebrate life under duress are surefire testimonials to steering around life's
circumstances and overcoming barriers. Destino is not fatalism, because it does not prescribe or
determine. People can still choose how to respond to and utilize life's
experiences. Latinos dance with their
destino. |
|
|
We hope you enjoyed our posts on the churches of Oaxaca and
their colonial treasures.
|
|
|
BOOKS & PRINT MEDIA |
|
First Place History book in International Latino Book Awards goes to
Carlos B. Vega. Ph.D. Honorable Mention to Juana Borda and The Power of Latino Leadership Naldo and His Magical Scooter, by Armando B. Rendón, second place young adult. NBC News: Growing Int'l Latino Book Awards Reflect Booming Market Report by Kirk Whisler Latino Literacy Now’s International Latino Book Awards Check out new writings in May-June Somos en Escrito Magazine |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Dear Mimi: I would like to share with you the good news about my last book, "Our Hispanic Roots: What History Failed To Tell Us," 2nd ed, winning FIRST PLACE at the prestigious International Latino Book Awards just held in Las Vegas. Scroll down about four pages to Best History Book/English. Please also see the attached by NBC News. Last year, three of my other books were also winners. |
I am currently
busy writing my next book, "Hispanic and the American Revolution: An Alliance that Won a War and Freedom," scheduled for publication by year's end. I will keep you posted. Thank you. Carlos B. Vega, Ph.D, spain37@att.net Editor: Dr. Vega has been sharing his research with Somos Primos readers since 2003. Warmest congratulations. |
|
|
Congratulations to Juana Bordas, The Power of Latino Leadership received honorable mention under Non-fiction. The Power of Latino Leadership explains how Latinos have arrived to where we are today, and how they are embracing a unique form of leadership. Latino leadership is a model for the 21st century. It has an inclusive community spirit that fosters contribution and service. It has an international, intergenerational scope and an immigrant spirit. The Power of Latino Leadership is for anyone who wants to embrace diversity and be a more effective leader. Editor: I was familiar with The Power of Latino Leadership. Last year at the NCLR annual conference in New Orleans, Juana gave me permission to publish extracts. I encourage you to search for Juana's wisdom in past issues of Somos Primos. Congratulations Juana, we are proud of you. . |
 |
In his first effort writing fiction for young adults, Armando B. Rendón, editor of Somos en escrito Magazine, garnered recognition in the International Latino Book Awards competition with his novel, Noldo and his Magical Scooter at the Battle of the Alamo. The book is a historical novel on two levels, making it unique in that it portrays life growing up in the Westside barrio of San Antonio, Tejas, in the 1950s and in the year 1836 as the Battle of the Alamo is coming to a bitter end. Rendón garnered second place to long-time children's author, Edna Iturralde, who is a much awarded writer in her home country, Ecuador, and Latin America. The category was for best Latino focused Young Adult book, in Spanish or Bilingual. This Noldo story, the first in a series planned by Rendón, is available from Floricanto Press, the publisher, and from online outlets such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and distributors such as Baker & Taylor, Ingram and many others. Rendón, who published Chicano
Manifesto, a seminal work on the Chicano Movement at its beginnings, in
1971, can be reached at somossubmissions@gmail.com
or 510-219-9139. His magazine is at www.somosenescrito.com. |
|
============================================ |
============================================= |
|
|
Noldo
and His Magical Scooter at the Battle of the Alamo is the story
of a Mexican-American boy, who, after building his own scooter from materials
he finds at hand around his barrio home,
is magically transported from 1950’s San Antonio, Texas, into the middle of
one of the most well-known battles for independence in the history of the
Américas.
We learn how a boy lived in those hard times, making do with very little, and,
through the boy’s eyes, watch him befriend a lad who lived more than a
hundred years earlier. Through the sacrifices of the Tejano population, which
pre-dated the Anglo-Texan settlers, we see verified the family and social
values of a community that had become suppressed by the mid-20th century.
Finally, the story forges a link for Chicanos to their historical roots in the
Southwest, revealing a history that has been otherwise excluded from school
textbooks and the mass media. |
Noldo y su patinete mágico en la Batalla de El Álamo |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
About the author Armando
Rendón is an award-winning author as a finalist in the 2014 International
Latino Book Awards. He grew up in the Westside barrio of San Antonio, Texas,
and much of our hero’s story and background sounds a lot like the life and
times of the author. Armando moved to California in 1950, but he stored away
his childhood memories, he now believes, so he could write this first in a
planned series of stories about the adventures of a Mexican-American boy
growing up in a challenging period in U.S. history during and right after
World War II. He
authored Chicano
Manifesto, the first book about Chicanos by a Chicano, in 1971. He is
also the founder and editor of the online literary magazine, Somos
en escrito, which he launched in November 2009; it can be accessed at www.somosenescrito.com. Armando
now lives near Berkeley, California, with his wife, Helen. Their four children
live close by, which makes for a fun profession: grandpa of five
grandchildren. The painting for the book cover
is the work of famous San Antonio artist, Joe Villarreal.
|
Nota
sobre el autor Armando Rendón es ganador de un premio literario, como
finalista en el concurso, Premio Internacional del Libro Latino de 2014. Rendón
creció en el barrio del oeste de San Antonio, Tejas, y gran parte de la
historia de su héroe y de su ambiente semejan bastante la vida y la época de
su autor. Armando se mudó a California en 1950, pero ahora cree que atesoró
sus recuerdos de infancia para escribir esta primera en una serie pensada para
contar las historias de un chicanito que creció en un período de desafío de
la historia de los Estados Unidos, durante y justo después de la Segunda
Guerra Mundial. Armando es autor del Chicano
Manifesto, el primer libro sobre los chicanos escrito por un
chicano, en 1971. Es fundador y editor de la revista cibernética, Somos en
escrito, creada en noviembre de 2009 y accesible al: www.somosenescrito.com. En la actualidad, Armando vive en Berkeley, California,
con su esposa, Helen. Sus cuatro hijos viven cerca de ellos, lo que hace que
ser abuelo de cinco nietos se convierta en una profesión divertida.
|
|
For
more information / Para más información Contact
Rendón to find out about scheduled readings or to invite him to speak to your
group or school, at armandobrendon@gmail.com.
Comuníquese con Rendón para enterarse de lecturas
programadas o invitarlo a una lectura con su grupo o escuela al: armandobrendon@gmail.com.
|
|
NBC
News. June 2014. Growing
Int'l Latino Book Awards Reflect Booming Market By Monica Olivera During the American Library Association’s annual meeting this weekend
in Las Vegas, Nevada, over 180 notable Latino authors will be gathering
for the 16th annual International Latino Book Awards (ILBA). Saturday
night's event will announce the best Latino books in 87 categories in a
year that has seen the submissions increase dramatically, which does not
surprise one of the award's co-founders. “The bottom line is that books targeting Latinos are a growing
segment because of the rapid growth of the market and the current gaps
in relevant topics being presented,” said Kirk Whisler, who founded
the non-profit Latino Literacy Now (LLN) with actor and activist Edward
James Olmos. LLN produces the awards ceremony. The goal of the awards is to highlight Latino literature and increase
the sales of these books - and Whisler said it is working. Past winners
of the awards have sold a collective total of over 200 million books, he
said. 2014 has been an amazing year for Latino books, said Whisler, which is
a reflection of how solid the market is. Latinos in the USA will
purchase over $500 million in books in both English and Spanish. The
number of books by and about Latinos has risen substantially. Whisler
added. The awards reflect this growth. This year there were over 1,800
submissions, a 41 percent increase over last year. LLN had to nearly
double the number of judges from last year to handle the large number of
submissions, said Whisler.
|
|
Latino Literacy Now’s International Latino Book AwardsThe
Largest Awards in the USA Celebrating Achievements in Latino Culture
& Literature |
|
The International Latino Book Awards occurred on June 28th in Las Vegas as part of the American Library Association 2014 Conference. The Awards were held at the Clark County-Las Vegas Library Theater. Over the last 16 years the Int'l Latino Book Awards has grown to become the largest Latino literary and cultural awards in the USA. Amongst this year's 231 honorees were well known authors like Alma Flor Ada, Isabel Allende, Rudy Anaya, Mary J. Andrade, Edna Iturralde, all of whom are past ILBA Award Winners. Other honorees include Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and celebrities like TV chef Pati Jinich, the late singer and actress Jenni Rivera, singer Linda Ronstadt, screenwriter Rick Najera, and TV personality Lilliana Vasquez. Winners were from across the USA and from 18 countries outside the USA. Amazingly, sales of books by past ILBA winning authors have totaled more than 200 million copies! Winners have included many of the best-known Latino authors including Belinda Acosta, Roldofo Acuña, Ron Arias, José Antonio Buciaga, Denise Chavéz, Paulo Coelho, Dr. Camilo Cruz, Gabriel García Márquez, Reyna Grande, Oscar Hijuelos, Mario Vargas Llosa, Josefina López, Pablo Neruda, Ana Nogales, Jose-Luis Orozco, Luis Rodriguez, Alisa Valdes, and Victor Villaseñor. Winners have also included well-known figures from other professions including Entertainers like Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, and Cheech Marin; Sports notables Oscar de la Hoya and Jorge Posada; Media figures like Martín Llorens, Jorge Ramos, Teresa Rodriguez, and Ray Suarez; Politicians like Henry Cisneros; and Chefs like Paulina Abascal, Jose Garces, and Daisy Martinez. The evening also unveiled the first formal Award Winning Author Pinning Ceremony, the new honorary title of AWA, and a salute to Latino books thatare worthy of being made into movies or TV series. After holding the Int'l Latino Book Awards in conjunction with Bookexpo for fifteen years the Awards are moving this year. Latino Literacy Now has moved the Awards to coincide with the American Library Association's Annual Conference because librarians realize that books for and about Latinos are what their readers are looking for. Latinos nationwide are twice as likely to use libraries as non-Latinos. 2014 is an amazing year for books for Latinos - and the market's rapid growth is merely one reflection of how solid the market is. Latinos in the USA will purchase over $500 million in books in both English and Spanish. The number of books by and about Latinos has risen substantially. The bottom line is that books targeting Latinos are a growing segment because of the rapid growth of the market and the current gaps in relevant topics being presented. The 2014 Int'l Latino Book Awards are another reflection of the growing quality of books by and about Latinos. This year's number of entries was 41% more than the previous record year. In order to handle this large number of books, the Awards had 123 judges, nearly double the number from 2013. The judges glowed about the quality of the entries. The Award sponsors included Libros Publishing as a Gold Sponsor, Scholastic Books as a Silver Sponsor, and Vaso Roto Ediciones. In recognition of the quality and variety of books now available, Latino Literacy Now, the organization that oversees the Awards, is carrying out the 2014 Award Winning Author Tour. Displays of the Finalists books and Award Winning Authors will be presented at events like American Library Association Convention; CABE, the largest Latino teacher conference in the USA; the Chicago Latino Book & Family Festival; the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books; LULAC Nat'l Convention; the National Council of La Raza Annual Conference; the San Bernardino Latino Book & Family Festival; and other key events. Latino Literacy Now, the producer of the ILBAs, is a nonprofit co-founded by Edward James Olmos and Kirk Whisler that has also produced 54 Latino Book & Family Festivals around the USA attended by a combined nearly 900,000 people, and the Latino Books into Movies Awards. Award partners include Las Comadres de las Americas and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and is an affiliate of the American Library Association. More about the Awards can be found at www.LBFF.us and the 2015 entry form is now available. Here’s the winning books; their authors, illustrators & translators; the publsher; and the country of origin of the author: Latino
Literacy Now’s International
Latino Book Awards (A) CHILDREN, YOUTH, & YOUNG ADULT BOOK AWARDS Best
Latino Focused Children’s Picture Book – English Best
Latino Focused Children’s Picture Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Children’s Fiction Picture Book – English Best
Children’s Fiction Picture Book – Bilingual Best
Children’s Fiction Picture Book – Spanish Best
Children’s Nonfiction Picture Book Best
Educational Children’s Picture Book – English Best
Educational Children’s Picture Book – Spanish or Bilingual Most
Inspirational Children’s Picture Book – English Most
Inspirational Children’s Picture Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Youth Latino Focused Chapter Book Best
Youth Chapter Fiction Book – English Best
Youth Chapter Fiction Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Youth Chapter Nonfiction Book Most
Inspirational Youth Chapter Book Best
Young Adult Latino Focused Book – English Best
Young Adult Latino Focused Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Young Adult Fiction Book – English Best
Young Adult Fiction Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Young Adult Nonfiction Book Best
Educational Young Adult Book Most
Inspirational Young Adult Book Best
Book Written by a Youth Best
Book Written by a Youth (B) NONFICTION AWARDS Best
Latino Focused Nonfiction Book – English Best
Latino Focused Nonfiction Book – Spanish or Bilingual Most
Inspirational Nonfiction Book – English Most
Inspirational Nonfiction Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Biography – English Best
Biography – Spanish or Bilingual Best
History Book – English Best
History Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Political/Current Affairs Book Best
Business Book Best
Arts Book Best
Gift Book Best
Cookbook Best
Reference Book – English Best
Reference Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Self-help Book – English Best
Self-help Book – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Health Book Best
Parenting/Family Book Best
Women’s Issues Book Best
Religious Book Best
Spiritual/New Age Book Best
Travel Book Best
Nonfiction - Multi-Author
Best
Latino Focused Fiction Book – English Best
Latino Focused Fiction Book – Spanish or Bilingual Most
Inspirational Fiction Book Best
Popular Fiction – English Best
Novel - Adventure or Drama – English Best
Novel - Adventure or Drama – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Novel - Historical Fiction Best
Novel - Mystery Best
Novel - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Best
Novel - Romance Best
Poetry Book - One Author – English Best
Poetry Book - One Author – Bilingual Best
Poetry Book - One Author – Spanish Best
Poetry Book - Multi-Author Best
Fiction - Multi-Author (D) BOOKS & AUDIO AWARDS Best
Children’s Picture eBook Best
Young Adult eBook Best
eBook - Nonfiction Best
eBook - Fiction – English Best
eBook - Fiction – Spanish or Bilingual Best
Fiction Audio Book (E) PORTUGUESE AWARDS Best
Book - Nonfiction in Portuguese (F) DESIGN AWARDS Best
Latino Focused Book Design Best
Cover Design Best
Cover Illustration Best
Cover Photo Best
Interior Design Best
Use of Photos Inside the Book Best
Use of Illustrations Inside the Book (G) TRANSLATION AWARDS Best
Children’s Picture Book Translation - Spanish to English Best
Children’s Picture Book Translation - English to Spanish Best
Chapter/Young Adult Book Translation - English to Spanish Best
Fiction Book Translation - Spanish to English Best
Fiction Book Translation - English to Spanish (H) THE MARIPOSA AWARDS Best
First Book - Children & Youth Best
First Book - Nonfiction Best
First Book - Fiction – English Best
First Book - Fiction – Spanish or Bilingual For
more information, please contact Kirk Whisler, Latino Print Network,
760-434-1223, kirk@whisler.com |
| Check out new writings in May-June Somos en Escrito Magazine Lots of manuscripts covering a broad range of genre graced the pages of Somos en escrito Magazine during this period. The list of titles suggests the range of topics; only a reading of one after the other manifests the excellence of the writing and thought behind these works. Somos en escrito also opened its pages for sections, still under construction, on Children’s books, Young Adult writing and Speculative Fiction aka Science Fiction. We expect even more diversity as these sections evolve and are open to contributions of newly published obras or unpublished pieces. An important expect of Somos en escrito’s outreach is to join in collaboration with all our readers. Please pass on this link: www.somosenescrito.com, or a specific item link to five new persons at least—that would be super. Armando Rendón, Editor www.somosenescrito.blogspot.com 510-219-9139 |
Writing, Culture, and the Vagaries of
Life
Here’s what really happened: A Revisionist History of the Spanish Influence in the U.S. Writing about all the things we should write about The Latino Legacy in World War II: Retelling like it was What’s in a name, especially if it’s “Hispanic”? A room of her own, in a prison Trio of poems: Facets of life The ZYX’s of Life in the USA--A Primer When you’re young it’s good to just see how things go… A fire storm... like lightning across the sky Latinos in the Mennonite Church— Another facet of our complex Latinidad “Secret Agent Man …Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow” Writing to the Tejano Conjunto Sound 3 Poem(a)s from Houston’s Streets Songs for a Broken “I” Mi madre quería una princesa… “I sing for you…” Poems to beloved homelands Cinnamon and the Bat People “…what’s mine of light”: Poems Chavez the man vs Chavez the movie A Century of Caring: Doña Cora de Wagon Mound Words from a Wise Latina from the Bronx Chronicle of a turning point for Mexico squandered
|
|
|
|
| Calif. Judge Helps Rediscover Latinos' Place In Military History
By Bill Vourvoulias Night Vision Training, pg. 13 by Daniel L. Polino Historic flying machine that aided in winning WW-2 both in the Pacific and Atlantic Women Killed in War on Terror |
| California Judge Helps Rediscover Latinos' Place In Military History By Bill Vourvoulias Published July 03, 2014, Fox News Latino |
|
Judge Frederick Aguirre (center) surrounded by, clockwise from right, his uncle Richard Aguirre as a P.F.C.; his father Alfred Aguirre with Ruben Abraham in 1945; his father-in-law, Eutiquio Martínez, along with a letter to Martínez from the White House and signed by Harry S. Truman. (Photos: Courtesy Orange County Hispanic Bar Association, American Patriots of Latino Heritage) |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
California Superior Court Judge Frederick P. Aguirre knows that he was only able to attend college at University of Southern California and law school at University of California at Los Angeles because he was able to attend Orange County public schools that had been integrated. He knows that the schools were only integrated because of the newfound political power that returning servicemen had in Southern California in the post-World War II period. He knows that because his father, Alfred, uncles Richard and Joe, and 23 assorted cousins all served in the U.S. military during World War II, along with another 6 cousins in Korea. “My family nobly served in Germany, Italy, North Africa, the Pacific, as well as the Air Force, Navy, Army—all the services,” Aguirre told Fox News Latino. “I carry it with me—the fact that they provided me with every opportunity I’ve had,” he added. |
Fifteen years ago, just a couple of years before Gov. Gray Davis appointed Aguirre to the Superior Court of Orange County, Aguirre and his schoolteacher wife, Linda Martínez Aguirre, started a small non-profit organization called Latino Advocates for Education, with the mission of documenting the contributions of Latino servicemen in the U.S. military. Along with an engineer friend, Rogelio Rodriguez, they have “personally profiled thousands of veterans,” Aguirre said, laughing. “All while being a full-time judge, schoolteacher and engineer.” Part of the problem, he pointed out, is that before Vietnam, Latinos were listed as white by the armed forces. So the three of them ended up going through more than 20 million names of soldiers who served during World War II and Korea, extracting those with Hispanic surnames.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
They have discovered around half a million Latinos who were counted as white and have attempted to track their rank, medals received, casualty figures and so on, for each. “This has been a tough job, because we did it without funding,” Aguirre told the bilingual Southern California magazine, Para Todos ("For Everybody'), in 2011. “It was all volunteer work on our own time.” Aguirre is the grandson of a Mexican migrant who settled in Orange County in 1908. His father, Alfred, was a 9th-grade dropout who trained as a radio operator with the Army.When he shipped out, he became part of the Army Corps of Engineers unit that built Kadena air field in Okinawa after the Japanese island was taken over by the U.S.—an invasion, by the way, that Aguirre’s uncle, Richard, took part in. “From my uncle's company of 200 men, only 20 came back alive and uninjured,” Aguirre said. “He didn’t suffer one scratch at Okinawa. He became a sergeant at West Point after the war.” |
Aguirre points out that for Mexican-American families in
Southern California, it was a point of patriotism and pride to take up their
country’s call to arms.
“My wife’s father and five of her uncles served in World War II and Korea,” he told FNL. “In my family, there are two sets of five brothers who all served. There’s one family here, Nevarez is their name, in which 8 brothers served. How many parents have eight kids, let alone eight boys, let alone born close enough together to serve within 10 years of each other?” He points out that because they were classified as white, many of their achievements aren’t known. “We have identified more than 600 Latino flyers during World War II,” he said, “including five aces who downed more than five enemy airplanes. Did you know that the first person to be killed at Pearl Harbor was Latino? Ensign Manuel Gonzalez, who was trying to land his plane when the attack happened.” Aguirre points out, “I didn’t see that in ‘Pearl Harbor’ or in ‘Tora! Tora! Tora!’ did you?” |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
After returning from war, many of those servicemen, now accustomed to receiving the same treatment as white soldiers, couldn’t understand why they couldn’t use the same swimming pools or movie theaters as white patrons. Even more important, their kids were expected to attend separate schools. Aguirre’s father, who worked in construction the rest of his life, joined the fight to integrate Orange County schools, eventually becoming the first City Councilman in Placentia, Calif. He and his wife put every one of their seven children through college. In Aguirre’s chambers, visitors can spot photos of his relatives during the war, Para Todos reported, as well as a large Stars and Stripes. “The flag was given to me by my cousin, Sgt. Christopher Miranda Braman,” who was stationed at the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks, he said, and personally helped 62 people flee the building. “It fills me with pride to have someone in my family who is a hero as he is.” |
Earlier this month, the U.S. Congress awarded the 65th Infantry Regiment, a Puerto Rico-based unit known as the “Borinqueneers,” the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award this side of a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Was Aguirre pleased by the honor? “Of course,” he told FNL. “Immediately, I sent a note
congratulating my friend, [Supreme Court Justice] Sonia Sotomayor, saying,
‘How great, Boricua!’” Bill Vourvoulias (@bvourvoulias) is an editor at Fox News
Latino. Sent by Fredrick Aguirre |
|
Reminiscences of a Naval Aviator |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Prior to beginning formation night flying at NAS Corpus Christi, and after nearly 15 months of flight training, we were given a night vision test. This consisted of sitting in a super-dark examination room and attempting to identify the position of a dimly lit "Tee" on a small black box, which simulated an airplane. To see at night, you use a different area of the internal surface of your eye. Actually, it's your peripheral vision sensors. To see the dimly lit Tee when the light was momentarily flashed on, you had to focus on a red dot off to one side. Somehow, I didn't get the message and instead focused on the place where the Tee would appear. The result is that I didn't see any of the objects shown, and left my night vision test with the instructor's comment that I might be washed out due to night vision blindness. Over the next month, I consumed enormous quantities of carrots, took vitamins; and, what was more important, practiced night vision exercises each evening. One of my favorite exercises was to stand on the football field at night and attempt to count the black and white stripes on the goal post cross bars, moving further away from the posts each time. On our first night formation flight, we were preparing to taxi out to the takeoff position where we would follow each other off the ground at 30-second intervals; and, as the leader made a large circle over the airport, we would join up one at a time. This join-up maneuver can be very unnerving and dangerous. |
Not only is it difficult to see each other, but too often a cadet runs into the aircraft he's trying to join up to. There are no brakes in the air. While taxiing out to the takeoff point, I accidently dropped my flashlight into the bottom of my aircraft. So, while I waited for the service crew to drive out and recover it for me, the other five members of my team took off. Finally, after retrieving my flighlight, I took off and spent the next two hours joining up on many formations - there were hundreds of Navy aircraft flying that night - every one piloted by a cadet who was extremely nervous. Early in the evening, I found a formation of five aircraft, slid up alongside it briefly and, upon noting the unfamiliar identification numbers on them, broke away. The comments I heard on the radio during this maneuver attested to the nervousness of the occupants. This was repeated a dozen times that night, and I finally joined up on the original five-plane formation, where I flew for the rest of the session. I never did find my own five-plane formation! One thing I noticed during all this: My night vision was unbelievable - it might as well have been broad daylight! Apparently, I was the only one flying that night who wasn't nervous. I got more than my fair share of formation join-ups; and, when we landed, I managed to lose myself in the crowd. The big topic of conversation that night among the cadets checking in at the assignment board was about the guy that joined up on them and then left like a ghost ship. At that point, I felt it better to keep a low profile; I had frightened too many people, but I /knew there was nothing wrong with my night vision! |
| hhhHHHistoric flying machine that aided in winning WW-2 both in the Pacific and Atlantic. |
| ========================================================================================== | ||
|
This is a great video of a historic and wonderful flying
machine that aided materially in winning WW-2 both in the Pacific and
Atlantic. It mentions the part it played in the early discovery of the
Japanese Fleet at the battle of Midway. What it doesn't mention was that a PBY
on Lend Lease to Britain, and flown by an American Navy Ensign was the plane
that discover the German battle ship Bismark. Further, in the Pacific, this
plane flying as the "Black Cat" squadron at Guadalcanal rescued over
a hundred pilot shot down over the Slot. In the Atlantic, these planes based
in Iceland and Greenland, materially contributed to defeating the German
submarine menace. Sent by Paul Trejo pgbluecoat@aol.com |
In 1947, I hitched a ride from NAS North Island (San
Diego), to NAS Alameda in a PBY,
riding in the glass blister of the side gunner. What a thrill. This was sent
to me by Herb Orth, another Submariner.
Great video and story about the WW II PBY Catalina.
Turn up your sound and go full screen. Jim Slattery's PBY doing its
thing... (For those of you not in
the San Diego area, Jim Slattery is a very big-time Navy airplane collector
at Gillespie Field, El Cajon, CA -- his fleet of WW II, and a few
others from different eras, is quite spectacular.
|
|
|
Women Killed in War on Terror Since the attack on America on September 11, 2001, a total
of 143 women deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait have lost their lives in
service to America. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Most Americans, and even members of the media, are not
aware that 143 brave servicewomen have died in the War on Terrorism. With few
exceptions, news stories about their tragic deaths usually appear only in the
military press, or in small hometown newspaper stories and television accounts
that rarely capture national attention.
Everyone in this war is serving "In Harm's Way,"
but “Direct Ground Combat” units, such as the infantry, engage in deliberate
offensive action against the enemy. Most
of the servicewomen whose names are listed below were killed by improvised
explosive devices (IEDs), and some died in military plane crashes. Twenty were
mothers of one or more children age 18 and younger. One female soldier, whose
body was shattered by an explosive device she was attempting to disarm, died in
the arms of her soldier husband who was stationed nearby.
|
Military hospitals nationwide have cared for many female
heroes who have lost legs and arms. When two women Marines and a female sailor
were killed in a Fallujah truck attack in June 2005, eleven more were sent to
Brooke Medical Center in Texas, which specializes in the treatment of severe
burns. Hundreds have received medals for serious injuries and for personal valor
under fire.
Heartbroken family members have expressed indescribable
grief and great pride in their daughters, which is universally shared by a
grateful nation. It is always when soldiers die, but losses of women in this war
are unprecedented in modern history. According to Army Times, 7,000 women served
in Vietnam, but only16 were killed, most of them nurses. In the first Persian
Gulf War, 33,000women were deployed, but only 6 perished due to scud missile
explosions or accidents. (Nov. 24, 2003) |
|
Editor Mimi:
Of
the list of the names of deployed women killed since 9/11, updated on October
15, 2013, I have pulled out 26
Latinas on this list, on the basis of surname. With many married and identified
by their married name, it is possible that there were more Latinas on the list. Please
review the list and acknowledge with sober reflection and gratitude for all the
courageous women and men who gave their lives in service to America. Unless
otherwise indicated, all listed were soldiers in the Army: |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Afghanistan:
AF 1st Lt. Tamara Archuleta, 23, co-pilot Pave Hawk
helicopter, crashed while picking up two injured Afghan children, Mar. 23, 2003.
Pfc. Barbara Vieyra, 22, IED, RPG attack near Kunar
province, Mother of a little girl, Evelyn, Sept. 18, 2010.
Staff Sgt. Aracely Gonzalez O'Malley, 31, injuries in
non-combat incident at Mazar-e Sharif, Oct.12, 2010.
CWO Thalia Ramirez, helicopter crash in Logar province,
Sept. 5, 2012.
Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno, 25, IED ambush while accompanying
Rangers as nurse in Zhari District, October 6, 2013.
Iraq:
Sgt. Melissa Valles, 26, non-combat gunshot wound to
abdomen, cause unknown, July 10, 2003.
Pfc. Analaura Esparza Gutierrez, 21, RPG attack on supply
vehicle, Oct. 1, 2003.
Spc. Tamarra J. Ramos,24, non-combat injuries, armor
medical company, Oct. 1, 2003.
Pfc. Karina Sotelo Lau,20, Chinook crash, under fire, Nov.
2, 2003.
Spc. Frances M. Vega, 20, Chinook crash, under fire, Nov.
2, 2003.
Sgt. Linda C. Jiminez, injuries following a fall in
Baghdad, Nov. 8, 2003.
Spc. Isela Rubalcava, 25, hit by mortar round to Stryker
brigade, May 8, 2004.
Sgt. Linda Terango-Griess, Ordnance Company Reservist, 33,
vehicle hit by IED, July 11, 2004.
Spc. Aleina Ramirez Gonzales, 33, Puerto Rico, mortar
attack on forward operating base, Apr. 29, 2005.
Spc. Lizbeth Robles, 31, vehicle accident, Mar. 1, 2005.
Marine Cpl. Ramona Valdez, 20, Fallujah attack on truck
convoy, June 23, 2005.
Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa, 24, RPG attack on Humvee, Dec.
24, 2005.
Spc. Amanda Pinson, 21, mortar attack while waiting for bus
transport, Mar. 16, 2006.
Marine Lance Cpl. Juana Navarro Arellano, 24, of wounds
received in Iraq, April 8 , 2006.
2nd Lt. J. T. Perez, 23, IED explosion near Humvee in Al Kifl, Iraq, Sept. 12, 2006.
Capt. Maria I. Ortiz, 40, indirect fire attack in Baghdad,
July 10, 2007.
Spc. Marisol Heredia, 19, injuries suffered from a
non-combat related incident, July 18 in Baghdad, Sept. 7, 2007.
Spc. Jessica Y. Sarandrea, 22, mortar fire on forward
operating base near Mosul, Mar. 3, 2009
Staff Sgt. Army C. Tirador, 29, non-combat incident near Kirkush, Nov. 4, 2009.
Pfc. Adriana Alvarez, 20, MP, injuries sustained supporting
combat operations, Feb. 20, 2010.
Navy Operations Spec. 2nd Class Dominique D. Cruz, 26, Jan.
19, Gulf of Oman.
THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE LIST WOMEN IN WARS
BEGINNING WITH THE CIVIL WAR:
Sent by Jack Cowan
|
||
 |
|
|
Cuento: Tejano Patriot, Tomas Del Toro by Gilbert Villerreal Miguel Angel Fernandez de Mazarambroz, Consul General of Spain in Mexico |
| =================================== | ========================================================== | |
Gilbert Villerreal |
TEJANO PATRIOT Tomas Del Toro By Gilbert Villerreal
|
|
|
In my
last article titled “Back to Basics,” in the May 2013 newsletter, The mistake did not discourage or hamper my efforts to learn about my family history. My emphasis this year has been on reading, and not relying on my keyboard and the web for information. I have concentrated on books that provide information on the history of the Spanish Colonial period. I am now in the process of reading and studying these books. This effort has provided an unexpected surprise. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
When we find facts, dates of birth, baptisms, marriages, and death, we are creating a skeleton of our ancestor. We say my ancestors were born, baptized, married and died on these dates. What we all want is to add flesh to the skeleton. How did they live? How did they handle adversity and what gave them pleasure? |
Several
sources have provided a snapshot of the life of my maternal 4th
great grandfather, Tomas Del Toro. I have discovered more flesh to cover
his skeleton. He was a soldier at the Presidio of San Saba, later he was
transferred to Bexar, and detached to Fort Cibolo.[1]
He served and fought
and died alongside Cayetano Hernandez, a Tejano Patriot of the American
Revolution 1776-178.[2]
The link below details the circumstances of their death.[3] |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Tomas was born about 1747 in Coahuila, Mexico. The events that unfolded in Texas after his birth played a significant role in his life. I can only imagine that his mother, like mothers today, prayed that the hostilities on the frontier would end. The war with the Indians, on the Spanish frontier was about to change when Tomas was born. The changes would include different tactics for both the Spanish soldier and the Indian. The Spanish and the Indian would change the methods and weapons of warfare. There would be a confederation of different tribes under the Comanche. She did not want to see her son in danger. His father was a soldier, serving on the Spanish frontier. She knew the hardships of following her husband. She spent endless nights waiting for her husband to return when he went out on patrol. The nights were filled the countless prayers for his safe return. She was selfish in her prayers. She would ask God to forgive her, because she also prayed that none of her sons would enter to serve the king. She was the wife of a solider, a military wife, but this was a military family, and sons followed fathers in military service.[4] The Spanish did not understand the new enemy on the Spanish frontier in Tejas. The Apache and Comanche were different than the Indians from central Mexico. The Indians from central Mexico had become allies. They were part of the efforts of colonization and the founding of missions on the frontier.[5] They were examples of how Indians could become Christians, and Hispanicized. The Indians of the Spanish frontier were nomads, and had a low level civilization, not suited for mission life.[6] A witness, of the attack at the San Saba Mission in 1758, reported that the Indian had acquired horses, armor, firearms and adopted European techniques of warfare. [7] Tomas would have been about ten or eleven years old, and well aware of the massacre. Tomas was born at the time that the Comanche entered the San Antonio area in pursuit of the Apaches.[8] They pushed the Apaches out of their hunting grounds and south past San Antonio. |
Tomas married Antonia Serafina Menchaca the daughter of Margarita Menchaca an Apache Indian, a servant in the household of Don Luis Menchaca. The Comanche would end the life of Tomas del Toro. On 13 Oct, 1772, Tomas Del Toro petitioned the church for permission to marry Antonia Serafina Menchaca. Tomas was 25 years old at this time. He was a soldier, a native of Villa Coahuila, Mexico. Tomas was a Spaniard and was the legitimate son of Don Juan de El Toro and Dona Ana Maria Flores de Abrego. He was in this area for the last two years. He stated that he had been in the Presidio of San Saba. [9] Tomas de El Toro was recruited for service in 1769 for the Presidio de San Saba. He was part of the garrison transferred to serve the Presidio de Bexar in 1770. He was discharged in 1773 when the garrison was reorganized. [10] The petition stated he had known Antonia for three years. She stated that she has known Tomas Calletanyo de El Toro and wants to marry him of her own free will. She says she is about 15 years old and a native of this city. [11] Antonia Serafina Menchaca was baptized in 1754, when she was 8 days old. She was baptized at San Fernando, in Villa Bejar. The record states that she is a Mestiza, child of Margarita Menchaca, Apache Indian. Margarita was a servant of Don Luis Menchaca. Don Luis Menchaca had raised Margarita, and it was public knowledge “y es publica ". The godmother for Antonia Serafina Manchaca was Maria de Anpuco.[12] This record does not mention who Serafina’s father was, but history leaves a clue. A regular occurrence during this time was that women Indian servants were sexually exploited.[13] [14] They were in danger from any adult males in the household. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Juachin deArandian/Orandain was the lieutenant of the troops of this Royal Presidio of Bexar, and is one of the witnesses for the wedding petition. He stated that Antonia is a Coyota and free to marry Thomas. Father Pedro Fuente orders that the wedding bands to be posted for 3 days and festivities to be held for 3 days on Oct 18, 25, 28, 1772. They were married Nov 12 1772. It was signed by Father Pedro Fuentes. [15] A year later, in 1773 Tomas was discharged at Bexar from the presidio. Thomas worked as a field hand. He was a mozo for Francisco Flores. He also participated in cattle drives out of Bexar. Tomas was a witness in an investigation of the death of Juan de Escamilla in 1776. He was held in the prison at Saltillo, Mexico to insure that he would appear in court. Tomas escaped and returned to Villa de Bexar. He sought sanctuary at the church, and was again held in prison while they investigated what crime he had committed. He was eventually released and was out on bond.[16] Tomas returned to military service in about 1778. He was part of “La Tropa Ligera”, (light cavalry). He was killed by the Comanche on the 6th February, 1781 at Cibolo. He was one of the six soldiers that were killed when they were out tending to the herd. He left behind a wife and five children. |
La Tropa Ligera was a fast reaction force. They fought individually, not in formation, and were very mobile. They were a light cavalry unit, with the capacity to cover greater distance in a short period of time.[17] They were listed separately in the rooster of the presidio. [18] Life for Tomas as a soldier was no different than that of all military men, regardless of century. There was a routine of daily chores and guard duty. The troops would provide escort services for transporting provisions to the presidio and missions. The trip for provisions would be to Saltillo, Mexico and then back to Bexar. This was about every three months. There were exceptions, especially when there was a need for provisions in San Antonio. [19] The other duties besides guarding the presidio, and escort service, were mail delivery, and protecting the cattle and horses of the presidio and area ranches. There was also the reconnaissance or scouting parties looking for signs of hostiles in the area. [20]
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Thomas’s wife was 15 years old when she married Thomas. She probably lived in the household of Don Luis Menchaca. Her mother , Margarita Menchaca, was a servant in the household. Her origins are not known at this time. Her servitude was not passed on to her children.[21] The Spaniards would rescue Indians that were captured by different tribes that were always at war. They would pay a ransom to free the captured Indians.[22] Indians that were rescued were placed with Christian families, or in the missions.[23] |
Life in the missions for the Indians provided them the benefits of Christianity, and salvation. The church taught them agriculture. They would also be taught how to take care of livestock. Some Indians would also be instructed in some of the skilled trades, but most were used for unskilled labor. The skilled trades were butchering, blacksmith and construction. These trades were usually performed by Mestizos or Spaniards.[24] The Indians were also sometimes subjected to abuse during their stays at the missions. The Church wanted to convert the Indians to Christianity, and help them become productive citizens of the Spanish Empire. Some Indian groups never submitted or adapted to mission life. Thomas Del Toro, the presidio soldier, and his wife a Coyota, made their life in these changing times. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
[1]
Bibliography
Chabot, Frederick C. With The Makers
of San Antonio. San Antonio: Privately Published, 1937. Chipman,
Donald E. and Harriett Denise Joseph. Spanish Texas 1519- 1821
Revised edition. 2010. Dela
Teja, Jesus F. San Antonio De Bexar A Community on New Spain's
Northern Frontier. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press,
1995. Leal,
John Ogden. Marriage Petition and Permission San Fernando Church 1772.
San Antonio Public Library, 1979. —.
San Fernando Church Baptisms 1731 - 1775. San Antonio, Texas, n.d.
Ruiz, Pablo P. Bexar
Archives Translation. Trans. Pablo P Ruiz. Dolph Briscoe Center for
American History, The University of Texas, Austin, n.d. 20 October 2013.
<http://www.cah.utexas.edu/projects/bexar/search.php?searchTextD>. Thonhoff,
Robert H. El Fuerte Del Cibolo (Sentinel of the Bexar-La bahia
Ranches). Austin, Texas: Eakin press, 1992. Villarreal,
Jesse O. Tejano Patriots of thr American revolution 1776-1783.
Ed. Judge Robert H. Thonhoff. Austin: Jesse O. villarreal, 2011. Weber,
David J. The Spanish Frontier in North America The Brief Edition.
New Haven and London: Yale University, 2009. Weddle,
Robert S. The San Saba Mission. College Station: Texas A & M
University Press, 1999. |
||
|
|
|
Marriage Petitions and Permissions Marry |
|||
|
============================================= |
======================================== |
||
|
|
|
View of San Fernando Cathedral in the 1800s |
|
|
|
Main Plaza, Cathedral, and Court House, San Antonio, Texas(postcard, circa 1901-1914) |
||
Color postcard picturing the city of San Antonio. In the center of the picture stands San Fernando Cathedral with San Antonio City Hall behind it. A date "10-12006 #9" is handwritten on the front. It is addressed to Miss Rosa Bassano, Paris, Tex. It is postmarked San Antonio, Tex. on Oct. 12, 1906.
|
|||
|
Ancestors of Gilbert Villarreal For more on John O. Leal, historian/archivist, please click. |
|
July 4, 2014, the Order of Granaderos y Damas de
Galvez |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
|
On Friday, July 4, 2014, the Order of Granaderos y Damas
de Galvez presented their 30th Annual Fourth of July Patriotic Ceremony
at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. |
|
========================================================== |
================================== |
|
|
|
Granadero's and Friends: God was present today for sure, since good things continue to take place. All of it good!!!. Our beginnings: Young then, I was honored to have attended the early days of the 4th of July Ceremonies 30 years ago. Founder and Governor Charles Barrera, a Canary Islander, flew to Spain to introduce this historical idea to the King of Spain. It was approved and supported with uniforms, flags and muskets. Joseph, today you stood were past Governor's stood, leading our ceremonies. Their 4th Ceremonies began at 4:30pm at the Ft. Sam Houston Flag Circle and some years it was close to 100 degrees and no shade, wearing wool uniforms to a crowd of 10 to 15. |
|
As I stood in place, I thought of our founders and our Granadero's now past. The Legacy and Torch that was passed from Gov. to Gov., has not changed and that is not easy. Love for Country, Love for our Soldiers, Honor, Respect, with a Brotherhood to help us get there. The Granaderos De Galvez have a beautiful story to tell and that was done very well today. The joy and blessings I personally recieved today, was being able to look over my shoulder and know our past and present is in the right direction....They are Saluting us. Never give up....is what they taught us......
Proud of you Gov. Joseph
Ricardo
A local TV news broadcast has posted its video report of our 4th of July
ceremony to its website.
It may be viewed by going to www.foxsanantonio.com
then clicking on the News tab
near the top of the page, then scrolling down to Street's Corner and clicking on
the photo to play the video broadcast. Photos will be posted to our Facebook page later today.
|
|
|
| BERNARDO DE
GÁLVEZ, (1746–1786)
Presented by: Miguel Angel Fernandez de Mazarambroz Bernabeu Tuesday, July 29, 2014 | 7:00pm Posted Media Alert: Miguel Angel Mazarambroz, Cónsul General of Spain in México will be taking the people of San Antonio back to a little known aspect of the American Revolution in the 1770s; the pivotal role the government of New Spain played in helping the Continental Army win the war against the British. Via financing of French warships, shipping cattle from Texas to feed the soldiers and fighting pivotal naval battles, one figure emerged as the Spanish Hero of the American Revolution; Bernardo de Gálvez, who Galveston, Texas was named for. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Bernardo de Gálvez was born on July 23, 1746, in Macharaviaya, a mountain village in the province of Málaga, Spain, the son of Matías and Josepha Madrid y Gallardo de Gálvez. During his lifetime his family wasone of the most distinguished in the royal service of Spain. Following family tradition, Bernardo chose a military career. In 1762 he served as a lieutenant in a war with Portugal, after which he was promoted to captain in the Regiment of La Coruña. He arrived in New Spain for the first time as a part of the entourage of his uncle, José de Gálvez Gallardo, who undertook an inspection tour of the viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1769 Gálvez was commissioned to go to the northern frontier of New Spain, where he soon became commandant of military forces in Nueva Vizcaya and Sonora. He led several major expeditions against Apaches, whose depredations seriously crippled the economy of the region. During campaigns along the Pecos and Gila rivers in 1770–71, he was |
wounded twice but
gained military experience that proved invaluable a few years later. The name Paso de Gálvez was given to a
crossing on the Pecos River where Gálvez led his troops to victory in a fight with the Apaches. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Before Spain entered the American Revolutionary War, Gálvez did much to aid the American patriots. He corresponded directly with Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and Charles Henry Lee, personally received their emissaries, Oliver Pollock and Capt. George Gibson, and responded to their pleas by securing the port of New Orleans so that only American, Spanish, and French ships could move up and down the Mississippi River. Over the river, a veritable lifeline, great amounts of arms, ammunition, military supplies, and money were delivered to the embattled American forces under George Washington and George Rogers Clark. Spain formally declared war against Great Britain on June 21, 1779, and King Carlos III commissioned Gálvez to raise a force of men and conduct a campaign against the British along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. In order to feed his troops, Gálvez sent an emissary, Francisco García, with a letter to Texas governor Domingo Cabello y Robles requesting the delivery of Texas cattle to Spanish forces in Louisiana. Accordingly, between 1779 and 1782, 10,000 cattle were rounded up on ranches belonging to citizens and missions of Bexar and La Bahia. From Presidio La Bahía, the assembly point, Texas rancheros and their vaqueros trailed these herds to Nacogdoches, Natchitoches, and Opelousas for distribution to Gálvez's forces. |
Providing escorts for these
herds were soldiers from Presidio San Antonio de Béxar,
Presidio La Bahía, and El Fuerte del Cíbolo, and
several hundred horses were also sent along for artillery and
cavalry purposes. On March 14, 1780, after a month-long siege with land and
sea forces, Gálvez, with over 2,000 men, captured the British stronghold of
Fort Charlotte at Mobile. The climax of the Gulf Coast campaign occurred the
following year when Gálvez directed a joint land-sea attack on Pensacola, the
British capital of West Florida. He commanded more than 7,000 men in the
two-month siege of Fort George in Pensacola before its capture on May 10, 1781. On May 8, 1782, Gálvez and his Spanish forces captured the British naval base at New Providence in the Bahamas. He was busy preparing for a grand campaign against Jamaica when peace negotiations ended the war. After the fighting, Gálvez helped draft the terms of treaty that ended the war, and he was cited by the American Congress for his aid during the conflict. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
After the peace accords in April 1783, General Gálvez, accompanied by his wife, the former Marie Felice de Saint-Maxent Estrehan of New Orleans, and two infant children, returned to Spain for a brief rest. In October 1784 he was recalled to America to serve as captain-general and governor of Cuba. Early in 1785 he was appointed viceroy of New Spain to succeed his father, who had died on November 3, 1784. Gálvez and his family moved to Mexico City, which was in the throes of famine and disease. He became endeared to the people of Mexico City by opening up not only the resources of the government but also his personal fortune to help the populace through the difficult times. Two of his main achievements as viceroy were the start of the reconstruction of the Castle of Chapultepec, today a showplace for the Mexican nation, and the completion of the Cathedral of Mexico, the largest cathedral in the western hemisphere. |
Gálvez died of an illness on November 30, 1786. His body was buried next to his father's crypt in the wall of the Church of San Fernando. His heart was placed in an urn and reposed in the Cathedral of Mexico. On December 12, eight days after his funeral, his widow gave birth to another child. In 1778 San Bernardo, a Taovayan village on the Red River, was named in honor of Gálvez, then the governor of Louisiana. While he was viceroy of New Spain Gálvez ordered José de Evia's survey of the Gulf Coast; the mapmaker named the biggest bay on the Texas coast Bahía de Galvezton, a name later altered to Galveston. On November 30, 1986, forty members of the orders of the Granaderos and Damas de Gálvez from Texas, in conjunction with the Sociedad Mexicana de Amigos de España, placed a bronze plaque on Gálvez's crypt to honor the life and deeds of this great Spanish hero of the American Revolution. Sent by Elsa Herbeck tejanos2010@gmail.com |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Dear Friends,
In Jan., 2014, a Joint Resolution was filed in the U.S. House of
Representatives to make Gen. Bernardo de Galvez a U.S. Citizen. An identical
Joint Resolution was filed last month in the US Senate.
