U.S. Soldier is Laid to Rest in His Native Mexico
Three Brothers also in Army at graveside
By John Sevigny, Associated Press, March 16, 2003
Sent by John Inclan fromgalveston@yahoo.com

http://ads.specificpop.com/code?pid=280&gid=17&rid=238897317&dom=16&dow=0&hod=20

SABINAS HIDALGO, Mexico – A U.S. soldier killed in Kuwait was buried last week in his native Mexico, a country still struggling to decide whether it will support a war with Iraq. Spc. Rodrigo González, 26, had been sent to the Persian Gulf to prepare for a possible war. His Feb. 25 death in a helicopter crash during training was featured prominently in Mexican media.
        Born in this town 85 miles south of the Texas border, González moved to San Antonio with his family as a toddler. On Tuesday, his coffin, draped in a Mexican flag, was taken to a Roman Catholic church in Sabinas Hidalgo, where his family celebrated Mass. "This is where he came from, and this is where my parents decided he should return," said his brother Ramiro González, a 29-year-old U.S. Army recruiter in Laredo, Texas.
        After the service, residents gathered to watch as a black hearse carried the body to a desert graveyard. All three of González's brothers are in the U.S. Army. As well as Ramiro, he had a twin, Ricardo González, who is an Army combat medic stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y. His younger brother, 19-year-old Rolando González, is stationed at West Point as an operating room technician. All attended the Mass.
        Even though he lived in San Antonio, González spent his summers in Sabinas Hidalgo. Neighbors said they watched him grow up playing football with his brothers in front of their family's home. Speaking to the 500 people gathered at his brother's grave, Ramiro González said Rodrigo would be remembered. "We ask that you never forget him, that you have his memory in your heart," he said.
        As the coffin was lowered into the ground, red, white and green balloons – the colors of Mexico's flag – were released into air. The Mexico City newspaper Reforma said only the playing of the Mexican national anthem drowned out the cries of the crash victim's mother, Orelia Garza. The paper said a U.S. general, Alfredo Valenzuela, spoke at the service.
        Mayor Fernando González said he would propose naming Rodrigo González as a distinguished citizen of Sabinas Hidalgo. He also said a street might be named after him.

Request for a Moment of Remembrance and Prayer

Dear Colleagues:

I would like to request that during the next 24 hours we find a moment as we sit at our desks to remember our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, nephews, cousins, and other loved ones who fought in our country's wars and many who made the extreme sacrifice. The names of many of our brothers and sisters, and other relatives like Lopez, Garcia, Hernandez, Martinez, Gonzales, Medina, Hinojosa, De Leon and others, inscribed on the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) manifests the contributions that Hispanics have made to protect this Country's
Democracy, Freedom and the American way of life.

As we contemplate the sacrifices of these brave heroes, lets also take a moment to pray for those Hispanic young men and women now getting ready to follow on our hero's footsteps at any moment. Unfortunately, the supreme sacrifice will again be disproportioned to our representation in the population. As our numbers in the population have grown, so has our representation in the U. S. military. It is documented that our representation in the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force grew from 4.7 % in 1990 to 9 % in 2000. Some National Guard and Reserve units in Fort Bliss, Texas are as much as 80% Hispanic. Many of these units have already been shipped out for the Middle East.

The sad thing about this phenomena is that the choice to join the military is often about economics or citizenship status. Olivia Marcus, 20, and Francisco Soliz, 24, wanted to work for the FBI or Border Patrol but they would not hire them, so rather than working at the Burger King, they and many of their cousins joined the Army. Other Hispanics who are waiting citizenship join the military to have the Immigration Service waive the waiting periods and residence requirements and therefore, gain approval of their citizen applications when they return, if they return.

Finally, let us each think what more we can do to help these brave young men and women find jobs in our own places of employment so that our representation at our Agency can equal that as in the Military. At the same time let us pray for all our servicemen and women during these trying times.

Thank you,
Lupe Saldana, Chair EPA/HAC
Sent by Vivian Drake vivian.drake@mail.va.gov

Mexico, U.S. cross line on border security
Complete text by Tim Weiner, The New York Times via OC Register, 3-23-03

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico: The United States and Mexico, after battling over their common border for so many years are now coordinating military missions to protect it from attack. Mexico is sending thousands of soldiers to patrol the border and secure it against terrorist threats - an unprecedented move. The Mexicans have never used their army to help defend their neighbor.
        "It's a new mission: Mexico looking out for the United States." Sgt. Benito Hernandez, a Mexican soldier on sentry duty her in Juarez, where thousands of travelers and truckers cross the border in both directions every day. Mexico is sending 18,000 soldiers to secure airports, seaports, border posts and bridges with direct links to the United states. At least half will be based within a few miles of the border, many serving as sentries in the dessert. Others will serve in the interior, guarding tourist resorts and oil refineries, the two great sources of foreign revenue for Mexico.
        The United States, for tis part, has Special Forces, Army Rangers and Marines to monitor thousands of square miles at the Mexican border with night patrols, electronic sensors, pilot less drone aircraft first used f18 months ago in Afghanistan and helicopters with infrared scopes. They are training their sights away from smugglers of drugs and migrants towards the terrorist threat, erasing the "thin line between counter-drug and counter-terror missions" to quote Gen. John Yingling, one of their commanders. The U.S.., military is moving closer to using its soldiers as law enforcers, as Mexico has done for years.
        Soldiers attached to Yingling's Joint Task Force Six, based just north of Juarez at Fort Bliss, Texas, have order to support U.S. drug enforcement. They "could also be effectively employed in the combating-terrorism effort," said their spokesman, Armando Carrasco. "Terrorism and drug trafficking are intertwined and use many of the same operational methods." They are under the new Northern Command headquarters in Colorado, which has been given responsibility for overseeing tee United States, Mexico and Canada. The Northern Command includes officers of the CIA and the FBI which in turn are sharing border-security information with their Mexican counterparts. The Federal Protective Police, Mexico's equivalent of the FBI, is heavily involved in the new security mobilization, as is Cisen, Mexico's equivalent of the CIA.
        These linkages and the coast-to-coast mobilization by both nations represents the birth of an international national-security network, U.S. and Mexican official said. "Mexico is not going to be used as a transit point for any terrorist or anyone who wishes to harm the United States,""" said Interior Minister Santiago Creel, who oversees Cisen. Mexico said hours after combat began in Iraq that it would deny visas to travelers from a list of Arabic and Asian countries deemed hostile to the war effort.
         By collaborating against a foreign threat, both nations are crossing a line that they had never breached. "Despite the inherent distrust between both countries' law enforcement and their militaries, they had to find a way to talk to each other and share information," said Ana Maria Salazar, a former Pentagon official and an expert in Mexican national security doctrine. "They were forced to figure out a way to coordinate."

Park Service covers controversial cross
Source: OC Register, February 2003

Riverside: The National Park Service has covered up a controbversial desert cross located on federal land in a respone to a judge's ruling that it violates the constitutional separation of church and state. The Department of Justice recomme3dned the action while it appeals the federal court ruling ordering the 8-cross be removed from its site in the Mojave National Preserve.
Although the cross violates the July 2002 court order, Congress passed legislation in 2000 barring the Park Service from spending money to remove it. Legislation has been introduced to save the cross through a land swap that would put it on private land. The cross, atop an out-cropping 11 miles south of Interstate 15 between Barstow and Las Vegas, dates to 1934. Veterans built it as a memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in 2001, saying it violates the First Amendment. A federal judge agreed, but did not set a date for the cross's removal.

10th Anniversary of Cesar's Passing: highlighting his legacy's lasting power through several activities:

The Third Annual Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning, March 31, 2003.

The world premiere of Cesar E. Chavez Foundation Founding Member Ed Begley, Jr.'s musical Cesar and Ruben, March 14, 2003 to April 27, 2003

The Third Annual Educating the Heart Dinner, Friday, April 11, 2003

The first day of issuance of the commemorative United States postage stamp honoring Cesar E. Chavez, Wednesday, April 23, 2003

NEW: Chavez Inspired Service-Learning Resource Guides
To access the resource guides, please click http://www.goserv.ca.gov/ccd/ccdpublications.asp

        Chavez Foundation and United States Postal Service to Hold Chavez Stamp First Day of Issuance in Los Angeles on 10th Anniversary of Cesar's Passing
        The Cesar E. Chavez Foundation is proud to announce that Los Angeles has been selected to host the first day of issuance of the commemorative United States postage stamp honoring Cesar E. Chavez on April 23, 2003, the 10th anniversary of the civil rights and farm labor leader's passing.
        A public celebration will be held in downtown Los Angeles to mark the stamp's issuance and to honor Cesar's tireless work for justice and equality for all people through service to others. Leaders in the community, politics, labor, business, and the arts will join the Chavez Foundation, the Chavez family and the United States Postal Service for the event.

I want to bring everyone's attention to the play Cesar and Ruben that is playing at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood. The play, a tribute to was written by Ed Begley Jr. It is a musical
incorporating popular songs (Sting, Enrique Iglesias, Peter Gabriel...). I was a little skeptical at first how these songs would work, but it is done very well. It is a well written and heartfelt play written by
someone who knew Cesar personally. The play is supposed to run until April 27 with matinees on Saturday and Sunday. However I have noticed some cancellations and have heard rumors that it may shut down earlier if attendance doesn't improve. That would be a shame. If you have a chance take the opportunity to see the play. Greg Yorba http://www.cesarandruben.com/
Play review: http://www.curtainup.com/cesarandruben.html
Other websites: http://ww.sfsu.edu/~cecipp/cesar_chavez/chavezhome.htm
http://www.npg.si.edu/col/spot/hispanic.htm

Nationwide Farmworker Awareness
Week 2003, March 31-April 6, 2003 Sent by Howard Shorr
Farmworker Awareness Week (FAW) is a SAF-called, nationwide event in the spring for students and community members to raise awareness about farmworker issues on their campuses and in their communities. This year SAF is collaborating with SLAP’s Student Labor Week of Action to show support for all worker justice campaigns and to educate students about farmworker issues in hopes to gain more support in the movement for farmworker justice. For more information on how you can get involved, contact PCUN’s student campaign coordinator, Cassandra Ogren, at cassandraogren@pcun.org , or at 503-982-0243 ext. 203, http://www.pcun.org
Email requests to or call Laxmi at 919-660-3660.

Latino Power by Betsy Streisand U.S. News and World Report
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usnews/20030310/ts_usnews/latino_power

Latinos are now the fastest-growing U.S. minority, accounting for 13 percent of the population. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (news - web sites) 1980 14.6 mil. 1990 22.4 mil. 2001 37.0 mil.

There are 37 million Hispanics in the United States, more than the population of Canada, and they now outnumber African-Americans as the nation's largest minority. In some cities, like Miami, Hispanics are the majority. Their buying power is awesome: $580 billion a year and growing at a rate of 12 percent annually. Only 3 percent of advertising dollars are targeted to Hispanics. Ad rates remain 20 percent to 50 percent lower than those of English stations.

        America's media giants aren't just gearing up to cover a war. They're gearing up to fight one--on American soil, in Spanish. This week, Spanish broadcasting colossus Univision Communications is expected to seal its $3.5 billion deal for Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., the nation's largest Latino radio network. The acquisition will give Univision control of more than half the $2 billion spent annually on advertising to Latinos, the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. That makes the Los Angeles-based company, known for its steamy soap operas and flashy variety shows, one of the country's most powerful communications players in any language. It also underscores the growing clout of Spanish-language media, which has shown itself to be both recession proof (ad revenues were up 11 percent last year) and capable of pulling advertising dollars away from its English-language counterparts.
        The HBC deal will only make the taking easier. With 63 new radio stations added to its 50 TV stations, two broadcast TV networks, cable TV network, online service, and music business, Univision will finally be able to offer advertisers the cross-promotional opportunities that have fueled an entire wave of media mergers, albeit with varying results. "Now that Univision can drive ears and eyeballs from music to the Web to radio and television, the steal is on," says an executive at a major advertising agency that services English-language clients. "Even more dollars are going to be headed into Spanish-speaking media at the expense of mainstream outlets."
        With that in mind, NBC last year spent $2.7 billion for Telemundo, the No. 2 Spanish network. And Viacom, parent of CBS, reportedly made a $7 billion takeover bid for Univision before the HBC deal and continues to seek options to court Hispanic audiences. Disney is launching a Spanish-language version of ESPN, and the Dallas Morning News is doing the same for its newspaper. And AOL Time Warner, which owns People en Español, HBO Latino, and CNN en Español, is looking to expand its Spanish offerings across the board from music to the Internet.
        But knowing how to target Hispanic consumers can be complicated. Although many second- and third-generation Hispanics flip freely between English and Spanish TV stations, for instance, most prefer to communicate in Spanish, says Loretta Adams, head of TNS Market Development, a San Diego market research firm. "There's a lot of interest in holding on to language and tradition," she says. [[<< Editor: According to the following article this is incorrect.]]
        "Advertising to Hispanics is not about distracting them and inserting a brand image," says Hector Orci, cochairman of La Agencia de Orci, a Hispanic ad agency in Los Angeles that counts Honda and Allstate as clients. "It's very straightforward. It's not entertainment." What's more, ads must be precisely tailored to the audience; simply dubbing an English ad won't do. Consider a popular mayonnaise commercial in which a boy makes a sandwich. "A Hispanic mother would never leave her young child alone with a knife," says Rosa Serrano, director of multicultural planning for Initiative Media in Los Angeles. In the Spanish version of the ad, the mother watches her son from across the kitchen. By 2010, Hispanics are expected to have more than $900 billion to spend, making them an incredibly juicy target.

Extract: Like Others, Latinos Need Their Public Television
Originally published in Current, Feb. 10, 2003 Sent by Howard Shorr HowardShorr@msn.com
[[ Editor: This is an excellent article. Well worth obtaining the full article.]]

        It’s official. Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the United States, according to figures released in January. These results from the 2000 census signal a seismic shift in the American population and should prompt a comparable change in the way public TV perceives its audiences. PBS has a golden opportunity to serve these viewers and earn their loyalty.
        PBS must diversify its programming to survive. The system has lost both viewers and members. It’s suffering not only from cable competition but also from a major change in the country’s demographics. PBS must reel in the quarter of the population that is not only of color, but also younger on average than the traditional PBS viewer. The median age for the Anglo population is 38; for African-Americans, it’s 29; for Latinos, 25.
        We must face the fact that year after year, minorities continue to be underserved by public television. The problem is particularly acute for Latinos, who make up 12 percent of the general population but 18 percent of the TV viewer ship ages 18-34. According to Nielsen, U.S. Hispanics accounted for 84 percent of the growth in the U.S. adult 18-49 demographics. Yet programming currently being developed for public TV is slow to include this audience. Current’s annual Pipeline listing, for example, shows few stations are even contemplating producing programs with Latino themes.
        Production decision-makers may hold some misconceptions about Latino audiences. The image of foreign-born, Spanish-dominant Hispanics who watch only Univi-sion or Telemundo is outdated. Consider the results of a Miami study on language choice by Barbara Zurer Pearson and Arlene McGee: Only 2 percent of Hispanic junior high school students in the area report watching Spanish TV exclusively. Less than 10 percent watch it for more than half of their TV viewing.
        The country’s Hispanic population is 36.2 million strong. That’s one person in eight. Most are English-speaking, and their preference for English is greatest in the younger segments of the community. Latinos represent a substantial consumer market—as a whole, the U.S. Latino market is already larger than the entire economies of all but 11 countries in the world. Over the next five years, the market is expected to exceed the gross domestic product of Canada, the eighth-largest economy in the world. American advertisers are circling, hoping to capture the loyalty of this community. And Nielsen reports that Latinos watch television at a higher rate than the general population. If Univision doesn’t do it, who will?
                PBS could fill this void in general programming that addresses and incorporates the needs of this audience. These efforts should not be confined to a new digital channel in Spanish or local programming about Latinos in Los Angeles or San Antonio. Nor would such smaller-scale efforts make sense given today’s economics of program promotion and outreach.
        Traditionally, PBS has operated under the assumption that minorities are not interested in watching public television. The notion may come from audience research showing that minority audiences watch less public TV than other channels, with the exception of some children’s programming. But that does not mean those audiences are not available to PBS.
         But what programs should public TV offer to serve Latinos? It is a heterogeneous population that defies easy categorization. To begin with, Latinos are not one race; they can be black, white, indigenous, Asian and every combination thereof. They come from a multitude of countries. What would appeal to this huge, diverse population?
        Most Latinos in America share a few things, the most salient of which are the process of racialization, the immigrant experience, and the Spanish language. Although they may arrive from anywhere in Latin America, Hispanics are soon transformed into one category, "Latino," in a society that does not distinguish between Latin nations as it would between European ones. This "racialization" creates a common experience for all Latinos, who must navigate a society that has generally exhibited a very low opinion of them.
         Latinos rank among the least favored of all new Americans, according to a study examining public opinion data over a 30-year period, Thomas Espenshade and Maryann Belanger found. The pervasive view that Latin Americans are inferior and more likely to commit crimes, abuse welfare and do poorly in school powerfully shapes the Latino experience. Harvard Uni-versity education professor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco argues that young Latinos "struggle to develop a healthy identity and sense of self in the context of such toxic attitudes and beliefs."
        Who but public television will take on the mission to educate the American public and combat these destructive stereotypes? PBS could serve Latinos and contribute to public understanding by making more programs that look at the historic roots of American racism, such as Joseph Tovares’ "Zoot Suit Riots" (presented on American Experience), which examines the 1943 race riots between Anglo sailors and Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles, or films on the historic contributions of Latinos, such as The Fight in the Fields, about Cesar Chávez, the leader of the Chicano civil rights movement, produced by Rick Tejada-Flores and Ray Telles. There are not enough of these programs in the works for PBS.
        The immigrant experience: Two-thirds of today’s Latinos are immigrants or children of immigrants. More than the average American, they are citizens of a hemisphere, still active in the culture, economy and politics of their ancestral nations. Even those Mexican-Americans whose families have lived here for hundreds of years have ongoing relationships with Mexico. Thus programming about Latin American and Latino economics, politics, sports, and the environment would interest Latinos.
          However, programming for Latinos does not mean just translating existing programming into another language. Although PBS made a laudable commitment to airing and partially funding the dramatic series American Family, written, produced, and starring Latinos, the high cost of drama will make it hard to compete with commercial TV in this arena. All of the commercial networks’ new Latino-themed shows feature modern Latino families facing the typical challenges of school, office and family dynamics. The shows also feature bits of Spanish dialogue and wordplay, as well as a heightened sensitivity to the differences between Latinos’ interior and exterior lives. Most welcome of all, these shows offer something other than the tired stereotypical Latino characters in other TV shows such as the gang member and the maid.
           PBS can outshine the competition in documentaries. Most of the program types that appeal to Latinos also appeal to general audiences. Latinos have been a part of America for hundreds of years, and their stories are ultimately American stories. Non-Latinos are interested in Latino stories, just as Latinos are interested in other worlds, as covered by Nova, Frontline and the like—especially if these programs incorporate some Latino on-camera authorities, expertise, and issues. Diversifying the talent pool, too
        Key to creating more diverse programming is creating a more diverse pool of program makers.
        Diversifying programming is not just about choosing new subjects or putting ethnic faces on the air. It’s also about perspective. When more producers and programming executives of color help define public TV content, general programming will take on the complex dimensions that will serve the needs of more diverse audiences. Until then, PBS will struggle under crippling misconceptions such as the belief that a program on Benjamin Franklin is for general audiences while a program on Cesar Chávez is target programming.         Good stories well told are universal, whatever the ethnicity of the subject. After all, Latinos have been viewing "European-American" programming for years. Programming of interest to Latinos and African Americans and Native Americans and Asians can also be appealing to broad general audiences. After all, minorities should also make up the "public" of public TV.

María Agui Carter is an independent producer. Her documentaries have aired locally on WGBH and nationally on PBS. A Charles Warren fellow in American Studies at Harvard University, she is working on "Rebel," a film about the telling of history, centered on a Latina woman who fought in the U.S. Civil War.

Latino “Digital Divide” Is Decreasing
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?fpa=0&id=8839
Extract and sent by Raul Damas Raul@OpinionesLatinas.com

Research organization Arbitron and Edison Media Research has found that the digital divide between African-Americans and Hispanics in the U.S. is falling. The research found that 74 percent of all African- Americans have access to the Internet compared to 65 percent of all Hispanics in
the U.S. This compares to an estimated 75 percent of all of the U.S. population that are using the Internet. Other results showed that 78 percent of all U.S. Internet users are white with African- Americans and Hispanics accounting for just 9 percent and 7 percent respectively. Arbitron and Edison Media Research claims that these figures have improved due to public libraries and schools making Internet access available to members of the public.

Extract: Four-year degrees elude poor
By Lisa M. Sodders, Los Angeles Daily News Staff Writer, 2-24-03
Source: HispanicVista.com   http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/031003bed.htm

        According to the commission's study, California community colleges have worked hard in the last 10 years to eliminate transfer barriers by creating transfer centers at each college and making it easier for students to take classes at different campuses without losing credits when they move on to upper-division studies. Despite those extensive outreach efforts, college officials say they have failed to overcome the twin barriers facing most poor and minority community college students: inadequate preparation for college and job or family-care obligations that allow them to attend college only part-time or even force them to drop out.
        At Pierce College in Woodland Hills. . . .non-Hispanic whites and Asians transferred in numbers proportionate to their representation on campus. But only 12 percent of the UC transfer students and 17 percent of the CSU transfer students were Latinos, although Latinos constitute nearly 22 percent of all Pierce students. Even at Mission and Valley colleges, where Latinos are the largest racial-ethnic group on campus, whites made up a disproportionate share of the transfer students.
        "Latinos and African-Americans are clearly gaining access to post-secondary education, and that's important and should not be overlooked," said Richard Fry, senior research associate for the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C. "But in terms of the big payoff, the bachelor's degrees, students of color are vastly behind their white peers in getting the real prize in higher education."

Extract: New Alamo movie filming in Hill Country Associated Press
Sent by Walter L. Herbeck Jr. wlherbeck@juno.com

Michael Corenblith, production designer for "Alamo," said the upcoming movie will include perspectives of native Mexicans as well as the
Texians. "I wanted to present this as a dialogue between two factions," he said in Sunday editions of the San Antonio Express-News.
Mexican actors will speak 19th-century Spanish, and Native Americans will speak Cherokee. Those portions will have subtitles - a first for a major
Alamo movie.
        So far, Alamo historians seem pleased with the direction the movie is taking. "It's one of the most compelling stories in all of American history. It's the ultimate story of American heroism and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds. It's that idea of victory over defeat," said Paul
Hutton, executive director of the Western History Association and a professor of Western and American history at the University of New
Mexico. "We need what it tells us about ourselves. We identify collectively with the Americans at the Alamo."
        On a sprawling ranch a few miles north of Dripping Springs, San Antonio de Bexar of 1836 has been recreated through an elaborate set that stretches over 51 acres. The church of San Fernando and the Alamo complex dominate the villa, while white tents dot the outlying hills. Alamo historians who've visited or seen pictures of the set are impressed. "If you look at it from a purely historical viewpoint, there are some
things you might quibble with," said Bruce Winders, historian and curator of the Alamo. "But when you look at the overall picture, it's surprising
how much attention to detail they got right." Instead of just a facade, several of the buildings have been fully built. No filming will be conducted on a sound stage, and all interior scenes will be filmed on the set instead of in a studio.
        The most challenging aspect of director John Lee Hancock's film is the accuracy of the story. Winders said Hancock's challenge is how to handle Davy Crockett's death. There are theories that Crockett was executed, while others believe he went down fighting. Filmmakers have refused to say much more about the plot. Hancock said one thing's for sure: the Alamo is about more than a land fight.

Americans for a Fair Chance, a non-partisan consortium of six of America's leading civil rights legal organizations dedicated to the preservation of affirmative action welcomes the release of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute study on Latino and African- American admissions. The study found that "race neutral" plans used in California after the end of affirmative action adversely affect underrepresented minorities and are not a viable method of achieving a diverse campus. http://www.trpi.org

Fatality Rates Increase for Hispanic Workers     USA TODAY - March 13, 2003
http://www.hispaniconline.com/topnews/article.html?SMContentIndex=0&SMContentSet=0

        Alfonso Alvarez was 17 when he died last year while laying water pipe east of Dallas for a Texas construction company. A trench cave-in buried him to his waist. He was alive during the 30 minutes it took to free him. But the Mexican immigrant died later that January day of asphyxia and other injuries, the investigator's report says. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company, Pate & Pate, for nine safety and health violations, including three willful ones -- OSHA's most serious, public records show. It seeks a $238,000 fine. Pate disputes the claims.
        Alvarez added to a grim legacy of the 1990s economic boom. New government employment and Census data show. More than 6,800 Hispanic workers died on the job from 1992 through 200.
Their workplace fatality rate jumped 15.1% in that period, even though the rate fell 15.4% for all other workers. Many were Mexican immigrants with poor English skills. They took the only jobs they could get. They were often repaid with death. Poisoned by toxic fumes. Crushed by falling equipment. Burned alive.
        They died, in part, because they took some of the nation's most dangerous, thus hard-to-fill, jobs in construction and factories, government data show. They were often too scared of losing jobs to press for safer working conditions, advocates say. There weren't enough government inspectors to help ensure their safety, and lax penalties failed to discourage safety-law violators.
        The rise in Hispanic deaths reflects U.S. history. In a nation of immigrants, the newest arrivals often fill the most dangerous and least-desirable jobs. African slaves chopped cotton in the South. Chinese workers built railroads in the West. Irish and Poles labored in coal mines and steel mills in the East. Russian Jews sewed in sweatshops such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. ''We've always had an economy that depends on a class of workers that are exploited,'' says Robert Ross, a sociology professor at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.
        Now, the biggest immigrant worker class is Hispanics -- mostly Mexicans -- in construction, agriculture and meat processing. And their rising fatality rates are setting off alarms. Among Hispanics, the trend grew worse. Their fatality rate in 2001 rose to 6.1 per 100,000 workers from 5.3 in 1992. That shows Hispanics have not sufficiently benefited from government programs to reduce deaths and injuries among the USA's 136 million workers, safety experts say. Safety experts attribute the rise in Hispanic deaths to:
        Construction's boom. Demand soared ''like we've never seen'' during the 1990s economic expansion, says Diane Swonk, chief economist at Bank One. The construction industry added more than 100,000 companies from 1990 to 2000 to 702,000, the most recent data show. Construction employment jumped 30.8% to 6.7 million workers. Only the services industry added more jobs.
And record labor shortages showed up -- including in construction, where pouring asphalt in summer heat or framing walls in winter chill drew few takers.
        Mexicans filled the gap. More than 4 million crossed the border during the 1990s, often illegally. By 2001, Hispanics -- 11% of all workers -- held 17.4% of construction jobs. That was up from 10.2% in 1992. Rising death rates followed. Construction-related accidents accounted for 31.5% of Hispanic fatalities in 2001, up from 20.3% in 1992, according to data from OSHA, the Labor Department unit responsible for workplace safety. In the New York case pursued by Morgenthau, the five workers were killed at an office building undergoing renovation. Morgenthau said an improperly built, 13-story scaffolding weighing 90,000 pounds collapsed on a crew of 20. The victims, ages 19 to 40, were crushed or died of asphyxia. Most of the workers were illegal immigrants from Mexico and South America who were paid $7 an hour in cash, prosecutors said -- below the $11.15 national median paid to many such laborers.
        Overwhelmed regulators. The number of OSHA inspectors has not kept pace with employment growth, especially in the highly fragmented construction industry. It has more firms than any sector but retailing. That means OSHA cannot always make sure workers are getting proper training. Lack of such training was the problem last March, according to OSHA public documents, when Mexican immigrant Miguel Paramo, 33, died saving his brother at a residential construction site south of Tampa.
        ''What's most troubling,'' OSHA chief John Henshaw said after Alvarez's death, is that three of the four deaths involved trenching work. ''These tragedies could have been avoided, and these workers would be alive today had their employer provided basic protection.'' For many companies, it is cheaper to pay the fines.
        Fear and weak language skills. Many Hispanic construction workers don't report unsafe working conditions because they are scared of losing jobs, says Michele Waslin, an immigration analyst at the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil-rights group. About 57% of the USA's about 1.1 million Hispanic construction workers are illegal immigrants, says the Pew Hispanic Center, a non-profit. The GAO estimates there are 260,000 such workers, although it says that figure is probably too low. They often can't speak or read English, and some aren't proficient in their own language, giving them few job options, the GAO found. That also contributes to their rising fatality rates when supervisors don't speak Spanish well enough to explain safety procedures, warn workers of imminent danger or understand workers' warnings of possible danger, says John Mayo, dean of Georgetown University's business school.
        Few remedies in sight. There is little chance for a big reversal in Hispanic fatality rates anytime soon, according to Mayo and other safety experts. Even the cooling economy, which tamped down construction, hasn't helped. The number of Hispanic workplace deaths rose 9.3% in 2001 from 2000 -- the third-biggest year-over-year gain since 1992.
To see more of USAToday.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.usatoday.com

Mexican radio soap prepares immigrants for trips to the U.S.

by Ricardo Sandoval, The Dallas Morning News via O.C. Register, 3-7-03

        MEXICO CITY - After listening to the first harrowing episodes of the radio soap opera Tortillas Duras, Maribel Trejo was so shaken by the experience of the fictional migrants that she swore off following her family, neighbors and friends who have gone to the United States.
Leonardo Gómez, an artisan in the Indian village of Bondho, in rural Hidalgo state, also heard those shows. He felt compelled to offer his experiences so others who make the journey north can be better prepared than he was.
        Those were the reactions Enrique Romero was hoping for when he converted his professional diary into the book Tortillas Duras: Ni Pa' Frijoles Alcanza -- which roughly translates to ``hard tortillas, not even good enough for beans.''* The title is a play on a Mexican phrase describing bad luck, and Romero saw many a Mexican migrant engulfed by hard times when he served as a Mexican consular bureaucrat in California and Florida.
        After he spent $10,000 to publish the book on his own, it sold out in six months and his bosses in Mexico's Foreign Ministry took notice. They liked Romero's message so much that they converted his cautionary tales about migrant life into a dramatic radio series that has won praise from migrants and would-be migrants in test airings in Hidalgo state.
        ''I saw worse and worse conditions for migrants on the avenues of Los Angeles and in Orlando, so I just started typing out these histories, based on the people I saw and their experiences,'' said Romero, 44, now an official in the Mexican consular office in Ciudad Guzman, just across the southern Mexican border in Guatemala. ``What struck me was the rhythm of the migration to the United States: One by one they come to a new life, after selling it all in Mexico, and that's where the deception begins.''
        What's attractive about the radio show, said would-be migrants who have listened, is the authoritative voices of characters who deal with real-life threats of people smugglers, unfamiliar health risks such as tuberculosis and AIDS, treacherous desert crossings, and even fellow migrants who prey on naive newcomers.
        Romero not only saw all of this through the eyes of a consular bureaucrat, he actually walked the walk. Romero spent much of his early life in Pacoima, in southern California, as a legal immigrant, and studied in American public schools before returning to Mexico for a college degree in international studies.
        It was that familiarity with migrant life -- and a desire to help fellow migrants -- that led Romero into Mexico's diplomatic corps. ''I'd been in their shoes, and I started out thinking I would be some kind of Superman or Spiderman, dedicated to righting all the wrongs committed on migrants,'' Romero said in a telephone interview. ``But over time, I got more and more doses of reality -- that migrant life today is more difficult than it was when we moved to Pacoima. I was frustrated that I could not do more for them.''
       Romero's desire to help migrants will not be wasted, said a confident Melba Pria, director of the Foreign Ministry's Institute for Mexicans Abroad, which sponsored the book's conversion to a radio novella. Tortillas Duras marks the first time the Mexican government has delved into the world of popular soap opera to reach millions of people who might be contemplating the often dangerous and illegal journey north.
        It's another in a recent string of pro-migrant decisions by the administration of President Vicente Fox, which Pria said has reversed a decades-old government tradition of benign neglect of migrant issues. ''As a government, we must start talking about the reality of migration,'' Pria said. ``It is a complex reality; that's what we want to relay to them, and through the radio medium help them sort out even simple things, like where to go to have a baby.''
        The Foreign Ministry chose radio as the medium for Tortillas Duras because it is the cheapest and most effective communications tool in rural Mexico, where most potential migrants live. The mountain villages of Hidalgo were selected as a test market for the radio novella because the indigenous villages have been yielding so many new job-seeking migrants in recent years.
        "There are whole families for whom this phenomenon of migration is new, and who are seeing their children end up working in cities whose names they can't even pronounce," said Gustavo Flores, an anthropologist who doubles as a program director for Radio Cardonal. After reading the book, Pria was convinced that it could help dissuade some people from going north, or at least offer them advice if they choose to ignore the risks and go anyway.

