La piedra del monarca (Curdy 4) (Spanish Edition)

So Papa phoned me and told me what happened. I pretended I did not know what had happened. What can I do? Then I offered to go to Frost Bros at lunch and see if they had a similar chest. So, off I go to Frost Bros. As luck would have it, I found the chest in the furniture department. I bought the chest immediately and arranged to have it shipped to Corpus Christi, Texas. I phoned my father who was anxiously waiting to find out the results of my trip to Frost Bros. He was so grateful and did not even question the cost.

Their marriage was saved and my mother spoke to my father again. The chest remained with our family for many decades. It was the centerpiece of our house and graced our lives with its great beauty. Every time I think of this story, I smile and remember them fondly. Vicki, her sister, and her mother, all worked for the family business. Vicki took the surname Ruiz in , to honor her mother. She has two grown children, Miguel and Daniel, from a previous marriage. In , Vicki Ruiz married Victor Becerra, a college administrator. As a child, her family followed the tourist migration; she attended school in Panama City until Thanksgiving, in Marathon from December or January to April, then back in Panama City for the remainder of the year.

Her job as a child was to sell tickets for the fishing trips and place flyers in the souvenir racks of local hotels. Life for a Mexican-American girl in small-town Florida was difficult. At school, despite scoring the highest score on the standardized test in history Ruiz was denied an academic scholarship sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, because she could not trace her ancestry to the pre-Civil War South. In , during a summer research trip to Guadalajara , Mexico , Ruiz met and interviewed a union organizer, Luisa Moreno.

University of New Mexico Press. On May 17, , Vicky L. In , Vicki L. Editors by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sanchez Korrol. To this date, the award-winning historian Vicki L. Ruiz has published nearly twenty books. She is the author, editor, or co-editor of seven books and author of over a dozen books chapters and seven articles. It encourages students of color into academia, and for senior faculty to mentor junior faculty, Ruiz remembers the words of Luisa Moreno: See Somos Primos January Issue for complete biography.

Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award. In California alone, approximately , American citizens and legal residents of Mexican ancestry were forced to leave and go to Mexico. In total, an estimated 2 million people of Mexican ancestry were forcibly relocated to Mexico. Throughout California, including areas in downtown Los Angeles near this monument, massive raids were conducted in Mexican American communities. These raids resulted in the clandestine removal of thousands of people, many of whom were never able to return to the United States, denied their right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the American dream in their country of birth.

There was no reason to do this because we were American citizens. These expulsions often referred to as "repatriation" were violations of U. The apology became law in The Civil War, Part 1: Contrary to politicians who want to call a truce about social issues, there is absolutely no way to separate social and fiscal issues; they are locked in a tight political embrace. Politicians who say we can ignore social issues or avoid talking about them, are really saying that they have no plan to cut federal spending and the growing national debt.

That's because the social issue of marriage and its importance to our society has become a tremendous fiscal issue. The problem of marriage absence is now costing the taxpayers even more than national defense. We used to have a social structure in the United States where husbands and fathers provided the financial support for the wife and children. It is obvious that when the mother of these children has no husband to support her and her babies, she calls on big brother government. You and I then pay the bills for what is labeled welfare. It's not poverty that causes broken families; it's the absence of marriage that causes poverty and puts kids below the designated poverty line.

Social issues cause fiscal expenses. I grew up during the Great Depression of the s, and the American family — white and black — was not broken. It stayed together to face life's reversals. The massive national problem of having babies without marriage started with Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty in the s. LBJ welfare channeled all the money and benefits to the woman, thereby making the husband and father unnecessary.

I'm not saying anything new; Charles Murray laid this all out more than 20 years ago. He said, "Illegitimacy is the single most important social problem of our time After Barack Obama became president, he increased federal welfare spending by a third because, as he told Joe the Plumber, he wants to "spread the wealth around. Americans' lack of knowledge of the enormity of these handouts is why we sometimes hear reference to the "hidden" welfare state.

The Heritage Foundation reports that more than 70 types of federal means-tested handouts, in cash or benefits, are distributed. This federal welfare apparatus includes 12 programs providing food, 10 for housing assistance, 10 for social services, nine for educational assistance, eight programs giving cash, eight for vocational training, seven for medical assistance, three for energy and utility assistance, and two for child care and child development. Welfare recipients are eligible for a free cellphone with monthly minutes from a fund that the rest of us pay into.

So we get more illegitimate babies supported by taxpaying Americans every year. This extraordinary change in our social structure is the primary reason that government budgets, both federal and state, are so bloated. So why do we use tax dollars to discourage marriage and subsidize illegitimacy? We should ask our presidential candidates who are worried about extravagant government spending, unbalanced budgets and repeated raising of the debt ceiling, how they will stop the flow of money that promotes more dependency on government. Welfare spending is a major cause of our unbalanced budgets and colossal debt.

This hidden welfare state is the fastest growing part of government spending. And this doesn't include Social Security or Medicare payments. Nor do the Heritage Foundation figures count the social and fiscal costs of the expensive problems that come mostly from female-headed households. These include drug addiction, sex, suicides, school dropouts, runaways and crime. Welfare spending is a failure; it doesn't advance us toward any constructive goal, such as helping recipients to get on their feet economically.