Attached is a proposed resolution to be considered by the national congress of
the National Society Sons of the American Revolution. The web site doesn't
give this joint resolution much chance to pass.
|
Please use the SAR Proposed Resolution as a guide for your group and get a
copy sent by your organization to each member of the US House of
Representatives and each US Senator. Also, please send a personal note to both
your US Senators and Congressman asking them to support this joint resolution.
Sincerely,
Judge Ed Butler
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Draft
of Proposed RESOLUTION National Society Sons of the
American Revolution In Congress Assembled Greenville, South Carolina
- July __, 2014 |
||
|
WHEREAS,
Spain supported the American Colonists during the American Revolutionary War,
and WHEREAS,
Spain's primary representative in North America was General Bernardo de Galvez,
and WHEREAS,
General Bernardo de Galvez assisted the colonists by providing money, arms,
ammunition, uniforms, tents, medical supplies and other materials, and WHEREAS,
General Bernardo de Galvez protected our western frontier from the British and
its Indian allies by leading his Spanish army troops, Spanish Militia and other
volunteers in battles at Manchak, Baton Rouge, and Natchez, and WHEREAS,
General Bernardo de Galvez protected our southern frontier from the British and
its Indian allies by leading his Spanish army and navy troops, Spanish Militia
and other volunteers in battles at Mobile, Pensacola and the Bahamas, and at
time the 1783 peace treaty was concluded, was along with the French, preparing
to attack the two forts in Jamaica, Britain's strongest point in the Western
Hermisphere, and WHEREAS,
General Bernardo de Galvez protected our northwestern frontier from the British
and its Indian allies by making his Spanish army and navy troops, Spanish
Militia and other volunteers in battles at Ft. San Carlos, Ft. St. Joseph, and
Arkansas Post, and WHEREAS,
General Bernardo de Galvez protected our northwestern frontier from the British
and its Indian allies by providing arms, ammunition, and other military supplies
to General George Rogers Clark, who defeated the British at Kaskaskia, Cahokia,
and Vincennes, and WHEREAS,
General George Rogers Clark credited General Bernardo de Galvez and the support
he had received from Spain through General Clark, WHEREAS,
General Bernardo de Galvez provided arms, ammunition and other supplies to
General George Washington through Ft. Pitt, and WHEREAS,
during his lifetime he received personal letters of appreciation from George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin, King Carlos III
of Spain and the United States Congress, and WHEREAS,
there are now Joint Resolutions pending in both the
U.S. House of Representives and the U.S. Senate, to confer Honorary
United States Citizenship posthumously to Bernardo de Galvez, which Joint
Resolutions are as follows: On 9
jan. 2014 a joint resolution was filed in the u.s. House of representatives and
an identical Joint Resolution was
filed on 4 June 2014 in the u.s. Senate to confer U.S. Citizenship posthumously
to General Bernardo De Galvez. Both
joint resolutions are currently pending. The
bills are identical. The bills reads
as follows: 113th
CONGRESS 2d Session H.
J. RES. 105 January
9, 2014 Mr.
Miller of Florida
(for himself, Mr. Southerland, Mr.
Yoho,
Mr.
Crenshaw,
Ms.
Brown of Florida,
Mr.
DeSantis,
Mr.
Mica,
Mr.
Posey,
Mr.
Grayson,
Mr.
Webster of Florida, Mr. Nugent,
Mr.
Bilirakis,
Ms.
Castor of Florida,
Mr.
Ross,
Mr.
Buchanan,
Mr.
Rooney,
Mr.
Murphy of Florida,
Mr.
Radel,
Mr.
Hastings of Florida, Mr. Deutch,
Ms.
Frankel of Florida, Ms. Wasserman
Schultz,
Ms.
Wilson of Florida,
Mr.
Diaz-Balart,
Mr.
Garcia,
Ms.
Ros-Lehtinen,
and Mr. Pierluisi) introduced the
following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
S.
J. RES. 38 June
4, 2014 Mr.
Rubio
(for himself and Mr. Nelson) introduced the
following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary JOINT
RESOLUTION Conferring
honorary citizenship of the United States on Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid,
Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez. Whereas
the United States has conferred honorary citizenship on 7 other occasions during
its history, and honorary citizenship is and should remain an extraordinary
honor not lightly conferred nor frequently granted; Whereas
Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez, was a
hero of the Revolutionary War who risked his life for the freedom of the United
States people and provided supplies, intelligence, and strong military support
to the war effort; Whereas
Bernardo de Gálvez recruited an army of 7,500 men made up of Spanish, French,
African-American, Mexican, Cuban, and Anglo-American forces and led the effort
of Spain to aid the United States’ colonists against Great Britain; Whereas
during the Revolutionary War, Bernardo de Gálvez and his troops seized the Port
of New Orleans and successfully defeated the British at battles in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, Natchez, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama; Whereas
Bernardo de Gálvez led the successful 2-month Siege of Pensacola, Florida,
where his troops captured the capital of British West Florida and left the
British with no naval bases in the Gulf of Mexico; Whereas
Bernardo de Gálvez was wounded during the Siege of Pensacola, demonstrating
bravery that forever endeared him to the United States soldiers; Whereas
Bernardo de Gálvez’s victories against the British were recognized by George
Washington as a deciding factor in the outcome of the Revolutionary War; Whereas
Bernardo de Gálvez helped draft the terms of treaty that ended the
Revolutionary War; Whereas
the United States Continental Congress declared, on October 31, 1778, their
gratitude and favorable sentiments to Bernardo de Gálvez for his conduct
towards the United States; Whereas
after the war, Bernardo de Gálvez served as viceroy of New Spain and led the
effort to chart the Gulf of Mexico, including Galveston Bay, the largest bay on
the Texas coast; Whereas
several geographic locations, including Galveston Bay, Galveston, Texas,
Galveston County, Texas, Galvez, Louisiana, and St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana,
are named after Bernardo de Gálvez; Whereas
the State of Florida has honored Bernardo de Gálvez with the designation of
Great Floridian; and Whereas
Bernardo de Gálvez played an integral role in the Revolutionary War and helped
secure the independence of the United States: Now, therefore, be it That
Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez, is
proclaimed posthumously to be an honorary citizen of the United States. NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED BY The National Society Sons of the
American Revolution, assembled
in Greenville, S.C. for its annual Congress on this the __ day of July, 2014 as
follows:
I,
Lindsey Brock, Secretary of the National
Society Sons of the American Revolution
hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted at the General Congress of
the Society in Greenville, S.C. for its annual meeting on this the __ day of
July, 2014. Secretary Uncovering the Presidio's
Amazing Past: Ever wondered what's going on just beneath the surface?
Presidio Trust archaeologists are conducting a live dig to excavate El Presidio
de San Francisco, the fort established by the first Spanish colonists upon their
arrival in 1776. Visitors are invited to stop by to learn about their finds,
view artifacts, and watch the excavation unfold at Pershing Square from 9 am to
4 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. This has been a long term project, as reflected in many articles, such as this one from the Los Angeles Times article, July 13, 2014 Spaniard may receive honorary citizenship by Richard Simon, sent by Sister Mary Sevilla. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The
Surname “Orozco” The surname Orozco (or
Orosco) is a surname that has been prominent throughout both Spain and
Mexico over the last few centuries. According
to Richard D. Woods and Grace Alvarez-Altman, “Spanish Surnames in the
Southwestern United States: A Dictionary,” two elements form this
surname: “oros” which means holly tree and the suffix “-ko” which
suggests place. Orozco therefore means place of the holly trees.
Orozco is also believed to have been derived from the Latin word “orosius”
– the son of bringer of wisdom. However, Orozco is also widely accepted as a Basque surname that
indicates that one is a descendant of the ancient Señores de Vizcaya. In the Dictionary of Surnames, Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges offered
an alternative explanation for the surname Orozco, indicating that it was Basque
and that the first element of the name may have derived from the Basque oru
(plot of land). |
Spanish
Origins It seems likely that the surnames Orozco (or Orosco) – in all
their forms (i.e. single surnames or double surnames) – may have evolved from
several points of origin in different parts of Spain. According to García y
Carraffa’s Diccionario
heráldico y genealógico de apellidos españoles y Americanos , one
form of the surname, Orozco de Vizcaya,
originated among ancient horsemen whose descendants moved to the city of
Trujillo in the present-day province of Cáceres in the Extremadura region of
western Spain. Another family of this surname seems to have originated in the
villa de Villademiro in the partido de Castorgeriz in the Province of Burgos.
And still another Orozco surname developed in the villa of Portillo in the
judicial jurisdiction of Olmedo. Today Portillo is a municipio within the
Province of Valladolid in the north of Spain.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
García y Carraffa also
noted that another branch of Orozco lived in the small village of Candeleda of
the judicial district Arenda de San Pedro in the Province of Avila (Central
Spain). The progenitor of this
family was Diego de Orozco, The
Oroscos Arrive in the Americas With the migration of Spaniards to the Americas in the Sixteenth
Century, several Orosco’s are known to have embarked to Nueva España
(Mexico), including: |
|
| ======================================= | == | ==================================================== |
|
Francisco
de Orozco Persons with the surname Orozco are known to have played
significant roles in the early history of both Nueva España and Nueva Galicia
(which was the first Spanish name given for the areas now known as
Aguascalientes, Jalisco and Zacatecas). One
of Hernán Cortés’ chief lieutenants in his conquest of Tenochtitlán (the
Aztec name for the present day Mexico City) was Francisco
de Orozco, who was believed to have come from Ubeda or Sanlúcar el Mayor.
It was Orozco who first made his way to Oaxaca, claiming the region for Cortés
and subduing the Mixtec inhabitants. He died in 1524 in Oaxaca. Orosco
in Guadalajara Diego de Orosco from Toledo – mentioned above as a pasajero to
Nueva España in 1535 and the son of Francisco Orozco –became one of the first
63 founders of Guadalajara in 1542. According
to Steven F. Hernandez and Tony Campos, other Orosco’s soon came to prominence
in Guadalajara and surrounding areas of present-day Jalisco. Juan Bautista de
Orozco, who immigrated to Nueva España in 1566 (as noted above), was appointed
an oídor of the Real Audiencia de Guadalajara in the same year and served in
that position until 1571.
|
One of the best sources of information relating to the Jalisco
Orosco’s can be found in the 94-page Steven Hernandez and Tony Campos article,
“Basic
Foundations of Significant Families of Mexico: Tello de Orozco,” in
the SHHAR Genealogical Journal, Volume 5 (2003), which is available
through SHHAR. This masterpiece discusses Orozco and Tello de Orozco, as well as
many other affiliated surnames, including Velasco, Liébana, Lomos and Bañuelos.
On of the many documents referenced in this work is the May 2, 1714 marriage of
Joseph Tello de Orosco and Lucía de Zamora in Ocotlán, which we have
reproduced below:
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Dr.
Gerónimo Orozco and the Founding of Aguascalientes Juan Bautista de Orozco’s brother, Gerónimo de Orozco y Lerma,
was believed to have been born in Sevilla sometime between 1518 and 1522, as
speculated by Hernandez and Campos. Sometime after arriving in Nueva España,
Gerónimo became a licenciado (lawyer
or attorney) with a degree from the University of Salamanca. Then in 1559, he
obtained a doctorate in law from the University of Mexico. For fifteen years up
to 1572, Doctor Orozco served as an oídor in the Real Audiencia. On December 15, 1574, Dr.
Geronimo de Orozco y Lerma took office as the Governor-President of the
Royal Audiencia of New Galicia. From his headquarters in Guadalajara he played
an important role in organizing the settlement of the Villa de la Asunción de las Aguas Calientes (Villa de
Aguascalientes). On October 22, 1575 Orozco signed the certificate of foundation
for the new villa, which today is a major urban center of Mexico. Gerónimo de Orozco established Aguascalientes during the long
Chichimeca War, in which the native peoples of the area attempted to stop the
Spanish advance and waged a very effective guerilla warfare against the
Spaniards and their indigenous allies from the south (i.e., Christianized
Indians). The intensity of the
Chichimeca War led to numerous engagements. |
Some researchers have stated that Geronimo Orozco was killed during
a skirmish between Chichimecas and Spanish troops either in December 1580 or in
April 1581. However, Hernandez and Campos have stated that Gerónimo continued
to serve as the Governor until his death in 1592. Dr. Gerónimo de Orozco
married Beatriz Tello de Sandoval around 1554 or 1555 and, together, they had
ten children, including the following:
The descendants of Gerónimo and Beatriz and their many children
are discussed in great detail in Steven Hernandez and Tony Campos’ article
cited above and in the sources at the end of this story. Anyone who has Orozco
ancestors should consult this work to see if they have any connections to this
lineage, which is extensive throughout several parts of Mexico and discusses
seven generations of Orozco’s. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Aguascalientes
Grows By 1582, the threat to the small villa of Aguascalientes became so
serious that the population had dwindled to one military commander, 16 soldiers
and two citizen residents. In effect, the small settlement – located in the
middle of the war zone – was under siege. But in the late 1580s, the threat of
Indian attack diminished steadily, as the Spanish authorities attempted to
negotiate a peace with the Indians of the region. The last Indian attack took
place in 1593, after which the threat of hostile attack disappeared entirely and
the region experienced a new peace. The new-found peace of the 1590s, according to the historian Peter
Gerhard, “brought a tide of Spanish settlers beginning in the 1590s, mostly
cattlemen and farmers, together with Indian and Negro retainers.”
By 1610, the small town of Aguascalientes had approximately 25 Spanish
residents, about fifty families of mestizos, at least 100 mulatos, twenty Black
slaves, and ten Indians. By 1616, the Parish records at Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Aguascalientes mention La Estancia de Santiago as the property of one Jerónimo de Orozco and his wife, Doña Ángela Temiño de Velasco. Some researchers have stated that Jerónimo was a descendant of Alberto de Orosco, a first cousin of Geronimo de Orosco y Lerma, the founder of the city. Angela, for her part, was a |
great-granddaughter of Hernán Flores de la Torre, a conquistador of Nueva
Galicia, and his wife Maria Alvarez de la Torre. On September 24, 1618, Jerónimo and Angela had their son, Juan,
baptized in the Parish Church. Another child, Maiana, was baptized on January 5,
1623. During the first few decades of the parish, Jerónimo, his wife and his
children and grandchildren would serve as padrinos for many of the baptisms and
marriages that took place in town. The first known marriage of an Orosco in the Aguascalientes parish
records was the marriage of one Diego de Orosco – another son of Jerónimo and
Angela – who married Doña María Medel on April 14, 1637. By the time of the 1648
Padron (church registry or census), Angela de Velasco – now the widow of
Geronimo – was living with her family in “La cassa de Geronimo de Orosco”
with her son Diego, her grandchildren and a large number of servants. By this
time, Diego had lost his first wife, and had married a second wife, Maria de los
Ynojos, and now had two children with her. Living elsewhere in the City was Juan Marín de Penalosa who would
later marry Francisca de Orosco y Santa
Cruz, the daughter of Lucas Orosco y Santa Cruz of San Luis Potosi and
Leonor Marin of Aguascalientes. |
| ===================================== | === | ===================================================== |
| The Orozco family continued to live and thrive in Aguascalientes
for many generations. The detailed document below is the March 14, 1670
Aguascalientes marriage between one Frtancisco Murillo and Maria de Orosco, the
daughter of Francisco de Orozco y Magdalena Gomez de Portugal, who were
residents of Teocaltiche, almost 40 miles southwest of Aguascalientes. Don
Juan de Villaseñor Orozco According to J. Ignacio Avila Garibi, Don Juan de Villaseñor Orozco was among the founders of Valladolid
de Michoacán (later known as Morelia, the capital of the State) and the
encomendero of Huango, Puruándiro and other cities. It is believed that he was
born at Vélez de Castilla in Spain around 1500 and he died in 1566 at
Tacámbaro, Michoacán. He was married to Doña
Catalina Cervantes de Lara (a native of Sevilla, Spain) and they are
believed to be the ancestors of a long line of notable individuals in Mexican
history.
|
 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Through their son, Federico de Villaseñor y Cervantes de Lara,
Juan and Catalina were the great-great-great-great-great-grandparents of Don
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest from the city of Dolores in Guanajuato
who led the first battles of the Mexican Revolution in 1810. Dolores would later
be renamed Dolores Hidalgo in his honor and that is the name it carries today. Through another son, Diego, Juan and Catalina were the
great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents of Don Agustin de Iturbide, a native of Morelia (1783), who played a
significant role in the last part of the Mexican Revolution, eventually becoming
Emperor of Mexico and then losing his life in 1824. |
Orozco
in Mexico Persons with the surname Orozco (or Orosco) have continued to play
significant roles in Mexican political and cultural life. According to Wikipedia,
José Clemente Orozco (November 23, 1883 – September 7, 1949) was a Mexican
social realist painter who specialized in bold murals. Living around the same
time, was Pascual Orozco Vazquez (28 January 1882 – 30 August 1915) who was a
Mexican revolutionary leader. The surname in both forms continues to be fairly
prevalent in some parts of Jalisco, Zacatecas and Aguascalientes, as well as
other parts of the country. Copyright
© 2014 by John P. Schmal. All Rights Reserved. |
|
Sources: Campos, Tony and Hernandez, Steven F., “Basic Foundations of
Significant Families of Mexico: Tello de Orozco,” in Society of Hispanic
Historical and Ancestral Research (Steven F. Hernandez, editor), Genealogical
Journal, Volume 5 (2003), pp. 167-238. Davila, J Ignacio.
Los
nietos de Don Juan (Mexico, D.F., 1949) Davila, J Ignacio. Los
nietos de Juan de Villasenor Orozco, fundador de Valladolid
(Michoacan, Mexico, 1948). García y Carraffa, Alberto and Arturo. Diccionario heráldico y genealógico
de apellidos españoles y Americanos (1920-1963), 86 volumes. Gerhard, Peter. The
north frontier of New Spain (Oklahoma: Univ of Oklahoma Press, 1993). Hanks, Patrick
and Hodges, Flavia, A dictionary of surnames (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1988). Hardy, Rose and Valdez, Dave. A
genealogical look at the 1648 padron of Aguascalientes (2010). Méndez de Torres y Camino , Daniel Alejandro. Archivos parroquiales de
Aguascalientes: Siglo XVII (San Jose, California: 2011). Muria, Jose Maria and Olveda, Jaime. Lecturas históricas de
Guadalajara : generalidades históricas sobre la fundación y los primeros años
de Guadalajara (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia,
Guadalajara: 1991). Rodríguez, Juan Manuel.
“Gerónimo de OrozcoPor mercadointerno: El fundador de Aguascalientes y León,
fue muerto por chichimecas” (October 22, 2011). Online: http://mercadointerno.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/geronimo-de-orozco/ Wikipedia, “Orozco,” Online: Woods, Richard D. and Alvarez-Altman, Grace. Spanish Surnames in the
Southwestern United States: A Dictionary (G. K. Hall, Boston, 1978).
|
 |
|
|
Could Thomas Jefferson's DNA Trail Reveal Middle-Eastern Origins? |
|
Could Thomas Jefferson's DNA Trail Reveal Middle-Eastern Origins? |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
DNA testing carried out by University of Leicester
geneticists and funded by The Wellcome Trust has thrown new light on the
ancestry of one of the USA's most revered figures, the third President,
Thomas Jefferson. Almost 10 years ago, the University of Leicester team,
led by Professor Mark Jobling, together with international
collaborators, showed that Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one of
the sons of Sally Hemings, a slave of Jefferson's. The work was done using the Y chromosome, a
male-specific part of our DNA that passes down from father to son.
Jefferson carried a very unusual Y chromosome type, which helped to
strengthen the evidence in the historical paternity case. Now, new techniques have been brought to bear on
Jefferson's Y chromosome, in a study reported in the American Journal of
Physical Anthropology. The presidential chromosome turns out to belong
to a rare class called 'K2', which is found at its highest frequency in
the Middle East and Eastern Africa, including Oman, Somalia and Iraq.
Its closest match was in a man from Egypt. Could this mean that the
President had recent ancestry in the Middle East? A careful survey
revealed a few K2 chromosomes in France, Spain and England. Together,
the K2s form a diverse group that may, in fact, have been in western
Europe for many thousands of years. |
Further evidence for Jefferson's British origins
come from the finding that two out of 85 randomly recruited men named
Jefferson share exactly the same Y chromosome as the President. Prof
Jobling said: 'The two men have ancestry in Yorkshire and the West
Midlands, and knew of no historical connection to the USA. They were
amazed and fascinated by the link, which connects them into Thomas
Jefferson's family tree, probably about 11 generations ago.' The ultimate origins of K2 chromosomes remain a
mystery, however, and need further investigation: while they may have
been present in Europe since the Stone Age, another possibility is that
K2s came to Europe with the Phoenicians, an ancient maritime trading
culture that spread out across the Mediterranean from their home in what
is now Lebanon. The US media has taken up a different theory, leading to
the New York Times headline, 'Jefferson -- the first Jewish president?':
European K2 chromosomes may originate in Sephardic (Spanish) Jewish
populations, who have their ultimate origins in the Middle East. Prof Jobling said: 'When we look closely at large collections of British Y chromosomes we find surprises, like this rare K2 lineage, and the African chromosome that we recently found in a Yorkshireman. These exotic chromosomes remind us of the complexity of British history and prehistory.' Sent by John Inclan
fromgalveston@yahoo.com |
|
The Race of Sephardic Jews |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
There are a lot of people interested in race issues who
suggest that Sephardic Jews are not-white. They do so without any understanding
of Sephardic DNA. In fact, it is this kind of talk that leads Noel Ignatiev to
write books about the Irish becoming white and that being white has nothing to
do with biology, but is instead a political category of people we like and
people we dislike. Either a race is to be defined based on genetic information
or race is a social construct that doesn’t exist. Inadvertently, these “race
realists” are actually promoting the idea that race is nothing more than a
political classification. There is simply no genetic basis for their claim. There is
just an emotional desire to classify those we like at the moment as an
“in-group” and others as an “out-group”. Race is determined by genetic clusters. |
Looking at haplogroups, we find the same mtDNA (materinal)
haplogroups in both Europe and the Middle East with similar distribution
patterns. H is most common haplogroup in Europe. It’s a less common in the
Near East, but is still the most common one there as well. When it appears in
lesser numbers, it is “replaced” by a higher distribution of other
haplogroups which are also very common in Europe and not found anywhere else
outside Europe and the Middle East. The exception here are the Arabs because 38% of their mtDNA
comes from haplogroups outside those common among whites, so they should be
classified as mixed race people. But let me repeat it once more: this is done
not because of the slight variations within Caucasian haplogroups, but because
of such a significant outside gene flow into Arab communities.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
In Y-DNA, the haplogroups do tend to bunch up in certain
parts of Europe, but again, southern Europe (J2) is more like the Near East (J1)
than to I and R haplogroups in other parts of Europe. (additionally, the mostly
East European I is closer to the mostly Mediterranean J than to the mostly West
European R.) Were the Near East something other than white, then so too
should be the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece (both known to be J2), as well as
parts of Portugal, Spain, France, Serbia, Bulgaria, and so on. Needless to say
that would be revolutionary conclusion. Those Middle Easterners, therefore, who do not have
significant amounts of DNA outside the Caucasian haplogroups should be
classified together with other whites. It is only a completely uneducated person who is governed by his emotions and not by facts who would classify two people with, for instance, H1 haplogroup mtDNA and R1b haplogroup Y-DNA, as members of separate races. Even if H haplogroup in Europe and in the Near East have slight variations, and they do, these variations pale in comparison to the differences with |
haplogroups common among blacks, Orientals, Amerindians, native
Australians. When it comes to the Y-DNA, the profile of most Sephardic
Jews is very similar to that of Ashkenazi Jews and other Mediterranean
Europeans. Depending on a study, 30%-40% of Sephardim are in
haplogroup J (according to Wikipedia, 12% J1 and 29% J2) and another 30% in
haplogroup R1b (most common in Portugal and Spain). About 11.5% are haplogroup
I, a northern European group. And a small amount is the mostly East European and
Scandinavian R1a. Another 19% is haplogroup E1b1b which is observed in
significant frequencies in Europe and western Asia. It is particularly common in
southern Europe and the Balkans. We find it in both northern and southern Italy,
all of Spain and Greece, and southern France, as well as in smaller amounts all
throughout Europe as far north as the Scandinavia. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Haplogroup E probably originated in the Near East, but most
of it migrated back into Africa, both north and south of Sahara. E1b1b, however,
stayed in the Near East or migrated into Europe. Rather than being an African
influence onto the Middle East, it is the opposite: E is the Middle Eastern
influence on Africa. According to Wikipedia, “Most Sub-Saharan Africans belong
to subclades of E other than E1b1b, while most non-Africans who belong to
haplogroup E belong to its E1b1b subclade.” (Citing Fulvio Cruciani et al,
Phylogeographic Analysis of Haplogroup E1b1b (E-M215) Y Chromosomes Reveals
Multiple Migratory Events Within and Out Of Africa, Am. J. Hum. Genet, p. 74) We therefore see the Sephardic Y-DNA profile to be very
similar to Europeans along the Mediterranean, as well as to the Ashkenazim. The
only major difference with the Ashkenazim is that rather than having about a
third of their Y-DNA in haplogroup R1b (Western Europe), the Ashkenazim are
about evenly split between R1b and R1a (Eastern Europe and Scandinavia). |
This difference hardly seems significant enough to classify
Sephardim and Ashkenazim as different races. Most West Europeans would
presumably be very surprised if they were told that having more of their (R1b)
than East European (R1a) Y-DNA makes someone non-white. But what about the mtDNA. Here the differences between Sephardim and Europeans are
even less stark. The primary Caucasoid mtDNA haplogroups are H, J, K, T, V
and U (all of which derived from haplogroup R), as well as I, W and X. These are
relatively evenly split throughout Europe and the Near East. Though some
haplogroups are more (or less) common among certain ethnicities, the differences
are merely in proportion of the same mtDNA haplogroups. Studies of Sephardic mtDNA conducted among several
communities revealed that most to have Caucasian mtDNA. We may discuss the
proportions of various haplogroups, but that they are the same haplogroups is an
established fact. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The obvious exceptions are Ethiopian and Indian Jews, who
are almost definitely just converts to Judaism. Ethiopian Jews have the same
profile as other Ethiopians. Indian Jews have a small amount of H and U
haplogroups, which may be from the original Jews who converted these Indians to
Judaism. Yemenites also seem to be a mix of various groups,
including Negroids. Over 8% are part of the predominantly African L haplogroup,
which explains their darker skin and often times curly hair. While the Yemenites are recognized as Sephardic Jews,
neither Indians nor Ethiopians would normally be classified as such, except by
the people who use the term Sephardic to mean any non-Ashkenazi Jew. The other traditionally Sephardic-Mizrahi groups belong to
the same haplogroups as do the Europeans (with no more than usual non-Caucasian
gene flow). Azerbaijani Jews are predominantly (59%) haplogroup J, which is evenly spread in same numbers in both Europe (12%) and the Near East (11%). |
Georgian Jews are predominantly (58%) part of haplogroup HV,
which originated in southern Italy and now common in Western Europe. It is the
ancestor haplogroup of H (and also V), which is the most common one among
Europeans. Iranian Jews are more diverse in their genetic makeup, but
it is still Caucasian, with H, J, U and T being the most common groups. Iraqi Jews are similar, but have 7.4% of their population
in the W haplogroup. This is not uncommon for Europeans either, however, despite
the fact that this haplogroup is more common in South Asia. Libyan and Turkish Jews are mostly H and X haplogroups. X
is present in Europe so much that Bryan Sykes included it as one of the 7
Daughters of Eve for the white race. It is not a strictly white haplogroup,
however, and is found in Asia as well as in the Americas. The founders of the
group were likely Israeli Druze. Moroccan Jews show high frequency of H, just as Europeans,
though in slightly lower numbers. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Of course all of these haplogroups could be further
subdivided and people belonging to the same haplogroup could look somewhat
different. But if race is to be defined as by genetic clusters, then
it would only make sense that people in the same haplogroups are part of the
same race. After all, if I and R Y-DNA haplogroups are part of the same race,
it’s hard to argue that J1 and J2 are different races. |
Sephardim are not the same kind of “white” as
Hungarians or Irishmen. But Hungarians and Irishmen themselves aren’t
identical either. The lack of significant non-Caucasian haplogroups makes
people white. By that standard, Sephardim are white.
|
|
|
FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH |
|
FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah's First Year at an NCLR Conference, by Mimi
Lozano California State Genealogical Alliance Has a Presence in the Person of Cathy Luijt August 27th-30th AARP National Memoir Contest FamilySearch Announces International Indexing Challenge Objects and Items Can Provoke Memories by Mimi Lozano |
 |
FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah,'s |
 |
|
Michael Provard photo: Cathy Luijt |
Arturo Cuellar-Gonzalez. photo: Cathy Luijt |
|
Chris Herrera, mother Monica Dunbar Smith, Jeff Herrera
May 2009, Jeff and Chris were inducted to the San Diego
Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. I was there and it was
a beautiful, very formal ceremony. Their qualifying ancestor is:
Brevet 2nd Lieutenant Don Juan Manuel Ortega, El Presidio de San
Agustin del Tucson; dates of service: 1780 to 1817. Monica, the
family historian traced their family linage to Tucson and actively
encouraged her sons to become SARs. She is a volunteer docent at the
Presidio. The trio circulated at the conference, proudly sharing
their heritage to the delight of both adults and children.
|
|
California State Genealogical Alliance Makes a Presence in the Person of Cathy Luijt |
|
|
The California
State Genealogical Alliance (CSGA) was founded in 1982 as a non-profit
organization and serves as a statewide alliance of independent
genealogical and historical societies, archives, libraries, individuals
and organizations. The Alliance was formed to address the need for
statewide coordination of efforts to accomplish goals of benefit to all
genealogists.
Alliance projects are designed to strengthen local societies, increase record preservation and access and foster quality genealogical research. The Alliance respects the autonomy of each local society and functions as a link between societies for exchange of ideas and information. Like other all-volunteer organizations, the Alliance depends on strong individual members who are active participants in local societies around the state and who extend their enthusiastic support so that major statewide projects can move forward. Members have access to information and resources to aid in their research, and Alliance membership is open to all interested genealogical and historical societies, libraries archives and researchers. |
| Mission: • Serve as an information source for the California genealogical community • Provide information to promote, assist and protect all California genealogical endeavors • Monitor legislative action and provide information on current and proposed legislation affecting the genealogical community • Provide a means of open exchange for all California genealogical and historical societies, libraries and archives, and their members • Identify, assess, inventory and preserve the genealogical resources within the state • Promote and advertise genealogy • Aid in record preservation and seek solutions to prevent the destruction of records and permit and/or provide access for all genealogists and historians Visit: www.csga.com
for additional information about CSGA and its services. Membership
for Individual, Society, Associate . . all $30. |
|
Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| The Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference is
coming to San Antonio, Texas, August 27-30, 2014! With over 160 sessions, there
will be something for all levels of genealogists and family historians --
beginner to advanced. Plus, there will be a huge exhibit hall, luncheons,
special activities, and local research opportunities. |
The FGS conference is unique compared to other national
conferences because they dedicate one whole day to society management along with
having programming for librarians and family history enthusiasts. Texas State
Genealogical Society is proud to be a local co-host of this event along with the
San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society. |
|
|
American Association of Retired Persons |
|
=================================================== |
== |
======================================= |
|
|
The American Association of Retired Persons are inviting people age 50+ to tell their story with a national memoir contest. Enter today: http://huff.to/memoir "My way of living, like most Baby Boomers, is gradually fading away from the memories of those who lived through the post-World War II years. To the Generation X, Generation Y, and to the computer age generation of today, my life must seem archaeological, a relic of the past, and almost extinct as the dinosaurs.” - Juan Gilberto Quezada jgilbertoquezada@yahoo.com
|
|
FamilySearch Announces International Indexing Challenge RECENT RECORDS INDEXED BY LDS CHURCH 50,000 Volunteer Indexers and Arbitrators Online. 24 Hours.
One History-Making Event. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
SALT LAKE CITY—FamilySearch International today announced
a worldwide crowd sourcing challenge aimed at establishing a new record for the
most volunteer indexing participants online in a single day. The challenge will
take place during the 24-hour period beginning at 6:00 p.m. (mountain daylight
time) on Sunday, July 20. Already one of the largest and most successful
volunteer transcription programs in history, FamilySearch indexing is looking to
top its one-day record of 49,025 individual contributors. “Our stated goal is 50,000 volunteers participating in a
single day, though we think the potential exists to surpass that mark by a
considerable amount,” said Mike Judson, indexing workforce manager for
FamilySearch. “All it takes to be counted in the record is to submit one
batch. With hundreds of thousands of past indexing volunteers and thousands more
joining weekly, breaking the record won’t take much if people will commit to
spend the 30 minutes or so required to finish and submit a batch.” Indexing is vital to family history research. It is the
process of transcribing information from historical documents to make them
freely searchable online at FamilySearch.org. FamilySearch indexers perform the
initial transcribing of names from home or wherever they can connect to the
Internet. FamilySearch arbitrators (advanced indexers) check to ensure
consistency and accuracy in the process. Since FamilySearch indexing started in
2006, this crowdsourcing effort has produced more than one billion freely
searchable records that have helped millions of people to find their ancestors. |
The event begins at 00:00 coordinated universal time (UTC)
on July 21, which is 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT or Utah time) on
Sunday, July 20. It ends 24 hours later, at 23:59 UTC (or 5:59 p.m. MDT) on
Monday, July 21. Local start times and status updates can be found on the
FamilySearch Facebook event page. The prior record of 49,025 indexers and arbitrators in a
single day was set on July 2, 2012. To be counted in the new record, each
indexer or arbitrator must submit at least one indexing or arbitration batch
during the 24-hour period. Volunteers and potential volunteers can visit
https://familysearch.org/indexing/ to learn more. Indexing projects are available in English, Spanish,
Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Polish, Swedish, Dutch, Russian, and
Japanese. Volunteers are invited to work on any project but are strongly
encouraged to work in their native language. About FamilySearch: 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 and its predecessors have 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 or through over 4,600 family history centers in 132 countries,
including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
|
|
Objects and Items Can Provoke Memories |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
My Cousin Yomar Villarreal sent me a collection of 56 photos of everyday items from the
past, entitled: A Walk Down Memory Lane, for those over 55!! They were assembled
on a site entitled: http://yougottobekidding.files.wordpress.com
. |
I could remember handling them, using them. With many, a photo provoked a specific memory. I decided to share some of the photos, with my reactions. Hopefully my tidbits will encourage you to be on the look-out for objects that might awaken a memory for you. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |||
|
TACTILE |
 |
|
For almost ten years, we lived in East L.A., across the
street from my grandparents, Petrita and Albert Chapa. Both were
well educated in Mexico. |
|
|
As I looked at these metal glasses, I could
remember the clicking of my teeth as I drank from them.
Today it is Styrofoam glasses that makes a strange The glue was hard to use and hard to get off your fingers. If you put too big a drop on your paper, you could ruin the appearance of your project. Hooray for the glue stick and no sticky fingers. |
||||
| =============================================== | ========================================== | |||
|
|
This is actually a fancy example of a washing machine in the 1940s, and in note, it is in the house. Mom felt quite lucky to have a similar washing machine.
She had been using a tin hand scrubber. Our washer was a plain metal
exterior, wood rollers with no covering. It sat in the backyard, on the
dirt, connected to the hose. |
Our backyard was used for many things besides
laundry. We also played all day long in the Mustard hills, digging, building, sliding down the slippery summer grasses. Cuts, bruises, thorns, and bites were the typical
results |
 |
|
|
The question was what kind of treatment would we receive, hoping it was the Merthiolate and not the ouchy, stinging Iodine. |
||||
 |
Both of these images immediately brought
fourth wonderful memories of my aunts and uncles.
Pick up sticks was a great family game. Played in earnest competition, all ages. The Pick-up sticks were made out of wood. Once the sticks are scattered, the idea is to pick them up individually without touching any other. The room would get so quiet and everyone seemed to hold their breath. The winner was really proud. Our Tias (seven sisters) were really fun loving and would sometimes
take us roller skating. I remember the organ music and
skating along first holding hands with one of my aunts, then with a
cousin, and then by myself. Then after, we would stop for an A
& W Root beer, or a donut. |
 |
| ============================================= | =============================================== | |
|
|
Only once did I go
through the experience of a blow dryer on my head. I was in high
school and was asked to sing in a city-wide community musical variety
show.
I have always enjoyed drama, theater, singing and dancing. Every Friday afternoon during the last half hour at our Boyle Heights Evergreen elementary school was given to performance time. Anyone could take the stage, tell a joke, recite a poem, sing, etc.. I usually sang. During graduation from the 6th grade, me and the other Mexican girl
in our class danced a traditional Mexican folk dance. I did not remember that it was a children's lullaby. I do remember
however, that I was the last, closing number, and was standing on
a platform above all the other performers. It was quite
dramatic. I realize now that in effect it was a prayer of peace
for the graduating class. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | ||
|
A la puerta del cielo |
A los niños que duermen |
|
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Web research shows that Dearie was sung by Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae, and Ethel Merman and Bing Crosby. It is a song about historic figures and events. We were outfitted in period of about 1910-1920. I
also had on a huge hat, with a big plume. Also, the director arranged for me to have my hair dyed black,
and curled tightly., which was the only time, I can remember
sitting under a blow dryer bonnet. |
Searching through the lyrics, I could not find the verse that I particularly remembered, "Dearie, do you remember when no one ducked from Sullivan's right?" My singing partner Bob was captain of the football team and played center. He was strong and husky. What happened was that I was suppose to duck when Bob
sang that verse. However, I apparently was standing too close to
Bob and when he shot his fist out towards me, he hit me. The surprising thing was although I found some lyrics to Dearie, I could not find the Sullivan verse in my search. It appears that the lyrics varied, or perhaps the director added that verse?? |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Dearie, do you remember when we
|
Dearie, life was cheery |
| ============================================= | ============================================= |
|
|
Another connection with music in Manteca was the
little It was easy to remember the song that the locals selected. The restaurant/ice cream shop was a bus stop. It was fun to guess what the strangers would play. The two songs that came to my mind, while looking at
the |
||
|
|
Following WW II, high school boys and girls used to shop at the Military surplus stores in Stockton. Boys used to wear Khaki Military pants, grey, navy, and tan for dress up. These metal frames were inserted into the wet pants and
when dry they were smooth as if ironed. |
||
| =========================================== | ============================================= | |||
|
|
These are the baby pins that I used for my son's cloth diapers. I
actually came across a blue pin in a drawer and my son is 57. |
One of my big surprises was to |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
August 2 & 3, 2014:
"Civil War Days" |
|
"Civil War Days"
Heritage Museum of
Orange County |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Join us for a weekend of fun & learning as we
relive the daily routines of Union & Confederate soldiers during the
Civil War! See Civil War period weapons & artillery and stroll
amongst the camps with period dressed Civil War re-enactors. Listen to
music from the Cottonwood String Band. Learn social dances from the
Civil War period. Interact with blacksmiths and watch live
demonstrations in their shop and with their period traveling forge. You
can even "elope" at the "Hitchin' Post"! Costume
pieces provided for your "mock" nuptials. |
More information!
|
|
|
"Red Boy Productions" an Indigenous Family Dance Troupe that exhibits selections of Native American Culture through dance performances. Performances available for · conferences · school assemblies · special events · cultural training/sensitivity · historical anthropology · educational enrichment . . . A breathtaking performance! Contact: Lupe
714-510-5114 Lopez1212@aol.com
Source: stayconnectedoc@gmail.com
|
 |
|
|
“Tan Cerca Tan Lejos” Solo Exhibit by Angel Valra
Cuento: Green Grows the Grass by Welester G. Alvarado Networking through Somos Primos readers by Lorena Ruiz World War II Lockheed Aircraft Plant Camouflaged |
|
Angel Valra describes his work |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Estimados Amigos, We are pleased to invite you to a very important exhibit in
collaboration with Tijuana’s Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura (IMAC-Tijuana)
next Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 6pm in the Mexican Cultural Institute’s
Gallery, and we request your support to promote this unique event and invite all
in your contacts network. As you can see in the attached letter and invitation, the
MCI is hosting Angel Valra’s “Tan Cerca Tan Lejos” Solo Exhibit as part of
the IMAC-Tijuana’s binational celebration for the 125th anniversary of
Tijuana’s founding. This is the only event celebrating the historical connection between Tijuana and L.A., and we anticipate Tijuana’s Mayor, the director of IMAC and several regidores, artists and VIP’s to meet the Los Angeles community.
|
Source: "El Magonista" The
California-Mexico Studies Center CaliforniaMexicoCenter@gmail.com or
|
|
|
GREEN
GROWS THE GRASS Twinkle
twinkle little star, My first memory as a child was at 8 or
9 months old. I was sitting on my mom’s lap at night in the back yard.
My mom Angela was pointing out the stars to me. Then as I was looking
up, she began to sing the song Las mañanitas. It’s a song usually
sung at birthdays but it was nice to hear just the same. She finished
the song got up and carried me to the baby crib where she laid me down
to sleep. I rolled over on all fours and started to rock myself to sleep
and did do just that, mission accomplished. There I was face down butt
up and sound asleep.
