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54. Galveston: Still the Isle of Misfortune?

By Miguel Pérez

​
July 29, 2014 - As if the day had been made to order, just for me to truly appreciate the hardships endured by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and a few-dozen other shipwrecked Spanish conquistadors almost 500 years ago, there was menacing weather when I arrived on Isla de Mahaldo — the Isle of Misfortune.

Nowadays they call it Galveston Island, Texas, but I could clearly see why the Spanish gave it its former name. The rain was pouring, the waves were rough, the wind shook my SUV, and the visibility was so poor that I didn't really see or appreciate today's City of Galveston and its beachfront attractions.

What I saw was how terribly inhospitable that corner of the world can still be and how nature must have battered the Spanish castaways who were trapped there — some for more than a year — serving as slaves to the natives of the island.

And yet, as much as I looked, in spite of the stormy weather, I found no markers explaining that this is believed to be the place where Europeans first stepped on Texas. I saw no statues of Cabeza de Vaca, no plaques mentioning his name, no apparent interest in promoting the city's hidden Hispanic heritage.

But this is Galveston, you say. The island, the bay, the county and the city are named after American Revolutionary War hero Bernardo de Gálvez.

And yet even tributes to the city's eponym are hard to find in Galveston.

At the grand old Hotel Galvez, you see an impressive oil portrait of Gálvez and a brief explanation about how the hotel got its name: "He was an important but lesser-known figure in America's struggle for independence. Between 1779 and 1782, de Galvez and his men drove the British out of the southeastern United States." The hotel's Hall of History exhibit also notes that after the American Revolution, when he was the viceroy of New Spain, Galvez commissioned a survey of the Gulf Coast and that it was mapmaker José de Evía who named the biggest bay on the Texas coast "Bahía de Galvezton," which later became Galveston.

But with two huge Hispanic figures in its history, I expected to see much more Hispanic heritage in Galveston. Perhaps it has something to do with a museum, once considered "the hub of Galveston County history," having been shut down by Hurricane Ike in 2008. Although the Galveston County Museum's artifacts and exhibits were saved from damage, they have been displaced to smaller galleries in several locations, including the Galvez Hotel. Yet what you see there is mostly an exhibit of the hotel's history and the famous 20th-century people who have stayed there.

The island's Hispanic heritage seems to have been washed out by the storms and lost with time.

After visiting towns like Pensacola, Florida, and New Orleans, where I was surprised to see Hispanic heritage still is promoted, Galveston was a disappointment. The Spanish name for the island still seems appropriate.

Some background: After losing more than 200 of their shipmates while trekking westward along the Gulf Coast all the way from the Tampa Bay area, this is the Texas offshore island where, many historians believe, a few-dozen remaining survivors of the Pánfilo de Narváez expedition became castaways and captive in early November of 1528.

While Narváez had already been lost at sea prior to their arrival in Texas, this is the island where many others died. Many drowned while trying to reach the mainland, and others succumbed to hardship, hunger, disease, slavery, executions and even cannibalism.

"In a very short time," Cabeza de Vaca reported, "only 15 survivors remained of the 80 who had arrived there ... We named this island the Isle of Misfortune."

Of the 15 who managed to flee the island, only four of them, including Cabeza de Vaca, managed to cross present-day Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, and to rejoin with Spanish forces in New Spain (present-day Mexico) in 1536.

Cabeza de Vaca went back to Spain and wrote "La Relación" — Spanish for "The Account" — narrating the nearly eight years he spent trekking across North America and living among the natives — from present-day Florida to Arizona and Mexico. Although it was written in Spanish and first published in Spain in 1542, "La Relacion," with its fascinating accounts of the first contacts between Europeans and Native Americans, should be considered the first American history book.

Although it was originally prepared as a report for the king of Spain, "La Relación" — also published later as "Naufragios" ("Shipwrecks") — was written like an adventure novel and sparked the imagination and ambition of many other Europeans. It was through his narrative that Europe first learned about the customs of the Native American way of life. His fascinating accounts of their meager subsistence, sources of food, family life and even same-sex marriage sparked interest throughout the Old World.