(HispanicVista editor made the following comment in their 3-3-03 posting. Mr. Sandoval errs in his interpretation of the meaning of the title of the book: “Tortillas Duras: Ni Pa’ Frijoles Alcanza.” – what the title makes reference to is – “Tortillas Duras” (hard tortillas) are tortillas that have become hard from aging and are purchased much cheaper than freshly made tortillas – the “Ni Pa’ Frijoles Alcanza” – means that there isn’t enough money left to buy beans after paying for the hard tortillas – the “Pa’ is an abbreviated way of using ‘para’ (for) such abbreviated words are used by poor rural and urban people and in vogue with the more educated when imitating or stressing a point.)

Extract: National Council of La Raza and Citigroup announce partnership

       New York, NY--(HISPANIC PR WIRE - BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 2003--Citigroup today announced a $105 million strategic partnership with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). The core component of this partnership is a commitment to provide up to $100 million to finance the creation of affordable housing and community facilities, including single-family homes, multi-family rental housing, schools, and job training, child and health care centers located in Hispanic neighborhoods and/or serving Hispanic populations. NCLR is the largest -organization representing Hispanics in the U.S. with more than 300 affiliate members that together serve individuals in 39 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
        Citigroup's investment commitment is accompanied by a $5 million grant from the Citigroup Foundation to support NCLR's community development initiatives in Hispanic neighborhoods. Funds from the grant will be used to expand the capacity of NCLR's community development subsidiary, the Raza Development Fund, and transform it into the country's first national Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) dedicated to increasing investment in low-income Hispanic neighborhoods.
              "Thanks to this historic partnership with Citigroup, we will be able to expand NCLR's reach into the community - increasing the magnitude of our development work to such an extent that we could impact the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Latinos throughout the country. We are deeply grateful to Citigroup for their commitment and vision," stated Raul Yzaguirre, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza. Citibank Community Development, a member of Citigroup, will administer the $100 million investment commitment. In 2002, Citibank Community Development loaned and invested more than $1.1 billion in low- and moderate-income communities across the U.S.

Extract: Mexican-Born Treasurer Becomes U.S. Icon
By Jeannine Aversa, Associated Press Writer, White House - AP Cabinet & State Newsletter

WASHINGTON - If money is power, Rosario Marin has a whole lot of it. It's not her own cash, actually, but the nation's. As treasurer of the United States, the Mexican-born Marin sits atop the money heap, overseeing the makers of America's greenbacks and its coins — the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint.
        Marin's is not a household name, but her autograph, along with that of the treasury secretary, is carried on billions of U.S. notes, tucked inside the wallets and pocketbooks of many Americans. The treasurer and the treasury secretary are the only two people who get to put their signatures on U.S. dollars. For Marin, who came to the United States from Mexico at 14 unable to speak English, it has been an amazing journey, with unexpected twists and turns.
        As the nation's 41st treasurer, and the first born outside the United States, the 44-year-old Marin is the highest-ranking Latin American woman in the Bush administration and a key player in the administration's efforts to reach out to Hispanic voters, the fastest-growing bloc. She is being floated as a possible Republican contender for a Senate seat from California in 2004.
        "My dad was a factory worker. My mom used to help him by sewing at home. We had a two-room house in Mexico," Marin said in a recent interview. "There were five kids." A sixth child was born after the family moved to California. Going to college at night and working during the day at a bank, Marin planned a career in business. "I was going to be the owner of my own bank," she said. "I had plans. I knew what my future was going to be."
        But those plans changed with the birth of her first son, Eric, in 1985. He was born with Down Syndrome. Marin said she stopped working on a master's in business administration, quit her job at the bank, and she and her husband, Alex, sold their house. "It was that turning point in my life," she said. She eventually decided she wanted to help people with disabilities and their families. Her political career began when she went to work for GOP California Gov. Pete Wilson in 1992 in the Department of Developmental Disabilities. She held various posts in Wilson's administration for nearly seven years.
        Marin first crossed paths with George W. Bush when he was governor of Texas and she the Republican mayor of Huntington Park, Calif., a heavily Democratic city that is largely Hispanic. She worked as an unpaid volunteer for Bush's presidential campaign. After Bush won the presidency, Marin said she was floored when he tapped her to be treasurer. Glad in a green and black suit — similar to the colors on U.S. dollars — and wearing coin jewelry from the U.S. Mint, Marin joked that she did not know much about the treasurer's duties. But she knew her name would appear on greenbacks, and she had an aim for the job: Promote financial literacy.
        "I felt I would have the bully pulpit to go out there and do as much as I could to educate America about personal finances," Marin said. And she has, in countless speeches since taking office in the summer of 2001. Marin is especially passionate about educating the poor — a group most likely to pay excessive interest rates on loans. She has worked to try to get lower-income people and others into the banking system, helping them to set up savings and checking accounts. Treasury officials estimate that one in 10 American households are in the ranks of "unbanked."
        Mike Madrid, a political consultant at the San Antonio firm Guerra DeBerry Coody, wants Marin to run for the Senate from California in 2004, taking on incumbent Barbara Boxer. It's a race he acknowledges would be an uphill battle given the Democratic Party's stronghold, and would be expensive. Madrid said Marin was well received when she recently spoke at the California GOP convention. "She has extremely high name recognition in the Hispanic community and that is a natural edge," Madrid said. "People reach in their wallets, pull out dollar bills and look for her name." As to her own political aspirations, Marin is noncommital. "I am incredibly flattered," she said. "But it is something that I have not sought."
        Marin remembers her reluctance to come to the United States, worried she would miss her "quinceanera" party, a rite of passage for a girl turning 15. She didn't. Her parents took her back to Mexico to celebrate with family and friends. "It rained ... my dress was all muddy," but she was still thrilled, Marin recalled. "One of my little dreams had come true."
On the Net: Treasury Department (news - web sites): http://www.ustreas.gov/

Extract: Effort to help illegal immigrants get driver's licenses draws protest
Opponents raise issue of terrorism; supporters say bill would aid workers
By Ivan Penn, Baltimore Sun Staff, 3-6-03

        A proposal to help undocumented immigrants in Maryland obtain their driver's licenses came under fire yesterday because of concerns the measure could make it easier for terrorists to acquire identification from the state. Family members of Sept. 11 victims and other opponents of the bill launched a campaign against the legislation in a news conference and during a packed hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.
        "This is a situation that is intolerable," said Wilton A. Sekzer, a board member of the 911 Families for a Secure America who lost his son in the World Trade Center attack, during the morning news conference. "Why are we making it comfortable for illegal aliens to come here?"
The proposal comes at an interesting time. Lawmakers in Virginia recently passed legislation to toughen regulations for acquiring licenses. The legislation in Virginia is awaiting the governor's signature.
        Latino activists in Maryland have made this legislation one of their top priorities this year, saying it affects many people in their community who are unable to legally drive - hurting their employment prospects. Such workers have lived in Maryland for years but do not have legal status to remain in the state or the country, and dozens filled the hearing room yesterday in support of the bill.
        Proponents want the state to allow Maryland residents - including those who do not have legal status or documentation to support their legal status - to be able to receive driver's licenses by using certified foreign documents from their native countries. The documents would include foreign birth certificates, passports, military documents or national identification cards. Driver's licenses, supporters argue, would help ensure motorists are trained and driving with insurance. In addition, they would serve as identification for law enforcement, contributing to public safety.
        "It's not a 9/11. It's not terrorism," said Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, a Montgomery County Democrat. "All immigrants are not terrorists."
Denise Hammond, a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, told the committee that the country depends on undocumented residents to support the economy. Since this class of immigrants continues to live in Maryland's communities, Hammond said she believes it would help national security to have each person on record.

http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-md.hispanics06mar06,0,1226910.story
Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun
EDITOR'S NOTE: Maryland Bill number is HB 838, online at:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2003rs/billfile/hb0838.htm

For Millions of Latinos, Race Is a Flexible Concept
Extract by Raul Damas Raul@OpinionesLatinas.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-latino11mar11001504,
1,884221.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

National 2000 census figures captured a deep ambivalence about race among Latinos. Nearly 15 million -- 42% of the total -- declined to identify themselves as white, black or any specific race and instead picked "some other race," a relatively new category. Demographers classify Latinos as an ethnic group, not a race. On the 2000 census form, respondents were given the option of choosing multiple ethnic and racial categories. Thus, people who identified their ethnicity as Latino could also indicate a racial background, choosing among a range of options. Because many Latinos are of mixed racial ancestry, they do not fit easily into the rigidly defined racial categories used throughout
most of U.S. history. Those distinctions are further blurred for millions of Latinos whose ancestral cultures treat race as a flexible concept, social scientists say. And in the United States, some Latinos
who also have African heritage may describe themselves as "white" because they fear the discrimination that comes with being identified as black. In this country, many people believe that any quantity of African ancestry makes a person black, but in Latin America it's not quite like that. "In Latin America, the 'one drop rule' doesn't work at all," said Silvia Pedraza, a University of Michigan sociologist. "The way people define race is by appearance. If you came out looking white, you are
white.

Extract:
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Partners with the Bush Administration to Provide Local Chambers with Direct Link to Administration and Cabinet Officials.

WASHINGTON--(HISPANIC PR WIRE - BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2003--Today, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) announced a collaboration to host a series of regional town hall conference calls with the White House.
        The calls will give cabinet members and senior officials from the Bush Administration the opportunity to speak directly with USHCC's local chamber membership. This is the continuation of various joint efforts between the Bush Administration and USHCC, the nation's preeminent organization that represents the interests of more than 1.2 million Hispanic businesses.
        George Herrera, USHCC President and Chief Executive Officer, at an exclusive White House briefing held as part of the USHCC's 13th Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, DC this week, made the announcement. Hispanic chamber presidents, business leaders, entrepreneurs and corporate America were in the audience. This collaboration further underscores the standing and recognition of the USHCC as the leading business organization in the country working
on behalf of the Hispanic business community. The first of the regional conference calls will be held in April and every other month thereafter.
      The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of more than 1.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States and Puerto Rico, which earn more than $200 billion annually. It serves as the umbrella organization for more than 130 local Hispanic chambers nationwide, and it actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs. For more information about the USHCC and to register for the 13th Annual Legislative
Conference, visit http://www.ushcc.com. Maria Ibanez, 202/639-4396 or 202/842-1212

WePledge.com is securing ten million signatures for the Constitutional Amendment to save the Pledge of Allegiance and our National Motto. This would be the most people to sign a petition in history! Help save our Pledge of Allegiance and National Motto! Please sign the petition and forward it on to others. For more information, go to www.wepledge.com Thanks (and pass it on).

World Congress of Families Update, Online! "Children Feeling Down"
http://www.worldcongress.org/WCFUpdate/wcf_update.htm
Copyright 2000 The Howard Center, All rights reserved
======================================================
World Congress of Families Update, Online!
11 March 2003
Volume 04 Issue 10
A Free Email Newsletter
======================================================
This Week’s Topic: Children Feeling Down
Family Archives:
Family Fact of the Week: Suicide
Family Quote of the Week: Depressed Teens
Family Research Abstract of the Week: In a Down Mood
Special Offers: What you can do to help the "natural family".
Back Issues: http://www.worldcongress.org/WCFUpdate/wcf_update_archive.htm

Family Fact of the Week: Suicide
Suicide is the number three cause of death among children aged 10 to 19.
In the Year 2000, 1921 teenagers took their own lives. For the sub-group
aged 15 10 19, this accounted for 12 percent of the total deaths.
(Source: Robert N. Anderson, "Deaths: Leading Causes for 2000," National
Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No. 16, September 16, 2002, p.13;
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr50/nvsr50_16.pdf.)

Family Quote of the Week: Depressed Teens
"Four out of five parents say they are concerned about the problem of depression and suicide among teenagers. They believe this is both a public health and a public safety problem. Surprisingly, 90% of parents indicate they are confident in being able to tell if their child was depressed or
thinking about suicide. Yet, in reality, only one-third of teens with mental health problems are known to parents or any adult."
(Source: "National Initiative Launched for Early Detection of Teen
Depression and Suicide Risk," Columbia University TeenScreen Program and
the Positive Action for Teen Health (PATH) initiative, February 20, 2003;
http://teenscreen.org/resources/press1.html.)

For More Information:
The Howard Center and The World Congress of Families stock a number of pro-family books, including Day Care: Child Psychology and Adult Economics, edited by Dr. Bryce Christensen. Please visit The Howard Center Bookstore at http://www.profam.org/THC/thc_books.htm
or contact us at 1-800-461-3113 or mailto:books@profam.org
.
What you can do to help preserve the "natural family".
"Our objective is not to be your 'agent' in the fight for the natural family. We want to help you fight for yourselves — our job is to give you all of the ammunition you need to do it!" Click for information on how you can help: https://www.profam.org/thc/thc_join.htm

United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, INS Puts on a New Face ***
Sent by Ronald Monard monard@justice.com

On March 1, 2003, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service ("INS") functions was taken over by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as mandated by the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
Within the DHS, the INS' functions will be split up into different Bureaus. The INS' services or benefits function will become part of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services ("BCIS"). The INS' border protection and inspections functions will now be the responsibility of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection ("BCBP"). And, the INS' investigative and enforcement functions will now be the responsibility of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("BICE").
The changes (other than the name change) may not be immediately evident to the general public as the official forms and documents issued by the INS will continue to be valid and the BCIS' functions will be executed out of existing INS locations. Officials are promising that the split of
functions between the different Bureaus will greatly improve immigration services and benefits for the public.

Newspaper and Media Site
http://www.usnpl.com/
This is a fantastic site for doing U.S. history and connecting with hometown news.
This is just half of the California newspapers. . . . with email listings on the site
Sent by Johanna De Soto

Alameda Alameda Times-Star
Alturas Modoc County Record
Arcata The Arcata Eye
Arroyo Grande Times Press Recorder
Auburn Auburn Journal
Bakersfield Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield Bakersfield Guide
Barstow Desert Dispatch
Benicia Benicia News
Berkeley East Bay Express
Beverly Hills Weekly
Big Bear Lake Big Bear Grizzly
Blythe Palo Verde Valley Times
Blythe The Desert Independent
Carmel Carmel Pine Cone
Carmichael Carmichael Times Newspaper
Carpenteria Coastal View News
Chico Chico Enterprise-Record
Chico Chico Examiner
Chico News & Review
Clipper Mills Rabbit Creek Journal
Coalinga Coalinga's Own
Colfax Colfax Area Express
Costa Mesa Orange County Weekly
Crescent City The Daily Triplicate
Crestline Crestline Courier-News
Crestline Crestline Chronicle
Culver City Culver City News
Cupertino Cupertino Courier
Davis Davis Enterprise
Dixon Independent Voice
El Centro Imperial Valley Press Online
Elk Grove Elk Grove Citizen
Escondido North County Times
Eureka Times-Standard
Fairfield Daily Republic
Fall River Mills Mountain Echo
Felton Scotts Valley Banne
Folsom Folsom Telegraph
Fontana Fontana Herald News
Fort Bragg Fort Bragg Advocate-News
Fresno Fresno Bee
Galt The Galt Herald
Gilroy The Gilroy Dispatch

Grass Valley The Union
Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay Review
Hanford Sentinel
Hemet The Valley Chronicle
Hollister Free Lance
Hollister Pinnacle News
Huntington Beach Huntington Beach News
Idyllwild Idyllwild Town Crier
Irvine World News
Kingsburg Kingsburg Recorder
La Canada La Canada Valley Sun
Lake Arrowhead Mountain News
Lake Isabella Kern Valley Sun
Lakeport Lake County Record-Bee
Livermore The Independent
Lodi Lodi News-Sentinel
Lompoc Record
Lone Pine The Advocate
Long Beach Grunion Gazette
Long Beach The Press-Telegram
Lompoc Lompoc Record
Los Angeles City News Los Angeles
Los Angeles Investor's Business Daily
Los Angeles Jewish Observer
Los Angeles La Opinion
Los Angeles L.A. Weekly
Los Angeles Los Angeles Downtown News
Los Angeles Los Angeles Times
Los Banos Los Banos Enterprise
Los Gatos Los Gatos Daily News
Los Gatos Los Gatos Weekly-Times
Madera Madera Tribune
Malibu Malibu Times
Mammoth Lake Mammoth Times
Manteca Manteca Bulletin
Marina del Rey The Argonaut
Marysville Appeal-Democrat
Mendocino The Mendocino Beacon
Menlo Park The Almanac
Merced Merced Sun-Star
Modesto Modesto Bee
Monterey Monterey County Herald
Morgan Hill Morgan Hill Times
Mount Shasta Mount Shasta Herald

"35 years after walkouts, little has changed for Latino students"

by Carlos Muñoz Jr.

        Thirty-five years ago, on March 3, 1968, as a college student activist, I joined more than 1,000 Mexican-American students who walked out of Abraham Lincoln High School in East Los Angeles. We were later joined by several thousand more students who walked out of three other predominantly Mexican-American high schools. By the end of the week, more than 10,000 had participated in the walkouts.
        Our purpose was to peacefully protest the racism and educational inequality Mexican-American youth faced in public schools. Students marched through the streets of Los Angeles for a week and a half and used civil disobedience to disrupt the nation's largest public school system. We were delighted when students from the predominantly African-American Thomas Jefferson High School in South Central Los Angeles also walked out in solidarity with us.
        We did not know it at the time, but in terms of numbers, the walkouts were the first major dramatic protest against racism ever staged by Mexican Americans in the history of the United States. It was carried out in the non-violent protest tradition of the Southern civil-rights movement. Its historical significance was similar to the 1960 black student sit-ins in Greensboro, N.C.
        Whereas the Greensboro student protest fueled the flames of the civil-rights struggle in the South, the Los Angeles walkouts signaled the beginnings of the Mexican-American civil-rights movement -- which came to be known as the Chicano movement -- throughout the Southwestern United States.
        Three months after the high-school walkouts, 13 organizers of the walkouts were indicted for conspiracy to "willfully disturb the peace and quiet" of the City of Los Angeles.
        I was a first-year graduate student and was the president of my campus chapter of the United Mexican American Students. I was arrested in the early morning hours when I was hard at work on a term paper due for one of my graduate seminars. I have never forgotten the trauma that my family and I were forced to endure that day. The imprisonment I experienced after my arrest was equally traumatic. When I was in jail, my attorney told me that each of us faced 66 years in prison if convicted of the conspiracy charges. It took two years for our conspiracy case to be decided by the California State Appellate Court.
        The court finally ruled that the 13 of us were innocent of the conspiracy charges by virtue of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I remain eternally grateful that we have an amendment granting us the right of freedom of speech. If that amendment did not exist, I could still be in prison today instead of teaching at the University of California, Berkeley.
        The Chicano movement opened doors for equal opportunity in higher education to youth previously systematically excluded from those institutions. Chicano Studies, for example, produced a generation of activist intellectuals and professionals deeply committed to playing a role in the struggle against racism in our society.
        But the walkouts and the Chicano movement they ignited did not, however, eliminate Latino educational in-equality.
        According to the recent Census report, 30 percent of Latino youth drop out of high school -- compared to 8 percent of white students and 12 percent of blacks. In some inner-city school districts, the drop-out rates for Latinos are even higher. And the majority of Latino students who are fortunate to graduate from high school are not eligible for college admission because they have been academically ill equipped.
        In California, Gov. Davis has cut the education budget by millions of dollars. His priority has been to build more prisons instead of more and better schools. At the national level, President Bush remains out of touch with the needs of Latino youth in the public schools in spite of proclaiming himself the "Education President" during his presidential campaign. Federal funding for public schools is grossly inadequate to meet those needs. He has yet to allocate funding for the development of a multicultural curriculum that can make the Latino experience -- and that of other people of color - an integral component of public schooling. His priority is war.
        The time has come for another round of student strikes against educational inequality. This time, however, Latino and other students of color must place the issue in the context of a struggle not only against racism but also against militarism and the prison-industrial complex.
        Dr. Carlos Muñoz Jr. is the author of "Youth, Identity, Power: The Chicano Movement" (Verso Press, 1989), which won the Gustavous Myers book award for outstanding scholarship on a subject of human rights in the Americas. He is also professor emeritus in the Department of Ethnic Studies at U.C. Berkeley.

[[ Editor: Conference information was sent too late for me to include in the March issue, but I wanted to share the fact that it occurred.]]

Commemorative Conference Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the East L.A. High School Walkouts:
"The Past, Present, and Future of Chicanos and Latinos in Education" was held Saturday March 22, 2003 CSULB University Student Union http://www.csulb.edu/~avazque4/program/munozletter.html

Conference co-chairs: Armando Vazquez-Ramos and Marisol Moreno. Keynote Address: Sal Castro
The program included Chicano!: "Taking Back the Schools" Film Screening

Historical Panel:
1968 East Los Angeles Walk Outs: Celebrating and Reflecting Its Impact On The Chicano Movement and Education. Moderator: Monte Perez, National Hispanic University Provost
Panelists: Moctezuma Esparza, Film Producer
Jesús Treviño, Film Producer
Vahac Mardirosian, Asociacion de Padres Universitarios
Vicki Castro, Hollenbeck Junior High School Principal
Jorge Rodríguez, Union Organizer
Susan Racho, Film Producer
Afternoon Contemporary Panel:
The Present and Future of Chicano/Latino Education, Empowerment and Social Justice.
Moderator: Armando Vazquez-Ramos
Panelists: Luis A. Carrillo, Civil Rights Attorney
Henry Gutierrez, SJSU Professor
Blanca Castañeda, CSULA Graduate Student
Jesús Ventura, Santa Ana College MEChA
Yuri Lara, High School Student Leader
Action workshops were facilitated by a moderator and four panelists.
Workshop #1 The Crisis of Higher Education: Consequences for Chicanos and Latinos in California
Workshop #2 The Chicano/Latino Movement in the 21st Century:
Workshop #3 The Unfulfilled Promise:
Workshop #4 Local, State and National Policies

Hispanic History Committee
Rancho Los Cerritos
cordially invites you to attend a meeting on
Wednesday, April 16, 2003, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Purpose: Discuss the formation of an RLC Hispanic History Committee
and discuss potential projects.

Rancho Los Cerritos, 4600 Virginia Road, Long Beach
Please RSVP your attendance to (562) 570-1755

April 21st deadline: Journalist Fellowship at USC
USC Annenberg's Institute for Justice and Journalism is pleased to announce
its 2003 California Fellowships program.
Sent by Ana Carricchi ACarricchi@prfaa.com

        Supported by a grant from the James Irvine Foundation, California Fellowships will be awarded to 15 journalists from general audience and community-focused media throughout California to support exemplary journalism about social justice issues shaped by the state's racial and ethnic diversity. The institute is seeking a mix of print, television, radio and Web journalists who would use what they learn from the fellowships to bring depth and context to stories about issues such as affirmative
action, the Racial Classification Initiative and treatment of immigrants.
         The California Fellows will participate in a series of programs from June 16, 2003 to October 4, 2003, and publish or broadcast story projects by the end of the year.
        Additional information and application materials for the California Fellowships are attached and available at the Institute for Justice and Journalism's website at http://www.justicejournalism.org
or by e-mail ijj@usc.edu
.
Institute for Justice and Journalism,
USC Annenberg School for Communication
3800 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles CA 90037-1206
Tel: (213) 743-4994
Fax: (213) 743-4985
http://www.justicejournalism.org

Latinologues!

Hello, I would like to invite you down to come check out Latinologues playing at the Coronet Theatre (366 N. La Cienega Blvd- 1 block north of Beverly) Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights though May 3, 2003 at 8pm sharp. Latinologues is made up of 11 different monologues a weekend out of 50. These monologues consist of the wildest interpretations of the Latino culture. Come get your daily dose of comedy, drama, and Latinos all in one. With stars like Paul Saucido (LATV Live!), Tricia Cruz (LATV Live!), Fernando Carrillo (Various Spanish novellas), Rene Lavan (Various Spanish novellas), and many, many more this play is a must see. For more information or to buy tickets please go to http://www.coronet-theatre.com or http://www.ticketmaster.com .
Also feel free to contact me at any time at: Mobile: 909.538.7259 MoniqueSophiaPR

Eastside Monthly Source: LatinoLA, Sent by Anthony Garcia

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030310/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/marin_s_money_6
A new print magazine that covers art, music, culture, and politics on the east side of Los Angeles county. We have an initial circulation of 40,000, to be distributed for free on college campuses and inside record stores, book stores, coffeehouses, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. Our area includes Pasadena, Long Beach, Watts, Covina, Downey, Compton, Pomona, East LA (including Boyle Heights/Lincoln Park/Highland Park/Chinatown), Hawaiian Gardens, Whittier, San Pedro, etc. We're looking to cover artists, personalities, and events that either have a local connection or will be of interest to our urban, college educated readers. Contact info: EASTSIDE MONTHLY, PO Box 40392 Downey, CA 90239, phone/fax (562) 803- 0321, jen@eastsidemonthly.com

Southern California Vital Records, Vol 1: Los Angeles County 1850-1859
http://www.generationspress.com/lavitals.html Sent by Johanna De Soto

Available for the First Time Ever! A New, Comprehensive Index to:
Early Los Angeles Vital Records!
Southern California Vital Records
Volume 1: Los Angeles County 1850-1859
This volume presents something never before available -- a detailed index to birth, marriage and death records in Los Angeles County at a time when there were no public birth or death records. Data on almost 8,000 events has been compiled from 26 different public and private sources in seven different repositories. The sources can be grouped into nine basic record types:

Public marriage records. . . Church records. . . Probate records . . . Censuses . . . Cemetery records
Newspaper announcements . . . Local histories . . . Personal memoirs . . . "Who's Who" books

This groundbreaking work is the first volume in a series which will eventually cover Los Angeles County from 1850 to 1889, a period in which the public recording of vital records was incomplete. Each successive volume will cover one decade. Volume 1 includes data on Orange County, which was then still part of Los Angeles County, and parts of Kern, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Data in the first volume was compiled over a three-year period by the author, Ted Gostin, a professional genealogist in Los Angeles with over 20 years experience researching Los Angeles County records.

View Sample Pages from Each Chapter -- Births, Marriages and Deaths
There are separate chapters for Births & Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths and Burials. Each chapter has introductory comments, followed by the indexes themselves. Each index is presented in tables on two facing pages. Information on the participants in the event is presented on the left-hand page, while dates, source information and comments are presented on the right-hand page. Entries are numbered consecutively and record numbers are presented on both pages, making it easy to track one record from the left-hand to right-hand page. The birth and death indexes are presented in single, alphabetical lists, while marriages are presented in two alphabetical lists, one for both brides and grooms. Samples of birth, marriage, and death index pages.

Los Angeles County Raises Fees on Birth, Death Certificates
Source: Los Angeles Times, January 2, 2003

       On January 1, 2003 Los Angeles County officials began charging $2 more for birth and death certificates. The cost to get a certified copy of a birth record from the recorder/county clerk will be $18. A death record will be $13, officials said. Local officials will sue 35 cents of the $2 fee increase to protect against fraudulent use of birth and death records.   The state registrar will use the rest to fund a statewide database. For more information, call 562-462-2137
        There is a Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder District Office located at 11701 S. La Cienega Blved. - 6th Floor, Inglewood, CA 90304 or phone 310-727-6142, records may be ordered and paid for there, copies will be sent by U.S. Mail.
        Source: California African American Genealogical Society, Vol. 15, No. 2, February 2003

A Voice For All Students: Organization helps East Los Angeles youth take power
A & EComunidadHollywoodPeople¡Exprésate!CareersAdd a StoryAdd an Event

By Maria Brenes | Web Published 2.13.2003

Thirty years ago, thousands of high school students in East Los Angeles gained the attention of the nation by walking out of their schools in protest of poor quality education, under-resourced school conditions and racist curriculum. In 1968, the student organizers built a student movement that shut down the Los Angeles Unified School District and led to winning of concrete changes, such as the implementation of Chicano Studies and bilingual education. But above the school reform gains, the 1968 ‘blowouts’ activated a legacy of struggle for educational justice by students in East Los Angeles public high schools that continues today.
        In the spirit of the 1968 student movement, Youth Organizing Communities (YOC) continues the work of organizing high school students to build student power with the aim of radically transforming the quality of public education in East Los Angeles and in California. YOC operates on the belief that the most impacted by society’s neglect of public institutions must be at the forefront of changing under-resourced conditions.
        Building Youth Power   The campus-based organizations, coordinated by Youth Organizing Communities at Garfield and Roosevelt high schools named United Students (US), are organizing to mobilize the student bodies around school change campaigns.
        Roosevelt High School is currently the largest high school in the nation, with a student population of 5300. The student populations at Roosevelt and Garfield combined add up to approximately 11,000. Los Angeles public high schools are so overcrowded that classes at many high schools are conducted all year long with ‘tracks’ of students attending at different times. Understaffing of student support services, particularly the low ratio between guidance counselors and students, exacerbates the poor quality of education.
        "They need to give us the knowledge to go to college, not to track us into low-wage labor or prison," states Nancy Meza a sophomore and member of United Students at Garfield. The work of US at Garfield and Roosevelt aims to improve education by re-defining student achievement based on graduation rates and University of California and Cal State University eligibility rates. The US definition for student achievement challenges the existing notion that test scores alone measure achievement.
        Current statistics on students not completing their schooling at Garfield and Roosevelt are alarming. Approximately 550 students disappear from Roosevelt every academic school year. Disappearing students do not graduate much less go on to attend higher education. California is shifting priorities from investing in education into the growing prison industry. Among all states, California is currently ranked 41st in education spending and 1st in prison spending. The majority of young people disappearing from Roosevelt are entering low wage labor, joining the military, or becoming part of the increasing incarcerated population. Roosevelt and Garfield High Schools are tragic examples of a trend in California public education where young people of color are tracked into the lowest level of society’s socioeconomic hierarchy.
        To combat this increasing trend United Students at Roosevelt High School is currently engaged in a school change campaign to promote college preparation for all students, challenge punitive disciplinary policies, and raise awareness of a need for culturally relevant curriculum.
        Salvador Sepulveda, a senior at Roosevelt and member of United Students states that "the current education at Roosevelt does not help students; compared to suburban schools, inner city schools don’t care about the students." Salvador’s statement reflects a sentiment from students of color that they are being short-changed by society. United Students has articulated their specific demands for changing Roosevelt under the ‘United Students Plan for Roosevelt High School.’
        The US Plan is setting an important precedence for students to win educational justice in East Los Angeles high schools. The US led mobilization of students is working to pressure educators and policy makers to implement policies that provide well-resourced opportunities for students to be eligible for entering into the California public university systems. US has organized meetings between school officials and Roosevelt students, including a student forum that provided an opportunity for students to present their concerns and solutions. The student power building strategy work of US has resulted in concrete gains for Roosevelt students. This November US won significant parts of the student demands, such as the implementation of two Mexican American Studies classes, the addition of two more guidance counselors, and the elimination of the tardy room. Erika Uribe a junior and member of United
        Students at Roosevelt describes her view of US wins, "when I got involved I thought that United Students could do something to change our school and it did." When asked what the next steps for US should be, Erika responded, "more students need to become aware and involved, and I plan to help in that, education is so unfair here but United Students can fight to better the lives of young people in our community."
        Future work Lester Garcia, site organizer for Roosevelt High School United Students, describes his view of the type of organization United Students is working to become: "A voice for all students and the community to demand change from the educational system, where they can have their voice heard and be leaders in making our vision of educational justice a reality." United Students plans to continue to be the vehicle of change at Roosevelt and Garfield and to expand to other East Los Angeles high schools, so that communities make public education accountable to future generations.

Maria Brenes is the Director for Youth Organizing Communities, a project of InnerCity Struggle. InnerCity Struggle organizes youth and families in Boyle Heights and the surrounding areas of East Los Angeles to work toward economic and social justice.

© 1999-2003 LatinoCities, Inc. | 10811 Washington Blvd., Suite 400, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 213-688-7695 | Fax: 603-805-8112 | Email: info@latinola.com
Please submit your requests for listings in our Calendar here, and feature stories here.