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
The
little train that could: My next memory I was on a train with
my mom leaving El Paso Texas, excited at the sight of all the passing
figures from the window. I passed out and that’s the last I remember
up until we were now living in Los Angeles, California on the corner
apartments of Alpine street and Bunker Hill. For me it was great! The
buildings were designed with all the apartments facing each other from
the inside. It was a zoo, I mean at any time of the day or night you
could hear and see all ages of kids playing, running, crying or just
hanging out. One of the bigger kids, a girl one day thought it would be
funny if I rubbed carbon paper all over my face. Carbon paper was the
way they would make a second copy when you used a type writer. Anyway, I
had no clue what kind of paper it was and rubbed this paper all over my
face and played all afternoon that way and none of the other kids ever
mentioned it to me. But, when I got home all sweaty , tired and with a
blue face my mom first grabbed me looked me over frantically and when
she figured out what it was she spanked me for doing such a foolish
thing . Ahhh moms love! |
Moving
up the block: It wasn’t long before my dad Manuel Alvarado started to make a little more money cuz we moved half a block up on Bunker Hill to a 2 bedroom house behind another house. This house
had a basement a side yard with a Fig tree and a basement where mom
would do her washing and I played. Most of the time mom would tie me to
the washing machines leg because I would get into all sorts of mischief.
For instance once when she left me to take a load of wash upstairs I
managed to stick my arm into the wringer of the washing machine. |
|
============================================ |
============================================= |
|
|
We lived about 5 or 6 blocks from
Alpine Park and from Chinatown. I will get into Chinatown a little later
but for now I’m just going to talk about Alpine st. and Bunker Hill st
. Where we had a blast according to me anyway. We were like the Bowery
boys in our neighborhood. We had adventures, we had parties, fights with
the kids from the other streets we even had one of our friends and
neighbor performs operations on poor unsuspecting pigeons. Yes, our
neighbor Lawrence and my two older brothers Manuel and Angel operated on
pigeons that they trapped. I would just stand there and be a spectator.
Speaking of Lawrence, he was the one who showed me how to hitch a ride
on the back of cars. In the 50s some of the car’s rear bumpers would
extend out and hold the spare tire on the outside of the trunk and that
little space was perfect for me to sit in and sit in I did! When a car
with just the right kind of bumper would stop on the corner of Alpine
and Bunker I would sneak on the bumper and YES going for a ride
downtown. Well, I never really made it downtown but many times I would
end up the full 6 blocks and jump off at Alpine Park. |
Since we lived on a hilly kind of
street it was great for bicycle riding. I mean in those days who thought
of safety. It was ride your 20 inch bike down the street with a baseball
card on the spokes for that full throttle sound and at full speed. It
was only at the very end of
the street did you think of cross traffic . I was lucky. I never had any
close calls. The only close calls were from the old lady that lived at
the corner house (corner of Bunker and Alpine). I don’t know how she
knew but EVERYTIME I would pass her house she would come out of her yard
screaming ¨Stop making so much noise! ¨ Most of the time I would laugh
and actually enjoy this form of communication with one of my neighbors
but there were times when she would come out in arms I mean a broom but
she was good oh yea she was good ! I never got wacked on my head but my
back was party to many many bushy whacks from her trusty broom. I loved
every minute of it. It made it a challenge; oh yes You and Me lady. You
and me! |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
When I wasn’t out and about challenging the world’s finest broom wielders’ I was entertaining the neighborhood kids even the ones that we had rock fights just weeks before to ShowTime at the Alvarados . My pop was an avid film taker he would film us at home swinging our shoes or crying or just sitting at the dinner table. Anyway, when he had the film developed he bought us some cartoons my all time favorites were of Aladdin and the lamp and one of a movie horse who had a stand in for all his stunts. We would invite the kids to our house and show them our family movies. It would cost them .05 cents and the nickel would entitle them to fresh popcorn and Lipton ice tea or Lemonade all they cold drink. In between movies of us we would show them one of the cartoons. All in all everyone had a good time! Our marketing strategy was to show the movies and cartoons every other month, that way they wouldn’t get tired of seeing movies of us and they never complained. |
On the times that there were no movies we
would have hand puppet shows on our front porch , this was free of
charge ( part of our marketing ) and every now and then to make money we
would auction off some of our old toys also on the front porch . All
this happened and our parents never knew what we were up to because both
of them worked and during the summer time we would make a killing. We
had enough money to go to the movies just about every Sunday. My two
older brothers and I would walk to downtown Los Angeles to go and see a
movie. Manuel the oldest would check out the movie section in the L.A.
times and see which movie HE wanted to see. I never saw a movie that I
wanted to see with him, NEVER ! It cost .25 cents to get into the
movies .10 cents for a bag of popcorn and .15 cents for the vending
machine that dropped a cup and the ice would follow and then you would
choose the flavor you wanted. I loved it! At this point it didn’t
really matter what movie we were going to see, I was at the movies. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
One day while I was out and about in
the neighborhood the neighbor that lived in the front house left his
truck parked in front of the house. I stopped, looked at those great big
tires and a light bulb lit up. What would it look like if the tires were
out of air? I really don’t why but I casually sat down on the curb in
front of one of the tires and proceeded to let the air out pressing down
on the air valve. I was having so much fun laughing to myself kinda like
the cartoon dog Mutley that I didn’t realize that the owner was
standing right behind me. I just want to let you know that he stood
there long enough for me to let out at least half the air out of the
tire. That’s when I felt something behind me. I stopped slowly turned
my head around looked up and there was my neighbor with a bicycle hand
pump. Awww man! He made me pump the tire back to its original state. I
wasn’t snickering like Mutley anymore. He never said a word, I never
said a word he just handed me the pump I stood up and attached it to the
valve, pumped that tire till it was full. Gave him the pump lowered my
head and walked down the driveway to my house. Like I said he never said
a word and neither did I. I learned my lesson. Don’t do something like
that in daylight! Moving
again: |
money and we rented the huge house next door. Just
about allthe houses on Bunker Hill were what was leftover of the old
mansions. This house was a two story house with four picture windows,
two front porches. There was a tall palm tree in front a huge back yard
and a basement that legend had it that there was a body buried down
there. The inside was also pretty big with a whopping four bedrooms and
a maid’s room. There was also a spiral staircase which to us was just
a great big slide. We would slide down the rail and use cardboard boxes
to slide down the stairs. That was fun! This neighborhood was full of kids our
age. We used to do puppet shows on the front porch for all the kids on
the block and every once in awhile we would auction off some of our old
toys at really good prices I might add My dad was a fanatic with his
35mm movie camara so we had several movies of us. I really don’t
remember who had the idea of showing the movies to the kids on the block
but it was a hit. We would invite all the neighborhood kids to the
movies and charge them .5 cents. You might be thinking wow man that was
a lot of money for a kid back in those days. Well, we gave them their
money’s worth. Not only did they get to see us in our family outings
but we included a cartoon of Aladdin served them Lipton ice tea and all
the popcorn they could eat, not bad. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
On the other side of the street was our friend Lawrence. At his house or better yet in his garage he would perform open heart surgery on pigeons, sadly none of them ever survived. I have to admit Lawrence was an interesting guy. In the late 50s and early 60s some of the cars had the spare tire on the outside rear bumper. Well my friend Lawrence showed me how to hitch a ride on the bumper and get off down Alpine street at the first intersection. Only once, I was unable to get off the bumper right away. The lucky stiff made all the green lights and I ended up in China Town. |
Speaking of
China Town, it was a few blocks from the school that I attended called
Castelar School a few blocks from China Town. I used to visit the stores
so much that a lot of the store owners knew me by sight. Some would give
almond cookies, which I still love to this day. Some of the store owners
would give me change so that I could throw them at the little Buddha’s
wishing well. Back at Castelar School I was a teacher’s pet. My
kindergarten teacher would keep me in class during lunch and we would
share lunch together she would tell me stories and we would have fun
until lunch was over then it was back to the grindstone. If ever there
was a grindstone in kindergarten. |
|
======================================================== |
=== |
================================== |
|
|
|
|
|
Hi Mimi,
|
| Networking made through Somos Primos readers. . . |
|
Dear John [John Johnson],
Thank you so much for your interest and assistance in family
search. Keep in touch.
|
|
WORLD WAR II Lockheed Aircraft Plant Camouflaged
|
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| During WW II Lockheed (unbelievable 1940s pictures). This is a version of special effects during the 1940's. I have never seen these pictures or knew that we had gone this far to protect ourselves. During World War II the Army Corps of Engineers needed to hide the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant to protect it from a possible Japanese air attack. They covered it with camouflage netting to make it look like a rural subdivision from the air. | The
person that provided these pictures said she got an interesting story
about someone's mother who worked at Lockheed, and she as a younger
child, remembers all this. She says that to this day, these are the
first pictures of it she's seen. Another person who lived in the area talked about as being a boy, watching it all be set up like a movie studio production. They had fake houses, trees, etc. And moved parked cars around so it looked like a residential area from the skies overhead. |
|
 |
 BEFORE < > AFTER |
 |
 |
| I lived in North
Long Beach during World War II, I was 13 years old. (1940) The Long
Beach airport was near Lakewood , CA . There was a large Boeing Plant
there. If you would drive down Carson St. Going south you could drive
under the camouflage netting. ~ Ed Pollard |
I am 85 and had much
of my pilot training in Calif. I have been under this net and have seen
it from the air. During preflight training I rode a bus under the net
and was very surprised as I didn't know it was there. It was strong
enough to walk on and they hired people to ride bicycles and move around
as if they lived there to make it look authentic. ~Warren Holmgreen Jr |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Hiding the
Lockheed Plant during World War II - amazing! |
| Editor: For most of World War II, we lived in
Los Angeles. There was real concern and belief that horror of what
Germany had been doing in Europe, the Japanese as their allies would
unleash on us. California felt particularly vulnerable. Japanese
submarines had attacked the coast and incendiary balloons had landed in
the northwest. |
|
Cuento: Among the
Redwood treetops by Ruben Alvarez |
| ============================================= | == | ============================================= |
|
Sunday
Read 22
June 22, 2014 Among the Redwood treetops
"I'd
rather be read well than well read"
~Love an Entrepreneur Notebook by Ruben Alvarez stayconnectedoc@gmail.com
|
Dear Mimi, With the advent of the Sunday Reading on tablets and other portable devices, this is my entry into the now ever expanding information explosion. The internet has transformed me into a publisher. And E-publishing has allowed me to share some of my photographs, writings, short stories and poems every two weeks for you to reflect and think. All original photography and writings, rights reserved. |
| == | ====================================== | |
|
Editor: Ruben and I were
part of a Orange County group that were involved in the late 1990s
in promoting local Hispanic heritage activities. |
In the stillness of the early morn I hear distant footsteps Echoes of people walking on paths They run concurrently but never to pass Only to hear and an make me wonder about life If I had turned left instead of right If I had done right instead of wrong If I had wronged instead of taught If I had taught instead of learned If I had learned instead of lead Those are the paths that can never be For we are born to live the way we are Take the challenges and do the best we can What doesn't kill us Makes us stronger To live and love another day The foot steps
are just echoes of what could Be it right or be it wrong Ultimately, in the light of day We control our paths and where we walk We cannot change the past But we can listen to the whispering angels Who guide us along the way... |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Among the treetops, A
personal rite of passage. It was a cool summer morning in the Santa Cruz foothills. The breeze fluctuated through the northern California redwood groves. Cold gusts of coastal winds were followed by warm rays of sunshine upon my face. I was helping my friend Norm Hull run his yearly leadership camp for High School leaders. The group of us gathered as planned for the field trip to the treetops. We were at the world famous Mecca of invention, the University of California at Santa Cruz. The logistics of the leadership camp that we were running dictated that the journey was to be split into two sections, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. That morning the luxury buses were on time but at the wrong place. That was soon corrected by a phone call. The trip up to the historical Saratoga hills was uneventful except for the anticipation of the moment. The crowded highway of morning Silicon Valley commuters soon split off into a mountain road that twisted and winded into the beautiful grape vineyards and rich redwood groves. Our journeys and paths in life were to take on new definitions by the end of the day.
We arrived eager to our destination in the foothills above Saratoga. We disembarked from the buses into a waiting area in the parking lot of a local winery. In the lot, there was an array of cars, mostly older model types of transportation. The cars were nothing fancy, they were the kind of wheels that working people would drive. I thought to myself how odd it was for a wine tasting establishment. After all of our group was off, we moved to the end of the lot and to the entrance of the Odyssey Camp. We then hiked down the dirt road that led to a redwood forest. |
 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
ROPES was the program for the day. To increase self-esteem was the Odyssey Performance Enhancement Networks specialty. In today's times, seldom do we commune with nature. Much less do we let nature show us a lesson in our lives. After the day in the treetops, most participants would stretch their physical, mental and emotional limits and grow beyond their expectations. Some would visit a place within themselves where the spirit lives. A very few would experience being in a place rarely achieved. They would be one to one with their soul and destiny. And with this wisdom as guidance, pass into a new level.
I was in charge of logistics for the trip. The clock ran closer towards the noon hour. The first group was heavily involved with their activities scattered throughout the Odyssey range. I had already climbed a tall tree with a partner and succeeded in the drill. It was tree climbing at its best. I have always been a climber. I knew that the second group was en route from UCSC and due to arrive with lunch in hand. I hiked back up the dirt road away from the cool redwood groves and towards the superheated blacktop and vineyards. |
Unlike the redwood forest, the vineyards baked under the summer heat. Years ago the trees were leveled so that grapevines could cover the rolling hills. The remaining trees created a barrier for the cold coastal winds and created an incubator for the grapes. This allowed the vineyards to produce a high quality yield that rivaled French varieties. As I reached the lot, I noticed a group of farm workers gathered around their cars having lunch. They ate the standard fare of all-day tacos and Gatorade. I approached the group and said "Que tal". The customary response was given back to me by the leader of the group. I was an oddity to them, but still treated with respect. El majordomo was wearing a red shirt, jeans and a white cowboy hat. Like him, the rest were covered with a thin veneer of dust. He and the others were finishing up their lunch break. The usual chitchat ensued about the heat. In closing the conversation the leader said that he would offer me a taco but they had to get back to work. A familiarity and reverence sunk in. I thanked them anyway. They finished off the water jugs and went back to their task at hand. The California summer sun was unforgiving. Heat had enveloped the entire valley of grapes with the redwoods standing guard. |
| ============================================= | = | ==================================== |
|
|
|
| ============================================= | === | ============================================= |
|
They were encouraging one of their members to climb to the top. This was not an ordinary tree. It was a 50-foot redwood modified for climbing. The activity was nestled on the shadier side of the parking lot. They were deep down a ravine where only the mighty redwood trees had the guts to grow in. The tree had no branches, but had strips of wood to resemble ladder rungs all the way to the top. At the top, there was a circular platform as big as a 12" LP record held down by a bolt in the middle. The object of the exercise was to climb the tree, stand up on top of the platform, turn 180 degrees, and then leap towards a trapeze bar looming just beyond your reach.
I had to accomplish this one. I raced down the steep embankment. With my rank of Assistant Camp Director, I claimed a spot in the climbing order and helped two others to go before me. I held the safety ropes as they climbed and shouted words of encouragement. Then it was my turn. I was harnessed in. Part of the ritual was to confess to the group why you are doing this crazy thing. I pronounced to the group that the tree was symbolic of my goals and ambitions. By climbing the tree, I would conquer my fears and obstacles and accomplish all of my goals. Great speech, but did I have what it takes to make the climb and then come through in my life I asked myself in deep reverence. |
I climbed steady and sure fast. The advisor to the activity yelled up to enjoy the journey up to the top. Not to rush it. It was a great metaphor for life. I slowed down and noticed the height and serenity of being in the treetops. No wonder the redwoods like to live here I said to myself. As I clinched towards the top, I could see into the broiling and rolling vineyards across the way. The most sobering moment came as I tried to climb to the top of the tree and onto the 12" platform at the apex. There was nothing to hold on to, nothing to grab. I tried to elevate myself. I was in the position where my left leg had to propel me up the treetop. I was wobbling at the top. My left leg could not push me up. It was as if my left leg lost its power. I thought that it was over. The fear of my body not doing what I asked set in. Was it physical or was it mental? As I breathed slowly to calm down, I noticed the farm workers on the hills across from me.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
At that moment my whole life flashed in front of me. There but for the grace of God go I. "I must climb this tree." I said to myself. The metaphor and irony was set up. I was overlooking my family history. They, like the man in the red shirt, had worked the fields of harvest for a less than the human wage. The irony of destiny swelled in my lungs. In those same fields, blood sweat and tears were shed for the survival and evolution of my family and others across this great land called America. No wonder why we love her so much. So much has been sacrificed in her name and in our dream. How could I let the sacrifices go in vain, how could I let the dream fade away and die in an obscure ravine.
A
feeling of electricity shot through my body and soul. I felt
of all of the blood, sweat and tears that were shed for this
moment, race through me. This was the moment when I could say
that all the suffering, sacrifices and indignations were worth
it. Because I now understood. My path in life always steered
me in the right direction. Although at times I did not
understand logically, I felt it in my soul. My life path leads
me to this predestined point in time and space. If I had been
there a few minutes more or even less, the man in the red
shirt would not have been in the position where I could see
him. My life path was all around me. I was in Yaqui territory.
Like a Castaneda book of the teachings of Don Juan, I was
faced with the ultimate challenge, myself. And as in all of
Castaneda's stories, only I could take on fate and cross to my
next path. My whole family history flashed in front of me. Did
I have what it takes to succeed? |
Since my left leg gave me no power, I switched legs. Now my right leg was in the power position. I climbed up with the thrust of my leg and balanced myself on my knees and arms. There before me in the rolling hills was my beginnings and heritage. Working the fields is the hardest work there is. My family sacrificed in such fields across California, from Tracy to Calexico, from Salinas to Westmoreland, from Fresno to Coachella.
Emotionally
charged, I carefully climbed to the top and out of that fate. I
cautiously maneuvered myself to the top of the 12" disk. On
my knees I breathed in. The top was wobbly. The 50' redwood was
supporting my 160-pound body. With the farmworkers in the
background, I gathered all of my spirit and I stood up proudly
on the top of the pole. Overlooking the red shirt, across the
great divide, I grasped the ironic situation deep inside and
thought of my Great-grandfather Reynaldo. I did a 180-degree
turn away from the vineyard. My future was in front of me on a
trapeze bar. I took a deep breath. Then I leaped towards the bar. That moment in time was like an eternity. I flew through infinity. I missed the bar but enjoyed the flight. The point of the exercise was to go beyond the limits of your mind. As the safety ropes caught my fall, I set a new standard for me.
|
|
All of Mother Nature has a story to tell and a lesson to teach. You only need to see, listen and feel good enough. I certainly saw, heard and felt a lesson on that day. The path of life moves you through challenges. I proved to myself that I was good enough to continue the fight. I visited a place within myself where the spirit lives. For the first time I was one to one with my soul. I moved on to the next level and on to a new path.
|
| =========================================== | ================================================== | |
| Poema de los trabajadores
Bake in the hot noon sun The cool breeze of morning gone Toil in the vines, work must be done For wages less than human, movement of more than a ton
The mind simply wonders off into air To a place without despair Without pain and without care To dream of possibilities if you dare
For the human spirit drives the thoughts Of a better place is always sought Genetic echoes for what ancestors fought In dreams, reality matters not
Dreams are the harbingers of things to be All we have to do is open our eyes and see That the entire life experience is to find a key That opens heavens gates to eternity
|
 Stay Connected OC~ |
| Stay Connected OC ~ An independently produced Weekly
Newsletter that observes and announces events in Central Santa Ana. Not
defined by political and artificial boundaries, it showcases the best
that Santa Ana has to offer in its arts, businesses, food and night
life! Emerging Markets Network | OC BUZZ | | Ruben Alvarez, President & Chief | 901 S. Bristol, Suite B-378 | Santa Ana | CA | 92703 |
|
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum |
|||
|
The New Almaden Quicksilver Mine, south of San José during
its heyday was the richest and most productive mercury mine in the United
States. San Jose Mercury News get
its name from the New Almaden mine.
|
Named for the
once-famous mercury mine in Almadén, Spain, mining operations near San José
began in 1845 after Mexican Army Captain Andrés Castillero discovered the red
cinnabar rock that Ohlone Native Americans were using to make paint.
In addition to formidable mining equipment such as the great rotary
furnace, the mine developed two separate residential areas – English Camp for
the Cornish miners, and Spanish Camp for miners brought from Mexico and Chile. For info on the museum,
call Quicksilver Mining Museum: (408) 323-1107 Sent by Dorinda Moreno pueblosenmovimientonorte@gmail.com
|
||
|
By Cathy Tallyn Staff writer
|
| ============================================ | ============================================= | |
|
For her efforts in researching and writing about the Spanish period in early California history, Rossmoor resident Maria Rieger was presented one of 11 merit awards from the Conference of California Historical Societies. “It was a total surprise,” she said. Unbeknownst to her, the Moraga Historical Society nominated her for the honor. It recognizes those who have made a major contribution to the preservation of California history. She received one of two awards for scholastic work and authorship. Since moving to California in 1978, Rieger has studied the state's history, in particular that of nearby Moraga. The town is named after Joaquin Moraga, who in 1835 was granted the 13,500-acre Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados in what is now commonly known as Lamorinda. He is the grandson of Jose Joaquin Moraga, an early Spanish explorer of the 1700s. Rieger said her historical research and writing is her hobby. Her mentor was the late Brother Dennis Goodman, a |
Christian Brother from
Saint Mary's College in Moraga who help found the Moraga Historical
Society of which she is a member. “I love California, it reminds me of Spain,” she said. That's because of the climate as well as the Spanish place names and architecture. Her Rossmoor home is Spanish-style, which was a selling point. Rieger writes for the Moraga Historical Society's El Rancho Moraga Quarterly. She has also written for the California Historian, the magazine of the Conference of California Historical Societies. The conference is made up of California state historical societies, museums, libraries and other history-oriented groups and individuals. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Saving Moraga Adobe Among Rieger's projects is to help save the Moraga Adobe, built in 1841. It is the oldest building still standing in Contra Costa County, she said. Located in the city of Orinda, near Miramonte High School, it's been designated a historical landmark by the city and the state. The mud adobe house, which is privately owned, sits in disrepair on what is left of the original land grant. For her efforts on the planning of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail in the 1990s, she received an award from the National Park Service. The trail stretches 1,200 miles from Nogales, Ariz., to San Francisco. It commemorates the 1775-76 expedition from New Spain to San Francisco in Alta California.
|
The Spaniards who were early explorers and settlers were prolific writers and record keepers, Rieger said. She has helped translate those early accounts, which were written in Spanish. The documents contain useful information as well as some that the reader might not feel they need to know, such as a mention of someone with a sexually transmitted disease. This year marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Padre Junipero Serra, who founded the first Spanish missions in California, starting in San Diego in 1769. Rieger is doing some research on his life and hopes to have an article written before the end of the year. “It's a labor of love,” she said.
|
|
The last surviving great-granddaughter of Pío
Pico Died in 1970 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
DUARTE: The last surviving great-granddaughter of Pío
Pico, the last governor of California under Mexican rule, has died. Josephine
“Josie” Pico Marquez, who had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease the
past several years died Sunday at the Santa Teresita assisted living facility.
She was 100. “It’s a big loss,” said her nephew, John Albitre, of Los
Nietos. “It’s the end of that generation.” She was the last surviving
child of 12 born to Pio Pico’s grandson, Celestino, and his wife, Ramona. “I
remember (Celestino) talking to my mom in Spanish about riding in a buggy with
Pio Pico,” said Talia Pico Kim, Marquez’s granddaughter. Celestino was born Dec. 3, 1883, Whittier, and died on
April 6, 1977, in Los Nietos. Ramona was born Dec. 18, 1880, in El Monte, and
died May 31, 1970, in Los Nietos. In 1845, Pio Pico led a popular coup against
Gov. Micheltorena, resulting in the former’s rise to the governorship, a post
that lasted until the arrival of invading United States forces in 1846,
according to the Friends of Pio Pico. Marquez, who was born on Sept. 6, 1913, in the Jamestown area of Whittier, was remembered by her children as having a “bubbly personality,” She and her husband, Ampelio Marquez, lived in Mexico for about 25 years, during which time the
|
family grew with 12 children, Phil, Virginia,
Sheila, Al, Josie, Tommy, Bernie, Ed, Mary, Emily, and adopted two more
children, Tom and Emily, while Ampelio ran a small store and instructed music. “She loved to crack jokes and was a feisty one,” said her granddaughter, Stephanie Marquez. She is survived by 11 children and close to 100 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was laid to rest following the services at Resurrection Cemetery, 966 N. Potrero Grand Drive, Montebello, CA. Author Sandra.Molina@sgvn.com Sent by Joan De Soto CasaSanMiguel@aol.com
|
|
The Conference of California Historical Societies |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
You won't want to miss the Fall Symposium featuring venues that the Conference of California Historical Societies has never been! Program highlights include a tour of the Japanese Buddhist Temple to gain a better understanding of Japanese farmers before and after World War II, Western Sonoma County history honoring the Pomo Indians, and our first ever trip to Fort Ross. |
While at Fort Ross, we will see the Call House, the Fur Warehouse and the Rotchev house. There will also be plenty of time to enjoy the Fort and all it has to offer at your leisure. Registration opens soon! Conference of California Historical Societies http://www.californiahistorian.com/ |
|
|
Manuel Lorenzo Trujillo Pendant |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The dynamic sculpture and memorial
were dedicated to Manuel Lorenzo Trujillo (1794-1855) at Agua Mansa Cemetery,
San Bernardino, California, 28 Oct 2011. The sculpture has become a
shared symbol of all Agua Mansa descendants.
In March of this year, I had two (2) pendants made in honor of the sculpture.
The pendants are 1 inch by 1 inch. The 14k gold pendant was $170.00. The
sterling silver pendant was $25.00. (The chains are extra). You can alter the
pendant to any size you wish.
The jeweler is Janet Rothstein. If interested, please contact Janet Rothstein,
she is very helpful.
www.rothsteinjewelers.com rothstein@aol.com
Lenny Trujillo
lennytrujillo51@aol.com
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
Dear Mimi,
The time just keeps moving along and taking me with it.
But I do want you to know that I admire, respect, and
appreciate all that you do for everyone. I recently had
my DNA done, and will share my chart with you, if you
would like to see it. I have 37 close DNA relatives and
over 600 distant relatives. I am in the process of
connecting via e-mail with a few, and know a few
personally. Here are my surnames on my list with
23andMe: |
I have more relatives in San Fernando than I ever imagined. Still sorting out my roots, which does get confusing, but it is fun.
Best wishes, and be safe.
Lorri Ruiz Frain lorrilocks@gmail.com
|
|
|
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Summer, 1945 - Home to Mom It was summer, 1945, I went to live with mother
Evita, and her husband, Juan. Their
young son, Bebe Juan and Amy greeted me with open arms and made me feel
welcome. My
brother, Lenny would join us at the ranch a couple of years later. Mom
and her family lived and worked at the "B" Orchard ranch on
Woodley Avenue, San Fernando. There was a white picket fence all around
their house which looked so cute. Juan was the ranch foreman at the "B"
ranch. The 44-acre orange orchard needed daily maintenance and Juan was
able to hire Bracero laborers to work with him year-round at the ranch.
Soon after the beginning of World War II, the U. S. and Mexico initiated
the Bracero Program in 1942, which allowed Mexican contract laborers to
work in the U. S. in seasonal agriculture and other sectors of the
economy. The Bracero camp was located near the San Fernando Mission and was under the management of the Martinez family. During the winter season, Juan had to constantly keep informed of the weather reports which was part of the job of growing oranges. Oranges are delicate and must be kept at a temperature above 32 degrees, otherwise they freeze and become damaged. |
If the weather dropped anywhere near freezing, the Bracero laborers were summoned to the ranch to help prepare with firing up the smudge pots. If the temperature dropped below 32 degrees, which would sometime happen in the middle of the night, there was total chaos inside our house and out in the grove, as people scrambled around tending to the smudge pots. The burning oil inside the smudge pots created a humongous fire ball which warmed the air and was an awesome sight. Mom prepared coffee and snacks for the workers and she stayed up until the early morning when Juan's job was done and another crop of oranges had been saved. Mrs. "B", the owner of the
ranch, soon hired me to help with her housekeeping chores. So every
Saturday, I spent working for Mrs. "B". The pay wasn't all
that great—fifty cents an hour, but the job was fun. The family attended Sunday Mass at Santa Rosa Catholic Church in town. In those days, the parishioners were segregated—men and boys sat on one side of the church and women and children sat on the other side.
|
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Juans's parents, Dona Ascencion and Don Gilberto, a
friendly couple, lived a block away from the Santa Rosa Catholic Church.
Once a week, after religious training at Santa Rosa Church, I walked
over to Dona Ascencion's home to wait for a ride to the "B"
Ranch. While waiting for my ride, Dona Ascencion would send me to the
kitchen where she served me chicken soup and a plate-full of just-cooked
frijoles topped with sour cream, and a small tortilla. Juan and his
parents had migrated to Santa Paula, California, from Douglas, Arizona,
in the early 1900s, then on to the beautiful San Fernando Valley. Life in San Fernando O’Melveny Grammar Schools.
Beginning in the 6th grade, I earned my way through School by
working odd jobs. My first job was washing dishes in the school
cafeteria. My reward was a free lunch. I had an excellent rapport with
the chef and the staff and I shall always be thankful for their support
and kindness, not only to me, but to all the students at the school. Our 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Mahoney, was so good to us and made learning and attending school a good experience. Our class put on a talent show in the school auditorium one day. I participated and danced to "Tico, Tico", impersonating Carmen Miranda, the actor and dancer. Mom made my costume, including the headdress. My brothers had fun teasing me about my dancing and nicknamed me, "Mirandie". |
In those days, we had a radio which we listened to
in the evenings. Eventually, mom acquired a television set and it was an
incredible source of entertainment for the whole family. On occasion, Juan would drive the family to see the
spectacular Paco Miller Show from Mexico City which was performing at El
Teatro Mason in Los Angeles. Paco Miller was a ventriloquist who spoke
only Spanish and was so comical with his many, and varied dummy
characters. The Paco Miller contingent of singers and dancers all wore
gorgeous costumes and jewelry and their dancing and singing talents were
superb. We all enjoyed the show immensely. Mom's maternal grandmother, Tomasa Moreno, came to visit us at the ranch and we were all excited and happy to see her. Grandma Tomasa was now in her eighties and was still able to travel up and down the state to visit with her children and grandchildren. She was an elegant looking woman and was very much loved by all her family and friends. She was born in Montecito-Santa Barbara, California, and baptized at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Santa Barbara. Her parents, Mariano Garcia and Soledad Vasquez, were married in 1852 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Santa Barbara. Grandmother Tomasa grew up along the hillside of San Roque Canyon in Santa Barbara, where her mother, Soledad Garcia, homesteaded the property. Grandmother Tomasa would tell a story about when she was young, she and her grandmother, |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
who had long, flaming red hair, would have a
wonderful time strolling along the beach in Santa Barbara. Tomasa Garcia
and Pedro Moreno were married in Santa Barbara and they had a large
family. The family relocated to Santa Paula where their youngest
daughters were born. My paternal grandparents, Nicholas Ruiz and
Virginia, were also residents of Santa Paula and they became best of
friends with Tomasa and Pedro Moreno and their family. My Ruiz Cousins in San Fernando
|
Lenny and I were still living at the "B" ranch in about 1951 when we discovered that some of our paternal Ruiz relatives relocated from Rancho Camulos many years ago and had settled in San Fernando. We met some of our Ruiz cousins at funerals and at the high school where we were students. My father's brothers and sisters were seen in San Fernando from time to time but I did not know that they were visiting our Ruiz relatives. 1946-1947 San Fernando Jr. / Sr. High School - Home of the
Mighty Tigers. Brand Blvd., San Fernando, CA At this point in my life, I already knew that I must
develop skills that would benefit me in a career. Women had choices,
even in hose days. We had the option to take home economics, commercial
classes, or academics in preparation for college. I selected commercial
classes and I would be focusing on my typing skills for the next six
years, beginning in the 7th grade. There were many students enrolled in
the typing class. A
variety of large, heavy manual typewriters were in the classroom from
which we could choose to use, such as the Royals, Smith Coronas, and
Underwoods. These were very noisy, manual typewriters, especially when
nearing the end of a line, the machine bell rang, a signal to throw the
carriage lever and begin a new line. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
It gets very hot in summer in the San Fernando Valley, so to cool off, a group of us from the Catholic Youth Organization from Santa Rosa Church would go to the beach at Santa Monica, Malibu, or Zuma. Sometimes in the evening we went grunion hunting, although many of us never saw the tiny fish. Anyway, I just love the beach and always had a great time. Thirteenth Birthday — End of Culinary Career Mom baked me a cake for my 13th birthday. However, that day she went into labor and she was rushed off to the hospital in town to have her fifth child, a third daughter named Tena. I volunteered to fix dinner for the family that evening. I got out the frying pan and put it on the electric range, then put some oil in the pan and turned on the burner. |
While the oil was warming in the pan, I left the kitchen and was playing with a tennis ball in the next room. Suddenly, I smelled smoke and returned to the kitchen and saw the trying pan on fire. I quickly took the pan off the stove and dumped it in the sink. The window curtains hanging over the sink caught on fire. Luckily, I was able to put out the fire with the water from the sink faucet. Needless to say, my cooking days were over. My only role in the kitchen after that little frightful episode was to manually squeeze tons of oranges for orange juice. All wasn't lost, though. By my 14th birthday, I had learned how to drive the family car and was issued a driver's license. Now I could drive to town and run errands for Mom, as Mom had not yet learned to drive. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Las Tapatias Dancers Spanish dance lessons were being given at the
church hall, so I enrolled in the class. Our dance group was called Las
Tapatias and soon we were good enough to perform at the 16th of
September celebration at Las Palmas Park in town. We dressed in our
China Poblana costumes and wore our Capezio red leather dance shoes. We
danced to the music of El Jarave Tapatio (Mexican hat dance). Naturally,
we were an instant success with the audience. Wow, could we stomp—
Ole! Aunt Margarita came to our high school in San
Fernando one morning in December of 1950, and I was summoned to report
to the principal's office. Upon entering the principal's office, I saw
auntie Margarita she informed me that my father, Rafael, had passed away
quite suddenly in Trjuana. I used the phone in the office to call home.
When mom answered the phone, I was speechless and burst into tears, so
auntie took over the phone and spoke to mom. I shall always remember the
principal's kindness that day when she gave me a hug to ease my pain.
That afternoon, Lenny and I went with aunt Margarita and Uncle Ernie
(father's brother) to San Diego to attend our father's funeral. Father
was taken to Fort Rosecrans, Point Loma, for a military funeral, which
included Taps and a 21-gun salute.
|
Life in Pacoima. CA By the end of the year 1951, Juan made a career change and we left the "B" ranch and moved into a nice new house in Pacoima. The new house was located one block from busy San Fernando Road. Many years later, I attended a dinner with members of Los Caifornianos In Oceanslde. I met VIckey Duarte at that dinner, and, much to my surprise, Vickey mentioned that she had lived in Pacoima when she was a young girl in the 1920's. After a few months had passed after the - . Oceanside meeting, I received a letter from Vickey, stating that she was a descendant of the Duarte family and the Gabrieleno Indians. Enclosed in the letter were photos of Mr. and Mrs. Tapia, friends of Vickey's mother, who were my mother's relatives—small world. In those days when Vickey lived in Pacoima, she mentioned in her letter that there was one grocery store in the area. Vickey and her friends' favorite past time was to count the number of cars on San Fernando Road that day and there were as many as 30 cars on a Sunday afternoon. Also, she writes, "There was a family on that corner, (relatives of my step-father,), and this was a very exciting day for us kids. As the whole area was all orange groves. Going to Mr. Roundtree's house to buy honey was fun. The honey came on the comb. Also a walk from home on Osborn to buy milk when our cow went dry was fun as we saw Golondrinas in their mud nests." |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Graduation from high school was nearing and the
Navy recruiters had come to our school to inform us about careers in the
Navy. They offered continued education and travel which really
interested me. My friend, Jen, and I went to the Navy Recruiting Office
in San Fernando to get more information about careers in the Navy. I
went home and asked mom if it would be okay for me to sign up with the
Navy. That is when I found out that mom was pregnant with her sixth
child. We decided it would be best for me not to persue a Naval career
at that time. Instead, after graduation from high school, that summer, I
was hired as a special typist by an aircraft company located in Burbank. San Francisco — My First Vacation On my very first vacation from work in August of 1953, my dear friend, Jen, and I took a flight on United Airlines from Los Angeles Airport to San Francisco Airport—we were flying high and enjoying every minute. We were shuttled from the airport to the City and we bunked at the Palace Hotel. The minute we entered our hotel room, Jen became homesick—I could not believe this. She was all better very soon. In the evening, we joined a nightclub tour that took us to North Beach and many other places in the City. We even went to the Top of the Mark for a view of San Francisco. The next day, the tour guide took us to Mission Dolores, the Presidio, the Cliff House, and up and down the hills on the Cable cars. It was with a heavy heart that we left San Francisco. 4/4/2005
|
I had gone to a party with friends down the street
on a Saturday evening. When I returned home, I was informed that mom was
in the hospital and her baby Barbie had just been born. That week, I
took off from work to help out at home. That's when I had my first
glimpse of all the effort it took on mom's part to support and care for
a large family. I could hardly wait to get back to work at the office.
Our family decided to hire a maid to help mom at home, Juan and I drove
to Tijuana and picked up Jesusita from La Colonia. For Jesusita, it was
pure culture shock when we arrived at our home. Mom had her hands full
with caring for baby Barbie and training Jesusita in domesticity. For
example, running the vacuum cleaner over the carpet really frightened
Jesusita, as was using the washing machine. To top it off, Jesusita
spoke only Spanish. Eventually things settled down and we had a smooth
running household once more. Many of my friends and I often dined at the Sky Room upstairs at the Burbank Airport. We also went dancing at the Hollywood Paladium, where the Big Bands entertained. Some of my friends had come to Hollywood from all over the country to break into movies; however, they never quit their day jobs. By now, I already felt like an old maid so entered into a marriage that lasted a few years. By now, Lenny had enlisted in the U. S. Army and was stationed at Fort Ord. My cousins from Moorpark and I drove to Monterey one weekend to visit Lenny. Shortly after boot camp, Lenny was sent to the East Coast for the remainder of his tour of duty. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Maria from San Fernando My daughter, Maria, was born in San Fernando in the
1950's. Mom had driven me to the hospital that morning as I was having
labor pains. No one could have possibly prepared me for childbirth and
the excruciating pain that goes with it. However, when the nurse brought
Maria to me and I saw her for the first time, I soon forgot what a rough
day and night I had just experienced—Maria was so beautiful and it was
sheer joy and a blessing to have her. Maria was a good baby and she
decided to be bottle-fed—that was okay with me. Maria was three months
old when she was baptized at La Plaza Church in Los Angeles. Soon, Mom
began taking care of her, as I had been on maternity leave from the job
and it was time to return to work. My little sister, Barbie, and Maria
played together and were good company for one another. One afternoon after work, a couple of friends invited me to take a short airplane ride with them from Whiternan Airport in Pacoima to the Santa Paula Airport. We had coffee at the airport and it felt good to be back in Santa Paula where I had spent much of my early childhood. |
The Guy from Philadelphia By early 1960's, Donaldo and I had met in Burbank and we became very good friends. Donaldo was from Philadelphia and he had just returned from working on a job in Alaska. We both needed a change in our life styles, so together, we moved to La Jolla. The cottage that Donaldo rented for us was located on a cliff on Bird Rock Avenue overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the beach below. We had a kitten Tinky and she traveled with us everywhere. I went to work for a company on Harbor Drive in San Diego. After a few months in La Jolla, we decided to drive East to Philadelphia to visit Donaldo's father. We drove across the country in Donaldo's red and white Corvette convertible. We stopped in Illinois to take a first-hand look at the soy bean fields. At that time, Donaldo had invested money in commodities. We arrived at Donaldo's father's apartment in Philadelphia a few days later. Dad Lyman was easy to get along with. He kept house for himself and did his own cooking. I got a job with Kelly Girls that summer and worked in Center City. We spent a weekend at the shore in |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Ocean City, New Jersey, which was fun and a first for me. I soon became homesick for California so we packed up and returned to La Jolla. When Maria was not in school, she and I spent time at the beach and became beachcombers of sorts-Maria loved to collect sea shells. Dad Lyman came to La Jolla for a short visit with us. Within six months, Donaldo was set up with a job in Palo Alto, so once again we were on the move, this time to the Bay Area. Eventually, I was hired by an aerospace company in the Silicon Valley. Dad Lyman's Cross-Country Bicycle Trip We were living in San Jose in 1964, a short distance from Frontier Village, when Dad Lyman came out to visit us. He had begun planning his Coast-to-Coast bicycle trip. At the age of 80 years of age, and a cancer survivor, Dad Lyman began his bicycle ride from Times Square, New York, and headed for San Francisco. The trip took three months to ride coast to coast. One of the most arduous and challenging part of his journey was when he pedaled his 12-speed French bicycle
|
through the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to
Wendover! On August 1964, Dad Lyman arrived at the Golden Gate Bridge in
San Francisco. Donaldo went to meet his father in San Francisco, and, of
course, the media was there to shoot pictures of this extraordinary
octogenarian bike rider. Dad Lyman had achieved his goal and he felt
very happy. Donaldo
and I quit our jobs and drove Dad Lyman back to his home in
Philadelphia. We rented a U-Haul trailer and hooked it up to the old
family Buick. We had Tricky, our cat, Maria, and Dad Lyman with us, so
it was quite an ordeal driving back East this time. We dropped off Dad
Lyman at his home and we continued our journey to Coco Beach, Florida.
Donaldo and I had expectations of getting jobs on the space program at
Cape Canaveral. However, we did not venture out very much due to
Hurricane Cleo, which was blowing up a storm. We high-tailed it back to
Philadelphia for a few days of sightseeing. Maria liked the Betsy Ross
House because it was so quaint. It was now back to La Jolla and again
back to the Bay Area.
|
|
A History of Logan Heights' Neighborhood House: Becoming Maria From Inception to Occupation: Becoming Maria, Part II |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
I was born in Yuma, Arizona and came to San Diego at the
age of three. With the exception of
one year, when my mother had TB and we returned to Yuma so my aunts could help
care for us, my whole life has been in San Diego County.
Our first apartment in San Diego was at 33rd and Imperial Avenue.
My parents, thinking a Catholic education was of value, sacrificed to
send me to Saint Jude School. That’s
where I learned that there was something wrong with being Mexican, and my name
was changed to Mary Helen Garcia. St Jude was my first experience with racism, a concept a shy six-year-old girl had not experienced until she met the nuns. In fifth grade we moved to an old house in Encanto. I attended Encanto Elementary, O’Farrell Jr. High and Morse High School. The blessing with all three of those schools is that they were multi-ethnic and we all learned to play together. After graduating from high school I went to work because we did not have the money for me to attend college. Even though I had A and B grades I was not encouraged to consider or made aware of the junior college system. Two years after graduating from Morse a friend of mine found out about the San Diego City College and suggested I go to junior college with her.
|
That was also my first exposure to the Chicano Movement.
I started attending meetings, not only at City College, but in the
community around Logan Elementary where I worked as a teachers aide.
In 1969 I transferred to San Diego State.
What a perfect year to transfer and become more involved in the Chicano
movement. That was also the year I
dropped the name Mary Helen and became Maria. Becoming Maria meant I could leave the self-hate I had
learned at St. Jude’s and learn about my culture and background.
