Though he died long before the construction of any U.S. border wall, the poet Walt Whitman appears to have anticipated our current racism-infused immigration debate. For U.S. Latinos like myself, that debate can often appear as if our country is contesting the merits of our presence. But all the way back in 1883, Whitman wrote, “To that composite American identity of the future, Spanish character will supply some of the most needed parts.”

Whitman’s thoughts on those of us known as Latinos (or Hispanics—the terms are functionally similar, if not fully interchangeable) is one of many telling details that Carrie Gibson weaves together in her new work of history, El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America. Rejecting the implications of the label “minority,” Gibson instead tells the history of Latinos as equal protagonists in the American story.

Telling the entire 500-year history of Spanish-speaking peoples in what is now the United States in a single volume is rarely attempted, and Gibson is bold to do it. The book speeds through time and place at a breakneck pace, and so occasionally suffers from lack of depth. Events as pivotal to American Latino history as the 1960s farmworker movement are given barely a page of analysis.

Nevertheless, including so many diverse periods, peoples and places in one book, and finding the sometimes faint thread of heritage and experience that unites them, is a great accomplishment. Mexicans, Cubans, Dominicans and Puerto Ricans alike will find themselves in this book, but will also learn something about the others.

All the way back in 1883, Walt Whitman wrote, “To that composite American identity of the future, Spanish character will supply some of the most needed parts.”

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The Hispanic history of North America is also inescapably a history of Catholicism. Many of the early portions of the book, including Gibson’s explorations of Spanish colonizers, are preoccupied with the often violent expansion of the church. Here is yet another reminder that there is dark history for the church to reckon with.

Ultimately, El Norte itself comes at a pivotal moment in Latino history. Naturally, the book addresses the fact that the sitting United States president ran on a message of explicit anti-Latino bigotry. The book falls short of answering the question I have been asking all my life: Why does American society seem to hate Latinos so much? It does, however, offer this glimmer of hope: Latinos have been through worse, and yet endured.

This article also appeared in print, under the headline "An American story," in the August 19, 2019 issue.

https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2019/08/09/review-latinos-are-protagonists-american-story

Alberto López. Hace pocos días charlábamos amigablemente un grupo de amigos, todos hispanistas y de procedencia diversa, acerca del futuro de nuestra cultura común.

De repente algunos nos dimos cuenta que partíamos de diferentes caminos, es decir, teníamos ideas diversas de conceptos que deberían ser punto de partida para cualquier debate hispanista, primero se han de asentar y cimentar conceptos básicos. El principal problema según creo es delimitar bien que era y que es ahora España.

Mi intención es dar una visión histórica de lo que fue aquella gran unión de pueblos diversos.

El concepto de nación histórica española hunde sus raíces y se forja a través de las noches de los tiempos. Es difícil discernir o poner fecha de inicio puesto que, como todo proceso histórico, es el resultado de la confluencia y de la capacidad de sincretismo de los pueblos que han generado dicho proceso.

A pesar de esto podemos decir que el eje vertebrador de este proceso es el imperio Romano. Cuando irrumpe el imperio en la península, todo el sustrato prerromano se fusiona con la gran Roma, aportando ésta a la península toda su sabiduría, la filosofía griega y la fe de tierra santa.

Todo ello conforma una tierra que fue uno de los ejes centrales del imperio dando varios emperadores como Trajano o Teodosio y eruditos como Séneca.

A finales del imperio llega a la península una población visigoda ya muy romanizada, cosa que favorece rápidamente su incorporación al poder civilizatorio de Roma. Esa mezcla de raíces que convergen en una misma idea de pertenencia a “algo” comienza a ser cada vez más fuerte en el nuevo reino visigodo.

En el 711 d.c. comienza la conquista musulmana de la península. Este hecho es un fuerte catalizador para la idea de España, y digo “idea” puesto que claramente aparece una fuerte convicción de recuperar la Hispania visigoda, Hispania que realmente ya no existía. Con lo cuál esa “idea” de Hispania anida en las mentes y los corazones de las gentes. Como bien dice el historiador Quiteño Francisco Núñez en su obra “Quito fue España”, España antes de ser país fue primero una cosmovisión, una forma de ver y entender el mundo. Conceptos como el de Dilatatio Cristianitatis o cruzada se entrelazarán y complementarán en este período.

Es evidente que todos los movimientos geopolíticos y alianzas matrimoniales van en dirección a restaurar la Hispania visigoda.

Recordemos por ejemplo las palabras de Jaume I El Conquistador ”todo lo que he hecho en esta vida lo hice por dios y por España”.

Acortando mucho llegamos a 1492, año básico para España y la hispanidad. Se acaba de recuperar Hispania, se llega a América y algo muy importante que a veces se olvida, Nebrija presenta la gramática de la lengua castellana.

Con el desborde de las fronteras peninsulares el concepto de la Hispania romano-visigoda queda ampliamente superado y pasa a ser un concepto de civilización universal.

En este punto es dónde creo que hay que detenerse ya analizar. Entre la conquista de Granada y muchas de las conquistas americanas pasan como mucho 50-60 años. Principalmente hay dos maneras de interpretar este hecho:

Siempre se puede decir que España conquistó y sometió a los pueblos americanos, lo que pasa es que no queda muy bien” sacar al antepasado propio de la tumba y escupirle a la cara” y cito textualmente a la profesora María Elvira Roca.

Nueva España o la Nueva Granada no eran “de” España, sino que “eran” España.

La otra visión es que España conquistó y asimiló las poblaciones autóctonas. Si nos vamos a las fuentes primarias para evitar manipulaciones nos damos cuenta que los nuevos territorios incorporados se asimilaron en igualdad de condiciones al del resto de territorios de la monarquía, es decir, Nueva España o la Nueva Granada no eran “de” España, sino que “eran” España.

Los archivos españoles e hispanoamericanos están bien surtidos de todo tipo de documentación que así lo atestigua. Entonces, ¿porque la historia oficial nos esconde estos hechos?

En estos años estamos asistiendo a la creación de Las Españas o de los diversos reinos que conformaron La Monarquía Católica. No debemos verlo como una expansión imperialista como las del S. XIX sino como la creación de un país. Existen infinidad de documentos que corroboran esto como las leyes de Indias, el testamento de Isabel la Católica, toda la documentación de las reales audiencias, … Los archivos españoles e hispanoamericanos están bien surtidos de todo tipo de documentación que así lo atestigua. Entonces, ¿porque la historia oficial nos esconde estos hechos? Dejo la pregunta sobre la mesa

Por todas estas razones amigo peruano, mexicano o ecuatoriano no te molestes ni interpretes imperialismo peninsular al hablar de tu país como España o una de Las Españas puesto que es del todo correcto. Todas las repúblicas hispanoamericanas, al igual que el actual estado-nación español, no dejan de ser el resultado de la desmembración de Las Españas o de La Monarquía Católica.

Las Españas son tan “propiedad” de la España peninsular como de Ecuador, Colombia, México o Perú

La confusión creo surge del hecho que el actual estado-nación peninsular se llama igual que aquel gran país. Esta confusión léxica creo que lleva a la confusión histórica de no comprender que todos éramos españoles y todos éramos España, cada una a su manera (al igual que Cantabria no es igual a Andalucía)

Históricamente hablando, Las Españas son tan “propiedad” de la España peninsular como de Ecuador, Colombia, México o Perú. Es importante tener claro estos términos de Las Españas, España peninsular, monarquía católica, hispanidad, …

No amigo peruano, no te estamos diciendo que seas español peninsular, sino que Perú era tan España como Extremadura.

Teniendo claros estos conceptos, ¿nos están robando la identidad hispana?

Valoren ustedes mismo que pasa en sus respectivos países, incluida la España peninsular.

Piensen que pasa con los valores y las tradiciones hispanas, nos gusten o no, fiestas populares, religiosidad, ideología de género, regionalismos, ….

Estamos en plena batalla ideológica dónde se nos ataca por todos los costados y la forma de hacer frente es tener claro lo que somos, es decir nuestra identidad que no es otra cosa que la herencia de nuestros padres y abuelos, nuestras tradiciones, en resumidas cuentas nuestra cosmovisión del mundo.

Todos somos Hispanos hijos de La España histórica no hay otra que defender nuestra identidad común que nos aglutina y enfortece, o eso o como dijo el historiador argentino Julio C. González, seguir siendo un pedazo de tierra con gente encima sin destino ni objetivos.

Por Alberto López

Found by: C. Campos y Escalante (campce@gmail.com)

"Of the 50 most violent cities in the world, 43 are in Latin America. Of the 25 countries with the highest murder rates, nearly half are south of the Rio Grande. 

"Latinos in the United States now number 56.5 million, a full 18 percent of the population. According to the Pew Research Center, that’s a whopping 40 percent increase over 40 years. Almost two-thirds are native-born. By 2050, Hispanics will account for a third of this country’s residents."

"The irony is that so many are here because they were always here;"

Sent by campce@gmail.com

March 25, 2008 -- Don't blame it on talk radio and conservative politicians, as if they started something new. The anti-Hispanic rhetoric poisoning political discourse in the United States lately actually dates back to 16th-century Europe. That's when British and Dutch writers set out to deliberately spread negative propaganda about the Spanish colonies in the Americas.

Fierce competition with Spain over control of the New World made England and Holland very interested in promoting a negative image of Spanish America. The way their writers depicted the Spanish conquistadors and their Latin American descendants — as depraved, cruel, corrupt, intolerant, authoritarian — caused prejudice that, unfortunately, has survived the test of time and still exists today.

Nowadays they call it "hate speech," but its actual name is "La Leyenda Negra" — The Black Legend.

That term was coined by Spanish writer Julián Juderías in his 1914 book, "La Leyenda Negra y la Verdad Histórica (The Black Legend and the Historical Truth)," where he described the unfair and biased way in which the people of Spain and Spanish America had been depicted during the previous three centuries.

Juderías described The Black Legend as "the environment created by the fantastic stories about our homeland that have seen the light of publicity in all countries, the grotesque descriptions that always have been made of the character of Spaniards as individuals and collectively, the denial — or at least the systematic ignorance — of all that is favorable and beautiful in the various manifestations of culture and art, the accusations that in every era have been flung against Spain." In every era, indeed!

Today's anti-Hispanic rhetoric — fueled by the U.S. debate over illegal immigration, the movement to make English the official language and other efforts to decelerate the growth and influence of U.S. Latinos — is rooted deeply in that well-orchestrated distortion of history that started in the 16th century.                                                Julián Juderias    

As described by many Spanish scholars and authors who backed Juderías' assertions, part of The Black Legend was the effort by Anglo-Saxon historians not only to denigrate the Spanish explorers and portray them as crueler than other European colonizers but also to minimize their accomplishments in North America.

Unfortunately, that pattern was continued by American historians, who refused to recognize that the early history of North America was Spanish, not English. They mostly ignored the pre-British century of Spanish presence and accomplishments in North America. And when they alluded to the Spanish explorers, it was to describe them as people who did not settle and colonize, but merely explored, sought gold and killed natives — while the English were described as pious, industrious people, who came to build homes, establish settlements and raise families. While hiding or minimizing the Anglo-Saxon massacre of Native Americans, they hypocritically condemned the Spanish for doing the same thing to the natives of Latin America.

In fact, both the British and the Spanish explorers did a lot of terrible things in the New World. The Black Legend easily could have been applied to all of them. But they also did a lot of wonderful things.

Yet because history is written by the winners — and because it is the British and their American descendents who ultimately took over this country — it was mostly the Spanish and their Hispanic descendents who got the blame for atrocities, while the Anglo-Americans got all the credit for building a new nation.

It is that distortion of history that prevents many Americans from seeing that Latinos have very deep roots in the United States; that they have made many positive contributions to our society; that they, too, fought and died to build this nation; and that they should not be treated like foreigners, especially because many can trace their ancestries to a time before the British arrived and English was spoken here.

As part of an occasional series on Hispanic contributions to American society, this column recently examined how distorted history has many Americans believing that (British) Jamestown, Va., established in 1607, is "America's Birthplace," when in fact, (Spanish) St. Augustine, Fla., was born in 1565, 42 years earlier.

The column ignited feedback from some readers who either refused to accept historical facts or suggested that if the Spanish and Latinos didn't get credit, it must be for some good reason.

"What's your view on why St. Augustine doesn't get the recognition Jamestown does?" one of my readers asked, as if daring me to come up with a logical response.

The answer is simple: The Black Legend, a history written to depreciate the contributions and malign the image of Hispanic people.

Unfortunately, that's the image of Hispanics that today's Anglo-Americans inherited from their ancestors — a distorted image that still prevails in American history textbooks, school curricula, radio programs, and political circles nowadays.

Are there White Hispanics and other Kinds? 

We are white and we are Hispanic – and that should not be a problem, either.

Nevertheless, ever since the New York Times described George Zimmerman as a “white Hispanic,” some people are having a hard time hiding their ignorance about the U.S. Hispanic population.

There were those who had erroneously assumed that Latinos/Hispanics are a race instead of an ethnic group.

There were those who claimed that they had never heard the term “white Hispanic.” And there are conservative extremists already charging that this was a “new term” created as part of a sinister plot to make the Zimmerman case “about race” and polarize the nation between whites and blacks.

And they are all promoting ignorance.

For the record: Just like the rest of our fellow Americans, U.S. Hispanics come in all colors, ethnicities and religions. Most of us are descendants of Spaniards, Africans, and Latin American Indians, but many of us also can trace our roots back to ancestors all over the planet.

We are white, black, Asian, Arab, Native American, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and all the other creeds, cultures and colors of the rainbow.

Yet because most of us come from Latin America, speak the same language and share the same culture – because we have a common geographical, ethnic and linguistic identity – some people mistakenly categorize us as a race.

If we call ourselves Hispanics or Latinos, some assume we are non-white.

And it’s not just the conservatives who are doing this, because even when we look like milk, just to be politically correct, the so-called progressives call us “people of color.”

Just because white Hispanics don’t go around identifying ourselves by our race, that’s enough for some to assume we don’t exist. It’s Amazing!

On Fox News — clearly following a conservative, Machiavellian agenda, contributor Bernard Goldberg searched online for the term "white Hispanic," found fewer references than he expected and used this repulsive distortion as evidence of our non-existence. Goldberg argued that Zimmerman is "only a 'white Hispanic' because they need the word 'white' to further the storyline, which is 'white, probably racist vigilante shoots unarmed black kid.'"

On CNN, comedian Bob Thompson insisted that the term "white Hispanic" "never existed before this case" and politician Newt Gingrich promoted similar ignorance.

"I was yelling at the TV, 'Newt! There are white Hispanics!'" reported my friend Roland Martin in a recent column where he noted that, "As members of the media, our job should be to educate and inform. Not allow cultural ignorance to thrive all in the name of a good debate."

He suggested that, "Instead of having a debate on the air over whether white Hispanics exists, why not actually book white Hispanics and experts in the area to educate the viewer on the differences between various Spanish speaking cultures? Why not having a teachable moment to explore the differences, instead of letting folks who have no idea what they are talking about run off at the mouth?"

He is right. But I've seen even some politically correct Latinos expressing apprehension with the term "white Hispanic." In the end, the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin may have sparked a much-needed discussion about race and ethnicity in this country.

Of course, if you Google "Hispanic racial breakdown" and "2010 U.S. Census," you would soon find that, "Over half of the Hispanic population identified as White and no other race, while about one-third provided responses that were classified as Some Other Race alone when responding to the question on race. Much smaller proportions of Hispanics identified as other race groups alone: Black alone (3 percent), American Indian and Alaska Native alone (1 percent), Asian alone (0.4 percent) and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (0.1 percent)."

Regardless of the myths and stereotypes, many Latinos are white, of European origin. In fact, we find it especially irritating when confronted by forms asking us to make a choice between white, black or Hispanic and not giving us an opportunity to chose two of the three options.

Bureaucrats never ask whether we are black, white or Irish — because they know better. But with Latinos, they often try to make a race out of our ethnicity.

They would rather not see our racial diversity, because it's easier to lump us all into an all-encompassing racial-ethnic-linguistic-geographic category.

In the United States, people are either officially black, white, American Indian or Asian. But in Latin America, there are many more racial categories. You can be mulatto because your ancestors had white and African blood, or you can be mestizo because they have Native American blood. Many times, people are a mixture of all three races and many more ethnic backgrounds.

Latinos can be Venezuelans of Polish stock; Cubans with Jewish, Lebanese or Chinese ancestors; Peruvians of Inca, English or Russian lineage; Mexicans of Aztec, Japanese or Irish ancestry. Or they can be Argentine of Italian, German or French descent. The list goes on.

And while our racial and ethnic diversity obviously is confusing to many non-Latinos, unfortunately sometimes Latinos contribute to the confusion — especially if they are in denial about the color of their skin.

Although at least one-third of the nation's 50 million Latinos are believed to have African ancestry, some try to hide it. They look black, but if you ask for their race they tell you they are Latinos.

This causes justifiable resentment from black Americans, who are offended when they see some Latinos denying their African roots.

But some African-American leaders can take this to the other extreme. When they expect all Latinos to call themselves "people of color," they are asking white Hispanics to deny their European ancestry.

Perhaps what we all need is a much better understanding of the demographics of the American people — all our rich ethnicities and races. Perhaps what we all need a jolt like the one experienced by my Italian-American friend Giordano, who always comes to mind when I write about this topic.

She said that she was shocked by what she heard from an acquaintance who was trying to be friendly, and that it made her understand why Hispanics feel annoyed when they are categorized as a race.

