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Tejano Learning Center, San Antonio, TX (2026)

07/16/2026

“We Americans have yet to really learn our own antecedents… Thus far, impress’d by New England writers and schoolmasters, we tacitly abandon ourselves to the notion that our United States have been fashion’d from the British Islands only … which is a very great mistake.” (Walt Whitman, 1883.)
Author Historian John Francis Bannon says it this way: “The Anglo Americans who came to Texas with Stephen F. Austin were not in the true sense pioneers; they found not a wilderness but a society already in existence and a foreign power in possession; neither were the traders who came across the Great Plains. Folk of Spanish European origin were already well established and had a society ready to do business. U.S. ships in the Pacific Coast, as well as mountain men and settlers, found the same type of thriving communities in California…
The Borderlands story is a fundamental starting point for the comprehension of the problem of one of the nation’s contemporary minority groups – the Mexican Americans. They are descendants of those sturdy Borderlanders of yesterday who made real contributions to that real, but somewhat nebulous thing called American civilization.”
Summary. (1) That Texas and Southwest are immersed in the Spanish language and culture isn’t due to recent immigration. Rather, it’s because Texas and the Southwest are in New Spain, not New England. There’s no Plymouth Rock off the Texas Coast. The fact is that the U.S. invaded and then subsumed over half of Mexico’s well-established, populated sovereign land. Spanish-speaking residents, blessed with their one-of-a-kind Spanish Mexican culture, came with the real estate. It’s such an inconvenient truth that even today, U.S. mainstream historians choose not to discuss it. Alas, since 1848, U.S. citizens (sadly including Mexican-descent Texans) have been deprived from learning these historical details from elementary school onward.
(2) Couple that with the fact that seemingly without thinking and without attribution, official Texas history embraces its Spanish Mexican traits (el Álamo, ranch/cowboy/rodeo lifestyles, et al, while neglecting to mention their Spanish Mexican origins. Equally puzzling, Texas claims the Mexican Flag as one of its “Six Flags over Texas”.
(3) Affixing their stamp of approval regarding Spanish-surnamed citizens and their positive contributions, at least four Presidents (among many others) have personally recognized the U.S. Spanish Mexican-descent community (see enclosed slide).
Conclusion. The facts, hiding in plain sight, clearly explain the reason why everything historically old “on this side of the border” is in Spanish. As an eighth-generation Texan, I find it incredible that my fellow non-Spanish Mexican-descent Texans have yet to figure out the honest-to-goodness Spanish Mexican roots of this great place we call Texas.
Bottom Line. In learning about early Texas history, it’s never repetition, it’s reinforcement.
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” (Thomas Jefferson).

07/09/2026

Truly, the 1776-83 U.S. War of Independence wasn’t the only one that occurred in America. Nor was it an isolated incident. Indeed, nearly the entire European Continent was fertile ground for independence fervor. Subjugated people were ridding themselves of long-standing shackles of monarchical authoritarianism. Likewise, colonial leaders in the Continent of America devotedly followed Europe’s great philosophers and social thinkers. They, too, rebelled against unjust English, Spanish, French, German, & Dutch totalitarian rulers.
For example, when Thomas Jefferson wrote the first drafts of the July 4, 1776, U.S. Declaration of Independence, he freely cited the works of English Philosopher John Locke, Father of Liberalism. Key to this approach were the forward-thinking ideas of government being based on a two-prong idea -- human rights and the consent of the governed.
Equally, Jefferson applied Locke’s concept of the people’s right to revolt against a tyrannical government, helping to calibrate the trajectory for the English colonies’ armed struggle.
All in all, the 18th century Enlightenment movement in Europe stimulated the near-simultaneous uprising of the diverse European-controlled American colonial elite societies. However, there’s one key element that most mainstream historians fail to mention.
That is, here in the U.S., the actual system of government didn’t come from Europe, but was a concept already developed in and at play right here in Native America. In writing our freedom documents, our Founding Fathers consulted with, relied on, and borrowed heavily from the Iroquois Nation Confederacy. Very hard to believe, but it’s true.
Known as the Haudenosaunee principles, the arrangement allowed individual indigenous groups with diverse, distinct cultures to live in peace and coexist under one union, living under one code of behavior toward each other, and disputes being settled by one council of elders. In short, that’s the model that the U.S. Constitution utilizes to list and explain our democratic ideals, whose 250th birthday we just celebrated.
“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.” (George Bernard Shaw).

