Who can we thank for this? The GOP and the National Rifle Association. That’s right.

The Assault Weapons Ban signed into law by President Clinton in 1994 banned 19 types of semi-automatic military-style guns and ammunition clips with more than 10 rounds. The bill expired back in 2004. If the ban were still in effect, it’s less likely that Jared Lee Loughner could have obtained a gun with a high-capacity magazine. Stores could legally only sell used high-capacity magazines at that time, and new magazines could not be manufactured.

But this issue goes beyond weapons ban. Here in the US, guns and violence is as American as apple pie. For your entertainment, from Bowling for Columbine, “A Brief History of the United States of America.”

I Loves My Gun

Click here to view the embedded video.

Whether you were born here or just immigrated here, we are taught that Thanksgiving Day is an American holiday to celebrate the “peaceful gathering” – the first autumn harvest – between the Plymouth colonists European invaders and Wampanoag Indians to give thanks for their wonderful bounty. This gathering soon became a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and the indigenous people.

Most of us remember learning about Thanksgiving in grade school that it was about the Pilgrims and Indians sitting down together to give thanks. The story goes like this: After the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620; the Pilgrims would have all perished if it was not for the help of their friend slave Squanto, an Indian who taught the Pilgrims how to fish, grow corn maize, and farm the land. At the end of their first year, the Puritans held a “harvest feast” celebrating the fruits of their labor. The feast was to honored Squanto and their new found friends, the Wampanoag Indians. The feast was followed by three days of “thanksgiving” celebrating their prosperity.

The trouble is, almost everything we’ve been taught about the first Thanksgiving in 1621 is only half the story. Little is told about the pilgrims persistent injustices to its indigenous peoples after this “harvest feast.” Even worse, the root of America’s history is on Colonial American history, which is solely based on the 13 New England colonies. But this is no surprise because this pattern of belief is one of the pillars of American nationalism. And because our desire to view this country in a positive light, it is also not surprising that the subject of US genocide against American Indians is conveniently swept under the rug.

Another typical attitude is to exclude Colonial Spanish America as being part of the American history. So it is not surprising that little attention is paid to prior exploration advances made by Spanish pioneers into the southern part of the United States extending from Florida across Texas and New Mexico to California. If we are to take this into account, the reality is, the first Thanksgiving feast was celebrated in 1598 in El Paso, Texas by Don Juan de Oñate – 22 years before the English colonial Thanksgiving.

Gaspar Perez de Villagrá, the Spanish poet who traveled with the group and who documented Oñate’s words days prior to the actual first recorded Thanksgiving feast on American soil on April 30, 1598:

“That, with their throats all miserable dry,
The tender children, women, and the men,
Afflicted, ruined, quite burnt up,
Did beg for aid from sovereign God,
This being the final remedy
That they should have in such distress.
And the sad, tired animals,
Feeble as those of Ninevah,
Worn down by the unchecked fast,
Thus all did show themselves worn out
By the weather they had borne.”

On April 30, 1598, camp was made along the Rio Grande and a Mass of thanksgiving was said in which Oñate took formal possession of the new land, called New Mexico, in the name of the Heavenly Lord, God Almighty, and the earthly lord King Philip II. Oñate wrote:

In the name of the most Holy Trinity…I wish to take possession of the land today…through the person of Juan Pérez de Donís, Notary of his Majesty and Secretary of the journey …in the voice and name of the most Christian King, our lord, don Felipe, the Second of this name…and for the crown of Castile…I take and seize one, two, and three times…the Royal tenancy and possession…at this aforesaid River of the North, without excepting anything and without limitation, with the meadows, glens, and their pastures and watering places…towns, cities, villas, castles, and strong houses and dwellings… the leaf on the mountain to the rock in the river and sands of it, and from the rock and sands of the river to the leaf on the mountain.

The celebration that took place in El Paso has far more right to be called the first American Thanksgiving than the one celebrated by the Puritans in New England. Granted that the United States began with the 13 colonies in New England and therefore could claim that theirs was our first thanksgiving.

This discussion might seem dull to some or as Henry Ford once said “History is more or less bunk.” So why dwell on who did what, right? Both had the same result – the extermination of indigenous peoples. There is another way to put this question, of course: why should it matter, since many of us prefer to live in the now?

If one were to look at the news these days one would enter upon familiar concerns: the condition of our economy, who would be the next president, the war in Iraq, and immigration. The present pales, however, in comparison to the nation’s preoccupation with its past. However, it is the past that imprisons Americans and it is the source that explains America’s present day “pathological mentality and behavior.”

The past is the true news, for it remains undecided, and it is the past to which people know they must refer so as to see ahead. So, shouldn’t we take into consideration the Colonial Spanish American history the moment these territories entered the Union as a part of the American federation?