"I grew up in a neighborhood with all Italian people," Giordano was told. "I was the only white person in that neighborhood."

COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM

Saludos, Carl Campo campce@gmail.com 
La lectura cura la peor de las enfermedades humanas, "la ignorancia".

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship for students training in high demand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields.

Eligible Post-9/11 GI Bill students must have either exhausted their entitlement or will exhaust their entitlement within 180 days of applying. Eligibility for the scholarship has two paths:

A student enrolled in a STEM program leading to an undergraduate degree who has completed 60 credit hours of their program and requires at least 120 semester (or 180 quarter) credit hours to graduate.

A student who has earned a STEM undergraduate degree and has enrolled in a teaching certification program.

We need your help to make sure Veterans and Fry Scholars know about this scholarship opportunity! We have included a one pager that you can send to Veterans and Fry Scholars in your area so that they can learn more and apply for the Rogers STEM Scholarship.

Thank you for your service to our country and our Veterans.

Respectfully,  Education Service  
STEMInfographic.pdf 

Every school building in Louisiana must display the nation’s motto, “In God We Trust,” under a new law that goes into effect this school year.

Every school building in Louisiana must display the nation’s motto, “In God We Trust,” under a new law that goes into effect this school year.

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the law last year. It passed the state Senate, 33-6, and the state House, 93-12.

Social studies classes also must teach students about the national motto by fifth grade under the new law. The law is popular, even among some administrators.

“I still feel strongly that America is a Christian nation,” Shelby Ainsworth, principal of West Monroe High School, told WAFB 9. “I want our high school youngsters exposed to as much as that as possible.”

The law says, “each public school governing authority shall display the national motto in each building it uses and in each school under its jurisdiction.” The minimum requirement is that it be a paper sign.

A Democrat, Sen. Regina Ashford Barrow, was the bill’s lead sponsor. She told WWL last year that America has suffered morally by taking God out of public schools. “We have seen a moral decay in our schools and in our community because we have taken this out of our school system,” Barrow said.

She was inspired to promote the bill, she told WWL, by the governor’s prayer breakfast and by the senate’s practice of praying. “Every day before we begin to do our business here at the capitol we always acknowledge Him by prayer,” she said.

Barrow rejected criticism that the law violates the Constitution’s prohibition on government establishment of religion. “We’re not pushing God on anybody; we're incorporating it as part of the history of our nation,” she told USA Today. “It’s our national motto, for goodness sake. If it’s good enough to be on our money, it’s good enough to be in our schools.”

The United States, she said, was “built on a Christian foundation.” “We need to make sure the children know that and pass it on to the next generation,” she said. South Dakota and Kentucky have similar laws, as Christian Headlines previously reported.

Saludes, y Buena Suerte, Roberto Vazquez

The San Antonio COPS Revolution By Roberto Vazquez, LaRed Latina News Network Posted on March 14, 2005, Printed on March 14, 2005

In her San Antonio Express-News column of 6/6/04, Jan Jarboe Russel, describes very graphically the 1974 confrontation of COPS Representatives and then Mayor Charles Becker.

"On a muggy Thursday night in August 1974, about 500 members of Communities Organized for Public Service converged in the City Council chamber and demanded to be heard.

Now Father Albert Benavides and Beatrice Gallego stood at the microphone and insisted (Mayor) Charles Becker and the City Council hear them out. I will never forget the anger etched like granite on Benavides' face. The priest stood there, shaking his fists high in the air, looking like the prophet Jeremiah."

What was not known back then was that Father Benavides, along with the other COPS representatives had been quietly organizing, and painstakingly researching the issues for a whole year before they decided to approach city officials. It turned out that COPS representatives were much better informed, and more knowledgeable about San Antonio socio-economic and political issues then were the Mayor, Councilmen, and City Manager.

Even that famous 1974, confrontation between COPS and Charles Becker/City Council, was carefully choreographed and orchestrated beforehand by COPS. By the time COPS representatives decided to approach San Antonio city officials, they already had rehearsed political strategies, tactics, along with contingency plans to cover almost any conceivable scenario or counter action posed by the opposition.

In other words, the city government establishment had no chance against COPS. However, city officials did not know that. They were caught totally by surprise.

Through their intensive research, COPS members found out that city officials had for decades been diverting city funds from the inner city to newly developed subdivisions on the North Side. In effect city officials were stealing from the poor West and South side neighborhoods to provide funds for developers in the affluent North Side suburbs.

In a 1978 article, Moises Sandoval, a Alicia Patterson Foundation award winner, notes, "Officials whom they had held in awe had for years "re-programmed" to the suburbs bond monies earmarked for inner city projects such as critically needed storm sewers. Meanwhile, persons were drowning when heavy rains flooded low-lying barrios. Even as COPS was beginning to fasten an eagle eye on the City Council's activities, the city voted to buy a golf course from a developer with federal Community Development Act funds which were supposed to be spent for the improvement of poor neighborhoods. (COPS action led to a veto of the purchase of federal authorities.) Developers were receiving millions of taxpayers' money in subsidies for water main installations in subdivisions both inside and outside the city limits while central city neighborhoods had to make do with two-inch mains which made washing dishes and taking a shower activities that could not go on at the same time in one house."

Jan Jarboe clearly describes this issue in her 6/6/04 Express-News column about the legendary confrontation of COPS and Mayor Charles Becker.

"Father Albert Benavides spoke directly to (Mayor) Charles Becker and told him that even though many drainage projects for the West Side had been authorized by the city in bond issues, they never were built.

Becker turned to City Manager Sam Granata and asked if the priest was telling the truth. Granata indicated that it was true. Then Becker asked how long the drainage projects for the West Side had been planned. "About 40 years," Granata responded."

Forty years is a long time to wait for services. It's possible that if COPS had not intervened then, the West Side might still be waiting for the drainage projects today.

In 1988, Henry Cisneros, former San Antonio Mayor was quoted as saying, "I can say unequivocally, COPS has fundamentally altered the moral tone and the political and physical face of San Antonio."

These words ring true today as they did back then. Since 1973, through the present, COPS/Metro Alliance, have managed to dramatically transform and diversify electoral politics in San Antonio, and Bexar County. This community organization has also managed to generate over one billion dollars in city/county, state, and federal public funds for capital and infrastructure improvements for the West and South sides of San Antonio.

These projects included a community college, drainage systems, new housing and housing rehabilitation, public parks, health clinics, public libraries and a host of other related urban improvements.

One may wonder how COPS became so effective in social and political engineering in San Antonio. Some say it's because they are a faith-based organization inspired by God, the scriptures, the Prophets and the Holy Spirit. I personally think there may be some truth to this notion.

However, I believe the main reason COPS has been so successful is because they are a grass-roots organization that works to build long term relationships among members based on family values, religious and social traditions, as well as good old "All American" Democratic ideals and values.

Mark Warren, in "Connecting People to Politics," quotes Reverend Mike Haney as saying "COPS is a way of implementing the gospel's call to justice that it imposes on us. This happens in a couple of ways: dealing with issues themselves; and COPS calls us to work as a collective, to find strength in community, and that's a gospel call itself." Reverend Rosendo Urrabazo, in the other hand notes "The purpose of COPS is not issues; the purpose of COPS is leadership formation."

In a Key Note speech "Building a Just Society Through Ethical Leadership," in 2001 at the University of Texas,Ernie Cortez, current Southwest Regional Director of the IAF said, "That's the role of a broad-based organization, to mentor, to guide, to teach, to teach people to act on their own interests. That's the work that COPS is involved in, that's the work that Valley Interfaith is involved in, that's the work that all the IAF organizations are involved in." He continues, "It's important for people who don't have any power to learn that they can get power by organizing, to get power by beginning to negotiate, to get power by developing broad-based institutions."

In a December 1999 article, Cheryl Dahle, senior writer at Fast Company, quotes Ernie Cortez, "We organize people not just around issues, but around their values. The issues fade, and people lose interest in them.

But what they really care about remains: family, dignity, justice, and hope. We need power to protect what we value."

Cortez, also explains, "The politics that we talk about is the politics of the Greeks -- the politics of negotiation and deliberation and struggle, in which people engage in confrontation and ompromise. My goal is to reclaim that political tradition."

The COPS organizational philosophy and strategies may be complex and at times esoteric in nature, but everyone agrees that their political tactics have been highly effective in bringing people together to participate in the American Democratic process.

To understand the magnitude of COPS accomplishments in the last 30 years, one has to understand the socio-economic and political situation of the Mexican American community in San Antonio during the 60s and early 70s.

Since the early 50s the GGL,(Good Government League) comprised of wealthy Anglo ranchers and businessmen from the North Side had almost full control of electoral politics in San Antonio. The GGL had the wealth, clout and influence, to arbitrarily select as well as generate the votes to elect City Councilmen in San Antonio.

Harry Boyte, of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, notes," In the early seventies, San Antonio still had a "colonial" air where a small group of businessmen, most of whom belonged to the segregated Texas Cavalier Country Club, held sway. City council members were elected at large, which meant that Mexican and African American candidates could almost never raise funds to compete."

In a 1988 Commonwealth article, Henry Cisneros, who holds masters and doctoral degrees from Harvard, noted that in the late 60s San Antonio was "so poor that Peace Corps volunteers were trained in its barrios (West and South sides) to simulate the conditions they would face in Latin America.

Thousands of Hispanics and black families lived in colonias, with common-wall, shotgun houses built around public sanitation facilities with outdoor toilets. The barrios had no sidewalks or paved streets, no drainage system or flood control. Every spring brought flooding; families were driven from their homes; children walked to school through mud sloughs. In the shadow of downtown San Antonio lurked a stateside third-world 'country'."

At the height of the civil-rights movement," Ernesto Cortes, former Senior COPS organizer and recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Award wrote, "It was not unusual to equate the repressive conditions under which the Mexicanos of South Texas lived to the situation of blacks in the Deep South. Racism and cultural repression reinforced an economic need to maintain a reactionary social and political framework for the state."

Fast Forward to 2005, when one sees the level of political diversity, and ethnic harmony in San Antonio, folks, especially young people, may think this is the way it has always been. Without COPS intervention back in the early 70's, it is likely that the GGL or some other similar elitist organization might still be holding a socio-political, and economic monopoly in San Antonio. It is also highly likely that the dire economic and political conditions of the Mexican-American community in San Antonio might still be the same, or perhaps even worse, today as they were in the 60's.

San Antonio, was virtually turned upside down socially, economically and politically. COPS indeed revolutionized San Antonio, and did so in a relatively peaceful, and harmonious fashion. Some of COPS major accomplishments are the following:

1) "COPS" notes Boyte, "shattered San Antonio's established conservative order," by helping to transform and reform the city electoral system in San Antonio. COPS was instrumental in changing the electoral process in San Antonio from an at-large to a single member district system. This vital change in the electoral process allowed City candidates to be elected from single member districts, and provided the opportunity for Mexican Americans to form a majority in the San Antonio City Council since 1977.

2) COPS managed to generate over one billion dollars in city/county, state, and federal public funds for capital and infrastructure improvements for the West and South sides of San Antonio. Along with a brand new community college in the Southside, COPS was instrumental in developing a host of projects including street paving, drainage systems, new housing and housing rehabilitation, public parks, health clinics, public libraries and other related urban improvements

3) By conducting city-wide voter registration drives, COPS helped electHenry Cisneros, who in turn gained national prominence and visibility asthe first Hispanic mayor of a major American city.

4) COPS was instrumental in the establishment of PROJECT QUEST, a nationally recognized job training and educational program, and a 2003 winner of The Enterprise Foundation and The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation Award for Excellence in Workforce Development. PROJECT QUEST was also a winner of a 1995 Innovations Award from the Ford Foundation and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

5) Another one of COPS major achievements was their keen ability and acumen to hold politicians accountable and honest. For the past 30 years COPS has been the conscience of the San Antonio, and Bexar County electoral system. Through their civic vigilance, and rigorous accountability sessions, COPS has steadfastly worked to keep politicians honest, fair, and accountable to the voters.

But the work is not done yet. There are still vital economic and employment issues, and challenges that need be addressed in San Antonio.

In a 1999 Texas Observer editorial Louis Dubose, quotes Ernie Cortez, as follows,"Among the fifteen largest cities in the country, San Antonio has the second-highest number of people living below the poverty level. Half of those living below the poverty level are between the ages of eighteen and fifty-nine. And most are working: San Antonio's current unemployment rate is lower than 3.5 percent. Why are people working to remain poor?."

This may be one of the reasons that education and job training have been central issues for the COPS organization. COPS has been instrumental in the establishment and development of a host of innovative and progressive educational and job training programs in San Antonio. According to Louis Dubose, on a 1999 Texas Observer editorial, COPS has been directly and indirectly responsible for the establishment of the following programs.

1) A city-wide after-school program that currently serves 34,000 students in San Antonio public schools;

2) An education partnership program that has provided college scholarships for 4,500 students and reduced the dropout rate;

3) A job-training program that has placed more than 1,000 workers in jobs that pay an average of $10.16 an hour;

4) A program in the city's Alliance Schools, which provides after-school programs, curriculum innovations, and counseling for students and their families.

Perhaps San Antonio should join and rally with COPS to expand these programs, as well as develop new ones. The future of San Antonio may well depend on the quantity and quality of these educational and job training programs and how well these prepare the workforce to meet the challenges of an ever changing and increasingly complex, technical, and sophisticated economy.

Margaret Mead once wrote, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

During the last 31 years, COPS/Metro Alliance, has indeed changed and transformed the world in San Antonio, and continues to work towards empowering the poor and the voiceless, as well as improving the social, educational, and economic conditions of all San Antonio citizens.

Saludes, Felicidades, y Bienvenido/a, . . . . . Roberto

Isabel de Castilla - La Primera mujer en aparecer en sellos y monedas de los EEUU

Cien años antes de que se organizase un jaleo tremendo por la celebración del quinto centenario de la llegada de Colón a América, hubo un cuarto centenario. Sucedió en 1893 y la celebración no fue en España sinó en Chicago, que aquel año organizaba la Exposición Universal. El tema de la exposición fue precisamente el descubrimiento y por eso se la llamó también Exposición Colombina Mundial.

Para la ocasión la Fábrica de Moneda norteamericana creó una serie de monedas conmemorativas. Todas ellas se pusieron en circulación, excepto una, el cuarto de dolar de Isabel (Isabella Quarter) que mostraba en su anverso el busto de la reina castellana.

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Decidieron emplear para ello los diez mil dólares que el gobierno debía pagarles por su trabajo, pidiendo que se utilizasen en la creación de una nueva moneda conmemorativa. Se decidió que sería de un cuarto de dólar, y eligieron la figura de Isabel de Castilla, por la ayuda prestada a Colón en su expedición. En el anverso aparece la reina española de perfil y con corona, mientras que en reverso se optó por una figura femenina hilando, cuyo origen es un relieve del templo de Zeus en Olimpia.

Parece que la moneda no tuvo mucho éxito en su momento y apenas se vendieron unas pocas de las 40 mil acuñadas durante la Exposición, principalmente porque su precio era de un dólar, cuatro veces más que el valor que representaba. Unas 15 mil fueron devueltas al gobierno para ser refundidas, y un número similar fueron adquiridas por coleccionistas. Al final tan solo unas 24 mil fueron distribuidas al público. Sin embargo, hoy en día son muy codiciadas por los coleccionistas que pueden llegar a pagar hasta 6.000 dólares por hacerse con un ejemplar.

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Con motivo de la misma Exposición Universal se realizó una emisión especial de sellos, la primera emisión conmemorativa publicada por los Estados Unidos y que representaba varios eventos de la vida de Colón. También aquí aparece Isabel representada en al menos dos sellos, los de 5 y 15 centavos y los de 1 y 4 dólares. En el caso del sello de 1 dólar, que representa a Isabel prometiendo sus joyas a Colón, fue el primer sello jamás emitido por Estados Unidos con un valor superior a 90 centavos. El de 4 dólares sería el primer sello norteamericano en mostrar el retrato de una mujer.

Carlos III premió la hazaña de Leyba y le ascendió a teniente coronel al año siguiente, aunque este no pudo disfrutar de dicho reconocimiento, ya que falleció el 28 de junio de 1780. Una enfermedad que padecía le arrebató la vida apenas un mes después de la batalla, siendo enterrado el mismo día, frente al altar de la iglesia parroquial de la ciudad que había defendido de manera tan valiente.

Es uno de los capítulos poco conocidos del legado español en Estados Unidos, pero su defensa de San Luis fue fundamental para el éxito de los americanos en la guerra de independencia, que podía haber tomado otra dirección en caso de haber perdido San Luis y el control del río Mississippi.

Found by: C. Campos y Escalante (campce@gmail.com)

La red de caminos que establecieron los colonos españoles en América es uno de los hitos más importantes de la Monarquía Hispánica en el continente. El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro es reconocido como uno de los trayectos más valiosos que, durante siglos, fue una de las principales arterias de la región

Su actividad se desarrolló entre los siglos XVI y XIX, donde jugó un papel clave la Monarquía hispánica en su obra civilizadora. Los españoles impulsaron su trazado para facilitar la logística militar y el intercambio comercial entre Nueva España y todos los territorios hispánicos de lo que hoy son los EE.UU. Se le dio por ello la categoría de Real al igual que los de la Península Ibérica, de acuerdo a las partidas de Alfonso X, cuyas ordenanzas reales regularon los caminos como bienes públicos.

