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Dedicated
to Hispanic Heritage |
| TABLE
OF CONTENTS
JUNE 2001, Issue 6
Editor: Mimi Lozano, mimilozano@aol.com |
"I think there are pivotal moments in the history of our country when forces come together to create an institution that has the potential to fundamentally impact public opinion and the thinking of national and international decision makers. I believe that the creation of the Paso al Norte Immigration History Museum will be one of those pivotal moments not only for those who are directly linked to this history but for all people from all walks of life." William S. Parsons, Chief of Staff United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, May 1, 2001 |
| Feature: Hispanic Media Presence? Michael J. Gonzalez News Brief - 12 United States Pres. Bush & Cinco de Mayo News Brief - 12 Sister Mary Sevilla at Ellis Is.
Orange County, CA Los
Angeles, CA
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Texas Southwestern
United States
East Coast Mexico |
Caribbean/Cuba Patriots of Puerto Rico Tirio Indians Tanio Indians International
News History Miscellaneous
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Are
you prepared to celebrate |
SHHAR
Board Members: Bea Armenta Dever Peter Carr Edward B. Flores Mimi Lozano Holtzman Gloria Cortinas Oliver Carlos Olvera Laura Arechabala Shane Questions: 714-894-8161 |
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Contributors/Sources |
Dr. Adalberto Garza |
Cindy
Lobuglio |
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HISPANIC MEDIA PRESENCE? |
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Michael Gonzalez Multimedia Producer Congratulations to Michael J. Gonzalez. He is a documentary producer for Blue Cross and was selected as one of the Nations' Top 100 multi-media producers. His accomplishment made him the subject for the cover of the March issue of AV VideoMultimedia Producer Michael is a proud descendent of the Zamorano family, Arguello family, and Jose Maria Flores family. Somos Primos sends congratulations and well deserved kudos. We need more Hispanics producing documentaries. Hopefully we will begin to see documentaries about Hispanics produced by Hispanics. |
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The Latino population is six times
greater in real life than on TV. For
the complete report: http://childrennow.org/newsroom/news-01/pr-5-2-01 |
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American Family -PBS |
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"Mexican is not a nice-sounding word and Hollywood is at fault for
this. . ." |
Latin Cinema Is Finding Its Voice - - New York Times, May 9, 2001By MIREYA NAVARROExtract: A limited study of Latino movie-going habits by the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute in California, conducted in 1999 for the Screen Actors Guild, found that for most Latinos, subject matter, not ethnic considerations, was the deciding factor in choosing a movie. But Latinos were six to seven times as likely to watch Latino-theme movies or movies starring Hispanic actors as to watch movies of a similar genre without a Latino theme or actors. The study estimated that Latinos spend over $528 million a year on movie admissions. Moctesuma Esparza, producer of "Selena," "Price of Glory" and other Latin-theme movies, argues that both Latin American cinema and American Latin-theme productions can look forward to growing audiences. For Latin American films to tap this audience, though, they must be marketed to Latinos and made accessible in Latino neighborhoods, he said. Leon Ichaso, who is the director of films like "Crossover Dreams" and "El Super" and just completed a film about the life of the Puerto Rican poet and playwright Miguel Piñero, said it was up to Latinos and Latin Americans to coalesce so they can finance and distribute their films and develop the market themselves. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/09/arts/09LATI.html?pagewanted=1 |
| Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. the top Spanish-language radio broadcaster in the United States, reported (April 30) its first-quarter net income declines 40%, hurt by a weak advertising market, and lowered its earnings estimates for the year by one-third. OC Register, 5-1-01 |
| The new
fall shows premiering on NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox will feature a
slightly more multicultural look. Of the 22 new shows, two have
minority leads. Josie Thomas, head of diversity for CBS, said she is
aware of complaints about the lack of groups other than blacks.
"What happened in this case, I believe, is that African Americans
were in the pipeline earlier than other minorities," said Paula
Madison, vice president of diversity at NBC.
In reference to an agreement with the four
major students 16 months ago, Alex Nogales, head of the National
Hispanic Media Coalition said, "It wasn't just about actors, it was
about writers. Writers are very important. Without writers,
you retain these stereotypical characters. We thank the studio for their
candor in terms of giving us information, but that's not what we
signed." |
| A
Multiethnic Coalition press conference was held in Los Angeles to
discuss diversity on television. No network executives attended.
The Multiethnic Coalition released a report card on the
quality/quantity of TV network diversity. "It's even worse than any of us
thought," said Alex Nogales, President of the National Hispanic
Media Coalition." LA Times 5-15-01
ABC >D- CBS > D+ Fox > C- NBC> C Alex Nogales: (213) 746-6988 (West Coast) Jerry Velasco: (323) 466-8566 (West Coast) Marta Garcia: (212) 965-9758 (East Coast) Lisa Navarrete: (202) 776-1744 (East Coast) Return to Table of Contents |
| Yo Soy
Betty, La Fea Columbian Spanish Soap Opera This month, a phenomenon in Spanish-language television comes to a close. A prime-time soap opera with a homely female lead, "Yo Soy Betty, La Fea, " has won more than 80 million viewers throughout the Western Hemisphere, from South America's Tierra del Fuego to Torrance. The Columbia-made show airs on Telemundo. The show's creator, Fernando Gaitan said that "Latin American soaps are all about the class struggle. They're made for for poor people in countries where it's hard to get ahead in life. Usually the characters succeed through love. In mine, they get ahead through work." A debate has raged across the world as to the ending of the series. Should Betty remain the successful "Fea" or improve her appearance and marry the boss - ending as umpteen other Spanish-language telenovelas. L.A. Times, 5-6-01 Return to Table of Contents |
| "The Sopranos" may be the most popular show on cable television, but Rep. Marge Roukema (R-N.J.), plans to introduce a resolution officially condemning the HBO series as an affront to Italian Americans. The resolution, if passed has no power of law. Spokesman Steve Wilson said a review of films made between 1928 and last year found nearly three-quarters of them portrayed Italian Americans in a negative manner. L.A. Times |
| Beginning
May 28, "The Bold and the Beautiful," the second-highest-rated
daytime drama in this country with a daily audience of more than 450
million, will be available in Spanish by activating the Second Audio
Program (SAP) feature on TV sets. "What we're doing is
certainly driven by ratings, said Bradley Bell, the show's executive
producer and head writer, "but is also is driven by a desire to
reach out to another culture."