Because the foundations of our political institutions come from the tradition that was established through the English colonies, many Americans mistakenly leave out how the US has been influence from other colonial powers. As a result, Florida, Texas, the Southwest and Puerto Rico are often marginalized in American history. Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, “Since we are the outcome of earlier generations we are also the outcome of their aberrations, passions and errors, and indeed of their crimes; it is not possible wholly to free oneself from this chain.”

While many of us acknowledge what we are “thankful for” with family and friends we must also commemorate this day with the knowledge how our ancestors helped settle and develop this land. Because “A community without history is like a person without a memory – incoherent.” – Bernard Bailyn

If you are like me who found it hard to put our moral beliefs into practice on this day, let me assure you, you are not alone. For those who want to oppose the commercialization of the whole holiday season, you can participate in Buy Nothing Day, which occurs the day after Thanksgiving.

The Emancipation Proclamation was originally issued on September 22, 1862, however, it did not become official until January 1, 1863. It took until June 19, 1865, two and a half years later, when Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take possession of the state, for the news that slavery had been abolished. The news was so inspiring, the celebration and joy that was taking place in Texas, spread across the nation.

However, there are several versions to explain the two and a half year delay. According to Juneteenth.com:

Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All or none of them could be true. For whatever the reason, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory.

Once General Granger took possession of the state from Confederate States, he was quick to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.

General Granger’s first order of business was to read to the people of TX, General Order Number 3:

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

Over a century later, Texas became the first of 25 states to officially recognize Juneteenth. However, Juneteenth is not really consider as an official holiday. In fact, many people view this holiday as a day that is only celebrated by African Americans, particularly in the Texas. Nevertheless, Juneteenth has spread to California, “where San Francisco has held one of the nation’s largest Juneteenth celebrations for the last five-plus decades.”

It is sad to see that only a few places celebrate this day. Juneteenth should really be celebrated as nation wide so we as a nation can reflect on this nation’s slave legacy in order to bring closure to one of the darkest chapters in American history. Not only will the nation begin to heal, but it will also make sure that the sins our past will never be repeated by a future generation.

We must revive and preserve Juneteenth not only as the end of a painful chapter in American history, but also as a reminder of the importance of preserving the lines of communication between the powerful and the powerless in our society.

As a Latino, I feel it is vital that we as a community celebrate this day with our African American brothers and sisters, in hopes to bring solidarity and to tear down the walls that divide us.

We must keep in mind that the Spaniards also instituted slavery in every corner of their American empire, and Mexico is no exception. African laborer played an important role in the economic complexities of colonial Mexico. And, in some parts of Mexico, they made cultural contributions.

African roots can be found along side with our indigenous heritage. The long-established Siete Partidas laws of Spain granted slaves the right to select their spouses and during that time, the majority of slaves brought to Mexico were male. In Recovering History, Reconstructing Race: The Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican Americans, Martha Menchaca wrote,

“…this legislation was of monumental importance because it became the gateway for the children of slaves to gain their freedom. Due to the lobbying efforts of the Catholic Church the children of Black male slaves and Indian women were declared free and given the right to live with their mother.”

Unfortunately, these facts continue to be ignored because racial amnesia over African roots is common among us Latino/as. Educating ourselves is the only was we are able to regain our memory.

By celebrating this day with our African American brothers and sisters, it will help wake us up from our own racial amnesia and take pride in our African heritage that runs through our veins and respect the struggles our African ancestors went through as they too were brought here to the Americas as slaves by the Spanish.

Happy Juneteenth Day everybody.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: Ain’t It Cool News

Most people don’t know that back in 1912, Hellmann’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, México, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to México. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

The people of México, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day. The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

Fooled ya!

Cinco de Mayo is not México’s Independence Day, but the celebration of the victory of the Mexican Army, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, over the French expeditionary forces in the “Batalla de Puebla” (Battle of Puebla) on May 5, 1862. On that morning, history was written that continues to serve as a reminder that with patriotism, valor and pride, one will overcome any obstacles. Cinco de Mayo is a day important for the Mexican and Chicano communities. The victory was viewed as a symbol that proved to the world that national sovereignty would not be compromised. Especially from those who are hell bent on keeping Mexico in the dark ages.

Cinco de Mayo’s history has its roots in the French Occupation of México. The historical background leading to French intervention took shape in the aftermath of the Mexico-US War of 1846-48. As a result, México lost two-thirds of its territory to the US – Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming, as well as the whole of California, Nevada, and Utah – what is now known as the southwest region of the United States.

The “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo” settled the war with fifteen million dollars in payment for the annexed lands. It was not only bloody but it was even considered to be an “unjust war” by freshman House member, future President Abraham Lincoln. He spoke out against the war, which he accused President James Polk’s motive as a desire for “military glory – that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood.” In his speech to Congress, Lincoln said:

“God of Heaven has forgotten to defend the weak and innocent, and permitted the strong band of murderers and demons from hell to kill men, women, and children, and lay waste and pillage the land of the just.”