La historia del Camino Real de Tierra Adentro comenzó en 1564, a 600 kilómetros de la Ciudad de México, cuando unos soldados españoles encontraron plata en la región de Zacatecas. Pronto se fundó su ciudad y cuatro años más tarde, al comprobar la importancia de los yacimientos, nació este trazado, también denominado «Camino de la Plata».

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro se convirtió en un extraordinario canal de comunicación que propició un estrecho vínculo entre la cultura hispánica y las culturas amerindias

La Corona -en su búsqueda de metales preciosos- estableció un complejo sistema económico y cultural que propició la construcción de cientos de ciudades por todo el Nuevo Mundo. Estas permitieron no solo abrir caminos que abastecieran a los habitantes, sino también para defenderse de las tribus hostiles, que como los apaches o los comanches vivían de la depredación. Estas fueron el principal obstáculo al que tuvieron que enfrentarse los hispanos en su avance hacia el norte durante los siglos XVI y XVII.

La ruta comprendía los estados de México (Querétaro, Guanajuato,San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Durango, Chihuahua) y Texas y Nuevo México en EE.UU. Pasaba por ciudades importantes como Ciudad Juárez y El Paso en Texas (ambas llamadas Paso del Norte) y Las Cruces y Albuquerque en Nuevo México, antes de llegar a Santa Fe.

Aunque su origen y utilización están vinculados a la minería, el Camino Real de Tierra Adentro propició también el establecimiento de vínculos sociales, culturales y religiosos entre la cultura hispánica y las culturas amerindias. Pues los mercaderes se dedicaron a transporar alimentos, ropas, herramientas, medicinas, entre otras cosas, para mantener las poblaciones.

Como se puede ver, el Camino fue un fenómeno extraordinario como canal de comunicación. El resultado de este proceso, altamente rentable, fue el desarrollo de minas y la construcción de carreteras y puentes. Y, pese a que su impacto fue enorme en términos de tensiones sociales, también desarrolló una integración social entre las muchas personas que participaron. Así se establecieron pueblos multiétnicos, reflejados en la fusión española y local que decoran sus edificios. También la revolución agrícola y económica que se desarrolló durante esos tres siglos de presencia española.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro fue declarado por la UNESCO como Patrimonio de la Humanidad en 2010

Curiosamente, los caballos abandonados por los españoles en las praderas del Camino Real dieron lugar a la denominada raza mesteña, conocida en EE.UU. como la «mustangs», de pequeña alzada y apariencia robusta. A través del robo y del trueque, la cultura equina se extendió con rapidez entre tribus y prendió lo que luego el cine popularizaría como el Salvaje Oeste. Para 1630 no quedaban pueblos nativos que no montaran a caballo. Y en 1750, todas las tribus de las llanuras y la mayoría de indios de las Montañas Rocosas empleabancaballos con una destreza innata. La incorporación del caballo recrudeció la lucha contra los invasores blancos, pero también entre las tribus, ya que los guerreros eran ahora capaces de recorrer distancias inimaginables a pie.

Junto a una imponente red de presidios a lo largo del Camino Real, el otro escudo para asegurar las principales rutas comerciales de la Corona eran los llamados dragones de cuera, una suerte de Séptimo de Caballería, perpetuamente en inferioridad numérica, que hacía las veces de patrulla volante por todo el sureste de Norteamérica. Su peculiar nombre procedía de la forma en la que se designaba su abrigo largo sin mangas, formado por hasta seis capas de piel capaces de resistir los flechazos de los indios. Su número resulta, a ojos actuales, exageradamente bajo para la labor de vigilancia que realizaban sobre miles de kilómetros. En una inspección a la frontera, el enviado real Pedro de Rivera se asombró, en 1728, de que la línea defensiva la constituyeran apenas mil hombres (1.006 hombres) entre oficiales y soldados, repartidos en 18 presidios. Las lanzas de los dragones simbolizaban, literalmente, hasta dónde alcazaba el poder del Rey de España. Más allá era tierra salvaje o controlada por las otras potencias europeas que aspiraban a hacerse con un trozo del Nuevo Mundo.

La importancia del Camino Real de Tierra Adentro sirvió para que uno de sus tramos fuera declarado por la UNESCO como Patrimonio de la Humanidad, en 2010. Además, comprende cinco sitios ya inscritos en la Lista del Patriomonio Mundial.

Sent by Carl Campo campce@gmail.com 

In Corona, I was asked to work with the Church Youth Group. My first project was to teach the boys and girls social dance. What fun. "Give me a couple of weeks," I said.

As with the puppetry series at Center Junior High in Manhattan Beach, I developed a curriculum. I spent a a week in selecting basic dances, such as two-step, waltz, and polka, and also dances popular in the high school, jitterbug, bunny hop, rumba and cha cha cha. Finding the right music was a bit of a challenge, but I was ready by the scheduled evening. However, when I showed up with my tape recorder, photos, etc. I was told that the youth leaders had taken the boys shooting. Apparently the youth leaders thought dance lessons was a good activity, but the boys did not.

I went home and complained a bit to the Lord. I was disappointed. I had put in so much preparation time. I was really looking forward to it. Why Lord? The Lord asked, "Mimi, who were you doing it for?" "You Lord," I answered. His response was "Well?" The simplicity of His response was clear. Who and why was I serving? The results did not matter. That principle has helped and guided me through life, family, and many, many of the community and church projects in which I have gotten involved.

If the desire of your heart is to serve the Lord, be grateful for being used. Do your best and leave the results and the credit in His Hands, a "workman that need not be ashamed." There is no room for disappointment. We stand as observers.

I did have fun with the youth, directing a musical Road Show production and writing a play for the Spanish teacher, whose students performed, "Señor Sin Dinero." Aury played, El Señor. I laughed so hard during the performance, I almost fell off the chair.

Receptive to DREAMS . . . . warnings. The second spiritual lesson was that dreams are a means by which God communicates with men, to warn, to guide. There are many examples of dreams guiding the activity of individuals in both the Old Testament and New Testament, but as with everything, the lesson can be spiritual or physical health.

One evening early in our move to Corona, I had a very vivid dream, with bright, deep colors, like an oil painting, not a watercolor. In the dream, when I cracked opened the eggs they were each filled with white sugar. I always thought of eggs as particularly healthy. I was really perplexed. To me the dream meant that eggs were not good for you.

The very next day, a neighbor welcoming me to the neighborhood told me about several bargain grocery stores. In particular, she mentioned one store which sold fresh eggs at very low prices. She said, some of the eggs sometimes have small cracks, but she said she bought and used them all the time.

I quickly realized the dream the night before was a warning that cracked eggs were not healthy. I researched it a bit and found out that cracks in the shells of the egg can allow bad bacteria to get inside. Special care is needed in cooking with cracked eggs. Concerned with the risk, I never did buy any.

DREAMS . . . the future. The job with the Navy was terminating, Win got a job offer with McDonald Douglas. We looked in the Orange County area and purchased a house in Westminster. The house seemed to be waiting for us. It had sat empty, and did not seem to be on any local listings. The realtor who had it listed, was not local. He was a friend of the owners who had moved out of state. Our realtor, whom I contacted through my church, found the house by driving around within the radius that Win had outlined. We purchased our Westminster house in 1971 and got it way below market, before the big jump in housing prices.

The strange thing was that the day we moved in and I finally sat down amid the boxes and confusion, I looked around, and said, "Oh my gosh, Win, I dreamed this house." It was the exact perspective in my dream, which had perplexed me when I dreamed. What I remembered from my dream was that the room I was sitting in had a very low ceiling, but looking out the sliding glass door I could see that the house was tall, at least two stories. (The house is tri-level.) I told Win that the house was meant for us. It has served our family well.

RAFTING DOWN the GREEN RIVER in UTAH

We started attending church right away and found that a wonderful youth trip was being organized, wild water rafting down the Green River in Utah. Once again I was called to work with the church youth.. Fortunately, it appeared, teen-agers Aury and Tawn were not embarrassed by my presence. I helped with the fund-raising booth, selling firecrackers!! It was an adventure, and a wonderful family memory. 

Everyone was required to bring a sleeping bag, good hiking shoes, clothes and personal items. I brought a flashlight. The meals were prepared by the tour guides. Three large inflated flat, square, raft-like boats, pontoons, carried the supplies, managed by the guides and ridden by those who did not want to paddle their own canoe.

We were about thirty youth and 10 adults. We traveled in member vans and cars. Along the way we made stops, one was an abandoned ghost town. With permission to explore, we did. As the adult leader, I was leading the way of one little group.

The Black Widow

We approached one house, which had a root cellar. We found it and unlocked and swung open one side of a the wooden two-door entrance. I started to walk down the dusty, musty steps. Straining to see in the darkness, I yelled "please open up the other side of the door. I can't see." It was perfect timing, because if I had taken another step down, I would have walked right into, and become entangled in a web with the largest Black-Widow spider I had ever seen. It was directly in front of me. That was the end of looking into dark spaces in crumbling houses.

The Lion

Next morning, I had another near miss, but I was not leading. I was bringing up the rear end of the group. We were exploring the area, walking alongside a bubbling stream. Something in the stream must have attracted my attention, because when I looked up, I could not see anyone in the group. I was totally alone.

I looked down where I was standing. Right on the edge stream, in the wet sand were the fresh foot prints of a mountain lion. It was the freshness of the footprints which made me suspect that he had to be close. I could not understand how the group had not trampled on them. I begin to feel that I was being watched and got goose-pimples. (Like the bear experience in the Trinity National Forest, Chapter 14.)

I straightened my back and with my head up, started walked slowly, calling out in my yell-leader voice, non-stop. In as low and deep as I could, my shouts filled the air, I kept a stream of sound flowing. Where are you? Hello? Hello? Hey, somebody? I also added to the noise. I picked up a couple of branches and start cracking them against each other.

If there was a lion, he/she probably never heard such noise and was surely long gone. But, I continued the yelling, just in case.

An additional oops was . . . I came to a fork in the road. "Oh my, which way did they go?" Fortunately it occurred to me to examine the trails. Looking at the mix of footprints in the dirt, I fortunately took the correct path and finally caught up to the group. Can't image what I was looking at in the water, which had initially, foolishly separated me from them.

"Mom, what were you yelling about?"
"You heard me?"   . . .  hu m m m m

What I have learned in the last few year is that I was guided, inspired to react correctly in both situations.  Without knowledge, I did the right thing.  When I saw the fresh bear footprint in the Trinity National Forest, and quietly walked away, the bear observed that I was not infringing on his area.   If I had done the same, quietly walking away when I saw the lion paw print in Utah, the lion who was watching me, would have attacked.  I was separated from the group and an easy prey.  Making myself bigger by walking tall, carrying sticks and making lots of noise showed strength.   

I want my descendants to know that I acknowledge the Holy Spirit's protection and guidance in my life. As I look back, even before I came to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, His loving concern was watching over me.  

Every day we traveled a length of the river and then camped overnight. There were a few mishaps. Some sections of the river were pretty rough. A few campers fell out of their canoe and got scratched on the rocks. I was paddling alongside another leader, suddenly he capsized, but he did not swim away from it. The canoe went over him, and he apparently was caught underneath. I started panicking when he did not come up right away. Finally, he surfaced. He had been breathing from the air caught underneath the canoe, while attempting to untangle his life vest. 

We did have an incident which could have ended in tragedy. We were attacked by Indians!! 

The Uintah-Ouray Ute Indian Reservation is located on either side of the river from below Jensen to just above Green River, Utah. Apparently some members of the tribe were tired of tourists polluting their river and exploring sacred caves (which apparently we did). Tribal members had begun to harass the tours going through by stealing items and even cutting the supply-carrying pontoons loose.

One of the last days of our trip, we were told about the "Indian threat." That evening, a sleeping circle was set up, girls and women in the center, the youth around us and the men around them. The men were going to take turns being on watch and keeping a fire burning all night. I kept my flashlight with me in my sleeping bag.

Just as the camp settled down and all was quiet, I heard one of the tour guides (I will call him Mike) suddenly yell, "I got him. I got him." I jumped out of my sleeping bag and with flashlight in hand lighting my path, I ran in the direction of where I heard Mike yell. He was on watch where the supply-pontoons were moored.

As I ran towards him, I saw two men swimming away from our shore. When my light hit them, they quickly submerged. Because of the high cliffs, there was very little moonlight, but I could also see some of our leaders running towards the yelling and others standing by and in the pontoons.

I could hear the concern in the voices of the men, because they could not locate Mike. He was not in any of the pontoons. Just then I saw something moving in the water close to us.

I shone the flashlight between the two pontoons. Passing beneath the first pontoon and then going under the second pontoon was our guide. Mike was unconscious, floating, drifting, being carried by the river. "He is in the water, grab him. Look . . Look. . . He is in the water. . . . Catch him. Catch him. He is underneath the pontoon, underneath. Quickly, don't let him pass you. Grab him."

As soon as he passed under the second pontoon, I quickly ran to focus the light directly between the second and third pontoon. When he passed the second pontoon and slipped under the third pontoon. I got panicky. I ran to be on the other side of the third pontoon. Some of the leaders got into the river on the downside of the third pontoon. Moving the flashlight, back and forth, I was trying to make sure he did not pass us. If he had, he would have been lost. "There he is."

Gratefully, in spite of the flow of the river, they were able to pull him out. He was stunned, incoherent, with lots of blood streaming down his face. The men sat him next to the fire and covered him up. He was shivering and dazed, but alive.

Having the experience of being a camp counselor at two camps and a playground director at two locations, I took charge to calm the situation down. I sat directly in front of Mike and looked directly into his eyes. I gently wiped away the blood and asked him, "Where does it hurt?" Mike touched the back of his head. The blood was going down from his forehead. Again, I asked, "Where does it hurt? Again, he touched the back of his head. As I was slowly wiping and blotting the blood, I could see there was a series, a row of cuts, seemingly evenly spaced across his forehead. Fortunately, they were not deep cuts.

After Mike was cleaned up and someone recuperated emotionally, the men took charge and administered the needed first aid. The men concluded that he had been hit on the head, and received the cuts as he was swept under the pontoons, perhaps from the blades of the motor. Fearful he might lapse into a coma because of the blow to his head, they tried to keep Mike awake through the night. Very early the next morning, he was picked up by family and taken directly to a doctor.

It was a very, very memorable trip.   

Posted by artecolonial under Documentales | Etiquetas: Albarazado, Albino, Allí te estás, Barcino, Calpamulato, Cambujo, Castizo, Chamizo, Chino, Coyote, Harnizo, Jibaro, Lobo, Morisco, Mulato, No te entiendo, Peninsular, Salta Atrás, Sambaigo, Tente en el Aire, Tornatrás, Zambo |

Una casta es el conjunto de individuos diferenciados por la religión, la comunidad o territorio, el matrimonio, el nacimiento o la ocupación. El sistema de castas pretendía imponer en las colonias un orden basado en la desigualdad étnica de las personas, en la práctica, se formó una sociedad caracterizada por una gran separación de la nobleza blanca de europeos (sometidos a los Estatutos de limpieza de sangre) y de criollos, que conformaban una minoría de potentados cada vez más exclusiva, derivando, a partir de un sistema de castas para concluir en una aristocracia colonial.

En relación a la población local la corona empezó por promover matrimonios como preferible para la estabilidad social que el concubinato que en los hechos estaba sucediendo, así, por ejemplo, Francisco González Paniagua nos informa que en Paraguay “algunos españoles tienen setenta mujeres, a menos que sean muy pobres ninguno tenía menos que cinco o seis, la mayoría de quince a veinte y de veinte a cuarenta“. Frente a situaciones como esa, la corona decretó -en 1528- que se daría preferencia para puestos oficiales a los españoles casados y, en 1538, que la misma preferencia se observaría para las “reparticiones de indios”. En la práctica esto llevó a muchos matrimonios mixtos. No solo no habían las suficientes mujeres hispanas para casarse con todos los conquistadores que existían, sino que además las hijas de caciques y nobles indígenas traían con ellas unas dotes considerables para los conquistadores.

Muchos autores, al referirse a la población de la Nueva España consideran primero a los grupos mayoritarios y su importancia en la sociedad, por lo que se menciona a:

Los españoles o peninsulares: Aquellos europeos que por nacer en España y viajar a la Nueva España en busca de cuantiosas fortunas, se les concedía todo el poder, tanto económico como político. Vulgarmente eran llamados gachupines.

Los indígenas: Principal grupo al iniciar la conquista y durante la colonia.

Los mestizos: Descendientes de españoles e indios.

Los negros: Personas de color traídas del continente africano en calidad de esclavos y que realizaban las labores más agobiantes.

Los criollos: Hijos de españoles nacidos en la Nueva España.

Las castas eran la mezcla de los mencionados anteriormente.

She was the chairwoman of the Victoria Democratic Party and started over four businesses in Victoria. Into her 90s she was still registering people to vote, as well as volunteering at the polls. 

From the daughter of a sharecropper to successful business woman, mother of five, and grandmother of 13; she was an inspiration. The family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Hospice of South Texas staff for their compassionate care. Under the direction of Angel Lucy's Funeral Home in Victoria, 361-575-3212.