In spite of the hardships he endured in Galveston and throughout his epic journey, Cabeza de Vaca's book inspired other Europeans to come to North America to seek fame, fortune and mythical cities of gold. It triggered other explorer expeditions and ignited a Hispanic migration to North America that has continued for almost 500 years.

Having trekked across the North American wilderness — some 276 years before Lewis and Clark — and having written his own narrative of the journey, Cabeza de Vaca could be considered the first European American author, historian, geographer, ethnologist, merchant and even medicine man. Having preached the Gospel of Christ across the Southwest, he was also America's first evangelical preacher.

And yet I found no mention of this in Galveston.

While the accomplishments of other Spanish conquistadors are recognized in other parts of the country, especially Juan Ponce de León, Hernando de Soto and Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, and after reading the work of so many historians who believe Galveston is indeed Mahaldo, naturally I was expecting Galveston to recognize Cabeza de Vaca and his shipmates in some significant way.

Yet on Galveston Island, all I found was a short, dead-end street called Cabeza de Vaca.

But let's blame it on bad weather, a hurricane-battered museum and poor visibility, and give Galveston the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps, on a sunny day, and when the Galveston County Museum reopens at a new site "in late 2014," the island's hidden Hispanic heritage can still be rediscovered. I'll have to go back!

However, since my Great Hispanic American History Tour needed to keep moving west, and since I knew of a Cabeza de Vaca monument in Houston, I went back to the mainland only to discover that his bust, in Houston's Hermann Park, has been temporarily removed while the park is under reconstruction. Park visitors no longer can see the bust or its inscription, which noted, "The modern history of Texas began with this explorer from Spain who lived here from 1528 to 1536."

Did I mention our hidden Hispanic heritage? I'll have to go back there, too.

But now that we are in Houston, next week this tour and this column must make a stop at the San Jacinto Battle Monument and Museum, where Texas won its independence from Mexico and where there is hidden Hispanic heritage and historical misconceptions that need to be exposed and explained.

COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM
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THE FOUR SURVIVORS
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La Relación
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Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
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THE PREACHER
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CABEZA DE VACA
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THE HEALER CABEZA DE VACA
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CABEZA DE VACA
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Missing: Cabeza de Vaca
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monument in Houston
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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

4. La Leyenda Negra Regresa
                
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. Hispanic, Columbus or Indigenous Day?
10. 
™Dia Hispano, De Colon o Indigena?
                   
11. Two Good Places to Rest
11. Dos buenos lugares para descansar
                  
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. 
This chapter was merged with Chapter 29
                
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. 
This chapter was merged with Chapter 29

24. A Long-Overdue Museum
                 
25. America's First Christmas was celebrated in Spanish
25. La Primera Navidad Americana fue celebrada en español

26. The Grand Canyon
and the Bucket List
 Of Hispanic Heritage
26. El Gran Canyon
y la Lista de Lugares de la Herencia Hispana

                  
27. Now That Fiesta Month Is Here,
Can We Talk About Heritage?

27. Ahora que el mes de fiesta hispana esta aquí,

​™Podemos hablar de nuestra herencia?
                  
28. Our Hispanic Heritage: On Exhibit and Yet Hidden
28. Nuestra Herencia Hispana: En Exhibición y Sin Embargo Oculta

29. Florida's Birthday Should Be a National Holiday

             
30. A Local Celebration that Should be National               

31. 
This chapter was merged with Chapter 30               
​

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:
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

106. Mission Santa Ines: Built to relieve other overcrowded missions
106. Misión Santa Inés: Construida para aliviar otras misiones superpobladas