"It's certainly not diversity for diversity's sake," said Lucy Johnson, CBS head of daytime programming. "This is a growing audience to which attention must be paid." In addition, two Latinos characters will be introduced into the cast. Paulo Benedeti, a Colombian native raised in Florida and Sandra Vida, a former Argentine model. O.C. Register, 5-14-01 |
| Last
September Home Box Office (HBO) launched a new Spanish-language
channel. Latino viewers are an important and growing part of our
audience," said Bernadette Aulestia, director, HBO Latino.
"With this service we hope to not only provide an even greater
level of entertainment to our Spanish-speaking viewer, but we are
committed to doing so with an identity that is reflective of today's
U.S. Latino population." The network's multiplex
line-up, and will be available via cable systems and satellite
distributors in major cities that are home to large Latino communities
such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Antonio, Phoenix,
Houston, Sa Diego and el Paso.
La Voz Newspaper, 9-28-00 Return to Table of Contents |
|
Conquistadors http://www.pbs.org/conquistadors/ . . . Sonya Herrera-Wilson sent PBS website
The following paragraphs are the first and last paragraphs from an
extensive review, Killing for God and Gold by Diana de Armas
Wilson of the new 4-part PBS television series, Chronicle subscribers
can read the complete review by Diana de Armas Wilson, professor of
English and Renaissance studies at the University of Denver at: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i34/34b01401.htm |
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Jerald T. Milanich is a curator in archaeology
at the Florida Museum of Natural History and a frequent contributor to
Archaeology. Milanich's review of Conquistadors can be found in
the May/June Archaeology. The title of the review is: Conquistadors
Out of Context, Why a four-part series resembles Survivor as done by the
History Channel. The following is the last paragraph of his review. "Am I too critical of Conquistadors? Perhaps. But I would have liked greater emphasis on the past and fewer trains and boats and planes, more about conquistadors and the impact of the conquest, and fewer shots of our narrator trudging through muddy, rocky, or leafy terrain. Give me the past, not gimmicks from the present."
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Cinco
de Mayo celebrated for the first time in U.S. history at the White House President Bush presided over the typical Mexican festival and also addressed the gathering in Spanish. Photo by Theresa Arzate |
| President George W. Bush became the first president to deliver a version of his weekly radio address from the Oval Office entirely in Spanish on Saturday May 5th. Radio Unica carried President Bush' speech on 54 stations across the the country. O.C. Register, 5-5-01 | |||||
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Once the domain of Hispanic cultures, tortillas have gone
mainstream. Popularity has fueled the growth of the industry from an
industry of $2.8 billion five years ago to the current $4.4
billion. O.C. Register, 5-24-01 |
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| More than 1 in every 14 U.S. residents now traces his or her ancestry to Mexico. | |||||
| The greatest rate of Hispanic growth was in the Midwest. Now of Hispanics/Latinos - out of every 7 10, 7 are Mexicans -- growth by 80% to 3.1 million. Return to Table of Contents | |||||
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10 Most Hispanic U.S.
Cities |
Latino Population Ten Largest Cities |
Percentage of Hispanics in the United States by Country of
Origin |
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*East Los Angeles Laredo, Texas Brownsville, Texas Hialeah, Florida McAllen, Texas El Paso, Texas Santa Ana, California El Monte, California Oxnard, California Miami, Florida |
96.8% 94.1% 91.3% 90.3% 80.3% 76.6% 76.1% 72.4% 66.2% 65.8% |
New York City Los Angeles Chicago Houston Philadelphia Phoenix San Diego Dallas San Antonio Detroit |
27% 47% 26% 37% 9% 34% 25% 36% 59% 5% |
Mexican Puerto Rican Central American South American Cuban Dominican Repub. Others 2000 Census data |
58.8% 9.6% 4.8% 3.8% 3.5% 2.2% 17.6% |
"The 2000 census pointed out vividly what attentive politicians already knew: that Hispanic immigrants have spread out over almost all of America, filling jobs others won't take, performing service jobs in affluent suburbs, and reviving moribund factory towns. It's increasingly clear that the U.S. economy cannot operate at full tempo without the workers our immigration laws now define as illegal. And it's clear to more and more politicians that they will have many more Latino constituents in the future." Michael Barone
U.S. News & World Report, 5-7-01 |
| The number of Hispanic middle-class households - defined as those
with annual incomes over $40,000 - increased by about 80% in 20 years.
The Hispanic middle class grew at a rate almost three times faster than
non-Hispanic whites.