Both Former President Adams and Lincoln worked together in 1848 as members of the House of Representatives, to expose the fraud of the US war against Mexico. Former President John Quincy Adams described the war as a southern expedition to find “bigger pens to cram with slaves.”

With this war, México entered a period of national crisis during the 1850s. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left México devastated and bankrupt. In 1861, the newly elected democratic President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium to defer their debts for two years, with the commitment to start making payments after that period.

On October 31, 1861, Queen Isabella II of Spain, Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Emperor Napoleón III of the Second French Empire refused the request, so they sent their troops to México to collect their debts. The English and Spanish quickly made deals with Juarez and left. The French had other ideas. A month after the Spanish and British withdrawal, France brought 4,500 troops and began marching inland on its war of occupation. Their intention was to dispose of the Mexican Constitutional Government and create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III, who also detested the growing power in the US because Napoleon III believed that the US would eventually become a power, in and of itself, if left unchallenged.

At that time, the US had already entered into the American Civil War (1861–1865). Not may people realize, Napoleon III came very close to officially recognizing the Confederacy and was driven by a desire to keep the Union split. All through 1862, Napoleon III entertained Confederate diplomats, raising hopes that he would unilaterally recognize the Confederacy. Napoleon III also had plans to impose a monarchical government upon the nations of Central and South America. By doing this, France would have been able to provide raw materials and trade for the European nations as well as put the US in check.

Napoleon III had help by the plutocratic and conservative land owners of Mexico who feared loss of land and political power to the newly elected constitutional government of Benito Juárez. In 1862, Napoleon III began to advance by sending his army of the Second French Empire into Mexico. Napoleon III planned to seat Maximilian I, a Hapsburg prince, as Emperor of the new Mexican empire. The French Army had never lost a battle in 50 years, and with this belief, they invaded Mexico. The French Army was equipment with modern weaponry and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. Historians believe the French established the monarchy, especially since the US was already in its own Civil War.

At this time, President Juárez (a full blooded Zapotec Indian, and a lawyer who had studied to become a priest), begun taking countermeasures. President Juárez commanded General Ignacio Zaragoza to block the advance of the French Army at the fortified hills of Loreto and Guadalupe by the city of Puebla. Under the command of General Zaragoza, the Mexicans awaited with 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians. On May 5, 1862, General Zaragoza beat back repeated French assaults and ended up defeating the French army in Puebla, which is now known as the “Batalla de Puebla.” Before the day was over, more than a thousand French soldiers were dead

General US Grant told President Lincoln in 1865 that the Civil War would not have been over if the French continued to stay in Mexico. The 1962 Mexican victory did contribute to the Union victory in our Civil War. If not, Napoleon III would have continued to supply weapons to the Confederate Army, and American history would have been different.

The French defeat by Mexicans on the 5th of May kept the French from supplying the rebel Confederacy with massive cannonry and munitions. Superior Union numbers and soldiery combined with a lack of cannon and munitions to defeat the Confederate Army of General Robert E. Lee at the four-day July 1863 battle of Gettysburg. This Pennsylvania battle assured the total defeat of the Southern rebels and the continued existence of the United States of America.

Once the Civil War ended, President Abraham Lincoln turned his attention and American resources to help Mexico throw out the French Army. He personally ordered General Sheridan to Texas to help the Mexicans.

Why Cino de Mayo Matters
“Cinco de Mayo” is often mistaken for México’s Independence Day. However, “El Grito de Dolores” was a proclamation calling for México’s independence from Spain on September 16 in the year 1810 by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato. México gained its independence from Spain after 11 years of armed struggle in the year of 1821. México’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 15. However, in México, as well in the United States, the festivities extend to September 16 with a parade. The importance Cinco de Mayo” is not that it only memorializes a historical event, but it is a cultural emergence coupled with a history that has taken place that defines who we are as Latin@s y Xican@s. That’s something we must not forget.

Although this was just a battle and not the war, “La batalla de Puebla,” instill hope to those who have been ignored. Like the biblical David and Goliath story, the battle comprised of mestizos and Zapotecs, who were often taken for granted and ignored, overcame insurmountable odds and defeated their European conquistadors – a truly defining moment in Latino history.

Napoleon III, like most Europeans at that time, also believed his army could easily defeat the mestizos and indigenous. After the battle was won, General Ignacio Zaragoza, through the Méxican War Ministry gave the following message “The National arms are covered with glory! I can affirm with pride that at no moment the Méxican soldiers did not turn their backs to the enemy.”

