When they say don’t judge a book by its cover, that is certainly true of Carlos Guerra. Before I got to know Carlos, I knew of him only through his column. I was introduced to Carlos through Stace Medellin of Dos Centavos. Stace had suggested I befriend Carlos on Facebook, especially now that I was living in San Antonio. Like everybody else, my first impression of him was based on the headshot the San Antonio Express-News had used, which resembled his the profile picture on Facebook – that is one angry vato for a “Hard-core Marxist Republican.”

Although I only knew him for a brief time, it wasn’t hard to see what defined the essence of Carlos Guerra – his wit, insight, passion, and compassion. It was during the summer we began to get to know each other as friends. Each time we spoke, I was always amazed at the number of hats he wore throughout his life. So it is not surprising after he left the Express-News, he was involved in many projects.

The focus of our discussion was the frustration with the Democrats’ inability to motivate Latinos and use that motivation to win elections. Politics can be very cut throat and trying to get a foot in door is nearly impossible. What frustrated us most was the strategy the Democrats were using to increase the Latino vote. What frustrated us the most was seeing ideas that were passed but either rejected or we never heard back from the campaign, and eventually implemented sometime near the election. The reason for our frustration had more the practice of placing barriers, instead of open collaboration. Now that the dust is settling after the Democratic deluge, we had started bouncing ideas about rebuilding the Party. Sadly, we won’t be able to see some of those ideas come to fruition.

Carlos Guerra has spent a lifetime advocating for better access to education at all levels. Soon after he retired, he put his advocacy into action by starting a scholarship fund benefiting primarily first-generation college students from South Texas. The Carlos Guerra Communication and Theatre Arts Scholarship, which has been established at Texas A&M University-Kingsville to help students interested in communications and journalism fund their college education. I remember when this project was at its infancy, therefore, to honor him, I will continue to promote his scholarship fund.

If he looked angry, he had reason too. He recently embarked in a in new media project to help fill the void when it comes to a Latino news site. Troubled by the lack of a website that “presented Latino news and information,” Carlos, along with some friends, co-founded, NewsTaco, a news site that “provides innovative and insightful news, critique, analysis and opinion from a Latino perspective in a 24-hour world.” This site is just one of many platform’s Carlos has used in severing his community.

Carlos Guerra is truly one of the many unsung heroes in the Latino community, a community that does not have nationally recognized leaders. His voice will be sorely missed. I feel privileged I got to know Carlos Guerra, for that, I owe a great deal of thanks to my friend Stace for making sure I did. I only wish I had more time.

Rest in peace, Carlos Guerra!

A list of those paying tribute to Carlos.
Sara Inés Calderón – Carlos Guerra As I Knew Him, Last Week
Victor Landa – Carlitos Guerra: We Remember a Friend
Stace Medellin – Remembering Carlos Guerra
Marisa Treviño – Before his untimely death, columnist Carlos Guerra delivers strong argument for immigration reform
John Cobarruvias – Gone fishing
eronica Flores-Paniagua/Express-News – Guerra didn’t give up hope for a better Texas
Harold Cook – Carlos Guerra
muse – RIP, Carlos Guerra

There is no doubt that this is a shocking. However, industry interests and partisan fighting are once again threatening the current opportunity for a public dialogue about what is best for our health-care system. Some in Washington will do anything to kill reform. Their only priority is scoring political points, not passing needed change. On Monday, Keith Olbermann on his MSNBC show exposed the congressional opponents who are set on killing health care reform. These are the elected officials who want to make sure that I continue to walk on egg shells hoping nothing we will happen to me from my home to my point of destination. The same elected officials who would prefer that my parents pay for my medication so their son does not fall into depression.

Here is what Keith had to say:

Click here to view the embedded video.