From a study by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, "The Latino
Middle Class: Myth, Reality and Potential." Sent by Gloria Oliver O.C. Register, 5-11-01 |
Top congressional Republicans
have joined an effort for a national museum recognizing black Americans,
giving the longtime proposal a boost. Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia
Democrat said, "I think this is something we can do together in a
bipartisan fashion. It's not just good for African-Americans. It's
good for humanity. We need to tell the story." O.C. Register, 5-3-01 Return to Table of Contents |
| Pearl
Harbor 60th anniversary coming up. National Geographic Society's latest
project uses a nontraditional format - the Internet - for telling war
tales. Across the country, aging veterans or their relatives are sitting
down at computers to compose recollections of December 7, 1941.
Hundreds of people have responded to the request for e-mail stories
"so that future generations might not forget" Pearl
Harbor. The online memory book is at: www.national.geographic.com/pearlharbor/ O.C. Register, 5-6-01 |
| The head of the Japanese American Citizens League said that the movie "Pearl Harbor," could provoke a back-lash of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States. O.C. Register, 5-22-01 |
| On May 2, 2001, Mario Obledo received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the National LULAC Foundation. Mario Obledo has been a leader in the Latino community for forty years. His service in law, advocacy and civil rights was recognized in 1998, when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Bill Clinton. As California Secretary of Health and Welfare, Obledo was instrumental in bringing thousands of Latinos into state government. As national President of LULAC, he extended the influence of the organization into the international arena. Presently, he is the President of the National Coalition of Hispanic Organizations. |
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Ellis
Island Adventure by Sister Mary Sevilla, CSJ I was invited to the Grand Opening (April 17,2001) of the American Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island, NY. The invitation came because of the documentary film made of my researching Grandma Rita Sevilla both in California and in México City. See October 2000 “Somos Primos”. |
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(Sister Mary Sevilla was a featured speaker at the SHHAR May 26th
quarterly meeting and shared the excitement of the event.) The whole experience in New York and Ellis Island was a 10++!! Staying with cousins from Mom’s side (Croatian) just a subway ride away was truly helpful . They were great company, enriched my entire experience and, of course, they knew their way around. The night before the Ellis Island Grand Opening, my cousins said they had tickets for the third in a series of musicals and that night was Irving Berlin! What could be more perfect with his three daughters and other family members in attendance. Many scenes were shown of his movies and a man and/ or woman sang some of his pieces. “Give me Your Tired, Your Poor...” brought goose bumps and the finale of “God Bless America” brought tears. The Ellis Island program with Tom Brokow as Master of Ceremony was varied and inspirational. Each speaker gave a few minutes of input which helped us to grasp the magnitude of the restoration project and the vast possibilities of research for our ancestors. That, too, ended with God Bless America. While walking around in the crowd, five or six people called me by name and I was so perplexed that anyone would know me that far away from home. They usually went on to say “ I saw your film or I worked on your film”. The biggest thrill was when Kate’s (the Grandma Rita film producer) assistant Jill emerged from the stall in the restroom (of all places!) and called me by name. We only exchanged a few words but she had worked extensively on the film so it was great to talk with her. After the buffet luncheon, we went to a reserved room to work the computer and view “Grandma Rita”!!! Parts of the six films had been taken to make an introduction and then we punched my name and on came The Méxican Revolution and the story of researching Grandma Rita Sevilla. We next checked the passenger lists of arrivals at Ellis island from 1892-1924. We only had a short time short but we did find my great aunt on my Croatian side and we were all thrilled!! The list provided Name, Ehnicity/ Last Residence/ Date of arrival/ Age/ Gender/ Marital status/ Amount of money/ Ship and Port of Departure. Once more the two sides of my family were brought together with the film highlighting research in México City (Dad) and the passenger lists containing members of the Croatian side (Mom). We spent a short amount of time exploring the many marvelous interactive displays which are simple to operate and yield a great deal of information. It is definitely worth a trip to Ellis Island to walk in the place where your ancestors may have been among the 22 million immigrants to come through the port of New York. Until you have the chance to go in person you can get started on your own computer. You can search the passenger records and see an abbreviated still version of the Grandma Rita film as well as five other research films at http://www.ellisislandrecords.org Mary can be contacted at MaryS1256@aol.com Return to Table of Contents |
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ELLIS ISLAND GENEALOGY DATABASE IN HIGH DEMAND http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/05/07/front_page/jellis07.htm http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,270014721,00.html "When something like this goes online, there is always a major flurry of people going to look at it," said Joel L. Spector, president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia. He was speaking of the American Family Immigration Center, a project of the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Center's online home, www.ellisislandrecords.org, was announced on 16 April 2001. Since then, the site has been deluged with requests. The site was visited 26 million times, including eight million times in its first six hours. |
| Santa Ana has the 7th-highest percentage of Hispanics in the nation, 76.1% of the population. |
| Children from a neighborhood of apartments have a park of their own - in the parking lot of Green Parrot Café off of Main Street, Santa Ana. The unusual arrangement comes from a partnership between the city's recreation department and owners of the Café who are allowing the city free use of the parking lot for after playground activities. City employees supervise. O.C. Register, 5-26-01 |
| John Ayala, Dean of Learning Resources at Fullerton College in Fullerton, CA, has been selected as the 2001 Arnulfo D. Trejo Librarian of the Year. This marks the first year featuring the award renamed for REFORMA founder Dr. Trejo. Ayala's contributions to Latino librarianship span nearly forty years and include experience in both public and academic libraries. Ayala is a founding member of REFORMA and has affectionately become known as "El Padrino de REFORMA." Source: Verla Peterson Return to Table of Contents |