1st Annual Mi Son Cubano Festival
May 4: Queen Mary Special Events Park, Long Beach, CA
Food, entertainment, rides, dancing!
Admission: Ages 15 and up $15. Ages 10-14 $5., Ages 9 and under FREE
HabanaPromotions@aol.com econsabor@yahoo.com 818-841-2231
Ariel Castillo: 310-212-5170 Manolo San Martin: 888-600-5090

Cejas, a Success Story

The Cejas represent a success story: Immigrant farm laborers who once fought the heat of summer and the cold of winter to cultivate and harvest other people's wine grapes now have their own vineyards and their own wine label. About 50 years ago, Pablo Ceja was a bracer working the vineyards, orchards and fields of California and winters in Michoacán, he packed up Juanita and their eight children, and in 1967 settled in St. Helena. there the entire family, including two more children born after their arrival, found work in vineyards and wineries.

        In 1983, Pablo, Juanita and their children pooled their resources to buy 15 acres of sloping rangeland in the gently rolling Carneros, known more for sheep than grapes. The Cejas had the land, but not the capital to do anything with it. By 1986, however, they'd worked out a novel deal with the up-valley, sparkling wine house Domaine Chandon. The winery gave them cuttings to plant their vineyard; in exchange, the Cejas gave Chandon grapes off the maturing vines. "They basically financed our vines, and we paid tem back with fruit in or fourth year, " said son Armando.
        Today the Cejas own 113 acres for vineyard. Other than contracting with seasonal help, the two couples do virtually all the work themselves, from pruning vines to selling wines. Amelia is the president of Ceja Vineyards, Martha the vice president. Both brothers continue to hold outside jobs. Their logo is a bell, symbol of the family's early history as teamsters, and an echo of the village bells that alert and call residents of Mexican towns.
       "It's been a group effort all along, Individually, we couldn't do this. It's our great good fortune to work with each other. That's the great secret, the ability to work together," says Pedro. Most of all the brothers credit their mother's insistence on sticking together, supporting each other and getting an education. Eight have at least some college education.
Source: The Sacramento Bee, April 17, 2002
Sent by Cindy LoBuglio

PERSPECTIVE ON LATINOS . . . . Fifty-five years ago today
A Landmark Little Noted--Until Today; Children of Mexican heritage were segregated until a federal court order was won against Orange County schools.

The Los Angeles Times Commentary Apr 14, 1997 (Copyright LATimes)
CHRISTOPHER J. ARRIOLA
Sent by author of the article.

        Most people do not realize that it was common practice to segregate Mexican Americans in the schools and in society at large throughout California. Fifty years ago today, a landmark court decision ended this atrocity.
        The inequities of discrimination evolved along with the slowly deteriorating status of Mexican Americans after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, when Mexico surrendered California to the United States, and from the basic unfairness of many American institutions that until then had been seen only in the South and the cities of the Northeast. These institutions were transplanted to California after the Gold Rush of 1849. But the real troubles surfaced around 1910 when Anglo communities in Southern and Central California began to encounter larger numbers of Mexicans. The new immigrants were attracted by the booming citrus industry or driven north by civil unrest in Mexico, and the deeply rooted Californian Mexican American population multiplied to three times its size by the 1920s. California now was confronted with what was termed "the Mexican problem" (sound familiar?).
        Common reactions to the "problem" involved some form of segregation in practice, if not in law: housing on the "Mexican side of town"; "Mexican seats" in movie theaters and "Mexican days" at the public swimming pools--usually on the day the pool was to be drained and cleaned. But perhaps the most tragic and painful form of segregation was in public education.
        In every California community with a sizable Mexican American population, schools were segregated; sometimes it was just a "Mexican" room, but most commonly each district had an identified "Mexican" school. The Orange County superintendent of schools even denoted each designated school with the word "Mexican" in parenthesis in his annual reports.
        Southern California had created a segregated agrarian society based on citrus and Mexican American labor much the same as the South had created a cotton society with the work of African Americans. This "citrus society" persisted until World War II, when a group of common men and women with an uncommon American spirit decided to fight the system they saw as unjust. They fought not for themselves, but rather for that which strikes passion in all parents: their children's future.
        In Orange County, Gonzalo Mendez, a tenant farmer in Westminster, and a group of Mexican American World War II veterans asked a fundamental question about their communities: If we are good enough to fight and die alongside Anglos, then why are my children not good enough to attend the same schools as their children? Early in 1945, They filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles against four Orange County school districts--Westminster, Santa Ana, Garden Grove and El Modena (now eastern Orange)--seeking an injunction that would order their schools' integration.
        Two years later, despite resistance by the school districts, a great deal of effort by community organizers and a tremendous amount of personal time and money expended by the Mendez family, school segregation was no more in California. The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled on April 14, 1947, that school districts could not segregate on the basis of national origin--that is, that the authorities could not make children go to separate, even if equal, schools simply because they were of Mexican descent.
        The case had an impact on American life beyond the "citrus society." Gov. Earl Warren pushed the Legislature into repealing laws that segregated Asian and Native American schoolchildren. (Mexicans were not specifically mentioned in the statutes, but some districts not involved in Mendez argued that Mexicans were Native Americans, while others listed them as "Spanish"; Mexicans are, of course, a mix of both.) Warren went on to write the Brown vs. Board of Education decision ending school segregation across the United States, as chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1954.
        The Mendez case was Brown vs. Board of Education for Mexican Americans in California. While informal segregation replaced legally sanctioned segregation, the decision inspired and gave hope to a people who only wanted an equal opportunity to pursue the American Dream.
        I am a direct beneficiary of Mendez and the dreams it sought to secure. I grew up four blocks from the "Mexican" schools in El Modena, now the site of a supermarket. I didn't learn about them until I went to college and then to law school, and even then it was only through independent research, not in the classroom. In high school, I did learn about the "Spanish" and their missions, the Anglo settlers and the Gold Rush, Pat Brown and California water and other important persons and events in California history, but not about the events that most directly affected me, not about the people who came before me.
        Orange City Councilman Fred Barrera, who attended both segregated and integrated schools, once said, "Anything you blend comes out better, whether it be stew or cement, but it takes time." Things are better, perhaps much better, but hardly complete. I often ask myself why we were not informed of our own history. I suppose it is easier to forget a troubled past then to confront it. But the difficult lessons of the past still have much to teach us about living in the present and shaping the future. Perhaps some of us would not be so quick to judge everyone in our state "on a level playing field" or say that there is equal opportunity for all if we were to look at our unpleasant but not too distant past and see how it lingers with us today. For example, only 3% of attorneys in California are Latino, despite all our "progress" since Mendez and a Latino population of almost 30%. Before we end programs like affirmative action in our colleges and institute anti-immigrant policies that would remove children from our schools and once again segregate whole populations from society, let us remember our past and strive not to re-create it.
        The remembering must begin in and be maintained by our schools. Sadly, not one of the four school districts in the landmark Mendez decision has planned a single event commemorating it.
        Gonzalo Mendez, now deceased, and his wife Felicitas recently were honored for their contributions by the Los Angeles County Mexican American Bar Assn. But the Mendez story is still waiting to be retold in a lasting manner, to inform, inspire and protect future generations against a return to the injustices of a bygone era.

Christopher J. Arriola, a graduate of El Modena High School, is a deputy district attorney for Santa Clara County, San Jose, CA.

Recent Events:
In 1998 the Santa Ana School Board named its newest Middle School, The Gonzalo & Felicitas Mendez Fundamental School.
In 2002, KOCE, the Orange County Public Broadcast Station, produced and aired "Mendez v. Westminster: For All the Children, Para Todos los Niños," a documentary about the Mendez case.

The majority of documents about the Mendez v. Westminster case can be found at the Stanford University Special Collections Department or the Federal Archives in Laguna Niguel.

California As I Saw It: First-Person Narratives of California's Early Years, 1849-1900

California, First Person Narratives: General Collections    Sent by Johanna De Soto
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbhome.html

"California as I Saw It:" First-Person Narratives of California's Early Years, 1849-1900 consists of the full texts and illustrations of 190 works documenting the formative era of California's history through eyewitness accounts. The collection covers the dramatic decades between the Gold Rush and the turn of the twentieth century. It captures the pioneer experience; encounters between Anglo-Americans and the diverse peoples who had preceded them; the transformation of the land by mining, ranching, agriculture, and urban development; the often-turbulent growth of communities and cities; and California's emergence as both a state and a place of uniquely American dreams. The production of this collection was supported by a generous grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
        The mission of the Library of Congress is to make its resources available and useful to Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. The goal of the Library's National Digital Library Program is to offer broad public access to a wide range of historical and cultural documents as a contribution to education and lifelong learning.
        The Library of Congress presents these documents as part of the record of the past. These primary historical documents reflect the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times. The Library of Congress does not endorse the views expressed in these collections, which may contain materials offensive to some readers.

Los Amigos of Long Beach Calendar of Events for April
[[ Looking for an active group of Latinos who are trying to make their community better, be sure and contact Los Amigos of Long Beach, Ana Maria McGuan armdoland@aol.com ]]

APRIL 3
Latino Managers and Professionals Organization Fundraiser
This events supports Manuel E. "Manny" Perez Memorial Scholarship Fund, 5:30 -7:30 p.m., Mum's Restaurant, Rooftop Patio, 144 E. Pine Avenue, Long Beach, $25 donation. Call Marilyn Hall at (562) 570-6059 for more information.
APRIL 22
Rancho Los Cerritos proposed Mission Expansion presented to City Council for approval.
Proposal to expand the Rancho's mission to officially include the site's interpretative history prior to 1840, which encompasses the early Hispanic/Mexican historical periods. Regular Tuesday Long Beach City Council meeting, starts at 5:30 p.m., 333 W. Ocean Blvd., Council Chambers.
APRIL 23
Los Amigos of Long Beach Joint Meeting
Mayor Beverly O'Neill will address Los Amigos of Long Beach and a joint group of participating Hispanic organizations: MAPA, HOPE, SB-HRA, and many others, on "More Effective Participation of Latinos in Civic Affairs: Boards, Commissions, Committees". Grand Inka Restaurant, 245 Broadway, Long Beach, 5:30 - 7:30. Special dinner buffet, $10. Contact ">Los Amigos of LB@aol.com for more information or to be included in the mailing list.
APRIL 26,
Beethoven's Ninth
Mexican Maestro Enrique Arturo Diemecke leads the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra on Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, the Choral, and Liszt's the Preludes, the Long Beach Terrace Theater, click Long Beach Symphony Orchestra for more information or call the Symphony office at (562) 436-3203 for tickets.

California Cemetery records - United States Census Sent by Johanna De Soto
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/cemetery/californianational.htm

[[Links to the National cemeteries for all the states, plus links to other cemetery resources. If you have a loved one buried in a National cemetery, don't miss this. . .]]

Palo Alto, CA Obituary Index http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/library/reference/obits.html

The Palo Alto Historical Association has collected obituaries covering more than 100 years and created an index to more than 20,000 names of residents of the city and non-residents with a significant connection to Palo Alto. The index is accessible online as part of the Palo Alto Library's website. CSGA Newsletter, Vol. 21, No. 2 (February 2003)

Spanish Period, 1776 to 1822 - Presidio of San Francisco
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/history/spanish_period.htm Sent by Johanna De Soto

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Introduction:
        Spain ordered the colonization of the coast north of Nueva Espana [New Spain] in 1769 in response to fears that England and Russia would soon establish territories on America's western coastline. That same year, Don Gaspar de Portola took a Spanish expedition to Alta California and became the first European to see "el brazo del mar" [the arm of the sea], now known as San Francisco Bay.
        Seven years later, Juan Bautista de Anza led a Franciscan priest, 193 colonists and soldiers, and 1,000 head of livestock from Sonora, Mexico to the San Francisco Bay. They arrived on June 27, 1776 to establish a presidio [garrison] at the bay's entrance and a religious mission a few miles inland.
        "The port of San Francisco…is a marvel of nature, and might well be called a harbor of harbors… I saw none that pleased me so much as this. And I think if it could be well settled like Europe there would not be anything more beautiful in all the world, for it has the best advantages for founding in it a most beautiful city." - Father Pedro Font, 1776
        Presidio de San Francisco and Mission San Francisco de Assisi became the northernmost bastion of a network of presidios, missions, and pueblos that extended from Mexico and formed the foundation of Spanish colonization strategy. Presidios were fortified military villages that secured and policed frontier areas. Pueblos were communities designed to spread Spanish culture. Missions were religious and agricultural centers where native people were gathered and indoctrinated into Catholicism and the colonial state.
        The presidio's role was to control native people and to capture escaped mission Indians, to build communities, and to protect the frontier from foreign invaders. Along with Franciscan missionaries, the Presidio of San Francisco founded five Missions, four pueblos [towns], and numerous ranchos throughout the Bay Area during the Spanish and Mexican periods.
        Being on the very edge of the Spanish frontier in western North America, the Presidio was always poorly supplied, getting at best, one supply ship a year. After Spanish officials became aware that Captain George Vancouver of the British Frigate H.M.S. Discovery, who visited the Presidio in 1792, had reported it poorly supplied and fortified, two additional forts were ordered built. The new installations, Castillo de San Joaquin (near Fort Point) and Bateria de Yerbabuena (at Fort Mason), were constructed in 1794 and armed with 17th century bronze cannons cast in Lima, Peru; six of these guns remain at the Presidio today.

California Marriages Menu, some files free, some require a fee.
http://www.vitalsearch-ca.com/gen/ca/_vitals/camarrin.htm Sent by Johanna De Soto

1949-1959 Marriages-Bride Indexed(scanned documents):
1960-1969 Marriages-Bride Indexed(scanned documents):
1960-1985 Marriages-Bride(only) Indexed(MySQL database):
1986 Marriages-Bride Indexed(scanned documents):
Groom Indexed Documents:
1949-1959 Marriages-Groom Indexed(scanned documents):
1960-1985 Marriages-Groom or Bride Indexed(MySQL database):
1986 Marriages-Groom Indexed(scanned documents):

The California Marriages database is comprised of over 4 million groom/bride entries from 1949-1985 displayed in graphic presentation form. Specifically decade 1949-1959 is organized as indexed-documents and decade groups 1960-85 virtual-fiche.

California Death Records >> 9,366,786 records from 1940 thru 1997 Sent by Johanna De Soto

http://c1.zedo.com//ads2/f/17924/3869/172/0/162000007/162000007/0/162/3/i.html
?e=i;s=3;m=130;w=49;z=0.5918591165764917

VitalSearch-California (USA): California State Vital Records
http://www.vitalsearch-ca.com/ Sent by Johanna De Soto

Includes:
National Statistics
California State Databases
RootsWeb.Contributor Database
By Geographical Region: Humboldt & Mendocino Counties Southern California Monterey Bay AreaWine Country San Francisco Bay Area San Joaquin Valley
State-Specific Resources: California Historical Society California State Gov.
Publications Directory: "California":Amazon.com"California":Barnes&NobleSearch Local E-Stores
Non State-Specific Publications
Location: About CALIFORNIA Message Boards

What's New in California Pages

http://fad-301.tor3.targetnet.com/ad/id=margaretic&opt=htj&pt=4492450283226660864&pfin
=1XRSQGD70GZI3&cv=210&uid=736149997&url= Sent by Johanna De Soto

Friday, February 01, 2002: A 1933 San Diego,(San Diego Co.) Directory.
Friday, January 25, 2002: A 1937-38 Chico,(Butte Co.) Directory.
Friday, January 25, 2002: A 1939 Napa,(Napa Co.) Directory.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001: 1940-on California Death Indexes now including 2000 data.
Tuesday, December 18, 2001: A 1948-49 Marysville,(Yuba Co.) Directory.
Friday, December 07, 2001: A 1926 Imperial Valley Directory.
Wednesday, December 05, 2001: A 1925 Eureka City Directory.
Sunday, December 02, 2001: A 1929 Redlands City Directory.
Friday, November 30, 2001: Two Sonoma County City Directories.
Wednesday, October 17, 2001: A 1943 Santa Barbara City Directory.

The Presidio of San Diego 1769 - 1835
San Diego History by California History and Culture Conservancy
http://historyandculture.com/chcc/presidio1.html Sent by Johanna De Soto

You can see and Aerial View of Presidio Park Today, sketches of the lay-out and take a tour of the presidio. At presidio hill, Father Serra dedicated the first mission in Alta California on July 16, 1769. Originally constructed of logs and brush, the San Diego Presidio outpost from 1769 to 1774 consisted of a military base and mission. Then, for a few reasons, including the mistreatment of Indian women by Presidio soldiers and need for better agricultural resources, the mission was relocated six miles up river to the Kumeyaay village of Nipaguay. The following year, local Kumeyaay Indians along with Kamia and Quechan allies launched a nighttime assault on the mission and presidio hoping to drive the Spanish out of their homeland. They burned the wooden mission to the ground and killed its leader, Fr. Luis Jayme. For unknown reasons, a planned simultaneous attack on the Presidio was not carried out.

Extract: Otay Mesa Port of Entry March 5, 2003

San Diego, CA Congressman Bob Filner Secures $5 million for Otay Port of Entry Improvements
http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/031003sn.htm
Source: Congressman Filner’s Community Affairs director

        Congressman Bob Filner, a vocal proponent of increased border efficiency, announced today that he has secured $5 million in federal funding for improving the infrastructure at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The funds will go towards major street improvements linking the Port with the interstate highway system. At Congressman Filner’s request, the funds were included in the Federal Omnibus Appropriations bill. The bill was recently signed into law by the President.
        “There are incredible benefits -- economic, social, and cultural -- to being so close to the border,” said Congressman Filner. “But when the border is grid locked we forfeit these benefits. These funds mean we are now a step closer to our dream of an eight lane freeway at the Otay Port of Entry.”
        A single city street is currently the only link between the Otay Port of Entry and the U.S. interstate highway system. With an average traffic count of 290,000 vehicles a week, hundreds of trucks have been backing up onto local streets, causing gridlock and chaos for the Otay community. An eight-lane highway would not only end the neighborhood gridlock, it would significantly increase the cross-border commerce that is so central to the San Diego-region’s economy. “When people, goods, and services can legally and efficiently flow into our region, we all benefit,” said Congressman Filner.

Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College
http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/inventory/HispanicSources.htm Sent by Johanna De Soto

Pathfinder #1: Sources for Studying the Hispanic History of the Southwest
in special collections at the Center of Southwest Studies (listed alphabetically by collection title)

Preface: Center of Southwest Studies collection inventories Center of Southwest Studies main page
Of all the collections on this list, the Myra Ellen Jenkins collection may be the single most helpful collection for most researchers. Its inventory is accessible on the Web at http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/inventory/Jenkins.htm

Collection I 026 Period of materials: 1251-1884 Title: Antiquas posesiones Espanolas de America documents on microfiche Creator: Torres de Mendoza, Luis, 1830-1881, editor.

Volume: 250 microfiche Content: Colleccion de Documentos Ineditos, Relativos al Describrimiento, Conquista y Organizacion de las Antiquas Posesiones Espanolas de America y Oceana. 42 volumes on microfiche. Reprinted in 1967 by Microcard Editions, Inc. (N.Y.)

Note: For the most part, this collection appears to have been published without any preconceived plan for arranging or describing the documents systematically. A chronological scheme was begun with volume 36, but was not implemented consistently.

The Travail of War: Women and Children in the Years
After the U.S.-Mexican War
by Deena González, Pomona College
http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/dialogues/usmexicanwar/borderlands/d8eeng.html

By any standard or measure, María Gertrudes Barceló would have been considered a success. In 1844, she appeared before judge Tomás Ortiz to record a property deed for a house of nine rooms, plus another, smaller house, composed of porches and an entryway. The home stood not far from the central plaza in Santa Fe. Recording at the court legal ownership was not an unusual custom, not even for poorer men or women; under Spanish laws dating back to the 14th century, women were allowed to own and retain property and dowries in their family name. The same practices also allowed women to retain their family names in marriage. Barceló's action seems unusual only in the context that in themid-1840s, more documents such as hers were being filed than ever before. What had happened?

As more merchants and traders arrived from the United States, some legally entitled by both the U.S. and Mexican governments to enter Northern Mexican territory -- Santa Fe, in this case -- they began to change the economic climate of the place. Illegal immigrants from the United States also flowed into Santa Fe, capitalizing on the need for manufactured items; their caravans out of Missouri and all the way down to Chihuahua City have sometimes been viewed as a positive development in frontier life. But the ruddy trail, the imprint on the road they created from Missouri to Chihuahua, had a decisively negative impact on women and children who were not like Doña Gertrudes Barceló, owners of large homes or of gambling saloons.

In August 1846, several hundred troops accompanied Stephen Watts Kearney into Santa Fe. He hauled down the Mexican flag and unfurled the Stars and Stripes, declaring to the people of the town (then the largest Mexican settlement west of the Mississippi), "we come to better your condition."

Certainly the soldiers improved the lives of business people like Barceló. Known as "La Tules," she profited each time the lonely soldiers entered her establishment; they gambled and drank away their evenings after spending the day constructing a fort on the hill overlooking Santa Fe. In the outskirts of town, several resistance fighters plotted to overthrow the hated Euro-Americans, but each skirmish ended badly and no unified effort against the soldiers, their weapons, supplies and government vouchers proved successful.

Men who arrived in Santa Fe decrying the look of the place, calling the buildings "decayed," "dirty," and "mud-locked," left Barceló's gambling hall feeling better about their station. About the people they met, these men, like the merchants who had preceded them in the 1820s and 1840s, would say that the Spanish-Mexican women were "toilers," "slaves to the tyranny of their husbands," and "ugly, debased in all moral values." Perhaps the attitudes dissipated a bit in the saloon; with only one or two exceptions, the merchants and the soldiers would write home lamenting their predicament at being stuck out West in a place that offered them so little in return. Even James Josiah Webb, with 20 years of merchandising experience in Santa Fe, lamented "the Pinos and Ortizes were considered the 'ricos' and those most respectable leaders in society and political influence, but idleness, gambling, and the Indians had made such inroads upon their influence that there was little left except the reputation of honorable descent." His comment conflated "Indianness," "gambling," and hardship and the words became the adjectives these foreigners would use over and over again to describe the New Mexicans, indeed all Mexicans.

For these women and their ancestors today, Spanish-Mexican and Native alike, the arrival of the army and the ending of the war conveys a bitter legacy. First, they did not emigrate to the United States; it came to them. Second, the majority of ordinary, working class people of the time, had issued no invitations for takeover or conquest. Third, most could not have envisioned the method used to segregate them economically or physically, in wage work or in land swindles. The gestures of the U.S. government are painfully obvious in the documents of the time: The census placed Americans in one column, Mexicans in another. Indians, many of them carrying Spanish surnames, were nearly invisible, and yet the Pueblo Indians surrounded the town of Santa Fe and many worked for wages as well. Alas, New Mexico would not be deemed (or its people?) worthy of statehood until 64 years later, in 1912. That and these other facts convey what the Americans really had in mind when they conquered Northern México and claimed the land, but not the people.

Today, many heirs to this tradition of takeover reconcile themselves to the War's legacy or to the military invasion of lands and territories. Few have bothered to investigate how either Native peoples or Spanish-Mexicans felt back then, and today the story is still told as if to explain the distant decisions of officials in either Mexico City or Washington, D.C. The border zone, the space in between two countries, tells us a different story. As "fronteriza" Gloria Anzaldúa notes, this is a place where the U.S. and México "rub against each other." Many of the Borderlands' people even talk about how they were "sold" to the U.S., or to the lawyers and capitalists from there. My point in describing the attitudes of westerning Americans and of the first residents is not to issue blame, on to conscripted soldiers or generals, but to examine from an historical perspective both the implications and the legacy of the War. Like it or not, we live with both.

New Mexico Death Index Project
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nm/nmdi.htm?sourceid=00287279495599254618

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NMDI PROJECT
The NMDI (New Mexico Death Index) Project was a private project started by Sam-Quito Padilla G. along with a number of generous volunteers and donors. With the California Birth and Death Index being on-line for researchers to use, Sam-Quito inquired about the New Mexico Indices at the Special Collection Library in Albuquerque. One of the librarians had the answer to that question: we have two microfilms of the death index.

Sam-Quito asked NMGenWeb about taking on the task of transcribing the index to put on-line. Since other important issues needed to be addressed by NMGenWeb, the project was started privately by Sam-Quito. He sent out the request for volunteers and donors. Several of NMGenWeb’s County Coordinators along with other wonderful people came to the rescue and the NMDI Project began in August of 2000.

Latino Numbers Grow, but fewer identify with the Faith - - Val Cañez/Tucson Citizen

GABRIELA RICO, Tucson Citizen, Feb. 25, 2003
"¡Ave Maria purisima!," literally "pure blessed mother" - a favorite reference to the Virgin Mary exclaimed by many a stressed parent - could become an unknown expression to mischievous Hispanic children, according to a new report on religion in America.

        The report, based on the findings of the American Religious Identification Survey, shows that as the Hispanic population grows in the United States, so does the percentage of those who do not identify themselves as Catholics or followers of any other religion. Beatriz Medina, 32, is one of them. The Tucson native was raised Catholic, but, outside of events such as weddings or baptisms, she doesn't attend church. "I don't agree 100 percent with the rules," she says. But like many young Hispanics who have left the church, Medina has not left the culture of the religion behind.
        She makes the sign of the cross when driving by a Catholic Church and has a rosary tucked into the visor of her car. A painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an incarnation of the Virgin Mary who, according to the Catholic faith, appeared in Mexico in 1531, hangs in the hallway of her home.
"This is the way we were raised," Medina said. "Whatever my family taught me, I still follow."
Traditionally, the Catholic Church had a strong hold on Hispanics, with more than 65 percent of the population identifying with the faith in the early 1990s.
      But the new report, commissioned by the New York City-based Center for Religion in Society and Culture, shows that figure has dropped to 57 percent in the past decade. The numbers are comparable to a trend in the general population. In the same time period, the percentage of Americans who claim no religious affiliation increased from 8 percent to 14 percent. Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, the center's director, suggests that changes in the Catholic Church's policy have resulted in Hispanics distancing themselves.
        "In the old days, the Church hatched, matched and dispatched," he said, referring to the church's role in baptism, marriage and funerals. "That was good enough and the community carried you along" passing the Church's teachings onto the children. "Now, belonging to the Church is a lot more associational, like a country club or the YMCA," Stevens-Arroyo said. "You pay your dues, and you get your mail. "The numbers tell us that something is happening," he said. "What happens in the next four to five years is going to be very meaningful."

The TUSD School Board defended the tradition of Las Posadas, arguing it was a "cultural," not a "religious" event.
        The survey did not ask reasons for religious affiliation or lack of an affiliation. Therefore, fallout from the the recent sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church was not considered. The most alarming number, according to Stevens-Arroyo is that 60 percent of respondents age 18 to 25 claim no religion.
The nation's Hispanic population is fairly young, and the challenge for the Catholic Church is to bring them back so they also will bring their children.
        "If the Church loses the 18-25 age group and they never bring their children into the church, will they lose them forever?" Stevens-Arroyo asked. The survey, based on feedback from 50,281 American adults - 3,000 identified as Hispanic - is scheduled to be released next month.
But just because more Hispanics don't label themselves Catholic doesn't mean they don't adhere to Catholic tradition. Catholic culture within the Hispanic community may be stronger than the Catholic Church.
        In fact, in 1998, the Tucson Unified School Board defended the traditional Las Posadas event at Carrillo Intermediate School. The then-60-year tradition of re-enacting Joseph and Mary's search for shelter on the night Jesus was born is considered "cultural," not "religious."
These cultural ties to a belief taught by families are everywhere.
        Just try driving by a church without making the sign of the cross. Ever dared to enjoy a juicy steak on a Friday night during Lent? "You've got to go somewhere where nobody knows you to get a hamburger on a Friday," said 25-year-old Xavier Manrique, a Tucson native, with a laugh.
While studying theology at the University of Notre Dame, Manrique said he realized that many of the customs he grew up with were not teachings of the Church.
        "I was raised to believe that lighting a candle makes a difference, not eating meat on Fridays makes a difference and praying to certain saints makes a difference," he said. "When I went away to college, I learned that most of these things are cultural and not part of modern Catholicism."
Genuflecting and blessing yourself as you pass a Catholic church are not Church rules, they are cultural rules, Manrique said.
        "These things are old school, and people who are leaving the Catholic Church are leaving because they haven't learned the new teachings," said Manrique, who still attends church.

Francisco Medina-Tucson Citizen, Friday in March 2002.
        Ruben Davalos, coordinator of Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Tucson and director of evangelization, echoed Manrique's sentiment.
        "I grew up with a God that punished," said Davalos, also a Tucson native. "When I did something wrong, I waited for the 'bad' thing to happen to me that my mom warned me about." He said he is not surprised that younger Hispanics are struggling with Catholicism. "One's relationship with God is very personal, and with age comes wisdom," Davalos said. "Within our culture, the seed is planted, and it will grow. The relationship between (Hispanics) and the Church is unbreakable. We grew up in our faith."
        Tucsonan Hilda Oropeza, 36 still observes Catholic rituals taught by her family, although she doesn't attend church. "I make the sign of the cross every time I pass a Catholic church, and I pray the rosary when someone in my family is about to be faced with a challenge," Oropeza said. "The interesting thing is that I don't necessarily consider myself a devout Catholic." The religious culture, however, is part of her everyday life, she said. "Catholicism no longer plays the religious role it once did in my life, but I still hold the rituals very close to my heart," Oropeza said. "I love the tight-knit family my mother has created while practicing these rituals. Some of these rituals continue out of respect for her."
        And, she added, that respect continues in the younger generation in her family.
"Recently the entire family gathered to celebrate my nephew's birthday," she said. "We gathered outside to see the vehicle he will drive, and, yes, it had a rosary hanging from the rearview mirror."
Bishop Manuel Moreno said he is pleased to see young people hold onto religious customs and hopes they will return to the Church as they get older and have children of their own.
"I tell grandparents to pray for them, be patient and when their children get older, they'll be back," he said. "I would like to see them more active and practicing their faith, but it is certainly good that they keep in touch with their religion."
        Reaching out to the Hispanic community is one of the reasons he became a priest, Moreno said.
"I made my decision to enter the ministry to help my people understand the Church," he said.
And the Church must remain active with the younger generation to prevent losing them for good, Moreno added.
"There is concern," he said about the increase in Hispanics claiming no religion. "But there is also hope."

1864 federal census for the First Judicial District, Arizona Sent by Johanna De Soto
Territory (File 2 of 10) http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/az/census/dist1pt02.txt

The USGenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. All submissions become part of the permanent collection.

Abstracted by Bette Richards from public records. Edited and formatted by Maggie Stewart, December 2000. Submitted by Bette Richards August, 2000. This transcription was proof read by Sundee Maynez sundeemaynez@qwest.net

Census Yr - 1864: Arizona Territory, First Judicial District, Enumerator - Gilbert W. Hopkins, Enum Date - April 1864[[Lots of helpful genealogical data, includes their age, where they were born, if they were naturalized, and much more]]

First Families of Trementina
http://www.Trementina.com
http://www.trementina.com/muster_roll_march_1.htm

Muster Roll March 1, 1781—New Mexico State Records Center and Archives Roll 11, Frame 217-220 (SANMII) (Frame 217) Presidio of the Province of New Mexico, Royal Presidio of the Villa of Santa Fe Cavalleria-Horsemen

Muster roll executed by the Lieutenant, with the rank of Captain, Don Manuel de la Azuela of the Internal Province of the Royal Presidio of Santa Fe, of this company that is guarding, and is responsible this day 1st of March 1781.

Rank: Name: Located at:
Governor & Captain Don Juan Baptista de Anza Sonora
Lt. in charge as Captain Don Manuel de la Azuela Present
“ “ Don Joseph Maria Cordero El Paso Sub-Lieutenant Don Joseph Maldonado Sonora
“ “ of Light Troop Don Salvador Rivera Present
Chaplain Don Juan Bermejo Present
Armorer Roque Lovato Sonora
Drummer Joseph Manuel Fragoso Sonora- Died 20 Mar 1781

Tropa de cuera-Leather Jacket Troop
1st Sargeant Antonio Guerrero Sonora
2nd Sargeant Pablo Sandoval With horseherd
Corporal Bartolo Gutierres Sonora-Died 1 Feb 1781 in Sonora
“ “ Juan Luis de Herrera Present
2nd Corporal Distinguished Juan Cleto Miera Sonora
“ “ Juan de Jesus Beytia Present
Cadet Don Francisco Perez Serrano Sonora

Soldado-Soldiers, About 100 Soldados are identified by name

The 1831 Census for Tucson, Early Historic Records
http://www.rio-nuevo.org/rionuevo/people/records/tucson_1831.htm Sent by Johanna De Soto

The 1831 census for Tucson lists all non-Native American residents of the community. The original census of found at the Franciscan missionary college of the Holy Cross of Quertararo near Mexico City. The document has been microfilmed and the Bancroft Library at University of California at Berkeley
This census was previously published by Father Kieran McCarty in the Copper State Bulletin. Examination of an original photocopy revealed that McCarty had rearranged some entries into family groups. This transcription presents the census in its original order, with the original spelling followed in all cases. Brackets placed after names indicates places where spelling is unclear. Names completely within brackets mark entries where the name was illegible in the photocopy and McCarty’s interpretation was used.

