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  • 105. Santa Barbara: The Queen of the Spanish Missions
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  • 105. Santa Barbara: La Reina de las Misiones Espanolas

THE HISTORY OF U.S. LATINOS

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

If you are an out-of-towner, when you get here, you instantly become jealous. "Why can't we have a park like this in my hometown," you ask yourself.

But unless you live in San Diego, you are out of luck! There is only one majestically beautiful, Spanish-motif Balboa Park, the city's "crown jewel."

Walking around this park - with its "Spanish colonial revival" architecture, its gardens, its wide promenades, its fountains, its many museums and cultural centers, its outdoor cafes, its art galleries, its impressive equestrian statue - truly makes you feel like you could be in Spain.

Just when you thought San Diego couldn't be more Spanish, Balboa Park makes you think again.

It's bigger than New York's Central Park, so big (1,200 acres) that it also includes the renowned San Diego Zoo. But when you get to the main promenade, El Prado - an area built and rebuilt to host two major world expositions - you feel like you are rewarding your eyes with Spanish candy.

The park's original design and construction were completed for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915, and several other architectural landmarks were added for the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. The amazingly beautiful exposition buildings, now mostly museums, were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977.

When you get to the huge Spanish plaza, with its outdoor-cafe tables, and you wonder around as if your were in Spain, you can't help being struck by the imposing equestrian statue at the park's main entrance. 

If you don't know better, since you are in Balboa Park, you naturally might assume that the rider must be Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the park's namesake. And you would be terribly mistaken!

I knew it right away, because many times I have photographed and admired the original version of this statue in New York City. From a distance, before I could read the inscription under the monument, I knew it was unmistakably El Cid Campeador, Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, the legendary Spanish warrior of the 11th century. By the way, I must say, the replica in San Diego is displayed much more prominently than the original in outside of the Hispanic Society of America museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

But if El Cid is here, I asked myself. Where is the statue of Balboa, the 16th century Spanish explorer who discovered the Pacific Ocean? And that's where The Great Hispanic American Tour stepped into a painful controversy.

Balboa is credited for crossing the Isthmus of Panama, climbing a mountain and becoming the first European to see the Pacific Ocean in 1513.

The park, known as City Park since it was created in 1868, was renamed after Balboa by park commissioners in 1910 as a tribute to Panama, just in time for the Panama-California Exposition.

I've seen photos of Balboa's 
impressive, ocean-front monument in Panama City - a beautiful statue!  But if this park was renamed after him, where is his statue?

Well, it turns out that a statue of Balboa was planned for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and that more than a century later some people are still working to make that happen.

Every time the statue has been proposed, especially in the past few years, many opponents, allegedly using centuries-old distortions against Balboa, step in and manage to stop it.

It's a fight. On one side you have the statue's proponents, especially Spanish dignitaries and scholars, who say the statue is long overdue, that it makes no sense to have park visitors assuming that El Cid is Balboa, and that Balboa is being wrongly accused of mistreating the natives of Panama. They say that Balboa was, in fact, sentenced to death for being too soft on the natives. They say that Balboa is still honored in Panama and that the opposition against the San Diego statue is all based on Black Legend lies, a centuries-old campaign to demonize Spanish people. They also have donors and a sculptor, so the city would not have to spend a penny.

But the statue's opponents, some Native Americans and other people who firmly believe some atrocious, barbaric stories about Balboa on the internet, have managed to scare the politicians, and permission to erect the statue has not been granted.

Mind you, if some of the too-fantastic-to-be-true stories about Balboa really occurred, I would be the first to reject the idea of a building a statue for him. But there are many respectable scholars who claim it is a clear illustration of Black Legend distortions, still affecting the people of San Diego, and indeed the United States.

This is an issue I want to explore much further (especially with my class in September), but since The Great Hispanic American History Tour has to move on, I'll leave you with some links that could help you explore both sides. And then, please go back to our FB page and tell us where you stand on Balboa? Was he compassionate or vicious with the natives of Panama? Does he deserve a statue in Balboa Park?

To read more:
STORY AND VIDEO:
March 27, 2018:
Should Balboa Park Have a Statue of Its Namesake?

January 27, 2018:
Balboa statue for Balboa Park unlikely
PRO:
March 8, 2016
Time to put Balboa on a pedestal
CON:
​March 13, 2016
The Balboa Statue Controversy Continues


Again, please go back our FB page, and let us know where you stand on Balboa. Click: https://www.facebook.com/HiddenHispanicHeritage/
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Vasco Nuñez de Balboa
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Balboa Monument in Panama City
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Balboa Park, in relation to our two previous stops
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Next, The Great Hispanic American History Tour goes to college. We will still be in San Diego, but it will feel like La Universidad de Alcalá in Madrid. Stay tuned!
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See other parts of my California Road Trip:
Vea otras partes de mi viaje por carretera en California:​​

16. San Gabriel Arcangel
A Mission that Launched Cities

16. San Gabriel Arcangel
Una Misión que Lanzó Ciudades

15. San Juan Capistrano: 
​The Home of the Missing
​Swallows from Argentina


​15. San Juan Capistrano:
El hogar de las golondrinas desaparecidas de Argentina
​
14. San Antonio de Pala:
A Sub-Mission to Reach
​the Natives of the Interior


14. San Antonio de Pala:
Una Asistencia para Alcanzar
Los Nativos del Interior


13. The King of the
California Missions


​
13. El Rey de las Misiones
​de California
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12. 
San Diego: An American Town Named After the Saint from Alcalá

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


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

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


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










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

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

​6. Junípero Serra Museum Transcends the Story of a Great Man










​

​5. The Birthplace of the Spanish Colonization of California

4. It took more than two centuries

​3. Cabrillo National Monument

2. Old Town San Diego
State Historic Park


1. International Friendship Park
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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