The victory at Puebla does have specific meaning to me and I can only speak for myself. It is more than just recognizing that a historic event occurred in Puebla, it is about a moment in Latino history that warrants reflection on this day.

It is about putting a spotlight on our heritage as a mestizaje in which we took part in shaping the course of history for both México and the US. We cannot deny that General Ignacio Zaragoza was a Tejano and how under his command prevented a certain chain of events. What if he didn’t win and Napolean III has his way? What would our world look like if the Confederacy have won the Civil War? What would Central and South America be like now? Because these events never took place, we are lucky we don’t need to ponder these questions. However, our heritage continues to go unrecognized, it is critical para La Raza to continue to remember not only for our identity in historical terms, but to know how we helped shaped the world.

Mexican philosopher and educator José Vasconcelos said that an epic drama is beginning to unfold in the Americas for the recognition that the indigenous people of the Americas and the Spanish were becoming “la raza cósmica”

Las circunstancias actuales favorecen, en consecuencia, el desarrollo de las relaciones sexuales internacionales, lo que presta apoyo inesperado a la tesis que, a falta de nombre mejor, titulé: de la Raza Cósmica futura.

This also included other Europeans, Arabs, and Africans, todos somos primos, hence the expression “la raza de bronce,” the bronze race.

Unfortunately, this day has been hijacked by alcohol industry are using today’s holiday as a marketing prop to encourage drinking among Latino and Chicano youth. This advertising assault comes as the majority of Latinos lack access to good education, health care, well-paid jobs, and decent affordable housing.

¡ Ya Basta! Now is the time to reclaim this day as ours and not see it as an opportunity to go out and get drunk on Mexican beer.

Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country in support of immigrant rights and to protest Arizona’s new immigration law that allows police to stop anyone on “reasonable suspicion” they might be undocumented.

Angela Davis once said:

The challenge of the 21st Century is not to demand equal opportunity to participate in the machinery of oppression. Rather, it is to identify and dismantle those structures in which racism continues to be embedded. This is the only way the promise of freedom can be extended to masses of people.

The Obama administration and the Democratic Party are consciously exploiting public anger surrounding the passage of the anti-immigrant bill in Arizona to promote their own right-wing measures.

Last Thursday, top Senate Democrats – including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration Charles Schumer, and Senator Robert Menendez – released a plan for an overhaul of immigration that focuses on the further enforcement efforts along the U.S./Mexico border and vast increases in state control of the population.

Despite the obvious fact the proposal will only shift to the right, immigrant-rights leaders (centered around National Immigration Forum, National Council of La Raza, Center for Community Change, and America’s Voice) see this as a “starting point” for real congressional engagement. The proposal by the Democrats is similar to an earlier outline advanced by Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, which Reform Immigration for America (RIFA), the coalition spearheading a national immigration reform campaign, supported.

Of course, those who advocate for immigrant rights have advanced certain arguments to defend against changes in immigration law or increases in enforcement. Advocates have often resorted to quick defenses without opportunity to analyze the implications of some arguments that are commonly employed. For example, some advocates for legalization have argued for a legalization program to help national security, disregarding the possible impact such a “legalization” may have on the civil and human rights of all noncitizens.

Border security is framed as part of a War on Drugs that must be won. There is no serious War on Drugs. Rather, there is violence, nourished by the money to be made from drugs. The Department of Homeland Security has a budget of $42 billion, part of which is aimed at making America safe from Mexico and Mexicans.

Policy problems are socially constructed by various “claims makers” competing to define the problem, and whoever’s definition prevails wins the implementation game. The power of claims-makers can impact our lives both positively and negatively. They can bring to light a great social injustice that needs to be addressed, or they can instill fear in people by making them believe in the proverbial boogieman next door.

The US/Mexican border functions as a drum that both the left and the right like to thump. Discussions of the border come from fears. We seem to prefer slogans and fantasies: free trade, “just say no,” gigantic walls. The border should not be an issue in American life, but rather our window on the world. All our foolish beliefs are refuted here. Free trade is creating the largest human migration on earth.

In reality, our effort to fortify the border not only has failed to stop people from moving to our towns, but has created a gulag of new US prisons. The border now is a bundle of issues: drugs, terrorists, violence spilling across, “illegal aliens,” free-trade economists insisting on open borders, humanitarians calling for no more deaths.

Living on the border can cripple a person’s emotional range. I grow more numb with each passing day. I find myself staring dazed of constant news reports of the recent shootings. But whatever is happening to me is minor compared to what is happening to the Mexican people as their world collapses around them. My grandmother recently told me the brother of her home health care nurse was kidnapped. She says they still trying to find out if he is still alive. After our conversation, we decided to take in a movie. This is what the numbness feels like.

Immigrant-rights leaders argue that “something is better than nothing” argument my be appealing, but when we gamble and play with this strategy, we may win a round or two but in the end the house always wins.