It merely increases dependence on government handouts and increases votes for big-spending politicians. The Wall Street Journal: What the Mormons Know About Welfare. Ever since Mitt Romney said he was "not concerned about the very poor" but would fix America's social safety net "if it needs repair," conservatives and liberals have been frantically making suggestions. Romney says he would consider options like restructuring Medicaid.

But if he wants to see a welfare system that lets almost no one fall through the cracks while at the same time ensuring that its beneficiaries don't become lifelong dependents, he could look to his own church. As I ride in a golf cart through a new acre warehouse on the outskirts of Utah's capital, I can't help but wonder: How many Wal-Marts would fit in here? How many burgers can you make from 4, industrial pallets of frozen meat? And how do they keep this place cleaner than my kitchen floor? Dedicated last month, the Bishops Central Storehouse contains a two-year supply of food to support the Mormon church's welfare system in the U.

In addition to goods from canned peaches to emergency generators, the facility also houses the church's own trucking company, complete with 43 tractors and 98 trailers, as well as a one-year supply of fuel, parts and tires for the vehicles. The storehouse is not only a kind of physical marvel—it has been built to withstand an earthquake with a magnitude as high as 7.

Launched during the Great Depression, the Mormon welfare system was designed by church leaders as a way to match the armies of the unemployed faithful with some of the nearby farms that needed temporary labor. As storehouse manager Richard Humpherys explains, goods and services were traded so that if a father needed food for his family he could get some in exchange for, say, repairing the fence of a widow down the road. Marines carry aid to landslide victims in central Philippines in In , Heber Grant, one of the church leaders, reported the reasoning behind this effort: The aim of the Church is help the people to help themselves.

Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership. Over the ensuing decades, the church acquired farms and ranches of its own. It built grain silos and dairies and canneries to store and process the food. By the end of World War II, church leaders had enough in the way of reserves that they contacted President Truman to ask if they might assist in feeding and clothing the destitute across Europe.

The president readily agreed. Because it has members on the ground around the world, the church continues to be an important force in bringing food and supplies to the impoverished and victims of natural disasters. Local church leaders contact the central headquarters in Salt Lake City to tell them what is needed—gauze pads, school supplies, wheelchairs—and the church does its best to accommodate.

The Department of Defense recently visited the new storehouse to find out how the Mormons are able to mobilize so quickly, and there is an almost military sense of efficiency and strategy to the church's efforts. When Hurricane Katrina struck, for instance, the church had positioned its fully loaded trucks in a kind of semicircle from South Carolina to Texas because no one knew how the storm was going to move. The church used reserves of fuel that it has placed around the country, and drivers were able to bring full tanker trucks into New Orleans, powering rescue vehicles and even chain saws to remove tree limbs.

Most of the inventory in the central storehouse, though, goes to supply more than smaller storehouses around the country, plus hundreds of soup kitchens and homeless shelters of other religious communities around North America. Members of the Mormon church who find themselves in difficult circumstances can go to their local bishop and ask for aid. The bishop then fills out an order allowing them to go and receive food from the local storehouse. Seventy percent of the items on the shelves are produced by the church itself and the remainder are purchased at steep wholesale discounts.

According to Rick Foster, who oversees a smaller storehouse in Salt Lake City along with the cannery and dairy at Welfare Square the original site of all the church's welfare services , people depend on the food at the storehouse for an average of three to six months. That's because the church's goal is to help them get back on their feet as soon as possible. And the storehouse is only one of the tools at the disposal of local bishops, who may also refer members to other church programs, including employment counseling or family services.

The bishop may even use money from a fund at his disposal to help pay for education, housing or utilities. The labor behind the farming, food production, counseling and even cattle ranching is provided almost entirely by volunteers. Some are retired folks who come in every day.

Other times an entire ward, or congregation, will come for the day, each of the members standing on an industrial assembly line packaging bread, processing cheese or sealing jars of apple sauce. Regular tithing by church members helps pay for the facilities, but the primary source of capital support is the Mormons' monthly fast, as church members are asked to contribute what they would have spent on two meals. Many give much more, says Mr. It is safe to assume that Mr. Romney is among them. The tens of millions of dollars he has given the church over the years have raised suspicion in some quarters.

What does the church do with all that cash? Wouldn't that money have been better spent paying a higher income-tax rate? But his donations are supporting the kind of safety net that government can never hope to create. Jesus may have said the poor will always be with you, but he didn't say Medicaid would.

Riley, a former Journal editor, writes frequently about religion. A version of this article appeared Feb. What Netanyahu May Have Added President, you live in a big country: Even from Los Angeles to Washington is 2, miles. Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is 37 miles — although it feels longer in traffic. From Gaza City to Sderot — 3 miles. You go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We do not "go" to war any more; war comes to us -- in the form of rockets and missiles. World War II killed 0. In , approximately 9. America is a young country.

Your founding documents are no more than years old and what you've built — with the exception of the Twin Towers — you've kept as long as you've wanted it. Our founding document is more than 3, years old and we'd already lost our First and Second Temples while Jesus was still a living memory. Within today's living memory, we lost schools, synagogues, libraries, homes, businesses and the graves of our fathers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. You know that, so why am I telling you this? The lesson we draw from your history is that in the s it was Czechoslovakia, not the United States that disappeared.

