Tejanos Unidos

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Manchola, Raphael

Who?  Rafael Antonio Manchola was an important public official in De León's colony and neighboring La Bahía and represented his district in the state legislature of Coahuila and Texas.

What?  Raphael Manchola was the son of an aristocratic Spanish family. He married María de Jesús (María Jesusa) De León, fourth daughter of the empresario Martín De León, for whom he served as business agent and attorney.  The wedding was one of the significant social events of the colony.  They had one daughter.  Manchola established himself as a merchant and rancher. His cattle brand, like those of other De León family members, was among the earliest registered in Goliad and Victoria counties.  As a principal citizen in De León's colony, he was one of the "Ten Friends" honored by the name of the settlement's main street, "Calle de los Diez Amigos." Manchola served alternately with José Miguel Aldrete, another son-in-law of De León, as alcalde of La Bahía (Goliad) throughout most of the colonial period.  Thus the empresario of Guadalupe Victoria dominated the ayuntamiento of the neighboring municipality.

As a career officer stationed at Nuestra Señora de Loreto Presidio (La Bahía), Manchola served as Comandante in 1826-27 and again in 1831.  As such, he aided his father-in-law in forcing the inhabitants of DeWitt's Old Station out of De León's territory into Gonzales in 1827.  As De León's attorney, Manchola petitioned the Mexican government on April 13, 1829, to augment the boundaries of his father-in-law's colony to accommodate an additional 150 families.  Although this was granted, De León failed to gain title to the barrier islands.

In the fall of 1828 the District Electoral Assembly of Texas elected Manchola and José María Balmasceda deputies to the Coahuila and Texas state legislature.  Manchola wrote Stephen F. Austin in October asking his suggestions for the welfare of Texas.  Manchola helped establish the municipality of Guadalupe Victoria during the 1829 session and declared his support of separate statehood for Texas and Coahuila.  Early in February 1829 he protested to Governor Agustín Viesca against the failure of the Mexican government to carry out the order of September 1823 secularizing all missions that had been in operation for at least ten years.  He prepared a history of the missions of his district to demonstrate that they had been in operation more than ten years, recalled the grievances of settlers against the mission Indians, and criticized Father José Antonio Diaz de León's efforts to obstruct the secularization process.  Manchola then demanded the immediate transfer of the missions and the sale of their lands to settlers.  Finally he petitioned to change the "meaningless name" of La Bahía to “Goliad", which is an anagram made from the surname [Hidalgo] of the “heroic giant of our revolution” (Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla).  In response, the government issued Decree Number 73 of February 4, 1829, which granted La Bahía the title of Villa de Goliad, thereby elevating the presidio to a town.  By March 6, Governor Viesca had ordered the political chief at Bexar to carry out the secularization order of 1823; it was not implemented until February 1830.

Manchola was reelected to the state legislature in 1830 and received a vote of confidence from the ayuntamiento of San Felipe.  Manchola supported the Constitution of 1824 and continued to advocate separate statehood for Texas and Coahuila.  As the Goliad delegate to the Convention of 1832 he volunteered to accompany William H. Wharton to Mexico City to present the convention's petitions for separation of Coahuila from Texas.  Stephen F. Austin convinced them that the proceedings were untimely, however, and the mission was cancelled.  

Manchola died a few weeks later in the cholera epidemic of 1832-33.  His widow became one of the largest landowners of the region.  She was issued two grants of two leagues each on Coleto Creek as a De León colonist and two two-league tracts on the San Antonio River bordering Villa de Goliad in 1833, as well as additional grants in 1834 as a Power and Hewetson colonist on lands that the De Leóns had owned earlier.  She apparently died in Texas.  The De Leóns fell victim to the violent reaction against Texans of Mexican descent after the Texas Revolution and were forced to abandon their lands and flee to Mexico.