The Chicano Movement was everywhere—plays by the teatro, picket lines,
and even a trip to Delano for the dedication of the forty acres—and it all
became a regular part of my daily life. I was also attending the first meeting of the Chicano Federation. In 1969 I was elected to the first elected board of the Chicano Federation as recording secretary. The first board of the Chicano Federation had been appointed. The summer of 1969 or 1970 I also had the opportunity to attend a leadership training class sponsored by Chicano Federation and led by Southwest consultants. For the next 25 to 30 years I would be involved with the Chicano Federation by being on the board or chairing a project or representing them on a committee. |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
That spring Chicano Park was born and even though I had to work I managed to leave work the minute my day was over and head to the park. This year a friend posted a picture of Chicano Park in 1970 and there I am in work clothes and carrying my purse. I had been at Camp Oliver when it was occupied. I left there Saturday night and at some point on Sunday the decision was made to occupy the camp in an attempt to make the Catholic Church more responsive to the needs of the community. A large group of us picketed the camp. Later, as we tried to sleep in a ditch outside the camp, the sheriff tried to scare us by pretending to let the dogs loose. It was so dark, you could not tell the dogs were still tied and it scared the devil out of us. In 1970 I got lucky. I was accepted into a program called Teacher Corps. Some of my closest friends today are the men and women I met in Teacher Corps. After graduating and getting my teaching credential I went to work at Balboa School and started working on my Masters. I am still very much involved in the Chicano movement. While working on my Masters in bilingual bicultural education I wrote a paper on Neighborhood House. |
Neighborhood House had been “taken over” a few years
before I wrote my paper. The “take
over” of Neighborhood House gave birth to the Chicano Clinic and a return of
social services to Barrio Logan. That
year I loaned that paper to a local TV station where it was lost.
Neighborhood House was special to the Logan Heights community and yet
people did not know the why or what of this relationship.
About a year and a half ago I decided to rewrite the paper.
Forty years later I am writing this paper for so many different reasons. First off, I am not going to receive a grade. I can honestly say this time it is an act of love. I want people to know how special that building at 1809 National Ave is. After the most recent remodeling I drove past and was shocked to see that the building had not been preserved. Did they not know what went on in that building? Did they not care that people had learned to cook, dance, play musical instruments and learned English inside those walls? |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
What about the people that have walked through those doors? Why is their story going untold? I decided to rewrite the story of Neighborhood House. The only thing I had left from the first paper I wrote was some tapes of previous interviews. I had to start all over again. The best thing about writing this paper is the help I have received from everyone. Total strangers have agreed to be interviewed or were willing to share pictures or stories of their days at Neighborhood House. At my age now, I see a pride that went completely unnoticed
when I first wrote the paper. It
also gave me a better understanding of the unity in that community before the
freeway split them into two parts. My
heartfelt thanks go to everyone that felt that the history of Neighborhood House
should be preserved and told. I hope
that generations to come will understand what a settlement house in the middle
of the Barrio did for an immigrant community and why one of the wealthiest
families in San Diego supported this settlement house.
|
This series on Neighborhood House may not answer all of
your questions but it will give you an understanding of why Neighborhood House
was the heart of the Latino Community.
|
|
A History of Neighborhood House in Logan Heights
Part III: Joe
Serrano by Maria Garcia on July 5, 2014
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
From the moment Joe Serrano tasted bread for the first time
he loved it. Until he attended kindergarten at Neighborhood House in the
1920′s Joe had never eaten bread. He remembers their snack of milk and
bread coming from Mike Amador’s store, right across the street.
I have surmised that there was some type of an arrangement between the
Neighborhood House and Mr. Amador. After kindergarten at Neighborhood House, Joe attended
Burbank Elementary. His principal was Miss Barbara.
If students did not behave, Miss Barbara would put her hands on your
shoulders and dig her rather long fingernails right into your skin. Even today,
almost 80 years later, Joe remembers when a black woman came to enroll her son
at Burbank and was told by Miss Barbara that her son would have to have to go to
“their” school–Logan Elementary, which was a mere three blocks away. Joe was in fourth grade and was very confused since this
boy lived on the same block as he did. Even at that age he knew something was
wrong with what was being done to his little neighbor. He went to school with a
lot of Japanese children who would bring Japanese candy to share with him and
which he loved. He said prior to W.W. II the Japanese families had the “good
property.” |
According to the Barrio Logan Historical Survey: The abalone industry grew until 1918, at which time it was
estimated that fifty percent of San Diego’s fishing crews were Japanese. Most
of the crews were based out of Logan Heights. The fishermen would work during
the season from March until November and would return to San Diego to live in
the fishery warehouses or stay in Baja during the rest of the year. Housing for
Japanese workers was located on present-day Cesar Chavez Boulevard and on the
wharfs of the Lower California Fisheries Co. Tuna and the International Packing
Corporation. (City of San Diego
2011) Some of the Japanese fishermen families had houses on the
pier. Joe remembers feeling very sad when they were moved to relocation camps in
the 1940′s. Joe had many memorable experiences at Neighborhood House.
He fondly remembers going with other boys from Neighborhood House to Camp Dehesa.
They were transported in a large truck and he remembers sleeping outside under a
large tree at the camp. There was a large room which by the description sounds
like a cafeteria where the cooking was done. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Settlement Houses in general and Neighborhood House in particular had a public health component. Neighborhood House received some city funding during the 1920′s to sponsor a nurse, a pre-natal and well baby clinic and Red Cross classes. Joe’s medical needs were taken care of by the nurses and doctors at Neighborhood House.
|
The doctors volunteered their time and performed exams as
well as minor surgery. Surgery, including tonsillectomies, took place in the
kitchen with the auditorium being used as the recovery room. There was a yearly
medical exam which his mother made sure he had. Once he and his uncle were rough-housing and his uncle
tripped him. As a result of being tripped one leg was shorter than the other. He
was not about to tell his mother about the rough-housing, however she decided
that a trip to the clinic was merited. When the doctor saw his leg, he decided
to give it a rather robust pull. That leg snapped back into place and nothing
was said about how the accident had occurred. Mr. Serrano played several sports, including baseball,
through Neighborhood House. His baseball team was sponsored by Fenton Junior
Construction Company. Another sport he enjoyed was basketball. Joe tells a story
of the chocolate tennis shoe with a mischievous smile and swears it was “the
other guy’s” idea. As he told the story I got the impression that it may not
have been his idea but he enjoyed every minute of it. The old tennis shoe remained in the chocolate until it was
time to serve this special treat…
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
After a basketball tournament between the junior and the
senior boys the coach would have a couple of the guys from the losing team take
the responsibility for making the chocolate and putting the cookies out for the
winning team. Over the course of this particular game the juniors had taken a
great deal of harassment and teasing from the winning senior boys. The junior
group was feeling angry, not only at losing the game, but for the excessive
amount of teasing they had endured. Joe and his buddy John Campos were given the assignment of
making the chocolate. Near the stove sat an old and dirty tennis shoe. The boys
decided to add some flavor to the chocolate by adding the tennis shoe! Joe
swears it was John’s idea, but as I wrote before, I believe it was by mutual
agreement. The old tennis shoe remained in the chocolate until it was time to
serve this special treat, whereupon they threw the old shoe away. Joe still
laughs when he recalls the seniors telling them it was the best chocolate they
had ever had. Board games were a regular part of the Neighborhood House
activities, however Joe remembers that he also learned to play “spin the
bottle” at Neighborhood House. You would take the young lady down the hall and
into the janitor’s closet for your winning kiss. As a rule, girls did not
“hang out” at Neighborhood House. If they went to Neighborhood House it was
to take a class and return home. Thus the fact that there were girls available
for this game is unusual.
|
Several of those I have interviewed remember a “fruit
truck,” a free food distribution program. The truck would pull into the alley
behind Neighborhood House or to an empty lot near the fire station. He remembers
oranges and thinks they had been donated by the various warehouses. It reminded
me of the deliveries currently being made by Feeding America. Joe tasted his first slice of bread at Neighborhood House
and as the years passed his family became very involved in the bread making
process. His mother, Mrs. Jenny Serrano, taught the women at Neighborhood House
how to make bread dough which was baked in the community oven.
Bread dough candle flowers |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
The outdoor oven was fired up by his father, Joe Serrano
senior. Joe remembers the smell of warm bread filling the air around
Neighborhood House. The family was definitely a part of the Neighborhood House
experience. Jenny taught crafts at Neighborhood House and one of the projects
was making candles out of bread dough. There was a special trust with Mrs. Brackett who worked as
a nursing assistant at Neighborhood House and the Serrano family. One of Mrs.
Brackett’s sons had some serious mental problems and had to be driven to
Patton State Hospital. Joe’s brother was recruited to ride with Mrs. Brackett
on the trip to the hospital. It was his responsibility to sit by the door to
assure that the young man did not attempt to jump out the door. My reason for
sharing this story is to show the level of trust that had developed between the
two families — the Serrano family allowing their son to ride over one hundred
miles to the hospital and Mrs. Brackett trusting them to help her and not spread
gossip all over the neighborhood. Joe says they never moved too far from Neighborhood House. At one point they lived on Julian across the street from |
Cramer’s Bakery,
where Bread & Salt is located today.The room upstairs was rented out for
parties, and dances took place on a regular basis. The family would place a
bench in the front yard and listen to the music floating down from the party
upstairs. At the end of the evening they would sit on the bench waiting for the
fight that would usually follow. The evening entertainment was music followed by
a fight in the middle of the street. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Joe graduated from San Diego High School in 1946 in what
was called a midterm graduation. He knew he would be drafted, so along with two
of his buddies, they enlisted. All three boys thought they would be assigned to
the same base; they were ready to go. They boys had seen another neighborhood
guy in what they felt was a “cool uniform” and were ready to join and be
seen as cool. Joe took a test and ended up in the Army Air Corps. There was a nurse, Mrs. Jenny Rodriguez, who had some
“big position” with the county and came to the Neighborhood House on a
regular basis. Mrs. Serrano mentioned to Mrs. Rodriguez that Joe was at Fort
March. The question that followed was “Do you want him home?” Mrs. Serrano
did not hesitate to say “yes.” |
Joe is not sure what happened exactly but he does know that
he was called in to his commanding officer’s office and asked “How soon do
you want to go home?” His response was “Now” and within a few days he was
packing his bags to return home to Logan Heights. To this day Joe does not know
what the letter said but assumes it questioned his mental state. Mr. Serrano was married in 1948 and his only further
contact with Neighborhood House was attending union meetings that were held in
the auditorium. He has very fond memories of Neighborhood House and talks about
how safe he felt growing up in that neighborhood. Like many of the young men and
women that were active at Neighborhood House, he went on to become a good
citizen, to raise a family and to recognize that the lessons he learned at
Neighborhood House helped to make him successful. |
 |
|
|
A Tale of Two Californias, Part Two by Galal Kernahan
Cuento: Not quite American enough by Gil Chavez My Days as a Colonist / Soldier with Don Juan de Onate – Part 7 Familial Connections to Land Drives Hispanic Land Conservation Attitudes The Unknown History of Latino Lynchings |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| On
January 17, 1919, Arizona U.S. Senator Henry F. Ashurst launched what
became a personal campaign to make Baja California a U.S. possession.
His proposal popped up from time to time for half a century. It wasn't
until it was hauled out once more in late 1969 that binational
conversation ensued.
California Barber Alvin Pinkley of Costa Mesa re-opened the matter. He was full of eye-popping stories of coasting the Baja Peninsula. About the same time, whiffs of Pinkley-like enthusiasm were being wafted northward by Mexican tourism promoters. A come-on beginning to be associated with that long, fat finger of Pacific Ocean separating Mainland Mexico from Baja California was that it was beginning to serve as an "Escalera Nautica" (Sea Stairway). Awaiting yachts? Some among Barber Pinkley's one-on-one audiences were with members of the City Council. Their fellow Californian Richard Nixon had just been elected President. Why not suggest the U.S. buy Baja and develop it as a recreational area? The Costa Mesa City Council got off an official letter to the White House about it.. |
A
response came unexpectedly from Tijuana. It was signed "Alfredo
Lopez Gutierrez", the border city's mayor's brother, acting as
spokesman for a young men's just invented "civic association."
It apologized for not responding sooner to the Council's proposal for
the purhase of Baja. It offered as excuse that the
"organization" had just learned of it. Amends were made for
addressing the response to the local Costa Mesa newspaper instead of
"some competent city official".. .confessing that theTijuana
Civic Organization didn't know "any competent official in the City
of Costa Mesa."
Then the letter got down to business. It countered Costa Mesa's proposal wth its own 2,000 peso offer to buy the City of Costa Mesa. If the present Council was not included, the bid would be doubled. The local paper printed the letter. City Councilmen learned just how fast people can climb aboard a practical joke. And not just fellow citizens. Someone in backcountry Baja heard what was going on and upped the ante by a sack of beans. |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| The
Council regrouped to recover its aplomb. It invited Alfredo to Costa
Mesa "to inspect the merchandise." The Tijuana Mayor's Brother
was guaranteed safe passage and safe return.
Costa Mesa's leaders were unaware just how important such reassurance was. Back when the U.S./Korean Conflict erupted in 1950, Alfredo was working in a Los Angeles machine shop. A police officer stopped him one day and asked to see proof of residence and his draft card. Even though he then had only a marginal grasp of English, he understood his problem. The officer knew where he lived and worked. The policeman said he would drop by soon to see that selective service registration card. So Alfredo got one. After a tour of duty in Korea not only was his English fine, he had picked up a little Korean. So Alfredo accepted the invitation to visit Costa Mesa. A great time was had by all. Things came to a head in a decisive game in a pool hall. Alfrdo chalked his cue and announced to Councilman Pinkley, "Five-ball in the side pocket for that new fire engine you just showed me." |
Good
feelings between Costa Mesa and Tijuana lasted for years. Costa Mesa
police accepted an invitation to visit the Tijuana PD. A polished
Tijuana Police Motorcycle "Escuadron Suicida" (Suicide Squad)
participated in Costa Mesa's then Annual Fish Fry Parade. Costa Mesa and
Tijuana officers understood perfectly the Spanish and English they
rattled off at each other. It was all Cop Talk.
In simpler days, propositions the U.S. take over Baja stirred up emotional noise on both sides of the border. Before 1969 no one then in Mexico had thought to make counteroffers. Times change. August 22, a quarter of a century ago, an AeroMexico Airliner began its descent to land at Los Angeles International Airport. A Piper Cub plane that flew too close collided with it. Wreckage and sixty-seven mangled bodies were strewn over the City of Cerritos. Fifteen persons were killed on the ground by what rained down. Among the dead were passengers from Loreto, Baja California. They were on their way to meet representatives of Hermosa Beach, Loreto's Sister City. In spite of the shocking air disaster, the two municipalities so distant from one another remain paired. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| When
Loreto was founded by Jesuit missionaries in 1697, it became capital of
all California for the next eighty years. It was the starting point of
"Camino Real" (Royal Route) that linked mission to mission all
the way to Sonoma on the landward side of San Francisco Bay.
In 1892, Ana Pitcher of Pasadena, California, began sharing an idea for prompting memory of the mission to mission route. A few years later, the California Federation of Women's Clubs took the initiative in organizing the project. Other individuals and organizations became involved. Desire to mark the route led to the choice to do it with appropriate bells like some in Old Los Angeles. The first was placed at the Plaza Church there on August 15, 1906. Today there are fifteen official commemorative versions marking the "Camino Real." Most are in the State of California. There may be only three or four (including one in Loreto) in Mexico's Baja backcountry. Few missions in arid South of the Border country survived. |
After
Loreto served as the founding capital of the Californias, governance
moved all the way North to Monterey on February 3, 1777. Later still, La
Paz followed Loreto as Capital of the State of Baja California Sur.
Loreto has more than 10,000 residents today. Another 10,000 live in nearby communities. Their International Airport welcomes daily flights.. .especially from Los Angeles. A draw is world class sport fishing. Have any other Sister Cities gone through anything like the aerial tragedy that took the lives of Loreto visitors on their way to Hermosa Beach? A caring relationship that emerged out of the disaster even grew to become three-cornered. The City of Cerritos was also deeply troubled by what happened to it twenty-five years ago. Fifteen people died there when the wreckage and bodies plummeted out of its sky. Cerritos memorialized local persons killed as a result of the air accident that took place above it. Yet the memories of all the victims are inseparable. |
|
Not quite American enough |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Los
Verdugos. Your comment about the actress, Elena Verdugo and her pride in her
California ancestry interested me, because my wife is also a Verdugo from that
same family . There
were at least two Verdugo males who came from (the Catalan region) Spain and
served as soldados de cuero in California. After
their years of service they were granted thousands of acres of land. My wife's
ancestor had at least 93-thousand acres. Incidentally, his brother was married
to a woman of partial African ancestry. And, in fact there were many Spanish and
Mexican colonists in California who were of very mixed heritage. My
wife's ancestor owned what has now become Verdugo Hills, Verdugo city, etc. At
one point in her family history, some of her "Spanish" Verdugo
ancestors married California, Native American women. My
wife's family are registered California, Native Americans of the San Fernando,
Mission Band. But, they are not federally recognized (yet). |
Her
father got a few hundred dollars in the late 1950s from the state as
"compensation" for having their home land taken from them. It was a
"take it or leave it" deal. While my
spouse proudly acknowledges her Native American roots, she also identifies as
"Mexican", because she was raised in a barrio and considers Mexican
and Mexican American culture her primary cultural influences. Once when our
son was around 6 yrs. old, we were driving through the Verdugo Hills, CA area.
Our son was an early and avid reader who liked to read billboards and street
signs commented about them as we drove. He noticed that many of the signs
included the surname Verdugo, which he knew was his maternal grandfather's last
name. Our
son asked "Why are there so many signs with my Tata's name on them?"
We explained about how his Native American and Verdugo ancestors once
owned all of the land we were passing through, but "lost it" after the
Mexican-American War. Our son
was silent for a while. Then, he said, "Make them give it back to us."
We explained that such would never happen. He was silent again. Then he asked,
"Can we make them pay us rent?"
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
My
wife's mother's people migrated from Zacatecas Mexico in the early 1800s,
first to Texas, then to Arizona (Jerome) where they were a copper mining
family until the mines closed and they moved to California. Her
late mother told of conditions of segregation in the Arizona town when she was
growing up, and of living in the segregated
"Mexican" section of town. Segregation extended to such things as a
day for Mexicans, and other "not-whites" only being allowed to swim
before the public pool was cleaned. My
wife's family often made annual "vacation pilgrimages" to Jerome (it
was a ghost town for a while, and then a "Hippie" center, and now a
tourist town). She told me that about all that is left of her mother's home
there is a cement slab with her uncle's name scratched onto it. |
With reference
to Jerome, one day on a visit there, she fell and twisted he ankle. I took her
to a hospital emergency room. The admitting person "put her through a lot
of questioning to make sure that she could pay the charges." The
physician who treated her asked her where she worked and what kind of work she
did. My spouse answered that she was "a dean at the local college."
The physician wrote down and repeated her response as "cleans at the
college." My wife's
trying to clarify what kind of work she did didn't "get through." The
kindly doctor said that he would gladly write her a note for her supervisor that
she needed to "stay off her feet for a while."
We have both been through lots of similar things, so we
decided to not even attempt to correct the poor misguided fellow.
We
lived in an are near Jerome for about 8 years, and we both taught at a community
college there. But, budget cutbacks at the school motivated us to move away.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
We loved
the area and there are many very nice people there.
There are also more than a few people such as the individual who came to
a yard sale we held and told me that he was seeking to buy and stocking up
on "Man killer guns" in hopes that someone would soon
"kill that nigger in the White House" (Barack Obama) so that
there would be a race war and white people could "take back their
country. I am guero and could pass for white (although,it has never entered my
mind to do so), and that fellow thought that he was talking to a "fellow
traveler". Another
time, I witnessed my Caucasian, good neighbor tell another neighbor who was
promoting the idea of whites attacking citizens of Mexican ancestry, and other
"non-whites" that such talk was not only stupid that it was
unconstitutional for someone claiming to be a patriotic American to be spouting.
Speaking
Spanish became a "hot button issue" for my family when we moved to
Arizona. I am fluent in Spanish, but my wife is not, and laments it. When she
was younger, her teachers and school administrators convinced Spanish speaking
parents that teaching their children to speak Spanish would be detrimental to
their academic progress. |
When we moved
to AZ our son was in the 3rd grade. He was fairly fluent in Spanish (lots of
bilingual schooling and day care where he was exposed to a lot of Spanish).
After we moved to there he became too frightened to speak Spanish. One
day we were shopping in in a supermarket and I said "ven mijo" so that
he would follow me to a different area. He became very upset and asked me to not
speak Spanish. When
we arrived at our home's driveway I asked him "what that was all
about." He was very tearful and agitated. He said, "If we speak
Spanish they will kill us. The militia people will kill Mama." Questioning
him revealed that he had become fearful after hearing comments on television
from various individuals unhappy about immigration, and the changes in
demographics. I told
him that such people were not representative of the sentiments of most of our
neighbors, but he told me that I was wrong. He also told of "anti-Mexican
"incidents" at school.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
When
we entered our home my wife was watching the news. A lot of people who supported
the efforts of "anti-Mexican" groups were being interviewed. Some of
them said some very hateful and pro-violence things. My little boy looked at me
and said, "See, I told you so." It was a sad day for me then. My
wife had a lot of positive experiences as a community college teacher in AZ.
She especially liked being a woman of color who could serve as a role
model for minority students, and being able to be a good teacher who served
students from all backgrounds. There were also more than a few incidents such as having to "prove" that she was a competent and well prepared teacher, and not an unqualified person only hired to fill a quota. She has
|
dealt with such things all of her life and is
always ready to do "more than her share" in order to demonstrate her
competencies. I don't want to "paint" Arizona as a hotbed of bigotry, because we encountered a lot of very kind and accepting people there. However, we "Got out of Dodge, ASAP", because we wanted to live in a more cosmopolitan area where there is great diversity and peaceful tolerance. We currently live in a part of Texas where Latinos (mostly of Mexican ancestry) are the majority, but there are also many different kinds of ethnic groups and life styles. People here seem to live at a slower pace and are friendly. We love it here. Sent by Dorinda Moreno pueblosenmovimientonorte@gmail.com
|
|
My
Days as a Colonist / Soldier with Don Juan de Onate – Part 7 By Louis
F. Serna Oct
2013
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Gracias
a Dios.! Here we are in the month of September and so much has happened that
it is a wonder that we are finally here at this place which we will call
home. The trip here has been a real hell for the poor women of the caravan,
who had to look after the children who want to explore everything and know
everything and at the same time look after their domestic chores which
include preparing meals out of nothing! Or at least it seems that way
sometimes as they must depend on whatever rations the caravan’s pantry can
provide which is always dry and must be reconstituted in fresh water which
isn’t always readily available! At those times, they must depend on the
barrels of often stale water that is intended for the animals.
As the fathers and men of the camp go about their duties, they are always mindful of any game however small and distasteful, that they can bag and bring back to the wives’ catch-all basket to be prepared at the next stop… or somehow prepared on the move..! Always, whatever food there is for the family is eaten in wooden bowls held in their hands or on the move and always, with the taste of dust and fowl smelling “things” in the air kicked up by ever-moving oxen, horses, cattle and such..! Times of rest are always spent trying to console and encourage each other and trying to reassure the children that everything is going well and that there is no danger ahead as even though children can turn the most mundane into a game of sorts, their young minds do worry |
and
they are stressed, knowing there is
nothing they as children can do about the dangers they overhear the adults
discussing. I recall when I was
a youngster, how well I could hide my fears of wars and such that were
always in the adult discussions around me,
by masking my fears in play and in my school studies. I worry about
these youngsters who I can see are going to have to forego their young
playful years in a land full of work, danger, and the stress of worrying
constantly, about attacks by hostile Indians. Their young years will be
spent in forced labor, helping their parents to simply survive! Whatever
riches, benefits and glorious lives of Hidalguia they were promised, if any,
will have to be enjoyed by their
children as this generation can
already see that their lives will be far from glorious..!
I think to myself,
these children already know what’s coming and as they have no choice in
the matter, they know that whatever the “value” of their lives is or
could have been in the cities, it has already been spent by their parents. They
will have to be the real colonists of this expedition as their parents may
not survive too long in this wild, uncertain, difficult and deadly country.
Unlike my childhood which was protected, privileged, and even
coddled, as I prepared myself for my future, here I am. But I must not dwell
on all these thoughts as I have much to do … and already Don Villagra is
calling for me..! |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
It seems that there has been a desertion. It is early in the morning, and Juan Zaldivar has rushed into the General’s tent to notify him that Juan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Matias Rodriguez and Manuel Portugues stole some horses in the night and left camp! The ever hostile Vicente growls in a low voice, “let me go after them General” Don Juan quickly responds, “go see what the other men know about this Vicente, and come back and report what you learn”… As soon as he is out of the tent, Don Juan says to his brother Juan, “I don’t want him to go after these men… send Capitan Villagra instead, along with a party of men.” Within the hour, Villagra has called on Capitan Marquez, Capitan Lopez and the soldiers, Juan Medel and Pedro de Rivera. I am to come along as the event recorder but carrying arms, just in case. We leave camp at a gallop and soon discover their trail. After a day of pursuit, we see that they are maintaining the speed of desperate men for we cannot catch up to them. Finally on the fourteenth day we overcome them and on seeing us, they split up and head in all four directions. We catch Manuel Portugues and Juan Gonzales but the others escape. A quiet pall falls over the group for everyone knows what’s coming. “What do we do with them” asks Capitan Marquez and Villagra looks at me |
and softly responds, “Execute them!” Still looking at me, he
asks,”Who will do it?” After some silence except for the chuffing of the
horses and stamping of their feet, Capitan Lopez, seeing my extreme
discomfort as Villagra continues to look at me, says, “I will” and with
that, he draws his knife and quickly beheads the men. One takes the knife
quietly but horrified while the other prays and calls his mother by name
before he too takes the knife..! As stunned as I am, I try not to show any
emotion as the others maintain their composure as well. Everyone’s eyes
belie their distaste over this event, and everyone is silent as Villagra
quietly says, “the General’s orders have been carried out.. God rest
their souls.. now let us dispose of these men and return to camp”. I look
into Capitan Villagra’s eyes as if to ask, “did you really expect me to
be the executioner” and he looks at me and says, “Luis, this is the life
that we chose… we are first of all soldiers, and we take orders, and we
carry them out… we are but tools to be used in the building of nations…
One day I am a humble recorder of words and the next, I give orders to kill
someone… Remember this day and who you are and why you’re here..!” and
with that, we turn our horses and start back to report that we have done our
duty. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
We get back and report to Don Onate and his Officers and I see a slight curl at the side of Vicente’s mouth at the news that two were executed. Don Juan turns to Vicente, “I want you to take at least fifty men and go out onto the plains and round up as many wild cows as you can manage to bring back for the camp’s larder. We are in the middle of September and we need to stock up before the snow flies.” As the men prepare to leave, I hear Vicente asking old Father San Miguel for his
|
blessing before they depart.
“Isn’t your reverence feeling well?” asks Vicente. The old friar looks
at him with a glazed look in his eye, as if he knows something… perhaps
something said in a confessional, “Take good care of yourself my son. Get
back safely for we need to build our own Capital soon and we need strong men
like you to do it.” Yes, there
is a need for men like Vicente…! A perfect example of a nation-building
tool; cold but reliable..! |
|
New post on Latino Decisions
|
|||
|
Last week Latino Decisions released results from a poll
sponsored by Hispanics Enjoying Camping Hunting and Outdoors (HECHO), an
organization dedicated to preserving America’s public lands that focused on
the value Latinos place in protecting public lands. The survey was conducted in Colorado and New Mexico, two
states where the Latino electorates are vital to election outcomes, and where
there has been an increase in tensions between preservation of land and oil and
gas development. This post draws upon the polling data to highlight the way
personal and familial connection to place influences the way the Hispanic
population in these states relates to land conservation. Hispanic Influence in Colorado and New Mexico
|
Strong Ties to Land in these States Drives Attitudes This historical context reflected strongly in the polling
numbers. As shown in the figure below, a robust 80% of the Hispanic population
surveyed in New Mexico and 84% in Colorado responded that they “feel a
familial connection to the land in their state.”
|
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Furthermore, 83% of the Hispanic electorate in New Mexico
and 68% in Colorado indicated they have lived in their home state for 20 or more
years. This deep and personal connection to the land provides context for many
of the survey findings, where strong favor for land conservation is not
associated with partisanship or ideology, but rather familial ties and a sense
of place that is enduring unlikely to wane over time. There is overwhelming consensus among Hispanics in these
two Western states when it comes to conservation and resource issues. For
example, 73% of Hispanics in New Mexico believe it is “very important” for
government to preserve and protect public lands and open spaces for family
recreation and the overall well-being of the environment. Among those with
strong family ties to the region, the share that thinks it is "very
important" increases to 81%. For those without strong regional ties, 66%
feel the same way. It is true that the clear majority of Hispanics in Colorado
and New Mexico support government protection of open spaces and public land,
those with deeper roots have pronounced attitudes on the issue. |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Furthermore, 83% of the Hispanic electorate in New Mexico
and 68% in Colorado indicated they have lived in their home state for 20 or more
years. This deep and personal connection to the land provides context for many
of the survey findings, where strong favor for land conservation is not
associated with partisanship or ideology, but rather familial ties and a sense
of place that is enduring unlikely to wane over time. There is overwhelming consensus among Hispanics in these
two Western states when it comes to conservation and resource issues. For
example, 73% of Hispanics in New Mexico believe it is “very important” for
government to preserve and protect public lands and open spaces for family
recreation and the overall well-being of the environment. Among those with
strong family ties to the region, the share that thinks it is "very
important" increases to 81%. For those without strong regional ties, 66%
feel the same way. It is true that the clear majority of Hispanics in Colorado
and New Mexico support government protection of open spaces and public land,
those with deeper roots have pronounced attitudes on the issue. |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
 Fig3a.HECHO |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
A similar pattern emerges on the matter of environmental
impacts of the natural gas drilling process. When asked to indicate whether they
identify more strongly with a view that the process will “lead to energy
independence and create jobs” or alternatively, “create toxic pollution and
damage the environment”, 49% of the overall sample sides with the statement
focused on damage to the environment compared to 42% who identify more strongly
with the job growth and energy independence side of this debate. There is little
variation between the two states on this issue, with only a 3% difference
between Hispanics in Colorado and New Mexico. When we consider differences between those with and without
strong familial ties to the region, marked differences occur. The majority of
Hispanic voters with strong ties to Colorado and New Mexico, 52%, believe the
drilling process is bad for the environment compared to only 36% among those
without strong familial ties that are strong and binding. |
Although the historical context of Hispanic political
influence in Colorado and New Mexico is somewhat unique, the relationship we
find between familial connections to land and attitudes toward conservation
policy are likely to exist elsewhere. For example, Latinos have had a strong
presence throughout the histories of a number of other states, including Texas
and California. The findings of this poll provide unique insight for those
interested Hispanic views regarding land preservation hold in other locales. Methodology: Latino Decisions interviewed 400 Latino registered voters from May 27 through June 10, 2014. A blended sample of landline telephones, cell phones, and the Latino Decisions online web panel was used. Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish, at their discretion by fully bilingual interviewers. The poll carries a margin of error of +/-4.9%. |
|
The following is a summary & analysis of
Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review article, SUMMARY |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Delgado attempts to shed light on a largely unknown history
of Latinos, particularly Mexican-Americans in the Southwest U.S., who were
lynched between the years of 1846 and 1925. This is roughly the same time that
many Blacks were lynched in the U.S., as well. While many know of the ominous
and horrific fate that Blacks and African-Americans saw in the U.S., few know of
the lynchings that Latinos were met with. Delgado challenges scholars and
institutions by trying to unveil the truth on this shameful past, while
exploring the history of these lynchings and explaining that “English-only”
movements are a present-day form of lynchings. Although research on Latino lynchings is relatively new,
circa 2006-2009, lynchings have a deep rooted history. Such acts can be
described as mob violence where person(s) are murdered/hanged for an alleged
offense usually without a trial. Through reviewing of anthropological research,
storytelling, and other internal & external interactions, there is believed
to have been roughly 600 lynchings of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans beginning
with the aftermath of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (this document
essentially ended the Mexican-American war, where Mexico surrendered half of its
land to the U.S.). This grim fate of Blacks & Mexicans in the U.S. was
intertwined; both groups were lynched by Anglos |
Anglos, making advances toward Anglo women, cheating at cards, practicing “Witchcraft,” and refusing to leave land that Whites coveted. Additionally, Mexicans were lynched for acting “too
Mexican;” for example, if Mexicans were speaking Spanish too loudly or
showcasing aspects of their culture too defiantly, they were lynched. Mexican
women may also been lynched if they resisted the sexual advances of Anglo men.
Many of these lynchings occurred with active participation of law enforcement.
In fact the article reiterates that the Texas Rangers had a special animus
towards persons of Mexican descent. Considering that Mexicans had little to no
political power or social standing in a “new nation,” they had no recourse
from such corrupt organizations. Popular opinion was to eradicate the Southwest
of Mexicans. Many of these lynchings were treated as a public spectacle;
Anglos celebrated each of these killings as if the acts were in accordance with
community wishes, re-solidifying society and reinforcing civic virtue.
Ringleaders of such lynchings often mutilated bodies of Mexicans, by shooting
the bodies after individuals were already dead, cutting off body parts, then
leaving the remains on display perhaps in hung trees or in burning flames. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
These lynchings took place in the Southwest U.S., in
present-day Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada,
amongst other states. The killings were carried out by vigilantes or other
masked-men, as a form of “street justice.” These killings became so bad that
the Mexican government lodged official complaints to the U.S. counsel in Mexico.
Given that this region of the U.S. was at one time Mexican land, and it was
shared with Indian/Indios, Mexicans, and Anglos, protests against the lynchings
emerged. As legend has it, Joaquin Murrieta took matters into his own hands by
murdering the Anglos responsible for the death of mythical figures Juan Cortina
and Gregorio Cortes. Such acts were short-lived and perpetuated the conflict
between Mexicans and Anglos. |
Those in power often have the ability
to edit official records. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Delgado questions whether such remnants of Latino lynchings
may still be present in society today. This can best be exemplified through
movements to make English the official language of the U.S., forcing immigrants
to assimilate to the dominant Anglo culture. Such actions can be illustrated in
movements to end bilingual school opportunities and enforce English-only
speaking at jobs, businesses, etc. Postcolonial scholars argue that such
movements facilitate children to reject their own culture, acquire English, and
forget their native language. These actions have far dire [documentable]
consequence, like social distress, depression, and crime. As such, Delgado
ventures to say that these actions are an implicit form of lynching. Delgado ends the piece by saying that hidden histories of
aggression, unprovoked war, lynchings, and segregation are
corroborated/proliferated today by the mass media and entertainment industry.
These groups, along with other scholars, have the opportunity to redress this
history and reject further practices against Latinos. Otherwise, marginalized
groups find themselves in a position where they are alienated from their
family/identity/culture, co-opted, and unable to resist further oppression. |
ANALYSIS Such history is imperative to the framework of Americana
and for acknowledgement purposes, not only because it is a matter of fact, but
because this history is relevant to the ancestors of the land. History has
always been exploited to benefit those who are in power, so to maintain their
structures. However, today, I would argue that current powerbrokers would gain
more respect & credibility by being honest with themselves and the actual
history. Continuing to deny or ignore the history does an injustice to all.
Current Chicanos, Mexican-Americans, and Americans alike would most benefit from
this restoration for a few reasons. First, a corrected version of history helps the people
better understand themselves. Americans, Mexicans, the fusion of the two, in
addition to people of the world, would recognize a better sense of their true
identity & culture. The exploration of such history can perhaps allow for
analysis of current rates of depression, crime/incarceration, and socioeconomic
status(es). If we, the people, want to understand ourselves, we need to know the
truth. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Secondly, if we want to understand why things are the way
they are today, we can look to history. This shameful past can assist us in the
interpretation of Mexican/American relations. Additionally, I believe that this
understanding will help both groups reach a common ground with current
relations. Since the year 2000 alone, the FBI has reported over 2,500 hate
crimes against Latinos based on race and ethnicity. The U.S. is marred with a
nasty & stalled immigration battle that is masked for hatred against
Mexicans. In 2014, there is a continued, on-going crisis at the Southwest border
affecting many children and families. With the history of these lynchings, it is
now time for the “greatest country in the world” to make the wrong things
right. Again, we know that history can repeat itself, but only if we let it. Thus, the entire world needs to be educated on the true history of these lynchings. The more we are educated on such atrocities, the less likely we will allow them to happen again. Attacking the access of this knowledge is the third reason to explore this history. Ignoring the disastrous past does not make the history go away. With the knowledge of the truth, the Latino people can empower themselves to conquer stereotypes and achieve further greatness. Most Chicano/Latino studies programs in schools allow students to learn about their past while achieving higher marks. But in states like Arizona, educational officials have banned Chicano/Latino Studies in schools, and as a result have not allowed students to know the true history of the land they currently inhabit. This is not only a further atrocity, but it reaffirms Delgado’s point that current lynchings, lynchings of the mind, are happening today. This is blatant lying and it is unacceptable; when we lie to our government, we go to prison. When our government lies to us, it’s no big deal. |
Furthermore, for those who are tired of people of color in
the U.S. raising points of contention about racial issues in this country, you
now see the justification. This is why we won’t be quiet about racism, racial
prejudice, discrimination, etc. This is why we’ll march in the streets for the
Trayvonn Martin’s, reject the school to prison pipeline, and continue to
spread awareness until administrative action is taken on a grand scale.
Today’s generation is a bi-product and reflection of this history; not only
are these “lynchings” continuing to happen, but the masterplan has worked.
In order to achieve our full capabilities, we need to reject a fragmented
history and seek a personal revolution, which starts with ourselves. And we can
achieve this revolution through education & knowledge. Be empowered. Maximo Anguiano is a scholar, activist, and creative. REFERENCES Professor Alberto G Mata Jr Sent by Juan Ramos jramos.swkr@verizon.net
|
|
35th Annual State Hispanic Genealogy Conference Cuento: The Classroom, Chapter 8 by Ramon Moncivais Cuento: Cookies for the Chain Gang by Margarita B. Velez Ann Hodges, New Special Collections & Univ Archivist, Bell Library, Corpus Christi Latino/US C o t i d i a n o Sept 11-13, 2014: Tour of Los Adaes, First Capital of Spanish Texas & Natchitoches, LA Cuento:La Casita by J. Gilberto Quezada Border Bandits, Part II by Norm Rozeff Cuento: Correspondence between author Lucas Jasso and columnist Daisy Wanda Garcia |
|
35th
Annual State Hispanic Genealogy Conference September 25, 2014 – September
27, 2014 Casa De Palmas Renaissance
McAllen Hotel Hosted
by Las Porciones Society If
you have questions please send an email to Alex Moreno, Jr., President
of Las Porciones Society |
|
Chapter 8 The
Classroom, pgs. 41-44 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Every night, no matter the season, Grandfather started a
bonfire in our backyard. This became my classroom in ing about life. We
collected dry grass, bark from cedar trees, and small twigs and branches. Each
would end up in a different can. My grandfather taught me to start a bonfire by
lighting the dry grass, adding cedar bark, then the twigs and aches, then the
bigger pieces of wood. Over each fire we would say, "Bless our little fire,
for it keeps us warm when we need it and happy and at peace when don't." I
don't know which of us enjoyed the little bonfires most. Each night, he would
tell me stories, and each one with an explanation intended to teach me about
life. One night, he asked if I thought I would remember the little bonfires as I
got older. Neither of us knew that I would never forget them and the lessons I
learned by his side. Wasn't every little boy supposed to have a mother and a
father, and where was my father? It was not easy to grow up without a father. |
For me, my grandfather made life easier. He meant the world
to me. He was my world. He had an answer for everything and taught me how to
have answers. "Look at their eyes. Think of the answer before they ask the
question. Think, always think, and you will survive this game of life." My grandfather told me of the ghost-like spirits who have
never found a home, who have not rested in peace after dying. "Do not be
afraid. They are lost and will not hurt you. In time, they will find what or who
they are looking for." A baby and a lady had died about three weeks apart. They
were not related, but I was curious and asked him, "Why do people die at
different ages." He explained, "When we are born, God lights a candle
for us. Each candle is the same height and width. As we live, the candle burns
day and night, but each burns at a different speed. When the flame dies, so do
we." |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| I thought of the funerals in our neighborhood. When someone
died, the funeral home embalmed the body and took it to the house for a two- or
three-day wake. The entire front room of the house was cleared of all furniture,
and borrowed chairs lined the walls of the room. People gathered each night to
pray. By culture or tradition and out of respect, widows wore black clothing for
a year. As my grandfather and I sat in our backyard with our little
bonfire, he told me, "During a death in our neighborhood, we should show
respect by silence. Relax your mind. Pray for the deceased and their family and
wish them a safe trip to the (stars in the sky." |
One night I
asked, "What are stars? What do they mean?" But I remembered Mrs. W. and how she had hurt me. Even
though I was young, I thought when my father died, he should come back as a
duck. That way he would not be able to hurt anyone. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
During one of our bonfire meetings, there was a full moon
and millions of stars. My grandfather said, "Tonight, I will teach you how
to tell directions by the stars. If you learn to fiid the Little Dipper, the Big
Dipper, and the North Star, you will always be able to tell directions at
night." Every once in a while, he would test me to make sure I had
learned the locations of the stars.
|
My grandfather warned me, "As you get older, there is
the possibility that you will become successful at whatever work you do. Never
forget your people or think that you are better because you are doing better
than they. Never forget where your belly button is." At that time, Mexican
women had babies at home, and the umbilical cord was buried in the backyard. |
|
Cookies for the Chain Gang, pgs.99-100 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Sheriff's deputies watched the prisoners in coveralls with
EPCDF stenciled on the back as they picked up litter. They reminded me of the
chain gang that appeared on our street the summer of 1955. We had moved into a neighborhood in Northeast El Paso and
new homeowners were laying sod in the sandy yards. Papa was working, Mama had
gone shopping and I was in charge of my siblings. My brother Catty rode his bike while we baked sugar
cookies. Chebo, my other brother read the recipe while I measured ingredients
and set the timer on the new range. As we took out the last batch of cookies, Catty came to
report that prisoners were cleaning the street. "They have chains on their
ankles and one of them is Nino," he yelled as the screen door slammed
behind him. |
Nino was a black man from our old neighborhood. We had to
investigate. Six men were sweeping the curb at the corner while armed
guards watched. Nino managed an embarrassed smile before hanging his head. We
heard the chains around his ankles drag against the pavement when we went back
inside. My sister complained until I promised to give them some of
our cookies. "And Kool-Aid too?" she asked between sobs. "Yes,
Kool-Aid too." I went to put the cookies on a platter and mixed the
Kool-Aid. Chebo was indignant when he said, "Nine's not a bad
guy." I stacked a magenta aluminum tumbler into a green one and handed them to Chebo. The ice rattled in the matching pitcher as we headed out the door with our sisters trailing behind. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
As we approached Nino, he flashed a smile. Chebo poured the
red liquid and our former neighbor guzzled it down. My brother was pouring a
second glass when a guard's sudden bellowing froze him. "What are you doing?" He stalked toward us and
snatched the tumbler from Nino tossing it the ground. "You can't give these criminals anything," he
growled. My brother's eyes flashed, his lips tightened, and a vein
in his forehead swelled up. Pulling back his shoulders, he said between clenched
teeth, "Do you think we're giving them guns?"
"Look it doesn't have anything in it." |
"All right, you can take them," the guard grunted
and a hint of a smile touched his lips. The shackled men ate the broken pastries while the guard
measured my brother's mettle. Chebo ordered me to bring more cookies. Suddenly he seemed
taller, older and I obeyed. He poured Kool-Aid and glared at the guard. The prisoners finished the offering, thanked us and
continued sweeping the street with the guard strutting behind them. At the end
of the block they piled into a truck and drove away. At dinner we talked about Nino and the chain gang. Papa
shook his head while Mama asked God to shine grace upon him. That was the summer when we learned compassion for people
less fortunate than we. But our biggest discovery was that my brother had such
inner strength and boundless courage. That baked offering taught lessons that
remain with us today.
|
State, city, and school reach settlement over Spanish archivesJuly 18, 1972 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
On this day in 1972, the state of Texas, the city of Laredo, and St. Mary's University agreed on a tentative settlement that gave the state title and ownership of the Spanish Archives of Laredo but allowed the university to retain possession of the collection. The Laredo Archives, as they were commonly known, cover a period from 1749 to 1872 and consist of 3,452 handwritten official documents totaling 13,343 pages. For many years the collection was stored in the basement of the old county courthouse in Laredo. The archives were neglected and began to deteriorate from exposure to fire, flooding, and dampness. In 1934 an order was given to destroy the papers, but Sebron S. Wilcox rescued the archives and began restoring them. |
After Wilcox died in 1959, his family donated the archives to St. Mary's University in San Antonio, but later demanded that the university compensate them for the archives. In 1971 the state obtained a temporary restraining order to prohibit either the Wilcox family or St. Mary's University from selling or otherwise disposing of the collection. At the same time the state also petitioned for custody of the archives on the grounds that as the successor to the Mexican government the state of Texas had a legal right to all official papers held by the Spanish and Mexican governments of Laredo. In 1979, a court ruling held that St. Mary's had lawfully acquired the Laredo Archives and further decreed that all parties must abide by the terms of the 1972 settlement. Day by Day, Texas State Historical Association
|
|
Ann Hodges, New Special Collections and University Archivist Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Corpus Christi |
 |
|
Ann Hodges replaces Tom Kreneck. Her credentials are impressive.