| Old Court House Exhibit, "Fire in the Morning" is a pictorial display of the history of Mexican Americans of Orange County. The 100 old photographs bring to light a the history of some of the fifteen segregated schools in Orange County. In El Modena in Orange, two side by side elementary schools - Lincoln School for Mexican children and Roosevelt School for non-Hispanic white children were separated by a chain link fence. The exhibit will be on display until June 20, 2001. Federation of Orange County Historical Organizations Newsletter, Vol. 21, # 2 |
| Lupe Gomez, owner of a tax-preparation business is president of the Zacatecan Federation of Southern California, a 30,000-member organization. Gomez estimates that about 200 families from his village live in Santa Ana. More people from the village live in southern California than in the village itself, which now has a population of about 700. O.C. Register, 5-10-01 |
| Jason Ross, a teacher in a continuation high school in Fountain Valley, California frustrated with not being able to reach his students, threw out the curriculum. Instead his students read the writings of other teenagers, Freedom Writer's Diary published in 1999. Students attention in class, their attendance and their attitudes changed, - reading and writing improved.. "This has been the greatest single thing I've ever done as a teacher. O.C. Register, 5-1-01 |
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Hispanic American
Veterans Memorial |
| The
Hispanic American Veterans Memorial was unveiled Saturday May 26th at
the Bell Gardens Veterans Park. Six of the 149 living medal
recipients were present to help in the dedication. The new
monument honors all of the 3,436 recipients who received the Medal
of Honor in recognition of their patriotism, honor and courage, but the
monument gives special recognition to the 39 Latinos who were Medal of
Honor recipients. The more than 80-foot-wide, 20-foot-high statute depicts a fallen soldier in the arms of an angel. The names of the 39 Latinos are etched on the base of the statue. Two obelisks constructed behind and to the sides of the statue will bear the names of the other honorees. Mayor Ramiro Morales said, "The Hispanic American Veterans Memorial is long overdue." With a population that is 90% Latino Bell Gardens city council member felt it was important for the city's youths to have examples of heroic individuals. L.A. Times, 5-27-01 The monument was the brain child of Maria Chacon, current city manager. She conceived of the need when she was mayor of Bell Gardens. Hopefully other communities with a large Hispanic community will duplicate the concept of positive visibility. To contact Maria Chacon, call Bell Gardens City Hall at: (562) 806-7702 Editor's note: Congratulations to the city of Bell Gardens. Thank you for all us. . .well done. Source: Rick Aguirre
Return to Table of Contents |
THE DOMINGUEZ BROTHERS GO TO WAR by John P. Schmal Sunday, December 7, 1941. When the Dominguez family returned home from church that afternoon, they heard the startling news. According to the radio reports, the Japanese Imperial Navy had launched a surprise attack on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor. 19-year-old Erminio Dominguez and 15-year old Louie Dominguez huddled around the radio with their father Geronimo. By this time, the older siblings of Erminio and Louie had already left home to start their own families. Their mother Luisa had died in childbirth with Louie way back in 1926. Although their parents had been born in Sain Alto, Zacatecas, Mexico, Erminio and Louie had both been born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. And as American citizens, they felt a great sense of outrage and betrayal with this surprise attack. The implications for these important developments became clear to Americans in every part of the country. Able-bodied men in every town of every state made painful decisions to leave their families behind to defend their nation in its time of need. Such was the case for Erminio. Nine months later, on September 2, 1942, after turning 20, Erminio Dominguez enlisted in the Third Ranger Battalion. The Rangers were specialized infantry units of the United States Army that were given much tougher training than other infantrymen. Under the command of Colonel William O. Darby, the Third Ranger Battalion was activated and sent to take part in the invasion of Sicily in 1943. Once Sicily had been secured, the Third Rangers also led the way up the Italian peninsula. From the strategic heights at Chinuzi Pass, they fought off eight German counterattacks, winning two Distinguished Unit Citations for their actions as a unit. On January 22, 1944, the troops of the Fifth Army stormed ashore a fifteen-mile stretch of Italian beach near the prewar resort of Anzio. These landings, taking place some thirty miles south of Rome, surprised the Germans, who quickly gathered together troops in order to eliminate the beachhead and stop the Allied advance in its tracks. The key town of Cisterna, located about 15 miles northeast of Anzio, was heavily defended by the most experienced German troops in Italy. The American military decided that taking Cisterna would be its first priority and the Ranger Battalions were given this risky assignment. On the night of January 30, 1944, the First and Third Ranger Battalions infiltrated five miles behind the German Lines. But the Germans, who were preparing for a massive counterattack, had reinforced their lines the night before. Almost immediately, the Rangers were surrounded and greatly outnumbered by the enemy forces. The beleaguered Rangers fought bravely, inflicting many casualties but their ammunition started to run low. In the meantime, the American forces along the beachhead could not break through the strong German positions. Even when they ran out of ammunition, the soldiers of the Third Ranger Battalion fought on with knives and bayonets. Soon, they were reduced to fighting hand-to-hand with the enemy. In this controversial battle, both Ranger Battalions took heavy casualties. But their brave efforts were not entirely in vain, for later intelligence revealed that the Ranger-led attack on Cisterna had helped spike the planned German counterattack and thwarted Hitler's order to "Push the Allies into the sea." After this terrible debacle, the Third Rangers were disbanded and the survivors, including Erminio Dominguez, were assigned to other units. Erminio's next military assignment would be with the 117th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, which had joined General Mark Clark's Fifth Army in April 1944. The 117th soon took its place along the Italian front, some 100 miles south of Rome. Two months later, on June 5, 1944, Erminio Dominguez and the 117th Division entered Rome in triumph. Meanwhile, back home in Kansas, Louie Dominguez celebrated his 18th birthday on July 30, 1944. Young