07/04/2026

Happy July 4th, 2026, the 250th Birthday of our United States of America (U.S.A.).
While this most important date in our country’s history is traditionally welcomed (celebrated) as a flag-waving, festive, fireworks, & family cook-out atmosphere, citizens are encouraged to reflect on how this most memorable date came to be. Albeit informed patriots know the story.
That is, Ben Franklin’s short reply, “A Republic if you can keep it.” has a hidden meaning for future generations (us). He was saying that we must remain vigilant, less we lose our beloved Democratic Republic. That is, the human rights & liberties we enjoy today shouldn’t be taken for granted. At a minimum, they include supreme power vested in “We the People”), free speech, voting rights, and parallel economic, social and human (moral) rights.
Our Founding Fathers wanted to ensure it stays that way, so they included a magnificent mechanism called “Checks & Balances” in our governmental framework. In brief, power is distributed equally amongst the three main branches who check on each other. Thus, no one person or branch has the authority to make, enforce, and/or interpret laws on their own. It’s the key aspect that distinguishes our U.S. Democratic Republic from a dictatorship.
As for the July 4th meaning, the Founding Fathers had just defeated a cruel tyrant (British King George III). So, they naturally opted for a democracy (free people) as the foundation of our government.
Equally, on July 4th, we honor our military men and women, both military veterans and active duty, who protect and preserve our time-tested system of government against all enemies foreign or domestic.
Indeed, few have articulated altruism better than U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address, “… We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.” In short, the soldiers who died defending & preserving the Union, left for us a communal inheritance. It’s our sacred duty to protect and preserve it for future generations.
Last but certainly not least, we owe our gratitude to our diverse workforce whose labor is a most unique form of patriotic service. From all walks of life, they’re the ones who have “kept the fires burning” here in the home front, constantly contributing 24/7 to our national identity and democratic values, often without due recognition.
“I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable Asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind to whatever nation they might belong.” (George Washington, 1788).

07/02/2026

From an early age in 1950s Central School in Laredo, my mostly Spanish-speaking, Spanish Mexican-descent fellow students and I enthusiastically sang in unison the words to the song, “First in war, first in peace…” written to honor General George Washington’s victory over the British. Yet, the school curriculum made no effort to teach us about our Spanish Mexican ancestors’ Herculean gift to the U.S. to make it so.
In fairness, we were taught about French Monsieur Lafayette’s help to General Washington, but the same social studies & history classroom lessons dismissed Spain and General Bernardo de Gálvez.
Examples of historical details we didn’t learn in the classroom? Spanish King Carlos III (Charles III) helped the U.S. independence movement from the start. He was the main banker for the U.S., loaning the English colonists vast amounts of money to initiate their independence campaign. BTW, the Spanish King later forgave the loans so that the colonists could rebuild their country.
The Spanish paid for the hiring and transportation of Baron von Steuben to transform George Washington’s Continental Army rag-tag recruits into disciplined troops. As a result, the baron is considered as a founding father of the U.S. Army.
Even Monsieur de Lafayette arrived in the U.S. aboard a Spanish ship that had departed from a Spanish port. Spanish ports offered sanctuary, secure docking, and Spanish naval force escorts provided protective passage to U.S. ships while in Europe.
Spanish General Bernardo de Gálvez was responsible for half of the U.S. Revolution battle front. He controlled the southern theater of war; a long battle line from Louisiana to Florida, including both sides of the Mississippi River. His 7,000 troops defeated the British in several key battles and banished the British from the Gulf of Mexico.
Last, but not least, New Spain (Mexico) civilian population donated money (donativos) through their Catholic churches, and collected crucial items (i.e., 9,000 head of cattle, clothing, supplies, and equipment) that they sent to the U.S.
Bottom Line. Spanish fingerprints appear over U.S. history from its infancy. Yet, such details are ignored in the official rendering of U.S. history. So, sharing these non-threatening U.S. historical details with the U.S. public is meant to fill-in the gaps in the official U.S. history version. Doing so will hopefully help U.S. citizens better understand the strong bonds once uniting the U.S. and Spain.
One last thing. George Washington spent his leisure time after the war frequently visiting the homes of Spanish envoys. It was his way to demonstrate that he couldn't have gained U.S, independence without a lot of help from his Spanish friends. Sadly, our first president’s heartfelt “Thank You” gesture toward Spain isn’t covered at all in mainstream U.S. history books.
Bonus points of interest? The Spanish Mexican eight-piece silver peso (“Ocho Reales”) was the preferred monetary unit in the 13 colonies. The U.S. borrowed the dollar sign ($) from Spanish coins. Boston bookstores carried as many books in Spanish as they did English language books. Boston docks were filled with Spanish sailors whose buying power sustained the town's economy. Of course, the once intimate U.S.-Spain relationship has dramatically soured since then. Lastly, following are two astute and most serious warnings from our first president:
“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” (George Washington, 1783).
“Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” (George Washington, 1796).