Currently she is working at UT Arlingon libraries Worked at the
Benson Library of Latin American Studies at UT Austin. Among many
other experiences in the field. I am looking forward to meeting her
and working with her on the Hector P. Garcia archives.
Wanda |
| July 24th to September 22,
2014
LATINO / US C o t i d i a n o |
| ============================================ | ============================================= | |
| On July 24th, the Mexican Cultural Institute of San Antonio and SPAIN
arts & culture presented LATINO/US Cotidiano a dynamic look at the rapidly changing nature
of the Latino experience in America. The Hispanic population in the U.S. has reached the 50 million mark, making the Latino community the largest minority in the country for the first time. One out of every six Americans is now of Hispanic origin, an impressive social transformation with enormous political, economic, and cultural consequences. Outdated stereotypes, racial profiles, and past cultural arche-types no longer accurately reflect a nation enriched by a growing and diverse population. |
To better understand this culturally shifting phenomenon,
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
TEJANOS2010 is
managed and subtained by Elsa Mendez Peña and Walter Centeno Herbeck Jr.
Our purpose is to share information in genealogy, historical, cultural,
arts, music, entertainment and other
Tejano issues. |
||
|
|
|
Date(s): September 11-13, 2014 |
|
La Casita |
|
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Perched on some elevated brushy terrain where the
sunflowers thrive on a gray and sandy soil, half
hidden by mesquite, cenizo,
and huisache
trees, overlooking a rolling to broken topography,
with an arroyo traversing the property from west to
east, nestles our lovely 8 by 16 casita, made of
treated cedar. While Jo Emma and I were in Zapata,
the climate was extremely hot and flat like bottled
water during the mid-part of the day. And with the
abundant rains that drenched the area the last two
months, the bountiful growth of wild plants, full of
a young summer green foliage, glittered the vastness
landscape like a canopy.
The pervasive smell of el
monte
fragrance dissipated by the seasonal high winds
through the sandy and howling senderos
was intoxicating, unique only to those lucky
individuals who have truly experienced el
monte,
and was so addictive that we spent every morning and
every late afternoon at the casita. We saw rabbits,
all kinds of birds, turtles, and on the last
afternoon, we just happened to be looking in the
right direction to notice a doe, gracefully and
silently moving on the sendero
and into the brushy area. The quotation of Faust to
Mephistopheles came to mind--"O Moment linger
on, so fair thou art."
Needless to say, JoEmma
and I are looking forward to our next trip to el
monte
and our casita and take in some more of that el
monte
fragrance. Live your dream, they say, as hard as you
can, as fast as you can, as long as you can.
Gilberto
Editor: I had just seen a PBS program on the movement towards smaller houses, rather than bigger, so I was intrigued with this charming little vacation house and asked Gilberto to tell me more about La Casita. |
Hi Mimi, We bought la casita in Zapata about a year ago, and
it was built by Derksen Portable Buildings from Uvalde. The company has
an office in Zapata and in their lot they have some samples. We ordered
ours based on our own specifications. For example, we wanted less patio
area (6x8), a small window on each wall, and the inside measurements
were 10x8. It was delivered from Uvalde and placed on the exact spot
where we wanted it. I have written a rather lengthy essay. So, be sure
and sit comfortably, relax, and I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this
personal topic. The craft of writing has been very much a part of my
modus operandi throughout my life. I do want to acknowledge the enormous
gratitude I have for my beloved teachers (Sisters of Divine Providence)
in grades 1st through 12th, who gave me a solid foundation in the love
of reading and in the mechanics of writing: grammar, punctuation,
spelling, vocabulary and word usage, and my unrequitable debt to them,
for having given me so much, is eternal. I think that reading and
writing are synonymous, that is, a good reader is a good writer. I have,
and have always had, this insatiable thirst for soaking my mind
constantly in the vats of literature. I started reading at a very early age, before my enrollment in the first grade at St. Augustine School. I was a precocious child. My parents lit the dormant intellectual fire within me by having books available in a crudely hand-made wooden bookcase. Over the years, this fire, fanned by the discovery of new worlds, people, and neologisms that existed outside the boundaries of the barrio de la Azteca, exploded into a voracious appetite for reading and writing. I still vividly remember a sign in the high school library that Sister Casilda had proudly put up that read: "Good Readers Make Good Leaders," and this aphorism has remained with me all throughout my professional career and even into my halcyon years. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
It was during my formative years, after high
school, Laredo Jr. College, and while at St. Mary's University, as my
thoughts and my cognitive processes were in the development stages,
gestating slowly towards intellectual self-actualization, that my
writing style began to crystallize into a more mature and coherent
belles lettres. For my M.A. degree, I opted to write a thesis instead of
taking six more graduate credit hours--a biography of Father Carmelo A.
Tranchese, S.J., a former pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on El
Paso Street. During the 1930s and 1940s, he was a crusader for social
justice in the West Side of San Antonio. Coincidentally, fifteen years
later, in 1987, when Pope John Paul II came to speak at Our Lady of
Guadalupe Plaza, my dusty, old and forgotten thesis was revived by the
Archdiocese of San Antonio Planning Committee and excerpts and
photographs were used in the publication of several mementos for that
festive and memorable occasion. After being a member of the Texas Catholic
Historical Society for many years, my only salient literary
contribution, besides attending their annual meetings, which were held
in conjunction with the Texas State Historical Association conference,
was to write a twenty page essay that was published in their journal in
1993 (Volume 4), titled, "Towards A Working Definition of Social
Justice: Father Carmelo A. Tranchese, S.J. and Our Lady of Guadalupe
Parish, 1932-1953." Miss Carmen Perry, Archivist for the Laredo
Archives at St. Mary's University, was the person responsible for the
selection of Father Tranchese for the topic of my Master's thesis
because at that time I was working with her in cataloguing the Laredo
Archives and I had intended to write my thesis on Don Eleuterio Escobar,
whom I had met and had done extensive research in his enormous personal
archives in his home on Delgado Street. The last time I saw him alive
was just two days before he suddenly died from a massive heart attack.
This was in May of 1970.
|
Shortly after his death, a slew of nephews and
nieces came from all over the world trying to get a piece of his wealth.
Unfortunately, the archival collection, which was housed in one of the
bedrooms that Don Escobar had converted into an office, was closed to me
because they were tied up in litigation. My only plea to Pablo Escobar,
the eldest nephew and the executor of the estate, was to keep the
valuable documents intact and not to divide them as they were planning
to do. Needless to say, I was very disillusioned because all I needed to
finish my Master's degree was the thesis and I was determined to write
something and not just take the easy way out and take six graduate hours
and be through. Miss Perry consoled me and with her encouraging and kind
words eased my frustration by recommending that I not give up, and
instead to look into the life of Father Tranchese and do justice to this
great humanitarian who labored in San Antonio's West Side. Some twenty
years later, I found out that the extensive Don Eleuterio Escobar
Collection was finally donated to the Benson Latin American Collection
at the University of Texas at Austin. A person's writing style is unique to that
particular individual, I believe, and is based on a lifetime of personal
and educational experiences, the total milieu of reality and dreams that
stimulate the mind, kindle the imagination, and stir the soul. Moreover,
I tend to believe that a writing style is not innate but is learned from
some of the factors I already mentioned above, including practicing
one's writing craft often, the more so the better one will become in
expressing one's thoughts and feelings. For example, writing a novel is
much more difficult than writing an historical treatise. I had to learn
to incorporate my style of writing nonfiction--the narrative
approach--to writing fiction, which came naturally from the hundreds of
novels I have read and are stored somewhere in my subconscious. Wasn't
it Aristotle who said that "History represents things only as they
are, while fiction represents them as they might be and ought to
be..." That is why writing fiction, to me, represents the highest
level of creative thinking and imagination. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The Preface in my award-winning book, Border Boss:
Manuel B. Bravo and Zapata County, explains my rationale for writing
about Judge Bravo. After reviewing his extensive correspondence with
eminent American statesmen, I realized that this unknown county judge
played an important role in local, state, and national politics, and
needed to be rescued from oblivion and be given a rightful place in the
annals of Texas history. But what actually motivated me and kept me
going for eight years, while working full-time, indeed a labor of love,
was (1) a personal goal to attempt to write Judge Bravo's biography,
after all, I had already done Father Tranchese's biography, and (2) the
support of four friends: Dr. Félix D. Almaráz, Jr., Dr. Lewis Gould (U.T.
at Austin), Dr. Arnoldo De León (Angelo State University), and Dr.
Hubert J. Miller (U.T. at Pan American). These four were my pillars of
strength and my cheerleaders. And, before the book was published, I
tested the waters to see what reception Judge Bravo would receive by
writing three essays for scholarly historical journals.
|
Finally, the ultimate source of inspiration to
write the biography of Judge Bravo and my first novel, Terror on the
Border, was my Madrecita and my Papy. When the novel was published three
years ago, it was on the best-selling list for Amazon books for six
consecutive months. I wanted them to be proud of me. I wanted them to
see their names in the Dedication pages. I wanted them to know that all
the sacrifices they did for sending me to a Catholic school and to a
Catholic university had paid off. And, in a big way, I wanted to thank
them in print and for posterity, and what final tribute could I give
them, but two published books--an award-winning political biography and
a novel. Two years before Border Boss was published, my Papy had passed
away, and sadly, he did not get to read my dedication to him, but my
Madrecita did. Lamentably, by the time my new novel was published in
2011, my Madrecita had already passed away. The only consolation I have
is that I know when I look up to heaven, both of them are smiling at me. I know this has been a rather lengthy email, but I
wanted to put my thoughts in writing and to share them with you. I hope
you have enjoyed reading my personal recollections on the writer's craft
as much as I have enjoyed reminiscing about my literary experiences. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Hi Mimi,
Yes, Jo Emma is my wife, and this coming August 21, we will celebrate our 43rd
wedding anniversary. We met while I was a junior at St. Mary's University and
she was a freshman at Incarnate Word College. Our first date was set up by my
roommate, Jesús "Chuy" Rodríguez and his girlfriend, Rosie, who
was attending IWC, and it was a blind date, and that was in the fall of 1967.
I was from Laredo, and she was from Zapata. And, as they say, the rest is
history.
Gilberto
Hi, It is nice to be back in San Antonio and partake of much
cooler weather. Dante's Inferno was no match to the sweltering heat in Zapata
caused by the 100+ degree weather, and this was before the Summer solstice
arrived. Afterwards, it got much worse. At least we did not have to face the
three-faced, six-winged Lucifer. Jo Emma and I did not find Paradiso until we
returned to San Antonio. I guess I am no longer acclimatized to the Saharan
temperatures I grew up with in Laredo, having no central A/C, just an old
oscillating fan. As we were approaching Zapata, we fondly recalled the
melodic tune of "Ya vamos Llegando a Pénjamo," an old song that I
first heard on the radio in the early 1950s in the barrio de la Azteca. The
popular Mexican singer, Pedro Infante, sang the song. It went something like
this:
|
"Ya vamos llegando a Pénjamo, While in Zapata, we walked to our casita almost on
a daily basis, sometimes twice a day--early in the morning and late in
the afternoon. Our casita is nestled in the bosom of el monte, a
peaceful place and a great place for a little peaceful intellectual and
mental recharging. Walking down the sendero to our casita, we became
strangely conscious of everything--the sound of silence, the aloneness,
a soft whistling of wind, murmuring molecules, and nothing more.
Exploring el monte brought prickly shivers of quiet excitement. Oh, the
pristine smell of el monte--no diesel, no gasoline, no exhaust, no
noise, except nature's melodious sounds. What a sense of contentment, of
belonging. We could hear the grasshoppers chirruping, a sound you rarely
hear in the city. And every time we went, we checked for fresh animal
tracks and we tried to match them to their owners. Recently, we added an
observation deck so that early in the morning and late in the afternoon,
with the use of binoculars and sitting on the convertible (bench and
table) patio bench, we can enjoy the wild game and el monte at its
finest. We were always vigilant for signs of rattlesnakes. And, we had
never seen el monte from quite the same perspective. How beautiful! Gilberto |
|
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= |
|
For
over half a century the combative years of the second decade were popularly
termed the era of the "Bandit Wars." Tempered with the passage of time
and as modern-day historians take a more objective look at this period, the term
"Border Wars" has come into use. The latter term better portrays the
many manifestations of the area's conflicts at that earlier time. Significant military action took place close to the Valley.
Non-combatants often fled north of the river.
As noted, General Lucio Blanco had captured Matamoros from Federalist
forces on 6/3/13 only to be later confronted with an army opposed to them. Villa
forces led by Gen. Jose Rodriguez were advancing toward Matamoros during March
1915. An attack on the city began on
3/27. Of an estimated 700 men in the
assault 250 may have been killed. Upon
retreating, some 232 wounded and other soldiers crossed the river to Las Rucias
(also spelled Rusias) Ranch (now near the intersection of FM1479 and HYW 281)
where they were cared for by American citizens coming from Brownsville.
Later they were sent to Laredo and allowed to rejoin other Villa forces.
Some say that this latter action may have led Carranza sympathizers to abet
incursion across the border in retribution. |
Emiliano P. Nafarrete, the Constitutionalist commander at Matamoros, was "ardently anti-American". Incursions north of the river by "sediciosos" and others may have occurred with his tacit approval. Carranza might also have turned a blind eye to these activities in the hopes of receiving recognition from President Wilson that Carranza was indeed president of the Republic of Mexico. With this recognition he conceivably would be able to take more action to prevent cross-border incursions. Despite repeated requests from both the local citizenry in the LRGV and
from the Texas governor, the Federal government was slow to response in
providing security to the border area. At
first, the excuse was that what was occurring was simply thievery and rustling
and was a local matter. While the Mexican Revolution involved the push by
compensenos for equality and recognition, there left little doubt that some
Mexican Americans in the LRGV wanted to benefit from what was occurring in
Mexico. Redressing past grievances by those who had suffered injustices was no
small matter. Therefore support may have been both overt and covert. The
high-handedness of the Texas Rangers contributed to this era of lawlessness.
Diaz had created a “duty free zone” along the border and this act while
heightening commerce also invited blatant cattle rustling. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= |
|
For
over half a century the combative years of the second decade were popularly
termed the era of the "Bandit Wars." Tempered with the passage of time
and as modern-day historians take a more objective look at this period, the term
"Border Wars" has come into use. The latter term better portrays the
many manifestations of the area's conflicts at that earlier time. Significant military action took place close to the Valley.
Non-combatants often fled north of the river.
As noted, General Lucio Blanco had captured Matamoros from Federalist
forces on 6/3/13 only to be later confronted with an army opposed to them. Villa
forces led by Gen. Jose Rodriguez were advancing toward Matamoros during March
1915. An attack on the city began on
3/27. Of an estimated 700 men in the
assault 250 may have been killed. Upon
retreating, some 232 wounded and other soldiers crossed the river to Las Rucias
(also spelled Rusias) Ranch (now near the intersection of FM1479 and HYW 281)
where they were cared for by American citizens coming from Brownsville.
Later they were sent to Laredo and allowed to rejoin other Villa forces.
Some say that this latter action may have led Carranza sympathizers to abet
incursion across the border in retribution. |
Emiliano P. Nafarrete, the Constitutionalist commander at Matamoros, was "ardently anti-American". Incursions north of the river by "sediciosos" and others may have occurred with his tacit approval. Carranza might also have turned a blind eye to these activities in the hopes of receiving recognition from President Wilson that Carranza was indeed president of the Republic of Mexico. With this recognition he conceivably would be able to take more action to prevent cross-border incursions. Despite repeated requests from both the local citizenry in the LRGV and
from the Texas governor, the Federal government was slow to response in
providing security to the border area. At
first, the excuse was that what was occurring was simply thievery and rustling
and was a local matter. While the Mexican Revolution involved the push by
compensenos for equality and recognition, there left little doubt that some
Mexican Americans in the LRGV wanted to benefit from what was occurring in
Mexico. Redressing past grievances by those who had suffered injustices was no
small matter. Therefore support may have been both overt and covert. The
high-handedness of the Texas Rangers contributed to this era of lawlessness.
Diaz had created a “duty free zone” along the border and this act while
heightening commerce also invited blatant cattle rustling. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The normal complement of the army's Southern Department, which
encompassed the border regions of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, consisted of
five cavalry regiments, one infantry regiment, and the major elements of two
field artillery regiments. This department, in fact, had the only complete and
organized cavalry division in the Army. Disturbing incidents connected
with the revolution and lawlessness began to occur slowly but steadily. One of
note happened in February 1913 when the Soliseno Ranch, 25 miles upriver from
Matamoros was attacked. Bandits relieved the ranch of $3,000 in merchandise,
cash, horses, and cattle. This same year Donna Post Mistress Donna Hooks was
alerted to a gang of bandits who had killed four or five soldiers. Captain Craig
of the 12th U.S. Cavalry then stationed in Donna was contacted to intercept the
gang. While the men of the community picked up their rifles, women and children
gathered at the brick hotel in Donna. The bandits escaped detection and
apprehension however by turning south through the brush and fording the Rio
Grande. |
It was the abuse and murder of Laredo rancher, Clemente Vergara, in February 1914 that stirred Texas Governor Colquitt to call for Federal protection. Vergara was murdered in Mexico after he had crossed the Rio Grande in an effort to recover horse stolen from him. Still the Federal government was
slow to act. Colonel F.W. Sibley had conducted an investigation and attributed
losses to local rustling activities and not to marauders from Mexico. This being
the case he concluded the army could not intervene and that it was a concern for
state and local officials. Additional actions and complaints would change this
point of view shared by General Funston, but this would not occur until July
1915. Early 1915 citizens of San
Juan on the rumor of bandits in the area gather at the two-story bank building
Soldiers from for Brown arrive in the early morning hours and capture some
bandits hiding in an orchard near San Juan. Town citizens organize a daily
nighttime patrol. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
August 3, 1915 Rangers and deputy sheriffs attack a ranch near Paso Real
and, because there were alleged to be bandits there, kill unarmed Desiderio
Flores, and one son who came to his defense.
Returning the next day, the vengeful and errant lawmen kill a second son
whom his eighteen year old sister, Josefina tried to hide. August 6, 1915 A. L. Austin and son Charles killed |
In 1916 condemned Mexican bandits José Buenrostro and
Melquiades Chapa would pose for photographer
Robert Runyon in a small chapel provided for their last prayers. Buenrostro and
Chapa were arrested for alleged banditry but were later implicated in a previous
raid in Sebastian, Texas, where two men where killed. They were hung in
Brownsville. August 7, 1915 Charles Jensen, a night watchman at a Lyford cotton gin is
shot and wounded August 7, 1915 large number of bandits attack the King Ranch Los Norias
division headquarters This was the most publicized confrontation of many that
occurred. In trying to obtain some reflected glory, some individuals provided
false accounts. The most accurate account that we have was provided by long time
Texas Ranger and “straight-shooter”, John R. Peavey. He documented the story
as told to him by D. P. Gay, a mounted inspector of the U.S. Immigration
Service. [He was the husband of Minnie Gay for who the Minnie Gay Junior High
School in Harlingen was named] Here it is in its entirety: “On August 7, 1915, about two o'clock in the afternoon, I noticed a passenger train leaving the depot of the St. L.B. & M Railroad, which was near the Immigration Station in Brownsville. As the regular departure time was 3:30 p. m., still an hour and a half away, I questioned the ticket agent. He told me it was a special which had been ordered to the Norias |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Ranch, about
seventy miles from Brownsville, and that there had been a report that a large
band of Mexican bandits in the vicinity of this ranch were stealing horses from
the King Ranch. He also informed me that passengers on the special train were
Henry Hutchings, Adjutant General of Texas; State Ranger Captains Henry Ransom
and J. m. Fox; several State Rangers; and Captain George J. Head. I went to the Immigration Station, got my rifle and some ammunition and
caught the northbound regular train at 3:30. as the train passed San Benito, I
saw Joe Taylor, another mounted Custom Inspector, standing on the platform. I
told him what I had heard, and he was eager to join me. He got on the train, and
at Harlingen we were joined by Marcus Hinds, another mounted Custom Inspector,
and Gordon Hill, Deputy Sheriff of Cameron County. We arrived at the Norias Ranch about 5:30 p. m. We were told that the other officers who had preceded us on the other train had left on horseback, accompanied by several of the ranch hands, on their way to the Sauz, another of the King ranches about twenty-five miles away where it was reported the bandits were then raiding. We made our way to the ranch house, and found two Mexican cowboys, the Mexican [?] |
ranch carpenter [George Forbes] and his wife, the Negro
ranch cook [Albert] and his wife, two Mexican women and eight soldiers. The
latter were from the U.S. Cavalry troops stationed in Harlingen. I let my gaze follow the direction of his pointing, and saw about thirty
mounted men strung out about a quarter of a mile, riding toward the ranch at a
slow lope. Joe Taylor, who had been watching them closely, and while they were
still about a quarter of a mile away said “Notice those big hats? And what's
that white flag? Hell, boys, get your guns ready! Those are Mexican bandits, and
they're attacking this ranch! We didn't know what the white flag meant, unless perhaps it was a sign of
truce. We got our rifles and went to the railroad track to await their
approach.” When they were about 250 yards away, they waved a red flag,
dismounted, and opened fire on us with their rifles. We returned the fire, but
then discovered that another band of about fifteen had slipped up to within
ninety yards east of us along the railroad track, and from behind some railroad
ties, were firing on us. We were being attacked from the east and south. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Frank Martin, one of the cowboys from the King Ranch, was hit in the
right arm, and it was broken in two places. We were in crossfire, so we moved
nearer the fence where we had more protection. The soldiers kept up a steady
fire at the bandits with their Springfield rifles, and a bandit who was still
mounted was shot by one of them at close range. We next concentrated our fire on
the bandits to the east of us, who in turn joined those near the tool house on
the south, and they were advancing toward us. We were making it hot for them,
and about ten or twelve of them made their way to a railroad section house,
kicked out the windows and started firing into our position from there. This gave them a great advantage, inasmuch as the section foreman, his
wife, and several hands and their families were all hiding in the house, and we
couldn't fire into it for fear we would hit some of them. The bandits, while in
the house, killed an old Mexican woman, according to her son who told us the
story later. One of them had asked her, “How many gringos are out there?” to which
she replied “See for yourself!” Whereupon the bandit shot her, killing her
instantly. |
Before we had gone out into the yard, we had instructed those in the
house to lie on the floor in the event the bandits attacked the house. The ranch
carpenter was shot through a lung after he was wounded in the first attack, and
one soldier, who was also wounded in the first attack, was later shot through
the leg as he lay on a cot near the house. After the first attack, we were down to eleven men with rifles, and were
outnumbered about eight to one. Had we concentrated our fire on the house, we
could have killed most of the bandits who were inside; but in doing so, we could
have killed our own people. The situation looked bad for us. Knowing Mexicans of
their type as I did, I was wondering what our fate was going to be. Our
ammunition was getting low, and I had only three shots left. I was thinking of
those men at the Alamo in 1836, and how they must have felt, when all at once
the bandits began to retreat to the south. Had the battle lasted a little
longer, the bandits would have won. The good Lord must have seen our position
and taken a hand in the matter.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
After the bandits retreated, we became fearful of what would happen after
dark, so we telephoned to Kingsville for more ammunition and help, but could not
find anyone who could run the engine or wanted to take the train down the track.
It seemed strange to us that Kingsville, being a railroad division point, and
with many railroad men living there, was unable to find anyone with guts enough
to bring us a little help. The fight had lasted about two and a half hours, and all the while they
were shooting at us and we at them, the bandits had been yelling like Indians.
We gained our advantages during the fight when one of their
leaders had gotten hit and put out of operation. This seemed to upset
their detail, and they appeared to lose contact with each other temporarily, and
would duck for cover. This gave us time to reload and get ready for the next
attack. Nevertheless, we were very concerned about what the bandits were planing
for after dark, as we had no ammunition and it seemed no one in Kingsville had
the courage to bring us a little help.
We lay flat on the ground around our wounded so that when the bandits returned
we could skylight them and be prepared for their approach. We would let them
have it with what ammunition we had left. |
Several hours later, we heard voices of men approaching, and the tread of
horse. I told Marcus that I believed it was the Rangers coming. About then we
recognized the voice of Captain Head, and called out to him, “Is that you,
Captain?” The answer was “Yes.” It was fortunate that we heard them before they reached our position,
otherwise we would have mistaken them for bandits and fired on them; only one
shot would have given them reason to fire on us,. I shudder to think what what
could have happened. About midnight a special train arrived from Brownsville bringing two
troops of dismounted cavalry and several civilian officers, among them Sheriff
T.W. Vann of Cameron County, Sheriff A. Y. Baker of Hidalgo County, Lamar Gill,
and Lon C. Hill, Sr. after a time, a train from Kingsville arrived. They
apparently felt it was safe by then to put in an appearance. During the rest of the night, we were told by many who had not been there
what we should have done, and what they would have done had they been there,
until Joe Taylor got good and mad and told them in
aloud voice that he was tired of being told what they would have done.
His silencing remark was “If you are so smart, the bandits are somewhere out
in the brush, why don't you take after them on your horse and catch them before
they cross the river?” |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
From a reliable source, I was later told that there were seventy-nine of
the bandits who had attacked us, and they had the best ammunition and rifles,
some of which were 7mm mousers. It was conservatively estimated that we had
killed twenty-three ans wounded twenty who got away. When the fleeing bandits left, they had captured a boy and taken him
along with them. During the night he escaped and returned to the ranch about
daylight. He told us that there were many wounded who had to be tied to their
horse, and that five had died and were buried that night in the sand. Their
graves were found by ranch hands. It was reported to us later that six more had
died after crossing the river into Mexico. One of the wounded bandits, whom I talked to after the fight, told me
that they had not expected to find officers at the ranch. They intended robbing
the ranch store, wrecking and robbing the night train of mail and money, and
then burning the ranch house and returning to Mexico. |
Those who took part in this fight, and only those I name here – Joe
Taylor and Marcus Hinds, U.S. Custom officers; Gordon Hill, Deputy Sheriff of
Cameron County; Frank Martin [ranch foreman; later to become deputy sheriff and
be murdered at a party in Raymondville, late November 1917] and Lauro Cavazos,
King Ranch hands; eight soldiers; and myself, D.P. Gay, Mounted Inspector of the
U.S. Immigration Service. If other say that they were in this fight, they speak
an untruth. There were many who claim that they were there – they lie in their
teeth.” Historians, after the fact, attribute the armed raiders to be under the
direction of wronged rancher, Aniceto Pizana and Luis de la Rosa, who was either
a Brownsville grocer or a butcher from Rio Hondo. Both had come out in favor of the Plan of San Diego and both had
organized fighters in military-like
organizations.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Noted Brownsville photographer Robert Runyon arrived on the scene the day
after the fight. He photographed, what would be widely-circulated pictures of
several rangers dragging the bodies of killed bandits to a burial site.
Supposedly this crude treatment of the dead was out of fear that they might have
small pox. Shortly after the raid, to diffuse the tense situation closer to home,
San Benito law enforcement officials asked the area’s Mexican-Americans to
voluntarily turn in arms and ammunition. More than 200 individuals complied with
this request. Considering the situation at the time, this was an act of great
faith. August 9, 1915 two bandits killed near the Mercedes pump house on the
river A cavalry patrol near the
river was ambushed, but the soldiers soon returned fire and killed two of the
bandits before the remainder found sanctuary across the river. August 11, 1915 Soldier, C. L. Waterfield killed near Progreso
A night patrol riding near the river was ambushed. Waterfield was
instantly killed. All the bandits escaped into Mexico. |
August 16, 1915 Soldier Wellman killed near Progreso
Peavey relates: “A government scout named Longoria reported to Lt. Roy
Henry of Troop “C”, 12th U.S. Cavalry, that there was a band of
about twenty bandits in the thick brush a little west of the town of Progreso,
and that they were headed for the river. Lt. Henry took a detachment of mounted
men and followed their tracks. Apparently the bandits heard the approaching
soldiers and laid an ambush, into which the soldiers rode. Wellman was killed
and Lt. Henry and a private named Jackson were wounded. All the bandits escaped
to Mexico.” August 19. 1915 Nine bandits killed at several wounded at Madero south of
Mission Again we learn from Peavey: “Several deputy sheriffs from Hidalgo
County were trailing a band of about twenty bandits when they found that the
tracks were getting fresher. They made a detour and laid a trap. The bandits
rode into it just as the soldiers had been doing for them. Nine were killed and
several wounded. Some got back to Mexico, but very few.” |
|
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
August 25, 1915 Smith and Donaldson murdered at the second lift station
near Los Fresnos |
Later Dodd managed to escape with the help of Jesus Esparza [other
versions indicate that Esparza talked the bandits into releasing Dodd as he was
a good gringo] and work his way back to the townsite. to call for help.
Perry Clark who was working for canal builder Joe Ballenger began to warn
citizens of the area. The Zumwalts call Fort Brown. The force and Clark
encountered the bandits near Agua Negra and a gunfight took place where Whipple
Road and Paredes Road intersect. There is no record of deaths between the
contending forces but a young Mexican girl was killed by a stray bullet.” The bandits had destroyed the pumping station equipment, nearby
construction material, and Dodd's vehicle. Allegedly, these particular raiders
were said to be under the direction of Aniceto Pizana. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
August 31, 1915 bandit band likely involved in Los Fresnos tragedy are
tracked and confronted. Cameron County sheriff deputies follow the trail of
about eighteen bandits, lay a trap, kill two and wound many more. September 2, 1915 railroad bridge about fifteen miles from Brownsville
burned Also in this date a raider band clashed with cavalry near Harlingen. September 3, 1915 every house at Jeff Scrivner's Ojo de Agua Ranch
southwest of Mission looted On the following day Sheriff A.Y. Baker and some of
his deputies along with Captain Frank r. McCoy, 3rd U.S. Cavalry and
a detachment of Mission-stationed soldiers retrace the bandit trail to the
river. They come under fire from the Mexico side. One soldier is wounded, but
many surprised and exposed Mexicans
are said to be killed and wounded. This is an unexpected development because
orders are not to fire across the river. September 11, 1915 a soldier named Richard Johnson is captured and
tortured |
September 12, 1915 small band of bandits attack armed farmers near
Lyford; two bandits killed and wounded one later dies September 14, 1915 At Galveston Ranch southeast of Santa Maria, 3rd
U.S. Cavalry attacked Taken by surprise while asleep at 4 a. m.,
Pvt. Anthony Kraft is killed and three soldiers wounded. Later that day
the soldiers apprehended five Mexican ethnics living at the ranch and arrested
them. They were taken to San Benito
and turned over to the deputy sheriff who jailed them.
That night at about 9:30 pm the deputy sheriffs took three of the
prisoners and started out on the road to Harlingen.
The next morning the three Mexicans were found dead, having been
summarily executed. The encompassing
word for this is "lynched". September 17, 1915 At Galveston Ranch 3rd U.S. Cavalry again
attacked; 12 bandits killed and several wounded September 17, 1915 cavalry
patrol on river south of Donna fired upon by bandits |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
September 17, 1915 Rangers kill one Refugio Perez in Hidalgo County. They
killed a wrong individual. They thought that he was Jesus Perez, whose relative
was killed earlier that month at Ojo de Agua. September 18, 1915 3rd Cavalry troop led by Lt. Glass is fired
upon from the Mexico side No soldiers are hit. September 20, 1915 bandits cross river near Penitas |
September 21, 1915 bandits raid Talpa Ranch fifteen miles northwest of
Mission Food, ammunition , and horses are stolen. September 24, 1915 Ojo de Agua hit once again |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
September 25, 1915 eight to 30 bandits attack San Juanito Ranch; James B.
McAllen with assistance from ranch cook, Dona Maria de Agras, kills four
bandits, including their leader Gregorio Aleman, and wounds three others. Later
in trying to find the bandits Ranger Captain Ransom and his fellow rangers
without any solid evidence summarily shot to death ranch hands Jesus Bazan and
Antonio Longoria as the two rode to a nearby Tejano ranch. September 25, 1915 band of fifty bandits attacks outpost of 26th U.S. Cavalry at Toluca Ranch and the Saenz Store south of Mercedes Lt. W. King of the 26th U. S. Infantry returns to
|
the Progreso site to find one private dead [Henry Stubblefield] and another wounded [Kenneth Kennedy] in a surprise attack. Eleven soldiers of the 6th Cavalry, under Captain James Anderson, stationed at the Mercedes headgates had heard the gunfire and went to the aid of the outpost. Captain Anderson is badly wounded. The forces face a 2 ½ firefight then skirmishes for the next 24 hours. Pvt. Richard J. Johnson of Troop B, 12th Cavalry is found missing at the Progreso Crossing. The 21 year old, from Mount Morris, New York, had been captured, taken across the river, had his ears cut off, then was decapitated for a souvenir, and lastly his body was tossed into the river. |
|
Correspondence between author Lucas
Jasso and columnist Daisy Wanda Garcia |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Dear Daisy Wanda Garcia:
I read Viewpoints on the
Caller Times dated 14,
June and your article,
"Dr. Hector Garcia's
role as a physician."
Truly a great man he was
and a passionate civil
rights leader. The
same day that I read that
wonderful story, I
happened to have driven
past what used to be his
office. It really
pained me to see the place
had grass as tall as I.
It sure seemed the area
has been neglected a long
time.
I was with Dr. Hector in
Beeville Texas when a
monument dedicated to our
fallen comrades from two
wars and two conflicts with
a poem engraved on it that
I wrote.
I was at an educational conference
in the Valley for La Raza.
I was asked a question
about our people. My
response was that we need
unity. The next day during
election of officers chaos
resulted. We have
many organizations such
VFW, Catholic War
Veterans, DAV's, American
Legion, Lulac, Maldef, GI
Forum, different religious
denominations Catholics,
Baptists, Lutherans, etc.
Why? Is it because
we all want to push our
agenda? Quite
frequently I see the same
people in the newspaper
being acknowledged. For
what? Where is our
unity? I am writing
left and right asking
where is our
representation in
Hollywood? You see
it owned by the Jewish
people, Afro-Americans
have made their mark,
Chinese-Americans,
Arab-Americans,
Indian-Americans, etc.
But where is La Raza,
citizens of the United
States of Spanish
ancestry? Namely Tejanos.
|
If we get lucky enough to
be seen on television
usually it is as a bandido.
Or if you see actor with a
Spanish surname it is
usually a gringo.
Most people do not know
what a Tejano is.
They are not aware of the
atrocities they
experienced. Most
shout Viva Mexico. What
does that have to do with
Tejas. What about all our
fallen brothers that
served this precious
country called the United
States? When people
complain to me I ask,
"What are you doing
about it?" I know
what I am doing, this
email is a prime
example.
I volunteer for various
organizations especially
the ones dealing with the education
of our children.
I have written two books.
The first was not super
professionally published,
due to some scamming
tactics. However, it is
a true story about an
early South Texas pioneer
and does tell a story. The
second recently out is
better prepared. Please
see below as I invite you
to read both of them.
From: Wanda Garcia <wanda.garcia@sbcglobal.net> To: Lucas Jasso <pezador@yahoo.com> Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2014 2:26 PM
Dear Lucas, thank you for your thoughtful email.
I too have the same questions as you and no
answers surface. May I forward your email to
mimi lozano, so it can be published in somos
promos.com? I will order your book as
well. Right now I am focusing on health
and the. Impact that raising memorial hospital
will have on westside Corpus Christi. Keep
in touch.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Dear
Ms. Garcia:
Can
we guess how many
children or teens in
school have a mental
condition marked
primarily by sufficient
disorganization of
personality, mind and
emotions?
What
is it like to have
post-traumatic stress
disorder
and not know it? You
know that feeling of
anger, animosity and
guilt? Growing up, and
throughout school, Luke
Hustle is frequently
wondering, “What is
wrong with me?”
Aimlessly searching for
a solution to the guilt
buried deep in his
conscience he joins the
Army and does a tour in
Vietnam. What does he
want out of life? He
constantly day dreams
and has flashbacks.
Abusing alcohol he feels
like the evil character
in the novel "Dr.
Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde." What if he
had gotten help as a
youth? After his
military time, he works
to rid his self of anger
and alcoholism, performs
a few gallant acts,
tries to hide his past,
and tries to adapt to
civilian life. Luke does
not embrace romance
well, asks for Devine
intervention, and
applies medical help to
provide an unexpected
ending. There are acts
of anxiety, military
actions, sorrow, joy,
alcoholism, P.T.S.D.,
some comical situations,
education, and in the
end romance surfaces, as
he searches for closure
to his dilemma.
|
I would like to invite you to read my book, I WILL FIGHT NEVERMORE, as an education advocate, a Tejano, and disabled Veteran, I ask for your support. My objective is to have as many readers as possible and make this book a success. Why, you ask? Gun violence everywhere, younger and younger children shooting other children; lack of morals and mores, definitely need attention. My hope is that it may open school doors for me to visit students, share some of my childhood problems with them and possibly make a difference in their lives.
Hug
your children today,
they need it and so do
you. Between you
and me, we will change
this world and make it a
better place in which to
live in. Can we agree on
that?
This
book is dedicated to all
Veterans and their
families of the greatest
armed forces in the
world. I ask for your
support as a veteran and
fellow Tejano.
Should
you obtain a copy, read
it, and like it, would
you recommend it to all
you email friends?
Gracias.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
www.lucascjasso.com
visit my website
Order your copy through www.amazon.com lucas_jasso@yahoo.com my book email address Thank you for your support. Lucas MASBA member/TASB Leadership class, Master trustee
Project
Summary
I Will Fight Nevermore Authored by Lucas C. Jasso,
Growing
up in the barrio
attending schools in
Corpus Christi, and the
barrio La Paloma of McAllen,
Texas Luke Hustle
frequently wondered,
“What is wrong with
me?” He was a
mild-mannered teenager
who started to notice a
change in his person and
becomes surrounded with
a dilemma. His constant
challenge was trying to
determine the cause of
his confusion, and
demonic elements that
gave birth to his
vicious anger and
animosity? Adding to his
confusion was
distinguishing between
reality and imaginary.
Luke felt insecure and some depression. He started drinking in high school. His weakness was his apprehension to brush off a domineering school girl friend and his distraction was listening, reading, and watching news concerning the Vietnam War. |
Advice from a couple of priests, and his vow motivated him to change. After he is discharged from the military he is warned that drinking is affecting his health. He vows not to fight or drink anymore. Luke decides to travel to California with his goal to change. There he does a fantastic job of warding off his craving for alcohol by becoming a roadie for an all-girl band handling the loading, unloading, and setting up instruments. Luke accomplishes his vow and learns the definition of “Love is in the air.” His fantasizes about courting the leader of the band. She is a beautiful girl. His crush with her becomes reality resulting in unexpected surprise.
Post
Script: My first
book is a true story
about an early South
Texas pioneer who did
not sport a whip or
firearm but dealt with
nefarious individuals
with a firm hand.
Lucas
Sofia’
Life
By
Lucas C. Jasso
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
This
is a true story about
one of the earliest
settlers of McAllen,
Texas located in the
lower part of South
Texas known as the Rio Grande
Valley. Lucas Jasso pays
tribute to the strong
hands that nurtured him
in his formative years.
Those hands belonged to
a pioneer. They worked
through major
developments in Texan
and American history but
never resorted to the
frontier way of solving
problems through
violence.
Sofia
Gutierrez,
Jasso’s
great-grandmother,
guided him with firm
hands. The discipline
would serve him well in
his adult life. She
married a Rodriguez yet
never used her
husband’s name because
“he [did not] father
her.” This proud woman
was a rock to many of
her family and friends
in problematic times.
She was a genuine
heroine to many but
never let it in the way
of living. By choice,
she lived a hard life in
the service of those who
needed her. This, too,
is the story of
Jasso’s lineage, a
family that gave its
sons and their strength
to the creation of the
modern American state.
|
This
story describes the
trials and tribulations
of one of the many
unknown Texas heroines.
There is great fear,
sorrow, struggle,
uncertainty, romance,
history, and joy. The
story is about a woman
named Sofia. She did not
sport a pistol, crack a
whip, or handle a rope
as a few frontier women
did during the latter
part of the 1800’s and
early 1900’s when
there was border
banditry. It is a true
story about a woman with
no education, who could
not read or write. She
had an accounting system
of using knots on a
string and created a few
Moms and Pop stores. The
story is told as seen
through the eyes of baby
boy up to his teenage
years in the military
during the Viet
Nam War when she passed
away. Born in 1887 she
lived through the silent
films to the talking
motion pictures, Mexican
Revolution, that
affected the
Texas/Mexico border, the
initiation of Social
Security, the Gusher Age
which was the Texas oil
boom, and the following
wars: World war I, World
war II, along with the (Unterseeboot)
U-boats which sank ships
in the Gulf of Mexico
and patrol pretty close
to the shores of South
Texas, Korean conflict,
and the Vietnam
conflict. She saw the
invention of television.
Sofia with her life
experiences weathered
the great depression,
which began with the
crash of Wall Street of
the month of October
1929.
|
|
She got to know of the prohibition era, which governed the national ban on the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933 mandated by the 18th amendment, civil rights movement, cold war, arms race, and space race. She was always keeping up with the current events by radio and television that affected American lives. As time passed she got to witness the first man in space and the first man on the moon by watching one modern marvel, which was the television. Sofia had no schooling but was knowledgeable of the law. She knew that it was imperative that her boys (Husband, sons, grandsons, and great grandsons) register for the draft. |
There is some
description in this
story about the
atrocities committed by
the Texas Rangers,
border Bandits, wild
Indians, The Mexican
American or Chicano
movements, some of the
migrant issues, a couple
of comical situations,
and addresses education.
There is some content
about the turbulent
times of the 60’s and
70’s. Sofia raised her
children, grandchildren,
and finally her oldest
great grandson. She was
tough as nails and would
not put up with
anyone’s nonsense.
Sofia's Life describes
the heart breaking
hardships encountered by
Sofia.
|
|
|
|
|
August 22, 23, 24, 2014: Mexican Fiesta Milwaukee, Wisconsin If you're from Louisiana |
|
Mexican Fiesta Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
 |
| Harley David Sponsor Stage http://onmilwaukee.com/seasonal/festivals/articles/mexicanfiesta.html |
| ========================================== | === | ============================================= |
 Hello Mimi Lozano: I am a faithful reader of the wonderful Somos
Primos Newsletter and am considering sending an article on the very
well attended (80,000 people over three days) Mexican Fiesta that is
held in Milwaukee Wisconsin. In particular I would like to share
information on the Genealogy Booth at the fiesta.It is very well received by our visitors and we do research using 4-6 laptops with 45 volunteers from various societies in the Milwaukee area. We average 2,000 genealogy research lookups over the three days. I have numerous handouts, photo displays, and a special exhibit each year. Would this be of interest to the readers? |
Mexican Fiesta brings the sound, culture and taste of Mexico to Milwaukee’s lakefront. Three days of fun, food, Mariachi, and fiesta for everyone, Mexican Fiesta is more than just a celebration. It’s an affirmation of the belief that our community is alive with promise. Education is the key to the future, and through scholarship awards, the festival becomes the gateway to young Hispanic men and women taking their rightful place in society.