After years of anonymity, Manchola's descendants, many who are still residents of Goliad, petitioned the city of Goliad for an appropriate monument honoring this hero of early Texas.  Their request was approved and a plague listing his life's accomplishments is located in the town's main square.

Source:  Ancestry.com

Margil de Jesús, Father Antonio

Who? Father Margil is known as the Texas Apostle for his missionary work with the Texas indigenous people.  He is of a rare breed of holy men who fully embraced his religious calling from the time he was a little boy growing up in Valencia, Spain.  He came to Tejas late in his life, but his stay left a big footprint in missionary work among the Native Americans.  In his short tenure in Texas, he built three missions, including Mission San Jose in San Antonio (1719-1720).

What?  He was a friend of Father Francisco Hidalgo who also shared a passion for ministering to the indigenous people in Tejas.  While on assignment in Yucatan, his reputation as a healer and sincere man of God grew.  Because he refused to ride a donkey during his missionary work, he began to call himself “God’s donkey” and walked barefoot everywhere.  He covered about 45 miles a day.  After many years in Central America, he returned to his college in Zacatecas.  From there, he picked Coahuila as his next assignment.  He traveled alone to East Texas, following the tracks left by Don Domingo Ramon’s expedition.  This pious, holy man died in 1726.  His final words were, “It is time now to go and see God”.  Because he is credited with performing many miracles, he is under consideration for sainthood by the Vatican.

When?  1717-1722

Recommended Source:  Book by Chipman and Joseph, “Explorers and Settlers of Spanish Texas”

Marqués de Rubi

Who?  Full name: Cayetano Maria Pignatelli Rubi Corbera y San Climent, Marquésde Rubí

What?  Don Cayetano was sent as an inspector by the Spanish King to Texas to see if the East Texas missions could be operated more efficiently.  Because of the improvement in relations between Spain and France, the King did not see a need to keep the missions open.  The tough inspector thoroughly inspected all communities.  He was not impressed with what he saw, especially at the East Texas locations.  He was not impressed with Laredo on the Rio Grande either, which was a newer settlement.  He was disappointed that the Christianizing of the indigenous people had practically stopped to a stand-still.  He recommended that only the settlements in San Antonio and La Bahia (Goliad) be encouraged.     

When?  1760s

Recommended Source:  Book by Chipman, Donald, “Spanish Texas, 1519-1821”

Martinez, Cosme (See Villarreal, Jose)

What?  Cosme Martinez and Jose Villarreal were two cousins who were captured by Indians from their rancho in what is now Zapata County in the early 1800s.  The two pre-teen youngsters were escorted north by the Indians in the hope of trading them as slaves to other tribes.  Near where Austin, Texas is now, the tribe stopped and set up camp.  While their captors were not looking, the two cousins escaped and made their way safely back home.  To avoid being recaptured, they travelled mostly at night, ensuring that the North Star was always at their back.  After reuniting with their family, they told of their fantastic ordeal.  Their account is typical of what happened to many other Spanish Mexican settlers of South Texas, but whose incredible survival stories are largely ignored in mainstream Texas history books.

Recommended Source:  Book by Martinez and Lott, “Kingdom of Zapata”

Martinez, Benny

Who?  Benny Martinez from Goliad, Texas, is a foot soldier for Mexican American civil rights.

What?  Benny has dedicated nearly fifty years of his life fighting for the civil rights of Mexican Americans throughout Texas.  He has advocated for countless Mexican Americans facing discrimination throughout Texas in the school system, housing, and places of employment.  He has been a member of LULAC for over 50 years.  In 2003, at the age of 70, Benny rode his horse from Goliad to the state capitol in Austin, Texas, to bring awareness of and support to the construction of the Tejano Monument on the grounds of the state capitol.  His efforts were instrumental in the approval of the monument, to be finished by 2010.

Massanet, Father Damian

Who?  Father Massanet was an early pioneer missionary in Texas.

