Farragot Square and statue in Washington, D.C.
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Dear friends,
As many of you know, my syndicated column occasionally takes a break from current events and becomes one more chapter of “America’s Hidden Hispanic Heritage,” a history series I’ve been writing since 2007.
This on-going series, now up to 27 parts, has become my greatest passion. And today I’m announcing the creation and launching of a new web site – HiddenHispanicHeritage.com (http://www.hiddenhispanicheritage.com) – where I can put my passion on display.
You may have read some of these columns when they were distributed by the Creators Syndicate and published in web sites and newspapers, but you didn't see them as you will now, alongside the many photographs I've taken during my travels to many historic landmarks.
My pilgrimage in search for our hidden Hispanic heritage has turned into "a bucket list of places, ideas and historical evidence to help reconnect Americans with their Hispanic roots." I hope you enjoy it and send me some FEEDBACK through this blog.
But most importantly, PLEASE, help me disseminate this information by sharing this web site with your friends. I’m willing to share my passion!
Mil gracias!
Miguel
As many of you know, my syndicated column occasionally takes a break from current events and becomes one more chapter of “America’s Hidden Hispanic Heritage,” a history series I’ve been writing since 2007.
This on-going series, now up to 27 parts, has become my greatest passion. And today I’m announcing the creation and launching of a new web site – HiddenHispanicHeritage.com (http://www.hiddenhispanicheritage.com) – where I can put my passion on display.
You may have read some of these columns when they were distributed by the Creators Syndicate and published in web sites and newspapers, but you didn't see them as you will now, alongside the many photographs I've taken during my travels to many historic landmarks.
My pilgrimage in search for our hidden Hispanic heritage has turned into "a bucket list of places, ideas and historical evidence to help reconnect Americans with their Hispanic roots." I hope you enjoy it and send me some FEEDBACK through this blog.
But most importantly, PLEASE, help me disseminate this information by sharing this web site with your friends. I’m willing to share my passion!
Mil gracias!
Miguel
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NEWS:
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NOTICIA:
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IMPORTANT
ANNOUNCEMENT: Dear friends, I need your help! As you may have noticed, many changes are being made on this web site. Most of them are technical and not immediately noticeable, yet they are absolutely necessary to increase the traffic of readers coming to our site. Much more still needs to be done, but these small fixes already are producing great results! For example, Facebook “Like” and “Share” buttons, as well as a “Tweet” buttons, are being added at the end of every chapter. We are now up to 80 chapters and about half of them also are available in Spanish, so it may take a while to create all the necessary buttons. But this will make it easier for readers to share each of these short history lessons with their friends on social media. After reading any chapter on this site, you will no longer need to go back to Facebook or Twitter to share it. You will be able to do it directly from any page on this site. Because these buttons are being added gradually, and because they need to be tested, you may have noticed that during the past few days, I’ve been making frequent postings on Facebook and Twitter. Be aware that this is happening to all the chapters, as “Like,” “Share” and “Tweet” buttons are being added. These are not new chapters, but they are evergreen. As you see me posting them, I hope many of you will revisit them and share them with your friends! In fact, that’s where I really need your help! Because HiddenHispanicHeritage doesn’t have any sort of funding or other resources to publicize this project, I depend on faithful followers of this web site to share this information. Many of you already have been extremely supportive by sharing some of my articles, and I’m very grateful. But if you believe the time has come to re-conquer American history and recognize Hispanic contributions, please join me in my quest to reconnect Americans with their Hispanic roots. My goal is to recruit an army of 21st century conquistadors who, by carrying our banner through social media, would help me fill the whitewashed gaps in American history. When you find my new buttons, please use them! It will make a huge difference. Once our site gets a significant number of followers, we may be able to seek corporate and foundation funding to take this project to a much higher level. Please help me make that happen! All you have to do is “Like,” “Share” and “Tweet.” |
IMPORTANTE