Abbreviations: Anto= Antonio, D.= Don, Da. Doña, Franca.= Francisca, Franco.= Francisco, Grano.= Granillo, Ma. = Maria, Martz.= Martinez, Munga.= Munguia, Rodz.= Rodriguez, Sta.= Santa, Yd= Ydem [same], Ygno.= Ygnacio

United States Postal Service Commemorative Stamp honoring Col. Juan Seguin
hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition service, at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SAFH001/ Seguin Descendants Historical Preservation
http://www.seguindescendantshp.com/U.S%20Postage%20Stamp%20Project.html
I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider signing yourself. Please share this email. Your help is greatly appreciated. Seguin Descendants Historical Preservation

Best wishes, Angel Seguin Garcia, ATexHero@aol.com

Honorable Irma Rangel
Remembering the First Mexican-American Woman Elected to the Texas House
of Representatives
Lorraine Quiroga LQuiroga@LULAC.org (202) 833-6130

Austin, TX: The Honorable Irma Rangel, the first Mexican-American woman to serve in the state House of Representatives lost her battle against cancer. Ms. Rangel was a great advocate for the Hispanic community and a champion for education in Texas. She sponsored the state’s 10 percent law, which promises admission into public colleges and universities to high school students who are ranked in the top 10 percent of their class. This act was passed in response to the court decision that effectively dismantled affirmative action admission programs at Texas colleges and universities.
In addition, Rangel fought hard to create a soon-to-be-built pharmacy school in Kingsville. Ms. Rangel was a teacher for several years in South Texas and in Venezuela before she became an attorney and later joined the Texas House of Representatives in 1977. She served on the Higher
Education Committee for most of her career and became chairwoman in 1995. She battled cancer twice before and when she learned that she had brain cancer on November 13, 2002, she resolved to fight it as well. Unfortunately, this time she lost the battle. Ms. Rangel had the fifth-longest tenure in the House.

Last Will and Testament of Juana de Ocon y Trillo, July 2, 1816
From the Spanish Archives at the Bexar County Courthouse,
San Antonio, Texas -Wills and Estates - #82
Sent by Arturo Villegas Ynclan

In the name of the Omnipotent God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three separate Persons but one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

I, Juana de Ocon y Trillo, am a native of the City of Bexar and inhabitant of this vale of tears, an exile from Heaven, my beloved land, for which I sigh and weep, a captive in this world.

I am in my sound mind, memory and understanding, and I believe as a Christian Catholic, all the articles and mysteries which my mother, the Holy Church, believes, holds and teaches. In this faith and belief I desire and it is my wish to die and consecrate to it the last breath of my life.

I hereby make, publish and declare my last will and testament in the following form, which I ardently hope and desire will be pleasing in the eyes of the almighty.

First, I declare that I realize I am wholly incapable of giving unto my Creator and Redeemer the thanks he merits in return for the many blessings which His infinite goodness has showered upon this unworthy creature, so I most earnestly pray, beseech and supplicate the nine choirs of the angels and blessed souls of Heaven, who, in the name of this wretched sinner (who desires to be thankful) to glorify His kindness, exalt His unbound mercy, praise His being and recite gentle benedictions for our Lord of infinite kindness who lavishes only tenderness and goodness on the most hardened sinners like myself.
    I desire and it is my last will that the final words which I speak shall be the most blessed name, Jesus and Most Holy Mary - I desire that the last nourishment which I shall take before my pilgrimage into eternity will be that of the August Sacrament of the Altar.
    With all my faith I adore Jesus Christ, my Redeemer and the Son of God, the living and radiant offspring of the womb of the most pure Virgin Mary, whom I appoint as my Intercessor, together with her husband, Saint Joseph.
    I beseech my guardian angel to receive these, my tears so sadly shed, and the few merits which I possess and merge them with the grief's which the most afflicted woman, our tormented mother of my Jesus, suffered on Mount Calvary. These will be enshrined with utmost reverence in the sacred heart of our Most Holy Mary, and thus in this pure shrine she will take them before the Eternal Father and will serve as a reminder of the passion and death of His most precious Son, Jesus Christ, whom He sent into this world to suffer untold hardships in order to carry into Heaven on His shoulders, the stray lamb which is my soul.

Second, I commend my soul to God who created and redeemed it, and I desire that my body be shrouded and buried in this parish at the discretion of my legitimate son, Juan Jose. The expenses of my funeral ceremonies will be deducted (by my executors, who are my legitimate daughter and son, Ana Estacia and Jose Maria,
Who must not fail in the least to comply with the provisions of this my will in all the clauses which I have declared or may set forth) from the most liquid of my property according to the laws which empower all testators to favor any person at will by one-third and one-fifth.
Therefore I direct that my daughter-in-law, Concepcion de la Santa, be preferred to the extent of one-fifth of my estate and on her death the said property will descend to my granddaughter, Petra.

Third. I also leave half the property which was left to me by my late husband, Macario Zambrano, as shown by his will and documents which are stored in my trunk.

Forth. I leave one day of irrigation water in the Lower Labor and also a house and the solares, which my son, Juan Manuel, bought for 300 pesos, I direct the 300 pesos to be devoted to the following purposes: 50 pesos for masses for the repose of the soul of my mother, Juana de Urrutia; another 50 pesos for masses for the benefit of the soul of Alcantar Inclan; 50 pesos to be given to the heirs of the said Alcantar; and the remaining 150 pesos must be distributed in equal shares for the repose of the souls of my father, Don Pedro, my husband, Don Macario, and for the repose of my soul.

Fifth. I declare that I do not owe even one-half real to anyone, except the debt of my soul to my Creator.

Sixth. I also direct that the money expended by my grown children must not be claimed by the younger ones, but they may divide whatever residue exists, in a brotherly fashion.

Seventh. I also declare that I owe my Daughter, Josefa, a few cart-loads of stone; I do not remember the exact amount but she as a Christian will say how many they are and she will be paid for them whenever she desires.

Eight. To Comply with and execute the terms of this, my last will and testament and to pay the debts, offerings, and bequest as directed in this will, I nominate and appoint my said children executors, to whom jointly and severally in solidim, I give, for the performance of their duties, all the power and authority necessary and required by law, which I am able to confer, so that they, my executors, within the terms of three months and no longer, after the day of my death, may enter into possession of my property, apply to the court to make the proper inventory and carry out the provisions of my will until the settlement of my estate.
    They will pay, from the most valuable and most liquid of my assets, the expenses for my funeral, burial, debts, compulsory church offerings, and bequests.
    Of the residue of my estate, they will make individual schedules of the division and partition and distribute to each one of my sons and daughters who are Anastacia Zambrano, Josefa, Jose Maria, Jose Dario, Juan Manuel, Juan Jose, and Juan Francisco, all living, and the late Don Pedro, who left two daughters named Petra and Caciana, who will inherit his share and receive their awards in the partition which will descent to them.
    Wherefore I confer on my said executors this power and authority and whatever they do by virtue thereof shall be as valid as if I myself had acted; I charge their consciences with all these burdens.

Thus I have executed and signed this will before the Alcalde, Francisco Castillo, and the witnesses who were Antonio Muniz, Vorjas Guadiana and Torivio Duran, in this Valley of Santa Rosa, July 2, 1816.

And because I do not know how to write I requested my son, Juan Jose, to sign for me.
Jose Francisco del Castillo Thoribio Duran
Antonio Muniz, at the request of my mother, Juana de Ocon y Trillo,
Francisco de Borja Guadiana
I sign: Juan Jose Zambrano

Texas Genealogical and Historical Societies
http://www.geneasearch.com/societies/soctx.htm
Genealogical and historical societies have unique information about their local or regional areas. Help us keep this information current! If your society is not listed, or you want to add additional.

Mapade Los Estados Unidos de Mejico
Republic of Texas including Mexico and the Southern United States
by John Disturnell -- circa 1847

http://www.galleryoftherepublic.com/pages/mapreps/estados.html
Mapa de Los Estados Unidos de Mejico Republic of Texas including Mexico and the Southern United States by John Disturnell -- circa 1847 Sent by Johanna De Soto

New Book: El Paso del Norte
"El Paso del Norte: Stories on the Border" by Richard Yañez are eight stories is set in the border region of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. From laborers to homeboys, John Wayne to Pancho Villa, murals of graffiti to La Virgen de Guadalupe, a mythical, mestizo world reveals itself. Available in paperback for $16.00 through your favorite bookstore, or by mail from the University of Nevada Press. To order, call toll free 1-877- NVBOOKS or visit http://www.nvbooks.nevada.edu

Los-B@juno.com has been established as the new e-mail address for the Conference. Please send a e-mail to add your name and address to our conference mailing list.
Now you can call at this phone number 210-684-6047.

Extract: Texas Attorney General warns Hispanics of notary scam
http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/031003ji.htm

        DALLAS – (AP) – March 4, 2003 - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today said his office is cracking down on notaries public who misrepresent themselves as legal professionals to scam money out of thousands of immigrants -- a practice that was specifically outlawed two years ago.
        He said con artists prey on Hispanic victims who confuse the English term "notary" and the Spanish term "notario." Some people with notary public licenses from the state unlawfully present themselves as "notarios publico," which in Mexico are also licensed attorneys. Abbott said such notaries often disappear with their clients' money, charge high fees for filing unnecessary documents or perform poor-quality services that jeopardize immigration cases.
        State law prohibits notaries from providing any type of immigration service unless they are also licensed to practice law. The law, passed two years ago, also prohibits notaries public from advertising the title notary public in Spanish. Many victims have failed to report abuses because they are embarrassed or fear they will be deported. While hundreds have reported scams, immigration advocates believe thousands of Hispanics have been victimized in Texas. To report any problems: (800) 252-8011.

The Celtic Connection, Chapter 1 Spanish Texas http://users.ev1.net/~gpmoran/ch1.htm

[[Introduction, include information on the important role Hugh O'Connor and Alexander O'Reilly played in Mexico's history.]]

The first known Europeans in Texas were the Spanish. Beginning in 1510, when they were mapping the coast, to over 300 years later, the Spanish claimed Texas. Alonso Alvarez de Piñeda was the first Spaniard to set foot on Texas. He sailed from Jamaica with a flotilla of four ships and tried to land at Vera Cruz. There he found that Hernando Cortés controlled the coast and was well on his way to controlling the area known as Mexico. Piñeda sailed north, he put in at the mouth of the Rio Grande where his ships stayed for 40 days making improvements. While his ships were being worked on, Piñeda surveyed the coast of Texas, which he called "Amichel."

A year later another expedition from Jamaica reached Texas. This expedition was led by Diego de Carmargo. He claimed the territory in the name of the Governor of Jamaica, Francisco Garay, before Cortés could get to it. Carmargo established the first settlement up river a few miles, on the river which Piñeda mapped and christened the Rio de las Palmas (the Rio Grande, it was also later called the Rio Bravo).

"San Antonio History surveyed through Canary Islander founding families"
Sent by Alicia Burger mburger@trinity.edu

Summary: The history of San Antonio's twisting and turning streets can be traced back 272 years, when 16 Canary Island families completed their arduous journey across sea and land to the remote spot in Texas that had been set aside for the new Presidio de Bejar.
Copy the URL below into your browser to view the full story:
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=961114

Extract: Agency offers San Antonio merchants hook-ups with Mexican firms
By Bonnie Pfister bpfister@express-news.net
San Antonio Express-News, 3-3-03
http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/031003jn.htm
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=110&xlc=958054

        Ten years since it was founded, the Casa San Antonio program that offers temporary physical space and contacts in Monterrey, Mexico City and Guadalajara remains one of the best-kept secrets of the Alamo City. People are surprised when they find out about it," said Betsy Erne, international business manger for San Antonio's International Affairs department. "Once they use it, they are sold."
        The casa program assists both San Antonio business people wanting to trade in Mexico and Mexican firms wanting to do business here.
It offers — free of charge to the user — the physical infrastructure of a small office, a phone line, and an Internet connection for the mobile businessperson looking for opportunities south of the border. But by far the most valuable resource, by several accounts, are the contacts Casa directors have to share.
        With two weeks notice, the three-person staff in each office can arrange meetings with high-level businessmen and women and industry watchers. That's important in a nation where cordial personal contact is a vital predecessor to making a deal. "Relationships are key in Mexico," said Elizabeth Dueñas, president of Artisan Designs, a 2-year-old San Antonio firm that imports handmade clay pots and chimeneas for Home Depot and Sam's Club. "People are timid about giving you information if they don't know you. I was fortunate enough to meet Jake Flores."
        Flores, since 1991 director of the Casa San Antonio in Guadalajara, sent Dueñas "about a hundred" e-mails with contacts of attorneys, accountants and customs specialists so that she could learn how to import her fragile product. "I knew how to sell the product, and what it took to manufacture it, but (not) the specifics of how to bring it across," Dueñas said. "Packaging! We had come to a standstill. Jake knew these people, one of the best packaging companies in Guadalajara. They gave us terrific pricing, because they knew Jake. He's been a great liaison."
        The three-city program operates on a $500,000 annual budget, employing three full-time staffers in each city. The agencies see an average of 300 clients per year, generating an estimated $10 million in trade.

Guide to Historical MSS L-M     Historical Manuscripts pertaining to Texas history
http://libraries.uta.edu/SpecColl/findaids/guideHist5.htm Sent by Johanna De Soto
[[These are examples of what you might find.]]

Lamb, Ursula, 1914-1996
Papers, 1937-1995, bulk 1951-1995; 11 boxes (11 linear ft.)
        Ursula Lamb was a professor of history at the University of Arizona, Tucson, who achieved an international reputation as a scholar in two fields, colonial Mexico and the history of exploration and discovery. She was the author and editor of a number of books and many articles. Lamb came to the U.S. originally as an exchange student from Germany, remained here as a political expatriate, and studied under Herbert Bolton at the University of California at Berkeley, where she earned her Ph.D. Before teaching at the University of Arizona, Lamb had appointments at Barnard College of Columbia University, Yale University, and Oxford University.
        Correspondence; manuscript drafts; map facsimile; microfilm; research notebooks containing clippings, notes, and photocopied articles; and off prints from scholarly journals as well as journals with articles written by Lamb and others. This collection contains Professor Lamb’s professional correspondence reflecting her scholarly activities in organizations and conferences as well as her research interests. Included are letters with editors and other scholars from around the world. Correspondence is primarily in English, but also includes Spanish, French, and German. The bulk of the collection is the research materials organized and contained in notebooks. Largely photocopies of articles and parts of books, they are organized by subject. Also included are loose unorganized copies of documents, manuscripts, book sections, and articles. The research material photocopies date from the sixteenth century through the 1990s.

Linares, Nuevo León, México
Collection, 1592-1920; 7 boxes (2.75 linear ft.)
The collection consists of ecclesiastical and government records of the city of Linares, Nuevo León, México. The ecclesiastical records are from the Bishopric of Linares and include financial, baptismal, and tithe records. Government records include land grants to early settlers, abstracts of title, surveys, testaments and lawsuits, and correspondence of governors of Nuevo León to alcaldes and the Linares city council. Of special interest are several volumes (libros copiadores) of royal, ecclesiastical, and government decrees and orders recorded in the 18th century.

Refugio County, Texas http://www.rootsweb.com/~txrefug
Rena McWilliams renamc@bcni.net Refugio Co. Coordinator - TXGenWeb
Sent by George Gause ggause@panam.edu

Refugio County, Texas Marriages, 1839 - 1881

The Marriage Books A, B and C for Refugio County are now complete. They contain the marriages beginning in 1839 and ending in September 1881. (For some reason the earliest marriages are recorded in Book C.) All information about the couple (residency, etc.) and marriage (time, place,
witnesses, etc.) has been abstracted.

These are marriages of couples from many of the surrounding counties of Goliad, Victoria, Bee, San Patricio and Aransas; and include many Hispanic and African-American couples. The entries have been cross-linked to other information about the couples posted on the Refugio site.

The link to the last of Book "C" is under "Newest Pages" and will be moved in the Table of Contents under Marriages in a week or two. The link to the Marriage page is in the Table of Contents.

Marriages Book A: The marriages from Book A are now complete. Pages 71 through 85 were posted this morning. These marriages in Book A have filing dates beginning in 1851 and going through September 1873. There were earlier marriages in the county, but they were recorded in Book C.

Deed Index: The index to Deeds filed from January 5, 1853 through November 30, 1854, in which the Town of Refugio was the Grantor has now been posted. Although property descriptions are not recorded in the index, it is presumed that these are the original conveyances of town lots. The index to earlier filings of the same type of Deeds was posted last Spring and can be found under Land Records in the Table of Contents on the front page of the site.

Census: Four more pages of the 1870 census have been posted. This is slow progress, but we are nearly through half of the 1870 census.

Census: Pages describing the various enumeration districts in Refugio County for each census year (1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930) have been posted. This might be helpful when trying to decide in what part of the county your ancestor lived.

Census: The first page of the 1880 census has been posted. Decided to get started on the 1880s.

African American Archives: This is a new page where items specific to researching African American ancestors in Refugio Co. and some surrounding counties are indexed. A link appears also to the newly added 1860 Slave Schedule to Calhoun County. (The page is looking great, Darlene!!) However, if you are researching African American lines, please do not limit yourself to this one page as pertinent records appear throughout this site. I just thought a page where major resources such as Slave Schedules appeared would be helpful to the beginning researcher.

The Church of the Latter Day Saints now has the complete 1880 census for the entire U.S. online in a searchable database.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp

Marriages Book B Page 111 through 120. This includes marriages from January 1876 through November 1876, and some of the marriages are of Hispanic couples.

Estates of Phillip Roque Portillo, George B. McNight and J.B. Siddick
(2) Probate Minutes - Nov 24, 1845 Estate of William H. Lee moved to San Patricio County on order of American Counsel
(3) Probate Minutes - Aug 25, 1845 Estate of William H. Lee
(4) Probate Minutes - Aug 11, 1845 Estate of William H. Lee

(1) Hispanic Archives - Declaration of Ildefonso Reyes 1795 Ildefonso Reyes was a native of Tablisman, village of the Black
Islands. If anyone can contribute information on the Black Islands,please send it in to be shared.
(2) Marriages - Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church - Refugio - 1861
(3) Marriages - Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church - Refugio - 1862-1863
The above marriages include residents along the Aransas and San Antonio Rivers, one of Victoria Co. and one of Mississippi, as well;
as one marriage of the slaves of P. Shelly. Three Hispanic marriages are included.

Marriages Book B Pages 121 through 130 (December 1876 through November 1877)
Refugio Co., TX - New Postings #29:

(1) 1850 and 1860 Mortality Schedules - These schedules
were recorded only in the census years and include only the deaths in those specific years. There were just 3 recorded for 1850 but many for 1860. In the schedule for 1860 several died of pneumonia or varied fevers, one from a rattle snake bite and two were murdered. The 1860 schedule also denotes whether an individual was a slave or not. Those married or widowed are also identified.

(2) Jose Marie Aldrete Early county resident - Photograph
(3) Benjamin F. Neal Early county resident and official - Photograph

(1) Marriage Records Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church,
Refugio 1867 Several Hispanic marriages
(2) Missionaries at Refugio Mission as compiled by Msgr. Wm. Oberste
The following pages have been added to the Refugio Co., Texas website.
(1) Refugio Co. School Trustees - 1893
(2) Refugio Co. Schools - 1893
(3) Refugio Co. Teachers - 1893 - Shows in which school they taught.
(4) Refugio Co. Teachers Applying for Examination - These records give
the name, race, age, place of birth, post office, years of experience, etc.
The post office addresses include Goliad and Victoria (Anaqua). Birthplaces are as far away as Canada.

Sons of Dewitt Colony Texas
© 1997-2002, Wallace L. McKeehan, All Rights Reserved   New Spain-Index
http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/Spain.htm   [[ The beginning of a very extensive site. The . . .]]

Nueva España
Nuevas Philipinas--Provincia de Tejas
The First Spaniard | Presidios, Missions and Villas
Mission Valley | American Ally 1763
Origin Texas Ranching | Spanish Xenophobia
Filibustering Spanish Territory | Disputed US Border
Neutral Ground | Independence Movements
For Biographies (Individuals in Bold), Search Handbook of Texas Online

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. Earliest Spaniard and European in the Future DeWitt Colony 1528-1534. The story told in 1936 by historian Carlos Castañeda in Our Catholic Heritage in Texas 1519-1936.

        Missions, Presidios and Villas on the Eastern Frontera of New Spain. At the close of the 17th century, Texas and the Sabine River on its eastern border was the northeast frontier of the vast Spanish empire in America. It served as a buffer zone against the westward expansion of archrival France from Louisiana whose King's agent Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle had failed to secure the attempted bridgehead called Ft. St. Louis at the mouth of Garcitas Creek on current Lavaca Bay in 1684. In 1689 a Spanish expedition led by Alonso De León with Father Damián Massanet to determine status of French penetrations into New Spain found the ruins of Ft. St. Louis which had been destroyed by Karankawa attacks:
        "Three leagues down the creek [Garcitas] from the point where they reached it in coming from the crossing of the Guadalupe, we found it. Having halted with the force about an arquebus-shot away, we went to see it and found all the houses sacked. All the chests, bottlecases, and all the rest of the settlers' furniture broken; apparently more than two hundred books torn apart and the rotting leaves scattered throughout the patio-all in French. We noted that the perpetrators of this massacre had pulled everything the colonists had out of their chests and divided the booty among themselves, and what they had not cared for they had torn to pieces, making a frightful sack of all the French possessed, for besides the evidence in our finding everything in this condition, further proof was in the fact that in the rancharia through which we had passed before we arrived at the settlement, we found in the possession of the Indians some French books in very good condition, with other articles of very little value.
        These books were recovered and their titles committed to memory. The Indians had done this damage not only to the furnishings, but also to the arms, for we found more than a hundred stocks of flint-lock arquebuses without locks or barrels. They must have carried these off, as was proven by an arquebus barrel found some distance from the houses. We found three dead bodies scattered over the plains. One of these from the dress that still clung to it appeared to be a woman. We took the bodies up and chanted Mass for the bodies present and buried them. We looked for other dead bodies, but could not find them; whence we supposed they had been thrown into the creek, and had been eaten by the alligators of which there were many. The principal house of this settlement is in the form of a fort, made of ship timbers, and with a second story also made of ship timbers, and with a slope to turn off water. Next to it, and without any partition is another apartment, not so strong, which must have served as a chapel where Mass was said. The other five houses were of stakes, covered with mud inside and out, their roofs were covered with buffalo hides, all quite useless for any defense. The settlement was on a beautiful level site, so as to be capable of defense in any event."
        A soldier of De León's command (probably Juan Bautista Chapa, a literate man who was secretary for the Monterrey Ayuntamiento in the late seventeenth century) was apparently moved to compassion at the sight of the massacre and wrote the oft quoted passage from a longer elegy:
        "Sad and fateful site. Where only solitude doth reign. Reduced to this sorry plight. Thy settlers efforts all proved vain."
        The greetings by indigenous tribes "Techas, Techas!" which meant "friends" extended to the De León party while in the more eastern part of their explorations into Texas, was thought to have been the origin of the name given to the area tribes by the Spanish and the region became the kingdom or province of the Tejas. De León on order of superiors completed the destruction of Ft. St. Louis begun by the Karankawas by burning and burying all remains of the fort.

Texas Knights of Columbus Historical Commission (CTKC)
http://catholic.archives.nd.edu/CTKC.HTM

Organizational History
The Texas Knights of Columbus Historical Commission was created by a resolution at the convention of the Texas State Council of the Knights of Columbus, May 1923. Beginning in 1926, Paul J. Foik, C.S.C., of St. Edward's University in Austin, was the group's permanent chairman. The minutes of the convention which created it defined the original goal of the commission: "...the work to be done consists in the preparation for a history of the Catholic Church in Texas (1836-1936) as a centennial volume." Members of the organization included Carlos Castaneda, librarian of the Garcia collection at the University of Texas. The history was to comprise six volumes.
The first phase in the work of the Commission involved tracking down all archival sources containing information relevant to the task at hand. Much of the groundwork which later proved valuable to the Commission was carried out by Dr. Herbert Bolton, who explored, and published a very comprehensive guide to, the archives in Mexico. His guide, entitled Guide to Materials for the History of the United States in the Principal Archives of Mexico, was published by the Carnegie Institution in 1913. Many of the documents included in the present collection are described in Bolton's Guide.
The Commission eventually collected documents from a variety of sources, most notably the General Archives in Mexico City, the General Archives of the Indies in Seville, the Archives of the College of Santa Cruz in Queretaro, and the Archives of the College of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Zacatecas. These last two were important educational centers for the colonial Spaniards, and missionaries who settled Texas and other provinces were largely trained there. Both schools ceased operations in 1908, and so the Commission was racing against time in order to obtain the documents stored there before they were scattered, lost or destroyed. As for the archives in Spain, the Commission obtained the cooperation of the Royal Court and the jefe (chief) of the Archivo General de Indias, who personally searched the archives and supervised the work of the copyists.

(Information above was obtained primarily from the Proceedings included in this collection.)
[[ Links to . . . many, many archival collections ]]

The Texas Naval Ship Zavala   http://www.numa.net/docs/zavala.htm Photos on website.
Source: Valentine Zavala

        The Republic of Texas Navy Ship, the Zavala, began life in 1836 as the Charleston. In 1838, the Republic of Texas was desperate for ships to replace it's fleet. It purchased the Charleston for $120,000 and renamed her the Zavala, in honor of Don Lorenzo de Zavala, the first Vice President of the Republic of Texas. The former Charleston had her deckhouses removed and replaced with an open gun deck, mounting four twelve-pound medium cannon and one long nine-pound. Predating any self-propelled vessels built by the U.S. Navy, Zavala had the distinction of becoming the first armed warship in North America.
        The new commodore of the second Texas Navy, Edwin Ward Moore, sailed the Zavala to New Orleans to recruit new seamen. As a warship her complement became 126 men, three times the crew of the old Charleston. The pay was nothing to launch a bank. Marine privates were offered $7 a month, while experienced seamen drew $12. The higher grades drew more. A midshipman received $25 a month, boat swains $40, and lieutenants and surgeons an even $100. Zavala was commissioned just in time. Trouble was afoot once again to the south. Mexico had proclaimed a blockage of Texas ports, and although the Mexican army was busy with a revolt in the Yucatan, the long expected follow up invasion of Texas after Sam Houston's decisive triumph over Santa Ana at San Jacinto was soon approaching. President Lamar decided to assist the Yucatan rebels, who had revolted against Santa Ana, with his new fleet of warships and thereby draw the Mexican Navy away from the Texas coast. On June 24, 1840, the Zavala accompanied by Commodore Moore's flagship, the sloop-of-war Austin, and three armed schooners, slipped out of Galveston Bay and turned south across the Gulf to the Bay of Campeche on the Yucatan Peninsula.
        Zavala never fought a battle with an enemy ship during its service in the Bay of Campeche, but she proved indispensable for a daring expedition that Commodore Moore carried out in the fall of 1840. Under the command of Captain J.T.K. Lathrop, Zavala towed Moore's flagship Austin, and the armed sloop San Bernard 90 miles up the San Juan Bautista River to the provincial capital of Tabasco, currently under the control of the Mexican government. Anchoring his ships with their guns pointing into the city, Commodore Moore brazenly landed with a small shore party and walked to the main square. The small city was seemingly deserted. Moore motioned to a seaman who spoke Spanish: "Shout that we want to see the town leaders." The seaman nodded and yelled out the demand in Spanish. From inside a large brick building, a short, heavy-set man with a red sash stretched across his broad stomach nervously stepped slowly into the street, holding a tree branch with a white strip of cotton tied to the top. "Ask him who he is," Moore ordered. The seaman questioned the man in Spanish. "He says he is the mayor. He also says the garrison troops have run away." Moore smiled like a fox in an unguarded chicken coop. "Inform the mayor that unless he and his leading citizens hand over $25,000, we will level the city with our guns." After the translation, there was no hesitation, no debate. The seaman glanced at Moore and laughed. "The mayor asks if it would be all right to pay in silver?" Pleased that his gamble had paid off, Moore nodded. "Tell him that silver will be just fine." That ransom paid the Texas sailors their wages and bought badly needed supplies for the always underbudgeted navy.
         In early February of 1841, the fleet returned to Galveston for repairs and provisions. Before she saw Galveston again, Zavala very nearly became a floating derelict. On her way home, Zavala encountered a terrible storm that never seemed to end. For five days the sturdy steamboat fought her way through the heavy seas. With the deckhouses and passenger cabins removed when she became a warship, the sea surged over her now open gun deck without inflicting any damage. Zavala was no stranger to the savagery of turbulence. Her big paddle wheels stubbornly drove her into the rampage. A fireman came up through a hatch from the engine room and approached Lathrop. "The chief engineers compliments, sir, but he reports that we're down to our last ton of coal." "Three hundred miles from home port." The first mate looked at Lathrop, apprehension in his eyes. "If we lose steam, it's all over."
        Captain Lathrop stared thoughtfully at the deck for a few moments, the spray whipping into his beard. Then he looked up. "Please tell the chief engineer he has my permission to burn the ship's stores, bulkheads, and furniture. Whatever it takes to keep us under way." Her interior gutted, Zavala survived the storm and arrived at Galveston four days later. When she crossed over the bar and headed toward the dock, her boilers barely produced enough steam for her paddle wheels to move her along at three knots.
        After her one and only cruise as a warship, Zavala was laid up and allowed to deteriorate. Refusing to spend another dollar on the Texas Navy, newly elected President Sam Houston ignored pleas to save the finest vessel in the fleet. Unattended, she began to leak so badly that she was run aground to keep her from sinking. She was then stripped and abandoned. In time she became a rotting hulk at the upper end of the harbors mud flats, settling deeper into the marsh until only the tops of her boilers and one of her two smokestacks remained in view.
        By 1870, what was once the finest and most technically advanced ship in the Republic of Texas Navy had completely disappeared under the ooze and was forgotten.
        Clive Cussler's involvement with the Zavala began innocently enough when he and his wife, Barbara, visited NUMA president Wayne Gronquist at his law offices in Austin, Texas. "Wayne led me over to the capitol building and introduced me to then Governor White. After a short chat about lost shipwrecks, the governor presented me with a certificate signed by him, proclaiming me an admiral in the Texas Navy. I know I made some joke that I was probably admiral number 4,932. Then I really put my foot in my mouth when I said, "Now that I'm an admiral, the least I can do is to find myself a fleet of ships," never dreaming a Texas navy truly existed. Like a great number of Texans, I was not aware that the Republic of Texas had put together a small navy, two as a matter of fact. The first navy was made up of four small warships, most of them sloops, that were destroyed by storms and enemy action between 1835 and 1837. The second navy, under the brilliant leadership of Commodore Edwin Moore and consisting of eight ships, lasted from 1838 to 1843. The combined Texas navies left a remarkable historical legacy. The early ships harassed Santa Ana's supply line, capturing several merchant ships and sending their cargo of arms and supplies to General Sam Houston. Greatly contributing to his victory at San Jacinto.
        Despite their heroic and distinguished service, very little has been written about the exploits of the Texas warships. Only two books were written on the subject, many years ago, Thunder on the Gulf by C.L. Douglas and The Texas Navy by Jim Dan Hill. Of the 12 ships known to have served the Republic of Texas, all but three were either lost at sea, transferred to the U.S. Navy when Texas became a state and ultimately scrapped, or vanished from recorded history.
        The ships I concentrated on were the armed schooners, Invincible, run aground in the gulf after a battle with two Mexican warships; Brutus, wrecked in Galveston Bay after a hurricane; and Zavala, run ashore in the Galveston ship channel and abandoned."
        For more details of how Clive Cussler and his good friend, the late Bob Esbenson found the Zavala, see The Sea Hunters by Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo.
        The accompanying photograph is of the model of the Zavala commissioned by Cussler from craftsman and model shipbuilder Fred Tournier. Cussler has one model in his office, the other he donated to the Governor of the State of Texas.
        On their way to present the rather large model in its glass case to the governor, Cussler and Dirgo ran into a group of reporters. "A corps of newsmen were questioning the governor on some new legislative proceedings, really fascinating stuff. As they left, I tried to get them interested in the Zavala and the Texas Navy. They scratched themselves and yawned when I told them that here was a symbol of a ship that represented and fought for the Republic of Texas, the only historical shipwreck at that time still accessible. They all looked at me as if I were trying to sell mineral water to a drunk. The news people simply have no grasp of history. I was finally ushered into Governor Bill Clement's office, along with Wayne Gronquist and Barto Arnold, the very astute chief of the Texas Historical Commission. After Wayne made the introductions and presented the model, the governor looked at me and asked, "Did you build it?"
        Politicians are not my favorite people. I always take great pride in marking No on my IRS return where it asks if I would donate a dollar to my favorite party. I recall voting in an election when I couldn't stand any of the candidates. So I wrote in John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Ma Barker for the nations' highest offices.
         After I spent hundreds of hours researching the Texas Navy, standing all night in the rain coring for the Zavala in a muddy parking lot, and spending thousands of dollars for the actual project, the governor thought I was only some schmoe who built the model. Maybe I didn't build it, but I paid Fred several thousand dollars so NUMA could present it to the people of Texas.
        Reduced to tears, I stood there spurned by the news media, wondering why I got less respect than Rodney Dangerfield. The governor didn't quite receive the answer he expected. I turned to Gronquist and Arnold and said, "That's it. I'm out of here." And I walked out. Poor Wayne Gronquist and Barto Arnold were embarrassed. The governor just shrugged and smiled and said, "I guess he's in a hurry to build another model."