After the American withdrawal from Vietnam, it was Cambodians, not Americans who died. President Clinton said the absence of U. But the lesson of our history is that small people in small spaces do not have the luxury of being wrong the first time and regrouping to get it right. At the moment of peril, we will have one shot at protecting ourselves, and only one. The National Museum of the American Latino. This note serves as a look back at the momentous year of progress for the American Latino Museum in , and a look ahead to our exciting goals for This report, released on May 5, , resulted from the work of a 23 member Commission appointed by Congress and the President tasked with researching the feasibility of creating an American Latino Museum and submitting a plan of action with recommendations for its creation.

The FRIENDS dedicated itself to promoting the recommendations of the Commission and kicked off its campaign with regional fundraising and awareness events across the country. These events brought together community, corporate, and political leaders to learn more about how to make this museum a reality and expand the network of support. We held events in: View photo galleries for these events by clicking on the cities above. Stay tuned for more details on how you can support these future events! Additionally, we traveled to conferences nationwide and spoke with many of you who are eager to see this museum come to fruition.

In we engaged hundreds of supporters at these conferences: We will be attending these conferences again in , and we hope you will stop by to check out our unique museum display! The year ended with a great stride forward in this campaign. The passage of this bill will create a home for this museum, and the FRIENDS will continue to push this legislation forward to secure its passage in We thank you all for your support thus far, and we are excited at what the future holds as we work together to rightfully honor the contributions of American Latinos.

I had no idea this could happen from taking pictures on the blackberry or cell phone.

Ocean County New Jersey

Sent by Jan Mallet http: Since he first arrived on Capitol Hill back in , Representative Miller has been a tireless advocate for equal access to education and opportunity for students of all backgrounds. Guests include the following, alphabetical order: His decision will leave a void in local media coverage as regards the sometimes provocative coverage of early Texas history.

It was after my formal retirement in that I decided to follow up on the many oral early Texas history stories I heard from my mother and elders. I then decided to write about it and spend time reflecting on the many stories of faith and courage. Although I was all too familiar with the Hollywood-influenced version of Texas history favored by mainstream historians, it became readily obvious to me that the level of ignorance right here in San Antonio was more serious than I had imagined.

I noticed that too much misinformation and distortion was commonly accepted by reporters without question, including coverage in our only newspaper, the San Antonio Express News. So, about four years ago, I began to notice historical articles in the newspaper that were inaccurate. It was then that I began my communication with Mr. I picked my fights carefully.

Whenever I wrote to him, I took a point-counterpoint position and offered backup for my positions. After reading my many analyses in a particular issue, he would often asked me to expand my comments into full-blown articles that the newspaper would then publish as part of their editorial page. As such, he was one of the first to encourage me to write formal articles. I am glad to report that he has always been ready and willing to listen to a point of view that was new to him. That is, that there was a Texas before ! I came to Texas thinking it was all just like Fess Parker did it in the '50s.

Keep writing and keep working on the rest of us. I still believe that sometime soon during our lifetime , Texas and Southwest history will be recorded in a seamless manner from its discovery in to the present. The Tejano Monument will go far to help us do that. The bottom line is that we must all keep working on educating the public. I can tell you from experience during recent presentations that there is much non-Hispanic support to recognize our Tejano share of Texas history. But, there are many others that are still in denial and tend to continue to dismiss it as if it never happened.

So, there is still a lot of educating to do. Lino and I have our work cut out for us to do our part to ensure she or he is. I, too, was sadden by the retirement of Mr. Bob Richter, who also took my articles, and began publishing them, always with a healthy attitude toward the Tejano Story. I am attaching an editorial written by Mr. Jonathan Gurwitz, also staff editor of the San Antonio Express-News in which he acknowledges some of our efforts. He was kind enough to consult with me prior to writing this editorial. He, I am positive, will be receptive to more essays from us down the line.

The Tejano Story will be told!! Let us also remember that the San Antonio Express-News has a statewide reading public, and what better news mass media than this newspaper to get our story out. So, let's go with newspaper to tell our Tejano History. Joe and Mimi, we must enlist the help of the younger Tejano History scholar, and there is a group of young professors: They must carry the torch, as we older fellows move on. Our thrust is multi-purpose: To bring to the top of the agenda the illustrious Tejano History, the Pre Texas History with all of its glory, its adventure, its great accomplishments; and to give each group its due.

To erase from the minds, and text books the vast distortion of Texas History, especially the old version of the Battle of the Alamo of We must bury the old John Wayne, a la Hollywood version that failed to accurately portrayed the role of the Tejano in its movies made solely for entertainment and profit, without regard for the damage done to the Tejano psyche. Let us remember, at least those of us who lived during the 's up to the present, how the Tejano was viewed by others: Tejanos look like the enemy, speak like the enemy, therefore they are the enemy: For decades Tejanos have been punished.