Margarita Sandoval Skare, Milwaukee WI: 414-476-6702
Editor: I had a wonderful conversation with Margarita. |
|
Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation annual Mexican Fiesta |
|
| The Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation will host its annual Mexican Fiesta on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan in Milwaukee Wisconsin on August 22, 23, 24, 2014 at the Henry W. Maier Festival Park also known as the Summerfest grounds. Mexican Fiesta is an event that began 40 years ago on the streets of Milwaukee, in celebration of September 16th. At that time the Mexican community was small. Today the fiesta attracts approximately 80,000 people over the three days. | |
|
Mexican
Fiesta represents the largest fundraising event of the foundation (WHSF),
whose purpose is the preservation of Mexican identity and financial
support through scholarships to Mexican-American youth who wish to
pursue higher education in the state of Wisconsin. Mexican Fiesta is a
family oriented event, based on volunteerism, with international
recognition. |
|
|
Activities at
the fiesta include a large Cultural Pavilion with artisans from
throughout Mexico as well as a Genealogy Booth with the WI American GI
Forum-Latino and Latina Veterans. |
•
Music Stages •
Kids Activities •
Sports Area •
Mexican and Latin American Cuisine •
Wrestling •
Low-rider Car & Motorcycle Show •
Contests -
Jalapeños Eating Contest -
Dance -
El Grito Contest -
Traditional Costume •
Pan de Feria Bakery •
Tequila Tasting •
Science Expo •
Community & Health Fair •
Art Gallery •
Midway Rides •
Sunday Mass •
Shrine to Our Lady of Zapopan • Photographic Exhibition • And Much More! |
| Throughout the
year, the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation hosts other activities and events that include: 1. Three Kings Day- January 2. Taco Dinner - “All You Can Eat” - April 3. Mobile Consulate of Mexico - May 4. Beto Villarreal El Rey Golf Classic Tournament - July 5. Mestizo Golf Tournament - August 6. Wine Tasting and Art Gallery - July 7. Tequila Tasting - August 8. Mexican Fiesta International Expo - August 9. Fiesta Walk “Diabetes & Obesity Awareness” - August 10. Volunteer Appreciation Party - September 11. Holiday Folk Fair International – November |
For more
information on the fiesta please go to the web site at: www.mexicanfiesta.org Milwaukee Hispanic Scholarship Foundation Teresa Mercado Director 2997 So. 20th St. Milwaukee WI 53215 Telephone: 414-383-7066 Fax: 414-383-6677 |
 Volunteers, Diane Piedt and Peg Schmus Mexican Fiesta is also very pleased to have a Genealogy Booth to assist beginners or advanced genealogists in researching their family history. The first genealogy booth debuted in 2007. Over the years, I have received assistance from and volunteers from the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society (MCGS), Milwaukee Church of Latter Day Saints Research Library, |
Over the years, I have received assistance from and volunteers from the Milwaukee County Genealogical Society (MCGS), Milwaukee Church of Latter Day Saints Research Library, Milwaukee Personal Ancestry File Users Group, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee County Historical Society, University of WI Milwaukee, family, friends, high school and university students, as well as assistance from the other ethnic festivals held in Milwaukee. The WI Hispanic Scholarship Foundation has been most supportive by supplying four to six laptops with Internet access and printers. About 3,000 people come into the Genealogy Booth over the three days and many are interested in some type of family information. Those that are interested can take home a free beginner’s genealogy kit also. My 45 volunteers count, greet and share information on the genealogy services offered and they explain the featured displays. The volunteer genealogists at the computers mainly use FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com to look up vital records, Mexico into the United States border crossing records, and the 1930 Mexican Census Records. Special displays include family photos of “los primeros” or the first Mexican individuals and families that came to Milwaukee in the early 1900’s. The volunteers enjoy the booth because they get to talk to some very interesting people and enjoy some very interesting stories! |
|
This
year the Genealogy Booth will feature a display on the discovery of an
ancient Mexican scroll from Santa Catarina De Ixtepeji, Oaxaca, Mexico.
The cloth codex or “tira” scroll was prepared by a noble Zapotec
family presenting their lineage and claim to lands in Oaxaca. The scroll
is written in Zapoteco language and Spanish as well, with the dates of
1691-1709. The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, American Geographical
Society Library discovered the scroll in their possession two years ago.
It was part of thousands of items that the library received when the
collection was first acquired in the late 1970’s. More on the scroll
with photographs will be included in a later issue of Somos Primos. Nos vemos,
Margarita Sandoval Skare
|
|
| ///// |
|
If you're from Louisiana |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
Article in BienMeSabe.org about the
Comunidades isleñas-canarias del Facebook: una nueva vía para el desarrollo cultural.Lunes, 26 de Mayo de 2014 En estos foros no solo se habla de datos históricos y sociales de la población isleña de este sitio; sino, más bien, se difunden sus propios conocimientos para encontrar en el otro lado del Atlántico un tratamiento recíproco, que dé respuesta a las numerosas dudas del pasado; y también para conocer de cerca el presente de la sociedad canaria. Cuando hablamos de Redes Sociales
se nos presenta en nuestra mente una multitud de ideas que asociaríamos
directamente, en primera instancia, a las que más acostumbramos ver:
fotos, noticias y otros quehaceres de nuestros amigos. Si usamos la
red social más popular del momento, Facebook, para lo que
mencioné arriba, podremos pensar que este medio se creó para este
primer aspecto; sin embargo, si además de lo anterior, indagamos en
aquellos espacios, dentro de Facebook, creados por una
comunidad de personas que tiene entre sí una serie de aspectos en
común,
llámese foro o grupo, veremos que este medio nos
permitirá encontrar en la red social una nueva y útil vía de conexión
con otros lugares, que supone una adquisición de nuevos conocimientos,
tal y como se viene desarrollando desde hace tiempo entre los isleños
de Luisiana y los canarios actuales.
|
Haciendo gala de esto último e indagando en esta red social, nos percatamos de que la conexión isleño-canaria está en completo auge gracias a estos espacios interactivos que se crean en esta red social, que alcanza cualquier rincón del planeta y fomenta, así, la expansión de unos conocimientos que hasta el momento habían estado plasmados en estudios y trabajos de grandes pensadores de un lado y otro del Atlántico, a través del papel y del pdf.
If you're from Louisiana and you're a Acosta, Albarado,
Aleman, Alfonso, Alvarez, Armas, Ascano, Assevedo (Acevedo), Bermudez,
Caballero, Cabrera, Campo, Carbo, Ceballos, Delgado, Diaz, Dominguez (Domingue),
Espino, Estevez, Falcon, Francisco, de Fuentes, Garcia, Gomez, Gonzales,
Guerra, Gutierrez, Guzman, Hernandez, Herrera, Hidalgo, Lopez, Martin,
Melian, Mendez, Mendoza, Marrero, Mesa, Molero, Monzon, Morales, Nieves,
Nunez, Ojeda, Oramas, de Orta (Horta), Pena, del Pino, Perera, Perez,
Placencia (Plaisance), Quintana, Quintero, Ramirez, Ramos, Ravelo,
Rodriguez (Rodrigue), Romero, Ruiz, Santos, Sanchez, Serpas, Silva,
Silverio, Solar, Suarez, Tilano, Toledo, Torres, Truxillo, Vega, Viera,
Villavicencio, Ximenez, Zerpa (Serpa), etc., you might be a
descendant of an Isleno. |
|
|
|
|
|
Photo: Segregated Seating at the Orange Bowl, 1955 How Turbans Helped Some Blacks Go Incognito In The Jim Crow Era by Tanvi Misra |
Segregated seating at the Orange Bowl, 1955
Sent by
Jose M. Pena JMPENA@aol.com
|
How Turbans Helped Some Blacks Go Incognito In The Jim Crow Eraby Tanvi Misra, July 19, 2014 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
There's a weekly trial on the Internet about who may be stealing culture from whom. Earlier this week, the defendants were and . A while back, it was and the . Now, we have come across a story from the Jim Crow era about cultural
mimicry between people of color. |
South Asian scholar Chandra Dharma Sena Gooneratne wore a turban to avoid anti-black discrimination in the American South. In mid-20th century America, the turban was a tool that people of color used for "confounding the color lines," writes Manan Desai, board member of the . At the time, ideas of race in America were quite literally black and white. In some places, if you could pass yourself off as something other than black, you could circumvent some amount of discrimination. People of color — both foreigners and African-Americans — employed this to their advantage. Some did it just to get by in a racist society, some to make a political statement, and others — performers and businessmen — to gain access to fame and money they wouldn't have otherwise had. 'A Turban Makes Anyone An Indian' Chandra Dharma Sena Gooneratne was getting a doctorate at the University of Chicago in the '20s. Originally from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), he traveled around America lecturing on the need to abolish the caste system and on India's push for independence from the British, among other topics. In a recent about Gooneratne, Desai notes that visiting scholars from Asia and Africa, like Gooneratne, were startled to encounter anti-black discrimination. But some of these people, who were lugging around colonial baggage from their own countries, found a way around racism. Gooneratne, for one, used his turban while traveling in the Jim Crow South to avoid harassment, and advised others to do the same, Desai writes.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| "Any Asiatic can evade the
whole issue of color in America by winding a few yards of linen around
his head," Desai quotes Gooneratne as saying. "A turban makes
anyone an Indian."
Pause. Let's take care of a couple of housekeeping details: A turban isn't exclusively Indian. It has variations in the Middle East, East Asia and North Africa. But it was seen as a "racial marker" for Indians, Desai notes, and led to acts of violence against in the 19th century. South Asians weren't immune to racial prejudice. 
|
A newspaper photo of the Rev. Jesse Routté after his "turban trick" in Alabama. The 'Turban Trick': A Political Statement I spoke with , a historian and professor at Vanderbilt University, who found that the turban was also used by African-Americans. They sometimes added robes, accents and carefully cultivated personas to bypass segregation laws and other kinds of discrimination. 
The New York Times picked up the story about Routté's Alabama trip. He's about a black Lutheran minister, the Rev. Jesse Routté, who pulled off what Kramer calls the "turban trick." Routté had traveled to Alabama in a turban and robes, put on an accent, and quickly realized that it was quite easy to fool everyone there into thinking he was a foreign dignitary — and to be received as one. "Then it kind of goes viral in 1940s terms," says Kramer, "where the press picks it up, it becomes this colorful story that people are talking about." When an article appeared in The New York Times, he says, people started pulling up examples of other cases. "He's not the first person to pull this off," says Kramer, "so it's not entirely a novelty." But Kramer says Routté is the sole representative of the first category of African-American turban wearers — those who did it to make a political statement. Routté's experiment began after he traveled to Mobile, Ala., in 1943 for a family engagement. He wasn't happy with how he was treated.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| "I was Jim Crowed here, Jim
Crowed there, Jim Crowed all over the place," he later told
reporters. "And I didn't like being Jim Crowed."
So he went back in 1947, with a plan. Before he boarded the train to Alabama, he put on his spangled turban and velvet robes. When the train reached North Carolina during lunchtime, Routté walked over to the diner car where the only vacant seat was occupied by two white couples. One of the men said, "Well, what have we got here?" to which Routté replied in his best Swedish accent (he had been the only black student at a Swedish Lutheran college in Illinois), "We have here an apostle of goodwill and love" — leaving them gaping. And that confusion seemed to work for Routté on the rest of his trip. He dropped in on police officials, the chamber of commerce, merchants — and was treated like royalty. At a fancy restaurant he asked the staff what would happen if a "Negro gentleman comes in here and sits down to eat." The reply: "No negro would dare to come in here to eat." |
"I just stroked my chin and
ordered my dessert," he said.
After he returned to New York, Routté said he felt like "a paratrooper behind enemy lines." His son Luther Routté is now 74. Both of his parents — prominent in activist communities in Harlem and Long Island — were always doing "social experiments," trying to find solutions to the prejudice they saw in the world. And this experiment exploded the myth that blacks were innately inferior and warranted inferior treatment, he says. "He didn't change his color. He just changed his costume, and they treated him like a human," says Luther Routté, who has been a Lutheran pastor for 25 years. It "shows you the kind of myopia that accompanies the whole premise of apartheid or segregation." Through the "turban trick," Routté basically transformed himself from a threat to a guest — black to invisible. "Foreigners have a kind of exemption" to Jim Crow laws, Kramer says. "They're not going to understand the rules; they're not going to obey the rules." |
| ============================================= | ============================================= |
| Maharajas, Rajas And Pandit
The second category Kramer mentions is performers who took on an "exotic" persona — "something that identifies them as foreign and mysterious within American popular culture." These guys had some sort of personal gain in mind. 
|
A KTTV poster about Korla Pandit says that he was born in New Delhi. There was Harlem nightclub owner Dicky Wells, who called himself the "Maharajah of Hattan" and who used to embark on cruises with white patrons to Nassau and Cuba. Joseph Downing, from Illinois, anointed himself "Prince Jovedah de Rajah," a financial adviser to white bankers who used to frequent the most posh hotels in Miami and Palm Beach. And then there was . Pandit was a musician and television personality, regarded by many as a precursor to Liberace. On TV, Pandit would play the Hammond organ while smoke swirled around him. He'd gaze mysteriously into the camera, locking the viewer in a hypnotic embrace. Newspapers exalted his musical ancestry as the son of a French opera singer and an Indian father hailing from the far-off New Delhi. In Hollywood, he released records, was offered his own TV show and enjoyed a significant fan following. He was the father of the "kitschy, postwar musical genre 'Exotica,' " Desai writes in his upcoming article about Pandit in the Journal of Popular Culture. There was just one small thing: Korla Pandit wasn't Indian. He was born John Roland Redd, son of an African-American minister from Missouri. When he moved to California in 1949 and started work at a radio station, it was under the name Juan Rolando.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
 An old magazine cover with Korla Pandit and his family. |
Freek Kinkelaar, who runs Korla Pandit's website, had never met
Pandit, who died a few months before Kinkelaar was able to get in
touch with him. Now, Kinkelaar is working with filmmakers to make a
documentary about the musician.
Redd, in his Mexican persona as Juan, married a white woman named Beryl in 1944 in Mexico. But soon, Kinkelaar says, in light of reports of aggression against Mexicans, Beryl helped Redd transform from Juan into Pandit — "Indian, perhaps not white, but white enough for the larger audience." Being "white enough" had its privileges. "A privilege, if you want to call it that, was also the gaining of a large, predominantly female audience," Kinkelaar says, which he wouldn't have had if he were perceived to be African-American or Hispanic. He was also the first black man to have his own TV show, in Los Angeles Magazine. And he worked his audience well — with his signature dreamy gaze, his gnomic idioms and his backstory that became more and more fantastic, Korla Pandit wove a heady persona, supplementing it with all the tropes and motifs that characterize "exotica" — dancing courtesans and elephants all laced into the imagery. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
"Quite dramatically, exotica took its listeners into primitive
destinations, far away from the confines of the suburban homes and
the living rooms that housed both their record players and
television sets," writes Desai. But although he avoided one set
of color lines, he stepped into "new ones drawn at the
beginning of the Cold War."
How much Pandit actually knew about his adopted identity is anyone's guess. "I am convinced Korla knew, like most Americans, almost zero about people from India," Kinkelaar says. " 'Exotica' was known as a term; it offered possibilities to Korla and his career; he took them by both hands and nearly drowned." Pandit did submerge himself in his new identity, so much so that
even his license plate read "I AM KP," says Kinkelaar.
Even on Pandit's death certificate, which his son signed off on, the
race box read "white," signaling the ambiguity with which
even his own family regarded his race. (Ironically, in 1923, a U.S.
Supreme Court decision restricted South Asian access to citizenship
precisely "on the ground that Indians were, in fact, not
white," writes Desai.)
|
Still, for many African-Americans, not being perceived as black was
enough at the time — especially those in Kramer's last and most
elusive category, but one he thinks was most common.
These were African-Americans who took on this "foreign" avatar not to make a point about segregation, and not to become famous TV personalities, but to avoid everyday discrimination. The turban made them incognito. "The whole point," says Kramer, "was to kind of wage a whole guerrilla war that would go unseen." By putting on the turban, they stepped over the color lines put in place by Jim Crow, and walked right into what was then a racial unknown.
|
|
|
|
|
Seven Most Popular Native American Languages in U.S.
|
 |
Seven Most Popular Native American |
| The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006–2010 American Community Survey report shows that of the 2.4 million people in the U.S. who identify themselves as American Indian or Alaska Native alone (and who are over 5 years of age), over 70 percent say they speak only English at home. A Native North American language is spoken in the homes of nearly 15 percent. Roughly two-thirds of homes where a Native language is spoken are located in New Mexico, Arizona and Alaska, so it is not surprising that the most commonly spoken Native language is Navajo. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Navajo Navajo is far and away the most commonly spoken Native language in the U.S. with nearly 170,000 speakers, or almost 10 times as many speakers as each of the two languages with the next highest numbers: Yupik and Sioux. Navajo, closely related to Apache, is in the Athabaskan language family, which includes 44 languages spoken in the U.S. and Canada. The Navajo Nation has started several bilingual language immersion schools for youngsters, two radio stations on the reservation broadcast in Navajo and English and the Navajo vocabulary has been expanded to accommodate modern technological terms. Diné College, Navajo Technical University, the Institute of American Indian Arts, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, the Arizona and New Mexico state universities and several community colleges teach the Navajo language. The Superbowl was broadcast in Navajo in 1996 and in 2013 the movie Star Wars was translated into Navajo.
|
Yupik Central Alaskan Yupik has the largest number of speakers of any Alaska Native language; almost half of the Yupik population are speakers. Children grow up speaking Yupik as their first language in 17 of 68 Yupik villages, according to the Native American Language Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The total Siberian Yupik population in Alaska is much smaller, about 1,100 people, but virtually all of them speak the language. Children in Gambell and Savoonga learn Siberian Yupik as their first language.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
California Latest to Recognize Native American Day as State Holiday |
||
|
Native American Day has consistently been a proclamation for the state of California, recognizing the fourth Friday of September for the celebration. But on June 24, that proclamation became an official state holiday. Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D-West Covina) announced the unanimous bi-partisan vote passing Assembly Bill 1973 by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee making the switch official. California has more than 100 federally recognized tribes, with many others state recognized. “It is an honor for this bill to move one step closer in recognizing Native Americans in California,” Hernández said in a press release. “As with any recognized holiday, Californians will be able to share, celebrate and honor the contributions of Native Americans across this state. This measure recognizes the significant role of California's Native peoples by establishing an official, unpaid state holiday.” According to the release, the state established American Indian Day in 1968 to recognize the contributions of Native |
Americans. Thirty years later, the California Legislature passed AB 1953 changing the name to Native American Day while authorizing “public schools to incorporate the contributions of Native American peoples in school curriculum.” The newest passing gives the day the same status as Lincoln’s Birthday and Columbus Day – a day often ignored in Indian country for many reasons – as unpaid holidays. Some cities throughout the state – Berkeley, Nevada City, Santa Cruz, and Sebastopol – recognize Indigenous People Day, recognizing the cultural contributions of Natives. “The contributions of the Native American people demonstrate our rich history and add to the diverse ethnic fabric of our great state. This holiday has been long overdue, it is time to honor those individuals who played a major part in our history,” Hernández said.
|
|
|
Sent by Eddie Grijalva edwardgrijalva6020@comcast.net ,
read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/25/california-latest-recognize-native-american-day-state-holiday-155469
|
|
Seneca Nation will only
use native species in territories. BY CAROLYN THOMPSON |
|
CATTARAUGUS RESERVATION, N.Y. • The Seneca Indian
Nation is strengthening its roots to the land with a new commitment to
use only indigenous plants and trees in public landscaping. The western New York tribe is believed to be the
first to formalize a practice that tribes throughout the country are
embracing as a way to preserve Native American culture and the
environment. From now on, instead of Austrian pines, Japanese
maples and other foreign species, there will be native balsam firs,
sugar maples and white ash trees outside Seneca schools, office
buildings and casinos. "The lawn is a European concept. Grass does not serve any function," noted Ken Parker, the nation's native plant consultant. "There's no habitat for wildlife. It doesn't feed any butterflies or do anything for the bees." |
"People plant plants around because they look
nice and don't care where they're from," Seneca President Barry
Snyder Sr. said. "We were starting to lose that part we had
centuries ago when the natives were here and they had all these things
in front of them." Tribal leaders decided that bringing them back
would start with using exclusively indigenous species around public
buildings and educating the public with the hope members will embrace
the idea at home. The Senecas already have reintroduced more than 25 native species on their Cattaraugus and Allegany territories. They are considering opening a nursery to maintain supply. ' "When we drive on the highway, we should see the flora of the region," Parker said. "We don't. We do Colorado spruce here in New York state because it's salt tolerant. It works here, but it doesn't belong here. We need to show our regional look. We need to educate our children about what is the look of the region."
|
|
By Laura Hurwitz,
|
| =========================================== | ============================================= | |
|
Abstract: From the time of European invasion of what now
constitutes the United States, the settler colonial system has aimed to
exterminate Indigenous Peoples and replace them with settlers on the land. While
settler colonialism benefi ts the settler at the cost of the Indigenous, all
life on Earth suffers from the continuation of this system. This research
examines how white settlers living in the Karuk Ancestral Territory, located in
Humboldt County, California, understand our role in the settler colonial system.
The goal of this study is to begin a collective pursuit of a white settler ethic
of accountability, which is a difficult task even in preliminary stages, as it
requires the admission of being a beneficiary of and acco mplice to the vicious
system of settler colonialism. This could bring about the loss of an already
fragile identity and an insecure settler future. Yet settler society has a
responsibility to face our role in the settler colonial system. |
Introduction: This article is written from the perspective
of a white settler. For nearly two decades, I have lived in the Karuk Ancestral
Territory, situated on the Klamath River in Humboldt County, California. Many of
the people currently living in this place, both Indigenous and settler alike,
are interested in living a sustainable lifestyle and surviving amongst the
environmental, social, political, and economic uncertainty of the times. Here
some bridges have been built between Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents and
a somewhat cordial coexistence exists; nevertheless, tensions do stem from a
settler colonial system that benefits one group of people at the expense of
another. The acute awareness among members of the Karuk tribe of displacement
from their ancestral territory can be read on the T-shirt of one Karuk elder:
“Got Land ? Thank an Indian!” |
|
I came to live in the Karuk Ancestral Territory in search
of a better life, one that was not destructive to, but rather more connected
with land and life. I did not realize I was moving to a place where Indigenous
Peoples had remained in their aboriginal territory and retained connection to
their traditional way of life, in spite of European invasion. Neither had I
considered that the neighborhood in which I grew up was also occupied Indigenous
land. In fact, growing up, I largely thought a bout Native Americans as a
“thing” of the past. I learned in school, on television, in movies, through
the media, and from accepted social discourse that the original people of North
America no longer existed. As a child, I had a thick cardboard book that
depicted a ball, a book, and an “Indian” together on the “things” page .
My indoctrination to view Indigenous Peoples as less than human began quite
early. This is no accident, but rather part of the justification of the settler
colonial system. In the first section of this paper, I carry out a review of existing literature regarding settler colonialism, the settler, white
|
privilege,
and white supremacism. Next I discuss the methods used to conduct this research.
Thirdly, I unpack white settler identity and how settlers comprehend their
position within the settler colonial system, which manifests itself as a
complicit settler subject in the Karuk Ancestral Territory. In the concluding
segment, I outline some unsettling ideas and situate the white settler in the
complicated conundrum within movements for decolonization. his research seeks to find a starting place from which to
collectively pursue a white settler ethic of accountability—a difficult task,
even in preliminary stages, as it requires the admission of being a beneficiary
of and an accomplice to the vicious system of settler colonialism, and could
bring about the loss of an already fragile identity and an insecure settler
future. Settler society has a responsibility to acknowledge our role in the
settler colonial system. Click here to read the full article [PDF]...
|
|
|
|
Scatological science: oldest human poop fossils no laughing
matter |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Don't laugh, but the discovery of
the oldest known human poop is offering valuable scientific insight into the
life of Neanderthals who lived in Spain some 50,000 years ago. Scientists said on Wednesday they found five samples of
human fecal matter at an archeological site called El Salt, in the floor of a
rock shelter where Neanderthals once lived. Analysis of the samples provided a new understanding of the
diet of this extinct human species, offering the first evidence that
Neanderthals were omnivores who also ate vegetables as part of their meat-heavy
diet, they said. The straight poop: Fossil feces is not merely prehistoric
toilet humor. "So far, it is
the only fossil evidence that gives us information of the ingestion and the
regular meals of our ancestors," said Ainara Sistiaga, a geoarchaeologist
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of La Laguna who was
one of the researchers. "Understanding the diet of past human species closely
related to our own will help us gain perspective on our evolutionary constraints
and adaptability," Sistiaga added. |
The researchers examined the fecal fossils for biologically
derived indicators of the types of food the Neanderthals ate. Their findings indicate that Neanderthals predominantly
consumed meat, as suggested by high amounts of one such "biomarker"
called coprostanol formed by the bacterial reduction of cholesterol in the gut.
But they also found evidence for significant plant intake as shown by the
presence of a compound called 5 beta-stigmastanol, found in plant sources. "It's like any other fossil," added Massachusetts
Institute of Technology geobiology professor Roger Summons, another of the
researchers. "Fossils provide our most direct link with organisms from the
past." Neanderthals are the closest extinct relative to our
species, Homo sapiens, and disappeared after early modern humans first trekked
into Europe from Africa. Neanderthals are believed to have prospered across
Europe and Asia from roughly 250,000 to 40,000 years ago and interbred with Homo
sapiens before vanishing. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Scientists previously have hypothesized that Neanderthals
were largely carnivorous with perhaps some vegetables but never before had
direct evidence like these fossils provided. "Sometimes in prehistoric societies, individuals used
their teeth as tools, biting plants among other things. We can't assume they
were actually eating plants based on finding microfossils in teeth,"
Sistiaga said. The El Salt site shows evidence of long-time Neanderthal
occupation, with numerous fireplaces and stone tools as well as animal and human
remains. The researchers could not identify the specific foods eaten
but noted that animal remains suggested the Neanderthals hunted
|
deer and horses.
Sistiaga said evidence showed the presence of berries, nuts and tubers but
"we cannot say anything about what kind of plants were actually
eaten." Neanderthals were shorter and stockier than the sleeker
Homo sapiens. Many scientists dispute the outdated notion of Neanderthals as
dimwitted brutes, pointing to evidence of complex hunting methods, likely
communication via spoken language, and use of symbolic objects and pigments,
probably for body painting. Sent Juan Marinez marinezj@msu.edu |
|
|
|||
|
Communication from Dr. Almaráz to J. Gilberto Quezada |
|
Communication from Dr. Almaráz to J. Gilberto Quezada |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
July 11, 2014 "Good friend Gilbert: Welcome back! I, too, returned back to San Antonio on Monday evening, June 30th, after a fast-paced, yet productive, eight-day overland expedition from Mexico City to Queretaro (three days) and then east-bound to Cholula, Puebla, for another three days of activities, including highly successful research in Mexico City at the Archivo Franciscano, a component of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (an entire afternoon and part of the evening) and the Archivo General de la Nacion, where the curators opened the doors for us (Bill Millet, Ricardo Danel, Pamela Jary de |
Rosser, and myself) to heretofore untapped primary sources on mission
history that neither Dr. Bolton nor Dr. Castaneda had consulted, because they
had been “lost” and/or not collated into the larger collection styled Ramo
Provincias Internas. Bill Millet
used a sophisticated, high-density camera to make images of these rare documents
without the use of a flash. Because
of a persuasive letter of introduction, adorned with seal and ribbons, that Dr.
Ricardo Romo provided for me, the AGN staffers conferred to all four of us
“official credentials” identifying us as “researchers,”
good for five years. The next
time we meet for lunch, I will share details of my adventures in Mexico as
actor, researcher, translator (for Pamela),
social interactor at meals with Mexican scholars and town
officials..." I wish you and your family an enjoyable 4th of July. jgilbertoquezada@yahoo.com |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
July 22, 2014 Archivo General de la Nación |
For example, one hall is called the
"Provincias Internas, " and so on. The cells in these halls are
replete with Spanish and Mexican documents. In one of these cells he was given
access to the complete diary of the Diego Ramón-St.
Denis expedition, which is extremely rare. The location of these valuable
archives in a prison building makes perfect sense because the structure is
built very solid and strong enough to withstand an earthquake.
Gilberto Quezada jgilbertoquezada@yahoo.com
|
|
Mexico’s 201st Fighter Squadron |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
In May 1942, Nazi submarines sank two Mexican oil tankers and Mexico declared
war against the Axis Powers. President Manuel Avila Camacho offered the United
States 50,000 infantry troops for the war effort. Instead, the United States
responded to the proposal with a request for pilots.
United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mexican President Manuel
Avila Camacho met in Monterrey, Mexico in April 1943 to discuss their entry in
the war. From this meeting, it was determined Mexico could best serve the
Allies by providing a squadron of pilots. Not wasting any time, Mexico
organized their volunteers, and sent them for flight training in the U.S. The
300-man squadron became the “Fuerza Aerea Expedicionaria Mexicana (FAEM),”
and designated as the 201st Fighter Squadron.
In July 1944, the 201st squadron arrived in the United States to train in the
P-40 and P-47 fighter airplanes. The squadron began their training at Randolph
Air Base, San Antonio, Texas. Next, they trained at Foster Field, Victoria,
Texas. They also trained at Pocatello Air Base, Idaho, and completed their
flight training at Majors Air Field, Greenville, Texas. Colonel Antonio
Cardenas Rodriguez commanded the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force, now called
the 201st Fighter Squadron. Shortly thereafter, they shipped out and arrived
in
he Philippines in May 1945 for duty. The squadron received
|
assignment to
the 58th Fighter Group, 5th United States Army Air Force (USAAF).
The 201st flew fifty-nine combat missions from Porac and Clark Air Fields on the island of Luzon against Japanese positions until the war ended in August 1945. Major General Charles L. Mullins, commander of the 25th Infantry Division involved in the ground fighting around Balete Pass and the Cagayan Valley, praised the aerial support provided by the 201st squadron pilots. While carrying out their bombing and ground-support missions, five pilots died in the Philippines. One was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire; one died in a crash, and three other pilots ran out of fuel, crashed, and died at sea.
After the war, Mexico’s 201st Fighter Squadron returned home on November 18,
1945, to a tumultuous welcome by their President Manuel Avila Camacho and the
proud nation of Mexico. Thirteen days later, the squadron was terminated and
its’ personnel mustered out. No other Latin American Nation except for
Brazil stood with the Allied Nations whose citizens gave their lives for the
cause of liberty. The members of the 201st Fighter squadron are the only
veterans of foreign wars in the history of Mexico.
Sent by J. Gilberto Quezada jgilbertoquezada@yahoo.com |
|
Buenos días amiga Mimí, amigos Genealogistas e Historiadores. Le envío
la fotografía del General Lucio Blanco Fuentes, saludos afectuosos para
todos los amigos y amigas de SOMOS PRIMOS. Cariñosamente. Tte. Corl. Ricardo Palmerín Cordero  Envío la página del registro de la defunción del Señor General don Lucio Blanco Fuentes originario de Nadadores, Coahuila, hijo legítimo de Don Bernardo Blanco y de Doña María Fuentes. Fué Comandante del Primer Regimiento " Libres del Norte", entre los primeros seguidores del Gobernador de Coahuila de Zaragoza Don Venustiano Carranza al desconocer el gobierno del Gral. don Victoriano Huerta. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
El nombre y firma del Tte. Corl. Lucio Blanco se encuentra en la parte superior del Plan de Guadalupe, inició el primer reparto agrario de la Revolución otorgando títulos de propiedad fraccionando la Hacienda Los Borregos en el Estado de Tamaulipas.
LIBRO DEL REGISTRO CIVIL DE N. LAREDO, TAMPS.
|
Doctor E. González Treviño el fallecimiento del General Lucio Blanco, fué a causa se sumersión, sin dictaminar los generales del extinto. Se le dará sepultura al cadáver hoy a las 17 horas del día de conformidad con la orden inserta del C. Juez Segundo de Distrito en la fosa número 186 del cuarto tramo, del cementerio de esta Ciudad. Doy Fé. Vidal Alarcón. Rubrica. es copia fiel sacada de su original que certifico." En los registros Num. 340 de la misma fecha se cita la defunción del Mayor del
Ejército Nacional Ramón García muerto de asfixia por sumersión y el 342 es
el correspondiente al Sr. Aurelio Martinez, su fallecimiento fué a causa de
herida por arma de fuego en la región occipito frontal. |
| ============================= | ============================================= | |
|
Margen izq.
Maria Ygnacia Teodocia
En tres dias del mes de Febrero de mil setecientos ochenta y nueve años, en
la Yglesia Parroquial de este Valle de Santa Rosa Maria del Sacramento:
hayandose en el establecida la Compañía de San Antonio de la Babia, y
careciendo de Capilla propia, Baptizé solemnemente en aquella puse los Santos
Oleos y Sagrado Chrisma á Maria Ygnacia Teodocia india gentil adulta de hedad
de nueve años, catequizada en todo lo necesario para recibir el Sacramento,
Conmensal de la casa del Sor. Comandante General Coronel Dn. Juan de Ugalde,
fueron sus padrinos Dn. Ygnacio Benabenti, y Maria Luisa Tijerina, a quienes
advertí su obligacion y parentesco espiritual y para que conste lo firmé.
Br. Andrés Ramon Lozano.
|
 |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Investigó y paleografió.
Tte. Corl. Intdte. Ret. Ricardo R. Palmerín Cordero.
Miembro de Genealogía de México y de la Sociedad de Genealogía de Nuevo
León.
|
||
|
|
| ==================================== | ==================================================== | |
|
|
|
|
Envío la imagen del registro del bautismo de José Matias
adulto de 25 años negro de los Estados Unidos. |
| ================================ | = | =========================================================== |
|
Márgen izq. Julio 5 de 1851. No.59. Jose Matías adulto de
25 años. Negro de los Estados Unidos. No. 59. En la Yglesia Parroquial de la Villa de Santa
Rosa Ma. de Múzquiz, a los cinco dias del mes de Julio de mil ochocientos
cincuenta y uno. Yo el Presbitero Juan Nepomuceno de Ayala, Cura propio de esta
y su jurisdiccion Baptize solemnemente puse los Santos Oleos y Sagrado Chrisma a
Jose Matias adulto de 25 años. negro de los Estados Unidos del Norte quien
abiendo abjurado los herrores del protestantismo, con la solemnidad necesaria me
determine a admitirlo para que recibiera el Santo Bautismo, despues de haberlo
ecsaminado en la Doctrina Christiana y Misterios de nuestra Santa Fé, no consta
en esta partida los padres del
ecspresado negro por falta de esplicacion de el mismo; fueron sus padrinos Don
Pedro Beltran y Da. Gertrudis Garinsuay, aquienes adverti su obligacion y
parentesco espiritual y para que conste lo firmé.
Juan N. de Ayala.
|
 |
|
|
Investigó y paleografió.
|
|
The
Indigenous Veracruz
By John P. Schmalhttp://www.hispanicvista.com/hvc/Columnist/jschmal/013105jschmal.htm
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
The state of Veracruz,
located along the eastern Gulf Coast of the Mexican Republic, has a population
of 7,643,194 people, representing 6.8% of Mexico's national population in 2012.
Politically divided into 212 municipios, Veracruz is a very narrow state with an
area of 27,730 square miles (71,820 square kilometers). The tropical plains and
low hills of the coastal region quickly give rise to the slopes of the Sierra
Madre Oriental Mountains, thus creating a very diverse and rapidly changing
topography
Veracruz shares common
borders with the states of Tamaulipas (to the north), Oaxaca and Chiapas (to the
south), Tabasco (to the southeast), and Puebla, Hidalgo, and San Luis Potosí
(on the west). Veracruz also shares 430 miles (690 kilometers) of its eastern
boundary with the Gulf of Mexico. The capital of Veracruz is Jalapa Enríquez.
Because of its famous port of the same name, Veracruz very quickly developed into a melting pot of cultures. Immigrants from Spain and other parts of the Spanish Empire started arriving at the Port of Veracruz in 1520s and continue to arrive |
to this day.
Immigrants from other European nations and the Middle East also arrived at this
location. African slaves were also brought to Veracruz when the slave trade
flourished in Mexico (from 1519 to 1827). This topic was discussed in more
detail in an article at this link:
However, the Africans,
Middle Easterners and the Europeans were all recent introductions to Veracruz
(post 1519). On the other hand, some of the Native Americans groups now
inhabiting Veracruz have been living in that region for thousands of years. The
history of the native peoples of the State of Veracruz is a very complex and
fascinating story and some elements of this story are discussed below.
The Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity of Veracruz
The State of Veracruz
has been home to a wide range of indigenous cultures over the last three
thousand years. But, even today, Veracruz continues to display a unique
cross-section of both linguistic and ethnic cultures. Most of the State’s
principal regions are home to multiple ethnic and linguistic groups, as detailed
below:
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
·
The Huasteca (Northern Veracruz,
adjacent to Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí Hidalgo, and Puebla): Náhuatl, Otomí.
Tepehua and Huasteco languages.
·
Sierra de Huayacocotla
(Northwestern Veracruz adjacent to Hidalgo): Náhuatl, Otomí, Tepehua and
Huasteco languages.
·
Totonacapan (North central
Veracruz, adjacent to Puebla): Náhuatl and Totonaca languages.
·
Grandes Montañas (Central
Veracruz adjacent to Puebla): Náhuatl, Totonaca, Popoluca and Mazateco
languages.
·
Llanuras de Sotavento
(Southwestern Veracruz adjacent to Oaxaca): Chinanteco, Zapoteco, Popoluca, Náhuatl,
Mazateco and Mixteco languages.
·
Tuxtlas Popoluca (Southeastern
Veracruz): Náhuatl language.
·
Istmo Veracruzano (Southeastern
Veracruz, adjacent to Tabasco and Oaxaca): Náhuatl, Zapoteco, Popoluca,
Chinanteco, Totonaca, Zoque and Tzotzil languages.
|
Because
Veracruz is such a narrow state, many of its indigenous groups inhabit
territories that reach into neighboring states. It is important to remember
that, while the borders of the State of Veracruz were the creation of political
administrators two hundred years ago, the territories of its many ethnic groups
were subject to social, geographic and topographic influences that are much
older. Native
Veracruz In
the pre-Hispanic period, the modern-day state of Veracruz was inhabited
primarily by four indigenous cultures. The Huastecos and Otomíes occupied the
north, while the Totonacs resided in the north-center. The Olmecs, one of the
oldest cultures in the Americas, became dominant in the southern part of
Veracruz. For the researcher seeking to learn the detailed histories of the
individual communities of Veracruz, the following works will be useful: |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
The
Olmecs Pyramidal
mounds have been found in many of the Olmec settlements. It is believed that the
Olmec economy centered around agricultural production on the fertile
floodplains, and was supplemented by fishing and shell fishing. However, by 300
B.C., the Olmec culture was eclipsed by other emerging civilizations in
Mesoamerica. |
The
Tepehua In Veracruz, the
Tepehua call themselves “Kenanka masipithni” (We are Tepehua), which,
according to Roberto Williams Garcia, is derived from “hamasipini”
(“owners of hills” or “one who lives on the hill”)” The word Tepehua
was given to them by the Nahua and carries the same meaning. The Tepehua
religion retains beliefs and practices that are rooted in their pre-Hispanic
past. It is believed that the remoteness of Tepehua territory played some role
in the failure of evangelists to convert the Tepehua during the colonial era.
The Tepehua of the present day era are primarily engaged in agriculture.
They cultivate maize, frijol, mountain Chile, tomato, lentil, onion
garlic and sesame. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
There are three
variants of the Tepehua language, which belongs to the Mayan-Totonaco language
group. Forty centuries ago, according to Anzaldo Figueroa (2000), the ancient
Maya language was spoken throughout the Gulf Coast region. Tepehua is one of the
languages that derived from the ancient Maya, separating from the Totonac
language at least 26 centuries ago. The
Mazatec Indians The Mazatec call themselves “ha shuta enima,” which in their language means “we workers
from the hills, humble, people of custom.” Around the year 890 A.D., the
Nonoalcas arrived in the region; their capital city, called Matza-apatl or Mazatlán, gave them the name of “Mazatec,”
which in Náhuatl means "people of the deer". The Mazatec today inhabit the northern part of the state of Oaxaca, but some Mazatecos also live in the southern part of Veracruz. Their territory includes two well differentiated regions, both in terms of the environment and culture: the highlands, on the slopes of the Eastern Sierra Madre, at altitudes between 1,200 and 2,500 meters above sea level and the lowlands, located in what is known as the Papaloapan Basin.
|
The
Totonac (Totonaque) Indians There
is little agreement about the origin of the word Totonac, but Bernardino de
Sahagún – a Franciscan friar and ethnographer – learned that the Mexica
called the provinces where the Totonacs lived “totonacatlalli” – which
means “land of heat.” And Totonac means “tierracalenteño,” or
“inhabitant of the hot lands.” Other sources claim that the Mexica used the
term “totonaco” in a derogatory context, referring to a people of “little
ability or skill.” Both
the Totonac and Tepehua languages form the Totonac linguistic family and are
believed to be Macro-Mayan languages (i.e., showing similarity to the Mayan
Linguistic Family). The Totonac language itself is divided into three primary
dialects. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Popoluca (Homshuk) The Popoluca
language corresponds to the Zoque-Mixe branch of the Macro-Maya Linguistic
Family (distantly related to the Mayan language). Today, the Popoluca language
is divided into four dialects. Linguistic analysis has determined that the
Popoluca probably settled in southern Veracruz approximately fourteen centuries
ago. The
Otomí (The Sierra Nahñu) Nahñu belongs
to the Otopamean language family, a subfamily of the very large Otomanguean
Linguistic Group. However, linguistic studies indicate that the Otomí split
from the ancestral Otomanguean about 6,500 years ago.
|
Conquest
by the Aztecs During
the Fifteenth Century and the early years of the Sixteenth Century, the mighty
Aztec Empire, ruled by the Mexica Indians from their capital city Tenochtitlán
(now Mexico City), began a concerted effort to subdue and incorporate the rich
eastern coastal areas into their domain. After their conquest by the Mexica
ruler Axayácatl in 1480, the Totonacs were incorporated into the Aztec
provinces of Cempoallan, Misantla and Xalapa. These areas, with an abundance of
water and fertile land, were richly endowed with a wide array of vegetation and
crops, including cedars, fruits, cotton, cacao, maize, beans, and squashes. In
pre-Hispanic times, cotton was a very significant crop, which the Totonacs used
to make cotton armor. As tribute to their Aztec masters, the Totonacs sent
cloth, clothing, maize, foodstuffs, honey and wax to Tenochtitlán. The
province of Cempoallan, and its associated Totonac towns and fortifications,
could mobilize up to 50,000 warriors at a time. The natives of Cempoallan,
incited by the neighboring Tlaxcalans (who remained an independent enclave
within the Aztec Empire), continuously rebelled against the Mexica. Even the
last Mexica emperor Moctezuma II spent the early years of his reign leading
campaigns against the Indians of Veracruz. The
Aztec Province of Xalapa (Jalapa), also inhabited by Totonac Indians, was only
added to the Mexica domain by Moctezuma II in the years immediately preceding
the Spanish contact. Jalapa stood along a major route between the coast and
Tenochtitlán and was rich agricultural territory, with maize and chilies as its
prominent crops. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Totonac
was the prominent language in the northern half of Xalapa, while Náhuatl was
spoken in the south. When Cortés arrived on the east coast in 1519, he used the
inland route through Xalapa to move inland. The city of Jalapa has been the
capital of Veracruz since 1824. The
Spaniards and the Totonacs The
Totonacs were the first natives whom Captain Hernán Cortés met upon his
landing on the Gulf Coast near present-day Veracruz. Being compelled by the
Mexica to the payment of a heavy tribute, including the frequent seizure of
their people for slaves or for sacrifice in the bloody Aztec rites, the Totonac
were ripe for revolt, and their king, Tlacochcalcatl, eagerly welcomed Cortés
and promised the support of his fifty thousand warriors against Emperor
Moctezuma and the Aztec Empire. The Spaniards helped the Totonacs to expel
Moctezuma's tribute-collectors in Totonacapan who apparently fled to a Mexica
garrison at Tizapancingo, about twenty miles to the southwest. With a full force
of Spaniards, 16 horses, and Totonacs, Cortés seized control of Tizapancingo. |
The
Founding of La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz (1519) In
June 1519, the Totonacs helped Cortés and the Spaniards in the founding of
“La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz” (The Rich Town of the True Cross) on the
site of the present-day port of Veracruz. Veracruz thus became the first city
founded by the Spaniards on the North American continent. Even today, Veracruz
remains as one of the most important commercial and industrial centers of
Mexico. In
the subsequent events, culminating in the taking of the city of Tenochtitlán
and the downfall of the Aztec Empire in August 1521, the Totonac took an active
part in the campaign as allies of the Spaniards and the Tlaxcalans. In addition
to giving ready allegiance to Spaniards, they embraced the Roman Catholic faith
of the Europeans. As early as 1523, the Franciscans first started working among
the Totonac people of the highlands. The Augustinians arrived a decade later to
proselytize the Totonacs along the border region of Hidalgo, Puebla, and
Veracruz. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
H.R.