It is unconscionable that twelve million people – children, elders, workers, homemakers – in the United States of America are left defenseless and persecuted for simply existing. However, a majority of them live in the border states. Their rush to reach a bipartisan accord on immigration legislation will only create deep divisions within the immigrant community and leave millions of undocumented immigrants in the shadows.

That is what the May Day march so powerful. We are marching and saying we will not play your game. In our time of darkness, we can look to this event to serve as a beacon of hope to unite our community. Each and every person expects hope – is waiting for hope, is hoping for hope. With the uncertainty of the future, too much is at stake now. And now more than ever, we should stand together in solidarity and proudly say “Nosotros estamos aqui—don’t count us out!”

On April 10, 1919, Zapata was tricked into a meeting with Gen. Pablo González, who was supporter of the Mexican president, Venustiano Carranza. One of González’s men, Col. Jesús Guajardo, invited him to a meeting to inform Zapata he wanted to “switch sides.” As Zapata arrived to meet with Guajardo, he was riddled with bullets.

Zapata’s legacy as the champion for the poor is still not forgotten, nor are the beliefs he fought for, justice and agrarian reform, “Reforma, Libertad, Justicia y Ley!” (“Reform, Freedom, Justice and Law!”). He is not only seen as a national hero in Mexico, but also outside of Mexico. While many people focus on the influences American foreign policy had on Mexico, but it is hard to deny the influence people like Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa had on the Mexican American community. Viva Zapata!

Here are three short videos of describing the day Emiliano Zapata was murdered. (h/t Think Mexican)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When the United States of North America annexed a third of Mexico’s territory following the Mexican War, nearly 77,000 Mexicans became U.S. citizens. For generations, these citizens were to be plagued by a prejudicial attitude which would result in overt acts of discrimination and segregation which in turn brought about the curtailment of many of their civil rights, privileges, and opportunities. The sign, “No Mexicans Allowed” was found everywhere.

In Texas, prejudicial attitude and discrimination acts had reached such extreme proportions that Mexican Americans started organizations as defensive measures against such anti-American practices. Outstanding among these were three organizations: The Order of the Sons of America with councils in Sommerset, Pearsall, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio; The Knights of America in San Antonio; and The League of Latin American Citizens with councils in Harlingen, Brownsville, Laredo, Penitas, La Grulla, McAllen, and Gulf.

There were serious doubts as to merger because of personal reasons and ill feelings that existed between the leaders of The League of Latin American Citizens and the President General of The Order of the Sons of America from San Antonio. With this in mind, The Order of the Sons of America and The Knights of America made an agreement to unite themselves even if The League of Latin American Citizens did not. For a year, Council #4 of The Order of the Sons of America and The Knights of America waited for the proposed merger. In the meantime, Alonso S. Perales was in constant contact with Ben Garza to bring about the merger. The fact that the long awaited unification convention was never called by the President General of The Order of the Sons of America resulted in the withdrawal of Council #4 from The Order of the Sons of America at a meeting held February 7, 1929. Also, at this meeting in which Alonso S. Perales was present, it was voted to have a uniting convention on February 17, 1929, at the Obreros Hall, on the corner of Lipan and Carrizo streets in Corpus Christi.

LULAC is not only the oldest, but their rich history of activism in advancing the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights, but also makes them the most successful Latino civil rights organization in the country.

LULAC’s name and its membership policy deliberately emphasized the importance of citizenship – only American citizens could be full members of LULAC. The founders of LULAC believed this gave the group added leverage in seeking to reform American society to accept Mexican-Americans as full and equal citizens. Furthermore, it also put forward a particular identity for the new organization, one its leaders hoped that would change common assumptions about Mexican-Americans in American society at large.

Legacy
The philosophy and tactics LULAC in its first decade believed in a practice of negotiation with local leaders to bring change. If negotiation failed, they encouraged communities to pressure, investigated and documented charges brought by parents, brought evidence to the attention of higher authorities, and publicized the differences between facilities for Mexicans and those for Whites.

LULAC has played a role in the formation of several important related organizations. They created La Liga Pro-Defensa Escolar (the School Improvement League) in San Antonio, and formed a veterans’ committee to address the rights of G.I.’s before LULAC member Hector P. García organized the American G.I. Forum. LULAC members established Little School of the 400, the model for the federal educational program Head Start.

Ironically, LULAC’s early view of oppression parallels with conservative’s reason for dismantling affirmative action. LULAC believed Mexican Americans were not victims of oppression but by a lack of initiative to take advantage of the opportunities they had and to make themselves into citizens that the rest of society would have to respect. In all, LULAC equated Americanism with middle-class success and believed that true leadership could emanate only from the middle class – speak English, dress well, encourage education, and be polite in race relations.