While public access is viewed locally, this time, my views and opinions will be aired nationally, as well as, taking part in history. Destination Casa Blanca 2008, for the first time in history, is a nation-wide program dedicated solely on issues affecting the Latino community. The show will air in over 30 million US Households. Viewers will have an opportunity to see leading public policy experts participating in dialogue and debate on matters specific to the Latino community. Never before has there been a political program that brings to the forefront presidential politics affecting the US Latino community. Note: I just received email from Dan Rodriguez, HITN’s Director of Communications & Public Affairs, who just provided me with the most updated information about the program, the show will not be viewed by 30 million US households, but will be airing in over 60 million US Households. He also informed based on last month’s cable’s video on demand platform, HITN “had a million minutes of watch time.”

On August 20th I and three other blogamigos, Kety Esquivel of CrossLeft.org, Maegan “la Mala” Ortiz of VivirLatino.com and Liza Sabater of Culture Kitchen will be taping a show about politics within the Latinosphere. We will be discussing the hot topics affecting the Latino community, as well as, what Latinos are talking about across the US. I can only speak for myself, but I am sure my fellow panelist will agree, these are exciting times for us as Latinoa/as. Not only will this country will get a chance to elect the first African American into office, but also the needs of the Latino community are finally being heard. For years, we have talked about the sleeping giant, but in this important political year, there has been renewed energy in areas that have been disenfranchised. As we speak, Latino communities coming together are becoming “voluntarias para el pueblo.” I have been told stories of Latinos/as who are using their evenings off to sit down around Latino supermercados and cafes to register Latino voters. These are historic times y 2008 es el año de nuestra revolución!

Destination Casa Blanca 2008 is hosted by two bilingual and bicultural journalistic powerhouses, Ray Suarez and Marlene Fernández.

Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent for The NewsHour on PBS, has extensive expertise in the news field. Prior to his work with The NewsHour, he was host of the respected call-in news program “Talk of the Nation” for National Public Radio since 1993.

Marlene Fernández, has served as Washington Bureau Chief, on-air White House Correspondent and host for CNN en Español, and has interviewed many of the worlds present-day leaders and history-makers such as: British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Cuban President Fidel Castro, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, Mexican President Vicente Fox, Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Argentinean President Carlos Menem, and Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, among numerous others.

I would like to thank Maegan for forwarding my name to HITN and I like to thank the show’s Executive Producer, Joseph Langhan and show’s booking agent, Betsy Goldman of Premier Booking for inviting me to take part of this historic event. I have been truly blessed.

It started started last night and will go on till August 4th. There are about 25 hosts, all talking different topics. Some will even have guest hosts – like Joe Trippi. Anyone can participate and get involved in the discussion.

With Latinos being a swing vote, Adriana Maestas of Latino Politics Blog, Marisa Trevino of Latina Lista and I will be discussing Latino Leadership and the lack of Latinos/as pursuing political office.

To do so, download the free ooVoo software so you can participate, but you better hurry up and sign up quick, there are only 6 seats available in each session. Go sign up

Important note – Our session is not on July 29, it is on Aug 2nd.

Here is the full line-up:

• Adriana Maestas, Marisa Trevino & Edmundo Rocha/Latino Politics Blog, Latina Lista & XicanoPwr
• Albert Maruggi/Provident Partners
• Arlene Fenton/Black Women Vote
• Baratunde Thurston/goodCRIMETHINK
• Eric Roston/Carbon Nation
• Eileen Smith & Mike Chapman/In The Pink Texas & Every Dot Connects
• Erin Kotecki Vest/Queen of Spain
• Jason Rosenbaum/The Seminal
• Joanne Bamberger, Glennia Campbell & Stefania Pomponi Butler/PunditMom, The Silent I & City Mama
• L.N. Rock/African American Political Pundit
• Leslie Carbone
• Liza Sabater/Liza Sabater, culturekitchen, Daily Gotham
• Mary Katherine Ham/HamBlog
• Matt Parker/Political Buzz
• Morra Arons/Women and Work
• Nicco Mele/EchoDitto
• Robert Millis & Will Coghlan/Hudson Street Media
• Todd Zeigler/The Bivings Report

Like clockwork, they roll out the red carpet and wine and dine every Hispanic leader from California to Texas, Miami to New York, and throughout the Midwest. While they do this, they will gather up all the little people and throw out a few Spanish catch phrases, such as “Si Se Puede,” to win their vote; but after the election, in the blink of an eye, they disappear and forget about the Latino community for three years, until the cycle begins again.