AVISO: Queridos amigos, Necesito su ayuda! Como se habrán dado cuenta, muchos cambios se están realizando en este sitio web. La mayoría de ellos son técnicos y no inmediatamente perceptible, sin embargo, son absolutamente necesarios para aumentar el tráfico de lectores que vienen a nuestro sitio. Mucho más aún se necesita hacer, pero estas pequeñas correcciones ya están produciendo grandes resultados! Por ejemplo, los botones "Like" (Me gusta) y "Share" (Compartir) de Facebook y "Tweet" de Twitter se están añadiendo al final de cada capítulo. Ya vamos por 80 capítulos y aproximadamente la mitad de ellos también están disponibles en español, por lo que puede tomar un tiempo para crear todos los botones necesarios. Pero esto hará que sea más fácil para los lectores a compartir cada una de estas clases de historia cortas con sus amigos en las redes sociales. Después de leer cada capítulo en este sitio, usted ya no tendrá que volver a Facebook o Twitter para compartirlo. Podrá hacerlo directamente desde cualquier página de este sitio web. Debido a que estos se están agregando gradualmente, y porque necesitan ser probados, se habrán dado cuenta de que durante los últimos días, he estado haciendo anuncios frecuentes en Facebook y Twitter. Tenga en cuenta que esto está ocurriendo con todos los capítulos, a la vez que los botones "Like," "Share" y "Tweet" se están agregando. Estos no son nuevos capítulos, pero son imperecederos. Cuanto me vean publicarlos, espero que muchos de ustedes los revisite y los comparta con tus amigos! De hecho, ahí es donde realmente necesito tu ayuda! Debido a que HiddenHispanicHeritage no tiene ningún tipo de financiación o de otros recursos para dar a conocer este proyecto, dependo de fieles seguidores de este sitio web para compartir esta información. Muchos de ustedes ya han sido un gran apoyo al compartir algunos de mis artículos, y estoy muy agradecido. Pero si usted cree que ha llegado el momento de volver a conquistar a la historia de Norteamérica y reconocer las contribuciones hispanas por favor, únase a mí en mi meta de reconectar a los estadounidenses con sus raíces hispanas. Mi objetivo es reclutar un ejército de conquistadores del siglo 21 que, al llevar nuestra bandera a través de los medios sociales, me ayudarían a llenar los vacíos blanqueados de la historia americana. Cuando encuentre mis nuevos botones, por favor, ´utilícelos! Hará una gran diferencia. Una vez que nuestro sitio reciba un número significante de seguidores, es posible que podamos buscar financiación de empresas y fundaciones para llevar este proyecto a un nivel mucho más alto. Por favor, ayúdame a hacer que eso suceda! Todo lo que tienes que hacer es “Like”, “Share”, y "Tweet”. |
GOOD
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´BUENAS NOTICIAS!Queridos amigos,
Estoy encantado de poder anunciar que mi querida amiga y colega periodista Susana Hayward ha aceptado ayudar a traducir mi serie sobre la Herencia Hispana Oculta a español. Como ustedes saben, sólo unos pocos de estos capítulos han sido traducidos. Muchos de ustedes me han estado pidiendo que publique toda la serie en español - sobre todo los últimos 28 capítulos de mi Gran Gira por la Historia Hispanoamericana. Por desgracia, mi viaje, la investigación, la fotografía y el diseño web para el proyecto me ha dejado poco tiempo para las traducciones. Susana, quien fue mi guía cuando la gira pasó por San Antonio, Texas, fue una destacada corresponsal de Prensa Asociada en toda América Latina - en Inglés y Español - durante muchos años. Ella ha sido un gran apoyo de este proyecto y estoy encantado de que ahora ella va a jugar un papel importante en el! Por favor, darle una bienvenida a Susana y ayúdanos a divulgar nuestra historia compartiéndola sus traducciones con tus amigos de habla hispana. Echa un vistazo a su primera traducción: |
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Welcome to HerenciaHispanaOculta.com
Dear friends, Since this site has become increasingly bilingual, the time has come for a bilingual title. From now on, visitors will have the option to reach us in Spanish - at HerenciaHispanaOculta.com Please share our new web address with your Spanish-speaking friends. |
Bienvenido a
HerenciaHispanaOculta.com Queridos amigos, Ya que este sitio se ha convertido cada vez más bilingüe, ha llegado el momento para un título bilingüe. A partir de ahora, los visitantes tendrán la opción de contactarnos en español - a través de HerenciaHispanaOculta.com Por favor, comparta nuestra nueva dirección web con sus amigos de habla española. |
From the beginning
A four-minute video sinopsis on the Hispanic contributions to American history
This video was crated by Antonio Rodriguez Navarro, (AND A GROUP OF ???? STUDENTS??? AT ???? UNIVERSITY???
ARE YOU PART OF SOME KING OF HISTORY PROJECT? HAVE YOU DONE OTHER HISTORY VIDEOS. I REALLY DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT YOU AND I NEED TO IDENTIFY YOU AND YOUR WORK. |
Desde el principioUn video sinopsis de cuatro minutos sobre las contribuciones hispanas a la historia norteamericana
Este video fue creado por Antonio Rodriguez Navarro ...