Louie had watched the progress of the American armies as they fought their way up the Italian peninsula and after the crucial D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. For two long years, Louie had admired and emulated his older brother, the soldier. To his friends and family members, Louie constantly talked about his longing to become a soldier and serve his county like his brother Erminio. Finally, on August 15, 1944, Louie followed his dream and enlisted in the Army. Louis joined the Seventy-Fifth Infantry Division and began his basic training in Camp Fort McClellan. But a month after his enlistment, Louie heard the stunning news that his brother Erminio had been captured by the Germans. When the American Army had invaded Southern France on August 14, 1944, Erminio and the 117th Division were part of the invasion convoy. In the first days of September, the 117th seized the city of Montrevel with the hope of holding it until reinforcements could arrive. However, in a day long battle, the German 11th Panzer Division launched a fierce counterattack which overran Montrevel. Erminio Dominguez and his fellow soldiers of the 117th were captured and immediately transported as POWs to Germany. Within days, Erminio was interned at Stalag 7A in Moosburg, Bavaria. The news of Erminio's capture reached Kansas City several weeks later. When Louie heard the news, his patriotic fervor reached its highest point. Writing to his family in Kansas, he proudly stated that he would be among the American forces that would liberate Erminio from his captivity. Louie Dominguez shipped out to the European Theater in January of 1945. Because the 75th Infantry Division was one of the last units to join the American forces in Europe, it was nicknamed the "Diaper Division." But the 75th made up for lost time, spending 94 consecutive days in contact with the enemy. As the American forces moved closer to the German homeland, the enemy’s resistance grew more determined. In an attempt to halt the Allied advance on their native soil, German forces counterattacked more frequently and with increasing intensity. Finally, on March 31, 1945, the 75th Division stood on the border between Holland and Germany. At a small border town called Marl, they approached a hill on which the Germans were entrenched. Louie's Captain surveyed the situation and came to the conclusion that, in order to take this elevated stronghold, he would have to send an advance unit forward to locate the enemy's exact position. When the Captain asked for volunteers, Louie quickly stepped forward. Soon after, Louie and several other soldiers of the 289th Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division, advanced up the hill towards the German positions. Suddenly enemy fire targeted the American soldiers and several of them fell to the ground. On this day, five weeks before the surrender of Nazi Germany, 18-year-old Louie Dominguez died for his country. On May 8, 1945, Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces. Soon after, American POWs throughout Germany were released from captivity. Erminio Dominguez, one of 90,000 American POWs, returned home to Kansas City. The brave veteran of the French and Italian campaigns received a warm welcome from his family. However, when Erminio found out that his younger brother Louie had died in combat, his sense of loss was overwhelming. His own war experiences had been terrible. He once told his brother Jesse that the Germans had treated the POWs at Moosburg like animals, sometimes throwing food to the American soldiers as if they were dogs. Although Erminio received four bronze stars, the purple heart, the service ribbon and a good conduct medal for his extraordinary service to his country, he never spoke of his experiences in World War II to anyone ever again. However, proud to have served his country, Erminio did become a member of the Kansas City VFW. Two years after being released from German captivity, Erminio Dominguez was married. For the rest of his life, he worked as a forklift operator for the Santa Fe Railroad. On June 8, 1996, Erminio Dominguez died. It is believed that some 500,000 Hispanic Americans took up arms for America in World War II. Erminio Dominguez and Louie Dominguez, the sons of Zacatecas immigrants, were two of these soldiers who served proudly. Many of the nephews and nieces of Erminio and Louie have carried on the family’s proud patriotic tradition by serving in the military in the years since World War II. This story, while paying tribute to one family’s service, reminds us that many families have made sacrifices for America. Sources: Interviews with Jesse Dominguez, Bessie Dominguez Morales, and Louie Gonzalez. Donna S. Morales and John P. Schmal, My Family Through Time: The Story of a Mexican-American Family (2000, Los Angeles, California). Milton J. Shapiro, Ranger Battalion: American Rangers in World War II (1979, New York). Copyright © 2001, by John P. Schmal and Donna S. Morales. All rights under applicable law are hereby reserved. Reproduction of this article in whole or in part without the express permission of John P. Schmal is strictly prohibited. |
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In
Honor of Memorial Day and your Unrecognized Heroes |
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The Old Spanish Trail and the Peopling of Alta California |
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| Pio de Jesus Pico, 1801-1894: His Life and Times
at the Pico House Special Exhibit ends July 31, 2001 Open Daily, 11AM-3PM Photographs, Art, Artifacts, Videos, English and Spanish text, and more. 424 N. Main Street, Los Angeles CA, 90012 213-628-1274 |
The Road to Aztlan: Art From a Mythic Homeland: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, features 250 objects that date from approximately 900 BC to the present. 70% of the works displayed fill seven galleries and were made between 900 BC and AD 1521. The show runs through August 26th. L.A. Times, 5-16-01 |
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VATOS" Photographs by Jose Galvez" June 10, 2001 through July 8, 2001 The Avenue 50 Studio will host an art exhibit by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Jose Galvez. 1984 Pulitzer was for a series on the Mexican American experience in Los Angeles. He is the first Chicano to receive a Pulitzer. "These photographs arise from my sense of responsibility to my family, my community and my culture. Since I began my career as a photographer, I have seen campesinos from Mexico go from wearing huaraches to Nikes and Dallas Cowboy baseball caps. But one thing has been a constant in the Latino community - respect for family and for heritage. This is my culture, a culture that I am deeply proud of." -- Jose Galvez RECEPTION: June 15, 2001 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. The Avenue 50 Studio, 131 North Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90041 (323) 258-1435 Return to Table of Contents |
| Editors note: The nation is
looking at California and particularly at Southern California.