I am not going to kid anybody but some Latina/o bloggers are beginning to feel that the Obama campaign is taking the Latino vote for granted, since the xenophobic wing of the GOP has virtually chased away their Latino electorate with their nativist stance on immigration. If the Obama campaign continues to go down this path, history will likely repeat itself.

In the early 1970s, Chicanos/as throughout the Southwest began flexing their political muscle by forming a political third party, La Raza Unida Party (RUP), because of the unresponsiveness to the needs of the Mexican-American community by the two controlling parties. Although the RUP does not exist anymore, there were history-making years because thousands of Mexican-Americans repudiated the Democratic Party’s dictatorship. During those four years, the RUP accomplished more what many third parties never achieved – enough political clout to shake up the power structure of the Democratic Party in Texas.

That was then and this is now. Although often considered to be homogeneous, the Latino community contains many culturally diverse groups than it did in the 1970s. However, there is still a hunger, a starvation, for our community to begin asserting ourselves again at the polls and dispel the old stereotype that we do not vote. When it comes to politics, you will always find those who will be loyal to there party no matter how unresponsive they are to the Latino community, however, make no mistake, if the Latino vote continues to feel that the Obama campaign taking their vote for granted, he could lose the more moderate Latino vote to John McCain. This is exactly what McCain is trying to capitalize during his recent secret meeting with Hispanic leaders.

Recently, many of us within the Latino/a blogosphere have decided to grade the bull by the horns and start to flex our own political muscle. This all started during Obama’s conference call about McCain’s closed-door meeting. During that conference call, three Latina bloggers – Liza Sabater of culturekitchen.com and The Daily Gotham, Marisa Treviño of Latina Lista, and Kety Esquivel of CrossLeft.org – took the Obama campaign to the woodshed over their poor efforts to reach out to the Latino community.

Soon after the conference call, a group of us Latino/a bloggers (CrossLeft, Culture Kitchen, Citizen Orange,Latino Politico, The Unapologetic Mexican, Migra Matters, Para Justicia y Libertad, Mamita Mala and Zuky) from The Sanctuary, a web base grassroots community of pro-migrant, human-rights, and civil-rights bloggers and online activists dedicated to the enactment of meaningful immigration reform, decided to draft a no holds barred survey on specific immigration issues for the presidential candidates to fill out.

I must admit it was very exciting to take part in this group project. I really learned a lot. However, I feel most of the credit should go to Kety for taking the lead and carrying the project through. None of this would have occurred if she had not shared her idea of developing a candidate survey with us. Considering we all spread throughout the US, she made sure nobody was excluded from this project.

As one of the founding members of The Sanctuary, my hope is that this site will not only address immigration issues, but can be a virtual settlement house similar to Jane Addams’ Hull House. In 1889, Jane Addams along with Ellen Gates Starr founded the social settlement Hull-House in Chicago, IL. Addams created a community center where people – of any age, race, gender, and ethnicity – not only contributed to the community as a whole, but also were allowed to develop and share their skills with anybody who was willing to learn.

During the 1920s, Hull House had expanded to expanded to include thirteen buildings to provide “kindergarten and day care facilities for the children of working mothers; an employment bureau; an art gallery; libraries; English and citizenship classes; and theater, music and art classes.” Hull-House also provided activities such as a Labor Museum, the Jane Club for single working girls, meeting places for trade union groups, and a wide array of cultural events. While The Sanctuary is not be able to provide direct social services like Addams’ Hull-House, however, we can function as a networking hub in order to connect people to these services in their area.