She was a member of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and Santisma Trinidad. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Nicholas Hinojosa Sr.; sons, Nick Hinojosa Jr. (wife, Cathy), Robert Hinojosa (wife, Martha), Ernest Hinojosa (wife, Denise) of Victoria and Mark Hinojosa (wife, Keli) and daughter, Lydia Zamora (husband, Robert) of Corpus Christi; her brother, Willie Loa (wife, Elijia) of Corpus Christi; 13 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Amelia was preceded in death by her parents, sisters: Ruby Rodriguez, Natalia Loa and Ventura Gutierrez, and brothers: Raul, Rojerio, Reynaldo, Jesse, Fred, Fidel and Gil Loa. Visitation will be on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 from 5pm to 9pm with a Rosary to be recited at 7pm at Angel Lucy's Funeral Home in Victoria. Continue visitation will begin Wednesday, August 21, 2019 at 8:15am with a Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 9am at Holy Trinity Church. Burial to follow at San Jose Cemetery. 

Yvonne5.LULAC@gmail.com
State Director
CALIFORNIA LULAC
P.O. Box 7496
Huntington Beach, CA 92615
714-423-9150 cell/text -

Garcia was central to the development of both the Department of Raza Studies (Latina/Latino Studies) and the College of Ethnic Studies. She was the first woman to be hired in a tenure-track position in Raza Studies, but she made sure that she was not the last.

She joined the department in the early 1980s with an M.S.W. and began teaching and developing curriculum while earning her doctorate in anthropology from UC Berkeley. She combined her expertise in criminal justice with an undying passion for the rights and empowerment of the Latino community and for any community or person that suffered any level of injustice.

To Garcia, social justice was not just a phrase it was a steadfast commitment. She was a powerful voice for those who needed her, including prisoners and their families, as well as under-represented students and their families. She influenced generations of students and colleagues who benefited from her teaching and mentorship.

Garcia chaired the Department of Raza Studies from 1999-2008 before it was renamed Latina/Latino Studies. Under her leadership the department grew by leaps and bounds in size and scope and became one of the focal points of the field of Latino Studies. Garcia showed us through example that an excellent scholar cares deeply for her community and that her excellence has its roots in that passion.

We will miss Velia Garcia. We are grateful for the many gifts she gave to the Department of Latina/Latino Studies, to the College of Ethnic Studies and to San Francisco State University. We are also grateful for the constant care and  love that she enjoyed from her partner Larry Trujillo and her son Jimmy.

Garcia will always have a large place in the heart of our department and in the field of Latina/Latino Studies.

With un abrazo fuerte, 
Teresa Carrillo, Ph.D. 
Chair, Latina/Latino Studies
San Francisco State University

Tyler Bridges, Staff writer, Aug 18, 2019 The Advocate

At 21, she married Raymond “Coach” Blanco and over the next 14 years, she gave birth to six children. During that time, politics was not present in her life as she cooked for the family, changed diapers, ferried her children to and fro and cleaned the Blanco home in Lafayette.

“It was a daily struggle to fight dirt,” she recalled in an interview years later. “You know what? Dirt always wins.”

Blanco entered the workforce in 1979, in need of money and adult conversation. Four years later, after working for the U.S. Census Bureau, she mounted a long-shot bid for the state House, with help from Raymond, a former football coach with keen political instincts. Their children accompanied her as she knocked on doors.

Blanco won, and she kept on winning as she sought higher-profile offices, with voters responding favorably to her calm, likable and genuine manner. In 2003, the Democrat was elected as Louisiana’s governor after serving two terms as lieutenant governor.

But Hurricane Katrina struck 20 months into her tenure, killing more than 1,500 people in and around New Orleans, badly damaging more than 200,000 homes, scattering Louisianans all over the country — and dealing a crippling blow to Blanco’s political career. She opted not to seek re-election in 2007.

In December 2017, a decade after she left the Governor’s Mansion, Blanco disclosed she had been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer that had no cure.

“I’ve had an extraordinarily full life,” she said then, adding that her devout Catholicism left her at peace with whatever lay ahead.

The news of her terminal illness prompted a series of tributes from political leaders and an overflowing of goodwill from ordinary people during the final months of her life. Until then, Blanco had kept a low profile following her departure from the Governor’s Mansion.

"Some things of our destiny we can’t control, like hurricanes and cancer," she said in September 2018.

During her first 20 months as governor, Blanco was a popular, can-do governor who was pro-business, pro-life, pro-guns and focused on improving the state’s education system. She seemed likely to cruise to re-election.

But Katrina’s arrival on Aug. 29, 2005 changed everything. The federal levees failed catastrophically and water swallowed up low-lying neighborhoods. The city and the state seemed woefully unprepared.

On early-morning television shows, operating on little sleep, Blanco looked haggard and overwhelmed in the immediate aftermath of what was by some measures the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. TV images captured bedraggled people stranded on Interstate 10 and others suffering in the Louisiana Superdome, which lost part of its roof, ran out of food, saw its bathrooms fail and had no air conditioning in sweltering humidity.

Government looked incompetent, and Blanco suffered much of the blame.

Kathleen Blanco honored by Saints with Hall of Fame class award: 'Highlight of my life'

Blanco recalls mission to turn post-Katrina Superdome from 'symbol of despair' to 'beacon' of hope for Saints, Louisiana.

“Her legitimacy and popularity was gone in two weeks,” a political consultant said eight months later.

Hurricane Rita followed Katrina on Sept. 24, 2005, walloping southwest Louisiana, flooding coastal towns and knocking out electricity.

In the wake of both hurricanes, Blanco fought hard for federal rebuilding aid and created the Road Home Program to assist residents in navigating the paperwork needed to claim a piece of it. But the program moved slowly, and she suffered more blame.

In March 2007, facing certain defeat, Blanco announced that she would not seek re-election that fall.

"I am doing this so we can work without interference from election-year politics," Blanco said in a televised address from the foyer of the Governor’s Mansion.

By the time she left office in January 2008, she was frustrated at how Hurricane Katrina had overshadowed the many successes of her career and re-written her political epitaph.

“I felt like I was victimized in a way, just like the people who lost their homes were victimized,” she told The Advocate.

Like several of her predecessors — including Huey Long, Jimmy Davis and Edwin Edwards — Blanco came from humble beginnings.

She was raised along the bend of a highway, La. Hwy. 88, in the French-speaking community of Coteau, set among sugar cane fields deep in Acadiana south of Lafayette. Born on Dec. 15, 1942, she was the first of seven children born to Louis and Lucille Babineaux. The family crammed into a house with only three bedrooms and a single bathroom.  Louis Babineaux sold and cleaned carpets while his wife cared for the large brood.

Life in Coteau revolved around the five-room schoolhouse, which was a block away from home. The Babineaux’s Catholic church, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, was across the street from the school. Nearby was the general store owned by Blanco's grandfather.

Kathleen, a shy child, was more serious than her schoolmates. She would borrow four or five books every time the bookmobile stopped in Coteau.

When she was 14, her parents loaded the household belongings onto the back of a truck and moved the family to New Iberia, 10 miles away. By then, she was attending school there at Mount Carmel Academy, an all-girls Catholic school where the girls prayed before every class.

Before school dances, the nuns told the girls that they could not remove their shoes. "If you took off your shoes at the dance," the nuns would say, "what would you take off on the way home?"

Blanco graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana — now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette — with a degree in business education. She met Raymond at a party in 1962. A big, blustery man who loved politics, food and football, he was a local star as the 26-year-old head coach at Catholic High School.

The relationship blossomed, but Raymond Blanco faced a problem: He was short of money to buy an engagement ring. That is, until the night he won more than $400 playing blackjack at an illicit casino on U.S. Hwy. 90 between Lafayette and New Iberia. They married in 1964.

Kathleen Blanco taught at a high school for a year before quitting to begin raising her family.

She was a stay-at-home mom until she was 37. Raymond, meanwhile, served as the dean of students at the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

At 40, Kathleen Blanco won the state House race in an upset, and she cruised to re-election four years later in 1987. She won a seat on the Public Service Commission in 1988 and won re-election in 1992. (Blanco mounted a campaign for governor in 1991 but dropped out after 100 days, short of funds.) She was elected lieutenant governor in 1995 and won re-election in 1999.

In the 2003 governor’s race, a Republican wunderkind named Bobby Jindal came from nowhere to finish first in the primary. Blanco nosed out two other Democrats for second place.

She and Jindal met at a climactic debate three days before the runoff. Blanco’s internal polls showed she was trailing narrowly.

The two candidates addressed typical issues until each was asked to identify a defining moment in their lives.

As the polished Jindal discussed his conversion to Christianity and the birth of his daughter, Blanco realized she would have to address her rawest moment.

"The most defining moment came when I lost a child," she told the statewide television audience.

Blanco's 19-year-old son, Ben, the baby of the brood was killed instantly in 1997 when an industrial crane fell on him near Morgan City. Ben was cutting up scrap metal over the Christmas holidays to earn a few extra dollars.

"It's very hard for me to talk about it," Kathleen Blanco said as the debate wound down, looking into the camera and fighting tears. "I guess that's what makes me who I am today — knowing that one of the worst things that can happen to a person happened to me, and we were able to protect our family, and the rest of my children have been strong as a result of it."

Analysts said her heartfelt response may have spelled the difference with voters. She defeated Jindal, 52 percent to 48 percent.

As governor, Blanco didn’t engage in bluster or strong-arm tactics to get her way, as her male predecessors typically did. She had a steely nature, however. In an instance that grabbed the attention of political insiders, she had then-state Rep. Troy Hebert stripped of his committee chairmanship after Hebert led the opposition to her on a key tax vote.

During her first 20 months, liberals liked her emphasis on improving education and health care. Businessmen liked that she cut business taxes and was recruiting new companies to Louisiana. Cultural conservatives liked that she believed in God, hunted, fished and opposed abortion. Most everyone liked that she ran a clean government.

Katrina and Rita changed the equation.

Over the next 2½ years, Blanco operated in crisis mode. She traveled repeatedly to Washington to secure billions of dollars in federal aid from the administration of President George W. Bush. She wrestled with how to get aid to residents as quickly as possible given government regulations meant to prevent fraud and abuse.

One of her first moves came in late 2005 when she went against political allies by winning legislative approval to have the state-run Recovery School District take over more than 100 shuttered schools from the dysfunctional Orleans Parish School system. This allowed state officials to oversee the reopening of New Orleans' public schools.

It may have been her most significant policy achievement. Today, New Orleans is the only city in the country that has an all-charter school system, parents can choose their child's school and test scores and graduation rates have risen dramatically.

In her final year, with the state coffers flush from post-Katrina spending, Blanco and the state Legislature raised teacher pay to reach the Southern average, a long-time goal. She left Jindal with a $1 billion budget surplus, although she signed off on a tax cut that helped set the stage for future deficits. (Jindal and the state Legislature approved a larger second one.)

She and Raymond returned to their home in Lafayette and lived quietly, focusing on their family and charitable work. She began work on a memoir but never finished it. In 2013, they became early and key advisers to then-state Rep. John Bel Edwards as he began a long-shot campaign for governor.

Blanco always believed that her achievements as governor would be noted in time.

She lived to see some of that reappraisal.

For example, the Superdome Commission credited her in 2018 with saving the New Orleans Saints franchise by making the politically difficult decision in late 2005 to authorize the dome's renovation when most New Orleans residents hadn’t yet returned home and the city could barely provide police and fire protection. Completing the work before the 2006 season brought the Saints back to New Orleans, where they and the Superdome have flourished since then.

Her decision, Advocate columnist Stephanie Grace wrote, recast the Superdome “from a scene of despair to a symbol of resolve.”

In mid-2018, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette established a public policy center in her name that included her gubernatorial papers. She insisted that it serve to bring together people of differing views to hash out their differences.

“She understands the importance of education and investing in our children,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said at the Sept. 21, 2018, opening ceremony. ”She knows it's an investment, not spending.”

In her final days, Blanco said goodbye to friends at a Lafayette hospice and gave heart-warming gifts, characteristically wanting to make sure she had tied up all loose ends.

Survivors include her mother Lucille Babineaux, who lives in New Iberia; Raymond; five children: Karmen, Nicole, Monique, Pilar and Ray; and 13 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are pending.

After she went public with her terminal illness, Blanco said her deep religious faith left her unafraid to die.

“I don’t want to leave this Earth,” she said. “I don’t want to leave my family. Some of them are into young adulthood and toddlers. We have this great spectrum of energy that’s here. It’s not that you want to leave anybody, but when your body’s worn out, what can you do? It’s kind of what I’ve always thought of.”

Advocate librarian Judy Jumonville contributed research to this article.

Mucho se ha contado sobre la Primera Vuelta al Mundo realizada por Fernando de Magallanes y Juan Sebastián Elcano.  Estar zambullidos de lleno en el 500 aniversario de esta gesta naval, acaecida entre 1519 y 1522, es lo que tiene. La fecha ha hecho que los pormenores del viaje que permitió a nuestro país arribar a las Molucas y descubrir el Estrecho ubicado al sur de Chile sean conocidos ampliamente. Desde el momento en que salieron de Sevilla, hasta que regresaron de nuevo a la península tres años después. Sin embargo, hasta ahora muy pocas obras habían tratado las repercusiones de esta epopeya.

Por ello, la nueva obra del filósofo y divulgador histórico Pedro Insua ( «El orbe a sus pies», Ariel, 2019) es clave; porque narra eventos olvidados como la desconocida muerte del mismo Elcano.

Con todo, Insua no se centra solo en Elcano. Su obra, magna donde las haya, recoge desde los tratados mediante los que España y Portugal se volvieron a dividir el mundo tras la llegada a las Molucas, hasta la posterior venta de dichas islas por Carlos I. Y todo ello, sin olvidar que arribar hasta el Pacífico permitió a nuestros antepasados poner sus ojos en la conquista de China. El también autor de «1492. España contra sus fantasmas» recoge también los posteriores intentos de hacerse con este país por parte de Felipe II, además del abandono final de los planes debido a los enfrentamientos internos entre militares y religiosos. A su vez, ofrece datos casi olvidados como que la monarquía hispánica se hizo de nuevo con las islas en 1606.

Elcano: vida y muerte desafortunadas

Según Insua, después del viaje de vuelta, tormentoso donde los hubiere, Elcano disfrutó de la tranquilidad que ofrece el trabajo bien hecho durante tres años; tiempo que pasó en la Corte de Valladolid. Tras asistir a las juntas de Elvas y Badajoz (en las que España y Portugal se repartieron otra vez el mundo conocido) se unió a una nueva expedición dirigida por frey García Jofre de Loaysa. Su objetivo: atravesar el Estrecho de Magallanes, arribar a las Molucas y hacerse con el control de la especiería. Casi nada... Lo curioso es que nuestro castizo héroe fue nombrado piloto mayor de la nao Sancti Spiritus, pero no capitán general.

La expedición salió del puerto de La Coruña, sede de una suerte de casa de contracción de Sevilla, el 24 de julio de 1525. En sus filas había seis naos y varios cientos de hombres dispuestos a cruzar de nuevo el Atlántico. Pero aquel día comenzó un infierno, si cabe, todavía mayor que el de 1522. La mayoría de autores coinciden en que las desdichas se generalizaron durante el trayecto. Ni siquiera acabaron cuando llegaron al Estrecho. La lógica dictaba que, con Elcano de guía (que ya conocía la región), nada podía salir mal. No fue así. La capitana confundió la entrada del paso y cuatro naves se perdieron o desertaron. Poco después, y a pesar de que el desastre rondaba el ambiente, cruzaron y se toparon con el Pacífico.

Cuando parecía que el destino solo podía ser propicio con la expedición, la mala fortuna volvió a atacar a Loysa y a sus hombres. Para empezar, una tormenta dispersó a las dos naos restantes y tan solo quedó una para terminar el viaje: la Victoria. Por si fuera poco (nunca lo es) el escorbuto se extendió entre los tripulantes. De la noche a la mañana, los escasos hombres que todavía luchaban por vivir empezaron a sangrar y la fatiga les venció. Por culpa de esta enfermedad se fueron al otro mundo la friolera de 34 tripulantes. Y entre ellos se encontraba el piloto, Antonio Bermejo.

Para entonces la comida y la bebida escaseaban, como bien recordó Andrés de Urdaneta, presente en la expedición, en sus crónicas: «Era tanta la sed que teníamos, que los más de nosotros no nos podíamos menear, que nos ahogábamos de sed; y en esto me acordé yo que quizás me remediaría con mis propias orinas, y así lo hice; luego bebí siete u ocho sorbos de ellas, y orné en mí, como si hubiera comido y bebido». No pintaban bien las cosas. Al final, el escorbuto se llevó también la vida de Loaysa el 30 de julio de ese mismo año. Fue entonces cuando nuestro castizo Elcano asumió el mando. Su momento había llegado. Al fin, después de casi tres años esperando, se convirtió en capitán general de una armada.

Por desgracia, el cargo le duró menos de una semana. Exactamente seis días, como desvela el mismo Insua en declaraciones a ABC. En palabras de este experto, en la actualidad se desconoce de qué murió, aunque se sospecha que lo que acabó con él fue el escorbuto. Así anotó este suceso el mismo Urdaneta en su diario: «Lunes, a seis de agosto, falleció el magnífico señor Juan Sebastián Elcano».

Apenas una jornada después se celebró el entierro en honor del marino. Tal y como explica Manuel Lucena en su artículo sobre este insigne español para la Real Academia de la Historia, el 7 de agosto su cadáver «fue envuelto en un sudario y sujeto a una tabla con cuerdas». A continuación, los restos fueron llevados hasta la cubierta del barco, donde la marinería le rezó un Padre Nuestro y varios Ave Marías. Cuando terminaron las exequias, se colgó del cadáver un peso y se lanzó al vasco al mar. «No hubo músicas, ni banderas, ni galas, ni nada. Así había despedido Elcano al capitán general frey García Jofre de Loaysa, y así le despidieron a él», añade el español en su artículo. De esta forma terminó la vida de uno de los hombres más insignes de nuestro país.