To liberate all Texans, regardless of ancestry, from all ancient myths that continue to divide all of us and , thus preparing them to succeed in today multi-ethnic work force. There are hundreds of newspapers all over Texas looking for these Tejano History essays. Let's keep the flame alive by enlisting the help of the younger Tejano Scholar to carry on. In movies and TV programs, the Mexican soldiers who participated in assaulting the Alamo on March 6, , are always depicted in clean, almost new, beautiful uniforms. They are usually depicted wearing white trousers with or without a red stripe, blue or green coat, with or without epaulettes and a military cap with or without a white feather.

Such uniforms did exist and some soldiers did wear them but not all. The forced conscripts who had been taken out of jails or picked up at various townships and ranchos along the way had no weapons, uniforms, equipment or training.

One unit of such conscripts was kept tied one to the other in single file and marched from San Luis Potosi, via Monterrey and Laredo to Bexar where they arrived December 9, Mexican General Martin Perfecto de Cos surrendered Bexar the following day and the tied conscripts were forced to march back to Laredo, thence Monclova and finally back to Bexar where they arrived for a second time on February 23 Many wore huaraches instead of shoes or boots.

Many did not have blankets and at best some had serapes shawls. None had raincoats and definitely were not prepared for the blizzard that raged in February from Monclova, Coahuila to the Frio River in South Texas. The Vanguard brigade was an experienced, battle proven, mounted unit with two 4 pound artillery pieces. The 50 man escort was composed of servants, chef, supply and equipment carriers tent, desk, writing supplies, paper, etc.

Both the Brigade and escorts were well equipped and wore the often depicted colorful uniforms. That was the force that entered Bexar on February 23, The day before while at the Medina River at the lower crossing at present Castroville, Texas , Santa Anna ordered the Vanguard Brigade to patrol the Caminos Real east and north of San Antonio de Bexar and block any reinforcements from reaching the city.

He also learned on that day that the Texas rebels had retreated to the abandoned Mission San Antonio de Valero commonly known as The Alamo.

Artur Balder

On entering the city on the 23 rd. Situated on an elevation overlooking the city, the defenders had a definite military strategic advantage over any assault force. Moreover, walls of the various structures at the abandoned mission varied in thickness from 18 to 36 inches. With plenty of foodstuff and water from the Acequia de Valero and two wells, as well as a herd of 30 head of beef brought to the fortress by Tejano rebel Brigido Guerrero, the defenders could theoretically hold out until reinforced or relieved.

One disadvantage however, was the defenders on the walls having to stand on the parapets thus becoming visible easy targets. The some odd defenders included an unknown number of Tejanos serving under Captain Juan N. Seguin or Colonel James Bowie. In light of the situation Santa Anna quickly ordered General Gaona to hurry his pace or at least send part of his brigade. Cuban born General Gaona was camped at Espantosa Lake in present Dimmit County when he received the order on the 28 th. He sent men, but no heavy siege artillery pieces as Santa Anna had not asked for them.

Accompanied by wives, girlfriends, merchants and other camp followers, the men Mexican reinforcements arrived at Bexar at 4: Alamo co-commander William B. On paper, Santa Anna had some 2, men composed of the combined Mexican military force and non-combatants. Approximately 1, were ordered to assault the Alamo. The bulk of the Vanguard Brigade continued to patrol the Caminos Real and ordered to attack any rebel reinforcements, deserters or survivors of the battle yet to occur. A 24 hour cease fire was agreed upon on March 4th to allow all women and children to leave the fortress.

Some did but many chose to stay with their husbands and family. The artillery exchange resumed on March 5 th and the Mexican assault force was ordered to be ready take their assault position by midnight. They were also ordered to carry ladders, hatchets and their respective weapons but no blankets, serapes or noise-making items which might alert the defenders.

Silently without alarming the defenders they assumed their position by one in the morning. The bugle order to attack resonated at 5: The battle lasted some 30 minutes. He ordered them executed as being non-residents of Mexico or Texas and therefore international mercenaries. Among those executed by the sword was former U. S, Congressman David Crockett. Tejano rebel Brigido Guerrero threw his weapons away, locked himself in a room and claimed to have been a prisoner of the rebels. At least four Anglo American defenders rushed through Nacogdoches, Texas telling the populace they had just escaped the battle at the Alamo and that all had been killed.

Two other men arrived at Victoria Texas, one of them seriously wounded and told of their escape from the battle at the Alamo. Meanwhile, the Mexican casualties numbered some men who either died in battle or of wounds received in the assault. As expected when a force attacks a fortress, Santa Anna lost one third of the force attacking the Alamo. In years to come both sides would exaggerate, embellish and outright lie about the battle. Most interesting, the Alamo defenders who had died for the Mexican Constitution of were not considered heroes until the Texas Centennial of To date there is no accurate count or identification of the defenders and the popular legends, misconceptions and myths of the battle continue unabated.

Perhaps with more Tejanos doing their respective family trees we might one day identify some of the forgotten Tejano Alamo defenders. End ……………………… end ……………………… end ………………. Zavala County Sentinel ……. The Indian Reorganization Act of IRA , which authorized the Secretary of the Interior to restore and acquire lands for Indian nations, was a shot at redemption by descendants of the white European settler colonists who had arrived more than years earlier and stole land in what became the United States of America. But we did not liquidate their spirit. The vital spark which kept them alive was hardy.