06/25/2026

“Americans All”, indeed. By way of background, our continent was named “America” in 1507, when German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller became the first person to use it on a map. The name honors Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who initially revealed that the landfall Christopher Columbus reached in 1492 wasn’t India (Asia), but a separate populated continent, unknown to Europeans. For the record, the landing location wasn’t on the mainland, but a small island in the Bahamas in the Caribbean Sea.
(Note: He didn’t “discover” the land, since it had already initially been discovered by migrating Siberians (the First Americans), the DNA-validated genealogical roots of today's Native Americans & Mexican-descent people.)
Based on Herr Waldseemüller’s intended wide application, today’s “America” is a place where over 50 nationalities call home. It’s the only reason why U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents at border checkpoints ask you, "Are you a U.S. citizen?" and not "Are you an American citizen?" That’s consistent with our name, i.e. “The United States “of” America”.
(Keynotes. It was also in the early 1500s, that (l) much of the present-day U.S. was named “America Mexicana” (land of the Mexica Native Americans); and (2) the same time that Europeans named the Gulf of Mexico.)
By the numbers? The entire American Continent occupies about 28.4% of the world’s land mass, while the U.S. occupies 6%. Population: Continent of America: 770M; U.S. 333M; (a/o 2025).
As for those who say that the U.S. is “North America”, that’s also inaccurate. North America includes Canada, Greenland, the U.S., Mexico, and nearly 20 other countries. Incidentally, in North America, Canada is the largest country in total area.
In summary, the term “America” predates the U.S. by about 300 years. Even so, the young U.S. hijacked the name to mean only itself since the late 1700s. Thus, it’s so indoctrinated in U.S. society, that people will continue to misapply it. That's OK, provided we remember the name's initial intent to describe the entire Continent of America.
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance – It is the illusion of knowledge.” (David J. Boorstin).

06/18/2026

In a few days, we will be celebrating our nation’s 250th Anniversary marking the day we said no to dictator English King George III.
Indeed, we are truly blessed to say that in our time of need, we have had many great leaders guiding the way. This includes not only our visionary Founding Fathers, but those who took the torch of liberty and preserved (enhanced) our country’s freedom ideals as we endured aches and pains growing as a nation.
Said another way, we remember U.S. presidents who ensured our nation’s success as a model democracy (One Nation under God).
Still, of all our national leaders, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln justly stands atop of the list. That’s because he played the key role in safeguarding our union during its most grueling test -- The U.S. Civil War. (See slide).
“With Malice toward None, with Charity to All.” (Abraham Lincoln).

06/14/2026

The enclosed U.S. Flag Day slide will hopefully remind all of us of how to approximately and respectfully display our Stars-and-Stripes. The slide is self-explanatory.
Foremost, owing to its 50 stars, our U.S. banner reflects our national motto, “E Pluribus Unum” (Out of many, one). Our flag also symbolizes Abraham Lincoln’s sage words borrowing from Mark 3:25, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”.
In a nutshell, the following inspiring quote clearly describes how truly blessed we are to be part of the United States of America. U.S.A! U.S.A.!
“A thoughtful mind, when it sees our Nation’s flag, sees not only the flag, but our Nation itself and its symbols -- its insignia, its principles, its truths, and the history that belongs to our Nation.”
(Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887), Clergyman, social reformer, and abolitionist, and a champion leading the end of slavery.)