History of the Barker Texas History Collection
http://www.cah.utexas.edu/collectioncomponents/barker.html Sent by Johanna De Soto

        The Eugene C. Barker Texas History Collection was created in 1945 and named in honor of University of Texas professor Eugene Campbell Barker, a pioneer in the field of Texas history. The Barker Collection includes books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, photographs, broadsides, and recorded sound and constitutes the most extensive collection of Texas-related material in existence.
        All resources in the Barker Texas History Collection are available in the Center's Research and Collections Division located in Sid Richardson Hall Unit 2 on the University's main campus in Austin. Please note that other Center for American History collection components, including the Congressional History Collection and the Media Archives, and the three other CAH divisions (Winedale, the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum, and the John Nance Garner Museum) contain important holdings relating to Texas history. The Barker Texas History Collection contains the following sections:
        Texas Collection Library, containing more than 130,000 books and periodicals about Texas, published in Texas, or produced by writers strongly associated with Texas. Holdings include:
The earliest books associated with Texas, such as: Cabeza de Vaca, La Relacion (1555), the first book published about Texas Henri Joutel, Journal Historique de Dernier Voyage . . . (1713), an eyewitness account of La Salle's last expedition [anonymous] L'Heroine Du Texas . . . (1819), the first novel with a Texas background Timothy Flint, Francis Berrian, or The Mexican Patriott (1826), the first novel in English about Texas Stephen F. Austin, Translation of the Laws, Orders, and Contracts, on Colonization (1829), the first book in Texas

Chapter II Villa de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores
Sent by Walter L Herbeck
In case you missed this one!! This is the first part from the book: DOLORES, REVILLA and LAREDO
(Three sister settlements) by Rogelio A. Garcia PO Box 984 Laredo, TX

         On Aug. 22, 1850, Don Jose Vasquez Borrego, a wealthy cattle baron from Coahuila, established the Villa de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores on the north banks of the Rio Grande, about ten leagues southeast of present Laredo. before moving across the Rio Grande, Capt. Vasquez had
established a large hacienda called San Juan del Alamo, northeast of Monclova. Because of the recurring incursions of the Indians on his large herd of cattle, he sent his son, Juan Jose Vasquez Borrego, to propose to Escandon that he be allowed to establish the Villa de Dolores, granting
him excemption of dues for ten years. Being a close friend of Escandon,
          Capt. Borrego had no difficulty in establishing the settlement. The title of his villa çdolores ü(Sorrows)seemed to have been a sad, prophetic significance to the Borrego family as we shall see later. Capt Jose Vasquez Borrego placed his first settlement charge of his nephew, Bartolome Borrego. In 1753, Corralitos and hacienda de San Ygnacio were given to him. Corralitos was assigned to Jose Fernando Vidauri, grandson of Capt. Borrego. San Ygnacio was under the management of Jose Fernando Borrego, son of the Capt. The older son, Juan Jose Vasquez Borrego, negotiated this vast settlement, approximately 329,000 acres of land in what is now Webb and Zapata counties.

This part is from writings by Roberto D. Uribe
        A very important thing that happened in 1850, which was the founding of the Dolores Vista on the Texas side of the Rio Grande and the mouth of the Arroyo Dolores. Don Jose Vasquez Borrego, owner of a large ranch, San Juan del Alamo, in Monclova, Coahuila, asked don Jose de Escandon for permission to start a Vista on the Texas side of the Rio Grande. In 1750, don Jose de Escandon granted don Jose Vasquez Borrego fifty sitios de ganado menor which is approximately 110,000 acres, and the settlement started with about 15 families. In 1753, don Jose Vasquez Borrego was granted another twenty-five of ganado mayor which is approximately 110,000 acres. These 220,000 acres of land covered from the Arroyo Dolores to the present day Ramireño north fence and from the river approximately 40 miles to the northeast.
        The settlement called Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, prospered and supplied a much needed ferry service across the river. After about 20 years and constant indian attacks, the village was abandoned. Don Jose Vasquez Borrego died and the land was split in two parts. The Dolores or
northern portion was inherited by doña Manuela Borrego de Vidauri and the southern or San Jose de Corralitos portion was inherited by don Jose Fernando Vidauri, grandson of don Jose Vasquez Borrego.
        According to don Fernando's will dated November 20, 1806, he was deeply in debt and claimed Corralitos was given to him in the year 1766 by his grandfather don Jose Vasquez Borrego. In approximately 1808. don Fernando died and his sons, Alejandro, Fernando and Ildefonso put the lower portion of Corralitos land for sale. That portion is now known as the San Ygnacio Subdivision.
        In 1827, don Jose de Jesus Treviño and his two brothers-in-law, don Blas Maria and don Vicente (I) Gutierrez de Lara decided to buy the lower portion of the Corralitos Ranch from the heirs of don Fernando Vidauri.         The amount that was for sale was 25 sitios de ganado mayor, which is 110,000 acres.
        Don Blas Maria and don Vicente II Gutierrez bought approximately 45,734 acres. This was the first purchase according to a survey ordered by Alejandro Vidauri.   Don Jesus made a second purchase in 1828 of 60,980 acres giving him approximately 101,400 acres. In 1830, don Jesus together with his two sons in law, Vicente Gutierrez, who was married to doña Trinidad Treviño
and don Manuel Benavides, who was married to doña Maria Dionicia Treviño, went looking for a place to to set up a ranch house for the new bought land. They found the place on the river banks of the rio Grande and the Arroyo Grullo. A high flat spot area with the Rio Grande on the west and
the Arroyo Grullo on the north. By building there, they would be protected on the north by the arroyo and on the west by the river. They would only have two sides that the indians could attack from. The ranch was called San Ygnacio.
        Land was cleared and a room was built about 18 feet by 20 feet. The room was built of local stones, some from the river banks and some from the hills east of the ranch site. The river stones are called "almendria" and were very hard to break or shape. The stones were dragged from the river
banks on hides and pulled by oxen to the site and they were used as they were. The other stone was called "cantera" and is a soft sandstone that could be shaped to fit. The walls of the room are about 18 inches thick. The floor is the natural dirt. The room had no windows and only one entrance, facing south. The door is made of solid mesquite, about 2 inches thick. It has no metal nails or hinges. It is held together with wood dowels and wedges. The door swings on two mesquite heart pins resting on almendria stones. On the inside, it has a mesquite cross bar that slides into a hole in the stone... The door swings free to this date.
        The room was made with a flat roof made of river trees and mesquite. On the southwest corner of the roof, there was a lookout perch. The roof has long been replaced but on the southeast corner of the wall, the stepping stones for the perch can be seen sticking out of the wall. Outside of the door, two turrets were built. One on each side of the door. The turrets were about 5 feet tall with cutouts for firing the muskets. The turrets had an opening facing the door to be able to retreat
into the room. The turrets were removed in approximately 1851 when more rooms were added to the building. You can still see the circular foundations for the turrets on the stone walk outside the door. A compartment was built on the east wall of the room to keep what ever valuables they had. By removing a stone from the wall, there was a deep hole and this was the compartment. Today, this room is known as "El Cuarto Viejo" or just "El Cuarto."
        The room or ranch house was used mainly for protection from the indians and for Don Jesus to stay when visiting the ranch. Don Jesus and his family lived in Revilla and only visited to supervise the operation of the ranch. Workers cleared land around the ranch and built their jacales,
"shacks", to live in. On the north side, between the ranch house and the arroyo, land was cleared and a log fence was built from the southwest corner of the ranch house about 100 feet, 90 degrees east about a hundred feet, 90 degrees north about 120 feet and then 90 degrees west to the
northeast corner of the ranch house. The last part of the fence had a gate. During indian raids, the live stock were brought into the compound for protection. This Story was told to doña Olalla Gutierrez de Uribe by her grand mother doña Olalla Gutierrez de Gutierrez.
        When the cuarto was built, it was very hard times due to the constant Indian raids. The live stock had to be kept close to the compound to be able to bring in during the raids. More land was cleared for planting seasonal crops like corn, squash and melons. The other thing that was done was to bring cactus from the other side of the river and plant it on the open range. The original purpose of the planting of the cactus is a puzzle but thru the years, especially the drought years, cactus has been a feed for the live stock. People cut the cactus, pass it thru an open flame to burn the thorns and this is food and at the same time liquid for the livestock. This process is done to make it easy for the livestock. When the livestock is hungry, the animal will eat the cactus, thorns and all and now there is an animal with a mouthful of thorns.
        Much of these land extending from southern part of Webb County to Ramireño (Where water tower is located south of San Ygnacio) is still owned by heirs of Martinez, Gutierrez, Benavidez and Uribes (thru marriage and purchase). Land was bought by tata Jesus Treviño and his brothers in law, Blas Maria and Vicente Gutierrez. Do not know who owns other portion of Dolores except that some land is/was owned by heirs of Capt. ***** of Texas Rangers.

New Alamo movie filming in Hill Country
Associated Press
        SAN ANTONIO (AP) - A cast and crew of hundreds are scurrying around a Hill Country ranch-turned-Hollywood-set, trying to make the most historically accurate movie about Texas' defining battle - the Alamo. Michael Corenblith, production designer for "Alamo," said the upcoming
movie will include perspectives of native Mexicans as well as the Texians.
        "I wanted to present this as a dialogue between two factions," he said in Sunday editions of the San Antonio Express-News. Mexican actors will speak 19th-century Spanish, and Native Americans will speak Cherokee. Those portions will have subtitles - a first for a major Alamo movie.
        So far, Alamo historians seem pleased with the direction the movie is taking. "It's one of the most compelling stories in all of American history. It's the ultimate story of American heroism and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds. It's that idea of victory over defeat," said Paul Hutton, executive director of the Western History Association and a professor of Western and American history at the University of New Mexico. "We need what it tells us about ourselves. We identify
collectively with the Americans at the Alamo."
        "If you look at it from a purely historical viewpoint, there are some things you might quibble with," said Bruce Winders, historian and curator of the Alamo. "But when you look at the overall picture, it's surprising how much attention to detail they got right." Instead of just a facade, several of the buildings have been fully built.
        The most challenging aspect of director John Lee Hancock's film is the accuracy of the story.
Winders said Hancock's challenge is how to handle Davy Crockett's death. There are theories that Crockett was executed, while others believe he went down fighting.
        The line in the sand story suggests that Col. William Travis drew a line in the sand to find out who wanted to continue fighting and who didn't. All but one man decided to stay on. Historians tend to discount the story, as it appeared for the first time more than 40 years after the Alamo's fall.
       Filmmakers have refused to say much more about the plot. Hancock said one thing's for sure: the Alamo is about more than a land fight. "It's a lot about second chances," he said. "Texas was a land of second chances; it was a place to be reborn."

Walter L. Herbeck Jr. wlherbeck@juno.com 210-684-9741
9215 Locksley, San Antonio, TX   78254

Hispanic Texans who died at the Alamo

Mimi, I found a partial listing of Hispanic Texans who died at the Alamo through the following website http://www.alamo-de-parras.welkin.org This article was entered by Randell Tarin.
Juan Abamillo
Juan A. Badillo
Carlos Espalier
Andres Nava
Gregoio Esparsa, another listing has him as Enrique Esparza
Antonio Fuentes
Jose Toribio Losoya- he was excluded in some lists as mixed up with his uncle Domingo Losoya, but Jose Toribio was at the Alamo's fall it seems. Both can be accessed through the Handbook of Texas
Other resources:
Mary Ann Noonan, Heroes of the Alamo and Goliad, 1987
Carlos E. Castaneda, The Mexican Side of the Texas Revolution, 1970,
Daughters of the Republic of Texas
Sons of the Republic of Texas
Jose Antonio de la Garza and Alexandro de la Garza are both given coverage in the Handbook of Texas. If nothing more, please print what is written on Jose Antonio de la Garza as he did have the first mint. I had read elsewhere that he was given a very large tract of land which included what is Floresville, Texas today.
Feel certain that you will come up with the correct list. One article read says that it depends what list you read- there are so many. Do think that research has proven who really was there.
Sent by Maria Dellinger

http://www.seguinfamilyhistory.com/alamomov.html
The Seguin Family site has a very touching account of walking among the movie sets. Speaking about the movie, Andrés Tijerina, a historical consultant for the film said, "It's one of the most conscientious efforts I've seen for accuracy."

UTA Libraries Feature Tejano Voices

         The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries announce the availability of a web site permitting access to digitized oral history interviews with Mexican American public figures in Texas. The interviews were conducted by José Angel Gutiérrez, UTA political science professor and former director of UTA’s Center for Mexican American Studies. They emphasize the personal stories and struggles of Tejano leaders, many of whom are the first individuals of Mexican descent in their communities elected or appointed to government office. The interviews uniquely reflect the history of the Tejano community as it pressed for an end to racial segregation in the state and access to political power in the post-WWII period.
        The web site provides background information on the Tejano Voices Project and features a page devoted to each interviewee where the researcher may view several images of the interviewee, read a brief biographical note about the interviewee and a summary of the interview, and choose to see the full text of the interview transcript and/or play the audio file of the entire interview. An added feature of the site is the ability to find interviewees by geographic location. This is accomplished by clicking on a map of Texas, which generates a list of interviews from the selected region. Future plans for the site include the addition of PDF versions of the transcripts and full-text search functionality.
        Grant funding to support the cataloging of 77 interviews was received from the TexTreasures program of the Texas State Library and Archives, and the resulting catalog records are available in OCLC. The UTA Libraries contributed staff and equipment to digitize the interviews and create the web site. An additional 81 interviews are held by UTA's Special Collections but have not yet been cataloged and digitized. A list of those interviews is on the project web site; their text, audio and summary descriptions will become available on the web site as time and funding permits. In the interim, they are available for use during Special Collections’ normal operating hours of Monday 9:00 am-7:00 pm and Tuesday-Saturday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm.

The Tejano Voices web site is best viewed with Internet Explorer and may be found at http://libraries.uta.edu/tejanovoices/. Comments and questions are welcome and may be addressed to Ann Hodges, Tejano Voices Project Manager, at ann.hodges@uta.edu or 817/272-7510.

Extract: Not Just Passing Through, Mexicans Preserve Old Culture While Seeking Opportunity
By Cary McMullen, (Florida) Ledger Religion Editor, cary.mcmullen@theledger.com
Source: http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/030303ei.htm

        Although the Mexican population in Florida has more than tripled since 1990, the growth in Polk County was even larger. There were 13,402 first-generation Mexicans living in Polk County in 2000, according to the U.S. Census, five times more than the 2,667 counted in 1990. They are 40 percent of the foreign-born residents in the county, by far the largest group, with Haitians second at 6.2 percent and Canadians third at 5.3 percent.
      Although many are migrant laborers working in the citrus groves, many others have come to join family or friends and are settling permanently here, establishing homes and businesses. Work-related seasonal migration between Mexico and the United States is no longer the norm, said Nilda Medina, director of the Redlands Christian Migrant Association in Haines City.
        "They don't go back and forth anymore. They mostly go to Mexico for the holidays," she said. "Most of the parents (of the association's preschool children) are legal right now. They have a residential card."
        Although it is primarily economic or educational opportunity they are seeking, Mexicans are here for a variety of reasons and live in a wide range of circumstances, from poverty to wealth; from fluency in English to not knowing a single word. But they insist that they share the characteristics of the Mexican people: industriousness, faith and a commitment to family. And as have generations of immigrants from other lands before them, they struggle to maintain their cultural identity in their new home, even as the American melting pot threatens to consume it.

CROSSING INTO THE NORTH
        For those who are here without documentation, the long journey from Mexico to Polk County begins in hardship and sometimes peril, and it has gotten more dangerous in recent years.
When Fernandez crossed from the northern state of Chihuahua into Texas almost 50 years ago, he did so without objections from immigration authorities. A physical education teacher, he went to see his brother, already working in Texas.
        "If you worked for the state, they let you come here. They didn't have any regulations," said Fernandez, 66. "I liked it here, so I stayed." But when David Velazquez crossed into California in 1986, the political and economic climate was different. The border area between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Ysidro, near San Diego, was heavily patroled. After a 30-year period of growth, Mexico's economy has experienced ups and downs since the early 1980s, and the rate of illegal immigration has increased as workers have come looking for jobs. The Census Department estimates that 4 million to 4.5 million Mexicans now live illegally in the United States.
        Velazquez, who is now a U.S. citizen and owns his own business, got across the border on his first try, walking 11Ú2 miles into the desert and evading the Border Patrol's helicopters. Even so, he said, the odds and the risks have gotten worse since he entered. "Back then it was easier. Now it costs you $1,500 to $3,000 to get across. It's very dangerous. The people taking you across, sometimes they distract you, then put drugs in your bag. If you don't get caught, they just take the bag," said Velazquez, 32. "If you make it here, you better make sure you do something with your life because a lot of people don't make it."
        IMMIGRATION - - LEGAL AND ILLEGAL - - has remained a sore point between the U.S. and Mexican governments. Mexican President Vicente Fox, addressing the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission on Nov. 26, called for an agreement that would allow for "safe, orderly and legal" migration of Mexicans, but U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said that concerns about border security after Sept. 11, 2001, have slowed progress on an agreement. Fox has responded that Mexicans do not represent terrorist threats to the United States.

Forty seven percent of Mexicans in the United States are legal residents.   According to figures from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, in 2000 there were 4.37 million Mexicans who were here legally and 4.8 million illegal immigrants.
.
ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRIOUSNESS: . "Whether we have education or not, we're a hardworking people. As far as money, we appreciate every penny," said David Velazquez.
But all is not well for those who arrive without job or language skills. Learning English is difficult, although it depends on your motivation, said   he said. "It's tough for people that don't think about anything but making a few dollars to send home. It's not tough if you're going to stay here and don't know what the future is," he said.

OBSTACLES
Especially for those working in the citrus groves, housing is substandard and transportation must be scrounged. There is discrimination and the loneliness and hardships can prompt refuge in drinking and drugs.
        Conchita, 19, who asked that her last name not be used, came to Haines City when she was 11 with her mother and six brothers to join her father, who worked in the orange groves. They crossed into Texas, walking for more than two hours to meet him. "When we got here, we had nothing. We lived in a trailer that had no floor. It was cold," she said through a translator. "I knew no English, but they put me in school. It was difficult."
        Although she dropped out of high school and got a job as a housekeeper for a hotel, Conchita earned a GED and now works as a preschool teacher at the Redlands Christian Migrant Association day-care center. She is married to a citrus worker, and they have one child and are expecting another. Her husband, Joseph, is studying at Polk Community College and hopes to become an art teacher, but she said he knows he will first have to obtain the proper documents. Discrimination was a big problem when Carlos Fernandez arrived in Polk County in 1958. "It was very difficult, especially in this part of Florida. A lot of people didn't accept us. The police didn't want us to live with blacks or whites," he said.
        Fernandez was instrumental in starting the Guadalupe Catholic Mission in Wahneta, but he said there was a lot of resistance, both from the church and from the community. The bishop was skeptical about the idea, and real estate agents refused to help find land. Even after Fernandez and his friends raised the money to build a simple building, some priests refused to celebrate Mass there, and one night someone fired a shot through a window. Nearly a generation later, the climate is less hostile, but David Velazquez said he occasionally encounters prejudice. "It makes me feel bad, but it doesn't make me mad. I always say, being aggressive is not the way to respond. It motivates me to do better. There are ways to show people you're not what they think," he said.
       The Rev. Norman Farland, pastor of the Guadalupe Mission, said one of the most common hardships faced by Mexican migrants is transportation. "They have to drive to get to work, the supermarket or the doctor, and it's impossible for them to get a driver license. They could use a document from the Mexican consulate to get a license. People coming from Canada or Europe -- no problem. Why do we put so many obstacles for people from Mexico? It's neither fair nor just," he said.

FAITH, FAMILY, TRADITION
In addition to bringing their language, food and customs, Mexicans say they bring their values, especially devotion to faith and family. Fernandez, a traditionalist, said he had insisted in his home that elders be respected and that his daughter continue to live at home after she turned 18.
"When an Anglo came to ask permission to marry my daughter, I told him, `I want you to think about this because I don't believe in just being married for a few years,' " he said. "In some ways, Hispanics give Anglos an example. When my kids played baseball, I had friends who said, `Carlos, I wish my kids were like yours.' "
        But it is a common lament among Mexicans that they are separated from loved ones. Fernandez and David Velazquez left behind their fathers to come to America. Guillermo and Pame Hernandez each have mothers, siblings and nieces and nephews in Mexico. "I'll never forget my first days in California. I cried every single day for my mother," Monica Velazquez said. She has not been back to see her parents since she left Mexico.
        Maintaining the language, customs and traditions of their native land is not easy in America, Mexicans here agree. Even though the Velazquezes speak English well, like other Mexicans, they speak only Spanish at home with their two children, Maria, 11, and David Jr., 10.
        "We don't want them to forget their language," David Velazquez said. Yet beyond the next generation, it gets more difficult. Two of Fernandez' four children married Anglos, and not all of his grandchildren speak Spanish, he said.
        Invariably, Mexicans say whatever the risks, whatever may be lost in coming to America, it is worth it. David Velazquez illustrated the point by recounting that when his son was 1, there was an emergency. "He got a penny stuck in his throat. He was turning purple. We dialed 911, and the paramedics were at the door in minutes. If that had happened in Mexico, he'd be dead. It made me appreciate what a great country we've got," he said. "Why else would anyone come here except to have a better life?"

Article URL: http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Site=LL&Date=20030223&Category=
NEWS&ArtNo=302230367&Ref=AR&Profile=1004

Libraries throughout the country diversifying and increasing Spanish language services

MIAMI, FL--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--February 25, 2003--Fulfilling their role as providers of books and services to all patrons in their communities, libraries are not only diversifying collections and increasing Spanish-language acquisitions, they're also scheduling a broader variety of programs in Spanish. Supporting their efforts,
        Spanish Audios, a division of Florida-based publisher Taller del Éxito, developed an outreach program based on the "In Search of the American Dream" seminar by author Dr. Camilo Cruz. In addition to providing an inspirational message in Spanish on reaching personal and professional goals, the seminar also attracts an audience of new patrons and introduces them to the libraries' books, cassettes, videos and services. The seminar explores what the American Dream looks like for the Hispanics today. How do participants define their goals? How can they benefit from others' experiences to build thriving families and careers?
        Dr. Cruz believes that many Hispanics don't give themselves enough credit for all that they've already risked and accomplished. He promotes the idea that people can achieve successful, fulfilling lives regardless of their circumstances. Describing his arrival in the US in 1980, he recounts how he used local libraries to research universities, accreditations, and other support systems.
        Diana Morales from Carnegie Library in Houston says, "In over 20 years of working in libraries and being involved in programming, I have not attended a Spanish program in which an adult audience was so captivated. People commented that we should have more programs of this type particularly in Spanish. His message that anyone can triumph is a timely one." Libraries have responded to these requests by offering Spanish story-times, poetry, film and book clubs. Educational programs include computer, parenting and citizenship classes.
        Even with decreased budgets and increasing workloads, libraries are focusing on staff training such as multicultural workshops and language classes. For example, the Spanish That Works approach from The Learning Light teaches basic library vocabulary. With just a few words, librarians can direct patrons to on-line services that can translate daily correspondence, school bulletins, etc.
        The private sector is helping to round out budgets and business partnerships are becoming more common. "We're planning to offer the program in four states this year," says Dr. Cruz, "but working with a corporate sponsor interested in bringing this message to the Hispanic community would allow many more libraries to participate." The combination of these efforts will help to meet the needs of a rapidly growing community.
        They may even answer this pressing question. What does it take to get a teenager to read? The answer: bring him to the library and inspire him! At a recent Spanish Audios program, a thirteen year-old who had been "dragged there by his parents" told Dr. Cruz after the seminar that he was so focused on his goals that he planned to take the money he was saving to buy a bicycle and put it toward some good books. Aha - success!

Mexican Banknotes: This is a fascinating website with a whole collection of Mexican Banknotes that Johanna De Soto found. http://www.banknotes.com/mx.htm

Mexican island sold, will be kept as nature preserve
by Lisa J. Adams Associated Press
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/americas/5263433.htm
Source: HispanicVista, Posted on Wed, Feb. 26, 2003

ISLA ESPIRITU SANTO, Mexico - Facing pressure to build hotels and resorts, communal land owners Tuesday handed over to the Mexican government an uninhabited, Manhattan-sized island touted as one of the region's most unspoiled ecosystems. Conservation groups said the $3.3 million sale -- funded by private, nonprofit groups -- could be a model for saving threatened wildlife areas.
        The deal was a victory for the Mexican government, which has been criticized for its plans to upgrade and build 22 ports along the Baja California coast. The island 20 miles off La Paz had been an ejido, or communal property, that was given to Mexican owners under earlier land reform programs. They requested the sale after deciding it was the best way to make money from land they could not develop.
        Isla Espiritu Santo, or Island of the Holy Spirit, is used only by fishermen from La Paz and tourists -- kayakers, scuba divers, hikers and campers -- who are allowed to visit in limited numbers. The barren 23,800-acre desert island boasts five species of mammals and reptiles -- such as rabbits and snakes -- unique to the island, and is known for the rich sea life around it.      Archaeologists also want to continue research that has turned up evidence humans lived on the island as long as 40,000 years ago.
        About an hour's trip by boat from La Paz, Espiritu Santo is divided by a shallow canal. It has a narrow beach fronted by turquoise waters and is surrounded by smaller islets where colonies of sea lions sun themselves. The island was designated a federally protected reserve in 1978, restricted to environmentally friendly uses. But conflicts arose over what those uses included, especially after 1992, when then-President Carlos Salinas pushed through a law allowing ejido members to sell their property.
        The pressure to develop the tip of the Baja California Peninsula has intensified in the past decade because of a dramatic increase in tourism in La Paz and surrounding areas. Developers began eyeing the island for tourism projects, and in 1999 some owners constructed several bungalows. The federal government later ordered them torn down. Gabriela Anaya, a representative for Mexico's Commission of Natural Protected Areas in La Paz, said officials believed the bungalows were just the beginning. ''It wouldn't stop there,'' she said. ``It would go on for years until enough had been built up to completely alter the ecosystem.''
        Federally protected lands across Mexico often are developed by politically connected businessmen or ejido members. The Mexican government has tried to stop development, but hotels and resorts often are built anyway.
        The agreement to expropriate Espiritu Santo came after three years of negotiations led by the Mexican nonprofit Foundation for Environmental Education, known as FUNDEA. The money paid to landowners was raised by nonprofit groups, including FUNDEA, the U.S.-based Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, the International Community Foundation and The Walton Family Foundation. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation donated $1.5 million for the island's management and protection.
        The island will be managed by Mexico's Commission of Natural Protected Areas, which also is working with nonprofit groups to protect 10 other private islands in the Gulf of California.

Extract: Mexico ends short-term fee
by Lyn Brezosky, AP via The Dallas Morning News
Sent by Maria Dellinger Tbdelling@aol.com

Harlingen, Texas: The Mexican government has quietly lifted its $22 fee for tourists planning to visit the interior for stays of seven days or less. The move was made too quietly, grumbled one Rio Grade Valley tour operation. "It's good news that could have been used to the country's advantage," said M.A. Sanborn owner of Sanborn's Travel in McAllen. "There's no tourism at all right now. The country's wide open."
"It's going to be very helpful for the city," said Angeles Rios, a Monterrey, Mexico tourism official. "It brings the tourism from Texas and from the U.S.A. and from Canada - because it's going to make people able to pass the border more easily and quickly."
It's also a small relief for business travelers, noted Bill summers of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, which represents more than 900 Valley business owners.

Romero de Terreros http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/onlinebooks/regla/contents.htm
An indexed guide to the papers of the Romero de Terreros family and other colonial and early national Mexican families Edited by John F. Guido and Lawrence R. Stark
Foreword by John E. Kicza

Los linajes neovizcaínos Morales, Leza y Ramón

Sergio Antonio Corona Páez

La Nueva Vizcaya, vasto territorio que comprendía el sur de Coahuila, Durango, Chihuahua y Sinaloa, contó con un gran número de familias de descubridores, pobladores y pacificadores cuyos apellidos se perpetuaron y son parte del "paisaje social" típico de estas regiones. Si en el Nuevo Reino de León llegaron para quedarse las familias Garza, De la Garza, Garza Falcón, Treviño, Ayala, Villarreal y muchas otras, la Nueva Vizcaya contó con linajes que le eran muy propios. Pensemos en los Flores-de-Ábrego, los González-de-Paredes, apellidos compuestos acuñados por los primeros pobladores de la villa del Saltillo, en este caso, por los matrimonios formados por don Pedro Flores y doña Melchora de Ábrego, y por don Juan González-de-Paredes y doña María de Olea. Pobladores, beneméritos y encomenderos, buscaron perpetuar su identidad y prestigio social por medio del apellido compuesto que distinguiera para siempre su linaje de otros homónimos. Los Flores-de-Ábrego surgen para diferenciarse de los Flores-de-Valdés, y los González-de-Paredes para no confundirse con los González-Hidalgo.

A propósito de apellidos, constituye una verdadera falacia pensar que todos los nombres de familia españoles llegaron a la Nueva España en su forma original y acabada. Muchos de los inmigrantes que llegaron desde la Península no lo tenían en lo absoluto y, al ser requeridos por los funcionarios aduanales de Sevilla (puerto de salida para América), se adjudicaban alguno, ya que tenían que identificarse plenamente al solicitar permiso para pasar al Nuevo Mundo. Se trataba de llenar los requisitos para dejar clara la identidad del emigrante o viajero.. Este tipo de apropiaciones sólo es detectable por un minucioso estudio genealógico que rastree las sucesivas generaciones del linaje, una por una.

Una práctica muy común en todo el territorio de la Nueva España fue la libre adopción de muchísimos apellidos españoles adjudicados con toda libertad a miembros de etnias que nada tenían que ver con los iberos, ni siquiera por mezcla de sangre.

Volviendo al tema de nuestro ensayo, y por lo que respecta al origen de los apellidos saltillenses "Morales" de los cuales se originaron los de "Leza" y "Ramón", diremos que en dicha villa se establecieron, a principios del siglo XVII, dos diferentes linajes "Morales" de origen hispano. El primero estuvo presente en la persona de Don Rodrigo de Morales, uno de los primeros pobladores y pacificadores de San Isidro de las Palomas (Arteaga) desde su fundación el 31 de Julio de 1608. Al parecer, don Rodrigo era de la misma familia de los Morales-Villaroel. En general, estos Morales destacaron como linaje de recios militares con participación significativa en la conquista y población de lo que es ahora el norte de Coahuila y Texas, así como en las expediciones contra los indios belicosos y los franceses de principios del siglo xviii.