1-¿Quién llevó el peso de la expedición de Magallanes y Elcano?

No creo que sea excesivamente importante quién llevó la iniciativa de la operación. La carga de la expedición la llevó Magallanes, eso es innegable. Elcano fue un secundario que tenía un puesto modesto y solo fue elegido capitán al final.

2-¿Eso significa que la operación fue portuguesa?

No. Magallanes era español porque se naturalizó así. Pensar que Portugal tuvo algún papel en la expedición cuando era la potencia rival es absurdo. El viaje se montó contra ellos y, por eso, el rey luso Manuel I intentó dinamitar la operación en varias ocasiones. Además, la misión fue claramente española por su objetivo, su razón de ser, su financiación y sus componentes.

3-¿Por qué cree que su «razón de ser» era española?

Los portugueses ya habían llegado hasta las Molucas con Vasco de Gama. La diferencia es que lo habían hecho por su hemisferio después de que el Tratado de Tordesillas dividiese el mundo en dos partes (una para los lusos y otra para España). Por eso no tiene sentido plantearlo como una ruta portuguesa y darles mérito es absurdo. Además, hay que tener en cuenta que nuestro país absorbió la tecnología y los conocimientos de los cosmógrafos y los pilotos que rechazaban a Manuel I.

4-En su obra afirma, incluso, que esta «razón de ser» era la misma que había planteado Colón...

Sí. En este sentido el objetivo era también español. Colón había propuesto llegar a Oriente a través del Occidente usando como base la teoría de la esfericidad de la Tierra, pero fracasó porque se encontró con un obstáculo fenomenal: ¡un continente entero! Magallanes y Elcano fueron quienes culminaron ese proyecto colombino al hallar una vía (el futuro Estrecho de Magallanes) para arribar a Asia. Así, consumó lo que se había proyectado en 1492.

La expedición, no obstante, también pretendía restaurar las vías comerciales y apostólicas que habían quedado cortadas por el socavón que representaba, en el Mediterráneo Oriental, el Imperio turco. Portugal ya lo había hecho por su hemisferio, bordeando la costa africana y adentrándose en el Índico. Sin embargo, a España solo le quedaba la vía occidental y hacerlo en el Atlántico.

Fernando MagallanesFernando Magallanes

5-Su primera obra analizó la leyenda negra que existe contra España, y no hay mayor mentira que la que afirma que nuestro país siempre estuvo a la cola en el ámbito científico.

Sí. La profundidad histórica de nuestro país desde el punto de vista universal viene dada por su acción científica en el mar. Atravesamos las Columnas de Hércules y nos adentramos en el Océano Atlántico. Fuimos más allá («Plus ultra») mientras Portugal hacía navegación de cabotaje y solo se internaba en el Índico con Vasco de Gama a partir de 1497. España inició la concepción del mundo y la ciencia modernas. Magallanes y Elcano dieron consistencia a la teoría de la esfera (medida en primer término por Eratóstenes) y derrumbaron las concepciones antiguas de la Tierra de Plinio o Ptolomeo. Lo mismo pasó con todas las fantasías ligadas a ellas, desde la que afirmaba que existía una esfera sumergida en el mar, hasta la que aseguraba que había una zona tórrida inhabitable en algún lugar. Los barcos de aquella expedición dejaron a popa el mundo antiguo.

6-¿Cuál es el avance español que más le ha llamado la atención de esta época?

El ejemplo más claro de la contribución española a la ciencia fueron los mapas de Diego Ribero. Con ellos se empezaron a conocer (y a distribuir) adecuadamente las líneas de los continentes. Gracias a su trabajo (y al de otros tantos), cuando Yuri Gagarin salió del planeta supo donde estaban exactamente las masas de agua y de tierra y no se sorprendió. España fue clave a la hora de cartografiar y medir desde dentro el planeta. Estableció las longitudes del mundo. Solo hay que comparar los mapas de Juan de la Cosa (aproximadamente del 1500) y del mismo Ribero para entenderlo. Entre ellos no hay más de dos décadas, pero el cambio es brutal. El segundo llevó a cabo una verdadera revolución cartográfica.

7-¿Intentó Portugal boicotear este viaje?

Es que, en buena medida, era un viaje contra Portugal. Se buscaba llegar a Asia por el hemisferio español sin depender de ellos. Por eso reaccionaron. El embajador de Manuel I, por ejemplo, tenía un plan para atentar contra Magallanes en Zaragoza. La diplomacia del monarca insistía también a Carlos V en que no debía acoger ni dar poder a un traidor al trono cuando sus hermanas se estaban casando con princesas lusas. Y eso, antes de que comenzara la expedición. Cuando se supo de la partida de los barcos enviaron varios destacamentos de navíos para neutralizarla. Uno de ellos se entretuvo contra los turcos, pero otro, el de Brito, sí logró neutralizar a la Trinidad, una de las dos naves que se disponía a regresar tras llegar a su destino.

Manuel I, rey de PortugalManuel I, rey de Portugal

8-¿Qué sucedió con ella?

Para empezar, robaron todo lo que llevaba. A la tripulación la hicieron danzar durante cuatro años por toda la Insulindia. La obligaron a ir de un lado a otro mientras les prometían falsamente que les iban a devolver a la Península. De los 50 marineros sobrevivieron 4, y su regreso a España es muy llamativo. Por si fuera poco, la Trinidad era la que más carga de especias llevaba, mucho más que la Victoria. También se hicieron con todos los libros de Andrés de San Martín, el cosmógrafo que iba en la expedición, y adquirieron por tanto todas sus mediciones. Lo más curioso es que los lusos malperdieron toda la información científica de la que se apropiaron, desapareció porque no les interesaba que se diese a conocer.

9-Habla también del carácter «soberbio» de Magallanes. ¿Él mismo se buscó su propia muerte?

Magallanes era un soldado bastante hábil. Ejemplo de ello es que, cuando se produjo un motín durante el viaje, lo sofocó de una manera rápida y descuartizando a los capitanes que se habían alzado contra él. Sin embargo, llama la atención la precipitación y la torpeza con la que actuó en Filipinas. Su fanfarronería acabó con él. Dijo que su medio centenar de castellanos podrían acabar con los miles de indígenas que había en la isla de Mactán. Al final acabó perdiendo la vida.

Por otro lado, se precipitó mucho a la hora de convertir a los indígenas. En primer lugar, desoyó las instrucciones estrictas sobre el bautismo. Estas decían que no se podía forzar a nadie a ser cristiano porque, si lo hacías, no ganabas un alma para el cristianismo, sino que perdías la propia. La única explicación es que el Papa había concedido una bula según la cual daba a los portugueses todo el territorio que pudieran conquistar siempre que los nativos no fuesen cristianos. Por eso creo que Magallanes se apresuró tanto.

Era además un hombre que tenía bastante genio. Aunque también es cierto que, cuando comenzó su viaje, sabía que los españoles y los portugueses querían traicionarle. Los segundos, porque eran la potencia rival; los primeros, porque creían que estaba trabajando para Manuel I. Magallanes tuvo que arrostrar todo eso.

«Casi todos los mapas mundi de factura española fueron regalados por Carlos V a diferentes naciones para demostrar que las Molucas eran españolas»

10-En su libro contrapone la opacidad de los lusos con la luminosidad española. Al menos, en el ámbito científico...

En esta época los intereses estaban cruzados. Un país no podía atravesar el Atlántico si no tenía conocimientos cosmográficos y náuticos. Por ello, se desarrollaron desde nuevos instrumentos náuticos, hasta naves como la carabela y la nao (que dependían de los vientos y no de los remos). Todo este conocimiento era vital para la geoestrategia, y los portugueses preferían ocultarlo para tener ventaja.

Por otro lado, y si nos fijamos en la línea real que se había establecido en Tordesillas, las Filipinas no entraban en el territorio del Imperio español. Solo una pequeña parte. Pero calcularon mal unos y otros, y eso favoreció a nuestro país. A los españoles les interesaba que las cartas con estos cálculos beneficiosos se propagasen por toda Europa. Casi todos los mapas mundi de factura española, hechos en Sevilla, fueron regalados por Carlos V a diferentes naciones para demostrar que las Molucas eran españolas. Así ponían de manifiesto la extensión del Imperio. Era una manera de que circulase diplomáticamente esta idea.

11-¿Qué utilidad real tuvo, en principio. el Estrecho de Magallanes?

Es cierto que con el Estrecho se abrió un espacio gigantesco, el Pacífico (conocido en principio como Lago español), a la geoestrategia, y que desde él se intentó poner un pie en Asia; pero el problema es que, aunque se podía llegar hasta la zona, no era viable volver de forma segura sino se usaba el hemisferio portugués. El paso tampoco era útil como enclave comercial porque la población que se asentaba en él (los patagones, por ejemplo) era muy primitiva.

En 1565, cuando Miguel López de Legazpi y Andrés de Urdaneta(aprendiz de Elcano) consiguieron descubrir el camino de regreso a través del hemisferio español, este cobró consistencia. La ruta, de hecho, fue recorrida durante 300 años por el Galeón de Manila. Ellos sí consiguieron que la geoestrategia fuese relativamente exitosa.

12-¿Qué podía hacer España tras arribar a las Molucas?

A España se le ofrecían dos alternativas. La primera era explotar las Molucas como recurso. La segunda era llegar a China. Y ambas eran muy difíciles de sostener. En principio apostaron por asentarse en las islas, pero en 1529 fueron vendidas a Portugal a cambio de 350.000 ducados con el Tratado de Zaragoza. A partir de ese momento el objetivo único fue China y se utilizarán Las Antillas como plataforma para llegar hasta ella.

13-¿No se intentó poblar el Estrecho?

Sí, los españoles lo intentaron. Pedro Sarmiento fundó dos poblaciones de medio millar de personas, una con un nombre civil y otra teológico. De esta forma, se buscaba evitar que los ingleses usaran esta ruta. El problema es que era muy caro fortificar la región y que los pueblos debían tener un comercio próspero para poder sobrevivir. El proyecto no cuajó.

14-¿España vendió las Molucas a Portugal a pesar de que eran, según los tratados internacionales, lusas? ¿Tildaría esta acción de robo?

Fue una operación muy audaz. España llegó tarde a las Molucas y no eran suyas desde el punto de vista de los tratados internacionales. Sin embargo, lograron venderlas. No lo tildaría de robo, pero fue algo curioso. La operación se produjo en 1529, cuando ya habían fallecido Magallanes y Elcano y después de que los lusos asentaran un destacamento militar en la zona. El tratado, eso sí, establecía que España podía recuperarlas de nuevo, si así lo quería, devolviendo los 350.000 ducados.

15-Habla de la muerte de Elcano. ¿Cómo falleció el marino español?

Tras el éxito de 1522, se produjeron dos años después las juntas de Elvas y Badajoz. En ellas se discutió dónde se iba a reubicar el antimeridiano y participaron desde Hernando Colón, hasta los grandes pilotos del momento. Una veintena de representantes por España y los mismos por Portugal. Después de estas discusiones partió de A Coruña una segunda expedición, que ya estaba planeada, dirigida por García Jofre de Loaysa y en la que Elcano colaboró como lugarteniente y piloto. Esta operación (que contó en principio con siete naves) terminó en desastre a pesar de que el marino español ya había atravesado el Estrecho antes y sabía que, tras él, se abría un extenso océano difícil de transitar.

El culmen del desastre se vivió cuando, al llegar al entorno de Filipinas, murió Jofre de Loaysa. Fue entonces cuando Elcano, que no había sido jefe hasta entonces, adquirió el grado de Gran Capitán de esa armada. Lo más llamativo es que apenas disfrutó del cargo seis días porque murió, presuntamente, de escorbuto. Logró su gran ambición, que era dirigir una expedición, pero de forma tristemente efímera.

En todo caso, la gran victoria de Elcano fue Urdaneta, entonces aprendiz de la expedición. Y es que, tras este viaje, regresó a México, se hizo cosmógrafo y promovió la expedición que terminó convirtiendo el Estrecho en algo inútil al hallar una nueva ruta. A su regreso este paso se abandonó. A partir de entonces la existencia del Estrecho se llegó a olvidar. En su obra “La Araucana” (publicada en 1569), el soldado Alonso de Ercilla llegó a obviar la existencia del paso. De hecho, el camino dejó de ser practicado hasta la expedición de Drake.

«España volvió a interesarse por las Molucas de nuevo y las conquistó en 1606. Es algo que ha pasado desapercibido en la Historia»

16-¿Fue tras la venta de las Molucas cuando España fijó su vista en China?

En general, la perspectiva cambió después de que España llegara a Manila y se asentara en la zona aprovechándose del comercio asiático (lo que, a la postre, resultaría en una ruta que el Galeón de Manilapracticó durante tres siglos). Fue entonces cuando a Miguel López de Legazpi se le planteó una disyuntiva: quedarse en Cebú (Filipinas) y recuperar las Molucas pagando los 350.000 ducados, o asentarse en Manila y dirigir sus esfuerzos hacia China. Se apostó por lo segundo y se planteó, incluso, conquistar el país.

17-¿Cómo se planteó esta conquista?

Hubo varios planes. El que planteó la cornista con mayor seriedad fue Alonso Sánchez, aunque el líder de los jesuitas, Claudio Acquaviva, se mostró reacio a tomar la zona por las armas porque sus frailes ya estaban penetrando en ella. Al final, Felipe II apostó por el proyecto que le presentó José de Acosta. China fue siempre el gran objetivo. Era una masa de población muy grande y hubiera permitido ganar muchas almas para el cristianismo. Pero no sirvió de nada y el resultado fue un fracaso total.

18-¿Cómo actuó entonces España?

España volvió a interesarse por las Molucas y las conquistó en 1606. Es algo que ha pasado desapercibido en la Historia. Fueron tomadas con tanto entusiasmo que el Presidente de la Junta de Indias, el Conde de Lemos, encargó a Leonardo de Argensola, amigo de Cervantes, que escribiese una crónica sobre cómo fueron tomadas. Este es un libro que no se suele citar en la actualidad y que he tenido la posibilidad de leer y referenciar. Al final, sin embargo, fueron tomadas por los holandeses, que las mantuvieron bajo su poder hasta el siglo XIX.

TEMAS found by C. campos escalante (CAmpce@gmail.com)

However, the new announcement takes matters one step further. Researchers in Japan and the United States have not only introduced human cells into goat and sheep embryos but have used far more human cells than researches did in the past. In fact, the embryos contained 1 human cell for every 10,000 sheep/goat cells. Like the pigs, the embryos were destroyed in order to prevent the creation of full-fledged human/sheep chimeras.

Scientists involved in these experiments justify their work by saying that they are trying to save lives by providing an abundance of organs that could be used for much-needed transplants. They note that the very limited supply of human organs available for transplant means that many people around the world are dying for lack of new heart, kidney or some other essential organ.

Furthermore, even those who do receive transplants often have a lot of medical problems with the new organs as the body automatically rejects organs from another individual, even if that individual is closely related to the person who got the transplant. While medications can help suppress the immune system so that transplants are not rejected, in many cases the eventual result is full organ rejection and eventual death.

The creation of human/animal chimera “organ farms” aims to address both the lack of available organs and the rejection problem. If tens of thousands of animals were growing human organs, even those who are not in critical need of a transplant could receive one for whatever reason. Furthermore, stem cell and genome editing technology could be used to grow custom-made organs with a particular individual’s DNA. This means that the body may accept these organs because it recognizes its own DNA inside of them.

However, in spite of the fact that many scientists may have good reasons and intentions for mixing human and animal DNA, there are many reasons to be wary of such experiments. The creation of what could eventually be human-animal “sub-species” is not something that any reasonable scientists should aspire to.

Ethical questions aside, no human being can know what the result would be if human-animal chimeras were allowed to be birthed and give birth to other animals. More importantly, no one knows what would happen if a so-called human organ that has grown in a sheep or a pig were to be implanted in a human being. It could impact that person’s DNA and even impact the lives of any children that person may have after having received the transplant.

While the research is in its early stages, the fact is that scientists experimenting with human and animal DNA are heading down a dangerous, slippery slope. What began as injecting very small amounts of human DNA into pigs has now grown into injecting far more human DNA into sheep and goats.

This isn’t the stopping place as those involved in the experiments are already stating that organs grown in animals would need to be at least 1% human in order to be successfully transplanted into humans. This means injecting one human cell for every 100 animal cells to create viable human-animal organs.

While no one is presently calling for animal-grown human organs that are more than 1% human, it is not inconceivable that some will eventually do so. It is also not inconceivable that scientists will be content with their present position of avoiding the introduction of human cells into animal brains and reproductive organs.

After all, in these scientists minds there is no God and therefore really no rules governing how human DNA should and should not be used.

~ Christian Patriot Daily, 8/20/19

Hello Mimi,

I had never really grasp the full meaning and the cognizant depth of your catchphrase, "Somos Primos," until I attended the Casso family reunion with Jo Emma and her brother Edward Bravo on Saturday, July 27, 2019, at La Posada Hotel in Laredo, Texas. And for the first time, I witnessed your beautiful concept of Somos Primos in its full splendor. There were 380 primos, primas, tias, tios, and other relatives from all over the United States and from all over Mexico who gathered in the San Agustín Ballroom. It was a fantastic, fabulous, and awesome family reunion that will only happen once in a lifetime. According to the staff at the hotel, this was the biggest family reunion they have ever hosted. The celebration took place from 6:00 p.m. until midnight.