This is the opening paragraph of One View by Emma Sepulveda in the April
29th Reno Gazette-Journal, Reno, Nevada:
"I don't want to be the first Latino mayor, I want to be a mayor
for everybody," said Antonio Villaraigosa after the results of the
Los Angeles primary race for mayor were tabulated a few week ago.
Despite his pronouncement, if he wins in the June 1st runoff election,
he will not only be the mayor of all "Angelinos," he will be
the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since 1872. Sent by Cindy
Lobuglio Editor's note: The origin of the surname Villaraigosa will not be found in books. It is a compilation of Antonio's birth surname, Villa and his wife's birth surname, Raigosa - a gesture of equality. |
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Southern California Vital Records Volume 1: Los Angeles County 1850-1859 by Ted Gostin
This groundbreaking
work is the first volume in a series which will eventually
cover Los Angeles County from 1850 to 1879, a period in which
the public recording of vital records was incomplete.
Volume 2 will cover the decade from 1860-1869, and Volume 3
will cover the years 1870-1879. Data in the first volume
was compiled over a three-year period by the author, Ted
Gostin, a professional genealogist in Los Angeles with over 20
years experience researching Los Angeles County records. |
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Peter
Carr, |
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Los Californianos celebrates the arrival of
the Anza Expedition
establishing the San Francisco Presidio 225 years ago on June
27th, 1771. Opening ceremonies will begin at 11 a.m. on
Wednesday, June 27, 2001, at the Pershing Square flagpole in the
Presidio. Amigos de Anza will arrive on horseback led by Don
Garate as Juan Bautista de Anza. More information: http://www.loscalifornianos.org/ mandmbandy@aol.com |
| Latinos faculty at the University of California at Berkeley are 4% of the total faculty, but the student body is about 33% Latino. LA Times, 5-15-01 |
| Oxnard City Council voted 5-0 against a plan to bring Indian gambling to the city. A Nevada company in partnership with landless tribes is selecting sites in California to create new urban reservations for casinos. Experts say only a handful of landless tribes have been allowed to set up new reservations nationwide. Two are proposed for blighted areas of Oakland and San Francisco. L.A.Times, 5-10-01 Return to Table of Contents |
| Concrete evidence reveals that Baja California started pulling away 12.5 million years ago from mainland Mexico, but the bulk of the peninsula's movement has taken place within the past 6.5 million years. O.C. Register, 5-5-01 |
| Alarmed by vandalism at an archeological treasure in Carrizo Plain National Monument, federal and state officials are studying ways to use modern technology, perhaps even orbiting satellites, to prevent destruction of ancient artifacts. The site's isolation makes it an easy target for vandalism. L.A. Times, 5-21-01 |
| Barahona Center for the Study of
Books in Spanish, California State University San Marcos, www.csusm.edu/csb/.
Under "Recommended Books" users can query access of a
database of more than 6,000 recommended books in Spanish for children
and adolescents published around the world. Sent by Isabel Schon,
Ph.D. Return to Table of Contents |
| The Rootsweb Family Reunion
Website is: http://resources.rootsweb.com/~calendar/cgibin/calendar.cgi?calname=FAMILY_REUNIONS Sent by Sam-Quito Padilla G. samquito@nmia.com |
| Oxnard Public Library Home Page
www.oxnard.org is bilingual.