107. Mission La Purísima Concepcion:
​Going back in time ​to Spanish California

107. Mision La Purísima Concepción:
Retrocediendo en ​el tiempo a la California española


XXX. Saluting an exile: ​Father Félix Varela
XXX. The Meaning of 'Sotomayor'
SPECIAL SECTIONS
• Great (pro-Hispanic) Americans
​
• 16th Century in the Hispanic American History Timeline
• 17th Century in the Hispanic American History Timeline
• 18th Century in the Hispanic American History Timeline
​
• Spanish-American expeditions before Jamestown
• NYC ​Hispanic Landmarks
• NYC Hispanic Art
• Do You Know/Sabes?
• Garita Art
​
• Do You Speak Spanglish?
HISPANIC AMERICAN HISTORY TIMELINE
​1513 Ponce de Leon Discovers North America, Names Her 'Florida'

April 22, 1513 ​Alaminos discovers the Gulf Stream

1517 De Cordoba, wounded in Yucatan, stops in Florida

1518 Grijalva Reaches Galveston Island

1519 De Pineda confirms Florida ​is not an island​

1521 Ponce de Leon Returns to Florida, Falls Mortally Wounded

1524-25 Estevan Gomez Explores North America's East Coast

1526 Ayllón lands in S.C., settles in Georgia


1528 Narváez expedition succumbs to storms and natives

1528-36 Cabeza de Vaca treks across North America

1537-42 Cabeza de Vaca Returns to Spain, Writes 'La Relación'

1539 De Niza Searches for Golden Cities of Cibola
​

1539-42 De Soto celebrates first American Christmas

1540 Hernando de Alarcon Reaches California

1540-42 Coronado Explores the Southwest,
Cardenas Discovers ​the Grand Canyon


1542-43  ​Cabrillo explores California coast​

1559 De Luna Builds Santa Maria de Ochuse​


1565 Pedro Menendez de Avilés Establishes San Agustin

1566 Santa Elena Built in South Carolina

1598 ​Juan de Oñate Explores New Mexico

1602 Sebastian Vizcaino ​explores the West Coast

1610 Pedro de Peralta establishes Santa Fe

1610-26 The Birth of San Miguel, oldest church in the U.S.A.

1613 Juan Rodriguez becomes the first Manhattan immigrant

1633 Misión San Luis de Apalachee is born in Tallahassee

​1682 San Antonio de la Ysleta becomes first mission in Texas

1691 Father Eusebio Kino builds Tumacácori and Guevavi

1692 ​Father Kino builds San Xavier del Bac 

1692 Diego de Vargas leads ​'Bloodless Reconquest" of Santa Fe

1695 Castillo de San Marcos ​Completed in St. Augustine

1718 Mission San Antonio de Valero is born
​- long before it became The Alamo
​

1738 Runaway slaves establish Fort Mose,
​the first free African-American community​


​1738 Francisco Menendez Leads Fort Mose

1742 Spanish Soldiers ​Open Fort Matanzas

1752 Spanish Soldiers Build Presidio de Tubac

1763 Spanish Florida Goes to England

1765 Juan Antonio Maria de Rivera ​explores ​Colorado and Utah
​
1769 
Father Serra opens ​San Diego de Alcalá,
California's first ​Spanish mission


1771 Father Serra establishes San Gabriel Arcángel

1772 Good hunting determines site
​of ​Misión San Luis Obispo de Tolosa


1775 Captain Hugh O’Connor
​builds Presidio San Agustin del Tucson


​1776-83 Hispanics in the American Revolution

1776 The Birth of San Francisco

1781 Spanish troops defeat the British, capture Pensacola

1781 Pobladores of Los Angeles are imported

1791 ​Alessandro Malaspina Alaska Reaches Alaska

1797 Fermín Francisco de Lasuén
Establishes Misión San Fernando Rey de España


1797 The Birth of Villa de Branciforte

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
  • HOME
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  • NYC HISPANIC LANDMARKS
  • NYC HISPANIC ART
  • ON THE ROAD AGAIN
  • EN EL CAMINO OTRA VEZ
  • OUR MEDALLIONS SAGA