Harvey and Isabel Kelly, the authors of “The Totonac” in the “Handbook of
Middle American Indians,” write that “In the large areas where Totonac
speech has survived to the present, there was little to attract the Spaniard.
Transportation and communication were difficult; Also, Totonacapan largely
lacked the mineral resources so attractive to the Spaniards. Thus, until
relatively recent years, much of Totonacapan has remained intact and isolated,
and many forms of native Totonac culture have survived.” Today,
the Totonacs of Puebla and Veracruz, numbering about 100,000, are industrious
farmers. Their chief crop is sugar cane, from which they manufacture sugar in
their own mills. Dancing and festivals are important elements of their culture.
Although some of their festivals retain elements of their ancient sacrificial
rites, most of the Totonacs are Roman Catholic today.
|
The
Huastecos (Teenek) Under
Aztec rule, the Huastecos inhabited two Aztec provinces, Atlan and Tochpan.
Atlan Province, located in the area of the present-day towns of Metlaltoyuca and
Pantepec, was occupied by Huastecos, Tepehuán, Otomíes and Totonacs. This
region was an important cotton-growing region, and the Huastecos of this
province were forced to pay tribute to the Mexica in the form of skins, paper,
cotton and blankets. However, when the Spaniards arrived in their territory, the
Huastecos did not cooperate with them as the neighboring Tlaxcalans and Totonacs
did. In 1520, the Huastecos wiped out a small Spanish settlement that had been
set up in their territory. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Once
he had taken control of Tenochtitlán in August 1521, Cortés marched toward
Huasteco territory with a large force of Spaniards and Mexica allies, intent on
subduing them. After meeting with considerable resistance, Cortés defeated the
Huastecos and founded the Villa de San Esteban in 1522. However, revolts by the
Huastecos in October-December 1523 and 1525-26 were put down with great cruelty.
In spite of their battles with both the Mexica and the Spaniards, the Huastecos
continue to survive today, maintaining many aspects of their traditional culture
and language. Huastecan music and dancing have influenced the musical folklore
of Mexico. The Huasteca region of northern
Veracruz was originally named after the Huasteca people. This region is in the
northern reaches of the Gulf of Mexico where the Sierra Madre mountain range
meets the coastal plain of the Gulf. This is considered a rich agricultural
region with an abundance of water from the riverine system flowing to the Gulf. The
Huasteca consists of 55 municipios that are spread across Veracruz, Hidalgo and
San Luis Potosí and boast a wide diversity of indigenous peoples (besides the
Huastecos).
|
Tochtepec
Province Cuetlaxtlan
Province |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
The Nahuas of Veracruz Náhuatl
is the most spoken language in the Mexican Republic. More than 1.5 million
people in Mexico speak Náhuatl, representing 23.1% of all indigenous speakers
in the country. Náhuatl is also the most spoken language in Veracruz. As a
matter of fact, Náhuatl speakers are scattered through several regions of
Veracruz. The four primary regions in which Nahua speakers live are: ·
The Nahuas of Huasteca (the Huasteca
region extends from northern Veracruz into eastern Hidalgo and southeastern San
Luis Potosí). Today, an estimated 75% of the population of the Huasteca speaks
Náhuatl, while the remainder speak Teenek or Huastec (22%), Otomí (2%) and
Tepehua, Pame and Totonac. ·
The Nahuas of Totonacapan. Totonacapan
extends through both Veracruz and the Sierra Norte de Puebla region of Puebla
State. This interethnic area includes Náhuatl speakers, as well as Totonac,
Tepehua and Otomí speakers. |
·
The Nahuas of the Sierra de Zongolica.
Situated in the Grandes Montañas of the west central region of Veracruz, this
area is comprised of 12 municipios. The Náhuatl speakers in this area speak the
Orizaba dialect. In 1991, speakers of the Orizaba dialect through all states
numbered 120,000. ·
The Nahuas of Southern Veracruz: Náhuatl
speakers inhabit some portions of the southern region of Veracruz, which is
composed of lowland plains and volcanic hills and borders the western part of
the State of Tabasco. According
to the studies of Guy Stresser-Péan, Jesus Vargas Ramírez and María del
Refugio Cabrera, the Náhuatl speakers of the Huasteca did not arrive in the
area at the time of the Aztec expansion and conquest. Instead, the Náhuatl
movement into the area took place earlier in the Twelfth Century following the
fall of Tula (as described by María Teresa Rodríguez López and Pablo
Valderrama Rouy in “the Gulf Coast Nahua” in “Native Peoples of the Gulf
Coast of Mexico.” |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
The
1921 Mexican Census In the unusual
1921 Mexican census, residents of each state were asked to classify themselves
in several categories. With a total state population of 1,159,935, the
inhabitants of Veracruz were categorized according to the following racial
classifications:
It is worth
noting that the classifications for the entire Mexican Republic were quite
similar to the figures for Veracruz. Out of a total population of 14,334,780 in
the Mexican Republic, 4,179,449 – or 29.2% – claimed to be of pure
indigenous background, while 8,504,561 – or 59.3% – were of mixed origins.
The total number of people who classified themselves as blanca was only
1,404,718 – or 9.8% of the population – almost identical with the
corresponding figure for Veracruz.
|
Indigenous Groups in the 2000
Census According
to the 2000 census, the population of persons five years and more who spoke
indigenous languages in Veracruz amounted to 633,372 individuals, who
represented 9.2% of the total state population.
These individuals spoke a wide range of languages, many of which are
transplants from other parts of the Mexican Republic.
The largest indigenous groups represented in the state were:
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Nahuas of Huasteca Veracruzana (Machehuale) |
Haustecos
(Teenek)
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
The
2010 Census At the time of
the 2010 census, Náhuatl remained the most widely spoken language in Mexico
with 1,544,968 persons five years of age and older speaking that tongue. Náhuatl
speakers, in fact, represented 23.08% of the indigenous speakers 5 and older in
the Mexican Republic. The 12 most spoken languages in Veracruz in the 2010
census are shown (as well as their percentage ranking within the Republic):
|
||
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
The
Leading Indigenous States in 2010 In the 2010 census, the four
Mexican states with the largest populations of indigenous speakers (by number)
in the 2010 census were:
However, although Veracruz
had the third largest population of indigenous speakers, it was ranked tenth
among the Mexican states for the percentage of indigenous speakers (9.4%). This
is easily explained by the fact that Veracruz has the third largest population
in Mexico (after Distrito Federal and Estado de Mexico) and thus has a much
larger population of both indigenous and non-indigenous people than most other
states.
|
The 2010 census also included a question that asked people if they considered themselves indigenous, whether or not an indigenous language was spoken. Nearly one-fourth of the residents of Veracruz 3 years of age and older (19.9%) were classified as indigenous, ranking Veracruz ninth among the Mexican states. Many languages in Mexico are
in danger of gradual extinction as the children of indigenous speakers move to
new locations in Mexico and fail to learn the languages of their parents. For
the State of Veracruz, this may also be a factor, but the State and its people
also feel great pride in their connection to their indigenous past. It is likely
that some of the more concentrated indigenous-speaking communities of Veracruz
will continue to carry on the legacy of their native ancestors and pass their
languages down to future generations. Copyright ©
2014 by John P. Schmal. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Primary
Sources: Alan R. Sandstrom and E.
Hugo García Valencia (editors), “Native Peoples of the Gulf Coast of Mexcico”
(Tucson: Arizona University Press, 2005). Instituto Nacional de Estadística
Geografía e Informática (INEGI). Censos de Población y Vivienda, 2000 y 2010. INEGI, Censo de Población y
Vivienda (2010): “Panorama Sociodemográfico de México” (March 2011). H. R. Harvey and
Isabel Kelly, "The Totonac" in Evon Z. Vogt, “Handbook of Middle
American Indians, Part Two, Vol. 8” (Austin: University of Texas, 1969), pp.
638-681.
Michael E. Smith and Frances F.
Berdan "Province Descriptions" in France F. Berdan et at., "Aztec
Imperial Strategies" Peter Gerhard, “A
Guide to the Historical Geography of New Spain” (Norman, Oklahoma: University
of Oklahoma Press, 1972). Scheffler, Lilián, “Grupos Indígenas de México”
(México, 1985). Veracruz, “Análisis
Social. Plan de Desarrollo para Pueblos Indígenas.” Online:
|
||
|
 |
65 Cuadernos Del Archivo de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico Hi, My name is Moises and welcome to We Are Cousins, a blog dedicated to South Texas and Northeastern Mexico Genealogy. It's primary purpose is to educate and provide its readers with resources to locate their ancestors, whom at one point lived in this area. To read more about me or my other projects visit my personal website moisesgarza.com |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
65 Cuadernos Del Archivo de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, MX |
As for me I have only read two of them # 25 EL
CRONISTA ANONIMO by Israel Cavazos Garza, since it is about my 9th great
grandfather Juan Bautista Chapa. The other one that I have read is #36
LA CATEDRAL DEL NUEVO REINO DE LEON by Aureliano Tapia Mendez, since
many of my ancestors are buried there. |
|
1.- EL SENOR DE TLAXCALA – Hector Jaime Trevino
Villarreal Let me know in the comments which ones are your
favorites. Other Great Reads:
|
|
PROGRAMA JORNADAS DE HISTORIA, June 23, 24,
25 Editor Mimi: Even though this event is passed, I
thought the titles, summaries, and names of the presenters |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Miércoles 23 de Julio Recinto de Juárez, 10:00 horas |
Recinto de Juárez, 11:00 horas Mesa 1 Rodolfo Esparza Cárdenas |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
Rufino Rodríguez Garza “Acebuches pinturas del siglo
XVII” |
Al desear querer explicar el comportamiento ético del
mexicano actual, como sus actitudes en las relaciones interpersonales, un
elemento indispensable es recurrir al modo de ser del indio náhuatl, y de
manera más específica a la idiosincrasia del indio tlaxcalteco por su
presencia en el noreste de la Nueva España. El indio tlaxcalteco con el
franciscano se convierte en evangelizador y con el español adquiere los
derechos de colonizador; el oficio de los indios doctrineros era catequizar a
los del mismo grupo étnico como a los indios que habitaban las regiones en las
que fundaban nuevos pueblos. Moderador: Alfonso Vázquez Sotelo |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
Mesa 2 A 25 años de haberse publicado el libro de Charles Harris
sobre el Imperio de los Sánchez Navarro, se sigue cayendo en la confusión del
origen de la Familia Sánchez Navarro. Desde el apellido "Sánchez"
que el autor le antepone al Capitán Juan Navarro, el desconocer con cual de las
dos hermanas casó Martin Sánchez , si con Úrsula o Melchora. Hasta señalar
como madre de Bernardino Sánchez Navarro, a la que fuera concubina de su padre.
Antonia Rodríguez, sobrina de doña Melchora y con quien procreara al Capitán Miguel Ángel Muñoz Borrego Moderadora: María de Guadalupe Sánchez de la O
|
Mesa 3 Esta nueva corriente de las mentalidades le da la
oportunidad al historiador de analizar aspectos que se entretejen a lo profundo
del hogar, en la intimidad, donde las creencias de la gente y su relación con
temas diversos toman formas que se conocen pero que son tabú. Como la magia y
su eterna relación con la mujer, quien se disfraza de bruja o hechicera para
hacer posibles sus más oscuros deseos de amor y odio, destinados al prójimo, víctima
de las suertes que estas les deseen. Al final se encuentra un hilo conductor que
deja al descubierto que existen historias parecidas y miedos parecidos desde
lugares distantes hasta nuestro propio entorno dejando en claro que algunos
vestigios muestran un pasado que se niega a dejarnos, pues se encuentra en
nuestras Iván Vartan Muñoz Cotera. “Los niños en el Saltillo antiguo, momentos y vida
cotidiana, siglos XVII al XX” Se ofrecerá una reconstrucción cronológica de varios
momentos que han marcado el devenir de los niños en el Saltillo antiguo y sus
alrededores. Con la finalidad de exponer ciertos rasgos sobre su vida cotidiana
y el contexto social en el que vivieron desde el siglo XVII hasta inicios del XX,
se presentará una selección de episodios documentados que fueron indagados en
el Acervo Histórico del Archivo Municipal de Saltillo. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Sesión matutina,
Recinto de Juárez, 11:00 horas A principios de 1768, el vizconde francés Pierre Marie
Francoise de Pages visitó Saltillo, durante el primero de los 2 viajes que hizo
alrededor del mundo. Tenía 20 años de edad y era originario de Tolosa Francia,
corazón de la “ilustración”. A lo largo de los dos meses que ese curioso súbdito
de la corona francesa permaneció en Saltillo, lo observó todo – templos,
plazas, calles, fiestas, carácter del vecindario, etc.-, analizándolo y juzgándolo
críticamente. Uno de los eventos que le tocó presenciar fue el tradicional
festejo de la Candelaria, que se celebra los días 2 de febrero, el cual relata
curiosa y vívidamente. Años después, el memorial de sus viajes sería
publicado en Francia. Francisco Javier Rodríguez Gutiérrez |
La Real Caja y la Administración del Estanco de Tabacos,
Papel sellado, Pólvora y Naipes de la villa del Saltillo jugaron un papel
relevante en el financiamiento de las fuerzas realistas durante el primer
movimiento de insurgencia entre 1810 y 1814. Después, entre 1820 y 1822, la
Real Caja, fue la manzana de la discordia entre el Comandante Joaquín de
Arredondo y las élites locales, y fundamental en la proclamación y jura de la
Independencia en la cuesta de Los Muertos el uno de julio de 1821 y el dos en
Saltillo. Un repaso a los personajes que encabezaron estas instituciones durante
esos años, desvela el vínculo estrecho entre poder económico, familiar y políticos
entre peninsulares y criollos de la provincia de Coahuila. Moderador: Lucas Martínez Sánchez
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
Mesa 5
|
Lucas Martínez Sánchez Moderadora: Juana Gabriela Román Jaques |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Recinto de Juárez, 18:00 horas Ricardo Raúl Palmerín Cordero |
Carlos Jesús Recio Dávila Moderador: Ernesto Alfonso Terry Carrillo |
| ============================================= | ============================================= |
|
Mesa 7
El porfiriato fue un período en la historia de México que
destaca por el impulso en la industria y la economía, a través de los libros
del Fondo Tesorería, del Archivo Municipal de Saltillo, podemos realizar un
recorrido a través de las haciendas, ranchos, comercios e introductores de
ganado y mercancías que a través de los pagos de impuestos nos dejaron huella
de esa efervescencia comercial. La intención del presente trabajo es mostrar
esa ebullición del comercio local a finales del siglo XIX y la riqueza
documental del acervo que da título a la presente charla.
|
Marco Antonio González Galindo “Maquinas sobrevivientes del Ferrocarril Coahuila y Zacatecas, Peñoles Ávalos y Mazapil Cooper El Coahuila y Zacatecas utilizó 12 máquinas de vapor ,10 de tipo Consolidate y 2 de tipo Ten Wheelers numeradas de la 1 a la 12 entre 1897 a 1911. A este equipo, habría que agregarle las dos máquinas O & K, tipo Mallet y la HK Porter del Ferrocarril Peñoles Ávalos; en 1959, se traen en arriendo a los Ferrocarriles Nacionales del Valle de México, 3 máquinas de vapor la 261, 273 y 279, que sirvieron de apoyo al desgastado equipo del Coahuila y Zacatecas hasta 1963, cuando fue substituido el sistema de vapor por el de diesel, con 4 máquinas EMD de diesel. Es la historia de las 8 máquinas que sobreviven de un equipo total de 22 locomotoras que utilizó el ferrocarril Coahuila y Zacatecas para el arrastre de los trenes. Se agrega el destino de las tres máquinas del Ferrocarril Peñoles Ávalos y las que operaron directamente con la Mazapil Cooper Co. en Concepción del Oro, Zac. Se hace una descripción de las mismas, las condiciones mecánicas y los lugares Co.” Moderador: Ricardo Medina Ramírez |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Viernes 25 de Julio Antonio Guerrero Aguilar |
Armando Pedraza Salinas “Presencia de Juárez en Coahuila y Nuevo León hace 150 años” Moderador: Arturo Berrueto González |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Tema de la mesa 9 |
Jesús de León Montalvo Moderadora: Olivia Strozzi
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Sesión vespertina Álvaro Canales Santos |
Ricardo Medina Ramírez Este trabajo, es un acercamiento al papel que desenvolvió
el vice cónsul de los Estados Unidos, John R. Silliman durante la Revolución
Constitucionalista. A partir del desembarco norteamericano en 1914, Veracruz
volvería a ser punto del conflicto bélico entre México y los Estados Unidos.
Las relaciones internacionales propiciaron que los estadunidenses residentes en
México tuvieran que ser repatriados por su seguridad, no todos regresaron a su
país de inmediato debido a que muchos se les privó de su libertad. Los estadunidenses retenidos fueron individuos vinculados a
la política internacional. Entre ellos se encuentra el caso de John R. Silliman
que residía en Saltillo, ciudad ocupada por el ejercito huertistas y disputada
por los constitucionalistas. Moderadora: María Elena Santoscoy Flores |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Mesa 11 “El Gral. Rafael Cepeda de la Fuente y su relación con
el levantamiento armado en Arteaga: una Este trabajo tiene como finalidad
analizar la carrera político-militar de uno de los caudillos de mayor
representación en el estado, el general Rafael Cepeda de la Fuente, siendo uno
de los personajes de orígenes liberales llegó a ser general de la entidad
apoyando al plan de San Luis de Francisco I. Madero y organizando el movimiento
revolucionario en la sierra de Arteaga en 1911. Así mismo su formación política
en Saltillo oponiéndose al régimen porfirista para iniciar sus participaciones
armadas y explicar el contexto sociopolítico y las insurrecciones campesinas
que apoyaron el movimiento de Rafael Cepeda de la Fuente. |
“Venustiano Carranza a través de tres fuentes historiográficas
publicadas en la década de Juana Gabriela Román Jáquez 1920 en México y en
España” A través de tres fuentes bibliográficas publicadas tanto en España
como en México, se pretende construir la imagen que se tuvo en la década de
1920 del ex presidente Venustiano Carranza Moderador: Francisco Cepeda Flores
|
|
|
|
|
Guatemala’s Youngest Inventor Sets Sights on
Environmental Protection |
|
|
Guatemala’s Youngest Inventor Sets Sights on
Environmental Protection July 13, 2014
|
|
Ken Lou Castillo was 9 years old when he became the
youngest inventor in Guatemala by patenting Mr. Fuego, a kind of ecological
firewood made of recycled materials that when burned, harms neither the
environment nor people’s health. Mr. Fuego (Mr. Fire) won Lou Castillo membership in the
Guatemala Inventors Commission as well as the Erick Barrondo Order, awarded by
the Guatemalan government to outstanding youths. “I don’t consider myself an inventor,” Ken, now 19,
said during an interview with Efe. “I had an idea and I carried it out. Later
it turned into something that would help other people, not just me,” he
recalled. Lou Castillo discovered as a child that he was allergic to
smoke, which kept him from sharing with his family the many different occasions
that involved the use of fire.
|
So after many weeks of testing he created, with the help of
his father, an ecological firewood made of recycled materials including sawdust
and paraffin, which when burned produces white smoke that is not harmful to
health and is less damaging to the ozone layer than the smoke of an ordinary
wood fire. A Mr. Fuego log burns for approximately two hours, while in
the same period of time six ordinary wooden logs of the same size would be
needed to maintain the same heat intensity, the young inventor said. Acceptance
of the product has continued to increase over the years. “In Guatemala you can find it in all the supermarkets.
And it’s also exported to Costa Rica,” the youth, currently studying
communications at a private university in Guatemala, said. The inventor does not hide his concern about Guatemala’s
environmental situation, which according to official studies lost almost 4
percent of its forests in 2006-2010. Consumption of firewood in 2012 was
equivalent to almost 70,000 barrels of oil, or the source of almost 60 percent
of the energy used in the country in that year. Sent by Dorinda Moreno |
|
|
|
One Of The Last Remaining ‘Uncontacted’ Peruvian
Tribes Being Pushed Out By Loggers, Drug Gangs |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
One of the last tribes to live almost completely cut
off from the outside world has had the outside world forced onto it. After
centuries of unheard of autonomy deep in the Peruvian rainforests, illegal
logging companies and drug-trafficking operations have finally reached their
homes. Researchers say the tribe has been displaced from its
native territory in Peru and has crossed the border into neighboring Brazil
seeking safety from the increasingly bold illegal logging operations
pillaging the Peruvian forests. In an unheard of move, last month several of
the men and boys made contact with neighboring villages in search of food
and supplies. The tribe has been known to scientists since at least 1910, but it had remained almost completely disconnected from the larger world. Save for a few metal pots which scientists think may have been acquired in trades with other, more modern, neighboring tribes, the people live a life almost entirely unchanged for hundreds of years. |
This particular
tribe gained international notoriety in 2008 when a series of stunning
photographs taken by plane purportedly showed members in their small
village. In several of the photos, the members could be seen painted
head-to-toe in red dye and carrying bows. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
As the Independent explains: Sympatico, just 25 miles from the border, is very close
to the area where a tribe group was filmed four years ago. It is estimated
that there are at least four such communities living in Acre, constituting a
population of around 600. A further two tribes are believed to occupy
territory in Peru. But no one knows exactly how many individuals there are
now living in the pristine forest of the western Amazon. It seems impossible to believe, but scientists think
there are around 77 isolated groups who still live in the Amazon rainforest.
These people are likely aware of the outside world, but have remained
steadfastly separated from it. Some believe that their hesitation to make
contact is the result of previous disastrous encounters with outside groups.
Given what we now know about logging and drug-smuggling units operating in
the area, it’s hard to blame them for being wary. |
Since earlier disasters (including the near genocide of
Amazonian tribal people during the rubber boom of the 19th-century), the
Brazilian government has maintained a “no-contact” policy, allowing the
indigenous groups to live in peace unless they choose to make contact. This hands off approach has served the people of the
Amazon well, and many have chose to remain independent. Unlike other parts
of the world, which saw their tribal populations collapse very quickly with
the advent of the modern world, the rainforests of Brazil and Peru are so
vast and so dense that many areas are simply too hard for outsiders to get
to. It served as a natural buffer between the 21st century and these
tribes’ way of life. Unfortunately, in the push for more farm land, more
wood, and a thriving drug trade, even the rainforests are feeling the
effects. In a sad twist, it is not the countries nearest these
tribes that are primarily responsible for their potential extinction. The
wood illegally harvested from trees in Brazil like mahogany and teak are
sold to Europe and the United States for a huge profit. Western furniture
and wood flooring is literally financing the invasion of their homeland and
the Brazilian and Peruvian governments don’t have the resources to stop
it. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
While the destruction of the Amazon has been going on
for decades, José Carlos Meirelles of Brazil’s Indian Affairs Department,
says the fact that tribes are now fleeing their homelands is uniquely
troubling. “Something serious must have happened. It is not
normal for such a large group of uncontacted Indians to approach in this
way. This is a completely new and worrying situation and we do not know what
has caused it.” |
The last remaining truly free indigenous people on the planet may finally be reaching the end of their time – not because they choose to, but because roving bands of heavily-armed gangs have seized upon their territory in the hopes of getting rich off of coveted woods sold to foreign nations. Is it any wonder that these tribes took one look at how the world behaved and said “no thanks” for so long? http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/07/04/one-of-the-last- |
|
June 18,
2014 By Ed
Rampell
Lefty film fans rejoice — the Simon Bolivar biopic The Liberator, which U.S. premiered at the LA Film Festival, is the state of the art for progressive motion pictures. The Venezuelan/Spanish co-production stars Caracas-born Edgar Ramirez (who was Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated for the 2010 biopic Carlos, about the ultra-left terrorist called “Carlos the Jackal”), who also executive produced the film. Using a flashback structure, Libertador (as it is called in Spanish in this Spanish-language film with some spoken English and French and English subtitles) follows Bolivar’s evolution from the spoiled scion of a plantation-owning family into a sort of early 19th century Che Guevara. Prodded by his philosophical teacher Simón Rodríguez (Francisco Denis) and the social injustice he witnesses, the Venezuelan evolves into the leader of a liberation movement to end Spanish colonialism in South America and to establish “Gran Colombia,” a continent-wide republic based on the best ideals of the Enlightenment and of the American and French Revolutions. |
|
|
============================================ |
============================================= |
|
|
In addition to top acting, The Liberator has high production values, with stunning cinematography, including soaring aerial camerawork by the Spanish director of photography Xavi Gimenez (2004’s The Machinist, 2008’s Transsiberian and 2009’s Agora)as Bolivar’s army, Hannibal-like, crosses the Andes. The artistry of production designer Paul D. Austerberry (2010’s Twilight Saga: Eclipse, 2011’s The Three Musketeers and 2014’s Pompeii) and costume designer Sonia Grande (Woody Allen’s 2008 Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2011 Midnight in Paris and 2012 To Rome With Love, plus 2010’s Even the Rain) combine to realistically render a sense of early 19th century Madrid, Paris and South America, which is so vital for this period piece. |
The talented international crew includes Indian editor Tariq Anwar (who has twice been Academy Award nommed, for 1999’s American Beauty and 2010’s Best Picture Oscar winner The King’s Speech), who has cut action-packed battle sequences full of riveting montages. Gustavo Dudamel, music director of Venezuela’s Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar and conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, composed The Liberator‘s original score. At the LAFF U.S. premiere a bearded, dapper Ramirez called Dudamel “a genius who breathes music in every atom. The music is almost another character in the film.” A brief but heartfelt clip of the youthful maestro introducing the movie preceded the LA FilmFest screening. |
http://elrincondealexiss.blogspot.com/2014/06/trailer-de-liberator-libertador-con.html
|
|
|
|
Writing for Somos Primos for Three Years now by
Eddie AAA Calderón, Ph.D.
|
|
Writing for
Somos Primos for Three Years now |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
I can't believe that exactly three years have gone by since I started
writing monthly articles to Somos Primos magazine. My first
article appeared in the September, 2014 issue under the category THE
PHILIPPINES.
It was my very good friend Maria Embry, a Filipina-American from
California, who suggested in August, 2011 that I should write articles for
the above magazine since I was fluent in Spanish and knew the Spanish
culture very well. I took her suggestion and then submitted my first article
entitled The Influence of
the Spanish Language (in the Philippines). The Philippines was a
Spanish colony for at least 3.5 centuries.
http://somosprimos.com/sp2011/spsep11/spsep11.htm#THE
PHILIPPINES
I thought that this article was appropriate for my first contribution as the magazine's name Somos Primos means We are Cousins referring especially to those who are acquainted with the Spanish language and culture, and also to those who appreciate the Spanish culture. |
I kept
on writing on Spanish grammar and themes until I began to deal with personal
travels which also included my search for a soul mate in the autumn of life,
the influence of the media and sports personalities in politics, dynasty and
politics, brain drain caused by many Filipinos moving and living abroad,
political histories and important Filipinos, stories of the past, culture and
concept of respect, international marriage, languages, music/serenade/dances,
Philippine and other world beauties, Philippine traditions, good news and
publicities for Filipinos, the face that only a mother can love, the internet,
Hispanics in Minnesota, the English language, the adoption of names, a future
female president for the USA, the first Latin-American pope, Christmas and New
Year celebration, the coming of Spring, independence day celebration, the
super typhoon that ravaged the Philippines in 2013, the Easter season, and the
spelling of the word Filipinas.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Next
month (September, 2014) will be my half a century of living in the USA
starting in California for two years and the rest in Minnesota. I will be
writing about this experience in the September, 2014 issue of this magazine.
Writing
is best way to make your brain very healthy and active especially in the
autumn of life. It may also help minimise if not prevent the onset of
Alzheimer's disease that has occurred in many in the
late stage of life. It also makes a person mentally creative and alert
continuously.
I would
like to thank not only Ms Embry for inviting me to write for this
magazine but also Señora
Mimi
Lozano, editor of Somos Primos, for giving me the
opportunity to contribute monthly articles. My
fellow country mates have also submitted articles for Somos Primos.
|
Have a
nice month of August mis primos and readers. I would say that though
Summer has started as of June 21, 2014, we, especially in my home state of
Minnesota, had been experiencing spring like weather and too much rainfall
that had caused severe flooding in many areas of the state.
The
picture below was taken when my first son Pfirlani-Eddie was almost two years
old in the summer of 2006.
|
|
The Filipinos Honoured in
the Small Principality of Andorra
by Eddie AAA Calderón, Ph.D. |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
There are some 800 Filipinos domiciled in this small
country. The first Filipino immigrants came to this tiny principality in 1978
and were mostly domestic helpers as the law during that time restricted foreign
workers to that type of job. However, in the mid 1990's a law was passed which
paved the way for foreign migrants to the blue-collar job opportunities. Our
people who were also had the needed technical education took advantage of this
opportunity and have since contributed to the economic prosperity of this
country. http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/46491/meeting-the-filipinos-in- |
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
The bronze statue of our national hero,
Dr. Jose P. Rizal, stands at the capital's Park Central was crafted by
Angel Calvante, an Andorran sculptor. Our country is then grateful to Andorra by
according us this honour. Philippine Ambassador to Spain and Andorra Carlos
Salinas and Andorra la Vella Mayor Maria Rosa Ferrer Obiols http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/253320/pinoyabroad Filipinos Honored in an Andorran StampThree children of
Filipino origin are featured in a postage stamp in Andorra, immortalizing the
economic and cultural contribution of Filipinos to the tiny country www.pinoy-ofw.com
|
http://www.pinoy-ofw.com/news/32927-filipinos-honored Filipinos again are patiperros/lagalag and there are extremely few countries in the world whether big or small that you would not find a Filipino. Please refer to my previous article: The Internet, a Revisit http://somosprimos.com/sp2013/spjun13/spjun13.htm#THE PHILIPPINES |
|
====================================================== |
== |
===================================== |
|
|
Andorra has been independent since 1278 and
has an estimated population 84,000
in the 2009 census. It is a prosperous country despite its size because of
tourism that serves an estimated 10.2 million visitors annually and because of
its status as a tax haven. for more pictures, see: |
|
https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&site=&source=hp&q=pictures+of+andorra&oq=pictur&gs_ |
|
The Romance of Juan de Salcedo by Poppo Olag (Galo Gonzales) Foreword by Eddie AAA. Calderon,
Ph.D.
|
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The article below is an interesting story of a
love affair between a Spanish conqueror and a Filipina during the
first century of Philippine colonization by Spain. The writer Poppo
Olag currently resides in Maryland and like yours truly, a resident
of Minnesota. is a native of the Philippines. Juan de Salcedo was a Spanish conqueror who
came to the Philippines after Magellan in the 16th century and fell
in love with a very beautiful Filipina maiden whose name was Dayang
Dayang, the niece of a ruler whose name was Lakan Dula. The word
Lakan means paramount ruler in Tagalog, the national language of the
Philippines. Lakandula was
the ruler of the Kingdom of Tondo located in the present city of
Manila in the Philippines when the Spaniards first conquered the
lands of the Pasig River delta located in greater Manila in the
1570's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakandula Juan de Salcedo's grandfather was Miguel López
de Legazpi (c. 1502 – August 20, 1572), also known as El
Adelantado and El Viejo, was a Basque Spanish navigator who
established the first Spanish settlement in the East Indies when his
expedition crossed the Pacific Ocean from Spanish Mexico and founded
Cebu, now a province in the Philippines in 1565. He was the first
Governor-General of East Indies which included the Philippines and
the Pacific islands of Guam and Marianas. |
After establishing a once referred
and alluded to by Spanish historians as a peaceful
relationship with various indigenous kingdoms and nations, Miguel López
de Legazpi made Manila the capital of the Spanish East Indies in
1571. Legazpi City, the capital of the Philippine province of Albay
bears Miguel López de Legazpi's last name. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_L%C3%B3pez_de_Legazpi Miguel López de Legazpi
was vehemently opposed to his grandson Juan falling head over
heels in love with Dayang Dayang. But Juan de Salcedo maintained his
professed love for the lady, stayed with her, and resisted his
grandfather's stern objection but still hoping that his grandfather
would relent. A knowledge of Philippine History will help
readers understand and get acquainted with the names of several
villages, towns, and provinces in the Philippines mentioned by Poppo
Olag in his article below. If readers are interested in Philippine
History here is a website which lists several books on the
Philippines:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Philippines |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Don Juan de Salcedo ranks as a warrior with
Albuquerque, as a leader with Hurtado de Corcuera, who carried on
Spain's far-flung campaigns in the Far East. He was also so much the
great explorer that little beyond the scope of details has been added to
geographical knowledge of the Philippines since his day. But it is with
another quality of the young and now long-forgotten hero that this tale
concerns itself, his softer side. After establishing a once referred
and alluded to by Spanish historians as a peaceful relationship
with various indigenous kingdoms and nations, Miguel López de Legazpi
made Manila the capital of the Spanish East Indies in 1571. Legazpi
City, the capital of the Philippine province of Albay bears Miguel López
de Legazpi's last name. |
Miguel López de Legazpi was vehemently opposed to his grandson Juan falling head over heels in love with Dayang Dayang. But Juan de Salcedo maintained his professed love for the lady, stayed with her, and resisted his grandfather's stern objection but still hoping that his grandfather would relent. http://kahimyang.info/kauswagan/articles/1674/the-romance-of-juan- A knowledge of Philippine History will help readers
understand and get acquainted with the names of several villages, towns,
and provinces in the Philippines mentioned by Poppo Olag in his article
below. If readers are interested in Philippine History here is a website
which lists several books on the Philippines: |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Don Juan de Salcedo ranks as a warrior with
Albuquerque, as a leader with Hurtado de Corcuera, who carried on
Spain's far-flung campaigns in the Far East. He was also so much the
great explorer that little beyond the scope of details has been added to
geographical knowledge of the Philippines since his day. But it is with
another quality of the young and now long-forgotten hero that this tale
concerns itself, his softer side. He was born in 1549. His father was Don Pedro de Salcedo.
His mother was Doña Teresa de Legaspi, a daughter of the adelantado
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. His elder brother, Felipe de Salcedo, made the
transpacific voyage four times and leaned more to the career of the
navigator than that of the soldier. Juan de Salcedo first saw the
Philippines in 1567, two years after the main expedition, and was
therefore only eighteen years old, in the first flush of youth. He was
attached to the command of the veteran Martin de Goiti in conquests of
the provinces, and took a leading part in the reduction of Rajah
Soliman's fort on the sandy spit that was to become the site of Manila.
Early campaigns against Moro pirates endowed him with acumen and cool
judgment, and his storming of the stone cottas on Lubang and Mindoro
gave him military experience. Poise and hardihood, rounding out his
character, came from his exploring expeditions. |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
He was admired by the restless spirits he
commanded. He had a bold high forehead, the upper part shaded by curly
locks, the lower creased by a groove, the mark of the steel morion
distinguishing the soldier from men of all other callings. He was of
only medium stature, but his body was the wiry type able to withstand
privations. His mild gray eyes could flash in anger when occasion
demanded, as when engaged in hand-to-hand combat, often against odds:
his unequal but successful encounter with the Ilokano babaknangs,
spearmen, on the dunes of Currimao, his coolness and agility in breaking
the lances of the Datus drawn up to oppose his advance. Few of the chieftains in the vicinity of the Pasig
were of Tagalog stock, but the people they ruled were. Lakandula, the
old Raja of Tondo, may have been a converted native too powerful for the
invading Borneans and Joloanos to overcome; but this was not the case
with Raja Soliman, an orthodox Muslim. Furthermore, there is reason to
believe that Lakandula never entirely abandoned his primitive Malayan
religion, as did many of the Datus and Pangulos under the teaching of
the pundits of the south. Had the Spaniard put off his coming two
decades more, the Crescent might have been too powerful for the Cross to
conquer. Even at that time, the natives of the lush volcanic region of
Laguna were under the sway of the Bornean chiefs; Gat-Paguil, Gat-Sungayan,
Gat- Pulintan and Gat-Salacab were all of that country, all Borneans, as
were Gat-Maglangsangan of Bay and his sister Ladia of Calilaya. |
There are language survivals enough, and customs as
well, to show the extent to which Mohammedan influence and authority had
spread around the Pasig, Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. Raja Lakandula, elderly and experienced, saw that
armed opposition to the Spaniards would result in eventual defeat, but
his wise councils were overridden by the Bornean chiefs. The Malay
settlements, or nyuns, were founded by warrior-datus aided by feudal
timawas or higher chiefs, and with these leaders came the slaves
attached to their households, the saguiguilid class of dependents.
Around them settled the freemen, their warriors, and the slaves of the
namamahay class, those having the privilege of living in houses of their
own. These primitive towns and villages, without inter-cohesion,
typified the state of native society confronting the Castilian. The
rajahs of more important towns than Manila, such as Macabebe, Guagua and
Li-han, as yet unsubdued, were willing to risk combat with the tempered
blades and smoking arquebuses of the Christian strangers; but meanwhile
Manila was being built up along the lines laid out by Legaspi and his
engineers, the labor being supplied by the conquered. Long sullen and
unreconciled, the Gats either departed this life suddenly or suffered a
ridiculous diminution of their realms; and their reduced estate came to
typify the hopeless protest of those who had once ruled supreme. Racial
prejudice is always strong, but not stronger than progress. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The nyun of Tondo, where Lakandula ruled, was the
largest of the settlements near Manila, and several smaller units
rendering a shadowy allegiance to Lakandola were attached to it,
Bancusay, Talindila and Bautangad. With his harem and his immediate
retainers, together with his mga saguiguilid, Lakandula dwelt in a long
rambling building of nipa and bamboo politely, but wholly inaccurately,
termed a palace. The Muslim influence had not progressed to the point of
segregating the women, as in the south, then the cradle of Phillippine
culture. Among the members of Lakondula's household was his niece, the
Dayang-Dayang Candarapa, named from the lark of the rice paddies, whose
cheery song she often imitated; and her only relative, save Lakandula,
was her widowed mother, the Dayang-Dayang Salanta. We must know from the
title, dayang-dayang, that Candarapa had the blood of royalty in her
veins both from her father and her mother, as the title, a very ancient
one, still persists among the Suluanos of our own times. Sent with two arquebuses on a mission to Lakandula,
Salcedo surprised a bathing party of women in one of the estuaries along
his route. Upon his approach, all the women but one fled through the
swamp grasses; and one, the Dayang-Dayang Candarapa, stood petrified
with terror. Not over sixteen, her slender body molded like a dryad's,
her long hair falling over her shoulders, she was a Venus in bronze; and
there she stood, gazing upon the young noble for the first time. Doffing
his morion, he swept her a courtly bow and resumed his way, leaving the
maiden in immobile astonishment. But she had made a profound impression
upon him, and he soon found other means of seeing her. Neither the old
rajah nor her mother offered objection, and in time love's flame was
kindled in two young and happy hearts. |
In accordance with Malay custom, Candarapa had been
promised to the Raja of Macabebe, a turbulent chieftain already married
times enough, who were desirous of a more intimate connection with
Lakandola of Tondo. He was equally desirous of Candarapa, whose cherry
lips and golden-olive skin denoted other blood than the pure Malay. So
love was not to run smooth.
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi When Legaspi heard of his grandson's infatuation, he forbade it in no uncertain terms; he had other plans for the young scion of his noble house. But with a flash of chivalry, Salcedo bowed and replied he would be faithful to Candarapa and await a more favorable reply to his request. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
He hoped that in time his stern grandparent would
relent. Certainly there was little time for dalliance, until the Spanish
power should be laid on more stable foundations. The age of conquest
meant hard work and hard fighting, and generally a poor reward. Salcedo
outwardly threw himself into the game, but inwardly dreamed of Candarapa.
A building plot had been assigned him, and here he raised the dwelling
where he thought of Candarapa as its happy mistress. True, it was only a
mean dwelling, of the flimsy materials first used; and yet it may have
been something better than the rest, since its owner did not lack the
hearty aid of his soldiers, to whom he was the acme of manhood and
heroism. But Salcedo was off with them to the provinces again, perhaps before the little building was completed. With a small column and three pieces of artillery he took Cainta and Taytay, subjected the towns around Laguna de Bay, and returned to Manila a victor. In his half-armor and plumed morion, he was now no less a hero to Candarapa than to his compatriots. The rajah of Macabebe learned of the affair through Soliman, and lost no time in coming to a new understanding with Lakandula. Traversing the estuary region of the Rio Grande de la Pampanga, he appeared with his fleet of war canoes off Bancusay bar, the port of Tondo. |
With him was Gat-Dula of Sexmoan,
the Gat-Maitan of Hagonoy, and some four hundred picked bayani, Malay
soldiery. Anchoring his fleet, he led his force to the house of the old
rajah, where he began to mock and ridicule Lakandola for submitting to
Legaspi and his men. It was not hard to arouse some of the rajah’s
lieutenants, hot headed followers of Islam, men like Batong-bakal, Gat-Bonton
and Kalaw, but the old rajah himself was unwillingly carried along on
the tide of popular clamor. It was at last agreed that war would be
declared on the Spaniards, provided the rajah of Macabebe would start
things off by slaying forty of them; after that, Tondo and Maynilad
would join the revolt. A feast for the bayani was provided in the
courtyard. Legaspi, quickly warned of the arrival of the Macabebes, but
unwilling to believe they would have the temerity to attack, sent two of
his officers with the interpreter Mahomat to invite the leaders to his
palace and assure them of his pacific intentions. The mission arrived and delivered its message, but the Rajah of
Macabebe leaped to his feet with flashing eyes. Jerking his kampilan
from its scabbard, he exclaimed:"May the sun divide my body in two,
the crocodiles eat it, and my wives become unfaithful, if I ever become
the friend of the Spaniards!" |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
This oath delivered, he stalked stiffly from the
room, and, to display further defiance, disdained to descend by the
stairway but leaped from the window, agilely lighting on his feet and
hurling back the defiance to the mission that he awaited war on the bar
of Bancusay. He and the Gats and the bayanis then entered their boats
and made preparations accordingly. Legaspi dispatched Martin de Goiti, maestre de
campo, Salcedo and eighty Spaniards to quell the haughty chieftains. A
preliminary flight of arrows, a discord of yells, and the battle was
joined. A ball in the chest from an arquebus killed the Raja of Macabebe
at once; he fell overboard, a spoil for crocodiles by whom he swore. The
Spanish craft ran down and capsized the native canoes, and the slaughter
went on, some fifty Malays perishing from sword and arquebus, against
which they had but lances, bows and arrows, and the kampilan and kris;
though their cutting weapons were not inferior to the Spaniards', they
had nothing to oppose to gunpowder. |
The fleet took to flight, de Goiti pursuing and
destroying the canoes one by one. Loot and prisoners overburdened the
Spaniards. Among the prisoners were a son and a nephew of Lakandula,
whom Legaspi liberated, dissimulating his knowledge of treachery on the
part of the rajahs of Tondo. De Goite sailed on into Bulakan by the
winding channels of the Pampanga, taking with him both Lakandula and
Raja Soliman to persuade the natives to submit. But eloquence proved
unavailing, and Legaspi imprisoned Lakandula when the latter returned to
Tondo without permission. Upon the return of de Goiti and Salcedo, of
course Salcedo pleaded for Lakandula and he was set at liberty. The
towns of Lubao and Betis refused to submit, and the southwest monsoon
suspended operations for a time, but the conquest of central Luzon was
completed by December 1571 and the Pax Espanola established over a
region always before devastated by petty wars and forays of the Rajahs
and Pangulos, headmen, of Bulakan and Pampanga. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Salcedo again in Manila, he and Candarapa exchanged
messages and rings, in the hope that the future might solve their
difficulties and bring them happiness. Fray Alvarado soon catechised and
baptized Candarapa, with many others of Lakandula's household, and gave
Candarapa the Christian name of Dolores. Lakandula himself steadily
refused to embrace the new religion, saying he was too old to change
gods. The fair neophyte, Candarapa, sent a message to Salcedo hidden in
a cluster of lotus blossoms. This token of fidelity he kept with him to
the end. But he was now to go far away, on expedition after expedition,
the relentless Legaspi believing that by this means he could make him
forget Candarapa. After the conquest of Zambales, he was sent to
conquer the land of Samtoy, the Ilokos region on the northwest coast of
Luzon. Historians, somewhat too eager to show that the power of the
church reconciled the natives, have glossed over too lightly the many
petty battles, engagements and hardships of the real conquistadores of
the archipelago; for though the influence of the church was marvelous,
without the sword of the conqueror it was not sufficient. Salcedo's
expedition to Ilokos and the passage around Luzon was no peaceful
parade. It was a series of on-falls, battles, and hand-to-hand
encounters: it was a triumph of hard-bitten soldiers, under a skilled
and intrepid young commander, over both man and nature. In addition to
conquering the babaknangs, Salcedo fought an engagement at sea with
three armed Japanese junks; and aside from enemies |
laden water, fevers, and a torrid sun beating down
on his handful of soldiers, who could not lay aside the breastplate and
buckler for fear of poisoned arrows. To his right were the high wooded ranges of the
Cordillera, with its fierce headhunting population, and to his left a
sparkling but barren sea; and before and behind him lay a succession of
hamlets of fighting men whose cunning lay more in the stealthy ambush
than in open warfare. Only a leader such as he could have accomplished
the task with a mere detachment of soldiers. Not only the display, but
the use of invincible force was necessary to convince the native that
the lance, the bow and arrow, and the kampilan could not compete with
Christian sword, shield, and arquebus. But his magnanimity won them as
much as anything else, the babaknangs saw he was no crude oppressor; and
when he took over his encomienda, in the country he had pacified, they
rendered him complete loyalty. But it had been a long and wearying campaign. When
at last it was completed, Salcedo rounded the northern coast of Luzon,
sailed down the treacherous Pacific coast, and crossed the mountains of
Morong to Manila to find that his illustrious grandfather, Miguel Lopez
de Legaspi, had died a few weeks before. He shut himself up in his
palace in grief. Not only had he lost his protector, the adelantado, but
the beloved Candarapa as well.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
News of his exploits during his long sojourn in
Ilokos filtered into Manila with the usual exaggerations and calumnies.