What made Hull-House special, the settlement house also advocated for legislative reforms at the municipal, state and federal levels, addressing issues such as child labor, women’s suffrage, and immigration policy. Hull House influenced legislation on child labor laws, occupational safety and health provisions, compulsory education, immigrant rights, and pension laws. My vision for The Sanctuary is that this site can also function as an advocacy center.

Jane Addams was a true visionary and one of the main reasons I became a social worker. Ms. Addams promoted the idea that access to opportunity was the key to successful participation in a democratic, self-governing society. She foresaw a compassionate, interdependent world revolving around the principles of social justice, fairness, tolerance, respect, equal opportunity, civic responsibility and hope for every individual, family and community. It is these principles I try to emulate as an activist.

But I digress. The survey we created to get real answer to the tough questions surrounding immigration, such as free trade, foreign policy, abuse of power by ICE and among other political issues not covered by the media or the candidates. It is time these politicians stop the rhetoric, worrying if their answer will be spun as proof of flip-flopping. We are in a crisis and it is time they provide us with a straight answer. This is why the survey was developed.

It has been about three weeks since we sent out our survey to John McCain and Barack Obama, only one candidate has acknowledge our survey, but has yet filled it out. According to Maegan at VivirLatino, “the Obama camp says a response is forthcoming.” However, we had no choice but to take extreme measures to force them to respond. We published the survey on a list-serv which includes influential people within the Hispanic community. While some saw this move unnecessary, we were able to get a reply from Vince Casillas, Obama’s Hispanic Outreach Coordinator:

Just so you know we haven’t forgot this survey. As you can imagine we recieve hundreds and hundreds of these which is no excuse just a reality. I’ll follow up with the status and hopefully have an update this afternoon. Thanks.

Vince Casillas

In Casillas’ attempt to reassure us that our survey is not being ignored; still leaves us to wonder if they are taking us seriously. Senor Casillas, what happened to our update? I know you mentioned that you are a one man team, but if I recall, you said that the higher ups were going to allocate some people to help you. If so, couldn’t you have gotten someone to assist you by sending us a quick message to let us know what transpired when you followed-up? Do we need to advocate for you so that your higher up provide you with the resources to make sure you are not overwhelmed? Talk to us. Communication is a two way street.

As for McCain, not a single word. I wouldn’t be surprised if our survey fell into the hands of some nativist or so corporatist elite.

This is my message to Barack Obama and John McCain. I am not surprised we have not heard from you. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if you thought our survey was probably a bit complex, which means you would have to assign some flunky from your campaign or some Congressional aide to do some heavy research. But I doubt that is the reason. The obvious reason for either the delay or refusal to acknowledge our existence, the survey was purposely controversial, while at the same not leaving you a way out. There is a reason why we left out a “no comment” option.

We no longer want to take part in this viscous political “Christopher Columbus Syndrome” ploy. We are tired of getting the short end of the stick once the elections are over. Unlike other organizations who prefer to be force-fed the collective illusions on the wall of Plato’s Cave. Some of us are learning how to filter out the rhetoric. Our eyes are opening up. And in the spirit of competition, we don’t have to limit ourselves because there are other options to choice from. See, some people have been brain washed to think people are only allowed to run as a Republican or a Democrat. It is this reason people pick the unthinkable third option by not voting. But what if they were given a 3rd or a 4th, shouldn’t they have the right know? Shouldn’t they have the right to choose who will represent them?

Thomas Jefferson once said, “When governments fear the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny.”

This is why we chose to send our survey to the Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney and from what I have seen, I am sure she and her running mate Rosa Clemente are more likely to fill it out without giving us the run around. While I may not have the luxury to vote for her this November here in Texas, I am sure Ms. McKinney will be able to pick up a good number of Latino voters in other states with the right outreach coordinator by her side.

While she may not be on the November ballot in Texas, I am pretty sure if former Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente had an effective Latino outreach coordinator who understood the complexity of the Latina/o community, she could give both McCain and Obama a run for their money.