Jo Emma is a direct descendant and a seventh generation Casso on her mother's side. She was Ana María Casso Guerra from Laredo. Her parents were Francisco Casso and Blasita Guerra. She married James Edward Bravo from Zapata. Thus, Jo Emma is the great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of the original Casso patriarch who came to New Spain. At the family reunion, I visited with my old friend from our college days at St. Mary's University in the late 1960s. His name is Fernando Montemayor and when we first met and became friends, I did not know that he was Jo Emma's first cousin. I found out from Jo Emma that his grandmother and Jo Emma's grandfather were siblings.

A cousin of Jo Emma, Alfonso "Poncho" Casso from Laredo, was in charge of coordinating the monumental and historic family reunion. He had a committee of family members who helped him with the different assigned tasks. His first email to Jo Emma announcing the idea of a family reunion is dated March 1, 2019. From this day forward, Poncho kept Jo Emma and the other family members up-to-date on the progress of the reunion via emails, written in English and Spanish. One of the early tasks was to provide him with the email addresses and telephone numbers from as many Casso family members as possible, so that Poncho could develop his contact list. Another task that Poncho asked Jo Emma and all the family members was to provide him with photos and portraits of the oldest ancestors and family members in order to develop a video presentation.

Through his bilingual emails, Poncho kept us abreast of the latest developments, including a registration form and information on submitting the $40 fee for each participant that included dinner, live background music, I.D. badges to include each family member's branch (Attachment #3), a seat placement card, and a blue tote bag with the title of the occasion printed on one side and some goodies inside (Attachment #1). There were a total of fourteen family branches. Poncho continued to send us bilingual reminders about deadlines and the upcoming historic reunion. He wanted to make sure that people had ample time and notice. The attire for the occasion was casual.

A few weeks before the event, Jo Emma send this email to Poncho in response to his email: "Primo, as we are winding down to our once in a lifetime family reunion, I want to express my wholehearted gratitude and appreciation for all the work you are doing and continue to do to make sure it will be a successful event. I know it is time consuming and your clock must have more than 24 hours in the day. I couldn't help but notice that you sent me this email at 2:06 in the morning! When do you get some sleep? Again, thank you so much for all the work you are doing."

At the reunion, a program was provided (Attachments #2 and #4), and a Genealogical Mural ( 3 ft. x 32 ft.) was on display in the Zaragoza Room, which was adjacent to the San Agustín Ballroom. Also, a PDF Family Tree with all the family generations was on display in the same room. At the beginning of the evening, each family branch was called to go to the Zaragoza Room for a group photograph. And for those who were interested in having a preprandial and a postprandial libation, a cash bar was available.

Four days after the affair, Poncho send Jo Emma the following bilingual email:

"Thank you to all those of you who were able to make it to the reunion. Everyone had a great time! Just a quick note to let everyone know that you all will be receiving the following shortly:

Digital Album of the group pictures taken at the reunion
Digital Slide Show of pictures all of you sent that were presented at the reunion.
Video taken at the reunion by our videographer.
Internet access to the Ancestry Tree Mural presented at the reunion that includes portraits sent to us.
Family Tree presented at the reunion in Excel format
Survey for those attending and not attending the reunion to get feedback on future reunions."

Jo Emma is anxiously looking forward to receiving these six precious and memorable items. I took this photograph, showing Jo Emma (wearing the pink blouse) sitting and talking with two primos and a prima.

And, the following day, on Sunday, July 28, 2019, the Casso family reunion made the front page of the Laredo Morning Times. The occasion was also covered in the Spanish section with the heading, "Reunión de la familia Casso".

The Casso Family Reunion brought together more than 350 people Saturday night in the San Agustin Ballroom at La Posada Hotel. Photo: Jason Mack /Laredo Morning Times

The continuation from the above article:

"own little family tree. He was very secretive about it and didn’t want to share it because he was going to write a book

or something until he saw what I had. I had a whole bunch more of from certain generations down, and so once I gave him that information, he gave me the other.”

Information would be authenticated by two sources — local genealogist John Campbell and one researcher in Monterrey. Alfonso Casso said another cousin described as the “unofficial genealogist in the family” also helped.

“Altogether I got the foundations and then I started working on the rest,” Casso said. “Kept growing and growing and growing. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.”

He was right when he said he did not know what process he was into. He remembers when it all started, saying that he was strolling through the H-E-B parking lot when the idea was concocted.

There, he ran into a cousin, and that’s when the months-long work began.

“I think I was going in and my cousin was coming out, and he said, ‘Hey, do you think we ought to have a reunion?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it’s a good idea,’” Casso said. “And then I went home, and my daughter happened to be there at home with my wife and I mentioned it to her. She said, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes. I just don’t know very many Cassos and stuff.’”

Getting more than 350 family members to a reunion is no easy task. It required obtaining the email addresses from different family members across the different branches of the family and hoping the information would spread.

“As we increased the number of email addresses that we had, we got the word out more,” Casso said. “They in fact helped me expand the family tree because I know some people, but I didn’t know all of their kids or their grandkids or great grandkids. That’s how the word got out, and a lot of word of mouth also.”

That meant different family members would have to get involved and help make this come to fruition. One of those was Raul Casso, who remembers when it first started, stemming from a post on his nephew’s Facebook post.

Alfonso Casso then sent Raul Casso a friend request on Facebook, someone he had never met before.

“We exchanged phone numbers and he called me and said, ‘We’re working on a family tree,’” Raul Casso said. “It started as a family tree. From all of the names we gathered, he put it on that Excel on the computer, and he put all of the different branches from the different families. He can trace back all the way back to 1710 in Spain.”

From there, the work continued. Names were added to the family tree on a big Excel document with multiple tabs throughout the family, starting from 1710 all the way to the present time.

“After he started working on the names, he sent me a fuller list of the family tree,” Raul Casso said. “Then two months passed, he gave me a call and said, ‘I’ve got a surprise for you.’ I said, ‘What’s going on Poncho?’ I’ve never met him in my life. He told me, ‘We’re doing a family reunion. You all are included.’”

Alfonso Casso did not expect this many people to make it to the event he had planned out for months. Through analysis, he deduced 200 would be their number to break even.

Other numbers he found showed one to be potentially 225 and another did have the number for those that made the trek to the La Posada Hotel: 350.

“It was just by chance,” Casso said. “I had no idea. Apparently, a lot of the relatives were anxious to have this. They said, ‘I wonder why we didn’t do it before?’ It takes somebody to start it. I happened to be the one.”

Being able to meet everyone is no easy task. There is no conceivable way to meet all 350-plus people in a six-hour span Saturday evening at the La Posada Hotel.

Luckily, a mini reunion was called on Friday night where there was an opportunity to meet relatives.

“They were downstairs in the reunion restaurant, and I told my sister, ‘I think this is another party. I think we are in the wrong place because I don’t recognize anyone,’” Lucila Casso Jennings said. “But I met so many people (Friday) night. We met so many relatives. This has been kind of like a miracle I think.”

For Alfonso Casso and the rest of the family, this event was the culmination of what it takes to stay true to your upbringing. It was a testament to what family means to the Cassos.

“I think it’s real important for everyone to know their family and to know their roots,” Casso said. “I encourage anybody who has not done something like this, it needs to happen. It helps the younger generations understand where they may have come from and get to know more people.”

“Family first,” Lucila Casso Jennings said. “That’s what it says. Family first no matter what. That is the most important unit.”

Mimi, the joyous celebration was a huge success. It was also covered, with photographs, in LareDos News--A Journal of the Borderlands, an online journal; El Mañana newspaper from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico; CREAM magazine; and Telemundo.

And, attending the Casso family reunion truly captured the essence and the meaning of what Somos Primos is all about. Now, your catchphrase has taken a deeper understanding that will transcend those who were present, young and old, for generations to come. We are still reminiscing and enjoying those beautiful and unforgettable memories.

Gilberto

J. gilberto Quezada 
jgilbertoquezada@yahoo.com 

New law overrules Home Owner's Association ban on Jewish mezuzahs

The resident’s decision to discontinue a cherished, millennia-old tradition to avoid hundreds of dollars in fines led to rallying by the Anti-Defamation League, the Legislative Jewish Caucus and other faith groups, which culminated last week with Gov. Gavin Newsom signing Senate Bill 652 barring landlords and homeowners associations from prohibiting the display of religious items on doors and door frames.

A mezuzah is an unobtrusive, yet important part of Jewish faith, said state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Redondo Beach, lead author of the bill and chair of the Legislative Jewish Caucus.

“For centuries, Jews have risked their lives to express this important affirmation of faith,” he said. “When we heard about (the incident in San Diego), we believed this issue needed to be addressed.”

The Hindu American Foundation, California Catholic Conference and Muslim groups also threw their support behind the bill as members of these faiths also display religious symbols in their entryways, Allen said.

The bill received bipartisan support securing unanimous votes in the Assembly and Senate. It will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. Five other states — Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Rhode Island and Texas — have similar laws in place.

The San Diego family, which removed its mezuzah from the doorpost, has yet to put it back up, said Matt Wagner with ADL’s San Diego regional office. The emotional impact of the struggle has been significant for them, he said.

“They’ve had a lot of heartache and personal grief when they had to take down this mezuzah,” Wagner said. “They celebrated when they first put it up. But taking it down was traumatic. They also had the painful realization that they own a condo administered by individuals who are hostile to their private religious practice.”

These types of religious practices are protected under the First Amendment and the federal Fair Housing Act, but California’s new law clarifies the issue, especially for property owners and associations, Wagner said.

“I hope it shows this homeowners association and others like it just how little stomach the public has for discrimination of this nature,” he said.

The new law, however, would prohibit someone from placing an object that would pose a health or safety threat, hinder the opening or closing of doors, or contain obscene graphics or language. Also, the items cannot be larger than 36by-12 inches.

Telling a Jewish family to remove a mezuzah from their home is horrifying, said Rabbi Lindy Reznick, who leads Congregation Emanu El in Redlands.

“I can only imagine the trauma this family must have gone through,” she said.

Mezuzahs can be traced back to when Jewish people were held as slaves in Egypt. The biblical passages were initially carved on to the doorpost. But later, families adopted the Egyptian custom of encasing the documents and affixing them to doorposts.

They are typically placed diagonally in the top right corner of the doorpost. In addition to serving as an affirmation of one’s faith, the mezuzah is also a religious object, Reznick said.

“It’s like an amulet that protects one’s home and places of worship,” she said. “It reminds us to make a home a place of God’s blessing.”

The value of the mezuzah is not so much in the beautiful, decorative box in which it is usually encased, the rabbi said. Rather, the value is the scrolls inside, which must be handwritten by a scribe who is trained to write torahs, she said. The word ‘Shaddai’ (a name of God) is written and the scroll is rolled in such a way that the name of God is visible through the opening in the case.

Mezuzahs are placed not just on the doorpost, but at the entrance of most rooms in the home except the bathroom, kitchen and storeroom. They should be inspected twice every seven years, Reznick said.

With the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world, mezuzahs have become targets of vandalism, and some families have voluntarily removed them because they don’t wish to become targets of hate crimes, said Rabbi Peter Levi, director of the ADL’s Orange County/ Long Beach regional office.

“It’s a decision each family has to make,” he said, adding that over the past year, there were two reports in Orange County from families who had the mezuzahs on their doors smashed and stolen.

For 800,000 Hindu Americans who live in California, this law is “a big step in the right direction,” said Samir Kalra, managing director of the Hindu American Foundation.

“Many Hindus around the country have run into problems when they adorn their doorways with religious symbols or place Diwali lights outside their home,” he said. “We hope this law will help support the religious rights of all Californians.”

“For centuries, Jews have risked their lives to express this important affirmation of faith. When we heard about (the incident in San Diego), we believed this issue needed to be addressed.”

— Sen. Ben Allen, D-Redondo Beach

Different types of mezuzahs are shown at Congregation Emanu El in Redlands on Wednesday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a law prohibiting property owners, landlords, and homeowners associations from preventing residents from displaying religious items at their doors.

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER CAPPUCCIO MAHER — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Rabbi Lindy Reznick demonstrates the tradition of touching and then kissing the mezuzah at Congregation Emanu El in Redlands.

Copyright (c)2019 Orange County Register, Edition 8/8/2019. Please read our Privacy Policy and User Agreement. Please review new arbitration language here.

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Sent by Win Holtzman 

As many know, the practice of confession is a deeply personal and deeply spiritual sacrament in the Catholic Church.

A conversation that happens in confession is protected from the government in the same way as a conversation between husband and wife.

But according to some California legislators, that protection represents a threat to the power of the state and therefore must be abolished.

An Attack on Catholic Sacraments

Catholics believe in seven sacraments, or holy things that were gifted to them from God as a means of growing in faith and grace.

Those seven sacraments include: baptism, confirmation, the Holy Eucharist, marriage, holy orders (priesthood), anointing of the sick, and confession. Each of these sacraments are holy and play an important part in the growth of any Catholic in the faith.

Confession, in particular, is a very important part of a Catholic’s path to spiritual excellence because it provides a place for them to confess their sins to God, with the priest acting as a mediator between them and the Lord.

Regardless of one’s own convictions on these sacraments, the belief in religious liberty demands that we stand up for the rights of our Catholic brothers and sisters to practice them.

According to Catholic theology, the priest is under strict command by the Church to maintain the privacy and confidence of the confession no matter what.

If a priest were to talk to anyone about what was said in the confession booth, it would mean their job. Even a person who overhears a confession, whether layman or church official, is under obligation to maintain silence about what was heard. The message that the person confesses is confessed as if to God directly.

Any breach of that circle of trust would mean the unraveling of the very foundation of the practice.

The Problem with SB 360

On the surface, it appears SB 360 is about doing what is best for children.

The bill is centered on preventing child abuse by expanding what it means to be a “mandated reporter.” Under this bill, any priest that took or overheard a confession that included an admittance of child abuse would be mandated to report it.

At an informational session held by the Legion of Mary at St. Clare of Assisi Parish in California, Father Malcolm Ambrose answered a question about this concern during the Q & A session.

The questioner said that children should be protected no matter what the cost and asked him what the church would do to protect children if a person actually confessed to abusing a child.

Father Ambrose agreed but emphasized that he had never heard a confession in his entire career (spanning several decades) that included a confession of child abuse. In addition, he noted that there was no way he would know who was confessing such a crime because of the boundary between him and the confessor. Many times, he did not see the confessor face-to-face and it would require monitoring equipment (Big Brother, anyone?) to know who was confessing what.

Realizing this, it is apparent that SB 360 is a fruitless bill that would only further expand government influence into a faith-based institution under the guise of the betterment of mankind.

The Future of the Church Under SB 360

In order to understand the seriousness of this bill in effect to the unified Church, it is important to understand history.

In World War 2, the Nazi regime exercised total control over churches that operated within its influence. Churches simply became extensions of the regime — providing a means for monitoring people at their most vulnerable and to brainwash all citizens into the Nazi ideology.

Church officials could not be trusted as many of the truly faithful were among the persecuted — imprisoned and murdered among the other “undesirables” of the time. The ones left behind were basically government officials — reporting all “suspicious” activities to their superiors.

When the church is run by the state, then there is no place to run to when the state becomes evil.

The church has always been a great defense against the corruption and evil that sometimes swells within the ranks of the elite, and without it there was and there will be great suffering to the most vulnerable among us.

Victory over SB360

The church’s cry for help was heard throughout the county and hundreds of thousands of letters were written to California legislators denouncing SB 360 for its shortsightedness, fruitlessness and violation of basic American rights.

The legislators quickly removed the bill to the delight and relief of all.

However, this was not the first time the church has been attacked over the seal of confession and it surely won’t be the last.

As Christians, we must remain vigilant against all violations of religious liberty, and be prepared for the attacks that will come under the guise of good intention, but would ultimately result in more state control over the church.

But for now, we rejoice.

The State of Washington is considering joining the other 16 states by offering a third gender option for state-issued id cards. What that means is that while you have male and female options listed on your state identification, you’ll also have the option to choose gender X if you don’t identify with either of those.

Washington state’s Department of Licensing Director Teresa Berntsen said, “identity is a fundamental human right.”

Elayne Wylie, co-executive director of Gender Justice League, said that this is a step in the right direction, adding that, “it’s imperative of our government to include as many people as possible so that people actually feel like they’re part of society, and that they’re seen and heard.”

In 2017, the District of Columbia and Oregon were among the first to add a third option for non-binary gender on driver’s licenses.

Sent by Gilbert Sanchez, Ph.D.  
gilsanche01@gmail.com 

García was selected after a four-month search from a diverse pool of semi-finalists that visited the UNM campus last month. He met with a variety of institutional constituencies in small groups and an open forum, giving the campus community an opportunity to engage and ask questions, as well as provide feedback to the search committee.

“Bringing Dan to UNM will allow us to ramp up our strategic approach to enrollment,” said Holloway. “Dan has broad experience at a number of universities and a deep understanding of the best practices in bringing the opportunity of higher education to young learners.”

García, a native of the Southwest, begins his new position Sept. 2 and brings a collaborative approach to UNM. “It is an honor to be selected for this position of leadership at The University of New Mexico, one of the nation's premiere research institutions,” said García. “Academic excellence is one of UNM's many strengths and I look forward to working with my new colleagues to continue providing citizens of the State with access to these outstanding educational opportunities."

UNM Anderson School faculty member Craig White led the search committee. “I want to thank Craig and the members of the search committee for their commitment to this process and their hard work,” said Holloway. “This position has a critical impact on the future of our university, and the search committee really stepped up to ensure UNM would have a strong new leader.”