What?  Father Massanet is indeed a very interesting character in early Texas history.  When the decision was made to send priests to Christianize the Texas tribes, Father Massanet was in the forefront.  Not only did he do his priestly duties, but he devoted much of his energies to learn.  Like Cabeza de Vaca, he carefully recorded details as to the different tribes, customs, names, and terrain descriptions.  Based on Father Massenet’s request, the first missions in Texas were authorized to be built.  He was part of extensive exploration into Texas before retiring to his college in Queretaro.

When?  1690s

Recommended Source:  Book by Chipman, Donald, “Spanish Texas, 1519-1821”

Medina, Battle of

What?  Texas had declared its independence on April 6, 1813, when Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara wrote, signed, and read words from the first Texas Declaration of Independence.  Spain was not ready to give up its territory to a revolutionary movement.  So, General Joaquin de Arredondo organized an army near Laredo and marched north to retake Texas.  He wanted to teach the rebels a lesson. 

On a very hot August afternoon, about 20 miles from San Antonio, the Army of the North (First Texas Army) met the advancing Spanish Army under the command of General Arredondo who was moving in from Laredo.  The Tejanos were encircled and defeated, bringing an end to the First Republic of Texas.  As a warning to future rebels, General Arredondo left the bodies of the Tejanos on the battlefield.  There they stayed for nearly nine years.  In 1821, after Mexico’s independence from Spain, their bones were gathered by a military escort and buried nearby.  Today, no one knows exactly where the mass grave is located.  Nor does anyone know the exact location of the battle.  The Texas Historical Commission calls it the largest, bloodiest battle ever fought on Texas soil.  More patriots died there (800) than in all of the 1836 battles of Sam Houston.  Nonetheless, it was these forgotten patriots who first showed the way to Texas liberty.  Yet, their sacrifice is rarely mentioned in mainstream Texas history books.

When?  August 18, 1813

Recommended Source:  Book by Arellano, Dan, “Tejano Roots”

Menchaca, Jose M. (Menchaca Family)

Who?  Jose M. Menchaca was one of the first significant followers of Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara and his quest to bring independence to Texas.

What?  Colonel Menchaca is a very under-appreciated Texas hero.  He first met Don Bernardo when Don Bernardo was on his way to the U.S. to seek help for the Texas revolt.  Appointed as a captain in the Army of the North, he was well liked by his soldiers.  Like most members of the army, he was very disappointed when Don Bernardo was relieved of command of the Army of the North.  However, he was also a brave leader who faced the Spanish royalist forces head-on at the Battle of Medina.  Even as the situation looked hopeless for the Tejanos, he didn’t give up.  He was killed leading a charge against the enemy, as he encouraged his men by the words, “Onward men, Tejanos never retreat!”

When?  1811-1813

Recommended Source:  Book by Arellano, Dan, “Tejano Roots”

Mena, Marcos de

Who?  Fray Marcos de Mena was a Dominican lay brother in Mexico in the 1550s.

What?  In 1554, a flotilla of four ships sailed from the port of Veracruz bound for Spain.  It was loaded with families who were returning to their homeland.  Others were on their way to Havana, Cuba, very possibly to do business and visit with family.  A violent storm caused the ships to be blown northward.  Three of the ships were wrecked on the Texas coast near the north end of present-day Padre Island.  There were over 200 survivors. Of this number, close to 30 were able to sail one of the lifeboats to Veracruz.  However, the rest attempted to walk the shoreline back to Tampico or Veracruz.  Unfortunately, under constant attack by hostile Indians, who picked off the tired, frightened stragglers one by one from the group, all of the survivors perished, except Brother Marcos.  He had been left for dead by the Indians.  He recovered and was able to walk back to safety and tell the harrowing story of the shipwreck victims.  This is yet another inspiring Spanish Mexican story of bravery, determination, and survival that is missing from mainstream Texas history books.

