HIDDEN HISPANIC HERITAGE
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THE HISTORY OF U.S. LATINOS

48. The Great Hispanic American History Tour

June 17, 2014 - The time has come for me to take a long drive. My pilgrimage in search for America's hidden Hispanic heritage requires reporting from dozens of historical sites I'm determined to visit this year.

To get the most out of my journey, I have been mapping a route for months. But it hasn't been easy. After all, I'm planning a 21st-century road trip using 16th-century maps!

I want to see the relics left by our great-grand Spanish ancestors. I want to follow their trails. I want to visit the towns that have been named after them and the monuments built to recognize their great accomplishments. I want to pray in the churches they built.

I want to see the markers that document the history of Spanish interaction with Native Americans, African-Americans and other white Americans. I want to show how even some of our state borders were drawn with Hispanic intervention. I want people to understand that Hispanic roots are firmly planted all over this country.

It sounds like fun, right? Well, buckle up: I'm taking you on my journey!

Through this column, the Internet and social media — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and especially my HiddenHispanicHeritage.com website — I intend share my "Hispanic American history tour" with all who share my belief that the time has come to re-conquer American history so the contributions of our Hispanic ancestors are properly recognized.

I will be writing weekly columns, making daily blog entries and sharing photos and short videos from all the historical sites I visit.

But which way do I go? What are the must-see stops on my bucket list? Do I try to follow the trail of one of the Spanish conquistadors who explored North America — perhaps Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca or Hernando de Soto or Francisco Vasquez de Coronado — or do I create my own route, covering portions of each of their trails?

On a cross-country road trip, what is the route that would cover the most significant Hispanic heritage sites?

Seeking an answer to that question has me looking at ancient maps while plotting a route with the Google Maps technology of the 21st century. It's exciting!

Until last year, I ran the multimedia journalism program at Lehman College, in the Bronx, New York. Now on sabbatical from my position as a professor there, this is my opportunity to show my students how to apply our latest technology to the craft of storytelling.

My co-pilot will be my childhood buddy Gustavo Villageliu, who is just as big a history buff as I am and has been helping me plot our route. Gustavo is a recently retired Justice Department official and former immigration judge who lives in Virginia. We are planning to spend more than a month on the road, and we'll be sharing a map of our route so everyone can track our progress.

Followers of my Hidden Hispanic Heritage Facebook blog, (facebook.com/HiddenHispanicHeritage) already have been getting hints on where our journey will begin and how far we intend to travel — from southwest Florida to southern Arizona and back via a different route.

A bucket list trip for two old buddies? You bet! But we want this to be a rediscovery journey for many Latinos who may have lost track of their deep ancestral roots in this country. And we need you not only to join us through social media, but also to invite your friends to come along.
En español: La Gran Gira por la Historia Hispanoamericana
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Although we already have a wish list of places we want to visit — in about a dozen states — we will be seeking your suggestions, starting immediately, on our Facebook blog page or on Twitter @ColumnistPerez. I'm looking forward to your comments. I'll be checking all my social media accounts from the road.

Obviously, this is not a typical column. It's really an invitation to a multimedia, virtual road trip across the country.

So when you think of me in the next few weeks, think of 70 mph with Willie Nelson blasting on the radio, "On the Road Again ... " And think of yourself as another passenger on the Great Hispanic American History Tour.

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 2014 CREATORS.COM
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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




​
Email: hiddenhispanicheritage@gmail.com
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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