Entre los miembros de esta familia contamos al Sargento Mayor Rodrigo de Morales, casado que fue con Doña Juana Gil de Leyva; al Justicia Mayor y Capitán a Guerra Antonio de Morales, hermano del anterior; el Alférez Real Rodrigo de Morales y Gil de Leyva, hijo del primero; el Capitán Luis de Morales y otros distinguidos militares, muchos de ellos protagonistas de la historia de la villa de Saltillo, cuyos apellidos y descendencia han llegado hasta nosotros en su forma original de "Morales".

Un segundo linaje "Morales" llegó a Saltillo a principios del siglo xvii en la persona del andaluz Juan de Morales Gómez, nacido hacia 1580, hijo de don Francisco de Lessa y de Doña Juana Gómez, vecinos de la villa de San Juan del Puerto (Huelva). Nótese que, aunque el padre usaba el apellido "Lessa", el hijo utiliza el "Morales". Y a partir de este tronco, surge una vasta sucesión de familias "Morales" y "Lessa" o "Leza".

Don Juan de Morales Gómez casó en Saltillo hacia 1617 con doña Isabel Gutierrez, viuda de don Juan Martínez de Salazar e hija de don Agustín de Ábrego y doña Leonor Gutierrez-Olea.

Don Juan de Morales Gómez y doña Isabel Gutiérrez tuvieron cinco hijos, que fueron, por orden: María; Francisco; Juana; Nicolás y Agustín.

Doña Juana de Morales Gutierrez, hija del matrimonio citado, vecina de la hacienda de San Diego del Mezquital (Cerritos) y ya viuda de su primer marido, casó con el Alférez don José de Morales y/o Ramón, hijo de don Luis de Morales y doña Juana de Treviño y Salazar, salvo prueba en contrario. Esta unión se realizó entre 1647 y 1650.

Es importante mencionar que el Alférez don José de Morales y/o Ramón ha sido erróneamente considerado como hijo natural del Capitán Diego Ramón, al parecer sin fundamento alguno.

Don Juan de Morales Gómez dice en su testamento que

"Ytem declaro y es mi boluntad de que una cláusula que tengo hecha en mi testamento en fabor de mi ija Ju(an)a de Morales digo y es mi boluntad que no embargante q(ue) le dejaba a la dicha mi yja Ju(an)a de Morales mejorada de la parte que le cabe como a yja por ser biuda y agora á tomado estado con Joseph de Morales Ramón, mi yjo"

Nótese aquí que el hijo político de Juan de Morales Gómez es llamado Joseph de Morales Ramón. En otra parte del testamento es llamado Joseph Ramón, como veremos a continuación.

"Ytem declaro q(ue) yo casé a mi yja Ju(an)a de Morales con Joseph Ramón, a la qual le he dado de su bestuario y ropa algunas cosas (...)"

Esto demuestra que en Joseph Morales y/o Ramón, sus dos apellidos eran intercambiables. Pero lo más interesante es que en su testamento, don Juan de Morales Gómez menciona quién era el padre de su yerno Joseph Morales y/o Ramón:

"Ytem declaro que al tiempo y quando se casó mi hija Ju(an)a de Morales con Joseph Ramón, le di con el dote doze mulas aparejadas. Mando que entre en p(osesi)ön de erencia para que se igualen su dote. Mas me deve el dicho Joseph de Morales que bendió a Ju(an) de Biera, y otro macho mío que dio a su p(adr)e Luis de Morales (...)"

Joseph Morales y/o Ramón, yerno de Juan de Morales Gómez, era hijo de don Luis de Morales, y por lo tanto, también de Juana de Treviño. Esta mutación deliberada en el apellido explica los parentescos e impedimentos por consanguinidad en los matrimonios entre los Ramón y los Morales, así como el intercambio de padrinos de vástagos de ambos linajes, de acuerdo a los documentos eclesiásticos de Saltillo a finales del siglo xvii y principios del xviii.

Los hijos del matrimonio de don Joseph de Morales y/o Ramón y de doña Juana de Morales Gutiérrez deberían haber llevado los apellidos "Morales y Morales". En cambio, para distinguirse, optaron por el "Ramón de Morales", apellido con el que fue conocida esa generación.

Hijos varones de don Joseph de Morales y/o Ramón y doña Juana de Morales Gutierrez fueron el Capitán José Ramón (casado con Doña Josefa López de la Peña) el cual, en su testamento llama al sargento mayor Rodrigo de Morales "mi tío"; Nicolás Ramón (casado con Doña Isabel de la Peña) y Diego Ramón..

Nietos del Sargento Mayor don Joseph de Morales y Ramón y doña Juana de Morales Gutierrez fueron el Capitán don Luis Ramón y López de la Peña, quien de acuerdo a las actas de cabildo de Saltillo fuera Alcalde Ordinario de primer voto en 1715, casado con Doña Isabel de Cepeda y García, y don Francisco Ramón y López de la Peña, hermano del anterior, que fue Alcalde Ordinario del Saltillo en 1714, casado con Doña Francisca Xaviera de Cepeda.

No queda duda alguna de que la historia de la onomástica neovizcaína no es solamente una tarea para los genealogistas, sino que resulta de gran interés para los historiadores que estudian y tratan de explicar fenómenos sociales que no son claros sino hasta el momento en que se conocen las redes de parentesco que existían entre los grupos de poder.

Tablas Geograficas Politicas del Reyno de Nueva España que manifiestan La superficie, Poblacion, agricultura, fabricas, Comercio, minas rentas y fuerza militar Tablas Estatisticas de Nueva España en 1802

http://www.agn.gob.mx/humboldt/pag-01.html
Por el Baron de Humbolt. Mexico Diciembre de 1803
[[ This is just a taste of the detailed information on the site..]]

El Reyno de Nueva España con las Provincias internas y ambas Californias pero sin Guatemala

Poblacion en 1803 5.764.700
Numero de habitantes sobre 1 legua cuadrada 71 3/8

Cinco veces mayor que la Peninsula (que tiene 15 700 de estas mismas leguas quadradas con 10,062 000 habitantes y 641 almas sobre 1 legua cuadrada) se extiende del 16º á 38º. Teniendo en su mayor largo de SSE al N.N.O 490 leguas nauticas (de 20 en 1º y su mayor ancho del Este al Oeste en 30º de latitud
desde el Rio colorado (de Texas) hasta la Isla de Tiburon 292 leguas. Su mayor anchura en el Ishtmo de Tehuantepeque donde los Rios de Huasacoalco y Chimalapa convidan a la comunicacion de ambos Mares por un Canal de 5-6 leguas es de 36 leguas. La distancia de Veracruz á Acapulco es de 87 leguas. La de Mexico á Veracruz de 59 la de Merida á Acapulco de 54 leguas

Mas de la mitad de toda la Area (cerca de 42 000 leguas cuadradas) está situada en la zona templada, de la otra mitad situada en la zona torrida, gozan
3/5 un clima mas frio que templado, efecto de la grande altura del terreno que de Mexico a Duran go no baxa de 900 á 1 300 toesas sobre el Nivel del Mar la doble altura del Vesuvio produciendo todas las plantas de la Europa

Las mayores alturas de la cordillera de Nueva España que por los bolcanes de Goatemala y el Isthmo de Panamá y Cupique comunica con los Andes de

La Area ha sido calculada por el señor don Juan Jose Oteyza y por mi sirviendonos el Mapa del
Reyno que he construido sobre mis propias observaciones astronomicas (hechas entre los 17º y 21
de latitud y sobre todos los materiales que existen en esta Capital.
Sent by Johanna De Soto

GENEALOGÍA DE LOS GUTIÉRREZ DE VELAZCO

GUILLERMO PADILLA ORIGEL
LEON, GTO. 2003

TRONCO

I.-Don Pedro Gutiérrez de Velazco, hijosdalgo, natural y regidor de San Martín de la Parte, en el valle de Santos Cueva (España), se casó con Doña Rosa de Pereda y Velazco y fue su hijo entre otros:

II.-Don Pedro Gutiérrez de Velazco y Pereda, Alcalde ordinario , procurador, General y teniente en la villa de la Asunción de las Aguascalientes de la Nueva Galicia, natural del arzobispado de Burgos, en los reynos de Castilla, se casó en primeras nupcias con Doña Micaela Gómez y Correa de Villaseñor , hija legítima de Francisco José Gómez, alcalde ordinario y de Petronila Correa de Villaseñor y fue su hijo de Don Pedro y Doña Micaela :

III.-Pbro. Don Juan José Secundino Gutiérrez de Velasco y Gómez, según inf. Aspirante al sacerdocio del 4 de julio de 1759 en la villa de Ags.

Se casó Don Pedro en Segundas nupcias con Doña Josefa Encarnación Romo de Vivar el 19 de agosto de 1771 en Ags. y fue su hijo entre otros:

III.-Don Eusebio Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, baut. el 12 de marzo de 1779 en Rincón de Romos, y se casó el 25 de febrero de 1810 en Ags. con Doña Josefa Morán y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

IV.-Don Andrés Gutiérrez de Velazco y Morán, casado en Silao, con Doña Rafaela García y

IV.-Don Teodoro Gutiérrez de Velazco y Morán, orig. de Ags. , se estableció en la villa de León, por 1850 y fue dueño de la hacienda de Santa Ana del Conde el 12 de junio de 1871 y testó el 21 de marzo de 1890, se casó en primeras nupcias con Doña Antonia Romo de Vivar y Ortiz, hija legítima de Don Zenón Romo de Vivar y Doña Zeferina Ortiz y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

1.-Domitila Gutierrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, soltera

2.-Don Carlos Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo d e Vivar, casado con Petra Mesa, y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

a.-Alfonso, Angélica, Carlos, Teodora, Margarita y Luis Gutiérrez de Velazco y Mesa

3.-Don Eusebio Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, se casó con Doña Ignacia Arcocha y Rizo, y fueron sus hijos ente otros:

a.-Doña Elodia Gutiérrez de Velazco y Arcocha, se casó con Don Pascual Urtaza y López

b.-Doña Elena Gutiérrez de Velazco y Arcocha, se casó con Don Juan Torres Septién

c.-Doña Sara Gutiérrez de Velazco y Arcocha

d.-Doña Carmen Gutiérrez de Velazco y Arcocha , se casó con Francisco Verdaguer

d.-Doña María de la Luz Gutiérrez de Velazco y Arcocha, se casó con Rodolfo Segovia

4.-Ing. Don Evaristo Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, padre soltero de :

a.-Don Ramón Gutiérrez de Velazco, casado con Josefa Gutiérrez de Velazco y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

Amparo, Ana María, Carmen, Ramón, Amalia y Roberto Gutiérrez de Velazco y Gutierrez de Velazco casado con Concepción Ortiz, padres de :

Jorge Gutiérrez de Velazco Ortiz

IV.-Don Teodoro Gutiérrez de Velazco y Morán, se casó en segundas nupcias con su cuñada, Doña Rafaela Romo de Vivar y Ortiz, y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

1.-Doña María de Jesús Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, casada con el Lic. José de la Luz Fuentes

2.-Don José María Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, se casó con una señora Jáuregui de Ags.

3.-Doña Francisca Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, se casó con Don Antonio Madrazo y Gómez

4.-Doña María del Pilar Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, se casó con el Lic. Acosta

5.-Dr. Don Rosendo Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, murió en León, el 15 de junio de 1902, y se casó en primeras nupcias con Doña Enedina Portillo y Martín del Campo, hija legítima de Don Ildefonso Portillo y Octaviana Martín del Campo y fueron sus hijos :

a.-Rafael Gutiérrez de Velazco y Portillo, casado con Edith , radicados en U.S.A., sin desendencia.

b.-Enedina Gutiérrez de Velazco y Portillo, casada con Efrén Torres

c.-Luz Gutiérrez de Velazco y Portillo, soltera

d.-David Gutiérrez de Velazco y Portillo, soltero

e.-Paz Gutiérrez de Velazco y Posrtillo, religiosa

f.-Rosendo Gutiérrez de Velazco y Portillo, casado con Beatriz Padilla Moreno, hija legítima de Ignacio Padilla y Mauricia Moreno, y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

Alicia Gutiérrez de Velazco Padilla, casada con sr. Lazcurain

Ricardo Gutiérrez de Velazco y Padilla, casado con Margarita Hernández y fue su hijo Germán Gutiérrez de Velazco y Hernández

Beatríz Gutiérrez de Velazco y Padilla, casada con Jorge .....

Manuel Gutiérrez de Velazco y Padilla, casado con Susana Martínez, y fueron sus hijos :

Manuel y Patricia Gutiérrez de Velazco Martínez

Rosendo Gutiérrez de Velazco y Padilla, casado con Carmen Ulíbarri Torres, y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

Carmen, Fernando, Arturo, Jaime, Roberto, Eduardo, Federico, Luz María y Rosendo Alejandro Gutiérrez de Velazco, casado con Luz María Gutiérrez Obregón y fueron sus hijos: Luz María, Alejandra, María, y Rosendo G. De Velazco y Gtz.

Jorge Gutiérrez de Velazco y Padilla, casado con Ofelia Muñoz Hurtado, y fueron sus hijos entre otros:

Ofelia, casada con Humberto Canto, José Antonio , casado con Guillermina Aviña, Georgina,soltera, Gerardo, casado con Rocío Sánchez, Raúl, casado con María del Rosario ... Leonel, casado con Evangelina Hernández, Claudia, casada con Luis González del Castillo, Jorge, casado con Adela Galván y Mauricio Gutiérrez de Velazco y Muñoz casado con María del Carmen Fuertes, y fueron sus hijos: Jimena, Mauricio, Francisco y Gustavo

5.-Don Rosendo Gutiérrez de Velazco y Romo de Vivar, se casó en segundas nupcias con Doña María Guadalupe Doblado Gaytán, hija del Gob. Gral. Don Manuel Doblado y de Doña Dolores Gaytán y fueron sus hijos :

a.-Don Javier Gutiérrez de Velazco y Doblado, casado con Luz Fuentes y

b.-Doña Guadalupe Gutiérrez de Velazco y Doblado, soltera

Latin American MSS. -- Mexico II
http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/lilly/mss/html/latinammex2.html Sent by Johanna De Soto
Introduction to the materials: The Latin American mss. Mexico II span the years 1560-1940 and complement the materials in the Latin American mss. Mexico collection.

        The colonial period of Mexican history is covered extensively in the collection. There is a large number of land grants, land transfers, and title and boundary disputes, as well as documents referring to various other legal disputes. The many royal directives and cedulas and vice- regal documents contain information on the administration of the colony. Several manuscripts are concerned with inheritances and descendants' estates. There are many documents pertaining to the administration, finances, and missions--particularly those of the Jesuits and Franciscans-- of the Catholic Church. Among these is a group of 102 documents from the Catedral of Mexico City from 1563-1604.
        A small group of manuscripts from Atlixco (then Villa de Carrion) has several items of interest, including a Libro de entradas de la carsel publica desta villa de carion for the period Jan. 8, 1644-Nov. 29, 1646.
        Other documents from the colonial period include manuscripts about slavery, the prevention of smallpox, the internal politics of Spain, military notarial archives from Nuevo Santander in the mid-eighteenth century, and a Relacion Yndividual y substancial de la Caussa que se formo a los Omicidas de Dn. Joaquin Dongo y 10 familiares suyos ... of 1789.
        The struggle for independence is covered in some depth. There is correspondence and documents by many of the leaders of the movement, among them Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Ignacio Maria de Allende y Unzaga, Jose Maria Teclo Morelos y Pavon, Leonardo Bravo, Juan Nepomuceno Rosians, and Ignacio Lopez Rayon. There are several manuscripts dealing with the capture and trials of Hidalgo.
        This era was strongly influenced by Spain's internal politics, as several of the documents testify. A non- governmental point of view of the period after the defeat of Morelos and before independence was actually achieved is presented in the correspondence between the businessman Francisco de Llano y Chavarri and Jose Parache. The fifty- seven letters in this group range from Nov. 6, 1816 to Sept. 16, 1818.
        The culmination of the independence movement is illustrated in two contemporary documents issued within a few days of each other. The first is by Juan O'Donoju, last viceroy of Mexico, addressed to Havitantes de Nueva Espana on Sept. 17, 1821. The second is Agustin de Iturbide's El Primer Gefe del Ejercito Ymperial a los havitantes de Mexico, issued on Sept. 20.
        The period immediately following independence, 1821-1861, has a few items concerned mainly with honors and rewards to the veterans and heroes of the independence and continuing hostilities with the Spanish at the castle of San Juan de Ulua and Veracruz. This early national period is represented by military and governmental appointments, the move for colonization in Texas, and more land and inheritance disputes. A number of government circulars contain information on a variety of subjects such as the Catholic Church, commerce and taxation, and the Congress. A series of twenty-six manuscripts relating to the Mexican consulate in New Orleans shed light on some of the problems in foreign relations with the U.S.
        A number of items concern Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and his role in Mexican history. Two of the more interesting are his Confesion y arrepentimiento ... of Jan. 8, 1830, and a bando containing his account of the siege and fall of the Alamo.

Collection size: 1756 items in 20 boxes and 25 vols. For more information about this collection and any related materials contact the Manuscripts Department, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 -- Telephone: (812) 855-2452.

Archivo del Ilustre y Nacional Colegio de Abogados de México

Sent by Leonor de Rosenzweig   nuni16@prodigy.net.mx

Estimados señores:
        Creo que podría interesarles saber que hace poco se terminó la ordenación y los extractos de más de 800 expedientes de limpieza de sangre pertenecientes al Archivo del Ilustre y Nacional Colegio de Abogados de México (fundado en 1760). Esta institución exigía a todos los que deseaban ingresar, condición indispensable para litigar ante la Real Audiencia de México, una probanza de limpieza que implicaba la declaración de doce testigos y la entrega de sieta partidas de bautismo -o documentos análogos que los suplieran- tocantes al pretendiente, a sus padres y a sus cuatro abuelos. Desde luego, alrededor del cumplimiento de este estatuto -mucho más rígido que el universitario, el inquisitorial y el de las órdenes religiosas- se originaron conflictos y tensiones que están descritos en el libro que abajo cito.
        Hoy pueden verse extractos de toda la información que contiene cada expediente en:
Alejandro Mayagoitia, "Aspirantes al Ilustre y Real Colegio de Abogados de México: extractos de sus informaciones de limpieza de sangre (1760-1823)" en Ars Iuris, Revista de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de México, #21, #22, #23, #24 y #26, México, 1999-2001. En estos números, al final, se encuentran los extractos; los demás artículos de Ars Iuris son, naturalmente, de corte jurídico. Son aproximadamente 600 pp. en total de interés genealógico, no tiene índices onomásticos pero están los abogados acomodados en orden alfabético con sus dos apellidos. La dirección de correo de Ars Iuris es:

Ars Iuris c/o Dr. José Antonio Lozano,
Universidad Panamericana
Facultad de Derecho
Augusto Rodin 498
Colonia Insurgentes Mixcoac, cp 03910
México, DF

Para datos sobre el funcionamiento del estatuto de limpieza de sangre en el Colegio de Abogados:
Alejandro Mayagoitia, El ingreso al Ilustre y Real Colegio de Abogados de México: historia, derecho y genealogía, México, Ilustre y Nacional Colegio de Abogados de México-Universidad Panamericana, 1999

Espero que esta información sea útil para sus lectores y pueda ser colocada en su página.
Estoy a sus órdenes para más información.
Alejandro Mayagoitia


A DASH OF SPAIN IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS by Ms. Rina Dichoso-Dungao, Ph.D.
*MABUHAY!* It is with pleasure that I offer this brief article for other nationalities to know and understand what a few only know about the Philippines and the large influence of Spain on its history, culture and language. Through this article I will establish the historical and cultural links of the Philippines to Spain which only a few know or have heard about. Although the Philippines was also colonized by the United States of America and Japan, it is in keeping with the "theme" of the coming Spanish project that this article will focus on Spain's contribution and influence to the development of the Philippines. BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Situated on the eastern edge of the China Sea and surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Philippines were discovered on March 16, 1521 by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan from Spain. In 1542, the islands were named in honor of Prince Philip, who became Philip II of Spain. However, Spanish colonization began in 1561 under Adelantado Governor General Miguel Lopez de Legaspi who founded a Spanish base in Manila. Along with the Spanish colonization came new laws, a new language, the galleon trade and the greatest legacy of all, the Roman Catholic religion. It was only the Moslems from the south (also called "Moros") who fought against any form of Spanish influence. In 1571, the City of Manila (then called pre-Spanish "Maynilad"), was proclaimed by Governor Legazpi as the "permanent seat of the Spanish government in the East." He ordered the creation of a municipal government called the "Cabildo" and built Spanish style monasteries, nunneries, churches and schools (much of what are now considered tourist spots in the Old City of Manila), giving birth to the "City of Intramuros", also called the "Ever Loyal and Distinguished City of Spain in the Orient". Economically, it was also in 1571 under Spain's influence that Manila became a great entry port in the Far East. The "Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade" between the Philippines and Mexico flourished and between the 16th and 19th centuries, the City of Manila was known as "Intramuros". CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC AND RELIGIOUS SPANISH INFLUENCES Having been a colony of Spain for more than three hundred years, Filipinos have been strongly influenced by the Spanish rule. Traditional songs (translated into many dialects used by the islands), dances, manner of dressing ( modern but at most conservative) , cuisine, ("churros con chocolate" "paella", "tapas", "chorizo de Bilbao" , etc.), arts and crafts (there is still a strong wood carving industry in most of the Philippines islands to this day) and even daily habits or practices such as observing "siesta time" ( known as noontime "naps" between 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.----a practice still observed in Spain) and "fiestas" (monthly celebrations of each province depending on the feast day of the inhabitants' chosen patron saint for their town)--- all date back to the Spanish period. Furthermore, among Spain's other legacies to the Philippine islands were "borrowed words" from the Spanish language (at that time, the official Spanish language was called "Castilian") which had gradually been accepted and used as part of the "Pilipino" (based on Tagalog) language as well as some of the Philippine's local dialects. Literature was primarily religious. Spanish names for the Filipino natives were used such as: "Bernardo", "Basilio", "Miguel", "Luis", "Lorenzo", "Cristina", "Maria", etc.) but the most widespread influence of all was religious conversion to Roman Catholicism, today accounting for 83% of the Filipino religion. In terms of architectural influences, many will still find centuries-old Spanish structures and churches which feature "earthquake-proof baroque" styles in Intramuros, now regarded as the "old town center". Within the ancient walls of Intramuros (also popularly known as the "Walled City") is Fort Santiago, formerly the headquarters for Spanish troops. Here, one can find what is called Rizaliana works and artifacts since this is where the Philippines' national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal wrote his "Mi Ultimo Adios" ( "My Last Farewell") masterpiece. Also found in Intramuros is the San Agustin Museum, ( in an extended building of the old San Agustin Church) where many well-preserved and well-kept religious statues especially that of patron saints ("santos"), can be found. Right across the street is a 19th century mansion called Casa Manila which was built with 16th-19th century furnishings. And further down the road stands the famous Manila Cathedral. POLITICAL INFLUENCES In an attempt to explain the non-existence of "absolute separation" between the Philippine's church and state affairs, and to understand how the government system is run today, one must know its early beginnings. Under the governance of Spain, Philippine government issues and decisions rested on the "fraile" or friars (priests) represented by one of the four big religious orders in the Philippines at that time: the Augustinians, Dominicans, Franciscans and Recoletos. The emergence of these four religious orders as political forces resulted from the fact that Spanish civil and military officers were assigned to the Philippine islands for only four years at most. When the few remaining military officers in the islands tried to quell the growing political power of the "frailes", it was rapidly cut short by "monastic influence". Thus, the tenure of a friar or priest came to be permanent. Few rotations of friars among the different parishes were practiced. To quote the Augustinian provincial, "the friars became the pedestal or foundation of the sovereignty of Spain in the Philippine islands and if removed, the whole structure would topple over." Once a priest was assigned to a parish that priest, as well as the archbishop and the bishops of that region, remained in their parishes for long periods of time. This paved the way for religious authorities becoming the political figures of the island. The religious orders developed into a powerful, permanent and extremely organized political force in the Philippines which largely dominated political governance. Gradually, the Church practiced selecting ministers whose duty assignments became a political issue subject to commentaries in public reports. That briefly explains the seemingly "thin line" between matters of Philippine government and religious affairs. Most of the Filipino people revere and love the Catholic Church. Most have been influenced by an "ecclesiastical nature" brought about by the Spanish friars and have thus equated politics and good governance with the approval of the Church's officials and members. This practice is still observed in modern day Philippines and attempts by the Church and its members to keep out of politics, more often than not, prove to be futile. However, the Filipino people have also learned to reflect and use analytical and critical thinking in order to judge things fairly in important issues. AN OVERVIEW OF THE PHILIPPINES TODAY Some historians have described Philippine history under the Spanish period as having spent "400 years in a convent", but the result of Spain's influence describes the basic personality of the average-modern-day Filipino: one who is family-oriented and a devout Catholic, but is quick to participate in debates or arguments regarding birth control measures, divorce and other Western practices. There is, however, one outstanding trait that Filipinos are known for worldwide and that is their hospitality towards guests or visitors. There are an estimated 80 million Filipinos today, mainly Malay people with Spanish, American and Chinese influences. While there are several regional languages in the Philippines, the two official languages are Pilipino and English, with English as the most widely spoken language and preferred medium of communication in business, government and legal matters. The City of Manila (also called "The City of Our Affections", taken from an old Spanish writing), remains to be the capital city of the Philippines while "Metro Manila" represents the whole metropolitan area comprised of seven cities: Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Pasay, Makati, Pasig and Mandaluyong City. Most people though would just say "Manila" when referring to the whole metropolitan area. From government and art, markets and churches, banks and schools--it is still considered the "city of dreams". While Spain's currency is the "peseta", the Philippines' currency is similar to Mexico in that, currencies are also marked in "pesos". Philippine currency notes are in denominations of P10, P20, P50, P100, P500 and P1,000. Coins are in denominations of P0.10, P0.25, P0.50 P1.00 peso and P5.00 pesos. A FINAL NOTE To summarize, for one to understand the Philippines and its people, one cannot deny the many influences of Spain (perhaps more than the other colonizers) in the Filipinos' heritage and culture. A simple explanation for this could perhaps be because we were under the Spanish period for more than three centuries. Although the Philippines now are a proud independent nation, taking a step back into history (and knowing our roots) provides a valuable insight into fully knowing and appreciating a Filipino. MARAMING SALAMAT! REFERENCES: 1. http://www.AsiaOnDemand.com/countries/philippines.htm,1998-2001 2. http://www.analitica.com/biblioteca/emily_monroy/race_mixing.asp 3. http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/The_Great_Republic_By _the_Master_Historians 4. http://www.flyphilippines.com/info/manilacity-philippines.html 5. Visitors' Guide to the Philippines, 6th ed., Integrated Marketing Services (Phils),2000-2001

Immigrant Ancestors Project Immigrants@byu.edu Immigrant Ancestors Project, sponsored by Brigham Young University’s Center for Family History and Genealogy, uses emigration records in emigrant home countries to locate the birthplaces of immigrants which are missing on many port records and naturalization documents in arrival countries. At present the project focuses on emigrants from Germany, Spain, Ireland, England and France, but plans are to add other countries. Volunteers working with scholars and researchers at Brigham Young University are creating a database of millions of immigrants based on emigration records. Anyone with an Internet connection can search this database at no cost. Funds are being raised for the project to pay wages to student researchers, provide microfilm copies of needed records, and support computer development and maintenance. Spanish Immigrants Project Emigration records are valuable resources that are largely untouched simply because they are not easily available or are difficult to identify. In Spain prior to 1790 there is already a very valuable index to the records of many citizens leaving the country (available through the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain). Emigration, however, was a lot simpler from Spain after the colonial period, so many more people left the country for new lands after that period. The records available for people leaving the country after 1790 include passport registers and application files, passenger contracts and many other records rich in genealogical information. Unfortunately, few of these have been microfilmed or are accessible short of visiting the archives containing the records themselves. Even then, the records are often not indexed or sorted. With help from archivists in the port cities as well as in other archives of Spain we are creating images of the documents involved in a person’s emigration from his or her country and using volunteers to help us extract these into a computerized database that will be a useful tool to both genealogists and historians of Spain.

History of the Grand Canaria http://www.grancanaria.com/patronato_turismo/index.php?id=372 Sent by Bill Carmena The origins of the history of the Canary Islands are intertwined with myths and legends and several different theories exist. In any case we must go back to classical times in order to find the first historical references to Gran Canaria. Research into the Island's earliest population points to a link with North Africa and the Berber cultural heritage. It would seem that the island was colonised at around 500 B.C. Most of the many peoples and cultures that arrived in the archipelago during the pre-Hispanic period settled in Gran Canaria. The conquest of the Island, which took place during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs in the last third of the fifteenth century, was fiercely resisted by the natives of the Island. The definitive annexation of Gran Canaria by the Crown of Castile was the work of Pedro de Vera, who, in 1483, completed the conquest that was started earlier by Juan Rejón. The conquest took place in two phases: firstly, the landing and subsequent construction of Real de Las Palmas at the mouth of the Guiniguada river; and, secondly, Vera's military campaign, which ended with the subjugation of the aboriginal people of Gáldar, as well as the campaign for the pacification of the southern slopes of the island. From this time onwards the Crown of Castile began to infiltrate the Island of Gran Canaria in political, social and economic terms. The capital of Gran Canaria became the administrative centre and epicentre of the planning of the archipelago (the Bishopric of the Canaries, the Court of the Holy Inquisition, the Royal Court of the Canaries...). During the 17th century, some cracks started appearing in the splendour of Gran Canaria, which was caused by a lull in the exportation of agricultural products to America and also to the rest of Europe. Not until the mid-nineteenth century was the free port system established in the Canary Islands. This was a special economic regime designed to favour trading relations. This new regime, based on tax exemptions and facilities for free trade acted as a major trading attraction and the number of British ships and shipping companies calling in at the Island soon multiplied. Currently, the geographical isolation of Gran Canaria and the Archipelago in general is formally recognised in the Economic and Tax Regime Law, which has recently been adapted and somewhat diminished by the full incorporation of the Canary Islands within the European Union. It was precisely because of the shipping traffic that the tourism industry was born in Gran Canaria. Over the years, tourism would eventually become the main source of income for the island, which would become one of the main tourist destinations in the world. From the second half of the 19th century, Gran Canaria started gaining popularity in European circles as a place of rest for tourists and the infirm. Shipping companies soon took advantage of the opportunity to equip their vessels with cabins for the transport of passengers. These companies would also take the initiative in the building of the first hotels on the island, one of which was the hotel of Santa Catalina (1890) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, this being the only hotel dating from the early beginnings of tourism that still remains open. The development of tourism and the services that had sprung up around tourism was interrupted by a number of wars (the World Wars and the Spanish Civil War) and it would only be in the fifties when the island would again receive any significant numbers of tourists. During this slump, the tourism industry could not even be revived by the opening of the Airport of Gran Canaria (called Gando in those times) in 1930. At Christmas of 1957, an aeroplane of the Swedish airline, Transair AB, landed at Gando with all 54 of its seats occupied. This was the first of a series of charter flights with which Gran Canaria launched itself in the organized mass tourism market as well as the modern tourism industry.