In the 47 years between the enacting of the Dawes Act and the IRA, the allotment policy drastically decreased tribally owned land. Since , the BIA has restored millions of acres of land to tribes and acquired new tribal lands. According to the BIA website, the federal government now holds approximately Some federally recognized tribes have no reservation.

More recently, the federal government has also benefited from the use and abuse of resources on Indian lands. The late Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana , won her year-long legal battle against the federal government for its failure to account for billions of dollars in royalties owed to more than , American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Seventy-five years after the IRA was enacted, the momentum of American politics switched again, and the good done by the IRA is gradually being undone. On February 24, , the U. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Carcieri v. Despite being one of the first people to greet the European settlers in the early 17th century, the Mashpee Tribe was not federally acknowledged until , so it is affected by the Carcieri ruling.

Land, he insists, is fundamentally important to Indian tribes. In our view, our lands hold much more than mere economic value but rather have great cultural, religious, and—in the modern era, especially—political significance. Our lands are where we live, where we gather together, and where we exercise our inherent sovereign rights as pre-Constitutional peoples.

When Dawes sponsored the General Allotment Act, he was putting forward a strategy to break up Indian nations by dispossessing them of their land that had already proven successful with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe under a Massachusetts state law. But state legislation enacted in —a precursor to the federal Dawes Act—provided for acre allotments to be given to individual members as privately owned taxable land that they could sell. Today, the tribe owns only acres of fee land or privately owned land and not a single acre is held in trust by the federal government, Cromwell says.

Both men reiterated that a Carcieri fix is their top priority. Most of our people lost their homes and lands to taxation. The gargantuan Tejano monument , comprising of 11 life-size bronze sculptures, represents the Hispanic influence on the formation of Texas, which has long been ignored. It is a project that was finally approved by the state legislature in after more than 10 years of waiting. Hinojosa, who just turned 69, has more than 40 years of experience sculpting. However, he has never been so honored as for his last accomplishment. In text books, it starts with the Alamo, and we were here before that.

In Hollywood movies, Mexican guys played the bandits. Hinojosa says that this is the first project in which he was given full creative liberty. He finished the last sculpture of the monument about a month ago, and it will finally be unveiled to the public in Austin on March The Spaniards also brought mustangs, wild horses. Over the years, the monument grew to include a little girl with a sheep, representing the importance of wool to the state; then a family, a worker, and a couple, representing the future.

The guy with a brand represents the cattle business, and the Spanish explorer is at the top. He made the pieces in miniature first, and then in the last three years, enlarged them. He makes sure to mention with an even-tempered passion how cowboy history originated from the Spaniards and that vaqueros are direct Mexican descendants. Hinojosa, who is from Laredo, Texas, says he is a proud Tejano, because his father came from Mexico and married his mother an American citizen who was a direct descendant of the founder of Laredo, Don Tomas Sanchez.

His family inhabited Texas as early as I want things to look beautiful and realistic. I feel like I have to leave something behind. For one, Spanish Mexican-descent Tejanos clearly believe that the memorial is long overdue. However, what is it about a large bronze statue that so lifts Tejano spirits and their many non-Hispanic Tejano history supporters? To begin with, it will be the first monument honoring the founders of Texas. Second, for way too long, mainstream historians have clouded pre Texas history with a thick fog of exclusion that will finally be cleared by the powerful beams of the Tejano Monument spotlight.

Said another way, the memorial is a door that has long been shut but will now be open wide, revealing the rich panoramic view of early Texas history. For example, why do some citizens in Texas and elsewhere in the Southwest speak Spanish at home? Why is it that so many cities, towns, and communities in Texas and in several surrounding U. How old are these communities? Where did Tejanos come from? What is the connection between the city of Monclova and Texas? How did the vast Southwest region become part of the U.

In reality, Texas and the U. Southwest is the only region that was a cohesive part of another sovereign nation, The Republic of Mexico. Thus, although conquered militarily, it is forever imbued with a strong Spanish Mexican culture. In short, Texas already had a sense of community with its own laws and strong, organized business and trade systems.

It was to these towns deep in the heart of Texas along the Camino Real that attracted the first Anglo immigrants from the U. Yet, for all their blood, sweat, and tears, the Spanish Mexican pioneers of Texas remain virtually unknown to the general public. Beginning in with Texas independence and sanctioned when Texas was admitted to the U. Quite suddenly, the U. It never had to be that way. The Tejano Monument is timely.

As a result of the noisy illegal immigration hysteria, some U. For example, it is that stance that is driving the anti-Mexican studies effort in Arizona. Ironically, some of these people live in Spanish-named, Spanish-settled states, such as California, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas. Not aware of our long history, some citizens question our choice to speak Spanish and preserve our distinctive culture in neighborhoods that were established in the s.

In day-to-day matters, Spanish is sometimes spoken exclusively in these barrios. It is the same reason why priests in San Fernando Cathedral have been giving masses in Spanish for nearly years. Clearly, the Tejano Monument is for the children. Spanish Mexican-descent students have up to now been deprived of their heritage both in the classroom and in mainstream history books. For years, generations of their parents have been taught that the history of their ancestors is somehow inferior to that of New England-descent citizens.