06/06/2026

“Like a good neighbor, Mexico was there.” Historians and private citizen history fans who are familiar with the factual details of the often-antagonistic U.S.-Mexico relationship would wholeheartedly agree with that opening sentence.
Said another way, Mexico’s “All Civilian Army” helped the U.S. during WWII & beyond. That is, our southern neighbor Mexico offered their version of a “Good Neighbor Policy” lifeline that kept our nation thriving when U.S. men & women enlisted in our military forces.
It was meant to last only through the war years. However, after the war, U.S. ranchers, farmers, factory owners, most especially the booming agricultural industry, successfully petitioned the U.S. government to extend it.
Results were impressive: (l) The labor program lasted for 22 years (1942-1964); (2) during its existence, over 4 & a half million workers provided significant muscle power to help propel the U.S. into a period of extraordinary growth. Indeed, Mexican workers were the fuel additive that greatly enhanced the performance of our country’s robust economic engine.
Alas, the win-win business deal soured later on for several reasons. (It’s a complex topic that deserves its own discussion (article) later.) Yet, no one can deny that at its crucial peak, the Mexican Farm Labor Program was a Godsend “helping hand” to the U.S. in its time of need both during and after WWII. Indeed, Mexican braceros injected a much-needed economic booster shot to preserve the homeland when U.S. troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Though not recognized, they helped create the U.S. post-WWII economic expansion, commonly referred to as the “Golden Age of Capitalism”.
(Note: Why is the Mexican labor program also called the “Bracero Program”? Answer: The term “Bracero” is based on the Spanish word “brazo” (arm) and refers to manual laborers.)
Along the same vein, Mexican citizens and Mexican-descent U.S. citizens joined the U.S. military in large numbers. Many were recognized for their battlefield bravery, including a significant number who not only participated in June 6, 1944 landing on Normandy’s beaches, but also received our nation’s highest military decorations, including the Medal of Honor.
“Truth is more often stranger than fiction.”

06/04/2026

U.S. History Revisited. A month from today, we’ll be celebrating a historic date in our nation’s history – its 250th Birthday! It marks the occasion of the day in 1776 that we said “No” to a tyrant (King George III).
For a different perspective (assessment) of the story, the enclosed slide offers a viewpoint you don’t see every July 4th. In short, it reminds us of Spain’s Herculean commitment, allowing the U.S. to gain its independence.
As we recall these historical facts, one element is key and cannot be denied. Many of Spanish General Bernardo de Gálvez 7,000-strong army citizens were from New Spain (Mexico), including Texas.
In other words, New Spain (Mexico) troops fought & died for U.S. independence, so far away from their homes. Indeed, their descendants qualify for membership in prestigious patriotic organizations in the U.S.
Plus, another gift from Texas specifically, key to the U.S. victory? Tejano civilian rancheros drove over 9,000 head of cattle from the La Bahía/Goliad area to feed U.S. troops. Also, as mentioned in the slide, Mexico’s civilian population provided financial support (donativos) through the Catholic church, clothing, and war materiel to the U.S. Enjoy the slide.
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32).

06/02/2026

Today, June 2, is the anniversary of English Poet/Author Thomas Hardy’s birth.
Interestingly, I grew up as an English-as-second language (ESL) student. That’s not surprising, since I’m an 8th generation descendant of the Spanish Mexican pioneer founders of this great place we call Texas. Equally important to note is that Texas happens to be in New Spain, not New England. (There’s no Plymouth Rock off the Texas Coast.)
In fact, while attending Central Elementary School in 1950s Laredo, my classmates were also ESL. It was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because we were preserving our guaranteed, unique Spanish Mexican heritage on “this side of the border”. A curse because speaking our native tongue were grounds to be taken to the principal’s office for punishment.
Yet, despite all of that, the remarkable part of my education background is that at this early age, I learned to love and appreciate the English language. My mom recalled that while running home from school in first grade, she could hear me yelling before I reached the front door, “Mamá, I can read, I can read.” In short, I am truly blessed to be able to write both in English and Spanish, Or, as we say in Spanish, “Soy bilingüe”.
Amazingly, blessed with a mastery of the English language allows me to write about the pre-1836 Spanish Mexican roots of Texas. Moreover, when I first entered college while stationed overseas in the U.S.A.F. (University of Maryland), my first three courses were in English grammar and literature.
As for famous English poems, I knew several by heart. One of my favorites is “The Man he Killed” by Thomas Hardy, as are several others.
BTW, my major was in Spanish. Thus, I also learned about many great Spanish poets, writers, and artists, i.e., Cervantes, Lope de Vega, de la Barca, Velásquez, et al.
As for this particular poem, for those of you who have read the book “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque, or seen the movie, you will notice the common theme of the futility of war, and shared humanity, as well as empathy toward a soldier’s wartime enemy. “The crown of literature is poetry.” (William Somerset Maugham).

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