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So please don't confuse this article with an amazingly shameless opinion diatribe about his exhibit that has been circulating on Hispanic, right-wing extremist social media. It has so many clearly intentional distortions that only a person who has not seen the exhibit could tolerate reading it without getting disgusted.
Because one display shows the struggle of Cuban balseros, but does not specifically say that they were fleeing from communism, this repulsive propaganda hit-job concludes that the entire exhibit is Marxist, and that Congress should have never voted to fund the new museum. Reading it made me sick, especially after seen how well the exhibit represents the story of Cuban balseros. The article was meant to alarm Cuban-Americans with major-league distortions, expecting to fool those who will not see the exhibit. Cuban-Americans, and how the article avoids key points that would dismantle its arguments. The exhibit even includes a raft that was used to flee from Cuba. I took photos of every display in that exhibit, and I could dismantle every single distortion in that article. But I would be giving it more attention than it deserves. Yet, OMG! If you see that exhibit and the read that article, as I did, you see is how terribly filthy politics can get! ---------------------------- Is this exhibit too little and too late? Yes! Is there too much waiting still ahead for an entire museum? Yes! But the content? I would like to see it more of it — as early as ´mañana! Although limited, the exhibition is quite good. after I read a shameless series of distortions about the exhibit, maybe I should not be so critical after all. LOL As an anti-communist Cuban-American, I was furious It clearly tries to appeal to Hispanic Republicans by making it seem as if the exhibit is hiding the Cuban flight from communism, and so, for example, it doesn't tell you about the photos of balseros risking their lives on flimsy rafts. |
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And for additional Cuban flavor, there are wild chickens roaming around freely. Mind you, they are not just in the park, they are all over Ybor City, protected by a Tampa city ordinance and by volunteers who pick up their poop.
In 1956, they transferred the ownership to "Estado Cubano," or the Republic of Cuba. Fulgencio Batista's administration officially accepted the property, and the American consul in Havana certified the transaction. The house was razed and Batista donated money to establish a park. Then, Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959 and everything got confusing.
"The park was established when Cuba was free and democratic," said city Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Linda Carlo. "Once it became a Communist country, the city was in a quandary of what to do with it. City officials decided they would maintain the park's lights and irrigation, but leave it in the hands of the Cuban-American community in Tampa. They may not have known how divided the community was, and still is today. In the early 1960s, the park was hub for clashes between pro-Castro and anti-Castro Cubans, said West Tampa historian Maura Barrios. That tension didn't fade with the decades.
In 1990, former Mayor Sandy Freedman entrusted park management to an anti-Castro activist group called the Cuban Historical and Cultural Center,
a few years after the boarding house that was here was demolished in 1956
When you think of the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, do you find it weird that we have U.S. territory in Cuba? Well, this is Cuban territory in the United States!
Yet I felt that the local Tampa Cubans could do a much better job of maintaining the park. Unfortunately, I think (hope) I was there when the park was going through some kind of landscaping transition. I have seen photos of this park when it was covered by a beautiful, very green lawn. But I found it covered by covered by ugly, black dirt. Only the chickens seemed to be having a good time!
Cuban torcedores still make hand-rolled cigars in shops along Seventh Avenue (La Séptima) as they have since 1885.
Yet I felt that the local Tampa Cubans could do a much better job of maintaining the park. Unfortunately, I think (hope) I was there when the park was going through some kind of landscaping transition. I have seen photos of this park when it was covered by a beautiful, very green lawn. But I found it covered by covered by ugly, black dirt. Only the chickens seemed to be having a good time!
Cuban torcedores still make hand-rolled cigars in shops along Seventh Avenue (La Séptima) as they have since 1885.
"American complaints that Spain was unable to capture the runaways or to prevent Indian raids across the border led to the First Seminole War (1816-1818). Troops under Generals Andrew Jackson invaded Florida and destroyed several Indian towns. At the end of the war Spain agreed to sell Florida to the United States."
SECOND STOP:
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SO, WHAT'S MY NEXT STOP?
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Two of our greatest war heroes: Hispanics David Farragut and Bernardo de Galvez in Washington, D.C. Farragut won major battles for the Union Navy in the Civil War and De Galvez racked huge victories against the British in the Revolutionary War. . . . . . . . . . Photos: Miguel Pérez
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The river where Hernando De Soto was buried? Where’s Miguel?