When?  1554

Recommended Source:  Book by Chipman, Donald, “Spanish Texas, 1519-1821”

Mexican 

What?  The word “Mexican” is another term for Native American.  It is properly defined as a native or inhabitant of Mexico.  However, it has a special cultural meaning to Spanish Mexican citizens in the U.S., especially to those Spanish-surnamed descendants of the first settlers of the Southwest.  These first Spanish Mexican settlers were just as brave and resourceful as the English colonists that settled in the East Coast.  They are worthy of the same admiration for their determination to make a new life from early Texas to California.  Although the word “Mexican” is quickly misunderstood by Anglo Americans, the fact is that it does not refer to allegiance to Mexico nor to present-day Mexican nationalism. 

To explain, the term “Mexican” is a unique heritage identifier by many modern-day Texans (Tejanos), proud descendants of the first Spanish Mexican (Native) citizens of Texas and the Southwestern states.  They have historical facts to back them up. 

From the earliest maps drawn in the mid-1500s, the New World in North America was known both by “Nueva España” (New Spain) and “America Mexicana” (Mexico).  Additionally, in 1519, the area that we now know as Texas was discovered by Alvarez de Pineda, a Spanish explorer.  In 1691, the Province of Texas was officially established by the appointment of its first governor, Domingo Teran de los Rios.  Tejas or Texas (both pronounced as Tejas) remained a province of New Spain until 1813.  On April 6, 1813, Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Lara proclaimed independence for the Mexican Province of Texas, and established the First Republic of Texas.  In 1821, Mexico gained its independence from Spain and the Province of Texas became the State of Texas under the Republic of Mexico.  Thus, the relationship of Tejas or Texas to Mexico and the word “Mexican” is an indivisible part of Texas history.  

 Mexican Army at the Alamo, 1836

First and most important, the 1836 Battles of the Alamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto are part of the chronological chapter of Mexico's history, not the U.S.  Texas did not join the U.S. until 1845 and did so as a slave state.  In other words, Texas Independence lasted for only nine years. 

The Mexican Army of 1836 was the legitimate Army in Texas.  Mexican soldiers who fought at the Alamo Presidio were only doing their duty to protect their sovereign territory from armed intruders from the U.S.  It should be noted that the conflict throughout the nation involved those who supported a centralist type of government under Gen. Santa Anna and those who wanted a federalist system, such as that begun by Lt. Colonel Gutierrez de Lara in 1813.  Spanish Mexican citizens in Texas (Tejanos) supported the federalists and it was this group that the arriving Anglos from the U.S. (legal and illegal immigrants) joined.  Ultimately, the Anglos opted for a clean break from Mexico due to deep differences in the cause, including the Anglos' support for slavery.  Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829.  The Anglos wanted to keep their slaves they had brought with them from the U.S. to Mexico.  Thus, they betrayed the Tejanos who believed until too late that they were fighting for a federalist government in Texas.  Since the 1836 armed conflict was a civil war in Mexico, many modern-day Tejanos have ancestors who fought on both sides of the war.

 Mexicanos and Tejanos (See Tejanos and Mexicanos Summary)

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Navarro, José Antonio (Navarro Family)

Who?  José Antonio Navarro is a true hero of Texas Independence.

What?  José Antonio Navarro was a Texas statesman, revolutionary, and politician.  The son of Ángel Navarro and Josefa Maria Ruiz, he was born into a distinguished noble family at San Antonio de Béxar in New Spain (now known as San Antonio, Texas).  Navarro County, Texas, is named in his honor.  Navarro and Francisco Ruiz were the only two native-born Texans to sign the 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence.

When?  1800s

Recommended Source:  Handbook of Texas History Online

Navarro, José Antonio, II

Who?  José Antonio Navarro, II is literally a true son of the Texas Republic.