As such, they take the path of less resistance and opt not to discuss their heritage with their children. So, in that sense, the Tejano Monument offers a much-needed teaching tool. The monument will at long last put the history of New Spain in Texas and the Southwest at a parallel of dignity and respect with the teaching of New England history. They are the first generation that will be shown the path to success by a monument dedicated to their courageous ancestors.

Importantly, it will shine alongside other honorable statues in our state capital of Austin. In achieving this equality, the Tejano Monument signifies a first step toward inclusivity and acceptance of Texas history in a seamless manner from its discovery in to the present. That fact is importance and must not be underestimated.

Finally, the monument equals momentum. Having a sense of ownership of Texas history will confidently inspire and motivate Spanish-surnamed students in Texas and the Southwest to stay in school, graduate from a four-year college, and become productive members of their community. It is indeed a new day in the teaching and learning of Texas and U. As in the myth of the Phoenix, the Tejano Monument represents a new beginning. From the cold ashes of obscurity and rejection, Tejano history will rise and be reborn into a long-lasting Tejano Renaissance.

He now lives in Universal City, Texas. He is the author of two books: It is a known fact in writing history that at least 50 years must pass before the truth of any historical event can be properly written. During the first half century, participants, eye-witnesses and contemporary sources must be seen as not reliable due to personal embellishments, social-cultural factors and last but not least, the propaganda publicity of the event in question. Hence the information gathered the first half century is at best lopsided and its accuracy questionable. All living participants, eyewitnesses and contemporary individuals must pass away before their writings, documentary evidence and impartial historical records can be evaluated.

This is particularly true of the Battle at the Alamo. In this case, personal exaggerations, self role embellishments, political-social-religious-ethnic-racial factors created a larger than life and outright erroneous depiction of the Texas Revolution and Battle at the Alamo. Contrary to what was written and taught for the first years, the Texas Revolution of was not an ethnic struggle of Anglos versus Mexicans, or Protestants versus Catholics.

The residents of Coahuila y Tejas rebelled against the Presidency of Santa Anna for doing away with the Constitution of The recently arrived legal and illegal U. Command of the rebel army was given first to Edward Burleson and later to Sam Houston both being pro-U. Thus from mid-December , the federalist uprising became an annexationist U.

Tejanos and Anglo American colonists could be found in all political factions but were rapidly outnumbered by the recently arrived non-residents and military volunteer annexationists. Thus when Colonel James Bowie arrived to take over command of the Alamo Garrison, he had approximately men at Bexar. Bowie had been ordered by Houston to destroy all fortifications at Bexar and retreat towards Gonzales. He refused and chose to stay and defend San Antonio. Travis arrived with some 27 men bringing the total of rebels at Bexar to some men more or less. Congressman David Crockett, who from Nacogdoches had written his son Robert he was in Texas hunting bear, arrived in San Antonio in mid February with some two or three companions.

The number of rebels at Bexar did not change as couriers were constantly being sent to Commander-in-Chief Houston and Colonel James Fannin at Goliad asking for provisions and reinforcements. In time, approximately 27 volunteers from the Gonzalez area arrived at Bexar bringing the total of rebels at Bexar to some men.

Only Alamo defenders have been identified to date. Seguin are unaccounted for, as are an untold number of San Antonio residents who took refuge at the Alamo when the Mexican forces arrived. On paper, the unit numbered men when last counted in Saltillo the previous December. Since then, the unit had suffered losses caused by desertions and an unexpected blizzard that left over 36 inches of snow between Monclova , Coahuila and the Frio River in Texas. It was not until arriving at the Medina River on February 22 nd at present Castroville that a Tejano named Menchaca encountered the Mexican force.

Gaona sent men of which only were combatants. The assault on the Alamo on March 6 th was composed of some Mexican infantrymen with the Vanguard Brigade guarding and patrolling the Caminos Real north and east of the city. Mexican casualties numbered some men killed in battle or dying from wounds thereafter. At least four Anglo American Alamo Defenders managed to escape and were recorded as notifying the people of Nacogdoches the Alamo had fallen. Hence it is not true that no Alamo defender survived the battle. The book was an annotated translation of the field commands of Santa Anan but for the first time relied on actual documents to tell the true story of the Texas Revolution and Battle at the Alamo.

The book was considered highly controversial as it went against the school taught version and John Wayne movie on the Alamo. The book was reprinted in and by that time it had become part of the required reading at West Point and the U. Military College of War. Thereafter the history books, articles, TV programs and movies regarding the battle began to change.

Yet today there are still some who prefer the myth and legends ala John Wayne version of the battle that began years ago this week. Zavala County Sentinel ………. My compliments to Richard Santos for his excellent utube-like essay on the battle of the Alamo. However, there is something I disagree with in the first sentence of the essay. She made this whopper during the presidential campaign. I suppose her purpose was to show voters and possibly history books something about her grit and experience in facing tough situations. She described the moment after stepping on the Bosnia tarmac as a dangerous event; her description included images of her running for cover from enemy "sniper fire.

