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Tejano Learning Center, San Antonio, TX (2026)

09/17/2026

Hispanic Heritage Month 2026 (Continued). After many years of sharing pre-1836 early Texas history with a diverse variety of audiences, it’s obvious that many Texans are mostly ill-informed about Texas’ Spanish Mexican founding families. While most are eager to learn more regarding the many gaps in official Texas history, some don’t want to be confused by the facts (See slide.)
The truth is that long before TV’s fictional “Little House on the Prairie”, “Bonanza”, et al, pioneer Spanish Mexican families had survived & thrived in that rural life setting for generations in Northern Mexico (Southwest); populated land that is now occupied by the U.S. since 1848. (John Francis Bannon).
Hindered by the SBOE-mandated Texas history curriculum we all learned in the classroom, we Spanish Mexican-descent Texans should take great comfort in the fact that though founding Spanish Mexican pioneers are omitted in official Texas history, Texas’ most iconic symbols have all been culturally appropriated (borrowed without credit or attribution) from Tejanas & Tejanos. That goes for the Álamo, Álamo Plaza, ranching, cowboy, and rodeo ways of life, cuisine, friendly come-one-come-all fiesta atmosphere, et al). At minimum, next time you visit San Antonio de Valero (AKA Álamo) ask museum guides to explain the obvious disconnects.
You don’t have to scratch the surface much to realize that "official" Texas history is flawed.
It’s with that purpose in mind that regular pre-1836 postings during the next few weeks will serve to remind Spanish Mexican-descent Texans and their Southwestern brethren not to lose faith. Equally, tourists and locals must finally learn that the Álamo wasn’t the U.S. trespassing immigrant, armed Anglo invaders to defend. Once more (otra vez), we’re not trying to rewrite Texas history. Rather, we’re filling in the missing pieces of the panoramic puzzle of this great place we call Texas.
(Note 1: Even Sam Houston knew that the Presidio el Álamo had long been absorbed by the local Bexareños community & was no longer sustainable as a military structure. He gave William Travis direct orders to leave San Antonio. Travis stubbornly refused and needlessly caused his and the death of his armed U.S. Anglo immigrant trespassers.)
(Note 2: Houston gave James Fannin the same direct orders to leavc Goliad. Fannin, known as a weak, indecisive leader, likewise ignored his superior officer; causing his own death and that of his men. Yet, that’s another myth to discuss another day.)
Bottom Line. Now that Mexican-descent Texans have regained majority population status (since 2022) in a state founded by our Spanish Mexican (Native American) pioneers, it’s the latest opportunity for the architects of official Texas history to come clean. That is, “Tell it like it is” as regards the many inconvenient truths purposefully embedded in the state-mandated Texas history version since 1848. Correcting the record now is doing the correct thing for all the correct reasons. “There’s nothing more deceptive than obvious facts.” (Arthur Conal Doyle).

09/15/2026

Hispanic Heritage Month 2026. In 2010, UNESCO officially recognized Mexican cuisine as an intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. That’s well deserved, since Mexican foodies comprise a diverse worldwide clientele that has discovered Mexican cuisine’s Mexica roots. Its uniqueness classifies Mexican food variety well beyond today’s popular menu items at local favorite restaurants. Plus, Mexican culinary dishes have been continuously prepared and served in “Old Mexico” (New Spain) (San Antonio, Laredo, El Paso, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Tucson, San Diego, and Los Angeles), et al.
Still, as an 8th generation Texan, I often wonder why we Mexican-descent Texans must continue to defend ourselves in the 21st century. That goes for our U.S.-guaranteed right to practice and preserve our Texas founding Spanish Mexican heritage "on this side of the border". Why? “Because we didn’t cross the border; the border crossed us.”
A prime example? Predating the U.S. itself, Spanish Mexican-descent Tejano/Tejana vaquero familias have been preparing “Pan de Campo” since the 1700s in Texas. For instance, since 1978 San Diego, Texas preserves our unique Pan de Campo heritage by hosting annual family-friendly competitions. In 2005, Gov. Rick Perry designated Pan de Campo as the Official State Bread of Texas. Truth be known, its founding Spanish Mexican attributes are the secret ingredients that make the Texas flavor what it is today.
Moving right along, (l) Without attribution, the most iconic Texas Independence symbols (i.e., the Álamo) are all culturally appropriated from Texas’ Spanish Mexican Coahuiltecan heritage.
(2) Another example entirely missed by tourists and many locals alike is that Mission San Antonio de Valero is not the Álamo Presidio. (Bluntly, there’s no Álamo in the Álamo City, but that’s a topic for another day.) The indigenous religious sanctuary was co-opted (mislabeled) & commandeered from its real owners – San Antonio’s Spanish-speaking, Spanish Mexican Coahuilteca Texan descendants.
Still, other clues are hidden within our daily lives. (l) Every time you have a piece of chocolate (Hershey), chocolate cake, chocolate ice-cream, or drink a hot or cold chocolate beverage, you are celebrating the indigenous (Mexica, Azteca, & Olmeca) Mexican cultures.
(3) Likewise, every time you reach for a stick of gum (Re: Wrigley gum’s “Stretch your coffee break”, and Doublemint’s “Double your pleasure, double your fun”) nostalgic TV ads that those of us in our 70s & 80s grew up with, you are honoring Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna, who introduced chicle (gum) to the U.S. in the 1860s. (Yes, THAT General Santa Anna.)
There’s more. The cowboy, ranch, and rodeo ways of life are all of Mexican origin. The result? Modern-day U.S. & Texas official culture itself is mostly borrowed, not just from the Spanish Mexican heritage, but from other minority groups, as well. In other words, U.S. (American) & Texan culture is diversity itself.
In short, even the popular saying, “As American as apple pie” isn’t true. (The recipe was imported from Europe, and the apple itself was imported from Asia.)
The bottom line? “E Pluribus Unum” (Out of Many, One). Yes, our nation’s motto also applies here in this great place we call Texas.

