The great southwest is home to the fastest growing demographic in the nation — Mexican-Americans. I’ve always believed we ought to have a great relationship with our soil neighbors such as Canada and Mexico, and we ought to learn what Germany tried to do before WWI.  Indeed we want to prevent other real war time enemies from doing the same thing Germany tried to do before President Woodrow Wilson intercepted an important telegram.   Strong national security in the United States includes having amicable relationships with our soil neighbors and we cannot do so when we have Sheriff Joe Arpaio waiving his 50 caliber tank at the border. Mexicans aren’t the real enemy … thousands of our relatives have fought and died in U.S. wars.

Contreras writes:

World War II is often credited with producing the first generation of U.S. Latino civil rights leaders.

But it was the Great War 30 years before that planted the seeds for a movement that would change the lives of U.S. Latinos.

In 1917, the United States intercepted the Zimmerman Telegram. The communication was a invitation by Germany to Mexico to join the war effort against the U.S. in exchange for Texas, New Mexico and Arizona—territories lost in the U.S.-Mexican War. President Woodrow Wilson released the telegram to the public who then supported the nation joining the war.

Congress quickly enacted the Selective Service Act and required all men between the ages of 21 to 30 to register for duty. Those classified as “foreigners” were required to register with a local agency and prove their nationality.

Because of vigilante violence and regular lynchings by mob, some Mexican Americans in South Texas feared that being forced to join the U.S. military might make them join a group they hated — the Texas Rangers. In South Texas, the Texas Rangers ruled by violence and fear, often killing innocent Mexican Americans at random under the pretense that they were working to fight “bandits.” As a results, tens of thousands of Mexican Americans fled Texas to Mexico to avoid being drafted. Some saw the draft as another Texas Rangers roundup.

Others stayed and participated in the draft seeing the war as a opportunity to show the rest of America that, despite the discrimination and charges that they were un-American, they would demonstrate just how American they were on the battlefield.

And others even volunteered.

“We are proud of (our Mexican heritage) but ten times more proud that we are American citizens,” San Diego Constable Ventura Sanchez said at the time.

One corrido, entitled “La Guerra,” even had these lyrics: We Tejanos also know how to die for a great nation.

David Barkley Hernandez (pictured above), even tried to downplay his Mexican heritage because of fears that the San Antonio draft boards might not let select him to join the U.S. Army. So, using only his father’s name, he enlisted as “David Barkley.” FULL STORY>>>

From MALDEF:

MALDEF, TUCSON STUDENTS TRIUMPH AFTER NEARLY 40 YEARS IN HISTORIC DESEGREGATION CASE

Court Orders Tucson School District To Reinstate Culturally Relevant Curriculum That Reflects The History, Culture and Experiences of Mexican Americans
TUCSON, AZ – Yesterday Judge David C. Bury ruled in favor of Latino plaintiffs in the longstanding desegregation lawsuit against the Tucson Unified School District (“TUSD”), filed by MALDEF in 1974 in federal district court in Tucson, Arizona. In his order, Judge Bury adopted the Unitary Status Plan (“USP”), designed to eliminate segregation and improve educational outcomes for Latino students in TUSD, that was jointly filed last year by TUSD, the Fisher Plaintiffs on behalf of African American students, the United States Department of Justice, MALDEF on behalf of the Mendoza plaintiffs who are Latino students, and the Court-appointed Special Master, Dr. Willis D. Hawley.

Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel stated, “Once fully implemented, today’s order promises to dramatically improve educational opportunities for Latino students in Tucson. The plan addresses critical issues, such as the education of English learners, discriminatory disparities in access to critical programs, and the restoration of culturally relevant courses to the curriculum. When these issues are addressed, the educational experience of all students will be richer and more equitable.”

In his ruling, Judge Bury found that TUSD has not eliminated the vestiges of past discrimination identified in a 1978 court-approved settlement of the case and that it had not acted in good faith because over the years “the District had not addressed ongoing segregation and discrimination in TUSD, both physical segregation and unequal academic opportunities for Black and Hispanic minority students.” Significantly, Judge Bury upheld the section of the USP that calls for culturally relevant curriculum designed to reflect the history, experiences and culture of the Mexican American community as a strategy to improve student achievement and one that was agreed to by the parties as a “meritorious strategy, fully supported by the experts and the Special Master, to improve the academic performance of minority students.”

Nancy Ramirez, Western Regional Counsel and lead attorney stated, “Today’s ruling is the culmination of years of vigilance by the Latino and local communities in Tucson demanding accountability and transparency by the Tucson Unified School District that would ultimately lead to equal opportunities for Latino students. We look forward to continuing to work on the implementation of this comprehensive and ambitious plan that offers much promise for improving educational outcomes for all students in TUSD”.

The Court’s order also denies the State of Arizona’s attempt to intervene in the case to litigate the issue of Mexican American Studies. The Court concluded that its ruling does not override a 2010 Arizona law targeting ethnic studies for elimination “and even if it did – the Supreme Court has held that state laws cannot be allowed to impede a desegregation order.” The Court believes that Arizona’s role in the case may be concluding and has requested that Arizona Attorney General Thomas Horne demonstrate why the state’s participation in the case should not be ended now.

Other important outcomes of Judge Bury’s order include the following: The Court agreed with MALDEF that the USP must include a district-wide professional development plan for all educators working with English Language Learners. Overruling the District’s objection the Court stated, “Given the large amount of ELL students in TUSD and their substandard academic achievement, there is a clear need for teachers to learn how to better teach ELL students.” The Court also agreed with MALDEF that annual goals should be set for GATE programs and Advanced Academic Courses to “steadily increase the number and percentage of African American and Latino students, including ELL and exceptional (special education students).” And it agreed with MALDEF’s concern that minority students are overrepresented in special education classes and requested the Special Master to include language to address this concern.

The Special Master will oversee the District’s revisions to the USP incorporating Judge Bury’s order, which will be filed with the Court on February 19, 2013.

Lois Thompson of Proskauer Rose LLP, serving as pro bono counsel stated, “The Court-adopted plan, if implemented effectively and in good faith, should finally improve the educational environment and outcomes for the District’s Latino students and lead to a day when the District can be released from Court supervision.”

A copy of the order is available at
http://www.maldef.org/assets/pdf/MENDOZA_020613_Order.pdf

“Unless you were one of the first Americans, a Native American, you came from someplace else.” – President Obama

There are several viewpoints out there, and Cheech Marin sort of nails it down in a humorous way when he wrote:

Some ask “Why can’t you people just all be Hispanic?” Same reason that all white people can’t just be called English. Just because you speak English or Spanish does not mean that you are one group. Hispanic is a census term that some dildo in a government office made up to include all Spanish-speaking brown people. It is especially annoying to Chicanos because it is a catch-all term that includes the Spanish conqueror. By definition, it favors European cultural invasion, not indigenous roots. It also includes all Latino groups, which brings us together because Hispanic annoys all Latino groups.

Another viewpoint is given by José Antonio Burciaga in his book Drink Cultura:  Chicanismo.   In fact the famous guitarist and musician via Carlos Santana said this of his book: “A passionately lyrical leccion para todos about the history of the Western and Southwestern people. Burciaga is deeply rooted in the indigenous realities.”

I recommend the Drink Cultura book as a great starting point for those who don’t know what a Chicano is.

Meanwhile, here is an excerpt or  teaser for you below.

c/s