But here's my point back to Richard's first sentence- utube exposed Hillary as a "mentirosa. Had utube not done this, chances are that fifty years from now historians might have used Hillary's whopper about the bosnia landing event as truth. Utube has a way of correcting things we often take for granted. Let me suggest that when possible, while at events, we take photos and videos, or maybe write our observations in a journal. We need some personal strategies to confirm facts and hold on to, and stand up for correct history. Jesus Salvador Trevino, in his book Eyewitness, A Filmmaker's Memoir of the Chicano Movement, relates how as a young man he realized the importance of documenting what was happening as activists began to question the system.

The footage gathered eventually proved invaluable in his highly acclaimed four-part PBS documentary series, Chicano!

Tejanos were the first to initiate the framework and ideals that later on lead to the Battle of the Alamo of , when the newcomers to Texas simply took up the struggle first started at the Battle of Medina on April 6, By then, Tejanos had already done much of the heavy lifting, sacrificing and dying by the time Sam Houston and other Texian patriots crossed over the Sabine River. So that essentially the newcomers came into the struggle and took over a work in progress. However, up until a few years ago, this part of pre Texas History had been completely obscured from the pages of Texas history.

Thus, we must all recognize that pre Texas History is a seamless part of the history of our state. However, this declaration did not save the men entrapped at the Alamo. These brave defenders of the Alamo hailed from many parts of the world, representing a multi — ethnic force, all gathered there for the common cause of freedom. Europeans were also presented, as ten of the patriots hailed from England, and eleven were from Ireland, and of the thirty or more Europeans, some came from Germany, Denmark, Scotland and Wales. Accounts differ regarding the number of individuals at the Alamo in Up to the number stood at , then to in , and finally grew to today.

Juan Abamillo, Juan A. The following is a tribute to those brave Tejanos , all heroes of the Battle of the Alamo of , who perished alongside David Crockett, William Travis and others. A native Tejano who volunteered to fight under the command of Col. He also formed part of Col. A native Tejano who also formed part of Col. He deserted the Mexican Army to join Col. He died while defending the Alamo alongside the other Texas patriots. It is interesting to note that the Tejanos who perished at the Alamo were only a small representation of the thousand other Tejanos who also fought for freedom alongside the Texians not of Hispanic origin.

Tejano ranchers and their families prominently provided ammunition, food, shelter, and horses to the freedom fighters during this tumultuous times in Texas history. During the beginning of the 20th. However, during the 21st. Protesters described them as demeaning and stereotypical. Activists equated the images to other offensive 20th century figures, such as the Frito Bandito and Little Black Sambo. The marquee mural is a part of a preservation and neighborhood redevelopment project that includes a plaza to be completed this summer. The marquee remains blank for now.

At issue is an Office of Cultural Affairs request for proposals, or RFP, a document that describes the marquee project and lists requirements for potential artists or companies to follow. City officials said an RFP, by its nature, doesn't assume that a project will be completed as described.

The contract winner is asked to document community input as part of the RFP process, among other requirements. LeFlore said the purpose of an RFP is to advertise the project and hear from those qualified to do the work. Velasquez said the city's intent seemed clear in the RPF, especially since a photograph of the original marquee appears on its front page. When finished, the former outdoor theater will serve as a venue for community and cultural events. In all, the drive-in's 26 acres are part of a redevelopment plan. Sent by Jose M. It was during the medals round that Team U.

Many serious sports fans in the U. The game made such an impression nationally, that in Sports Illustrated honored it as the Top Sports Moment in the 20th Century. So, it was especially disgusting to me, as a military veteran and U. It should be noted that this was not the first incident.

Very clearly, the students involved were sending a message to their Spanish Mexican-looking basketball opponents: The question is what would tempt young students from well-known affluent schools to treat fellow U. That begs another question. Could it be that the particular parents involved hold deep-rooted resentment against brown-skinned Hispanic U. Regardless, when did the prejudice against Hispanics in Texas begin?

In a search for clues, a look at the evidence is in order. Beginning immediately after their arrival from Europe, white Anglo Saxon Protestants used their self-imposed Manifest Destiny to conquer the native population in the U. Moving east-to-west in the s and early to mids, they spent most of their energies shunning and displacing Native Americans.

Those who fought back were mercilessly murdered or forcibly moved to Indian Reservations, with many of them dying along their Trail of Tears before they got there. Although this heart-breaking chapter in U. In my view, true redemption is yet to come. The anti-Hispanic operation took off immediately. The only problem was that the Spanish Mexican people were too well-established in vibrant communities throughout the Southwest. Although the removal of Native Americans had been handled effectively by the U.

Thus began a colonial-style era of benign neglect toward Hispanics living in the Southwest that continues to this day. Calhoun spoke on behalf of the robust Anglophile hysteria sweeping the U. Calhoun complained that the U. Army had not completed their mission, since they had failed to rid the region of the existing Spanish Mexican population.

Such cruel treatment was levied only because Spanish-Mexicans looked different, practiced a different religion Catholic and spoke Spanish, a language other than English. In Texas, for example, Tejanos had to wait for a U. Supreme Court ruling that the state of Texas was violating U. Recently, I spoke to a group in San Antonio regarding the rich history of early Texas. Not surprising, several members in the mostly Anglo German audience wondered why these courageous stories have not been covered in mainstream Texas history. In my humble view, the inquisitive members have a point.