El Museo Canario http://www.elmuseocanario.com/ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brasscannon Sent by Paul Newfield pcn01@webdsi.com Paul's personal genealogy page: http://www.gencircles.com/users/brasscannon/1/pedigree/72

Virreyes de la Nueva España (1519-1821) http://www.arts-history.mx/virreyes/index.html Sent by Paul Newfield Links to each of the following, with brief biographies: The last historical figure O´Donojú ( Sevilla 1762 — ciudad de México 1821) En 1821, el gobierno español designó a O´Donojú capitán de la Nueva España, nombramiento que tenía los mismos derechos del cargo de virrey. Estado en veracruz, declaró al pueblo sus intenciones liberales. En septiembre de este año se concertó una cita cerca de la Villa de Guadalupe, entre Iturbide, O´Donojú y Novella, quienes acordaron la suspensión de hostilidades. El 21 de septiembre se decretó el acta de independencia del imperio mexicano. El sexoagésimo segundo y último virrey de la Nueva España, murió a los 59 años en la capital del nuevo imperio, haciéndosele honores de virrey en la Catedral Metropolitana.
Hernán Cortés 1519-1524 Antonio de Mendoza 1535-1550 Luis de Velasco 1550-1564 Gastón de Peralta 1566-1568 Martín Enríquez de Almanza 1568-1580 Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza 1580-1583 Pedro Moya de Contreras 1584-1585 Alvaro Manrique de Zúñiga 1585-1590 Luis de Velasco 1590-1595 Gaspar Zúñiga y Acevedo 1595-1603 Juan de Mendoza y Luna 1603-1607 Luis de Velasco(hijo) 1607-1611 Fray García Guerra 1611-1612 Diego Fernández de Córdoba 1612-1621 Diego Carrillo de Mendoza 1621-1624 Rodrigo Pacheco Osorio 1624-1635 Lope Díaz de Armendáriz 1635-1640 Diego Lopez Pacheco 1640-1642 Juan de Palafox y Mendoza 1642 García Sarmiento de Sotomayor 1642-1648 Marco de Torres y Rueda 1648-1649 Luis Enríquez Guzmán 1650-1653 Francisco Fernández de la Cueva 1653-1660 Juan de Leyva de la Cerda 1660-1664 Diego Osorio de Escobar y Llamas 1664 Sebastián de Toledo Molina 1664-1672 Pedro Nuño Colón de Portugal 1672 Fray Payo Enríquez de Rivera 1672-1680 Tomas Antonio de la Cerda y Aragón 1680-1686 Melchor Portocarrero Lazo de la Vega 1686-1688 Gaspar de Sandoval Silva y Mendoza 1688-1696 Juan de Ortega Montañéz 1696	José Sarmiento y Valladares 1696-1701 Juan de Ortega Montañéz 1701-1702 Francisco Fernández de la Cueva 1701-1711 Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva 1711-1716 Baltasar de Zúñiga y Guzmán 1716-1722 Juan de Acuña y Manrique 1722-1734 Juan Antonio de Vizarrón y Eguiarreta 1734-1740 Pedro de Castro y Figueroa 1740-1741 Pedro Cebrián y Agustín 1742-1746 Francisco Güemes y Horcasitas 1746-1755 Agustín de Ahumada y Villalón 1755-1760 Francisco Caxigal de la Vega 1760 Joaquín de Monserrat 1760-1766 Carlos Francisco de la Croix 1766-1771 Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa 1771-1779 Martín de Mayorga 1779-1783 Matías de Gálvez 1783-1784 Bernardo de Gálvez 1785-1786 Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta 1787 Manuel Antonio Flores 1787-1789 Juan Vicente de Güemes Pacheco 1789-1794 Miguel de la Grúa Talamanca 1794-1798 Miguel José de Azanza 1798-1800 Félix Berenguer de Marquina 1800-1803 José de Iturrigaray 1803-1808 Pedro Garibay 1808-1809 Francisco Javier Venegas 1810-1813 Felix María Calleja del Rey 1813-1816 Juan Ruiz de Apodaca 1816-1821 Juan O'Donojú 1821

Portuguese Immigrants from Azores to Sandwich Isles, 1879-1883 Passport Registration Indexes by Town/Village, Compiled by Melody Lassalle http://www.islandroutes.com/articles/passindex.html Source: Portuguese Immigrants from Azores to Sandwich Isles, 1879-1883: Passport Registrations, by Robert DeMello. Honolulu : De Mello Publishing Co., [n.d.] Note: If you do not have access to the book, I will scan specific entries for a small fee. Please contact me for more information at: webmaster@islandroutes.com Sent by Johanna De Soto
Towns Indexed: Achada Arrifes Belen, Faja de Baixo Belein, Portugal? Bretanha Candelaria Candelos, Vila do Porto, Santa Maria Island Capelas Cedros, Faial Conceicao, Terceira Conceicao, Ribeira Grande Faial Faial de Terra Faja de Baixo Faja de Cima Faja de Lima Fenais da Luz Fenais da Vera Cruz Feteiras Flamingos, Faial Furnas Ginetes Graciosa Lazaro, Sao Jorge Lisboa, Portugal Mae de Deus, Povoacao Maia Matriz, Vila do Porto, Santa Maria Island Mosteiros Nordeste Pico Pico de Pedra	Ponta do Sol, Madeira Garca Purificacao, Vila do Porto, Santa Maria Island Porto Formoso Rabo de Peixe Relva Ribeira Grande Ribeira Quente Santa Barbara, Ribeira Seca, Ribeira Grande Santa Barbara, Santa Maria Island Santa Barbara, Vila do Porto, Santa Maria Island Santo Esperito, Santa Maria Island Santo Esperito, Vila do Porto, Santa Maria Island Santa Maria Island Santiago, Sao Jorge Sao Jorge Sao Paulo, Ribeira Quente Sao Pedro, Ribeira Grande Sao Pedro, Ribeira Seca, Ribeira Grande Sao Pedro, Vila do Porto Sao Roque Sao Tome, Africa Sao Vicente Sete Cidades Terceira Tomas, Portugal Valincia do Mindro Vila de Azeitao, Portugal Vila de Cascius aka Vila de Cascais, Portugal Vila do Porto, Santa Maria Island Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal Vina, Conceicao, Ribeira Grande Vizen (Manz) aka Viseu, Portugal

Spanish and Portuguese Colonial Possessions http://www.friesian.com/newspain.htm [[This site has a lot of interesting information, but you have to be alert to the very biased editorial running throughout.]] After Columbus showed that you could get somewhere by sailing across the Atlantic (1492-1493) and Vasco da Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope all the way to India (1497-1498), it was clear that European sailing technology was ready to go anywhere in the world. In 1493, Spain and Portugal got Pope Alexander VI to literally divide the world between them, a settlement adjusted slightly in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. This basically gave the Western Hemisphere to Spain and the Eastern to Portugal. For the next century, this is pretty much how things operated, and both Spanish and Portuguese denied that other European powers had the right to have ships in "their" waters. The English, French, Dutch, etc. ran of the risk of being treated like pirates, even when they weren't.

UNESCO http://portal.unesco.org/ci/ev.php?URL_ID=5761&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION= 201&reload=1036514637 Sent by Johanna De Soto UNESCO and ICA Signed Agreement for Six-Year Cooperation Today* 31/10/2002 (UNESCO) - UNESCO and the International Council on Archives (ICA) will continue to closely cooperate to enhance the management of, facilitate access to, and ensure preservation of, information that is held by public archives worldwide. This is the main thrust of the Agreement that Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information and ICA's Secretary General Joan van Albada signed in Paris today. Asia/Pacific Challenges for Preserving Digital Heritage* 29/10/2002 (UNESCO) - UNESCO's campaign for the preservation of the world's digital heritage takes another concrete step next week, with the first of a series of Regional Consultation Meetings to be held in Canberra, Australia, on 4-6 November. The meeting will discuss digital preservation challenges in Asia and the Pacific, and prepare comments on two key documents-in-draft. New Preservation Gateway Launched* 25/10/2002 (ECPA) - The National Archives of the Netherlands and the European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA), a close partner to UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme, recently announced the launch of the Gateway for Resources and Information on Preservation (GRIP), an Internet portal giving access to core material on the various aspects of document preservation.

Argentina y California Conectadas Históricamente De mi consideración: Me dirijo a ustedes con el fin de lograr información acerca del episodio de la conquista de Monterey California por el Capitán Hipólito Bouchard en 1818. Yo estuve personalmente en 1999 en el lugar donde estuvo el fuerte de Monterey, y pude ver en el lugar un monolito que hace referencia a la batalla y a la bandera Argentina que dice que estuvo flameando por seis días. ¿Podría su organización "Somos Primos" enviarme una foto o el texto de la placa de bronce del monolito? Desde ya muchas gracias, Ricardo Balsells, Argentina geotraza@elsitio.ne [[Editor: This communication was forwarded to Benicio Samuel Sanchez Garcia. Very special thanks to Lilia Arteaga, a Spanish teacher in Orange county who assisted in preparing it for our readers. Mr. Sanchez Garcia has offered his assistance to other researchers. Please contact him directly.]] Hipólito Bouchard in Monterey, California mexicangenealogy@ancestros.com.mx (Sociedad Genealógica del Norte de México) Los Corsarios Chilenos armados luego de la independencia de su país, con apoyo de marinos Argentinos y Británicos se mantuvieron e hicieron varias presas del comercio Español con base en Lima (1818-1820) Quizás el corsario más famoso haya sido Hipólito Bouchard, quien con la fragata "La Argentina" dio la vuelta al mundo (1817-1819) En las islas de Hawai logro de su rey el reconocimiento de la independencia Argentina (la primera Nación en hacerlo) Luego atacó la costa Californiana del Virreinato de Nueva España (hoy México) y se apoderó de Monterey, donde actualmente ondea la bandera Argentina durante tres días, en la fecha en que Argentina ocupó California. Hipólito Bouchart zarpó de Buenos Aires el 9 de julio de 1817 al mando de la fragata "La Argentina", rebautizó el navío como "Consecuencia" que el mismo había capturado poco antes a los realistas del Pacífico. El periplo fue largo: Madagascar, India, océano Indico, Filipinas, Borneo, Java, Macasar, las Cilebres, el archipiélago de la Sonda. Siempre con la bandera Argentina al tope. En Madagascar venció a cinco navíos malayos, y según lo cuenta el mismo Bouchard en su diario de a bordo, "a la hora y media de fuego y de golpe de las armas, el capitán de la proa (se refería a un tipo especial de barcos, propio de los piratas malayos), viendo frustrados sus designios, se dio dos puñaladas y se arrojó al agua, lo mismo hicieron otros cinco, y el resto de la tripulación se defendió muy poco tiempo después..." Luego, durante dos meses "La Argentina" bloqueó la ciudad filipina de Luzón, centro del poder español en el Mar de Chona. Hundió dieciséis barcos, abordó otros dieciséis y apresó a cuatrocientos realistas. La fama del corsario argentino se expandía velozmente inspirando el terror con solo pronunciarse su nombre. En ruta a Oceanía se detuvo en Hawai, donde poco antes el Rey Kameha Meha se había apropiado legalmente de un barco argentino. Se trata del (Chacabuco), ex navío norteamericano originalmente bautizado (Liberty), que estaba en poder del monarca por haberse sublevado su tripulación. Bouchard habló con Kameha Meha, rescató la nave mediante una indemnización y obtuvo la devolución del cabecilla, que fue juzgado y ejecutado en forma sumaria. El comandante argentino también firmó un tratado de unión, amistad y comercio con el soberano isleño y logró que Hawai reconociera la independencia nacional. Fue el primer Estado que lo hizo. Finalmente Bouchard volvió a hacerse a la mar y el 22 de noviembre de 1818 la aguerrida flotilla Argentina fondea en la bahía de Monterrey, California, entonces posesión española. Bouchard, sobre la "Argentina", y su subordinado Peter Corney al mando de la reconquistada (Chacabuco), con una desusada tripulación de criollos y polinesios sitiaron la ciudad enemiga. Las batermas realistas cañonearon a las naves patriotas, que respondieron al fuego implacablemente y lograron desembarcar sus tropas de ataque. Al día siguiente se produjo la rendición de la plaza. El diario de Bouchard cuenta que un cobrizo guerrero hawaiano fue quien arrió la bandera española e izó la celeste y blanca en territorio del que es hoy el país más poderoso de la tierra. La ocupación de la Alta California por parte de la Armada Argentina se prolongó por seis días, tiempo que duró el saqueo y la reparación de las naves. El mortífero raid continuó por las colonias centroamericanas, poniendo en jaque a las armadas del soberano hispano y apoderándose de los fuertes de San Juan, Acapulco, San Blas, Sonsonante y Santa Bárbara. Cabe resaltar un combate feroz frente a la costa nicaragüense, de resueltas del cual una flotilla realista fue desmembrada totalmente por los argentinos. Es este el motivo por el cual muchas banderas de las actuales naciones de Centroamérica tienen ostensiblemente la nuestra como base, porque significa quienes lucharon por sus respectivas independencias. Gracias a Hipólito Bouchard, un símbolo altivo de lucha contra el opresor colonial.

INCLUSIVENESS OF PATRIOTIC ORGANIZATIONS
by
Granville W. Hough

        Research in the “Spanish Patriot” series of publications by Granville W. and N. C. Hough is intended to support the patriotic inclusiveness of two organizations, the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), and the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution
(DAR). If other organizations can and do benefit, the authors will be pleased.
        The National Society, Sons of the American Revolution, has its national headquarters, offices, and library at 1000 South Fourth St, Louisville, KY 40203-3292; Ph: (502) 589-1776; Fax (502) 589-1671; email:nssar@sar.org ; Web site: http://www.sar.org . There are about 490 local chapters, plus state organizations, and organizations in several foreign countries. There are over 25,000 active members. The National Society publishes The SAR Magazine quarterly for its members.
        The National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, has its national headquarters, offices, and library at 1776 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006-5303; Ph: (202) 628-1776; Web sites: http://www.dar.org and http://members.dar.org . There are a few thousand chapters, and there have been 804,361 members, of whom over 200,000 are still active. The National Society publishes The National Spirit quarterly for its members, and in 2001 began a new bi-monthly publication, Daughters of the American Revolution Newsletter.
        When the SAR was founded by men, their wives asked to join, pointing out that they too descended from patriots of the Revolutionary War. The men were taken aback, but stood their ground and said in effect: “Oh no, men did the fighting; this is for Sons, not Daughters.” BIG MISTAKE. The wives said in reply: “All right, we will form our own organization,” which they did with the result that today it is TEN times larger than that of the men. Each organization has been fiercely independent as to eligibility rules for membership, so the following applies mainly to the NSSAR.
National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution first included the French

        In 1899, the NSSAR elected to become an inclusive organization, but the War Department had no record of the French soldiers and sailors who took part. In Oct 1899, the NSSAR leadership appointed a Commission to research the French archives to prepare a list of those who served. To make the research manageable, the list was to include persons of known units who served in the thirteen colonies or in their adjacent waters. The Commission worked for many months and the work was first published in French by the Ministère des Affairs Étrangères, with title: Les Combattants, Française de la Guerre Amércaine, 1778-1783. This work, with parallel English translations of major parts, was republished by the United States Congress, 58th Session, Senate Document No. 77, printed at Washington, Impremerie Nationale (Government Printing Office), 1905.
        Since that time, it has been a basic document for NSSAR use with applicants of French soldier or sailor descendants. However, one must note what the Chairman of the Commission placed in the Introduction, first, with respect to its completeness and second, with respect to its inclusiveness.
“But before placing the work of the commission under the eyes of readers, it is not without utility to remark how incomplete is the list. In the first place, all the documents which should figure here were not found; our lists, those of the fleets, contain nearly all the sailors who had effectually taken part in that campaign, but those of the infantry comprise only about one-half of those who actually fought
in the United States; the documents about the troops garrisoned on each ship notably have not been established in an absolute manner and are not included in this work, and each ship of d’Estaing’s fleet as that of de Grasse, had on board 100 to 150 infantry men; also the documents concerning the legion Lauzun, companies of artillery and engineers, and the company of the regiment Grenoble, have not been found.
        These researches deal only with the direct and official participation of France in the American War. On the one side the rolls of the French ministerial departments from which the lists have been taken exclusively, and which will be found in this volume, give no indication of volunteer inscriptions, nevertheless numerous, which preceded governmental interference; on the other hand, it is not only the French fleets which have figured in American waters, nor only the French armies which fought on American soil, which have contributed to the enfranchisement of America, but all the French fleets and armies which struggled against England at the same time. The exploits of Suffren, for example, in the Indian Ocean, contributed, perhaps, as much as those of which the Chesapeake was the theater, to achieve the final result. Also, at the same time that d’Estaing had set sail for America, the French fleet sustained on the coast of Europe against English fleets splendid combats, of which the duel of the Belle Poule and the Arethuse and the combat at Ouessant remain famous episodes, and which, in weakening Great Britain, gave great aid to the colonies in their efforts for liberty.
        In our desire to include in this publication only troops which have fought either in the waters or on the soil of America, we have excluded the fleet of Count de Guichen, who fought in the fAntilles and was there in constant contact with the fleets whose operations were being carried on on the other side of the Atlantic. The names of all the French soldiers and sailors engaged in that war would have been given here if we had not been obliged to circumscribe the limits.”
        Only in the current time period has research begun to complete listings of French soldiers and sailors, lead by the NSSAR chapters in France. There has been a 100 year delay, for which there is no good explanation. The Hough publications are the only ones which specifically include those who fought only in the West Indies or in other theatres.

NSSAR next included the Spanish from Louisiana
        At the time the NSSAR began to include descendants of French soldiers and sailors, there was no thought of including Spanish. After all, the United States in 1899 was in the middle of a war with Spain, an unfortunate conflict called the Spanish-American War. Secondly, World War I intervened and efforts of the NSSAR were more on survival than on expansion. It was the next generation which picked up on inclusiveness concepts, and this generation focused on Spanish soldiers and sailors who specifically served in or from Louisiana.
        Compatriot C. Robert Churchill of the Louisiana SAR Society headed the effort, and he was able over a period of several years from 1920 through 1925 to gain acceptance of the service of the soldiers and sailors serving under the Spanish flag from Louisiana. He prepared lists of the
Louisiana French and the Spanish participants who served in the various campaigns of Baton Rouge, Mobile, and Pensacola under Spanish Governor Bernardo de Gálvez. The lists he prepared are still in use by the NSSAR. As his focus was on Louisiana, he did not try to list all the other Spanish, French, and West Indies patriots who served under Governor Gálvez at Mobile, Pensacola, and later. There was an important difference, to some, between accepting French applicants and Spanish
applicants. France had signed an Alliance with the United States and fought as an ally. Spain was an ally to France under the Bourbon Alliance, but she never signed a direct alliance with the United
States. Thus Spain was an indirect ally, but more realistically a co-belligerent in our war against England. So Churchill established the precedent for accepting descendents of soldiers or sailors of
co-belligerents in our war against England. However, the work started by Churchill soon came to a halt while the country and the NSSAR coped with the Great Depression and World War II.

Spanish Service in other Border States.
        About sixty-five years after Churchill’s work, several scholars became interested in Spanish contributions from areas other than Louisiana. Robert Thonhoff made significant contributions on Texas soldiers who fought Indians and vaqueros who drove cattle and horses to Louisiana to support the efforts of Governor Gálvez. Thomas E. Chávez and José Esquibel documented the contributions of the citizens and soldiers of New Mexico. In the early 1990’s, the NSSAR accepted its first member who descended from a Spanish soldier in Texas. This was done without fanfare, and this acceptance was not generally noted by the NSSAR membership.
        In 1996, the Houghs began research on their Patriot series, developing the rationale for
accepting descendants of Spanish soldiers and sailors who served in California and other border areas during the period Spain was at war with England, 21 June 1779 until 3 Sep 1783. The NSSAR responded favorably and in March 1998 accepted its first descendants of soldiers who served in California. In August 1999, it accepted its first descendant of a soldier who served in New Mexico. It has accepted three descendants of the Spanish King, Carlos III. These recent acceptances are a belated pickup on the work of Churchill in Louisiana after a 75 year delay. King Carlos III was the man who gave the orders. It seems logical that the NSSAR should also accept as Patriots those who carried out his orders, and this has now been done for the soldiers of Louisiana, Texas, California, and New Mexico. The extension of membership to descendants of Spanish soldiers or sailors who served in other areas has not been tested.

OTHER NATIONALITIES
Swedish.
The present King of Sweden has been invited to become a member, based on his descent from King Gustavus III, who approved of young Swedish naval officers serving with the French and the Dutch. Probably some descendants of the Swedish officers who served with the French have joined the NSSAR, but not those who served with the Dutch.

Dutch.
Apparently no concerted effort has been made to include the Dutch, among the earliest and most consistent of supporters of the American colonies. They already had a form of democratic government which became one of the models considered by Americans. They were bankers for the Spanish and the French governments. Their supply and support center for the American Colonies at Saint Eustatius in the West Indies was for a short time the busiest port in the world. It was so
important that it was a deciding factor in England declaring war on the Netherlands, just to close it down. The Dutch became co-belligerents against the British, and they signed treaties with the United States. They were perhaps the heaviest loser of the war.

Sultanate of Mysore.
The Sultan of Mysore, Hyber Ali, declared war on England, and his forces fought the British for some time in India. One could say this had nothing to do with the United States, but this is not so. Americans so admired his action that one or more privateers of the
West Indies were named Hyber Ali.

Global War.
What Americans forget is that the American Revolution became a global war, and that the 13 colonies were on the sidelines after France entered the war. The British priorities changed with protection of the British Isles coming first, protection of their precious sugar islands and timber resources of the West Indies coming second, and the American Colonies coming third. Immediately after France entered the war, the British withdrew from Philadelphia back to New York, then sent 4500 to 5000 of its New York troops to the West Indies. This gave General Washington breathing room. Soon the British were fighting Americans, French, Spanish, Dutch, and even the Sultan of
Mysore.

NSSAR Policies on Acceptance.
In 1899, the NSSAR began accepting descendants of soldiers of an ally, France. By 1925, it was accepting descendants of a co-belligerent, Spain. In 2001, it was accepting descendants of a Swedish king from the Neutral Alliance. The listing of who is acceptable and who is not is unclear to anyone researching the field. Precedents have already been set of long standing. What wording for acceptance would both be inclusive and serve the long-term goals of
the NSSAR? It is easy to say what the policy will eventually be, considering how it has evolved since 1899, and the words may be adopted next year, in the next decade, by 2050, or by 2100:

THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (NSSAR)
SHALL ACCEPT DESCENDANTS OF ANY SOLDIER, SAILOR, OR CONTRIBUTOR WHO SERVED WITH UNFAILING FIDELITY UNDER ANY ALLY (FRANCE) OR CO-BELLIGERENT (SPAIN, THE NETHERLANDS, OR SULTANATE OF MYSORE) IN ITS WAR AGAINST BRITAIN DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. THE NSSAR WILL ALSO ACCEPT DESCENDANTS OF ANY OTHER PERSON FROM ANY COUNTRY WHO MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS WITH UNFAILING FIDELITY TOWARD THE AMERICAN CAUSE BETWEEN 19 APRIL 1775 AND 3 SEPTEMBER 1783.

So, there we have it, the history of how the NSSAR became an inclusive organization, and of where it will eventually go in that inclusiveness.

Dr. Granville and N.C. Hough's 8-volume series on the
Spanish Patriots of the American Revolution can be purchased through Borderlands Books. For availability and prices, go to http://www.BorderlandsBooks.com

Guidelines for Acceptance of Residents of New Spain as Patriots

Dear Mimi,

Up until last month, the Sons of the American Revolution had no guidelines for determining the eligibility of Hispanic patriots during the American Revolutionary War, except the soldiers who fought under General Bernardo de Galvez, from 1776-1783.

I prepared and presented the following Request to the Genealogy Committee of the SAR, in which I am a member. The motion passed and was recommended to the Executive Committee, which also passed it, effective March 1, 2003: (Trustees meeting in Louisville)

REQUEST OF THE MEXICO SOCIETY, SAR to the SAR GENEALOGY COMMITTEE to establish GUIDELINES FOR ACCEPTANCE OF RESIDENTS OF NEW SPAIN AS PATRIOTS

WHEREAS, descendants of New Spain during the time of the American Revolutionary War have applied for membership in the Mexico Society, SAR, and

WHEREAS, there are no guidelines in existence relating to Hispanic applicants, and

WHEREAS, Spain was a valuable ally of the colonists during the American Revolutionary War - even before July 4, 1776; her soldiers and militia men fighting the English in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida; and because there were incursions along the Texas Gulf Coast by the British; and Spanish Galleons searched for Captain Cook, along the California coast; and because Spanish soldiers and militia were required to remain vigilant against attack by both the British and the Indians being supplied by the British, and specifically were required to guard the Camino Real, lifeline between Mexico City and Galvez' army in Louisiana;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:

The Genealogy Committee of the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution recommends to the National Trustees that the following guidelines relating to residents of New Spain be adopted:

1. Any member of the army or navy of Spain, who, after Spain declared war against England in May 1779, was stationed in New Spain, including what is now Mexico, be considered a patriot.
2. Any member of the militia of New Spain, after Spain declared war against England in May 1779, including what is now Mexico, be considered a patriot.
3. Any male, who contributed a "donativo" to the war effort at the request of Carlos, III, king of Spain, be considered a patriot.
4. That the following non-exclusive list of books be acceptable proof of military or naval service, militia service, and/or making a financial contribution to the war effort to Spain:

Robert S. Weddle, The Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Assoc.,Austin, TX, 1995).
Robert S. Weddle, San Juan Bautista: Gateway to Spanish Texas (Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, TX, 1968).
Robert S. Weddle & Robert Thonhoff, Drama & Conflict: The Texas Saga of 1776 (Madrona Press, Austin, Texas, 1976).
Light Townsend Cummins, Spanish Observers and the American Revolution, 1775-1783 (LSU Press, Baton Rouge).
Carlos Fernandez-Shaw, The Hispanic Presence in North America From 1492 to Today (Facts on File, New York, 1991).
Robert H. Thonhoff, The Vital Contribution of Spain in the Winning of the American Revolution: An Essay on a Forgotten Chapter in the History of the American Revolution (privately published, Karnes City, TX, 2002).
Jose Rodulfo Boeta, Bernardo de Galvez (Publicaciones Espanolas, Madrid, 1977).
Texas and the American Revolution (Institute of Texas Cultures, San Antonio, TX, 1975).
John Walton Caughey, Bernardo de Galvez in Louisiana, 1776-1783 (Pelican Press, Gretna, LA, 1972 reprint).
Robert H. Thonhoff, The Texas Connection with the American Revolution (Eakin Press, Austin, TX 1981).
Robert H. Thonhoff, El Fuerte del Cibolo: Sentinel of the Bexar-La Bahia Ranches (Eakin Press, Austin, TX 1992).

Granville W. Hough and N.C. Hough, Spain's Texas Patriot's in its 1779-1783 War with England during the American Revolution (SHHAR, Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Midway City, CA, Part 5, 2000).
Granville W. Hough and N.C. Hough, Spain's Arizona Patriot's in its 1779-1783 War with England during the American Revolution (SHHAR, Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Midway City, CA, Part 3, 2000).
Granville W. Hough and N.C. Hough, Spain's Louisiana Patriot's in its 1779-1783 War with England during the American Revolution (SHHAR, Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Midway City, CA, Part 6, 2000).
Granville W. Hough and N.C. Hough, Spain's New Mexico Patriot's in its 1779-1783 War with England during the American Revolution (SHHAR, Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Midway City, CA, Part 4, 2000).
Granville W. Hough and N.C. Hough, Spain's California Patriot's in its 1779-1783 War with England during the American Revolution (SHHAR, Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Midway City, CA, Part 1 & 2, 2000).
Granville W. Hough and N.C. Hough, Spain's Patriot's of Northwestern New Spain from South of the U.S. Border in its 1779-1783 War with England during the American Revolution (SHHAR, Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Midway City, CA, Part 8, 2000).
San Antonio: The First Civil Settlement in Texas (Canary Islands Descendants Association, San Antonio, TX, 1981).
Robert A Black and Terry P. Wilson, The American Indian Quarterly, (The Native American Studies Program, U. of CA., Berkeley.
Elizabeth A. H. John, Storms Brewed in Other Men's Worlds: The Confrontation of Indians, Spanish, and French in the Southwest, 1540-1795 (Texas A & M Univ. Press, College Station, TX, 1975).
Thomas E. Chavez, Spain and the Independence of the United States: An Intrinsic Gift (Univ. of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, 2002).

Respectfully submitted,
Edward F. Butler
Vice President General
SAR International District

Also forwarded by Clarence Lucas Clucas@bart.gov

Response to Was FDR a Hispanic?

I just found the following on Somos Primos website along with your request for verification if this is true: Did Franklin Delano Roosevelt have Early California Hispanic Roots?

President Roosevelt was the great-great-grandson of Maria Antonia Natalia Elija Carrillo; Maria Antonia, who was known as Josefa; was the daughter of the influential San Diego family of Joaquin and Maria Ignacio Carrillo.

Absolutely, it is NOT true! I wish it was. I am a great-granddaughter of "Josefa" Carrillo and Henry Delano Fitch, via their firstborn Enrique Eduardo Fitch Carrillo who was born prior to their return from Valparaiso, Chile where the pair was married after eloping from San Diego. I have done a great deal of genealogy research and this is what I have found.

The parents of Henry Delano Fitch are Sally (or Sarah??) Delano and Beriah Fitch.
Sally Delano's parents -- Thomas Delano and Elizabeth Swain
Thomas Delano's parents -- Jonathan Delano and Mercy Warren

Jonathan Delano and Mercy Warren had several other children after Thomas.
One of them, Thomas's brother, was Ephriam Delano who married Elizabeth Cushman.
Ephriam Delano had a son named Warren Delano.
Warren Delano had a son named Warren Delano, Junior
Warren Delano, Jr. had a daughter named Sarah Delano who married James Roosevelt.
Sarah Delano and James Roosevelt are the parents of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

The confusion is, I believe, caused by the similar names of the mothers --Sarah. The mother of our Henry Delano Fitch was commonly called Sally, but it is believed that her given name was Sarah. The mother of FDR was also named Sarah Delano.But our Sarah (Sally) was 3 generations earlier than FDR's Sarah.

I hope this clears up the mystery. If you have any questions, please e-mail me.