El río donde fue enterrado Hernando De Soto? ™Donde está Miguel?
El río donde fue enterrado Hernando De Soto? ™Donde está Miguel?
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"Since we’re ... near the date of thanksgiving, I must say, then, I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn as many historical facts of our Hispanic heritage that for years I was so clueless about. When living in the Dominican Republic, I used to see the United States as a country where only white and black people live (At least that’s what the interpretation you got from the movies). Yet, I’ve learned that this country always belonged to us Hispanic as well." --Nayrilli Nolasco Miliano
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Amigos,
Although I retired from my position as a journalism professor in September 2018, I have kept teaching my Hispanic American history course at Lehman College. Why? Because of the reaction I get from my students. I live for this: "After reading throughout all the chapters I wanted to come clean. Before this class I was an ignorant Latina that denied my Spanish roots from Europe. However, after reading these chapters, I realized my ignorance held me back for years from learning how truly great my Spanish ancestors were and how I need to learn more." -- Amberly Castillo
"It's extremely sad and disgusting that the black legend is still around. I feel like the world would be so different if it never existed. I wish everyone could learn what we are learning now so they can actually understand history and stop discriminating." -- Danelis Espinal
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Are you on Twitter?
Please follow me: @ColumnistPerez
https://twitter.com/ColumnistPerez
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Cantinflas: In Sadness, We SmileApril 28, 1993 -- In the movies he was Cantinflas, a poor but happy man who had the innocence of a child. In real life he was Mario Moreno, Latin America's greatest comedian and film star. When he died in Mexico last week, the whole Spanish-speaking world was saddened, thinking about all the times he made us smile.
You may have read the obituaries, noting that thousands of Mexicans gathered to mourn his death, that he made 49 movies, that he was the faithful servant of David Niven in the 1956 classic "Around the World in 80 Days," that even Charlie Chaplin considered him "the world's greatest comedian." But to Latinos, Cantinflas, 81, was much more. Americans loved John Wayne because he played a tough hero, but Latinos loved Cantinflas for a totally different reason: He played a humble peasant, a penniless jack-of-all-trades who used his wit and good nature to get out of impossible situations. Read more . . . |
Mario Moreno "Cantinflas"
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Celia Cruz: My Queen is Not Dead!July 23, 2003 – For the last few days, people have been telling me that Celia Cruz is dead, that she died of a brain tumor Wednesday at her home in Fort Lee. I refuse to believe it. Celia is immortal.
How do you die when your spirit is full of passion? How do you pass away when your love for life has inspired millions of people? How do you expire when your clarion voice is recorded in more than 70 albums? How can you possibly be forgotten when you are the epitome of class, the essence of humility, the embodiment of integrity? How do you feel sad when she was the personification of happiness? How do you weep for the departure of a woman who taught us, in one of her last hits, that "there is no need to cry, that life is a carnival and it's more beautiful to live it singing"? How do you fade away when you taught your friends the true meaning of eternal friendship? It's impossible. When you are Celia Cruz, you live forever. I should know. I'm one of the privileged people she considered a friend. I loved her! Read more . . . |
Celia Cruz
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Gallery/Sala II - COLONIAL CITIESTo my Hispanic eyes, they are among the world’s most beautiful cities. They make my camera work overtime! Everywhere you turn you want to shoot another photo. They make me proud of my Spanish heritage. Let me show you the beauty they have in common. To go to the exhibit, click on this photo:
Para mis ojos hispanos, se encuentran entre las ciudades más bellas del mundo. ¡Hacen que mi cámara funcione horas extras! Dondequiera que mires quieres tomar otra foto. Me hacen sentir orgulloso de mi herencia española. Déjame mostrarte la belleza que tienen en común. Para ir a la exhibición, haga clic en esta foto: |
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Gallery/Sala I - CROSS COUNTRYAt a time when precious Hispanic statues are being vandalized all over this country, it occurred to me that there are many Hispanic monuments that still mark a history that cannot be erased — monuments that no one would dare desecrate! “This is a Hispanic Cross county!” I told myself. "And I have the photos to prove it!” To go to the exhibit, click on this photo:
En un momento en que se están profanando preciosas estatuas hispanas en todo este país, se me ocurrió que hay muchos monumentos hispanos que aún marcan una historia que no se puede borrar, monumentos que nadie se atrevería a profanar. "¡Este es un país de Cruces Hispanas!" me dije a mí mismo. "Y yo tengo las fotos para demostrarlo! " Para ir a la exhibición, haga clic en esta foto: |
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