 What?  José Antonio II is the son of José Antonio Navarro, Sr, one of only two native Texans to sign the 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence.  In one of the most ironic twists of Texas' independence, Jose Antonio II and his family were forced to leave their home in San Antonio due to the blatant discrimination by the Anglo majority against Tejanos and Mexicanos.  Down but not out, the Navarros stayed in Texas, but moved to the Zapata area where Tejanos still enjoyed the freedoms that they had just fought for.  Due to his leadership and administrative qualities, Jose Antonio II became Zapata County's first County Judge.  His brother, who accompanied Jose Antonio II to Zapata also became involved in running the new county government.  Many modern-day Navarros in Zapata and Laredo descend from this very patriotic family and may not even know it.   

New Kingdom of the Philippines

What?  According to the Handbook of Texas, Nuevas Filipinas and Nuevo Reino de Filipinas were secondary names given to the area of Texas above the Medina River at the time of Domingo Ramón's expedition of 1716.  Although less popular than the name Texas, Nuevas Filipinas remained part of the province's official name throughout the colonial period.  Antonio Margil de Jesús evidently first used the name Nuevas Filipinas in a letter to the viceroy dated July 20, 1716.  In it he voiced the hope that with the king's patronage it might be possible to secure "for the greater glory of God and the name of our catholic Monarch another new Philippines" among the Hasinai.  Two days later the missionaries sent a representation to the viceroy in which they expressed their "great hopes that this province shall be a New Philippines."  The intention of the Franciscans was to equate their work in Texas under Philip V with that of their brethren in the Philippine Islands under his predecessor, Philip II, thus engendering royal support.  The name did not find immediate acceptance.  Neither Domingo Ramón, the missionaries, nor officials used Nuevas Filipinas in the period 1716-17.  Martín de Alarcón's title as governor of Texas, issued by the viceroy in December 1716, refers only to the Province of Texas.

When? 1690s 

Recommended Source:  Handbook of Texas Online

Nueces Strip

What?  Basically, the Nueces Strip is the area between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande.  It became a contentious territory after the 1836 Texas Revolution.  Texas claimed land up to the Rio Grande.  Mexico declared that the southern border of Texas was the Nueces.  Mexico was correct, since all geographic maps up to then considered the Nueces as the southern limit of Texas.  Regardless, this disagreement led to the U.S. Mexico War, with disastrous consequences for Mexico.  Not only did Mexico lose its renegade Province of Texas and the Nueces Strip, but also lost over half of its territory to the U.S. invasion, including what is now the U.S. Southwest, from Texas to California.  As a result, the U.S. Southwest is the only segment of the U.S. that was part of another sovereign nation when it was subsumed into the U.S.

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Olivares, Father Antonio de (See Alarcón, Martin de)

Who?  Father Antonio Olivares came to Texas as one of the earliest missionaries charged with Christianizing the Texas tribes. 

What?  Father Olivares was the first to recognize the willingness of the Coahuiltecan tribes to become Christians.  In 1709 The Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre expedition came to the future site of San Antonio.  It is then that its river was named San Antonio de Padua.  Later, Father Olivares was part of the Alarcon expedition.  On his return to the site he had first visited in 1709, Father Olivares established Mission San Antonio de Valero (now known as The Alamo).

When?  1690s

Recommended Source:  Book by Chipman, Donald, “Spanish Texas, 1519-1821”

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Peña, José Maria

Who?  Jose M. (Chema) Peña is a retired Foreign Service officer and author. 

What?  Mr. José M. (Chema) Peña was born and raised in Laredo, Texas.  USAF Veteran.  As a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Peña was the first Mexican American to be Deputy Regional Inspector General and Acting Regional Inspector General and served in many world-wide assignments.  After he retired, he worked as an International Financial Consultant in several Latin American and Middle Eastern countries.  He also served as a Health Project Director in Guatemala; Consultant with the Organization of American States; specialist in internal auditing, programmatic, and financial studies, evaluate analysis, systems studies and special reviews.  He is a graduate of the University of Texas.  He holds two professional certificates and many awards. 