Sincerely,
Antonia Camberos de Goltz
hija de Miguel Camberos Fitch
nieta de Jovita Fitch Castro de Camberos
bisnieta de Enrique Eduardo Fitch Carrillo

Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum http://www.alincoln-library.com/Apps/default.asp

        The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library was dedicated on Monday, November 18, 2002. It is a $115 million complex located at the corner of Sixth and Jefferson Streets in downtown Springfield. The Museum building is slated to open in mid 2004. The Library will house the 46,000-piece Lincoln treasure trove which is the world's largest and contains some of his most important and significant historical documents and artifacts. Included are the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Speech.
        Welcome to the official Web site of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The Presidential Library and Museum is now under construction in Springfield, Illinois. Until now, no single institution has been devoted to telling the entire life story of the nation's 16th President. But that will change with the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (November 18, 2002) and Museum (mid 2004). Watch the archived dedication.
        The Presidential Library and Museum brings together the world's largest collection of documentary material related to the life of the 16th President. Discover why his memory is held in such high esteem around the world. The library houses the oldest institution devoted to the study of Illinois history-The Illinois State Historical Library. The museum features state-of-the-art exhibits, interactive displays, and multimedia programs.
        Use this Web site to learn more about the most admired president in American history and the city he called home as well as to follow the progress of the construction of the Presidential Library and Museum


Hernandez Apellido patronímico, derivado del nombre propio de Hernando, muy extendido por toda la Península y América. Algunos Hernández navarro fueron naturales de la Villa de Espronceda, en el partido judicial de Estella. Probó su nobleza repetidas veces en las Ordenes de Santiago y Carlos III y la Sala de los Hijosdalgo de la Real Chancillería de Valladolid.		Hicieron probanzas de su hidalguía o litigaron para que fuese reconocida, los Hernández gallegos de Viana do Bolo, ya en el siglo XVI; los de Vigo exactamente por el mismo tiempo que los anteriores, volviendo a insistir a fines del siglo XVIII en sus pretensiones; los de la casa de Villaméz (en la provincia de Lugo), también favorecidos con sentencia a su favor en 1538; y por fin los de la Ciudad de la Coruña, a principios del siglo XIX.
En la lista de los pasajeros de Indias aparecen los nombres de dos hijos de Pontavedra de este apellido (Juan Hernández y Antonio de León Hernández) que pasaron a principios del siglo XVI, el primero 14-IX-1512; el segundo en 22 -IX-1517, eran hijos de don Juan Hernández y de doña Inés Hernández, vecinos de Pontevedra. Algunos de los conquistadores que arribaron a la Nueva España, se encuentran; don Diego Hernández Nieto natural de Almeyda, viene a la Nueva España con Cortés; don Diego Hernández de Proaño natural de Sevilla, llega a la Nueva España en 1525, con Nuño de Guzmán, fue regidor por provisión real en el año de 1528; don Francisco Hernández, natural de Sevilla, llega en el año de 1533. Pacificador de Jalisco con el virrey, en el año de 1552 es nombrado alcaide de la cárcel real; Hernández Garci, llega a Santo Domingo con Narváez, falleció en el año de 1547; Gonzalo Hernández de Mosquera. Hijodalgo, viene a la Nueva España con Narváez y en año de 1527 se le nombra alguacil de la ciudad, por nombramiento de Alonso de Estrada; Juan Hernández natural de Valle de Selorio, Asturias de Oviedo, llega a la Nueva España en 1530, entre otros. En el año 1760, José Hernández de Oroquieta, y sus hijos Joaquín y Rafael Hernández, vecinos naturales de Luquín, en el mismo partido judicial de Estella, solicitaron ser declarados nobles por los Tribunales de Navarra, como descendientes de la mencionada casa de Esponcedra. Obtuvieron sentencia confirmatoria. Otra casa Navarra hubo en el lugar de Meoz, del Ayuntamiento de Lónguida y partido judicial de Aoiz, y a ella perteneció Pedro Hernández Aam, Doctor, que pasó a Zaragoza y obtuvo firma de hidalguía el 4 de junio de 1649. En Vizcaya radicaron casas de Hernández en el barrio de Ibarrondo, del Ayuntamiento de Ceberio y partido judicial de Durango, y en el lugar de San Julián de Musques, del partido judicial de Valmaseda. Descendieron de la primera casa Juan Manuel, Gabriel, José y Pedro Hernández, hermanos, vecinos de Cádiz y de Valladolid, que el 22 de septiembre de 1783 y el 29 de diciembre de 1790, obtuvieron declaración de vizcainía en la Real Chancillería de Valladolid. Fue de la segunda casa Mateo Hernández Urcullu, bautizado en San Julián de Musques, el 11 de diciembre de 1759, y que obtuvo igualmente declaración de vizcainía el 22 de enero de 1795. Otra casa hubo en la villa de Munaga, en Alava. Sus armas son: Los de Castilla: ESCUDO PARTIDO; 1o., EN CAMPO DE GULES, TRES CASTILLOS DE PLATA, BIEN ORDENADOS, Y 2o., EN CAMPO AZUR, TRES FLORES DE LIS DE ORO, BIEN ORDENADAS. Entre otros traen: los de Galicia: en campo de gules, tres aspas de oro, bien ordenadas. Los de León traen: en campo de plata cuatro fajas de gules. El Emperador Don Carlos I concedió por privilegio dado en Valladolid a 4 de abril de 1542, el siguiente escudo de armas a don Diego Hernández, vecino de Arequipa: en campo de gules, un peñasco al natural, sumado de una torre de oro y plata; bordura de azur, con ocho estrellas de oro. El mismo Emperador concedió por privilegió dado en Valladolid a 8 de junio de 1538, el siguiente escudo de armas a don Gonzalo Hernández, regidor de la villa del Espíritu Santo, Nueva España; en campo de azur, un castillo de oro sobre ondas de agua de azur y plata, superado de una estrella de oro, bordura de oro, con cuatro rosas de gules con hojas de sinople. Ante la Sala de los Hijosdalgo de la Real Chancillería de Valladolid, litigaron por el reconocimiento de su nobleza: Don Francisco Hernández Flores, natural de Pedraza, Segovia, 1819; don Francisco Antonio Hernández. Vecino de Almarza de Cameros, Logroño, 1805; don José Hernández, natural de Cameros, Logroño, 1805; don Manuel Amador Hernández, natural de Almarza de Cameros, Logroño, 1805; don Benigno y don Joaquín Hernández Rodríguez, ambos naturales y vecinos de la Coruña, 1806. Extract from BLASONES Y APELLIDOS, 828-page book by Fernando Muñoz Altea In its second edition, the book can be ordered from blasones@mail.com or at P.O. Box 11232, El Paso, Texas 79995 or by contacting Armando Montes AMontes@Mail.com

Ramon Family Corrections Link to another Ramon pedigree in this issue. Historia General del Estado de Coahulia Sent by John Inclan fromgalveston@yahoo.com I read the article listed in your article in the March 2003 issue of Somos Primos I would like to bring to your attention errors in this story. I descend from Captain Jose de Urrutia and his 2nd wife Dona Rosa Flores de Valdez, Captain was married on January 5, 1697 in the Parish Church Santiago Apostol, Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico. to his first wife, Dona Antonia Ramon. LDS Film #222,421. If Captain Diego Ramon married Dona Felician Camacho y Botello in 1688, that would have Dona Antonia under Nine years old. Also, All of the history books have Captain Diego Ramon as the natural born son of Sgt. Major Joseph Ramon and Dona Catalina Martinez. Diego Ramon did have a relationship with Maria de los Rios, not his father, and their children are noted in his biography in the Handbook of Texas Online. Dona Maria de los Rios setteled in the mining town of Boca de Leones (Villaldama) in the state of Nuevo Leon. I also descend from Captain Pedro Botello de los Morales, the grandfather of Dona Feliciana Camacho y Botello who was the daughter of Don Andres Camacho y Olea and Dona Juana Botello de Morales. Don Andres and Dona Juana were married February 1644 in the Parish Church Sagrario Metropolitano, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The Children that are listed are correct, but I can add to this: Dona Jacinta married Lt. General Juan Jose Valdez on February 27, 1707 in Monclova. He served as Alcalde Mayor of the Presidio and villa de Bexar (San Antonio, Texas) Captain Jose Domingo Ramon was killed by indians at La Bahia, (Goliad, Texas) Andres lived at the Presidio de San Juan Bautista del Rio Grande de Norte (Guerrero, Coahuila) Alferez Diego also lived at the Presidio listed above. Po Ramon was baptized on July 27, 1685, in the Parish Church Sagrario Metropolitano in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. Alferes Joseph Ramon lived at Boca de Leones. Dona Antonia married Captain Jose de Urrutia, Commander of the Presidio de San Antonio de Bexar. Marriage listed above. John David Inclan, Descendent of Don Ignacio Gonzalez de Inclan, (son-in-law to Captain Jose). and his wife, Dona Juana de Dios de Urrutia.


The Bernardo de Galvez Project made its debut March 9th in the San Antonio, Texas celebration of the 272 year anniversary of the arrival of the Canary Islanders to the Presidio de Bejar. This is the art included in their brochure.
October 12th Long Beach, California Bernardo de Galvez Gala Festival Honoring Hispanic-American Heroes We are proud to share the wonderful news that the The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, under Music Director, Maestro Enrique Arturo Diemecke will be honoring Bernardo de Galvez in a special afternoon concert in the 3,000 seat Terrace Theater of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. With grateful appreciation to Long Beach Symphony Association and the Symphony's Latino Advisory Council, former city manager Henry Taboada, and Los Amigos of Long Beach for their current and ongoing commitment to the Galvez Project Gala. We anticipate this will surely be a premiere event for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month on the West Coast. The Somos Primos readership, SHHAR supporters, and various allied organizations have joined in this great effort to educate. Genealogical and historical speakers and displays will add to the great base of information. The festival will also include music, dancers, and other activities. A Hispanic Heroes website will soon be online for updated information on the Galvez Project. Below are two photos of the exterior and two photos of the interior foyer. For more views go to the Long Beach Performing Arts website:






The Vital Contribution of Spain In the Winning of the American Revolution, An Essay on a Forgotten Chapter in the History of the American Revolution. by Robert Thonhoff
Robert Thonhoff, Galvez Project historian is a retired school teacher, author, historian, speaker, retired Karnes County Judge, and a former President of the Texas State Historical Association. He explains to your editor, in a letter dated 1998, his reason for writing a 12-page booklet entitled, The Vital Contribution of Spain In the Winning of the American Revolution, An Essay on a Forgotten Chapter in the History of the American Revolution. The essay booklet was inspired by these two letters-to-the editor that were printed in the Houston Chronicle on November 8, 1997. On November 15, 1997, I wrote a response to the newspaper commending the view taken by Mary Lousie Gulley of Houston and refuting the view by John P. Bridge of Katy. For whatever reason or reasons, my letter-to-the-editor was not published it in booklet form for all Americans who might like to learn more about Spain's vital role in the winning of American independence.
I commend Anthony Burden for his October 27th, 1997 Outlook article, "How Hispanic America first came to the U.S. rescue," about Bernardo de Galvez. Many ethnic cultures contributed to the American Revolution and citizens should know the contributions of all cultures in our America heritage. Today we continuously battle those who want to rewrite history, so it was refreshing to read such a well researched and factual offering. Recognizing the contribution of de Galvez was considered so import historically that in 1985 the Texas Society Daughters of the American Revolution and the Texas Society Sons of the America Revolution jointly financed the printing and distribution to Texas school children brochures entitled "Bernardo de Galvez, Unsung Hero" authored by Nancy Reynolds Tiner, a Texas Daughter. Tiner was intrigued by Robert Thonhoff's book, The Texas Connection with the American Revolution, which illuminated Galvez, and she determined that his role in the American Revolution should be recognized and shared with Texas students. Additionally, a new category of membership in the DAR was opened for the descendants of the trail drivers who drove 10,000 head of Texas longhorn cattle overland between 1779 and 1782 to provide food for the Spanish troops under Galvez's command who were fighting the British. The DAR also dedicated memorial plaques honoring de Galvez in Natchez, Mississippi and at the Hotel Galvez Galveston. Mary Lousie Gulley of Houston, Texas	In his October 27 Outlook article, "How Hispanic America first came to the U.S. rescue," television producer Anthony Burden attempted to show that Hispanics deserve as much credit as the French in aiding the Hispanics deserve as much credit as the French in aiding the cause of the American Revolution. I don't question Burden's scholarship, but I do take issue with his politics and the manner in which his facts were presented. We are led to believe that through the kindness of his heart, Spanish commander Bernardo de Galvez sent supplies up the Mississippi to the rebellious colonists in the form of "aid," opened the port of New Orleans to American warships and marshaled his forces to fight the British on our behalf. This is not exactly the truth. During the course of the Revolution, the Colonies did ask for and received, several small loans from Spain which were ultimately repaid; the Mississippi was used as a trade route with New Spain, but all items received were paid for by the colonials and not accepted as "aid"; Spanish forces did fight the British in New Spain (the Gulf Coast), but on their own behalf - not ours. No Spanish ground forces were committed on American soil and no Spanish ships were deployed to American waters to repeal the British Navy. Unlike the French who were already well on their own road to revolution, Spain was strongly committed to monarchy. When Spain finally declared war on England, it was not to encourage or aid the cause of American independence. The Spanish, rather, saw an opportunity to recoup losses suffered at the hands of the British. This cannot be attributed to benevolence but to self-interest, pure and simple. The United States' history gives credit to the French (who did send aid), because credit is deserved. On the other hand, if history seems to neglect the contributions of the Spanish in our fight for independence, it is only because those contributions were minuscule and hardly worth mentioning. John P. Bridge of Katy, Texas

To purchase a copy of the 12-page booklet, *The Vital Contribution of Spain In the Winning of the American Revolution, An Essay on a Forgotten Chapter in the History of the American Revolution,* please contact Thonhoff directly profk@karnesec.net or 830-780-3582

Franciso de Miranda, Post-Revolutionary War Sent by Michael Steven Perez One of de Galvez’s officers, Franciso de Miranda, also played an important role in the defeat of the British on the Mississippi and the capture of the port of Pensacola. Ultimately a revolutionary himself, de Miranda left the Spanish army and lead a campaign against Spanish colonialism while living in North America and Europe. In 1805, he led an American-sanctioned invasion of Venezuela and is credited with the title of “Precursor of Latin American Independence.” During the 1800s, the sale of all Spanish lands west of the Mississippi to France was made under the proviso that these lands not be in turn relinquished to the United States. France reneged on its agreement and President Jefferson negotiated the Louisiana Purchase for $15 Million in 1803. http://www.gordon.army.mil/eoo/hispan2.htm

Thanks Mimi, I appreciate you putting the NM Patriot info on your website. I have a correction to the information for NM State Historian, Dr. Estevan Galvez. He is not the first Hispanic State Historian. His predecessor was Roberto Torrez. Thought you and the readers should know. Thanks again, Virginia Sanchez virginia.sanchez@attbi.com Editor: Oops. my error. Dr. Estevan Galvez was the first Hispanic in that position with a Ph.D..




Lincoln-Juarez Opportunity Center: Aid is called core of new Hispanic Center by Courtney Perkes, OC Register, 3-22-03 Santa Ana: Orange County Republicans, who have raised more than $100,000 to help immigrants in Santa Ana, hope a new nonprofit office will also bolster the party's image among Hispanics. The Lincoln-Juarez Opportunity Center officially opens Friday and will begin providing free referrals for medical, immigration and other help. The center on Fourth Street will be run by a small paid staff and bilingual Republican volunteers. Volunteers will help clients find services they need - not recruit or talk politics, said John Cruz, an Irvine attorney and chairman of the center's board. Across the state, the GOP would like to tap into a growing Latino population that traditionally identifies with the Democratic Party and help change an image tarnished by Proposition 187, which sought to end public services for illegal immigrants. "Hopefully, Republicans can build some goodwill in the community," Cruz said. "This is not about the next election. We're not asking for anything in return." GOP backers said the center will show Latinos that Republicans care about them and want to help them achieve a better life in their new county. "We Republicans have fairly or unfairly been painted as mean-spirited people who don't care about Hispanics. I wanted to try to do something that would change that perception," said Dale Dykema, president of the new board. "We've got to have involvement in the community itself and a physical presence." The center's largest financial backers are the Lincoln Club, the county's pre-eminent Republican fund-raising group, and the New Majority, a group focused on reforming the state GOP. Some Democrats said they are skeptical. "This is clearly form over substance," said Frank Barraro, chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party. "I don't think that they do very much to change Hispanics' feelings about the Republican Parry until they can change the Republican Party's thinking about Hispanics and immigrants." The Lincoln-Juarez center would like to offer English and citizenship classes as well as health clinics. Most clients will likely be immigrants or the children of immigrants. Cruz said the center's name refers to the friendship between President Lincoln and Mexican President Benito Juarez. He said murals in Mexico often depict the two, and schoolchildren there learn about their connection. "Because of this friendship, we thought that would be something we could celebrate as Republican and hope for a better future between Republicans and Hispanics." Nonprofits working in Santa Ana said they welcomed any group that could provide more help. Tim Morales, administrator at the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, which offers computer classes, job placement and preschool, said he expects the Lincoln-Juarez center will find plenty of clients along the bustling immigrant shopping district of Fourth Street. "It looks like a it's a pretty strategic location. It's right in downtown Santa Ana where there's a high convergence of traffic," Morales said. Reina Schmitz, a union organizer who works with many immigrants, said political affiliation matters less than a commitment to help others. She said the center sound like a good idea, as would Republican support for the issue most important to Hispanics. I would always appreciate the efforts of anybody because I think need has no party," she said. "Are they willing to go the extra mile and advocate for worker's rights, for immigrants' rights?

Lincoln Juarez Opportunity Center History February 27, 2003 Recently, several groups of like-minded business leaders came together to focus on how they might better serve the promising Latino community. The result was the creation of a non profit 501 (c) 3 organization that provides additional resources to help the emerging Latino majority pursue the American Dream through social service assistance programs. The Lincoln Juarez Opportunity Center (LJOC) is aptly named in honor of two great leaders US President Abraham Lincoln and Mexican President Benito Juarez. It is the spirit of their friendship and cooperation during turbulent times in their respective country's histories that the LJOC strives to capture and preserve. On April 26th we will honor the grand opening of this foundation and these two great leaders at a gala celebration, Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Future at the Santa Ana Performing Arts and Events Center. We are hopeful that you will join the collaborative effort of the New Majority, the Lincoln Club of Orange County and the Hispanic 100 by purchasing a table or making a contribution to the Lincoln-Juarez Opportunity Center. Your participation in this effort will mean a great deal to the families that are striving to become contributing members of our society. Enclosed is a contribution form with sponsorship opportunities. Please take a moment to review the various levels of participation and determine which opportunity fits you or your company. If you have any questions or to RSVP, please contact Rich Olquin, Executive Director at (714) 245-1410. Sincerely Dale L. Dykema John G. Cruz Lawrence M. Higby Michael D. Capaldi President & CEO President Chairman President LJOC Hispanic 100 The New Majority The Lincoln Club of Orange County A. Richard D. Olquin, Executive Director, rolquin@msn.com Lincoln-Juarez Opportunity Center 117 W. 4th Street, Suite 300 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Office: 714.245.1410 Fax:714.245.1412

El Paso Courthouse Mural: Abraham Lincoln and Benito Juarez The Mural, View 360 virtual tour http://www.co.el-paso.tx.us/mural/ipix/detail33_lincoln.html El Paso County Courthourse (915) 546-2041 500 E. San Antonio, El Paso,Texas 79901 Abraham Lincoln, Benito Juarez These presidents represent the friendship between both sides of the border. Benito Juárez was Mexico’s president for a brief time in 1858 and again from 1867 until his death in 1872. Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States from 1861 until his death in 1865. Both presidents served under internal national conflict. Lincoln led the U.S. Union in the Civil War (1860-1865) that clashed the North against the South. Juárez commanded the liberation movement in the Reform War (1858-1861) pitting liberals against conservatives. Though they never met personally, the common experience of leadership during fratricidal war bonded them as leaders. When Juárez had to flee Mexico City in 1858, Lincoln sent him a message expressing hope "for the liberty of . . . your government and its people." Likewise, Juárez supported the Union even after Confederate diplomats tried to enlist Mexico’s support for the Southern cause. Back to the Index of Characters Mexico’s Lincoln: http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/history/jtuck/jtbenitojuarez.html Benito Juarez: http://www.cs.utep.edu/juarez/benito.html Vidal, Gore. 1998. Lincoln: A Novel. New York: Random House. Ridley, Jasper. 2001. Maximilian & Juarez. Phoenix: Phoenix Press.

	Grijalva Park Grand Opening April 19th "Grijalva Park will have its grand opening on April 19th at 10AM. Address: Prospect Avenue & Spring Ave., City of Orange. The new book "California Rancho, A California Rancho Story" by Douglas Westfall and Edward T. Grijalva will be available for purchase.
Historian Member Edward Grijalva received an Award from Los Californianos in January for his almost single-handed effort to research and promote the establishment of this park, on part of the land of Juan Pablo Grijalva. Juan Pablo Grijalva had only two daughters, one of whom married a Yorba and the other a Peralta. Let's turn out and show Orange County that we remember our history and who were our ancestors." Also, the new book will be available. "CALIFORNIA RANCHO", A California Rancho Story. by Douglas Westfall, Edward T. Grijalva. Sent by Edward T. Grijalva, Member of the Gabrielno/Tongva Nation

Libreria Martinez, New websites If you are not already on the Libreria Martinez email list, I strongly suggest you contact them, so you don't miss any events. http://www.mislibritos.com and http://www.latinobooks.com Dear Mimi, Thank you and to all our customers, clients, friends and supporters of Libreria Martinez. Remember Books are the Ladder to a Good Future! Recuerde Los Libros son la Escalera hacia un Mejor Futuro! And here we go again! With a schedule of events for this 2003. Beginning with our Children's Bookstore Schedule: Morning and afternoon activities, 11 a.m. &1 p.m. Ongoing events are every Saturday "Hora de Cuentos" and "Classes de Arte" para ninos. Early birds, watch Thursdays at 6 a.m. on Channel 34 Univision KMEX with el "Club de Libritos". Libreria Martinez will be at the 8th Annual L.A. Times Book Festival with this fantastic lineup of authors. Joining us is Rayo an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishing House direct from New York. We invite you and all friends to join us at the UCLA campus (Dickson Plaza) at booth #207. Saturday, April 26 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m 10:00 a.m Sandra Cisneros 11:00 a.m Carolina Garcia-Aguilera and Yxta Maya-Murray 12:00 Noon Jorge Ramos 3:00 p.m Louis Barajas Sunday, April 27 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m 11:00 a.m Luis J. Rodriguez 12:00 Noon Victor Villasenor 3:00 p.m Renan "El Cucuy" Almendarez Coello We also have these upcoming book signings at Libreria Martinez: Thursday, May 15 6:30p.m Louis Barajas "The Latino Journey to Financial Greatness" The 10 steps to creating wealth, security, and a prosperous future for you and your family. Thursday, June 19 7:00p.m Cristina Garcia's " Monkey Hunting" "Monkey Hunting" begins with the arrival of a Chinese laborer at a Cuban sugar plantation in the 1850's and follows his great-grandson, an Afro-Chinese-Cuban-American who fights for the United States in the Vietnam War. Congratulations to Sandra Cisneros, the City of Los Angeles and Mayor James Hahn for selecting "House on Mango Street" for "One Book One City" reading campaign. Sinceramente, Rueben Martinez rueben@latinobooks.com 1110 N. Main St. Santa Ana, Ca. 92701 PH 714-973-7900 FX 714-973-7902

Huntington Beach Public Library Reference Department is offering genealogy researchers two powerful new online tools. Accessible both within the library and from home, for Huntington Beach residents. Heritage Quest provides accesses to 140 years of U.S. Federal Census Records and related information from over 25,000 family and local histories. AncestryPlus, currently accessible only from the library's reference Department, accesses over 1.2 billion records in over 3,000 databases, including the America Genealogical biographical index, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, and much more. these powerful electronic tools help library users dramatically reduce the time (and travel) associated with in-depth genealogical research. For more information about Heritage Quest go to the main page. http://www.hbpl.org/info_main.htm For more information about these new resources, call the Library Reference Desk at 714-842-4481 Source: Orange County California GS Newsletter, March 2003


Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive Launches Online Project 19/11/2002 (Spielberg Archive) - The Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive recently announced that it has begun a major project to make its films accessible online. 112 films are now accessible. Over the next five years approximately 100 films will be added annually until over 500 full films will be viewable over the Internet.

Francisco Ygnacio Farias http://home.att.net/~PTrodriguez.ptrinform/FranciscoIgnacioFarias.htm Webmaster not identified. Latest name on pedigree, Pedro T. Rodriguez, born February 22, 1945
Aguirre Barrera Cuervo	de la Coy Garcia Garza Falcon	Leite Lopez Navarro	Quintanilla Rodriguez Sanchez	Sosa Valdez Flores
First Draft : Francisco Ygnacio Farias, a man of influence and power, agreed to support and follow Blas Maria de la Garza Falcon in his bid to become Captain of the Camargo settlement. Thus, Francisco Ygnacio and family were in the group of settlers already encamped at Camargo when Conde Jose de Escandon conducted his official visit on March 31, 1749. A year later the census of May 31, 1750 lists Francisco Ygnacio Farias, his wife Maria Juana Barrera, and their six children living in the frontier township of Camargo. His children were Pedro Ygnacio the oldest 11 years old, Martin 9 years old, Gregorio Valentin 7 years old, Rosalia 6 years old, Marcos 3 years old and Maria Gabriela just a child in arms. In the census of July 12, 1757 conducted by Don Jose Tienda Cuervo, Maria Juana Barrera is then listed as the wife of Juan Javier Rodriguez. This census does not list the children's names. It merely states that Juan Javier and Maria Juana had a child from their marriage and six step children, Juana's children from her first marriage to Francisco Ygnacio Farias. While I have been able to trace my ancestry to Francisco Ygnacio Farias, I have not been able to link Francisco Ygnacio Farias of Camargo back to the progenitor of the Farias surname, Juan de Farias. I am convinced that Juan de Farias is the progenitor of the Farias line in New Spain. The first generation of Farias in New Spain is known and shown below. However, a gap in most cases of one generation divides this group from their descendants of Camargo. There are fragments of known Farias, but those links do not close the gap. Juan de Farias most likely entered Nuevo Leon with Luis de Carvajal. Carvajal first entered into Mexico in 1568. I do not have any information on the colonists who entered with him during his first entrance. Carvajal returned to Spain in 1578 and re-entered Nuevo Leon, Mexico with a group of colonists in September of 1580. Juan de Farias would have been 23 years old. A perfect age to serve in the capacity of a soldier. The mystery of the missing years could be linked to the Jewish connection. Farias is a Portuguese surname and likely Jewish. History records that 120,000 Jews left Spain and entered into Portugal in 1492. Most persons of Portuguese immigrating to New Spain would have been of Jewish ancestry. The entry of Juan de Farias into New Spain coincides with the first entry or return of Luis de Carvajal into Nuevo Leon. This family did not go underground to hide from persecution since the Farias name does not vanish entirely. The name appears several times in the 1600s and early 1700s, but with those limited known links, I have not been able to tie Francisco Ygnacio Farias to Juan de Farias. I have seen the complete list of passengers that arrived with Luis de Carvajal in 1580. None are of the Farias surname. Therefore; the Farias may have arrived with Carvajal during the first voyage to Nuevo Leon.

Content Areas United States .. . . . . 2 Surname . . . . . . . .21 Hernandez Ramon Bernardo de Galvez 23 Orange County, CA 26 Los Angeles, CA . . 30 California . . . . . . . . 36 Northwestern US . . 46 Southwestern US . 47 Black . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Indigenous. . . . . . . 54 Sephardic . . . . . . . 55 Texas. . . . . . . . . . 57 East of Mississippi . .74 East Coast. . . . . . . 76 Mexico . . . . . . . . . .79 Caribbean/Cuba. . . .88 International . . . . . . 91 History. . . . . . . . . . 99 Archaeology . . . . . 106 Miscellaneous . . . .107 2003 Index Community Calendars Networking Meetings SHHAR - May 31 GALVEZ - October 12 END
	This is the 10th Anniversary since the death of Caesar Chavez, many activities are planned in recognition of the cause for which he fought. A U.S. postal stamp will be issued on April 23 with appropriate ceremonies in Los Angeles. The struggle for fairness, respect, and recognition for the laborer goes on. More information on activities. Hispanic leadership is being displayed across the nation in many realms of human activity. These poster drawings were done by well-know Los Angeles artist Ignacio Gomez. All of Gomez' work reflect his personal philosophy of hope and respect for the human spirit. These two he said were done for use in the primary classrooms - a message that the cause can and should be carried on with kindness in purpose. Poster information: http://www.ufwstore.com/www-ufwstore-com/products.html? PageName=products&CategoryName=Prod_Posters More about the artist: http://www.nosotros.org/ignaciogomez.html

ORANGE COUNTY, CA
Lincoln Juarez Opportunity Center Lincoln Juarez Opportunity Center History Lincoln & Juarez: El Paso Courthouse Mural	Libreria Martinez Grijalva Park Grand Opening April 19th Huntington Beach Public Library

LOS ANGELES, CA
After 35 years little has changed for Latinos Commemorative Conference Journalist Fellowship at USC Latinologues! Eastside Monthly	LA Co. Raises Fees on Birth, Death Certificates Southern California Vital Records, 1850-1859 A Voice For All Students 1st Annual Mi Son Cubano Festival: May 4

CALIFORNIA
Cejas, a Success Story Landmark Federal Court Order "California as I Saw It:" Los Amigos of Long Beach Calendar of Events California Cemetery records - US Census Palo Alto, CA Obituary Index Spanish Period, 1776 to 1822 California Marriages Menu California Death Records	Vital Search-Calif (USA): Calif State Vital Records What's New in California Pages The Presidio of San Diego 1769 - 1835 Otay Mesa Port of Entry Emigdio Véjar: San Juan Capistrano Mission SCG Society 1890 U.S. Census Project Latino Family Media, Inc Don Joseph de Zuniga Author Victor Villaseñor named as inaugural chair

NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
Sister-Cities: Guadalajara, Mexico and Portland, Oregon	Hubert Howe Bancroft's History of Utah 1540-1886

SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College Travail of War: Women and Children in the Years New Mexico Death Index Project Latino Numbers Grow, fewer identify with the Faith	1864 Federal census,1st Judicial District, AZ First Families of Trementina 1831 Census for Tucson, Early Historic Records

SEPHARDIC
Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive	Francisco Ygnacio Farias

TEXAS
History of the Granaderos and Damas de Galvez Stamp honoring Col. Juan Seguin Honorable Irma Rangel Last Will and Testament of Juana de Ocon y Trillo Texas Genealogical and Historical Societies Mapa de Los Estados Unidos de Mejico New book: El Paso del Norte Attorney General warns Hispanics of notary scam Agency Hook-ups with Mexican firms The Celtic Connection	San Antonio Canary Islander founding families Guide to Historical Manuscripts L-M Refugio County Sons of Dewitt Colony Texas Knights of Columbus Historical Commission The Texas Naval Ship Zavala History of the Barker Texas History Collection Villa de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores New Alamo movie filming in Hill Country Hispanic Texans who died at the Alamo UTA Libraries Feature Tejano Voices


Founder, Order of Damas de Galvez	Charles E. Barrera 1911 - 1081 Alicia de la Cerda Barrera 1911-2000

EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI
Central North Carolina	Cajun Genealogy: 18th Century

EAST COAST
Not Just Passing Through, Mexicans Preserve Old	Libraries throughout the country diversifying

MEXICO
Mexican island to be kept as nature preserve Mexico ends short-term fee Romero de Terreros Los linajes neovizcaínos Morales, Leza y Ramón	Tablas Geograficas Politicas de Nueva España Genealogía de Los Gutiérrez de Velazco Latin American Manuscripts Archivo Nacional Colegio de Abogados

CARIBBEAN/CUBA
Encyclopedia of Cuba - People, History, Culture New Caribbean Message Board Remittances to Latin America and Caribbean	Argentina and California Connect Historically Busque sus Apellidos

INTERNATIONAL
A Dash of Spain in the Philippine Islands Immigrant Ancestors Project History of the Grand Canaria El Museo Canario	Virreyes de la Nueva España Portuguese Immigrants- Azores to Sandwich Isles Spanish and Portuguese Colonial Possessions UNESCO

HISTORY
Inclusive of Patriotic Organizations Guidelines for Acceptance	Response to Was FDR a Hispanic? Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

ARCHAEOLOGY
Peru Wants Relic Back From Yale	Israeli police break newly found artifact


Peru Wants Relic Back From Yale On the Net: www.peabody.yale.edu http://www.hispanicvista.com/html3/031003ca.htm LIMA, Peru – (AP) – March 5, 2003 - Nearly a century after a Yale professor became the first foreigner to reach the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, Peru is asking the university to give back artifacts he took with him. Hundreds of the ceramics and human bones dug up by expeditions led by Hiram Bingham between 1911 and 1915 went on display at the university's Peabody Museum in late January. "The government appreciates the exhibit as a way of projecting Peruvian culture and we are seeking an accord that will permit the return of these cultural assets to Peru," Deputy Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez said Wednesday. The Peabody Museum's web site says the artifacts became part of its collection "by agreement with the Peruvian government." The government permitted Bingham to take the relics with him, "but the temporary character of the loan was never discussed," Rodriguez said. The Incas ruled Peru from the 1430s until the arrival of the Spaniards in 1532, constructing incredible stone-block cities and roads and developing a highly organized society that extended from modern-day Colombia to Chile. Bingham led three trips that uncovered the majority of the artifacts discovered at Machu Picchu. The objects, found in burial chambers, shed light on the sophisticated and diverse life the Incas enjoyed before the Spanish conquest. The Machu Picchu exhibit runs through May 4 at the Peabody Museum and then travels to Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Denver, Houston and Chicago over the next two years. Rodriguez said the Peruvian government does not plan to try to stop the exhibition. /

	Extract: Israeli police break newly found artifact by Laurie Copans, AP, via OC Register, 3-18-03 Jerusalem: An ancient stone tablet some expert believe may date to the 9th century B.C. providing rare confirmation of biblical narrative, broke in half while being moved to an Israeli police station. An antiquities collector turned in the shoebox-size tablet in Tel Aviv on March 17th.
Antiquities Authority, Osnat Guez, said the break could actually help scientists studying the tablet, since they will be able to check the inner layers to determine how old the stone is. The authority will form a commission to study the tablet, which has fifteen lines of ancient Hebrew inscriptions that resemble passages from the Book of Kings. Experts at Israel's Geological Institute believe it is authentic and dates back to the 9th century B.C. Oded Golan, the collector has refused to say where he got the tablet. Jews believe the mosques sit on the ruins of the first and second Jewish Temples, and revere as their holiest site a nearby wall believed to have surround the sanctuaries. Muslins say nothing existed on the hill before the mosques. If the tablet is found to be authentic it "would prove the existence of the temple," said Education and Culture Minister Limor Livnat. If authentic, it would be a "Visual, tactical evident that reaches across 2,800 years. The inscription on the tablet details renovations of the Jewish Temple called for by King Joash in the Old Testament. The king tells priests to " take "holy money . . to buy quarry stones and timber and copper and labor to carry out the duty with faith." If the work is completed well, "the Lord will protect his people with blessing," the last line of the inscription reads.

Mapade Los Estados Unidos de Mejico Republic of Texas including Mexico and the Southern United States by John Disturnell -- circa 1847

Mapade Los Estados Unidos de Mejico
Republic of Texas including Mexico and the Southern United States
by John Disturnell -- circa 1847