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THE HISTORY OF U.S. LATINOS

32.The Conveniently 'Forgotten War'

May 14, 2013 - If you missed CBS's "Sunday Morning" program last week, you missed a report that should be required viewing for all Americans.

And if you are one of those Americans who still question why Latinos in the Southwest are offended when they are treated like foreigners, someone needs to sit you in front of a computer and make you watch this video online.
En español:
La Guerra Convenientemente Olvidada
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If there ever was a chapter of American history that needed a refresher course, this was it!

That's because this particular chapter on the Mexican-American War has been so egregiously and conveniently forgotten that many Americans are forming opinions that are based on ignorance.

We still call it the Mexican-American War. But in Mexico, they still call it "The American Invasion."

Some of us forget, and some never learned, that up to 165 years ago, most of the western United States belonged to Mexico, and that this territory was won in a war provoked by the United States to satisfy its thirst for territorial expansion.

We forget that for many Latinos in the Southwest, it wasn't their ancestors who came to the U.S. It was the U.S. that invaded the land of their ancestors.

For those who are unaware of this, making mistakes, and even offensive remarks, can be easy — especially when addressing Latinos who can trace their ancestry further back than Anglo-Saxons in certain parts of the country.

It happened to me as I trekked across Arizona with community activist and Latino history buff Martin DeSoto last summer.

"So you are telling me that your great-great-great-grandparents came from Mexico?" I asked naively.

"Nooo," DeSoto replied. "When my great-great-great-grandparents lived here, this WAS Mexico!"

Obviously, my friend DeSoto was the first person who came to my mind when I saw Mo Rocca's wonderful "Halls of Montezuma" report on CBS's "Sunday Morning." In less than eight minutes, Rocca examines the Mexican-American War in a way that surely would make most Americans better understand their Latino neighbors and their right to be in this country.

Readers of my columns on Latino American history immediately called to tell me that Rocca was moving into my turf. But I was glad to see it. I call my series "Hidden Hispanic Heritage," and I welcome all who try to bring our history out of hiding!

"A lot of people live in land that was taken from Mexico in this war, and they are not aware of that," Penn State historian Amy Greenberg tells Rocca. "I believe a lot of the immigration debate that's going on now operates in a vacuum, where people are not realizing that in fact Mexicans are here in lands that once belonged to Mexico."

In Rocca's report and in her recent book, "A Wicked War," Greenberg explains how the Mexican-American War was engineered, provoked and manipulated by President James Polk, who believed that it was this country's "Manifest Destiny" to expand across the continent — even though a huge chunk of Mexico stood in the way.

In the CBS report, historians on both sides of the current Mexican border explain how, after failing to convince Mexico to sell almost half of its territory, Polk bullied Mexico into a war based on greed and lies, instead of ideology and principles. They explain how "Manifest Destiny" was used as a rhetorical excuse to go to war with Mexico and how many prominent Americans, including two who went on to become U.S. presidents, were opposed to this war.

Before becoming president, Abraham Lincoln was part of a group of congressmen who questioned Polk's warmongering claims and stood against "a war unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the president of the United States."

And President Ulysses S. Grant, who served as a young army lieutenant in the 1846 to 1848 Mexican-American War, noted in 1879 that, although he lacked the moral courage to resign from his army post when he was a youngster, "I do not think there was ever a more wicked war than that waged by the United States on Mexico."

In his 1885 Memoirs, Grant said he had been "bitterly opposed" to the annexation of Mexico and that he regarded the war as "one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation." He added that, "It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory."

In fact, when the war ended in 1848, after the Mexicans suffered defeats all the way into Mexico City, Polk had realized the largest acquisition of U.S. territory. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, for $15 million, Mexico was forced to give up its claim to a disputed portion of present day Texas and to the entire New Mexico and California territories.

Of course, just like it's misleading to say that Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida when in fact he discovered the mainland that is now the United States, it's also misleading to say — as many people do — that Mexico lost New Mexico and California. In fact, the territory Mexico lost encompassed present-day California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, most of Arizona and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. Mexico lost almost half of its territory and the United States grew by a third of its size.

Yet in 2008, when Absolut Vodka used a map of old Mexico in an advertising campaign, instead of seen pre-1846 North America, many history-deprived Americans were outraged. Their xenophobia, based on their ignorance of their own history, made them believe Absolut was suggesting that Mexico should conquer the United States.

In fact, 165 years ago, it was the U.S. that conquered Mexico.

Even though the CBS report corrected the misconception created by the Absolut ads, people who suffer from paranoid xenophobia are showing that they cannot be cured, even by a good history lesson.

On the CBS web page featuring Rocca's report, some people are posting comments that show just how threatened they feel by a TV news report that simply establishes that many Latinos have very deep roots in the United States. They would clearly prefer to keep the Mexican-American War conveniently forgotten.

Some claimed to "take offense" because the war was being mixed with the current immigration debate, as if bringing history into today's context wasn't exactly what a good journalist is supposed to do!

Some tried to justify Polk's aggression, and one even thanked him for waging the war. One said that had the West coast remained under Mexican rule, today it would "reek of poverty." One asked when CBS became "a mouthpiece for La Raza."

No one in Rocca's report suggested that Mexico is seeking the return of the land it lost in the war, yet some people hear what they want to hear.


"We invaded, we won. It's ours now," commented another CBS viewer. "If Mexico wants it back, it better have an army big enough to take it back."

Absurd!
One viewer obviously was so paranoid that he jumped to the conclusion that Rocca's report "implies that Mexicans are immigrating, not to become U.S. citizens, but instead to reclaim territory lost in a war. This implies that the motivation for immigration is revenge. They will never be loyal U.S. citizens."

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Even more absurd!

A report that should make most Americans better understand their Latino neighbors and their right to be here made this American conclude that he had "another argument against Mexican immigration amnesty."

You can be in denial because you don't know your history. But when you have historians correcting your ignorance and you remain in denial, when you are offended by a report that uproots America's hidden Hispanic heritage, perhaps you should look in the mirror and have a sincere talk with yourself.

And if you still see a bigot ranting and raving, who knows? Perhaps at least you will see how the rest of us see you.

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 2013 CREATORS.COM

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Martin DeSoto -- His ancestors didn't come to the United States. They were in old Mexico when the United States came to them.
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James Polk
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Ulises S. Grant
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Abraham Lincoln
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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