Post-WWII: Change in Vision
LULAC’s vision for Mexican-Americans was forced to change during the postwar years. Renewed immigration from Mexico changed the socio-cultural context and turned America’s attention to the Southwest and immigration issues.

One of the most misunderstood and oversimplified views was LULAC’s position on immigration. It is true groups like LULAC opposed immigration, more specifically temporary workers to America. Their argument arose out of concern they would force Mexican-Americans to find work elsewhere while temporary workers would be used as a captive labor force to lower wages; employers rarely treated Braceros according to the protections included in their contracts. LULAC leaders had the foresight to see the dangers of importing labors.

Before the passage of the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 was passed, the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization held a hearing, Temporary Admission of Illiterate Mexican Laborers, to address the labor shortage in the beat-sugar industry. The farmers argued importing Mexican laborers would be the best solution to address the labor shortage because they were considered disposable labor. Speaking in their behalf, TX Rep. John Garner explained the farmers would be able to save three times the amount of work a “negro and white man would do” because Mexican laborers are considered “peon labor,” people “who knows nothing about the question of money other than to get enough to live on.”

In 1942, facing labor shortages caused by World War II, the United States initiated a series of agreements with Mexico to recruit Mexican men to work on U.S. farms and railroads. These agreements became known as the bracero program. LULAC leaders felt the discrimination towards the foreign workers would threaten their desire for an educated Mexican-American population because the presence of cheap foreign labor would force Mexican-American families to move in search of work. In a letter to President Truman written by LULAC national president Raul Cortez, Gus C. Garcia, and George I. Sanchez expressed that thousands of resident families would be consigned “to live in slums, in extreme ill-health, in ignorance, and in a squalor that is spiritual as well as physical … . What does this promise to the coming generations, to the citizens of tomorrow, to the assimilation of a rapidly increasing number of “Mexicans,’ to the Four Freedoms, to the American Way?”

Once Bracero Program was established, it brought brought millions of temporary, contract laborers to the United States from 1942 until its termination in 1964. The use of Mexican immigrants as cheap manual labor on the great Southwestern farms is not a recent occurrence. It is a thoroughly entrenched system, a systematic exploitation of an underprivileged class of humanity as cheap labor. Crossing the border was a major hurdle in the journey north. Braceros were often subjected to humiliating exams and bureaucratic procedures. If they did not pass the medical exams, they were sent back to Mexico. Those who did make it across, found out their bracero contracts did not always deliver on their promises.

Poor housing conditions, disputes over pay, discrimination, inadequate health care, and a lack of worker representation were some of the braceros’ common grievances. There living condition usually consisted of a shacks or they were sometimes housed in converted barns and makeshift tents with limited water, heat, and sanitary facilities. They were often transported in unsafe and poorly operated vehicles. Although the work was grueling and housing substandard, many braceros endured these conditions, hoping to make more money than they would at home. Health and social services are non-existent. The diseases bred by such conditions are spread by rapid migration. As a result the braceros suffer a disease-death rate much higher than that of the native populations.

Click here to view the embedded video.

They realized that continued immigration would make complete assimilation. The increase in immigration forced LULAC to rethink their view and the approach the as a policy problem. The late 1940s through the 1950s LULAC had reach new heights with their activism. LULAC councils were established throughout the Southwest, and no other group could match LULAC in size of membership or influence.

Same Phenomenon, Different Era
Today, once again, we are confronted by a rising tide of anti-migrant sentiment. The arguments are the same, the view in the USis that “illegal immigrants” are violating of US immigration law; therefore Congress seeks to address this problem through anti-crime legislation. While the view in Mexico is that Mexican migrants are filling jobs Americans don’t want. What is intriguing, the need for temporary labor can be found over several decades in congressional testimony yet the solution has always been the same.

Latinos are now the largest minority in the US, but Latino community is no longer homogenous as in the past. It is now made up from many different countries with very different cultural backgrounds. However, like previous generations of immigrants and minority groups, anti-immigrant views have not changed. Once again, the Latino community will to look to LULAC and the National Council of La Raza to be their voice. Hopefully, they will not ignore the lessons of the past and not prove George Santayana, the Spanish-American poet and philosopher, correct; those of who do not know our history, are condemned to repeat it.

For those who are not aware of this holiday, Juneteenth is the oldest known celebrated holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. Only 25 states in the US celebrate this day, Texas being one of them, where the holiday actually began.

The Emancipation Proclamation was originally issued on September 22, 1862, however, it did not become official until January 1, 1863. It took until June 19, 1865, two and a half years later, when Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take possession of the state, for the news that slavery had been abolished. The news was so inspiring, the celebration and joy that was taking place in Texas, spread across the nation.

