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55. Extracting Compacted History
   Unveils Hidden Hispanic Heritage

By Miguel Pérez

​
August 5, 2014 - 
We all make the same mistake. When traveling through history, we tend to shorten time and lose perspective, often turning centuries into decades and decades into years. Perhaps this is the reason why so many Americans still confuse the totally justified Texas War of Independence from Mexico and the totally unjustified Mexican-American War almost a decade later.

Even at the San Jacinto Monument and Museum, the site where the justified war was won in 1836, visitors are misled into lumping the two wars together.

While the Battle of San Jacinto had huge historical significance — making Texas an independent nation and eventually part of the United States — the monument unnecessarily tries to hype its own significance by tying itself to U.S. land acquisitions that occurred many years later.

"Measured by its results, San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of the world," notes one of the eight huge inscriptions on the exterior of the monument. "The freedom of Texas from Mexico won here led to annexation and to the Mexican War, resulting in the acquisition by the United States of the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma."

Taking credit for all the Mexican land acquired by the United States after San Jacinto, the museums exhibit also boasts, "almost 25 percent of the area in the present American nation, nearly one million square miles, became part of the United States."

Why a justified battle and war would want to take credit for the spoils of another war that was totally unjustified and occurred a decade later is beyond me. But that's what I found when my Great Hispanic American History Tour visited the very impressive obelisk — taller than the Washington Monument — just east of Houston.

Some background: The Battle of San Jacinto, fought for 18 minutes on April 21, 1836, was the final battle in the Texas Revolution. This was the battle that finally avenged the 13-day siege and overpowering massacre at the Alamo, where at least 187 Texans were killed. This is where General Sam Houston's 900-men Texan Army defeated Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who had become a dictator — the self-proclaimed "Napoleon of the West" — and was rightfully opposed by anyone who valued freedom. This was where only nine Texans were killed, but the Mexicans suffered 630 casualties and 730, including Santa Anna, were taken prisoner. This is where Texas became an independent nation, until it joined the United States as the 28th state on Feb. 19, 1846.

At the Alamo, the Texans had suffered a military defeat but scored a huge psychological victory. After the casualties were counted, and everyone saw that about eight Mexican soldiers died for every Alamo defender, "Remember the Alamo" became the battle cry of the Texas Revolution.

San Jacinto was a justified freedom outcry, the natural response to Santa Anna's despotic decrees. But it had little to do with the Mexican-American War, an orchestrated land-grab by the United States under the absurd pretext of "manifest destiny," two words that gave this country the insolent right to invade and grab territory with the same impunity recently seen when Russia annexed Crimea.

It was opposed by many Americans, including then Illinois Congressman Abraham Lincoln, who questioned President James K. Polk's pretext assertion that Mexico had "invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil." Polk prevailed by unjustifiably reaching back in time and — as if the victory over Mexico at San Jacinto 10 years earlier had not been enough — shamelessly charging, "The grievous wrongs perpetrated by Mexico upon our citizens throughout a long period of years remain unredressed ... the two nations are now at war."

While the Mexican-American War was perhaps the worst example of American imperialism — the overpowering of a neighboring nation just because we were stronger and needed to expand our territory — San Jacinto was the outcome of an admirable struggle for freedom. While the Mexican-American War pitted the United States and Mexico along ethnic lines, Hispanics fought on both sides during the Texas Revolution.

When xenophobic firebrands still cry out, "Remember the Alamo," as a battle cry against Mexicans and other Hispanic immigrants, or when they express unfounded fears that Latinos are plotting a "Reconquista," they are apparently too ignorant to understand that many Hispanics fought on the side of Texas. They must not know that along with famous heroes such as Davy Crockett, James Bowie and William B. Travis, there were Hispanics — Gregorio Esparza, Juan Antonio Padillo, Toribio D. Losoya, Jose Maria Guerrero, Antonio Fuentes, Juan Abamillo — who also died fighting Santa Anna and defending the Alamo.

