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  • 105. Santa Barbara: La Reina de las Misiones Espanolas

THE HISTORY OF U.S. LATINOS

21. Speak Any Spanish Lately?

December 14, 2010 -- When we take a lunch break, often we go to a "cafeteria." When we need to take a nap in the afternoon, we take a "siesta." When politicians show no courage, we say they lack "cojones." When we want to praise a concert musician, we shout, "Bravo!" When big storms are coming, especially "tornados," we often blame them on "El Niño." When we feel shortchanged, we say we got "nada." When someone flies over the cuckoo's nest, we describe him as a little "loco."

We may not realize it, but most Americans speak at least a little Spanish. Some Americans complain about the growth of the Spanish language, yet they speak it every day.

Whenever two people are trying to outdo each other, we say their competition is "mano a mano." When we put official business on hold, we call it an "embargo." When we go to the beach, we like having our own "cabana." When we search for a home, we appreciate having a "patio." But when the home is really big, sometimes we call it a "hacienda."

When we crave something to eat, often we think of "chocolate." But if we want something more "natural," perhaps we think of "bananas" or "papayas." And still we are thinking in Spanish.

When we go out for drinks, we expand our Spanish vocabulary. Sometimes we can't decide whether we want a "Cuba libre," a "piña colada," "tequila," a "mojito," a "daiquiri," or a "margarita." And of course, going out to dinner requires even more advanced Spanish. How else would you order tacos, fajitas, tamales, enchiladas, tortillas, frijoles, burritos, garbanzos, paella, quesadillas or churrascos? Can you go dancing nowadays and not know the difference between "salsa" and "merengue" or "rumba" and "tango"?

Some Spanish words that commonly are used as part of the English language are very much related to specific ethnic groups. When Mexican-Americans celebrate their heritage, for example, they will tell you that they are planning a "fiesta," complete with "sombreros," "mariachis" and a "piñata," and they will be speaking in English, peppered with Spanish words that are accepted as part of English.

And then there are English words that have been slightly adapted from Spanish. "Cañon" became canyon; "huracan" became hurricane; "patata" became potato; "tomate" became tomato; "lazo" became lasso; "camarada" became comrade; "aguacate" became avocado; "cruzada" became crusade. "Sabe," which means "know" in Spanish, became savvy. And "vaquero," the Spanish word for "cowboy," became buckaroo.
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 SIESTA, PONCHO, 
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SOMBRERO, LASSO
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But most of the words of Spanish origin are easy to spot. In this country, most of us know the difference between a "flamenco" and a "flamingo," yet those are Spanish words. We know the difference between "macho" and "machismo," between an "armada" and an "armadillo," and we can tell a "peso" a "plaza" and a "poncho" apart. And still we are communicating in both English and Spanish at the same time.

​
For those who are in denial about the amount of Spanish in our English vocabulary, on the Internet there are long lists of English words of Spanish origin and of American counties, cities and landmarks with Spanish names. Check them out! They illustrate the depth of North America's Hispanic roots.

Yet some Americans, especially those who feel threatened by the growth of our Spanish-speaking population, want nothing to do with Spanish. They are irritated by having to hear bilingual announcements on a telephone recording or at the supermarket. In fact, some Americans still are trying to make English the country's "official" language. Whether they would keep the words with Spanish origin is unclear!

When it comes to language, these are people who refuse to accept some basic realities: that most immigrants are eager to learn the English language as soon as they arrive in this country, that many go through incredible sacrifices to learn English while finding ways to feed their families, that many programs that teach English as a second language throughout the country have long waiting lists, that no one is trying to impose the Spanish language on anyone.

Their paranoia is unfounded and based on ignorance.

Many Americans fail to recognize that Spanish was spoken all over North America long before a word of English was uttered here. And many of the Spanish words they constantly use were brought here not by newcomers from Latin America, but by Hispanics who preceded their Anglo-Saxon ancestors in coming here, even if they go all the way back to the Mayflower.

Words such as "rodeo," "corral" and "lasso" came here with the Spanish conquistadors, who explored huge portions of the U.S. mainland — long before British people arrived. And because the Spanish were here before other European explorers, they named many North American regions, cities and landmarks — in Spanish, of course!

When we talk about seven U.S. states — Florida, Nevada, Montana, Colorado, California, Arizona and "Nuevo Mexico" — we are speaking Spanish. When we travel throughout the Southwest and up through California's 600-mile Camino Real (mostly replaced by major highways nowadays), we still go through dozens of "pueblos" and hundreds of roads with Spanish names. On a road trip from San Antonio to San Francisco, you constantly are speaking Spanish just by reading the road signs!

Yet those who are in denial about America's Hispanic heritage and about the Spanish language they already speak are usually the ones who insist on a monolingual, English-only society and strong immigration enforcement. And yes, there is even a Spanish/English word to describe the anti-immigrant self-appointed guards of our border with Mexico: "vigilantes."