Maybe if the complete story of Texas had been taught in classrooms from the very beginning, it may have averted the ugly scene at the Alamo Heights-Edison basketball game. To that end, the Tejano Monument in Austin is a reminder that it was our Spanish Mexican pioneer ancestors who welcomed the first non-Hispanic immigrants from the U. Ironically, it was indeed the ancestors of Edison and Lanier High School students who first awarded land grants to the first Anglo, Irish, and German immigrants in Mexico. It was also Tejano dress, demeanor, skills, and way of life that the first wave of immigrants highly respected and tried to emulate.

It is for that very reason that Tejanos Spanish Mexican-descent Texans do not deserve the hurtful insults most recently voiced by a few Cedar Park and Alamo Heights High School students. Finally, little can be done about those who are bent on displaying their ignorance. Equally important, change will come slow, since some are reluctant to educate themselves regarding early Texas history. Do not be intimidated. Also, civil rights champions like Jovita Idar, Carlos Cadena, Gus Garcia, and so many others whose list of names is too long to include here. In short, stand tall and be proud of who you are and where you came from.

Learn more about other languages and cultures, but maintain your Spanish language proficiency. Learn more about your culture from the Mexican American Studies program at your local library. You have a wonderful heritage, second to none. You have earned the right to say it. Lopez for his leadership and promotion of Early California history.

Attached is his biography without an update, plus those of his two sisters who preceded him in his passing. He will be missed, as he not only helped me in joining the Los Pobladores in July , but had helped hundreds of others in gaining additional ancestral histories and provided family charts for many more.

Lopez was eligible to join the Sons of the American Revolution, with his 4th great-grandfathers, Soldados de Cuera de Espana. They were married on 17 January in Los Angeles, and the parents of three children, the eldest was Jane Elizabeth Lopez who was born in in Los Angeles, and married to John Traub. After the war, he returned home in , and took up Amateur Radio Broadcasting, which he has continued to date at his home, in Westchester, Los Angeles, California. Another pastime is her children and grandchildren who live between San Diego and Los Angeles. Jane was born on September 20, in Los Angeles.

Grave side Service was on Saturday, 6 May at 1: She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, John T. Her Pallbearers and Loving Grandchildren were: They were married on April 28, and were married in their military uniforms according to Bob and Margaret Lopez. Rosanne Miller and sister Jane Traub were members of the Los Pobladores , as well astheir brother, Robert Earle Lopez who is a past president and current membership chairman of the Los Pobladores with two of the founding families on September 4, These families were two of the original 15 Spanish families totaling 71 individuals, who founded El Pueblo de los Angeles the City of Los Angeles on September 4, References include records maintained by Robert E.

Lopez, cousin Robert E. In , he was the first Mexican-American to serve as a Dallas County judge. He also worked throughout his career to promote equal opportunity in areas from education to employment. He helped desegregate the Dallas schools, school board and city council.

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Hernandez was born in Galveston, where he graduated from high school. Hernandez entered private practice and public service early on. He had already helped organize and lead a host of organizations by the time he made his first bid for the Dallas City Council in He lost that race to Anita Martinez, but continued and expanded his civic involvement.

District Judge Sarah T. Hughes swore him into office in January Although he had wide support from the legal community, Mr. Hernandez lost his election bid for his seat on the county bench in the primary. In , he lost a second city council election to Ricardo Medrano. Hernandez practiced law until the week before he died, his family said. Hernandez once said while reflecting on his life. Frank Hernandez of Albuquerque, N. He started the film festival because he believed Americans should know more about Hispanic life, and how it fits into U. It was a different kind of struggle, but one he welcomed.

Last week, both struggles came to an end. His funeral and a reception will be at 10 a. Frank Hernandez, said he could easily see his father coming home the night he died, after being with friends and talking about the one passion in his life that stayed with him always — politics. Those who knew him best would agree. She said she learned a lot from Hernandez about Dallas history after she moved here in the s. But she learned about him from others and from watching him try cases in her courtroom.

All the more reason now for students in the school district he waged legal battles against to learn about the man, Levario said. The title used here for this article appeared in print in the Friday, February 24, , copy of the Dallas Morning News. Hernandez, the legendary civil rights lawyer with an unbridled passion for the underdog, has a story to tell. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

In he wrote and directed the film "Little Spain", showing for first time the history of the Spanish American presence in Manhattan during 20th Century. Meatpacking Productios, New York www. Artur Balder is the author of several children books, published and internationally distributed by Random House in Spain and South America.

His historical fiction sagas, published by Edhasa, are inspired by Germanic heroes like Arminius in the times of ancient Rome, or the saxon duke Widukind, who leaded a rebellion during early Middle Ages against emperor Charlemagne. His books are translated into several languages. In he wrote and directed the documentary about Little Spain. Balder lived at the building of the Spanish Benevolent Society for more than one year as resident artist. During this time, he discovered on 14th Street archives that could show for first time the evolution of the streets of Little Spain in Manhattan since its origins.

The documentary reveals the untold history of the Spanish American presence in the New York City borough of Manhattan, and its community around 14th Street, known as Little Spain. The archive contains more than photographs and documents that have never been publicly displayed. Become a LibraryThing Author. Includes Artur Balder is composed of 1 name. Combine with… No authors suggested.