García fills the position vacated by Terry Babbitt, who was named chief-of-staff for UNM President Garnett Stokes earlier this year. The position has been held on an interim basis by vice president for Enrollment Management and director of Financial Aid, Brian Malone. “Brian has done a great job leading UNM’s enrollment management units over the last year, and I’m very grateful for his service in this role,” said Holloway.

Currently, García serves as the associate vice president for enrollment management at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)—a Research 1 and Hispanic Serving Institution with an approximate enrollment of 59,000 students. Prior to joining UTA, García served as vice president for enrollment management at West Texas A&M University and as associate vice chancellor for enrollment services at the University of Washington Tacoma.

García brings a wealth of experience to the UNM position having specialized in Strategic Enrollment Planning (SEP), a data-intensive process that engages the entire campus and aligns the institution’s enrollment opportunities with its environment. He has facilitated the development of these plans at five institutions of higher education.

Throughout his career, García has been a collaborative leader responsible for providing executive leadership, definition, and organization to the division of enrollment management. He has worked with academic and non-academic directors on campus, including college deans, in the development of campus-wide initiatives for recruitment and persistence. García has developed international partnerships and agent contracts including articulation agreements and memorandums of understanding with domestic institutions of higher education, school districts and external agencies. He also led the first stage of development of a Request for Proposal (RFP) and planning for an enterprise Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool.

Additionally, he has led various campus departments including the offices of admissions, registrar, scholarships, financial aid and all areas of recruitment including enrollment communications and social media teams, including undergraduate and graduate recruitment/admissions teams, two welcome centers and campus tours.

At UTA García was instrumental in the development of new pipelines of freshman, transfer, graduate, and international students via external agreements, new markets and strategies to attract increasing numbers of inquiries, applications, and enrollments. He redesigned the first-year student admission decision criteria, based on historical outcomes and desired class composition, which also streamlined the decision-making process helping UTA reach its highest historical enrollment of new freshmen and total student figures for Fall 2018, including enrollment of the greatest number of students scoring in the top-five percent nationally on college entrance exam test scores (30+ ACT and 1350+ SAT.)

On the international front, he negotiated and signed 12 international agents to recruit for UTA that resulted in 870 new applications for admission and 216 new international students enrolling for Fall 2018. Nationally, he expanded markets for recruitment with messages tailored to attract various populations.

During his tenure at West Texas A&M University (2007-17), total enrollment increased each year, undergraduate enrollment increased by 25 percent, first-year student applications increased by 236 percent, and out-of-state enrollments increased by 328 percent. In fall 2013, West Texas A&M University reached the highest enrollment in the institution’s 103-year history and continued to increase each year.

García is an active participant in a number of professional organizations including the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), having served as the chair of the Latino/Latina Caucus and on the board of directors as the Association’s vice president for access and equity. In 2013, he was elected by the membership to serve as its president.

He authored a chapter in the 2008 AACRAO publication, The College Admissions Officer’s Guide, titled “Predicting Enrollments and Yields.” He is a regular presenter at national and regional conferences on the subjects of marketing, data management, recruitment, and retention, particularly of underrepresented student populations.

García received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and master’s degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake (Texas). He speaks Spanish and English. García joins the UNM community along with his wife, Rosa, a native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Sent by Gilbert Sanchez, Ph.D.  
gilsanche01@gmail.com 

“Anny’s experience in four different university systems, with several types of institutions, and as a Provost, Dean and faculty member has prepared her well for this position,” Cross said. “Her personality and management style is very engaging and collaborative, which allows her to connect with people quickly. Anny’s life story is amazing, which helps her relate to and communicate with people from all walks of life.”

Cross extended the offer to Morrobel-Sosa after an extensive national search.

Morrobel-Sosa will serve as the chief academic officer for the UW System. Her areas of responsibility will include academic programs, diversity and inclusion planning, data and policy analysis, faculty and staff development, student affairs, developmental education, and instructional technology. She will also provide leadership in strategic planning and predictive analytics focused on talent development to support the current and future economic development needs of the state and nation.

Prior to launching The Micaela Group in 2016, Morrobel-Sosa was Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Herbert H. Lehman College, City University of New York, from 2012-2016. She was Dean of the College of Science at the University of Texas at El Paso, from 2007-12, and she has held numerous other administrative and faculty positions at institutions across the United States.

She received her B.S. in Physics and Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico in 1976, a M.S. in Chemistry at the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1980, and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the University of Southern California in 1985.

“I very much look forward to working with President Cross and colleagues in the UW System and the UW campuses to continue to challenge the university community to think beyond what is to what can be,” Morrobel-Sosa said. “We will support the perseverance and resilience of students and their families who seek the validation that their particular circumstances should not determine either the legitimacy or the extent of their dreams. And we will continue to expand the Wisconsin idea of commitment to discovery, dissemination and extension of knowledge that improves the human condition while in the search of truth throughout the state, the nation and the globe.”

Sent by Gilbert Sanchez, Ph.D.  
gilsanche01@gmail.com 

Mikaela Mathews | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Monday, August 19, 2019

Methodist school Shenandoah University has hired Hanaa Unus, 
a Muslim chaplain, to support their student’s religious needs.

The school nestled in Winchester, Va. has tasked Unus to work with all students, regardless of their religion, to address their spiritual needs. She is the first clergy person in the school’s nearly 150-year history to not identify as Christian.

The university also hopes she can draw in more Muslim high school students.

“College is a delicate and defining period in a person’s life,” Unus said in a press release. “Hopefully, if students can learn about different faiths and different cultures, they can go out into the diverse world and be the change-makers Shenandoah hopes they will be.”

Unus’ hire raised a few eyebrows towards the liberal-leaning university, however. In an article for the Christian Post, Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, fired several questions towards the school.

“The school’s news release explains about hiring a Muslim chaplain: ‘We’ve always wanted to be more inclusive and more diverse.’ But how diverse are they really,” Tooley asked.

“Shenandoah University’s Office of Spiritual Life includes a cleric from the Church Within a Church, an LGBTQ advocacy group. There are six listed staffers in Shenandoah’s Office of Spiritual Life. Are any NOT progressive? Do any defend United Methodism's (sic) and historic Christianity’s definition of marriage? Would a traditional Catholic or an Evangelical find any kindred spirits in this office? Does ‘diversity’ include traditionalists? Or does ‘diversity’ mean only progressives are truly welcome?”

He continues in rebuttal to Unus’ desire to make “change-makers.”

Awards 6 & 7 were made to Judge Butler for his efforts to inform the public about Spain’s Assistance during the American Revolution including writing two history books and travels around the United  States to publicize Spain’s help.

The book is available through Amazon.com as a paperback book, a digital book, or as an audio book.

Our homeland was seized by the U.S. in 1848. Yet, we continue our way of life because the U.S. couldn’t conquer our ancestors’ vibrant Spanish Mexican and Native American culture "on this side of the border". It’s what makes the Southwest what it is today.

As such, it’s an honor to feature the three books shown below written by brethren New Mexico authors and ask that you share with family and friends.

These books prove that we who speak Spanish and preserve our unique heritage can’t “go back to where we came from” because we are already here.   Joe Lopez jlopez8182@satx.rr.com 

5th Russian State Library

Russian State Library

Credit: Roman Babakin/Shutterstock

44.4 Million Items

Founded in 1862, the Russian State Library has been through many iterations in the past 157 years. Originally founded as the Rumyantsev Museum, it began as a collection of rare books and manuscripts belonging to Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. After it was relocated from St. Petersburg to Moscow, the Rumyantsev Museum was housed in the Pashkov House, just outside of the Kremlin walls. Today, this building is home to the library’s impressive music section. It wasn’t until after 1917 that the museum transformed into a national archive and a new building was built to contain the country’s growing collection of books, journals and maps. In 1924, the library was renamed V.I. Lenin State Library of the U.S.S.R. and it is still called “Leninka” by locals today. In 1992, the library changed its name once more to the Russian State Library.

I was teaching at Roosevelt High School in 1984, I remember the impact of the film and talking with my students about it. It is so important to tell people, especially younger ones to see the movie.

UNSETTLERS

This project is dedicated to the residents of the Mission District, who shared their stories with me, and to all those who –like them— live in adversity with           Adriana Camarena
love, solidarity, and perseverance in the Bay Area and beyond.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

This month is a time to celebrate the diversity that has made this country the beacon of hope to the world. As Latinos, we too are diverse and this month allows us to learn about and celebrate that diversity.

What does it mean for you to be Latino and work at the Red Cross?

I’m honored and privileged to serve our community locally in Los Angeles and nationally in various disaster response operations. While we serve all people, I’m so grateful that my ethnicity, language and professional background as a community organizer has enabled me to serve some of the hardest to reach populations across the country.

What inspired you to work at the Red Cross?

I was hired as a consultant to develop a community organizing and engagement strategy to prepare vulnerable communities across Los Angeles County. Subsequently, I joined as staff to assist in the execution of the strategy with a one-year commitment to stay. During that year, I was asked to deploy to North Carolina to assist with outreach to undocumented immigrants during Hurricane Matthew. That experience opened my eyes to the reality of the plight faced by immigrant communities (undocumented or not) during disasters. They don’t trust or know the Red Cross well enough to use our services. It’s been my mission to change that across the country.

What does it mean for you to give back?

It means making a difference. It’s also how I express the gratitude for all the blessings in my life. I grew up as a struggling, undocumented child simply wanting to be safe at school and in my neighborhood. With so much gang violence in my community, I didn’t expect to live past my eighteenth birthday, and celebrating my twenty-first birthday seemed almost like a miracle. Throughout my life and career I had many people who mentored me and believed in me even when I didn’t. So, when I give back, I’m honoring all the headaches I gave my mentors and teachers.

What is one thing you’d tell your 20-year old self?

Pay attention because you’re being prepared and will be tested. You’ll get through this and when you do, you’re going to be a rock star! Don’t look at me that way; trust!

What do you want your legacy to be?

I want the Latino community to trust and get involved with the American Red Cross. I want to see our staff (at all levels) and volunteers reflect our community across the nation. I want all communities to work on the four pillars of resiliency in their communities: preparedness, volunteers, knowing and understanding hazards, and resources.

How would you encourage others to get involved?

The reality is that whether we are ready or not, we are our own first responder. So why not get prepared and trained?

Presidio Theatre Opening Celebration
Saturday, September 21, 6:30 - 10 pm: An evening of performances, tours, and festivities awaits! Entertainment by Leung’s White Crane Dragon and Lion Dance Association, San Francisco Girls Chorus, Beach Blanket Babylon, and Te Mana O Te Ra. Tickets $50.

Presidio Theatre Open House Sunday, September 22, 12 - 5 pm. 
features free behind-the-scenes experiences, docent tours, and a live performance by the Presidio Theatre Pop-Up Orchestra playing music of the 1930s, the original era of the Theatre.
ALL AGES are welcome! FREE and open to the public. Register to attend.

FALL EVENTS, VIEW ALL SHOWS AND INFORMATION:  www.presidiotheatre.org
Kaisahan Unidad 
Photography by RJ Muna 
Sintonía 
San Francisco Mime Troupe 
ODC/Dance 
The Family Crest 
Jane’s Declaration of Independence

Mailing address:  Presidio Trust  |  P.O. Box 29052  |  103 Montgomery Street  |  San Francisco, CA 94129

CCHS is proud to offer an Introduction to Oral History Workshop!

REGISTER NOW

Morning session presented by Roger Eardley-Pryor of the Oral History Center at the University of California, Berkeley and afternoon panel discussion presented by Maryellen Burns of the Sacramento Area History Consortium, Steve Swatt of the San Francisco Examiner and United Press International in Los Angles, and KCRA-TV (NBC) in Sacramento, and James C. Scott of the Sacramento Public Library.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES: Acquire introductory knowledge on the basic methodology for recording oral histories through the use of standard techniques, interview steps,using audio equipment, legal aspects, field notes, release forms, and transcripts. Attendees will receive a complete set of training handouts!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Local historical society members, volunteers, family historians, genealogists, and individuals interested in collecting the histories of society members, their family, special groups or local citizens.

CONSIDERING AN ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM? Everyone has unique personal life experiences of local and regional events that are if interest to us. When they are gone, unrecorded stories will go with them.

Learn the tools you will need to move forward on an oral history program and record your histories as well as 21st century techniques to interpret and share previously recorded histories!

Thursday, October 17, 2019
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM (lunch will be provided)
Location: Museum of Medical History, Sacramento, CA
Cost: Member Societies $30 / Non-Members $45

Space is limited, so register today! Don't miss this opportunity to gain insight that will help strengthen your own historical organization! Click below to register online or call 909-480-3964, M-F 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Registration Deadline is October 11, 2019.

For more information please contact Christine Esser at cesser.cchs@gmail.com.
*All attendees are encouraged to bring membership applications, or advertisement for any future events that your historical society or community would like to share at our information table!

Where? Westin San Jose 
302 South Market Street 
San Jose, California 95113

Workshop Topics: 
NAHP Workshops are designed to help you with your business.
What is your wish list for the convention?
What do you need help with?
Tech talks? Sales & Marketing? Business systems? 
How to build relationship with Publishers?
Email workshop ideas to agrace@nahp.org  and michael@trevinoandcompany.com!

Jose Marti Awards the enormous power of PRINT and honor those editors, publishers, photographers, designer and marketing professionals who continue today to use the POWER of the written word, impactful photos and illustrations, and creative design to reach, impact, and motivate readers across the USA and beyond.

By Charles T. Clark. Aug. 12, 2019

Local entrepreneur Ruth Young-Loaeza with a model of her GeniusOn bedsheets

City Heights-based entrepreneur Ruth Young-Loaeza, who will participate in the county and USD’s new Innovate-Up program, describes how one of her GeniusOn bedsheets works beside a miniature model. (Charles Clark/Union-Tribune)

San Diego County and the University of San Diego are partnering to launch a small business development program to bolster entrepreneurship in six San Diego neighborhoods.

County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and USD President James T. Harris III on Monday announced the Innovate-Up program, which will target about $1.5 million in grants and resources to residents and entrepreneurs interested in launching or expanding businesses in the “under-served” neighborhoods of Chollas, City Heights, Encanto, Linda Vista, Rolando and Redwood Village.

The funds and resources will help aspiring entrepreneurs come up with a business idea, form a business entity and develop a product. The program also will offer legal support, marketing advice, and guidance on manufacturing and distribution.

The program is free, but priority will go to residents and businesses in those communities.

“Inspiration, ideas, entrepreneurship — they know no geographic boundaries,” Fletcher said, “but, unfortunately, access to capital, mentors, doors being opened — they often do .... Innovate-Up will cultivate our homegrown talent and help them to make a lasting impact in our community and a lasting impact in our economy.”

Innovate-Up is a first for the county and USD, using a $300,000 San Diego County Community Enhancement Program grant and about $1.2 million in USD resources and staff across 11 departments to support the effort.

The county’s Community Enhancement Program supplies grants to cultural activities, museums, visitor centers, economic development councils and similar institutions that promote and generate tourism or economic development on a community level. The program’s current fiscal year budget is $5.7 million, which is evenly allocated to each of the five county supervisors to direct.

Harris, the president of USD, said he has already seen how successful other university-affiliated programs are at bolstering economic opportunity. He cited The Brink Small Business Development Center, a USD specialty center launched in 2018 that counts 530 start-ups and small businesses as clients and drew $37 million in investment so far.

Innovate-Up will have a similar impact, he said, by increasing financial literacy among participants, encouraging new business development and increasing jobs and government contracts for small businesses.

Although Innovate-Up is just getting off the ground at least two entrepreneurs already are participating in it.

Andre Mattson, of Chollas, began his entrepreneurial journey while working on strength and conditioning with New York Knicks players, some of whom struggled with ankle injuries, he said. Mattson, until July a seasonal strength and conditioning coach for the Knicks, came up with the idea of using bands as an alternative to a brace, strengthening the lower leg and combating ankle injuries by helping the ankle and foot work together, to prevent excessive rolling, he said.

But Mattson hit road blocks in turning his idea into a reality; he especially struggled with the process of getting a patent. Now he says he is optimistic that guidance from the program will help him craft a proper patent and help him learn how to better manage finances and market his product.

“The finances, the marketing to promote my business, I have no idea how to do that,” said Mattson. “Innovate-Up has given me a branch in each direction to excel .... Things that I still don’t know about I’m learning everyday, and Innovate-Up has given me the opportunity to be successful.”

Ruth Young-Loaeza’s business, GeniusOn Development, started working with the Brink program about a year ago. She said she believes Innovate-Up will help her take her next step.

Young-Loaeza worked in house cleaning for 24 years, where she often changed three to seven beds per day and found bed sheets, particularly fitted sheets, time-consuming to put on. She designed flat and fitted sheets that use multi-directional, stretchable edges and corners, so they can be applied to mattresses faster.

Her invention thus far has been well-received, winning at an innovation convention in New York. Now she is in the advanced stages of the patenting process, she said.

Young-Loaeza, who’s from City Heights, said Innovate-Up is helping her through the processes of getting certification as a small business, a minority-owned business and a veteran-owned business.

“I believe that will increase the value of my business,” said Young-Loaeza of the certifications.

“I don’t have the same opportunities, because I don’t have capital, so by getting those certifications I can be able to use other programs to bring my idea forward to market sooner.”

Innovate-Up will held its first workshop, an Innovation Bootcamp, on Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Malcolm X Library. There will be a series of workshops almost every Wednesday or Thursday in the six targeted communities. For more information their website is innovate-up.com.