It is time to stop the rhetoric and step up to the political plate. You may think you can give us the round around and hope we will go away quietly, think again. As Marisa Treviño pointed out, given that both candidates are appearing at the National Council of La Raza conference this weekend, it would be wise if they get back to use quickly before this story gets national attention now that some members of the news media, such as Alicia Stewart with CNN, caught wind of it. Momentum is already picking up around the blogosphere.

The ball is in your court and we are waiting for your reply.

Other Sanctuary Members’ Writing in Solidarity:
The Sanctuary
Latina Lista
Zuky
Latino Politico
Problem Chylde
Vivir Latino
The Unapologetic Mexican
CrossLeft
Citizen Orange

Read the entire questionnaire

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Name:
Party Affiliation:
Address:
Home Phone:
Campaign Phone Office:
Office Sought/Opponents in:
If you are a State candidate, please indicate your State Registration Number:

The Sanctuary is a multi-issue organization working in the service of human rights, human reasoning and progressive discussion. Therefore it is critical for us to understand your position on the following issues. Please give specific answers to the questions and answer them as thoroughly as possible. Please type your answers. Use additional sheets as necessary.

1. Could you please articulate what you think are the most pressing issues for the U.S. immigrant community, at home AND abroad, and how you would hope to address those issues as President?

2. Do you support comprehensive immigration reform?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

3. What policy conditions would comprehensive immigration reform have to meet in order for you to support it? Please be specific?

4. Do you support the establishment of an expanded guest worker program?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

5. Do you support the expansion and construction of a virtual border along the U.S./Mexico border?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

6. Do you support the switch from family based immigration standards to the merit based system put forth in the last round of Senate CIR?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

7. Do you support the “touchback” requirements of previous comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation that would require undocumented immigrants to return to their countries of origin in order to normalize their status?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

8. Would you support the addition of funding for stricter enforcement of general labor standards such as wage and hour or safety regulations as
part of CIR legislation?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

9. Would you support an increase in the cap of low-skilled
employment-based green cards issued each year from it’s current level of
5000?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

10. Would you favor raising the 65,000 cap on high-skilled H-1B temporary work visas, in light of the fact that in the last two years, H-1B visas were quickly filled in a matter of days?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

11a. If so, would you also favor limiting the number of H-1B professionals a company can hire?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

11b. If so, would you also favor limiting the number of H-1B professionals employment brokers are allowed to recruit?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

11 c. If so, would you favor including meaningful prevailing wage requirements keyed to the Service Contract Act and Davis-Bacon Act?

Yes No

Please explain

12. Do you have a position on providing materials concerning health care and public benefits programs in languages other than English?
Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

13. Do you support lifetime eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for disabled and/or elderly refugees and asylees who are eligible for SSI except for a lack of U.S. citizenship?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position

14. What are your feelings on immigrant detention?

15. Do you support family detention centers?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

16. Do you support private companies profiting of of immigrant detention?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

17. Do you support the Detainee Basic Medical Care Act, the bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop procedures to ensure adequate medical care for all detainees held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

18. Do you support the United American Families Act, the bill that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow permanent partners of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, including same-sex partners, to obtain permanent residency?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

19. Do you support the community service requirement of previous DREAM Act legislation that would grant provisional (conditional) legal residency to immigrant graduates who perform 910 hours of volunteer community service?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

20. Would you support an immediate moratorium on community and work site raids by ICE?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

21. Do you approve of ICE’s use of excessive force to conduct immigration raids as seen recently in Postiville, Iowa?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

22. Do you support the Families First Immigration Enforcement Act, the bill that would provide for safe and humane policies and procedures pertaining to the arrest, detention, and processing of aliens in immigration enforcement operations?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

23. Would you support the incorporation of requirements that would tie both future economic aid and trade agreements to substantive benchmarks in sender nations that would alleviate some of the economic and humanitarian conditions that foster continued migration?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

24. Would you renegotiate the NAFTA last phase that just went into effect that lifts restrictions on more US agricultural products, particularly poultry, imported into Mexico?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