Click for English or
Spanish. Sent by Doug McLaughlin, Oxnard Public Library. Return to Table of Contents |
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RANCH AND MISSION DAYS IN ALTA CALIFORNIA by Guadalupe Vallejo http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist2/rancho.html First hand account by Guadalupe Vallejo who writes in 1890, "What I wish to do is to tell, as plainly and carefully as possible, how the Spanish settlers lived, and what they did in the old days. The story will be partly about the Missions, and partly about the great ranches." Do
read . . the idyllic memories recorded by one of the signers of the
California constitution. In addition there are connections to
many, many other sites covering aspects of California history. |
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http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/digital/rancho/ Rancho Maps: Rancho San Miguel,
Sonoma County, 1849
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| Antique Maps
-- Over 8,000 Maps Online with Pictures/Descriptions Greetings, I would like to let you know about a new web site selling original antique maps of California. Art Source sells original antique maps of California in addition to some incredible reproductions. We have over 9000 antique maps on our site. Use the database search at the top of any page and type "California". http://www.mapsandprints.com You can also….Enter our monthly contest: http://www.mapsandprints.com/contest.cfm Download FREE Antique map Screensavers: http://www.mapsandprints.com/screensaver.cfm Art Source International Inc. 1237 Pearl Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302 Phone 303.444.4079 Email: INFO@MAPSANDPRINTS.COM Return to Table of Contents |
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If you are researching in
California, be sure and put this site into your favorites. Sent by Johanna de Soto Return to Table of Contents |
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EL REAL EJERCITO DE CALIFORNIA
by Carlos Lopez Urrutia Book Description: A history in Spanish of the Spanish Royal Army in California. It narrates a chronological series of events, describes the presidios, the port fortifications, life in an isolated army post, etc. It contains 16 pgs of colored illustrations of soldier's uniforms, presidios and flags. About the Author: Carlos Lopez is a Professor of Humanities at Menlo College. He was born in Chile. He is the author of ten books about the History of California and Maritime History of Chile, including three in English. His books have been published in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Spain and the United States. His eleventh book, a Life of Joaquin Murrieta is in the process of editing in Mexico, where a printing of 50000 copies is planned. López Urrutia, Carlos: EL REAL EJERCITO DE CALIFORNIA. España, Grupo Medusa Ediciones, 2000, 317 pp. Puede ordenarse en línea ($23 dólares más envío), vía www.amazon.com Esta obra narra cronológicamente la historia militar de la California española; describe sus presidios, las raquíticas defensas en sus puertos, la vida de los soldados en estos aislados puestos de los confines septentrionales de la Nueva España; relata anécdotas de sus sucesivos gobernadores, etc. Es de fácil lectura; cita sus fuentes a pie de página; concluye con una relación de archivos consultados y extensa bibliografía de fuentes primarias, secundarias y generales. No presenta índice onomástico. Está ilustrada con reproducciones de grabados antiguos en blanco y negro, más 16 láminas a color con recreaciones artísticas de uniformes, armas y monturas, presidios y banderas. El Doctor en Historia Carlos López Urrutia, natural de Concepción, Chile, es Profesor de Humanidades en Menlo College, California. Es autor de diez libros sobre la historia de California y la historia de la Armada Chilena--tres de ellos en inglés. Ha publicado en Argentina, Chile, Perú,España y Estados Unidos. Su undécima obra está por publicarse en México y preveé 50,000 ejemplares en la edición: "La Vida de Joaquín Murrieta". Este "Robin Hood" de la Fiebre de Oro en California, "¡Sonorense, por supuesto!" según los mexicanos; "¡Chileno, de todas maneras!" según no perdonan los chilenos, mientras los norteamericanos aguardan a que unos u otros presenten pruebas contundentes de la nacionalidad y antecedentes del propietario de la cabeza que, en frasco de vidrio con alcohol, durante años anduvo exhibiéndose en ferias anglocalifornianas, hasta encontrar descanso eterno durante el terremoto e incendio de San Francisco en 1906. Definitivamente tendremos que estar pendientes para enterarnos de las conclusiones a que ha llegado el Dr. López Urrutia. Del mismo autor, actualmente pueden consultarse en Internet dos extensos artículos: "Real Ejército de California" (condensado) < http://www.bbslaguna.com.mx/CaliforniaContenido.htm > así como "Los Insurgentes del Sur, Los intentos navales argentino-chilenos por ayudar en la Independencia de México" http://www.bbslaguna.com.mx/CarlosLopez/Index.htm Este último es un estudio que versa sobre los controvertidos puntos de vista nacionalistas en derredor de los corsarios con patente de las Armadas Argentina y Chilena--ingleses en su gran mayoría, desempleados de la oficialidad y marinería británica al término de las guerras napoleónicas. "Patriotas libertadores", para Sudamérica" = "piratas", para la Nueva España"-- según el color del cristal con que se mira. El profundo conocimiento y familiaridad del autor--chileno con algunos años de formación en Argentina y varias décadas de residencia e impartición de la cátedra de historia en California --tanto con el contexto histórico sudamericano como con el de Baja y Alta California, aunado a una profunda investigación en fuentes primarias y secundarias de ambas latitudes, confieren al Dr. López Urrutia la visión panóptica requerida para presentar las irrupciones de los corsarios en nuestras costas con plena objetividad de historiador imparcial--factor del que han adolecido quienes anteriormente se habían acercado a estos eventos. Con cordiales saludos desde Huixquilucan, Source: Carmen Boone de Aguilar raguilar@mail.internet.com.mx Return to Table of Contents |
| US Census Bureau released initial figures on Hispanics in
Utah, revealing that Hispanics as a group increased by 140% in the past ten years. Source: Kent Larsen 5-11-01 http://www.MormonsToday.com |
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BYU HOSTS WORLD'S LARGEST FAMILY HISTORY CENTER "We are the largest family history center in the world," said Diane R. Parkinson, microforms librarian and director of the Utah Valley Regional Family History Center. The center is located at Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library. With 678,000 rolls of microfilm, over two million microfiche, and one million books relating to family history, the center offers an abundance of resources for students and the community. Over 200 volunteers, most serving Church-service missions, staff the center http://newsnet.byu.edu/index.cfm?story=31306 |
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Elsa Herbeck points to evidence of 28-inch walls of sandstone and rock. |
| RESTORATION, Laredo Morning Times, 5-20-01 Photos: Michael Short | ||
| La
Casita de Laredo, located at 1600 San Edwardo St, Laredo,