He is married to his wife, Pauline, and they had four children:  Jose M, IV, Jerry, Linda (now deceased), and Melissa.  For the last several years, Mr. Peña has devoted his life to teaching others about the fascinating beginnings of Texas history.   He is the author of the book, “Inherit the Dust from the Four Winds of Revilla”.  The book offers an insightful look at the 250-year historical perspective on the ancient city of Guerrero Viejo on the Lower Rio Grande, its people, and detailed discussion of land grants. (Email:  jmpena@aol.com )

Perales, Alonso S. (1898-1960) 

Alonso S. Perales, civil-rights lawyer and diplomat, was born on October 17, 1898, to Susana (Sandoval) and Nicolas Perales in Alice, Texas. He was orphaned at age six and worked while still a child. He married Marta Pérez, a bookstore owner; they adopted a daughter and two sons. Perales finished public school in Alice and graduated from Draughn's Business College in Corpus Christi. He was drafted into the United States Army during World War I and received an honorable discharge. He moved to Washington, where he graduated from the Preparatory School in Washington, studied a year in the Department of Arts and Science at George Washington University, and received a B.A. in the School of Economics and Government at the National University. In 1926 he received his law degree. In the 1920s and 1930s he went on thirteen diplomatic missions to the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile, and the West Indies. In 1945 he served as legal counsel to the Nicaraguan delegation at the United Nations conference. He also served under the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration.

Perales was major political leader from the 1920s until his death and was one of the most influential Mexican Americans of his time. Perales saw himself as a defender of la raza, especially battling charges that Mexicans were an inferior people and a social problem. In 1923 he wrote to the Washington Post to complain about the film Bad Man, which portrayed Mexicans as bandits. He was one of the founders of LULAC (the League of United Latin American Citizens) in 1929 and helped write the LULAC constitution, along with José Tomás Canales and Eduardo Idar. He served as the organization's third president and formed Council 16 in San Antonio, a rival to Council 2 and Manuel C. Gonzales.

In 1930 Perales testified before a United States Congressional hearing on Mexican immigration. A Democrat, he helped found the Independent Voters Association, a Mexican-American political club in San Antonio in the early 1930s. He collaborated with F. Maury Maverick and the small but emerging white liberal sector. In the 1940s he worked to introduce a bill in the Texas legislature prohibiting discrimination based on race. Perales was an intellectual who firmly believed in the law. He wrote about civil rights and racial discrimination, which he argued "had the approval of a majority." Among his books is the two-volume En Defensa de Mi Raza, which includes his essays, letters, and speeches along with other intellectuals' essays on racial discrimination in Texas. Perales was also a member of the American Legion and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and a columnist for La Prensa and other Spanish-language newspapers. He was an articulate public speaker, and his written and spoken Spanish was impeccable. He was greatly admired by the Mexican immigrant community. Perales died on May 9, 1960. In 1977 the Alonso S. Perales Elementary School in the Edgewood ISD was dedicated on the west side of San Antonio, and in 1990 the national LULAC convention in Albuquerque paid tribute to him.

Source: Cynthia E. Orozco \Cynthia E. Orozco, "PERALES, ALONSO S.," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpe56), accessed September 10, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

Perez, Maclovio

Who?  Maclovio Perez is a well-known TV personality to millions of viewers in San Antonio, Texas, and California.

What?  Maclovio retired from the media business and now runs the Public Affairs Office of the Edgewood Independent School District.  Mac is also an ardent supporter of the telling of early Texas history.  He is a descendant of one of the earliest families that established the Villas del Norte on the banks of the Lower Rio Grande.  He portrays the great Tejano hero, Don Jose Antonio Navarro at area historical events and re-enactments.  Visit Mac on Facebook.

Porción (or Porciones)

What?  A porción is an ingenious reward system whereby the Spanish Crown granted access to water in the arid country of South Texas.  The water sources were the various rivers, for example, the Rio Grande.  To allow access to the rivers with their natural meanderings, the size and shape of the porción was irregular; each was between 5,300 – 7,700 acres. (J.M. Peña, Four Winds from Revilla)                                             

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Ramón, Diego (Family includes Domingo, Don Diego’s son)

Who?  Commander Diego Ramón was a distinguished soldier who had lived in San Juan Bautista since its founding.    