People forget about Juan Seguin, the Latino who — because he was able to speak Spanish — was dispatched through enemy lines as the last courier from the Alamo, seeking reinforcements and carrying the message that the Texans "shall never surrender or retreat." When Seguin managed to get back to the Alamo with a few reinforcements, it had already fallen to Santa Anna's army. But he went back to join Houston and played a significant role in the Texan victory at San Jacinto, where he commanded a regiment of the Texas Volunteers.

People forget that Seguin directed the burial of the ashes of the slain Alamo defenders in 1837. "Yes, my friends, they preferred to die a thousand times than to live under the yoke of a tyrant," Seguin told mourners in his eulogy. "I invite all of you to join me in holding the venerable remains of our worthy companions before the eyes of the entire world to show it that Texas shall be free, and independent, or to a man, we will die gloriously in combat toward that effort." People forget that Seguin went on to become mayor of San Antonio, and that as a Texas senator, he supported legislation to protect the interest of native Texans who were being overrun by American immigration and becoming a political minority.

People forget, or perhaps they never knew, that several Latinos were among the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, including the only two native-born Texans who signed: Jose Antonio Navarro and Jose Francisco Ruiz.

A third signer was Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz, born in Merida, Yucatan, a Mexican of Spanish decent who went on to become the first vice president of the Republic of Texas. His devotion to Texas' freedom is still quoted on T-shirts: "If I knew my death would assure the liberation of Texas," de Zavala said, "I would not live another hour ... "

De Zavala had been a Mexican politician, serving in several important positions, including finance minister. He was in Paris, serving as Mexico's minister to France, when he learned that Santa Anna had repealed the Mexican Constitution of 1824 and assumed dictatorial powers. He denounced Santa Anna, resigned his commission and joined the Texas independence movement. Santa Anna considered him one of the main instigators of the Texas Revolution.

As a Texas politician, de Zavala, like Seguin, undoubtedly would have been a defender of the rights of Hispanics in Texas. But unfortunately, because of failing health, he only served as interim vice president from March to October of 1836. He died of pneumonia less than a month after his resignation. But according to an exhibit in the San Jacinto Museum, "his love of freedom, exceptional leadership and perseverance gained him a significant place in history."

Unfortunately, following the war, the new republic began to discriminate against Hispanic settlers. The new Texas Constitution denied citizenship and property rights to those who had failed to support the Revolution, and all Hispanics were assumed to be in that category — unless they could prove otherwise. Hispanics were rapidly relegated to second-class citizenship — socially, politically and economically — and many were forced to leave the area.

This is why my Great Hispanic American History Tour needed to make a stop at San Jacinto, not to see the monument take credit for an unjust war that came much later but to unearth that buried portion of American history that shows many of the patriots who fought and died for Texan independence also were Hispanics, and to also show that Hispanics were poorly repaid.

Nevertheless, because Santa Anna was allowed to return to Mexico, where he overthrew another president and again became dictator in 1841, and because both the 1836 and 1846-48 wars involved Santa Anna and Mexico, these two American land gains are often confused or lumped together as if it all had happened at the same time.

Yet, I find that extracting compacted history unveals hidden Hispanic heritage. Next week, the Great Hispanic American History Tour goes to San Antonio, where we also must "Remember the Alamo" was a Spanish mission.

COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM
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SAM HOUSTON
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LORENZO DE ZAVALA
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SANTA ANNA
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JUAN SEGUÍN
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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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  • MY STUDENTS
  • MIGUELPEREZ.COM
  • ABOUT/SOBRE MIGUEL
  • VIDEOS WE LIKE
  • CONTACT US/CONTÁCTENOS
  • TIMELINE/CRONOLOGIA
  • THE HISPANIC AMERICAN HISTORY MUSEUM
  • THE GREAT TOUR/LA GRAN GIRA
  • CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP
  • NYC HISPANIC LANDMARKS
  • NYC HISPANIC ART
  • ON THE ROAD AGAIN
  • EN EL CAMINO OTRA VEZ
  • OUR MEDALLIONS SAGA