'In God We Trust' to Be Displayed in All South Dakota Public Schools
El Lejano Norte de la Nueva España por Víctor Manuel Galán Tendero
Santiago Valdez:  Putative son of Padre Martínez and Author of His 1877 Biography by Jun Romero

'In God We Trust' to Be Displayed in All South Dakota Public Schools

Scott Slayton | Contributor to ChristianHeadlines.com | Friday, July 26, 2019

Governor Kristi Noem signed the law on March 18th. It says that “The display shall be located in a prominent location within each school. The display may take the form of a mounted plaque, student artwork, or any other appropriate form as determined by the school principal. The display shall be easily readable and shall be no smaller than twelve inches wide by twelve inches high.” According to the Associated Press, the lawmakers who proposed the bill believed it would increase patriotism.

Schools have fulfilled the requirements in various ways. “Some have plaques. Others have it painted on the wall, maybe in a mural setting,” Associated School Boards of South Dakota executive direction Wade Pogany told the Associated Press. He also said that in one school “it was within their freedom wall. They added that to a patriotic theme.”

Schools in Rapid City went with a method that the district found to be cost-effective. Rapid City Area Schools community relations manager Katy Urban told NPR that, “As soon as we heard that it was going to be a state law… we started looking at different options and we chose to do stenciling as it is the most uniform and most affordable option.”

State legislators included a method for protecting local school boards in case they faced law suits. One provision in the law stipulates that the state attorney general will “provide legal representation at no cost to the school district, employee, school board, or member of the school board.” The state will also cover any “expenses of representation…including any award for monetary damages” and “attorney fees.”

Some within South Dakota oppose the new law or want it altered. A group of Rapid City high school students asked the school board to consider replacing God with Buddha, Yahweh, Allah, Science, or “Ourselves” from time to time to prevent excluding other faiths and those with no religious faith.

One student told NPR, “I think that’s a really fundamental element of American society, is that we are a cultural melting pot and it is really important that we make all people who come to America feel welcome and to be more in accordance with the First Amendment since we all have freedom of religion.”

At least one outside group has expressed its opposition to the new law. The Freedom from Religion Foundation told the Associated Press that their “position is that it’s a terrible violation of freedom of conscience to inflict a godly message on a captive audience of school children.”

“In God We Trust” first appeared on coins during the Civil War after “devout persons” pressed Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase to adopt the change during the Civil War. The 84thCongress passed a law declaring “In God We Trust” as the nation’s motto and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill on July 30, 1956.

Scott Slayton writes at “One Degree to Another.”

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Eline Design Services

Copyright © 2019, ChristianHeadlines.com. All rights reserved. Article Images Copyright © Getty Images unless otherwise indicated.

Al comienzo del siglo XVII la frontera septentrional de la Nueva España avanzaba no sin dificultades. La esperanza de encontrar en California las míticas Siete Ciudades de Cíbola y Quivira movió la exploración de Sebastián Vizcaíno de 1602. Juan de Oñate había penetrado en Nuevo México, donde se fundó en 1598 San Gabriel y Santa Fe formalmente 1610. Sin embargo, la ausencia de nuevos hallazgos de minas al Norte de Zacatecas no justificaban los enormes sacrificios de colonización de unas tierras de amplios horizontes recorridos por pueblos amerindios que se habían beneficiado de la difusión del caballo.

En 1601 proseguía la lucha en Topía, en el actual Estado mexicano de Durango, y contra los amerindios de Parras. El conflicto se venía arrastrando desde hacía una década.

En 1616 se tiñó de sangre el área de Nueva Vizcaya, en el Noroeste del actual México, cuando los tarahumaras emprendieron el camino de la guerra. Los misioneros jesuitas habían contactado con los de las zonas serranas diez años antes, pero la entrada de los españoles provocó severos altercados. Algunos pretendieron quedarse con sus tierras y los comerciantes uncirlos a su red de intercambios. Ante la perspectiva de ser reducidos al peonaje en las haciendas, muchos optaron por oponer resistencia desde la sierra.

El reino de la Nueva Vizcaya no tuvo precisamente una existencia tranquila en el XVII. Los sedentarios pimas, distribuidos entre las actuales Sonora, Chihuahua y Arizona, se enfrentaron con los españoles en 1629 y en 1632 fue el turno de los guazaparis de Sinaloa, que se lanzaron al ataque de las misiones.

El contacto entre el mundo hispano y el amerindio era áspero, pero poroso. En 1645 los salineros de Tizonaso fueron dirigidos por un caudillo llamado el Obispo.

En el ecuador del XVII a la iniciativa española parece sonreírle cierto éxito. Pedro Porter Cassanate recorrió la costa de la Baja California a la búsqueda de un puerto apto para el comercio con el Extremo Oriente. El Nuevo Reino de León, plataforma de la ulterior colonización de Texas, es pacificado hacia 1650. Allí descolló el novohispano don Martín de Zavala, que pobló y redujo a los infieles al gremio de la Santa Madre Iglesia, lo que no le evitó pasar graves apuros económicos al final de sus días.

Las grandes distancias entre el centro de la Nueva España y sus tierras fronterizas creaban enormes dificultades de colonización y abastecimiento. Los bárbaros chichimecos de la nación apache, gentiles contrarios a los franciscanos, tomaban en sus asaltos a los poblados hispanos de Nuevo México imágenes de la Virgen para sus danzas en 1672 como forma de afirmar su poder mágico-religioso. La cabecera del reino, la villa de Santa Fe, se encontraba casi aislada y muchos de los pocos españoles de aquellos parajes sin armas ni caballos por las depredaciones enemigas. Todo se fiaba al socorro económico virreinal para pagar soldados de guarnición, aunque fueran forzados, con el personal de servicio para molerles las tortillas de su modesta alimentación.

Las cosas aún se torcieron más a fines de siglo. En 1680 se levantaron en el Nuevo México hispano unos veinticinco mil amerindios, lo que obligó a abandonar Santa Fe a los españoles. Fue recuperada la villa con gran esfuerzo en 1693 por Diego Vargas Zapata, que irrumpió en el valle de San Ildefonso.

Los ataques de los apaches entre 1694 y 1696 cubrieron nuevamente de peligrosidad una frontera que los oficios de los misioneros jesuitas y franciscanos intentarían apaciguar, una frontera en la que ya se anticipaban las características del Lejano Oeste estadounidense: sed minera, modo de vida ganadero, violencia y contacto entre personas de distinta cultura.

Sent by Carl Campo campce@gmail.com 

Santiago Valdez:  Putative son of Padre Martínez and Author of His 1877 Biography by Jun Romero

Benjamin M. Read had a definite perspective on the philosophy of history that was born of frustration at cultural insensitivity by mainline historians of his day and of the past. This impelled him to become a first rate pioneer native New Mexican historian who deserves to be much better known and may aptly be considered a mentor for today’s Chicano/Latino historians of North America. Although a competent lawyer and good politician, the true passion of Benjamin M. Read seems to have been recording the history of New Mexico from the perspective of a bicultural native. He deserves to be much better known as a first rate New Mexican historian.

He was born in NM, and was a "coyote" (in NM parlance, offspring of someone of Spanish and Gringo descent)--- mom from Spain and dad a Civil War veteran. He was named for his father whose ancestor is reputed to have been Benjamin Franklin. A year before New Mexican statehood (1911), he authored Illustrated History of NM. He also wrote Historia Sinóptia de la Guerra between US and Mexico.  In this work, Read quotes opposition US-Mexican War from prominent U.S. contemporary politicians including Daniel Webster.

Read's perspective was not Mexican of Mexico nor American of USA, but New Mexican. Speaking about himself in third person, he writes of his role as a Chicano Historian as follows:

Thus it was that he came through personal observation, and after many and very careful examinations of the several writings on history to notice that remarkable differences and striking contradictions exist among some of the English speaking authors, in their respective narratives of historical events....The author of this work attributes the discrepancies and contradictions of the authors mentioned rather to the fact that they had, perforce, to depend absolutely on the translations which are supposed to have been made from the original works and original documents by translators who, by reason of their never having seen the said originals and also because of their not being Spanish scholars, have not, in almost every instance, rendered into correct English the spirit of the original texts, changing quite often, the substance of the language of the first authors; whence the result has been that no two works of the same history, translated from the Spanish into English, by different translators can be found to agree with one another and much less with the original works.  --Illus History, Pref, p. 5 Fuller Excerpt from blog of Fr. Juan Romero

SANTIAGO VALDEZ

Putative son of Padre Martínez and Author of His 1877 Biography
by Jun Romero

Santiago Valdez, Benjamin M. Read, and his brother Larkin Gregory Read were business partners, friends and colleagues. They were also linked by marriage. Larkin was married to Teodora Martinez, the daughter of Santiago Valdez. If we are to believe that Santiago Valdez was indeed a son of Padre Martinez, as family oral history strongly asserts, then Larkin’s wife Teodora would have been the Padre’s granddaughter. The brothers Read and Santiago Valdez much later became a team of translators for the Laws of New Mexico: Compiled in 1884.

Santiago Valdez, putative son of Padre Antonio José Martinez of Taos, was the main author of the Padre’s 1877 biography, Biografía del Presbítero Antonio José Martínez, Cura de Taos, complied a decade after the death of the priest. The original Spanish manuscript--literally hand-written and partially translated into English--is included in the Ritch Collection at the Huntington Library in Sierra Made adjacent to Los Angeles. In 1993, I did a contemporary English version of the work available from the NM State Archives and UNM library. Mr. Peter Blodgett, Huntington Library manuscript curator, encouraged me to have my version published, and in the hopes of having a scholarly edition published, I lent my copy of the manuscript to Fr. Thomas Steele, S.J. accomplished author regarding New Mexico. Together with Vicente Martínez of Taos—a close relative of Valdez-- and Mr. Robert Torrez—former NM State Historian and protégé of Fr. Steele—we hoped to publish an annotated scholarly edition of the biography, perhaps bilingual, together with two other key documents relating to cunabula of the Priest of Taos: his 1840 Autobiography written from Durango, and his 1867 Last Will and Testament.

In his Last Will and Testament, Padre Martínez named Santiago Valdez as executor of his Will and heir of his books and papers. In December of 1868, a year and a half after the Padre’s death, Valdez first began writing in Spanish the biography of the Padre.

Benjamin Maurice Read, friend and business partner of Santiago Valdez, did a preliminary translation of the manuscript after Samuel Elliot—related to the earliest efforts of the NM Historical Society—began translating the first twelve pages of the manuscript. On a separate page attached to the Spanish-English manuscript, Larkin Gregory Read-- younger brother of Benjamin M. Read noted in his own hand that he had “faithfully copied” the original (Spanish) manuscript in good handwriting, and that his elder brother Benjamin Maurice Read was to further “annotate and amplify” it. Larkin, having married into the Martínez clan through the Padre’s granddaughter, was a good resource for the work of his brother and Santiago Valdez who completed the work in mid January1877. The date was near the Padre’s birthday, the year after the nation’s first Centennial, and the tenth anniversary of the Padre’s death.

[For further information on Santiago Valdez, author of the 1877 Biography of Padre Antonio José Martinez, see the lineage and other documentation of (Last Will and Testament of Padre Martinez) researched and compiled by Vicente M. Martinez at <padremartinez.org>.]

THE READ BROTHERS: BENJAMIN M. AND LARKIN G.

Benjamin M. Read: Proto-Chicano Historian 

Santiago Valdez was the principal author of the Biography of Padre Martinez of Taos, originally written in Spanish in 1877, ten years after the death of the Padre. The Read brothers—Benjamin Maurice and Larkin Gregory—collaborated with Valdez in writing the biography.Younger brother Larkin Gregory copied the manuscript in calligraphywhile Benjamin Maurice Read made his contribution by annotating and amplifying it, as well as by furnishing an English translation by 1881. The original manuscript is part of the William G. Ritch Collection at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, and until now has never been published.

Benjamin Maurice Read is the second of three sons born to Benjamin Franklin Read and Ignacia Cano. Benjamin Franklin Read—father of Benjamin M. Read--came to New Mexico with the Army of American occupation in 1846. Three years later, this soldier married Doña Ignacia Cano of Spain, daughter of Don Ignacio Cano Ignacio, first discoverer and one of the grantees of the Ortiz Grant in southern Santa Fe County; her mother was Doña Maria Quiros.

The three Read boys—-Alejandro, Benjamin, and Larkin—-went to St. Michael College in Santa Fe, and all became well known as politicians, teachers, or historians. The mother of the Read children deserves first credit for the education of all the children because of her great sacrifices. Benjamin F. Read Sr. died before 1857, and then Doña Ignacia married Mateo Ortiz, a lawyer. From her second marriage with Sr. Ortiz, another three sons and one daughter were born. Archbishop Juan Bautista Lamy of Santa Fe also deserves credit for extending generous help for the education of the children.

Young Benjamin Maurice entered public life as a schoolteacher at the Christian Brothers Santa Fe College in 1876, the Centennial Year of the nation and just before Santiago Valdez was finishing the biography of the Padre. Benjamin M. became an Attorney at Law and politician, then was selected Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Mexico. Within eight years, in 1884, Benjamin M. Read--together with his brother Larkin Gregory and their mutual friend and colleague Santiago Valdez—compiled and translated into English The Laws of New Mexico. This may be seen as one of the fruits of the Law School Padre Martinez founded at his Taos home upon the occupation of New Mexico by the United states. “The one who will ride the burro from now will no longer be the clergyman, but the attorney,” Padre Martínez quipped as he informed his seminary students that he was changing the seminary into a law school, beginning in the fall of 1846. Just a couple of years previous, Governor Armijo had officially certified Padre Martínez as a civil lawyer. For many years previously, he had among peers already been considered as a competent canon (church) lawyer.

Benjamin M. Read was also a competent lawyer and good politician, but his true passion seems to have been recording the history of New Mexico from the perspective of a bicultural native. With a plethora of documents made available to him through his brother Larkin’s connection by marriage to the Padre Martinez family, Benjamin in 1910 authored An Historico-Synoptical Sketch of the Mexico-American War published in Spanish as Guerra Mexico-Americana. His major work was the Illustrated History of New Mexico, containing 812 pages, published in 1912 when NM officially became a state of the Union. Both of these works were originally made available in separate very limited editions: first Spanish and then English.

Through his bilingual-bicultural upbringing, Benjamin M. Read was prepared for a life of scholarship involving both English and Spanish. The contradictions in translations of Spanish documents into English bothered him sufficiently enough to impel him to do something about it. In the Preface to his Illustrated History, Benjamin M. Read speaks in the third person about his frustrations in this regard:  

Thus it was that he came through personal observation, and after many and very careful examinations of the several writings on history to notice that remarkable differences and striking contradictions exist among some of the English speaking authors, in their respective narratives of historical events....The author of this work attributes the discrepancies and contradictions of the authors mentioned rather to the fact that they had, perforce, to depend absolutely on the translations which are supposed to have been made from the original works and original documents by translators who, by reason of their never having seen the said originals and also because of their not being Spanish scholars, have not, in almost every instance, rendered into correct English the spirit of the original texts, changing quite often, the substance of the language of the first authors; whence the result has been that no two works of the same history, translated from the Spanish into English, by different translators can be found to agree with one another and much less with the original works.

--Illustrated History, Preface, p. 5.

Ben Alvillar 
benalvillar@OUTLOOK.COM 

Escalante's Dream: On the Trail of the Spanish Discovery of the Southwest by David Roberts

ESCALANTE’S DREAM

On the Trail of the Spanish Discovery 
of the Southwest

By David Roberts

Who was Escalante and what was his dream? Surprisingly few historians have looked deeply into these questions, but the adventure writer David Roberts has long had a thing for expeditions, and Escalante’s was one for the ages. A Franciscan friar in his 20s at the time, Silvestre Vélez de Escalante was second in command of a group of 10 men that set off from Santa Fe in July 1776, charged with blazing a path to the new Spanish mission in Monterey. The leader of the party, Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, left the diary-keeping to Escalante, and he who wields the pen gains the glory, a fact Roberts knows well.

His own first book proves the point. “The Mountain of My Fear”detailed his ascent of the forbidding west face of Alaska’s Mount Huntington with three Harvard undergraduate buddies — one of whom, Ed Bernd, fell to his death on the descent with a diary in his pocket. The body was never recovered, nor the diary. Fifty-one years after its first publication, “The Mountain of My Fear” is indisputably a classic: terse and brooding, almost unbearably dramatic.

In the decades since, Roberts has written about polar explorations, the legends of mountaineering and his discoveries among the Anasazi ruins of the Southwest, among many other subjects. In what he hints may be his final book, he makes another journey of his own — this one by car, with his wife of 49 years, Sharon. The goal is to retrace the path of the Domínguez-Escalante expedition, which carved an irregular circle of 1,700 miles through modern-day New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona, then mostly terra incognita to Europeans.

Roberts’s trip is a wistful one, partly because of the expedition he recreates. Domínguez and Escalante failed to reach Monterey, and their journey is less well known than it ought to be, overshadowed by those of fellow wanderers like Lewis and Clark. The group could as easily have starved or drowned crossing a river as lived. Escalante in fact would not live long, dying within a few years of his return to Santa Fe, likely of a urinary ailment (prostate or bladder cancer, some have surmised). Yet no man in his party was lost, and no hostilities arose in meetings with aboriginal people along the way, despite the padres’ incessant proselytizing for the one true Lord. Those two facts alone make it an exceedingly rare story of its kind.