What?  Don Diego was the head of one of the most powerful families in Northern Mexico.  He was one of the first to lead an expedition into Texas to recruit Native American converts.  Leading an early expedition in 1706, he reached as far east as present-day Crystal City.  Don Diego became the Commandant of San Juan Bautista on the Rio Grande, known as the Gateway to Texas.  From that position, he was very active in encouraging the setting up of Christian missions in Texas.  Domingo Ramón, the son of the Commandant, was assigned the responsibility of establishing four missions in Texas as a way to stop French incursion.  Domingo is under-appreciated in history as an early explorer of Texas, especially around the Bexar area.  (For additional information, see St. Denis.)

When?  1700

Recommended Source:  Book by Chipman Donald, “Spanish Texas, 1519-1821”

Rio Grande, The (As a Permanent Mason-Dixon Line)

What?  The Rio Grande is one of the many rivers that Spanish explorers discovered and settled in northern New Spain (now the U.S. Southwest) beginning in the late 1600s.  Of all of these waterways, the Rio Grande and the Nueces River are unique in Texas history.  From the earliest maps, the border between the New Spain provinces (states) of Tejas and Nuevo Santander (Tamaulipas) was the Nueces River.  In 1836, when Texas gained its independence from Mexico, Texas claimed its border beyond the Nueces River south to the Rio Grande.  Using that excuse, the U.S. declared war on its weaker sister American Republic in 1846.  The war ended in 1848.  Not only did Mexico lose the “Nueces Strip”, but it also lost over half of its sovereign territory, which encompassed the area between Texas and California.  (As a way of comparison, “New Spain” in the U.S. is over twice as large as “New England”.  However, Spanish Mexican descendants living in New Spain do not receive the level of dignity and respect in history books that English descendants living in New England receive.)  In remapping the political boundaries, Spanish Mexican families were split in half, similar to the split of U.S. families during its Civil War.  In a very real sense, the current political border with Mexico is the same as the Mason-Dixon Line, the demarcation boundary that separated the North from the South states during the Civil War.  Of course, after the Civil War, U.S. families were again reunited and family ties were maintained.  That was not the case of the Spanish Mexican families living for generations on both sides of the Rio Grande and on the border from Texas to California.  The separation became permanent, making it difficult for Spanish Mexican families in the U.S. Southwest to maintain their heritage due to the social strain caused by the new boundary.  Against various forms of blatant discrimination that they have endured for years, there are Spanish-surnamed families in the Southwest that trace their Mexico family roots to the split in 1848.  Today, there are many families in the frontier (Brownsville, Matamoros; Laredo, Nuevo Laredo; Del Rio, Villa Acuna; El Paso, Juarez, etc) whose flesh-and-blood were separated by the invisible political boundary.  That solid commitment lends truth to the old adage that “blood (family) is thicker than water (Rio Grande)”.        

Ruiz, Francisco (Ruiz Family)

Who?  Francisco Ruiz is a real Tejano patriot who was involved in the fight for Texas independence since its inception in 1810. 

What?  Although, he gets credit from historians for involvement in the 1836 revolt, his involvement in securing independence for Texas started years earlier.  He was part of Lt. Colonel Gutierrez de Lara’s Army of the North.  He participated in the 1813 liberation of the regional capital of San Fernando (San Antonio), the place of his birth, from Spanish royalist forces.  His is an impressive military record.  He put down the Fredonia Rebellion and commanded the famous Alamo de Parras company in San Antonio.  He and his nephew Jose Antonio Navarro were the only two native-born Texans to sign the 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence.

When?  1810-1830s.

Recommended Source:  Handbook of Texas History Online