25. Do you support cancelling or renegotiating NAFTA?”

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

26. Do you support providing subsidies for corn-based ethanol?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

27. Do you support the farm bill, more specifically the agricultural subsidies it contains?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

28. Do you support a restructuring of trade-distorting US farm subsidies?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

29. Do you support a significant shift in subsidies to help farmers adopt conservation and renewable energy practices on farms?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

30. Do you support Plan Colombia (the Plan that was meant to combat the principal threat to the nation’s political and economic elite: the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)) even though after closer examination of Plan Colombia, it has been revealed that the Plan states that public companies and banks are to be privatized leading to massive layoffs and further increasing unemployment at a time when cutbacks in government spending has removed any vestiges of providing a social safety net for those affected?
Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

31. Do you support Plan Mexico, which has been considered to be a duplicated of Plan Colombia, which has entrenched violence and corruption in Colombia while failing to reduce drug flow?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

32.Do you support canceling or renegotiating Plan Mexico?

Yes No

Please explain.

How long have you held this position?

33. What would you do to address the racist and nativist rhetoric that is becoming mainstreamed and that is tied to a rising crime wave fueled by the same sentiment?

34. What are you going to do to take a more global approach to the
issue of migration?

35. What would you do to provide opportunities in the countries that
migrants are fleeing from?

36. How do you address the overwhelming amount of money the U.S. federal government spends on defense and military expenditures, at home and abroad, and would you see to it that less money is spent on
militarization and more money is spent on social programs?

37. What leadership have you taken on immigration issues, including but not limited to the issues addressed in this questionnaire?

38. On what immigration issues will you take leadership?

Within the Hispanic community, there are some who don’t feel they really need to be involve because they are viewed as “others” or if we really want to go with the demeaning labels, mojados, wetbacks.

Spring resident Martinez, 39 [and born in the U.S.], said that “when people think of Mexicans, they don’t think of people like me.” They think of the immigrant and the laborer, not someone who went to college and listens to pop radio.

Here in the US, Hispanics is not considered as a race, but an ethnicity. From the biological point of view, races simply do not exist. From the cultural and political point of view, however, the concept of “race” is extremely important. Mexican national identity has been constructed in terms of the idea that Mexicans are the product of a creative mixing of Indians and Europeans. In Miriam Jimenez Roman’s article entitled “Africa’s Legacy in Mexico: What is a Mexican?,” Roman writes:

in the interest of a national identity based on a mixture of indigenous and European cultural mestizaje. In practice, this ideology of “racial democracy” favors the European presence; too often the nation’s glorious indigenous past is reduced to folklore and ceremonial showcasing.

Mexican Americans were considered an ethnicity minority only after the end of the U.S.-Mexico War of 1848 and the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, when Mexico ceded the territory that today is California, New Mexico, Nevada, and parts of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, and also approved the prior annexation of Texas.

The treaty promised US citizenship to former Mexican citizens and all Native Americans -who were Mexican citizens – in the ceded territories.

Since 1848 Native Americans and Mexican Americans have struggled to achieve political and social equality within the United States, often citing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo as a document that promised civil and property rights. Although the treaty promised U.S. citizenship to former Mexican citizens, the Native Americans in the ceded territories, who in fact were Mexican citizens, were not given full U.S. citizenship until the 1930s. Former Mexican citizens were almost universally considered foreigners by the U.S. settlers who moved into the new territories. In the first half century after ratification of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, hundreds of state, territorial, and federal legal bodies produced a complex tapestry of conflicting opinions and decisions bearing on the meaning of the treaty. The property rights seemingly guaranteed in Articles VIII and IX of the treaty (and in the Protocol of Queretaro) were not all they seemed. In U.S. courts, the property rights of former Mexican citizens in California, New Mexico, and Texas proved to be fragile. Within a generation the Mexican-Americans became a disenfranchised, poverty-stricken minority.