One of those Americans who favors "English-only" laws and Draconian anti-immigrant measures is Tom Tancredo, the former congressman from Colorado who debated me on CNN — when he was running for president in 2007 — and insisted that we should force all Americans to speak only in English.

"We would have to change the name of the congressman's state," I said, trying to restrain my sarcasm. "He's from 'Colorado.' We would have to call it 'Red.'"

To find out more about Miguel Perez and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM

Published at Creators.com - Speak Any Spanish Lately? - on December 14, 2010.
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CHAPTERS/CAPITULOS

1. Our Pre-Mayflower Thanksgivings
Nuestros Días de Acción de Gracias Pre-Mayflower
               
2. A Tale of Two Cities
                 
3. Our Pre-Hispanic Heritage
              
4. The Black Legend Returns
                
5. Even on HBO, The Black Legend Lives
                   
6. Our Spanish Heritage
                     
7. Exalted or Offended?
                    
8. We are all 'Americanos'
                  
9. Latinos are Failing
                  
10. Columbus Deserves His Day
10. Colón Merece Su Día
                   
11. Two Good Places to Rest
                  
12. Whitman's Prophetic Letter

12. La Carta Profética de Whitman
                  
13. America’s Cradle
13. La Cuna de America
                 
14. Our Quincentennial is Coming!
14. !Nuestro Quinto Centenario
     Se Avecina!

                   
15. American Discovery Day
15. Día del Descubrimiento de América
                
16. A Time To Welcome the Spirits
                  
17. A Hispanic Christmas
17. Una Navidad Hispana
                  
18. JOSE MARTI:
     His Legacy Lives Here
     Su Legado Vive Aquí 
                
 19. Hyphenated and Proud!
                   
20. Politicizing Education

21. Speak Any Spanish Lately?
              
22. Happy Three Kings Day!
22. Feliz Día de Reyes!
               
23. What a Birthday to Forget!
                 
24. A Long-Overdue Museum
                 
25. America's First Christmas
25. La Primera Navidad en Norteamérica

26. The Bucket List Of Hispanic Heritage
26. La Lista de Lugares de la Herencia Hispana
                  
27. Now That Fiesta Month Is Over,
     Can We Talk About Heritage?
                  
28. Our Hispanic Heritage:
    On Exhibit and Yet Hidden
28. Nuestra Herencia Hispana:
     En Exhibición y Sin Embargo Oculta

29. Florida's 500th Birthday
     Should Be a National Holiday

29. El 500 Aniversario de la Florida
     Debe Ser una Fiesta Nacional

             
30. The Fountain Of Our Hispanic Heritage               
30. La Fuente de Nuestra Herencia Hispana

31. The Re-Conquest Of American History
31. La Reconquista de la Historia de América

32. The Conveniently 'Forgotten War'
32. La Guerra Convenientemente Olvidada

33. Guantanamo Has a History  June 4, 2013

34. Exposing the Social Media Bigots  June 18, 2013
34. Exponiendo a los Intolerantes
     de los Medios Sociales June 18, 2013

35. Thinking of Cusi On the Fourth of July

35. Pensando en Cusi en el Cuatro de Julio

36. The Discovery of White Hispanics
36.  El Descubrimiento de los Hispanos Blancos

37. Let's Build a Timeline
     Of Hispanic-American History

37. Vamos a Construir una Cronología
     De la Historia Hispanoamericana

38. In the Name of Heritage
38. En el Nombre de la Herencia

39. Hispanics or Latinos?
39. ™Hispanos o Latinos?

40.  Hollywood's Hidden Hispanic Heritage
40. La Herencia Hispana Oculta en Hollywood


41. Obliviously Living
        In ‘The Land of Estevan Gomez’
41. Viviendo Inconscientemente
       En la ‘Tierra de Estevan Gómez’

42. Marking America's Birthplace
42. Marcando el Lugar de Nacimiento
       De Estados Unidos

43. Hispanics in Denial Should Be Infamous
43. Los Hispanos en Rechazo Deben Ser Infames

44. 
Gay Marriage's Hidden American History
      Started in Spanish

        CABEZA DE VACA'S JOURNEY
44. La Historia Oculta del Matrimonio Gay
      En América Comenzó en Español
        EL VIAJE DE CABEZA DE VACA​