09/10/2026

Throwback Thursday. Because the word “America” continues to dominate a good part of the news cycle, the enclosed slide is a reminder of the term’s historical origin. In short, many in U.S. mainstream society misuse the word, thinking that “America” means the “U.S” and that “American” means “U.S. citizen”. It doesn’t, because it’s all in our name, “The United States ‘of’ America”. That means that the united 50 states are located in a much larger land mass called the Continent of America. (See enclosed slide.)
Sadly, it's basic geography knowledge that reporters and network CEOs must begin to fact-check on the spot. (Regrettably, by failing to do their job, they pass on disinformation to the public.)
Before we continue, “New Mexico” (Nuevo México) and “Gulf of Mexico” (Golfo de México, Golfe du Mexique) are ancient names older than the U.S. itself. Besides, both geographic names are apolitical and have nothing to do with today’s toxic political rhetoric. More importantly, neither entity relates to today’s Republic of Mexico. In short, Mexico doesn’t claim ownership and never has.
Summary. A Potential Long-term Danger in the Making: Arbitrarily changing historical names without due process sets a reckless precedent. Why? Because it opens Pandora’s Box of uncertainty where any rogue world leader (presuming to have authority) can change geographic names they don’t like. Doing so is a very bad idea, since it will undermine international understanding, destabilize the world order, and violate the sovereignty status of nations.
A secret hiding in plain sight. There are over 1,000 Spanish Mexican place names embedded within the U.S.A. framework and most folks don’t give them a second thought. If you look closely, the Spanish footprint appears where you least expect it. Example? The name of the State of Montana (Motto: Plata y Oro (Silver & Gold)) is Anglicized from its original Spanish name, “Montaña del Norte”.
Closing Words. Descendants of former Northern Mexico (Texas & entire U.S. Southwest) original Spanish Mexican residents are native-born and now number over 30 million (we aren’t immigrants). Our ancestors were already living here when the U.S. forcibly took the land from Mexico (over half of its sovereignty), after the U.S.-provoked War of 1846-48. As the popular saying goes, “We didn’t cross the border; the border crossed us”. Said another way, we came with the real estate. “!Aquí todavía estamos, y no nos vamos! (We are still here and staying; we never left.) Enough said.

09/07/2026

Public Service Announcement. If you are a member of the working class and/or a military veteran, this one’s for you. (Note: Veterans and their spouses make up over 10 million of today’s workforce.) Labor Day reminds working class folks of workplace benefits victories; all gained through Union advocacy and now taken for granted: Labor Day itself; 8-hour day, 40-hour week, pay raises, overtime pay; earned sick & vacation days; health insurance, retirement plans, safe workplace; education/training, teachers’ lesson planning time; medical staff protective gloves and masks; safety goggles; work breaks; break rooms, etc.)
Yet, even with that impressive list of pro-worker accomplishments, today’s U.S. business community has a “Bah Humbug!” attitude toward working people. In fact, the trend that began in the 1980s is expected to continue. That is, major corporations will surely soon announce massive layoffs. That’s become their tool of choice to exploit explosive, eye-popping profit margins. In other words, they refuse to share the windfall with their employees. Rather, profits have become the sole domain of corporate CEO pay packages, end-of-year bonuses in the millions of dollars, and the fact that stockholders demand a bigger return on their investments.
As one of England’s most famous writers, Charles Dickens exposed the global Industrial Revolution as a “Trojan Horse”. Though initially accepted by everyone as “progress”, reality revealed quickly that the “trickle down” theory (profit sharing) benefitting the workforce never happened. In short, enormous profits suddenly became the domain of the very rich.
As a prime example of the harsh disparity, one of Dickens’ greatest works, “A Christmas Carol” is a multi-level lesson contrasting the greedy life of the affluent, as compared to the dismal bare-bones life of a typical family unit in the U.S.
In fact, if 1800s Dickensian economic observers returned to the present day, they would need only two factors – economic & social standing -- to conclude that not much has changed for the work force since the 1870s. Said another way, if today’s TV financial news forecasters remind their viewers of one thing, it’s that most CEOs today appear to emulate miser Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character, while ignoring their workers, aptly personified by Mr. Dickens as dedicated worker Bob Cratchit.
The proof is in the pudding. In 1980, there were only 13 billionaires in the U.S. Today, fueled by an unsatiable appetite for more corporate power and outrageous spending habits, that number has ballooned to over 900. Considering that there was an 11% increase just between 2024 and 2025, that number will soon surpass 1,000.
For those familiar with “A Christmas Carol” book (or movies), you already know that it does have a happy ending. Mr. Scrooge is forced to self-evaluate his life, repents, and is transformed, finally sharing his bounty with his employees. Today, the working class waits for such a miraculous conversion in their corporate bosses.
In summary, as we wave the Stars-and-Stripes and enjoy a cookout with family & friends, please reflect on the true meaning of Labor Day (ref. enclosed slide).
Stay alert and defend your God-given rights to fair wages, health benefits, safe working conditions, union membership, etc. Why? Because their future is in question in today’s business formula.
“United we stand, divided we fall.” (Ancient Proverb.)

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).

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