However, there are several versions to explain the two and a half year delay. According to Juneteenth.com:

Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All or none of them could be true. For whatever the reason, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory.

Once General Granger took possession of the state from Confederate States, he was quick to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.

General Granger’s first order of business was to read to the people of TX, General Order Number 3:

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

Over a century later, Texas became the first of 25 states to officially recognize Juneteenth. However, Juneteenth is not really consider as an official holiday. In fact, many people view this holiday as a day that is only celebrated by African Americans, particularly in the Texas. Nevertheless, Juneteenth has spread to California, “where San Francisco has held one of the nation’s largest Juneteenth celebrations for the last five-plus decades.”

It is sad to see that only a few places celebrate this day. Juneteenth should really be celebrated as nation wide so we as a nation can reflect on this nation’s slave legacy in order to bring closure to one of the darkest chapters in American history. Not only will the nation begin to heal, but it will also make sure that the sins our past will never be repeated by a future generation.

We must revive and preserve Juneteenth not only as the end of a painful chapter in American history, but also as a reminder of the importance of preserving the lines of communication between the powerful and the powerless in our society.

As a Latino, I feel it is vital that we as a community celebrate this day with our African American brothers and sisters, in hopes to bring solidarity and to tear down the walls that divide us. By celebrating this day with our African American brothers and sisters, it will help wake us up from our own racial amnesia and take pride in our African heritage that runs through our veins and respect the struggles our African ancestors went through as they too were brought here to the Americas as slaves by the Spanish.

Happy Juneteenth Day everybody.

Please take a moment to read some of these wonderful posts written by members of the Afrospear

All About Race – Carmen D.

Black Perspective – D.Yobachi Boswell

Dallas South Blog – Shawn P. Williams

Eddie Griffin’s Blog

Electronic Village – Wayne Hicks

Fort Wayne African-American Independent Woman

The Jose Vilson

MartyBlogs

Problem Chylde: In her solitude – M/Sylvia

Punkin Patch – Kim

There…already – DP

Ultraviolet Underground – Purple Zoe

Slant Truth – Kevin

What Tami Said

We must keep in mind that the Spaniards also instituted slavery in every corner of their American empire, and Mexico is no exception. Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, bestselling author of The Dirty Girls Social Club and Playing with Boys, reminds of that fact in her YouTube video endorsing Barack Obama. Throughout her video, Valdes-Rodriguez provides her viewers with tidbits of information about African roots in Latin America as she jams on her sax. She is on a mission to debunk the myth that Latinos won’t support a Black candidate that the mainstream media tends to force feed us.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the 17th Century, the majority of the slaves brought to Mexican shores came principally from Angola and the Congo. “La Bamba,” the famous Mexican folk song that was made popular by Ritchie Valens and Los Lobos, can be traced back to at least 1683. Historians show it was the creation of blacks in Veracruz who came from MBamba, a region in present day Angola.

However, African roots go beyond Latina/o pop culture. African roots can be found along side with our indigenous heritage. The long-established Siete Partidas laws of Spain granted slaves the right to select their spouses and during that time, the majority of slaves brought to Mexico were male. In “Recovering History, Reconstructing Race: The Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican Americans,” Martha Menchaca wrote, “this legislation was of monumental importance because it became the gateway for the children of slaves to gain their freedom. Due to the lobbying efforts of the Catholic Church the children of Black male slaves and Indian women were declared free and given the right to live with their mother.”

Mexicans with African heritage made a disproportionately high contribution during the revolution for independence, and continued in subsequent upheavals. This would explain why two of the three most celebrated Mexican independence heroes are AfroMexicans – José María Morelos y Pavón and Mexico’s second president, Vicente Guerrero. There are many notable figures in Latin American history with African heritage, such as Emiliano Zapata.

Yet, this fact continues to be ignored. Sadly, racial amnesia over African roots is common among us Latino/as. However, we are able to regain our memory by educating ourselves. Time to wake up people.

Most people don’t know that back in 1912, Hellmann’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, México, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to México. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

The people of México, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day. The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

Fooled ya!

Cinco de Mayo is often mistaken for México’s Independence Day, here in the US. México’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 16 because it was day that Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, in the small town of Dolores, in the state of Guanajuato, rang the church bell and made the call to retaliate against the Spanish. Every year at midnight on September 15, Mexicans led by the president of México shout the Grito, honoring the crucial and impulsive action that was the catalyst for the country’s bloody struggle for independence from Spain.

Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the victory of the Mexican Army, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, over the French expeditionary forces in the “Batalla de Puebla” (Battle of Puebla) on May 5, 1862. On that morning, history was written that continues to serve as a reminder that with patriotism, valor and pride, one will overcome any and all obstacles. Cinco de Mayo is a day of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. The victory was viewed as a symbol that proved to the world that national sovereignty would not be compromised. Especially those from imperialist states hell bent on world conquest.