Among other things, it had been reported on good authority, as such
things always are, that he had met and married the daughter of the Rajah
of Kaog, Santa Lucia. This tale, repeated to Candarapa, had broken her
heart; three months later she had died from the blow, but without a
murmur. There was no repining, no message, other than the return of the
young knight's ring; but the song of the Lark of the Rice Fields, the
pretty Candarapa, was stilled forever. For days Salcedo grieved in
silence, refusing the food he sorely needed after the hardships of so
many months. This silence and seclusion was unfortunately
construed by Guido de Lavezares, who had taken over the governorship
after the death of Legaspi. His misgivings were fanned by the usual
calumnies of envy until Lavezares's visit to Salcedo that dispelled
every notion, save that he was a young and gallant man profoundly
grief-stricken and deserving of a comrade's consolation and trust. His
need of distraction being apparent, Lavezares sent him to pacify Nebuy,
now the Camarines provinces. The hardships of the expedition steeled
Salcedo to conceal his sorrow, but he found no new Candarapa. |
True to the vow to his first love, steadfast in his
statement to Legaspi, Salcedo never married. During Legaspi's governorship, Salcedo had refused
the allotment of an encomienda; but after Legaspi's death he accepted
the one assigned to him at Sinait, near Vigan, Ilokos Sur. From this
place, on the desperate occasion when the notorious Chinese pirate
Limahong attacked Manila, he made the city by forced marches with troops
which at the eleventh hour, when hope in the colony was gone, repulsed
the enemy. When he had done this, he returned to Sinait. The lordship of an encomienda transferred to him,
the sole right to the tribute formerly exacted by the bakaknangs from
the slaves who worked the fields, and the tribute collected was
infinitely easier on the lowly kailanes than the old system of abuses.
After founding Fernandina, now Vigan, the provincial capital, Salcedo
renounced the governorship of the Ilokos territory. Worn down by
incessant exertions and his unstapled grief, the cavalier’s health
began to wane. The death of his brother, Captain Felipe de Salcedo, and
the plight of his orphan sisters in distant Mexico added to his distress
of mind. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
He was now compelled to go to Manila upon a strange
errand. The viceroy of Fukien, China, had sent a gift to Manila in
reward for the defeat of the pirate hordes of Limahong, and Francisco de
Sande, to whom it had been sent, conferred it generously and justly upon
Salcedo. With this and the tribute due him, he resolved to return to
Mexico and make a home for his sisters; and to gather the tribute he
went back to Sinait. There he was bedridden for weeks with fever. While
still on his sickbed, he was told of some rich ore deposits in the
foothills. “I shall now have something to take to my
sisters", he thought to himself, and, ill as he was, he set out for
the gold lode. Though it was at no great distance, he was forced to
travel slowly. Two days in the torrid sun, and the little cavalcade
reached a mountain stream which it would have to ford. The stream ran
clear and cool, and Salcedo, parched with fever, drank to excess and
died three hours later, March 11, 1576. |
In his dead hand were found the withered flowers in
which Candarapa had sent him her confession of love. When he died he was but twenty-seven years old. He
made his will in Manila, as a precaution against the long exhausting
trip to Mexico, but before expiring there in the jungle he made a
codicil in which he commanded his debts to be paid, and the remainder of
his fortune to be divided between his two sisters and the most worthy of
the Ilokanos on his encomienda and in Vigan. A year later his remains were taken up and brought
to Manila, but long before that the Ilokanos had dug up the head, not as
a trophy, but as an object of reverence and adoration, which they
worshiped. Offer of liberal reward finally discovered it, and it was
tardily sent to Manila. His ashes, together with those of his
grandfather, Legaspi, were interred in the presbytery of St. Paul's,
where both their escutcheons and knightly guerdons hung until the
present new church was finished in 1614. It is also altogether probable
that they adorned the new church until its desecration by the British in
1762. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| Meantime many governors had been
buried there, and it was then that the graves were all torn up in the
wild search for treasure. Thereafter the Augustinians gathered up what
they could, and buried it all together in the little chapel at the left
of the altar. |
There rests Don Juan de Salcedo. The dust of
centuries and the forgetfulness of mankind detract nothing from this
noble knight. In the green paddies of the Philippines the wild lark
still sings. When next you hear the Candarapa call, remember
Dayang-Dayang Candarapa. |
| Reference: |
 |
|
|
Spanish
citizenship offer appeals to US Jews by Fernando
Peinado |
|
|
Spanish citizenship offer appeals to US Jews by |
| ============================================ | ============================================= | |
|
MIAMI (AP) — Elias Barrocas grew up thinking of Spain as
a beloved ancestral home, but one that painfully rejected his Jewish family five
centuries ago. For Barrocas and many other American Jews of Spanish
descent the emotional link with the Spain of their forefathers was never broken. Barrocas, 63, only visited Spain once — in 1982 — but a
Spanish passport would make official what he has always felt. |
"I love Spain because my roots are there," said
the Miami resident, who is a U.S. citizen. Worldwide, there are an estimated 3 million Jews of Spanish
origin. They are known as Sephardic Jews, for the Hebrew word for Spain, though
some Sephardic Jews' ancestors herald from other nearby countries or North
Africa. The Spanish government expects most of the new applications to come from
Israel, where crowds have lined up outside the Spanish Embassy and consulate to
request more information, or from Turkey and Venezuela, home to large Sephardic
communities. Many Sephardic Jews in Miami and New York have directed
queries to organizations like the American Jewish Committee, which the Spanish
government consulted during the drafting of the bill. For many Sephardic Jews in the United States, the draw of
Spanish citizenship is mainly symbolic, though it would give them access to
residency and jobs across the European Union, she said. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Sara Slomianski, a 49-year old housewife of Mexican origin
who lives in Miami, said she is content with her U.S. citizenship, but her
sister in Mexico is considering applying so she could move to Europe in search
of a better life. Most of the United States' roughly 5.5 million Jews are of
Central and Eastern European heritage, but as many as 300,000 have Sephardic
roots. Many descended from Jews who fled from Spain to North Africa, the Middle
East or other European countries and centuries later moved to the New World. Over the centuries, Sephardic Jews scattered in communities
around the world have preserved their distinct language, prayers, songs and
traditions. |
"It's almost like a lingering love that hasn't been
fulfilled," he said. Jonatas Da Silva, 33, a Brazilian artist who migrated to
the United States 20 years ago and is in the process of obtaining U.S.
citizenship, says he has no plans to move to Spain but will apply for Spanish
citizenship because it has a sentimental value for him. Da Silva, who lives in
Miami, has researched his family history and its journey over the centuries from
Spain to Portugal, Germany and Brazil.
|
|
Tal como me comprometí le envío los dos siguientes artículos
de una serie de seis. José Antonio Crespo-Francés |
||
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
En la sección Informes del diario digital www.elespiadigital.com publica
el artículo “La exploración de Alaska (3)” el domingo 5 de mayo de 2014. http://www.elespiadigital.com/index.php/informes/5378- · |
En la sección Informes del diario digital www.elespiadigital.com publica
el artículo “La exploración de Alaska (4)” el domingo 5 de mayo de 2014. La segunda expedición realizada por órdenes del virrey
para detener la fundación de bases de pesca y caza rusas, tendría como
comandante a Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Cuadra, marino español nacido en
Perú,
y a quien apenas con un año de residencia en San Blas se le dio el mando de la
fragata La Felicidad, uno de los tres navíos que componían la flota de esa
empresa. http://www.elespiadigital.com/index.php/informes/5379 Sent by Juan Marinez
|
|
|
|
Alonso
Pérez de Trigueros, héroe con Cortés
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Muchos fueron los triguereños que emprendieron la aventura
americana, pero uno de los que más se distinguió fue Alonso
Pérez.
|
Alonso Pérez había nacido y era vecino
de Trigueros. Hijo legítimo del matrimonio formado por Fernando de
Trigueros e Inés Martín. Llegó a tierras americanas con la expedición
de Narváez y formó parte del ejército de Hernán Cortés. Era el único licenciado o universitario
en la expedición pues tenía la titulación de “Bachiller”, o sea que
era de los pocos que sabía leer y escribir, aparte de .los frailes.En
combate estuvo mucho tiempo con Cortés y fruto de su efectividad, le
fueron concedidas varias encomiendas. Entre ellas la de
Acamistlahuaca,cerca de Taxco y la mitad de Tezontepec, en el Estado de
Hidalgo. Fue uno de los heroes en la conquista de Tnochtitlán. Pues consiguió salvar los 104 escalones de donde se dominaba toda la ciudad |
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
Asistió al recibimiento de Catalina Suárez, la esposa de
Cortés a su llegada en pequeño embarcadero de La Rambla, cerca de Ahualco.
Este acercamiento de Alonso a Cortés, después se convirtió en enemigo del
Capitán General y hasta declaró en su contra, como testigo en el juicio de
residencia que se siguió al Marques del Valle de Oaxaca acusándolo de la
muerte de su primera esposa. Cuando decidió casarse, vino a Trigueros para hacerlo
con su novia de siempre, Elvira Pérez, y de este matrimonio nacieron 13
hijos, (8 varones y 5 hembras) |
Vista general de Trigueros. / Foto: andalucia.org |
|
|
|
|
Tui to Santiago de Compostela by Refugio Rochin, Ph.D. |
|
Contact: Refugio Rochin rrochin@gmail.com,
San Diego California 92116.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The Camino Portugués is a centuries-old walking experience to Santiago
de Compostela in northwest Spain. For some Peregrinos or Pilgrims, this Camino
begins in Lisbon, passes north through Porto, Portugal, and into Spain at the
border of Valença/Tui. It enters Spain’s Galicia, through communities of
ancient Celts or Kelts on roads dating to the 1st century AD under Roman Emperor
Augustus. Colorful yellow arrows guided us on paths, streets and through
intersections. We never felt lost or unsafe. And tile paintings of the scallop
shell served as markers within villages and cities and across primary
roads. Frequently found on the shores of Galicia, the scallop has been a
longtime symbol of peregrinos on the Camino de Santiago. For some, the scallop shell is
a symbol with mythical, metaphorical and practical meanings. For most, the
scallop’s relevance may actually derive from the desire of pilgrims to take
home a souvenir.
|
We used hiking poles for stability over paths of gravel and
cobblestone; also for hiking up and down hills. We walked past vineyards (for albariño
wine), lush gardens and antiquated hórreos
(elevated granaries of stone or wood). We loved the family gardens and small
farms along the way. They were clearly well maintained with regularity; i.e., no
overgrowth of weeds and many mounds of manure to fertilize the fields. We saw
Galician gardeners in orderly rows of potatoes, kale, beans, and corn; also in
vineyards where grapes were tightly draped on lines, running between poles of
granite. Yes, granite poles! Not poles of wood or metal. We crossed streams and rivers over ancient bridges, many ornate granite
structures. We experienced rain every day, almost steady for 6 hours one day.
With ponchos covering our heads and packs on our backs, we kept walking;
absorbing the beauty of lush green forests, wild flowers, panoramic hills and
valleys, villages with churches and occasional views of harbors.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
We walked
through villages with homes of stone, public fountains and small cafes for
pilgrims where we joined other Peregrinos for snacks, menus and drinks. We also got our “credencial” or
“pilgrims’ passport” stamped at such cafes; a pass giving us access
to inexpensive, overnight accommodation in refugios
or alburgues along the trail. In Santiago, the “credencial”
provided us with a record of where we ate and slept, and served as proof at the
Pilgrim's Office that our journey was accomplished according to an official
route. Daily we
walked upwards of 6-7 hours, about 12 miles per day. Though we had never walked
so far in such time, we made it to Santiago de Compostela, about 70 miles in
five days. We marveled
at so many others on our path; youthful and energetic, with some on a fast pace
and most having fun in small groups. Following tradition, we were greeted by
them, and said in return, a cheerful “Buen
Camino.” Almost all asked where we were from and we in turn heard that
they were from Australia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, Germany, the
Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. For Jean-Françios Aillet from Normandy,
France, the Camino Portugués was a fulfilling journey, adding to his total of
over 14,000 kilometers on several Caminos to Santiago.
|
From Aillet we learned that the
Franciscan Cathedral in Santiago, was issuing special certificates to
commemorate 800 years of service. Apropos,
Refugio was baptized in the Franciscan Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside
California. Between the
four of us we shared our pain, sore feet and aspirin. Walking step by step, we
learned to dig deep inside ourselves, reflect and care. At the end of each day,
we ate from our hotels’ cartas de menus
and relaxed. On top of all, we felt good. We also gained a wonderful sense of
history, culture, Galician people and loveliness all around. After a day
in Santiago, getting our credentials and attending the Pilgrim’s Mass at the
Cathedral, we took a taxi to Finisterre.
Once considered “the end of the known world” until Columbus altered things,
it was our final destination to remember our loved ones: Julio Garci-Crespo and
John VanDoorn. Our driver commented, “It is unusually bright and clear. The
ocean is so calm.” We were all blessed on this occasion. We wish all who follow:
BUEN CAMINO
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Araceli
Garci-Crespo, Sylvia-Rochin de VanDoorn, Cassie Morton-Rochin and Refugio I.
Rochin. Our ages range from 67 to 77. Cassie and
Refugio planned the itinerary and made reservations. We prepared for 6 months by
walking with hiking poles in our neighborhoods. We learned that that was helpful
but not enough. We concur that 6 days would have been more relaxing than 5 days
for people our age. |
||
|
Our Itinerary Hostal Albergue Villa
San Clemente REDONDELA
Arrive Sun. May18
Depart Mon. May19 PONTEVEDRA
Arrive Mon. May19
Depart Tues. May20 CALDAS DE
REIS
Arrive Tues. May 20
Depart Wed.May 21 PADRON
Arrive Wed. May21
Depart Thur. May22 SANTIAGO DE
COMPOSTELA
Arrive Thur. May22
Depart Fri. May23 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
Part
5 LIFE
AND TRAVELS IN PAKISTAN By
Jose M. Peña[i]
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Introduction.
As I explained in my previous 4 articles, many good and rough
things happened to me and my family during my 35-years of work, as
Foreign Services Officer (FSO), with the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), as a Director of a Health Project in Guatemala, an
International Consultant with private contractors, and as a contractor
with the Organization of American States (OAS).
Although at times there were extremely harsh experiences, this
was a most productive period of our lives.
As an Organization, USAID is exceptional; some Offices within it
were, at the time (20 years back), in need of better selection of
managers. In any event, it was a
time when my family and I were assigned – and lived – in eight
different countries. I lived in
three countries by myself. And, I
went on Temporary Duty Assignments (TDY) to 26 other countries.
For this reason, I would like to tell some of my many professional and personal stories in a series of installments over a period of months. For professional reasons, I will try to stay away from the highly technical side of my work – although citing some examples and parts of my experiences. |
Part
5. This is
the fifth part in my series of stories. These
few stories took place after I returned to Pakistan from my three month
TDY in Bangladesh and during my tour of duty in the Regional
Inspector’s Office in the Middle East.
It ends at the time I was transferred to Cairo, Egypt. This was
my first tour of duty in (Karachi) Pakistan; I was to be assigned to
Peshawar (Pakistan), as a Consultant, after my retirement from USAID, at
a much later date. The Assignment
in Peshawar – to a project that was designed to get the Russians out
of Afghanistan -- was full of excitement and danger; I will tell that
story at a later date. Life In Karachi. Since I was traveling 90% of the time, my 10% stays in Karachi were not all that bad. After my return from Bangladesh, I found that living in that huge house by myself, and in an isolated area, was somewhat depressing. So, I moved to a small two bedroom apartment in a small Pakistani compound which was occupied by large Pakistani families. There were some beautiful girls that lived in the family compound. They spoke English, but hardly ever spoke to me (one of the taboos). |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
At
that time, Karachi seemed somewhat isolated.
It was a small city and news about what was going on in the rest
of the country and the world was slow in coming, limited, and one sided.
We did get a daily briefing that came from the U.S. Embassy in
Islamabad. My Pakistani Friend – the Guard. The little compound had a guard, who was deformed (slightly hunched back, arthritic-like hands, a crooked leg, etc.). Because of the “class differences” that exist(ed) in Pakistan, seldom did the Pakistani families, who lived in the compound – or anyone else for that matter -- spoke to him. The guard reminded me somewhat of the “hunch back of Norte Dame” – alone, isolated, etc. This guard liked to sit, on his watch post, which was very close outside of my window and he “would serenade me” every day with his sing-song reading of the Koran. I enjoyed that very much. Sometimes, I would walk out, give him a coke, and sit close-by, just listen, record him, and let him know I enjoyed it. At various stops in his reading, he would stop, hold my hand, in the form of friendship, and, in Urdu, say, I guess, a “few sweet nothings,” to let me know that he appreciated me being his friend and listening to his chants. Even after all these many years, I miss my friend – the Pakistani guard and his sing-song chanting of the Koran. |
Religious
Self-Mutilations.
I keep wondering how many times my Pakistani guard might have
expounded on the virtues of Islam and asked me to convert to that
religion. In his way, he probably
told me that over 95% of the people in Pakistan practice a form of
Islamic religion, with Sunnis accounting for the majority, Shias for
about 15%, Ahimadi for some and that there are are other forms of
religion such as Christians, Hindus, and siks.
He might have repeated the teachings of the Koran, that: there is
only one God, that Muhammad was only a prophet, that marriages are
arranged, that a man can have up to four wives at one time, that divorce
is easy – just throw three stones, etc. etc.
However,
he probably never mentioned that girls – at an early age – are
forced to have infibulation (a radical form of female circumcision),
that in many cases, female parts are partially sewed and opened only
near marriages, that little girls were not allow to receive an
education, that at the age of 12, little girls were frequently forced
into marriages with older men, that girls need not consent at time of
marriage, and that, if a woman commits adultery, she is stoned to death.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| My little friend – the guard -- also probably never mentioned the many self-flagellation sacrifices that some Islamic sects (such as the Shias) are required to endure. I saw such self-mutilation in one of my trips to Peshawar. While Gino – when he was helping me during the Family Planning Review in Pakistan -- went to other parts of Pakistan, I went to Peshawar and one Friday, while on the second floor of my “First Class” hotel, I heard a great deal of chanting and commotion. From the balcony, I witnessed a long parade of rows after rows and columns after columns of people. Each row consisted of maybe 8 people per row. The lengths of each column would be very difficult to determine. Most of the marchers were grown men, but there were some younger people. All were chanting and marching in cadence, most flogging/whipping their bare backs with whips that had spikes, and some with knives, slashing at their heads. There was blood spattered all over their bodies, heads, face, and street. That parade lasted over an hour; so, that will give the reader some idea of the fervency of belief that Shias have. | Each year, they celebrate the “Ashura” or the date when the favorite grandson of Muhammad (Hussein Ibn Ali) and all his family were killed and dismembered. The Shias believe that only the heirs of the fourth Caliph, Ali, are the direct descendants of Mohammed. | |
|
·
What
is amazing about the Muslim’s flagellations are the similarities to
the Catholic Custom that takes place each year in Taxco (Guerrero),
Mexico in the season of lent. Just
like the Muslims, the Catholics in Taxco march through the streets and
flog themselves in identical manner. Although
the floggings and physical damages are identical, one is for the death
of the grandson of Muhammad and the other is for death of Jesus Christ.
Not being the most religious person, the significance of the
difference is difficult to decipher or understand.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
| The Harshness of the Justice System. Another thing that my friend – the Guard – did not tell me was the way the Pakistan Justice System carries out its punishment for various offenses. As I soon found out, every week, in the central plaza of Karachi (and other plazas around the country), there was a public ritual where people, accused of various types of offenses, would be publicly presented and so called “justice” adjudicated. Some of the offenders received the number of whippings as dictated by the courts; others (thieves) got their right hand cut-off; and major offenders got their heads cut-off. As I learned more about the system, I remembered what that Pakistani lawyer was telling me during the review of the Family Planning Commodities. When we found out that an organization was converting Family Planning Commodities to commercial products, the Pakistani Lawyer assigned, as consultant, to help us, told us several times: |
·
“…Oh,
hell, don’t fuss too much about it, we can make him or them talk and
confess very quickly. All we do
in Pakistan is strip the person nude, hang
him by his feet, whack him a few times all over the body and at the
soles of his feet and all will confess in a matter of an hour….” |
|
|
I was invited to go see these proceedings; but, I did not have that built-in curiosity. Although I read about the events in the local newspaper, I never attended such executions. However, even now I frequently wonder how many of those people that were executed – one way or another – had confessed because they were actually guilty or because they had been forced to confess a crime they had not committed. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
The
Pakistani Political Scene.
During the time I was in Pakistan, the case of President and
Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was center stage, in news, papers,
and conversations. Pakistan has always had multiple political problems, maybe because of the way (a) their constitution is written, (b) the Government is structured, (c) the power of the military, (d) the religious representations and beliefs of the different sects, and/or (e) the government philosophy where there is conflict of interest between positions. |
In any event, the Pakistani political scene is extremely difficult to understand or to explain. Within the political maneuvers and machinations, one can see the labyrinthine characteristics of the system. There is an overt separation and division between and within the different religious sects. Enemies form alliances and later turn against each other. Long-time friends become pernicious enemies. Personalities support the various political stances and then turn against them. There are unceremonious overthrows of high officials, murders, fratricidal inclinations, and others. Given this complex political environment, my discussion, in this part, is limited to a very brief discussion to the events surrounding the case of Sulfikar Ali Bhutoo. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Briefly,
Ali Bhutto was a well-known and brilliant politician.
He was born to an extremely wealthy family who had high
connections with the English and Indian authorities who ruled the
country at the time. Ali Bhutto
was an extremely well educated person who went to Cathedral and John
Conon School, University of California, in Berkley, the England Church
of Christ, and others. He was
married two times. The first
marriage was arranged. The second
was his choice. His first child
in the second marriage was Benazir Bhutto – this daughter later became
a very important political figure in Pakistan who was later also
assassinated. Ali
Bhutto studied, lectured, and expounded the virtues of socialism. When
he formed and became President of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP),
he established the party’s
philosophy as being “…Islam is our faith, democracy is our policy,
socialism is our economy, and all power is to the people…”[ii]
|
Back
in 1962, relations between Pakistan and the U.S. were very close and
very good back. In this capacity,
as Foreign Minister, Ali Bhutto began to stir that nation’s close
alliance away from the U.S. and towards a closer association with China
and Russia. Together with the
Pakistani President, or by himself, Ali Bhutto signed a number of
International Agreements including a Peace Treaty with India, a
separation agreement with Eastern Pakistan (which became Bangladesh).
After this, Ali Bhutto became Prime Minister and signed an
agreement with India so that 93,000 Pakistani Prisoners (from the
India/Pakistan war) would be returned. Ali
Bhutto agreed to transfer 750 Square Kilometers to the country of
Kashmir to be administered jointly with China.
Ali Bhutto also made Pakistan a member of nations possessing
nuclear power and destructive bombs. In
sum, Ali Bhutto’s achievements while in power are renowned. From
then on, Ali Bhutto’s career followed the labyrinth of the Pakistani
Political system – he overthrew the President; became President;
became Prime Minister; etc. There
were elections. A number of them,
he won. Other political factions
began to call the results of the different elections -- “illegimate.”
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
In the summer of 1976, Ali Bhutto passed over seven senior Lieutenant-generals and appointed General Zia Ul-Haq as Commander-in-Chief of Army. In accepting the commission, Zia told Ali Bhutto: |
From
then on, Zia Ul Haq became Ali Bhutto final nemesis and his political
life began to spiral downward. As
usual, the U.S. broke relations with Pakistan, but renewed it. |
|
|
·
“Sir,
I am so grateful to you for appointing me Chief of Army Staff.
Not only myself, but may future generations will be eternally
grateful to you for singling me out for such a great honor, and this is
a favour which I can never forget…”[iii] |
||
|
· As it happens every time that the U.S. breaks relations with the country, us, the diplomats who are in the country, usually are told to stay home, be alert, restrain from saying things – either for or against – the situation. That is what I did a couple of times in Pakistan. |
||
|
General Zia ul-Haq pursued his quarry (Bhutto) incessantly. Ali Bhutto was accused of conspiracy to |
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Ali
Bhutto was once again arrested. Three
days after Bhutto’s release from jail, Zia Ul Haq arrested him again
on the same charges – conspiracy to murder Ahmed Rza Kasuri.
However, this time was under martial law.
Zia Ul Haq arraigned Ali Bhutto and, bypassing a lower court trial, brought him in front of the High Court of Lahore. The proceeding began October 24, 1977. The trial was a sham. One of the four People who had been accused as the assassins retracted his confession on the basis that it had been extracted from him through torture. Numerous mistakes were made during the trial; these errors did not appear in the 706 page Official Transcripts. In sum, this was a Kangaroo Court hearing at its best. |
On
March 18, 1978 – right after I had left Pakistan -- Ali Bhutto was
declared guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
The sentence was appealed and heard by the Supreme Court.
When 5 of the 9 Justices were willing to overrule the guilty
verdict, the Chief Justice adjourned the session – so that one Judge
could retire and change the Supreme Court equation. On March 24, 1979, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. Zia Ul Haq upheld the death sentence. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was quietly hanged at the Central Jail in Rawalpindi, on April 4, 1979. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Here
are two final notes: ·
Zia
Ul-Haq ruled Pakistan, as President and Chief of the Army, until August
17, 1988. On this date and
together with his Chairman Joint Chief of Staff (Committee General
Akhtar Abdul Rehman) and the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan (Arnold Raphel),
Zia Ul-Haq were killed in a fiery and very mysterious accident involving
a C-130 Hercules Airplane. He was
buried on August 19, 1988. The prevailing theory is that they were all
assassinated. · Benazir Bhutto, Ali Bhutto’s daughter, took over her father’s party and was assassinated on December 27, 2007.
|
Colonoscopies
in Pakistan.
My office friends and their families would drop by, have a few
drinks, and keep me company. I
was invited to homes and cocktails frequently.
Not being the best of cooks, I usually got into my old Vega and
run to a restaurant and eat that Nan, and good spicy chicken tikka,
chicken tandori, or curry and foul (beans) -- man, I loved that
hot-spicy Pakistani food. And so,
it was that the hot spices were bound to have an effect on my system. I began to notice some bleeding when I used the bathroom. Scared, I went to the doctor. He prescribed a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy, in Pakistan, in those days, was not the gentle procedure that is observed in the U.S. these days. I went to the local hospital on the day indicated, took my clothing off, lay down on a table, and the male nurses gave me a huge enema full of water and soap. It was the most uncomfortable feeling; I was ready to blow up and asked for the location of the toilet. The nurses gave me a nice surprise. The toilet was at the end of a half-a-block long corridor, not close as I expected. |
|
|
In
sum, as can be seen from this short explanation of one single Pakistani
personality, Pakistan is not, in anyway, a politician’s paradise.
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Faster
than superman, I put on my pants and shirt (modesty, you know),
tightened every muscle I could (yes, especially the sphincter muscle),
shuffled down the corridor, tried to open the toilet door, and there was
a further surprise: someone was
there. By then, I think the
nurses were having a fit laughing. Anyway,
somehow, I held on. Someone else
came running, probably as desperate as I was.
I growled a couple of choice things in Spanish, English,
Vietnamese and Urdu --- No One, but No One, was going in there – but
me. After the door opened, I
rushed in. The other poor person
must have had fits. The rest of
the procedure – even with the pumping of the air -- was uncomfortable,
but tolerable. I was awake
throughout. Since air pumped in
must always come out, the explosions that followed were most
embarrassing, but my diagnosis was Ok. They
told me that my stomach was slightly irritated by the spices.
I still love and eat hot-spicy curry. |
The
Karachi Golf Club.
One of my friends asked me if I had brought my golf clubs and
invited me to play at the Karachi Golf Club.
We got there and we got ready to tee off.
I asked how many holes. My
friend said that there were nine, but they were a little rough.
He said it with a smirk in his face – and I wondered why.
I soon found out. There
was no grass anywhere – just sand all over.
The “greens” were made out of sand patted down with oil.
Not being the best of players, I would hit the ball; it would go
up, come down, sink in the sand, and not advance much.
My score was bad – real bad – I mean real bad -- that day.
They were equally bad the next two times I played there. For the five months that Gino and I were on that special family planning job, we had a good time. The stays in Islamabad and other cities were in first class hotels and constant visits to the U.S. Embassy compound and club. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Assignment
as Sponsor.
In one of my trips back to Karachi, I was assigned as a
“Sponsor” to a new comer and his family.
His name was Elmer H and he was coming with his wife and nine
children (you read right – 9 children).
Extremely devoted Catholics, both the husband and wife did not
believe in Family Planning. Finding
a house for them was awfully difficult. We
eventually located a house that had six bedrooms and the General
Services Group modified it so the family could fit in. Elmer
was something. At the airport, he
was upset that the Agency would only provide a six bedroom house.
He expected a bigger place. At
the office, Jack R, John E, Elmer and I had a nice clarification talk.
He was quickly assigned to help Gino and I.
He turned out to be more of a weakness than a help.
During the study, I had done sufficient surveys and probes to
know the different problems of the areas.
|
I would assign him an area, knowing the general nature of the problems, but expecting him to determine their magnitude. He would stay in the area maybe an hour or two, return and tell me “…there is nothing there…” Wow! After talking to him – and “walking him through” or actually going with him and determining the magnitude -- he would finally tell me “…if I continue to develop all facts of that area, it will take me close to a month or two; the easiest thing is not to find anything. I need to get home…” Although I felt some pity for him, I quickly dumped him and avoided him, to the extent possible, as an assistant, from then on. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Ässignment
in Yemen.
After the seven month job in Bangladesh, Pakistan, other countries and a
short trip to the U.S. for Christmas, I was assigned, with Carl K. as my
assistant, to a complex job in the agricultural sector of Sana’a,
Yemen. Since Carl was coming
along, the job was expected to be about 1 ½ month long. Carl
K. was a very nice person whom I had met in Vietnam.
His personal life was interesting.
He had met his wife (Van….) while in Saigon, courted her, and
married her. He liked to brag
about the wedding night; they had stayed in Van’s house.
The morning after their wedding, he had come out of his room and
showed Van’s mama and papa a bloody garment, celebrating the fact that
the girl had been a virgin. The
funny thing was that her closest friends knew she had had a few
“friends” before Carl. Anyway, both Carl and Van departed Vietnam in 1975 just before the North Vietnamese conquered the entire Vietnamese peninsula. |
Van
had a younger sister (Kim) who escaped Vietnam with them.
Since the U.S. Government only permitted direct dependents
to receive benefits (travel, health, educational, etc), Carl K and Van
had legally “adopted” Kim as their “daughter.”
This is how they could travel together, to different posts, at
U.S. Government expense. Kim, a lovely girl, who was about 16 years old, would often come over to my apartment and talk to me at length. It was obvious to me that Kim did not like living in Karachi – because she was too mature for her age, life was too restrictive and Van, her sister, was apparently carrying on an extra-marital relationship with a “Vietnamese Friend” – a Catholic Priest -- based in Hong Kong who frequently came and stayed in the Carl K home. With Carl K traveling so much, he might have heard the rumors floating in the community (about his wife’s infidelity), but seemed comfortable with the arrangement. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
So
Carl K and I went to Sana’a, Yemen by way of Saudi Arabia.
Going back and forth through Saudi Arabia was always a real
hassle. Even with diplomatic
passports, we would not dare carry any liquor or any “dirty
magazines” – and God forgive if your passport was stamped as having
been to Israel. Even though we
were in transit, the airport security – with their spotlessly white
Galibeas and red-checkered Kafia’s -- would confiscate our passport,
make us sit in a guarded area, watch us almost every minute, just about
escort us to and from the toilets, and give us our passports at the door
of the airplane. Although we
never got out of the airport, I will always remember Saudi Arabia with
very negative thoughts and feelings. We got to Sana’a and started work. Let me describe Sana’a as I remember it from 1977. It sat on top of a mountain, homes were real old, the windows were somewhat lopsided, roads were normally unpaved, traveling was hazardous, and altitude drops between the capital and the rest of the country were precipitous. Once you were traveling, you would encounter beautiful sights of castles built on top of hills and places that you would never expect. |
The
people were not the typical arabesque type.
A little on the darker side, the Yemeni usually wore a quilt-like
wrap around type of dress, a head dress (khafia), and you would see no
one without a dagger-like “Giambia (or
Jambiya)” in the center part of their torso; this signified their
machismo. I saw an advantage to
quilt-like dress. Toilet
facilities were unusual. Even at
the airport, you would find the toilets to be a series of round holes on
the floor with water around. Since they required squatting, the Yemeni
dress was a definite advantage over pants.
Anyway, once a week, the Yemeni’s would go to the center of
town and buy “Kat,” – probably similar to Marijuana or Coca
Leaves. Chewing it caused a
“high” with some hallucinations. Judging
from the number of Internet sites today, Yemen has changed in a radical
and progressive manner. It is now
a very nice place. However, in
1977, there was a saying:
“If Jesus Christ was to return to earth today, he would only
recognize one place – Sana’a, Yemen…. “
|
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Anyway,
we started working in the USAID Office. It
had no cafeteria. There was a
small shack about a block away. I
would eat there. The owner/cook
had been executed, as a thief, and his right hand was gone.
He made nice egg and/or tough steak sandwiches the best he could.
I did not starve and I ate there for more than a month. Not a week had gone by, and Carl K got an “Eyes Only” Cable, meaning that only he could see it. When he came back, he was crying and told me that Kim had left home and was missing. The search for her was all over Pakistan, but it seemed more likely that she had left the country. Her destination was unknown. Remembering the house of ill-repute of Chittagong, I really feared for Kim’s well-being. According to instructions, he returned back to Karachi to help with the search.
|
Once
again, I was left alone, traveled throughout Yemen, ate in communal
Bedouin restaurants – where exceptional cheese, lamb, and Nan cuisine
are usually shared by groups. We
would sit on the floor (no difference in ranks or jobs), crossed-legs,
the food in the center, and we dipped the Nan with our fingers.
I don’t remember if everyone washed their hands; but we did not
get sick. Also, the Camaraderie
that develops is extraordinary. As usual, the study resulted in exceptional conclusions and I returned to Karachi. When I got back I was told that someone had bought Kim a flight ticket and she had traveled to Hong Kong, stayed there a few days, and was now, safe, somewhere in the U.S. Since Kim was under aged, a legal dependent (adopted daughter) of Carl and Van, there were legal efforts to bring her back to Karachi. I don’t think that ever happened. Kim’s safety in the U.S. made me very happy. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Transfer
to Inspector General’s Office.
By the time I got back to Karachi from Yemen, the whole concept
of the Auditor General had changed. We
were no longer the AG Office. Harry
Cr had been terminated, and a new man (Herbert B) had been officially
appointed as the Inspector General. The
names of the field offices were also changed to Regional Office of
Inspector General. All this had
been done under a newly passed Inspector General’s Act. Briefly,
Herbert B was a retired Brigadier General (two stars); he brought good
credentials to the Organization and for a number of years did good
things for the IG Office. He was
well liked for a few years. However,
he began to bring in new people from another organization, get bad
advice, and began to discriminate and legally persecute USAID employees
from the IG and other Offices. He
lasted in his position close to 14 years and, after many complaints, was
eased out. |
Afghanistan.
My final assignment in Pakistan was to Afghanistan, as part of
five people team headed by Rick H -- a real fine person and exceptional
professional. Some of our team
decided to go by plane into Kabul. Three
of us decided to go to Islamabad by air and via road from there to see
the Khyber Pass. Going from
Karachi to Islamabad by air had its challenges sometimes.
At that time, airline security was almost non-existent.
Smoking inside the airlines was permitted.
And, there was one time, when one person lit his little kerosene
stove (to cook his meals) and almost burned the entire plane. This time, our travel to Islamabad was a breeze. Traveling via road on a USAID Van was very comfortable. I vaguely remember passing Peshawar, which was a small city at the time, and then maneuvering through the Khyber Pass. That one was a challenge because of the height of the mountains and the amount of busses, trucks, and people on the narrow road. But, other than some inconveniences, the trip was decent. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
We
stayed in Kabul at the U.S. Embassy/USAID Guest House.
All five of us drank like a fish at night, so the stay and
camaraderie was nice. Everything
went smoothly. Since
the Guest House was close to the Russian Compound in Kabul, we often
took long walks by there. One
day, I remember taking a walk. There
were two couples talking on the side-walk.
The ladies were covered with a veil.
As I was just about ready to pass them, the ladies decided to say
goodbye and uncovered their faces to kiss each other.
My mind still sees those beautiful green eyes of both and those
beautiful white “Aryan” faces. I
will never understand why such beautiful women are covered up in that
manner. Anyway,
we left Kabul one day and it was just in time because the Soviet Union
decided to invade Kabul sometime after our departure.
|
My
transfer to Cairo, Egypt was a blessing and a vindication.
It meant that my family would be joining me as soon as Medical
Clearances could be obtained and I would not be traveling too much.
I sold the old Chevy Vega to one of my co-workers for about $200
(???) and I was on my way within 15 days from notification.
I had been in Siberia –oops, Karachi – a total of one year.
I can’t say that Jack R and John E were my friends, but we did
not have any significant confrontations. I
arrived in Cairo completely reenergized. |
|
Raju, the elephant cried as he was freed from 50 years of cruelty; |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
Under the cover of darkness, a team from London-based
Wildlife S.O.S rescued an elephant that had been abused for 50 years in India
and transported it 350 miles to an elephant sanctuary where it walked free for
the first time on July 4th. Raju, believed to have been poached from his mother as a
baby, was beaten and left bleeding from painful spiked leg shackles by an
abusive owner who had the elephant beg for handouts and survive by eating
plastic and paper for food. The owner also tore out hair from Raju’s tail to sell as
good luck charms, Wildlife S.O.S. founder Kartick Satyanarayan told the U.K.
MailOnline. A year after learning of Raju’s plight, Wildlife S.O.S.
last week led a team of 10 veterinarians and wildlife officials, 20 forestry
department officers and six policemen, and seized the abused elephant from the
Uttar Pradesh area of India, after receiving a court order. “The team [was] astounded to see tears roll down his face
during the rescue,” Pooja Binepal, a spokesman for Wildlife S.O.S., told the
MailOnline. “It was so incredibly emotional for all of us. We knew in our
hearts he realized he was being freed. |
“Elephants are not only majestic, but they are highly
intelligent animals, who have been proven to have feelings of grief, so we can
only imagine what torture half a century has been like for him. “Until we stepped in he’d never known what it is like
to walk free of his shackles–it’s a truly pitiful case. But today he knows
what freedom is and he will learn what kindness feels like and what it’s like
to not suffer any more.” The owner, reported by The Times of India to be a drug
addict, and the elephant’s handler attempted to thwart the rescue, blocking
the road, shouting commands to Raju to try to provoke the animal into violence,
and adding more chains around the animal’s legs. But the rescue team stood its ground, and seized the
animal. It was at this point that tears began rolling down Raju’s face. Raju,
despite each painful step as the spikes cut into his flesh, calmly climbed into
the truck, as if knowing he was being rescued. Raju, an abused elephant for 50 years, walks free of chains and spiked shackles at an elephant sanctuary in India. |
| ============================================= | ============================================= | |
|
|
Raju was taken to the charity’s Elephant Conservation and
Care Centre at Mathura where he was able to walk free from cruelty for the first
time in 50 years. “Incredibly he stepped out of his truck and took his
first step to freedom at one minute past midnight on July 4th, which felt so
extraordinarily fitting,” Satyanarayan told MailOnline. The rescue team had waited until getting the abused
elephant to the sanctuary to remove its shackles. Wildlife vet Dr. Yaduraj
Khadpekar began doing so immediately.
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
|
||
|
============================================= |
============================================= |
|
|
“It took him [Khadpekar] and two handlers 45 minutes to
liberate him as they’d been wound round his legs to prevent their removal and
to cause pain if anyone tried to take them off,” Satyanarayan told MailOnline. “We all had tears in our eyes as the last rope which held
the final spike was cut and Raju took his first steps of freedom. “The entire team [was] exhausted, but incredibly elated
as he has suffered such unthinkable abuse and trauma for so, so long. He’d
been beaten so badly, his spirit is broken.” Raju, an abused elephant for 50 years, receives medical
attention for chronic wounds. Photo from Wildlife S.O.S. Facebook page
|
|
|
============================================= |
============================================= | |
|
Since his arrival, Raju has received medical attention,
been given proper baths and food, and is well along in the rehabilitation
process. Wildlife S.O.S. has launched a campaign to raise $17,000 to help Raju
begin his new life in a new enclosure, which will allow him to roam free with
other elephants.
|
Satyanarayan said Raju is “tasting freedom for the first
time in his life, and he’ll spend the rest of his life in a safe compound
living out his days in dignity, free from suffering and pain.” Follow David Strege on Facebook
|
|
UNITED STATES HERITAGE PROJECTS
HISPANIC LEADERS
EDUCATION
ORANGE COUNTY, CA
CALIFORNIA
SOUTHWESTERN, US
INDIGENOUS
INTERNATIONAL 08/13/2014 02:45 PM
|
Mr. Tito Monsalvo Fernandez, Jr. age 85 of San Antonio passed
away on Thursday, June 26, 2014. Mr. Fernandez retired from the United States Postal Service after 54 years of service. He was
also a member and past Governor of the Granaderos de Galvez.
Cit
ACADEMIA DE
ARTE YEPES
Concurrently
in 1993, with their shared talents and disciplines, George Yepes and the
Academia de Arte Yepes students, in partnership with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the
Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), began a fourteen-year series of projects, and
implemented the first National Educational Model titled "The Marriage of
Art, Science, and Technology". In doing so, George Yepes was able to unite
some of the most brilliant people in the world to reach into the East Los
Angeles community and inspire students to further NASA's goal of "elevating
the intellectual base of mankind".
Bring
your sunblock & your favorite hat for 2 great days of learning in
the sun! 
I gotta tell ya that
those few years that we lived in that area were fantastic .
July 26, the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum held 