It must be noted, these events took place before the ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Shedding Indigenous Roots For “Whiteness”
Anglo-Americans never considered Mexicans their racial equals and, moreover, regarded them as mixed peoples. In 1897, a federal district court upheld the right of Mexicans to naturalize under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Ricardo Rodriguez, a native of Mexico who had lived in Texas for ten years, petitioned to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. Government attorneys argued against his eligibility on the grounds that Rodriguez was “not a white person, not an African, nor of African descent.” U.S. District Judge Thomas Maxey wrote:

“as to color, [Rodriguez] may be classed with the copper-colored or red men. He has dark eyes, straight black hair, and high cheek bones.”

Knowing that Mexicans were considered mestizos, the judge had a hard time making his ruling, however, Judge Maxey concluded that because Rodriguez knew “nothing of the Aztecs or Toltecs, [h]e is not an Indian” and therefore Rodriguez was given citizenship. Since then, many communities like their counterpart in Mexico have been trying to “deinidianised” after the Revolution of 1910 by ceasing to identify themselves as Indians. However, in the US, Mexicans were still considered a race as Mae Ngai notes:

by the late 1920s, a Mexican “race problem” had emerged in the Southwest, impelled by contradictions wrought by the burgeoning of commercial agriculture, an all-time high in Mexican immigration, and the formation of a migratory, landless agricultural proletariat and of segregated communities.

Even the 1930 Census Bureau, Mexicans were considered as a separate race, as persons born in Mexico or with parents born in Mexico and who were “not definitely white, Negro, Indian, Chinese, or Japanese.” It was not until the 1940, with the help of Mexico and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the US finally gave in and reclassified persons of Mexican descent as “white.”

In 1929, during the height of a nativist movement, business leaders created the LULAC. It was during this time, the US was at the height of the nativist movement.

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 to be found everywhere.

Prejudicial attitude and discrimination acts in Texas had reached such extreme proportions that Mexican Americans started organizations as defensive measures against such un-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 second was The Knights of America in San Antonio. And the third was The League of Latin American Citizens with councils in Harlingen, Brownsville, Laredo, Penitas, La Grulla, McAllen, and Gulf.

It was during this height in America’s darkest period, discrimination against Mexican Americans ran wild. According to LULAC:

Discrimination against Mexican Americans was awful. One of the best kept secret in American history is that in those years there were more Mexican Americans hung then the total number of blacks that had been hung during the civil war.

It was during this time, Mexican Americans were caught between being a “noble savage” and less than a second class, Hispanics had no other reason but to denounce their heritage just to survive.

In those days, Mexican Americans had to be real careful anytime they gathered. If they gathered in large numbers, they would cause suspicions and faced charges of communism. Yes, there were many that felt insulted and considered LULAC members as a bunch of “vendidos.” They could not understand why LULAC members would go out of their way to embrace an anglo society that had been so cruel to Mexican Americans. However, the founders of LULAC had seen many Mexican American organizations flourish and disappear within a couple of years, and without accomplishments. LULAC founders were determined not to let this occur to LULAC. Therefore, the founders of LULAC, in order to avoid suspicions of un-American activities and a safe haven for its members, forewent many of their convictions. Many of the official rites which LULAC adopted had never be adopted by any other Mexican American organization. Adopted was the American Flag as the official flag, America the Beautiful as the official song, and The George Washington Prayer as the official prayer. Also, adopted were Robert Rules of Order as the governing rules during meetings and conventions.

So why do some Mexican Americans look down on foreign born Hispanic? It’s no secret that many older Mexican Americans resent being lumped together in the “minority” status with immigrants who, they believe, have not suffered the degree of discrimination and exclusion they have. Perhaps some Mexican Americans remember the days when Mexican Americans insisted on their status as whites in the days before affirmative action. Or perhaps some Mexican Americans still have the old caste system ingrained for centuries where the more indigenous you are, the more backward and traditional they are seen. As more young Hispanics are beginning to accept their indigenous roots and as Mexico, Central and South American indigenous groups are excreting their rights, we have to wonder if Hispanics Americans and foreign born Hispanics can find common ground.