Texas (Reporter: Jessica Kent)
Walter and Elsa Herbeck are getting a deeper knowledge of the history,
culture, and art in Laredo as the began to restore a house purchased by
ancestors from Edwardo Pena in 1928. With loving care, the
restoration will respect the historical integrity of their house. Thank you to Elsa/Walter Herbeck and George Gause for forwarding the article and their efforts to improve their community and respect our shared past. wlherbeck@juno.com 210-684-9741 |
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Laredo Area Genealogy
- 60,000 names Collected Father Florencio Andres undertook exhaustive genealogical research on Laredo area families. This research was done approximately seventy-five years ago over a period of 14 years while he worked at St. Agustine Catholic Cathedral in Laredo. Father Andres went from door-to-door collecting family information. Having ill health he was not obligated to do usual priestly duties and turned his free time and energy toward his love of Laredo history as well as its people. His research resulted in a genealogical manuscript containing over 60,000 names! Additional names from St. Peters, Guadalupe Church and other old records consulted by Father Andres are also part of this project - a bonus! The project of compiling these invaluable records into computer readable format was undertaken by Annie Rice Ramos and others between 1999 and 2001 as a fundraising project to benefit St. Agustin Cathedral. And through her efforts Father Andres' work has both been preserved and is now made widely available for researchers for the first time.. Two sets of names are included, although it is not known why Father Andres had a separate grouping of 20,000 names. The integrity of his work has been maintained and has been retained exactly the way he compiled it. It is the theory of Annie Ramos, who undertook this massive project, that one set is different from the rest because one set of names is arranged by land title / land grants. Example of entry: Vicente Barrera 1804 Mier hd. Manuel and Jovita Flores [note: hd = child of] Two (2) CD-ROMs (both PC and Mac compatible) have been produced and are now available for $60.00 until June 1, 2001 and thereafter will be $75.00 a set (they are NOT sold individually) and a $2.00 shipping and handling fee is added if you want the CDs mailed to you. Checks should be made to St. Agustine Cathedral and mailed to CD Order, Minnie Farias, 201 San Agustin Avenue, Laredo, Texas 78040. Sent by George Gause Return to Table of Contents |
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Rio Grande Valley Website http://hometown.aol.com/texmexgenealogy/myhomepage/business.html Listing of thousands of family surnames of 20th Century families who lived in the Rio Grande Valley. Dennis V Carter, the Genealogist who owns this web page, is available to begin immediate research on any of the thousands of names listed on this site. Additional surnames will be added on a weekly basis. United States research from 1620 to present; Texas research 1835 to present of all nationalities; Mexico research of 1750 to 1900 of Roman Catholic Church records, Mexico Civil Records 1860-1900, and 1930 Mexico Census. Source: Dennis V Carter, TexMexGenealogy@aol.com Sent by George Gause |
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Tejano Statue a Step Closer to the Capitol Grounds |
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Commemoration of Tejano contributions Hi Cousins and Friends, I wanted to tell you about a very special event that I attended this evening, May 17th.. It was a reception in the Lt. Gov.'s Reception Room in the Texas Capitol, to celebrate passage of the bill to erect a statue on the capitol grounds to commemorate the Tejano pioneers. When this project is completed, it will be the first such monument to Tejano history. The intent the resolution is to ensure that the contributions of Tejanos to the state of Texas are realized, documented, and never forgotten. The reception was well attended with representation from the Rio Grande Valley, Goliad, Premont, Laredo and other areas. Among those present were Sen. Truan; Sen. Lucio; Sen. Van de Putte; Rep. Flores; Rep. Hinojosa; Rep. Najera; Rep. Longoria; Rep. Reyna; Homero Vera, Editor of El Mesteno; Andres Tijerina, author of Tejano Empire; and many others. Many thanks to George Gause for using his extensive network to get the word out and to Andres Tijerina for his leadership and service on the Committee. Statements related to the event were: "We are committed to a first class monument that all Texans will be proud of........the statue will grace the Capitol grounds with a depiction of the values that the early Tejanos based their foundation on: family, hard work, and sacrifice."
"Having a statue at the capitol publicly recognizes and pays tribute to the
contributions Hispanics have made in Texas." Diana said the leadership is coming from several, including Andres Tijerina and Homero
Vera. |
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Juan N. Seguin
Memorial Highway We wanted all of Hwy 225 for the redesignation Juan N. Seguin Memorial Hwy. . . . . The only city that gave its approval was Hou. We the Tejano Association for Historical Preservation asked Hou, Deer Park, La Porte, and Pasadena. Only Hou said that the change would be effective immediately. Members from the Tejano Association and its President Benny C. Martinez addressed each city and its mayor for their support. I hope that this gets passed as we have worked hard on this one. Sent by: Loretta Williams, Secretary, Tejano Association for Historical Preservation On May 23, received a message from Loretta that Senate Bill 1831 had passed. The next step is a signature from the Governor which is considered routine. This bill authorizes renaming portions of Highway 225 & a San Jacinto Battleground Park Road in memory of Juan Seguin. You can go to http://www.capitol.state.tx.us and type in SB 1831 to read the bill or go to our web page at http://www.tejanoahp.org/tahphome/seguin.html |
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About the Paso al Norte Immigration History Museum and Research Center It was a pleasure to have participated in an effort that promises to change the way Americans and people across the world will understand the critical issues of immigration and migration and the people who take part in it. The recent issue of the Economist on global immigration underscores how urgently we need intelligent discussion on these issues, one based on human historical experiences like the ones your museum will interpret. All of the articles on contemporary migration in the US focused on the Mexican border, demonstrating that the world is looking to people from cities like El Paso to tell their stories. Liz Sevcenko, Vice President of Programs, Lower East Side
Tenement Museum |
| El Paso is the fifth-biggest city in Texas, with a population of roughly 575,000. It is wedged in a corner between Mexico and New Mexico. Physically, it is closer to Palm Springs than Houston. It's even in a different time zone than the rest of the state. The metropolitan area ranks near the bottom nationally in per capita income and near the top in the number of people lacking health insurance. The El Paso School District has a staggering 87.5% dropout rate. |