45. Super Bowl Coke Commercial
       Draws Out Ugly Americans

45. Comercial de Coke en Super Bowl
     Hace Relucir a los Americanos Feos


46. 
The 'Discovery' of Self-Loathing Hispanics
46. El ‘Descubrimiento' de los
     Hispanos que se Auto Desprecian


THE GREAT HISPANIC-AMERICAN HISTORY TOUR
June 2014 - January 2015

47. My Pilgrimage to San Xavier
47. Mi Peregrinaje a San Xavier

48. The Great Hispanic American History Tour
48. La Gran Gira por la Historia Hispanoamericana

49. On the Trail of Conquistadors
49. En el Camino de los Conquistadores

50. Beyond St. Augustine
50. Más Allá de San Agustín

51. A Hidden Hispanic Role Model
51. Un Modelo Hispano Oculto

52. The Hispanic Flank
     Of the American Revolution

52. El Flanco Hispano
     de la Revolucion Americana
​

53. New Orleans Has a Spanish ‘Ne Sais Quoi’
53. Nueva Orleans Tiene Un ‘Ne Sais Quoi’ Español

54. Galveston: Still the Isle of Misfortune?

55. Extracting Compacted History
     Unveils Hidden Hispanic Heritage

56. 'Remember The Alamo'
     Was a Spanish Mission

57. San Antonio: The Showcase
     Of Our Hispanic Heritage

58. There Was Compassion
     On the Spanish Mission Trail


59. A Hidden Latina Role Model

60. Time Portals on the Road
61. The First Thanksgiving
     In the (Southwest) United States

62. The World's Biggest Statue
     Of a Nameless Horseback Rider


63. A River Runs Through
     Our Hispanic Heritage


64. A Beacon of Hope
     On a Border Mountaintop

65. A Mexican-American Town
65. Un Pueblo Mexico-Americano

66. The Crossroads of Conquistadors

67. Hiking In Search of Coronado's Trail

68. The Real American Pioneers

69. Keeping My Pledge to San Xavier

70. If They Knew Arizona's History,
     They Wouldn't Be So Xenophobic

71. 'Tucson' is a Spanish Adaptation

72. Under a Utah Lake, Hispanic Heritage Lives

73. A Hilltop View Of Hispanic Heritage

74. Searching for Coronado's Quivira

75. The Spanish Savior of St. Louis

76. 
Jefferson's Spanish Library
​
WASHINGTON D.C.
February-June 2015


77. When Galvez Came to Congress
77. Cuando Gálvez Vino al Congreso

78. A Tour of Our Extraordinarily
     Hispanic U.S. Capitol

79. Searching for Not-S0-Hidden
Hispanic Heritage in Washington, DC


80. Smithsonian Omits Hispanics
     In U.S. History Exhibit

80. Smithsonian Omite a los Hispanos
     en Exhibición de Historia de EE.UU.

MIAMI
August 2015


81. Finding Dad in a Museum
81. Encontre a Mi Padre en un Museo

​CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP - 2018

82. International Friendship Park ​at U.S.-Mexico Border ​- A Jagged Corner of the World

83. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
​
84. Cabrillo National Monument

85. ​It took more than 2 centuries

86. Presidio Park: The Birthplace of the Spanish Colonization of California

87. Junípero Serra Museum Transcends
the Story of a Great Man


88. Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá:
California's First Spanish Mission


89. Old Mission (Padre) Dam:
California's First Aqueduct


90. Even at the beach in San Diego,
you can't avoid Spanish history


91. Chicano Park: Mexican-American
​painted under highway ramps


92. Balboa Park: Candy for your eyes
amid a painful controversy!


93. San Diego: An American Town
Named After the Saint from Alcalá

93. San Diego: Un Pueblo Americano
Lleva el Nombre del Santo de Alcalá


94. San Luis Rey de Francia:
The King of the California Missions

94. San Luis Rey de Francia:
​El Rey de las Misiones de California


95. San Antonio de Pala: A Sub-Mission to Reach
the Natives of the Interior
95. San Antonio de Pala: Una Asistencia para Alcanzar los Nativos del Interior

96. San Juan Capistrano: The Home of the Mission Swallows from Argentina
96. San Juan Capistrano: Hogar de las golondrinas desaparecidas El Hogar de las Golondrinas Desaparecidas ​de Argentina

97. San Gabriel Arcángel:
A Mission that Launched Cities

97. San Gabriel Arcángel:
Una Misión Que Lanzó Ciudades


98. El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Ángeles:
Hispanics had to be imported

98. El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Ángeles:
Hispanos tuvieron que sen importados


99. La Plaza de Cultura y Artes: A Walk through Mexican-American History
99. 
La Plaza de Cultura y Artes: Un Paseo por la historia ​mexicoamericana

100. Strolling the Hispanic Walk of Fame
​100. Caminando por el Paseo Hispano de la Fama

101. 
San Fernando Rey de España Teaches California's Colonial History
101. ​​San Fernando Rey de España Enseña la historia colonial de California

​102. Mission San Buenaventura Survived Earthquakes and Pirates
102. Misión San Buenaventura Sobrevivió Terremotos y Piratas

​103. Father Serra Cross: On a hill, overlooking
​the land he shepherded

​103. La Cruz del Padre Serra: En una colina, ​con vistas a la tierra que pastoreaba

104. The Birthplace of Santa Barbara
104. El Lugar de Nacimiento de Santa Barbara


105. 
The Queen of the Spanish Missions
105. La Reina de las Misiones Españolas




​
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Herencia Hispana Oculta de America:
La Lista de Lugares, Ideas, y Evidencia Historica para Reconectár a los Americanos con sus Raíces Hispanas

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America's Hidden Hispanic Heritage:
The Bucket List of Places, Ideas and Historical Evidence to Reconnect Americans with their  Hispanic Roots