The historical background leading to French intervention took shape in the aftermath of the Mexico-US War of 1846-48. As a result, México lost two-thirds of its territory to the north what is now known as the southwest region of the United States. The “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo”, which settled the war with fifteen million dollars in payment for the annexed lands.

Much like todays war in Iraq, many felt that the war with México was an “unjust war.” Freshman House member and future President Abraham Lincoln. He spoke against the war and accused President James Polk’s motive as a desire for “military glory – that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood.” In his speech to Congress, Lincoln said:

“God of Heaven has forgotten to defend the weak and innocent, and permitted the strong band of murderers and demons from hell to kill men, women, and children, and lay waste and pillage the land of the just.”

Both Former President Adams and Lincoln, worked together in 1848 as members of the House of Representatives, to expose the fraud of the US war against Mexico. Former President John Quincy Adams described the war as a southern expedition to find “bigger pens to cram with slaves.”

Like Iraq today, México entered a period of national crisis during the 1850s. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left México devastated and bankrupt. In 1861, the newly elected democratic President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium to defer their debts for two years, with the commitment to start making payments after that period.

On October 31, 1861, Queen Isabella II of Spain, Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Emperor Napoleón III of the Second French Empire refused the request, so they sent their troops to México to collect their debts. The English and Spanish quickly made deals with Juarez and left. The French had other ideas. A month after the Spanish and British withdrawal, France brought 4,500 troops and began marching inland on its war of occupation. Their intention was to dispose of the Mexican Constitutional Government and create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III, who also detested the growing power in the US because Napoleon III believed that the US would eventually become a power in and of itself if left unchallenged. At that time the US had already entered into the American Civil War (1861–1865). Not may people realize, Napoleon III came very close to officially recognizing the Confederacy and was driven by a desire to keep the Union split. All through 1862, Napoleon III entertained Confederate diplomats, raising hopes that he would unilaterally recognize the Confederacy. Napoleon III also had plans to impose a monarchical government upon the nations of Central and South America. By doing this, France would have been able to provide raw materials and trade for the European nations as well as put the US in check.

Napoleon III had help by the plutocratic and conservative landowners of Mexico who feared loss of land and political power to the newly elected constitutional government of Benito Juárez. In 1862, Napoleon III began to advance by sending his army of the Second French Empire into Mexico. Napoleon III planed to seat Maximilian I, a Hapsburg prince, as Emperor of the new Mexican empire. The French Army had never lost a battle in 50 years, and with this belief, they invaded Mexico. The French Army was equipment with modern weaponry and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. Historians believe the French established the monarchy, especially since the US was already in its own Civil War.

At this time, President Juárez (a full blooded Zapotec Indian) was already taking countermeasures. President Juárez commanded General Ignacio Zaragoza to block the advance of the French Army at the fortified hills of Loreto and Guadalupe by the city of Puebla. Under the command of General Zaragoza, the Mexicans awaited with 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians. On May 5, 1862, General Zaragoza beat back repeated French assaults and ended up defeating the French army in Puebla, which is now known as the “Batalla de Puebla.” Before the day was over, more than a thousand French soldiers were dead.

General US Grant told President Lincoln in 1865 that the Civil War would not have been over if the French continued to stay in Mexico. The 1962 Mexican victory did contribute to the Union victory in our Civil War. If not, Napoleon III would have continued to supply weapons to the Confederate Army, and American history would have been different.

The French defeat by Mexicans on the 5th of May kept the French from supplying the rebel Confederacy with massive cannonry and munitions. Superior Union numbers and soldiery combined with a lack of cannon and munitions to defeat the Confederate Army of General Robert E. Lee at the four-day July 1863 battle of Gettysburg. This Pennsylvania battle assured the total defeat of the Southern rebels and the continued existence of the United States of America.

Once the Civil War ended, President Abraham Lincoln turned his attention and American resources to help Mexico throw out the French Army. He personally ordered General Sheridan to Texas to help the Mexicans.

The importance “Cinco de Mayo” is not that it only memorializes a historical event, but it is a cultural emergence coupled with a history that has taken place that defines who we are as Latinas/as. The significance of the Battle is not about who won or lost, nor is it about a battle that took place in Mexico or how it indirectly helped the Union win, it is about respect. It is respect for those, the mestizos and Zapotecs, who were often taken for granted, ignored and without any resources other than their patriotism, which has helped defined a moment in Latino history.

The victory at Puebla does have specific meaning to me because it is about putting a spotlight on my heritage as a mestizo and how we took part in shaping the course of history for both Mexico and the US. Even though I am born in the United States and have nothing to do with Mexico, I cannot ignore my Mexican familial roots and their role in Mexican history, as I also cannot ignore my American familial roots and their role in shaping the US.