What is Aztlan?
The ancestral home and nation of the Aztec people and their descendants, presumably existed in the area of what is now known as the Southwestern United States (California to Texas), possibly in Utah. And WE Raza aim to fulfill this legacy as our homeland will be de NOSOTROS once again. …And with La Raza ever having to fire one single shot in anger. The law of nature, time and history is on OUR side.
Where is the new modern day Aztlan located today?
The region is made up of four counties: Starr County, Hidalgo County, Willacy County, and Cameron County. As of January 1, 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the Rio Grande Valley at 1,305,782.[2]According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2008, 86 percent of Cameron County, 90 percent of Hidalgo County, 97 percent of Starr County, and 86 percent of Willacy County are Hispanic.[3]
The largest city is Brownsville (Cameron County), (My native city) followed by McAllen (Hidalgo County). Other major cities include Harlingen, Edinburg, Mission, Rio Grande City and Pharr.
What are the Texas demographics?
Demographic trends
According to Steve Murdock, a demographer with the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University and a former director of the U.S. Census Bureau, the White American population is aging, while minority populations remain relatively young. As of 2011, according to Murdock, two out of three children in Texas are not non-Hispanic Whites. Murdock also predicted that, between 2000 and 2040 (assuming that the net migration rate will equal half that of 1990-2000), Hispanic public school enrollment will increase by 213 percent, while non-Hispanic white enrollment will decrease by 15 percent.[8]
What historical contributions have oppressed Black America played a part in building the RGV then and today?
SOURCES:
GOOGLE SEARCH WIKIPEDIA
GOOGLE: URBAN DICTIONARY;
GOOGLE: AZTLAN = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
GOOGLE: TEXAS DEMOGRAPHICS
GOOGLE: BLACK AMERICANS IN THE RGV
During my Elementary and Jr. High School days in my native Brownsville, Texas, located in the Southern tip known as the RGV (Rio Grande Valley), some 50-55 years ago, WE school kids were punished for speaking our own native Spanish language we spoke at home 24/7…, Espanol! And to make matters worse…, the teachers doing the punishing were not white! Oh no! …As a matter of fact and in all fairness, they were our own “brown” school teachers who looked like NOSOTROS to boot! I also remember one of those HI-spanic “teachers” often told us, his own students, which to this very day, I have NEVER forgotten his words; “Don’t behave like Mexicans!” His self-hating words didn’t mean much to me then over five decades ago which I had no concept of his vile words, but as I look back today in hindsight…, I now realized what his denigrating racist remarks towards his own Brown people who looked like him actually meant after all! The irony about this particular Skinner Elementary School “teacher” was that I had heard him speak a few times when our parents came to speak to him about our class progress…, in Espanol! What a HYPOCRITE he was!
For the record, it would also be totally unfair of me if I did not acknowledge many other good hearted and well meaning professional teachers who did not fit those in the negative light I have so described previously. Like in everything and everywhere else then and today, there are people who are mean spirited and there the good decent kind hearted human beings that go out of their way to help those less forunate than them. Many good people, school teachers and parents of my fellow classmates came through for those of us kids who almost had noting to speak of. In spite of the passing of time (50-55 years), I want to say; “Gracias for caring in our time of dire need then. I have NEVER forgotten you kindness and charity.”
As a matter of FACT, I knew one teacher specifically who personally took me to her home when I was in the fourth grade and gave me a winter coat because she noticed I did not have one and winter was approaching on the horizon. There was also another teacher who gave me a bag of groceries without me ever asking either, but for some unbeknownst reason, this teacher took it upon herself to offer me this gift bag of food for me and my family. This is why I am dedicating this story to eveyone who touched my life during my growing up years. As a journalist and writer, this is the only thing I can humbly give in return to my people of Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley. Some might agree with my story version and some might not, but nevertheless this does not make me any less an RGV Tejano who is ALWAYS proud here, there and everywhere else to shout; “ I’M A TEJANO FROM THE RGV…, Y QUE!”
Yes, there were many good decent teachers too who had a heart of gold for their students…, and so were some parents who donated used clothes, food and other necessities to us poor low income students in dire need in those depressing economic days. These teachers and volunteer parents whom I came in contact with at Skinner Elem., Annie S. Putgnent or at Central Jr. Hi. as grade school student, were for there for me and other kids who were in my same economic circumstances as I during our childhood years. Their kindness meant for many of us kids…, our survival.
Even after 50-55 years later, these same teachers and parents who were instrumental in my childhood development, are still my heroes today I’m pretty sure I can speak for my other former school classmates who benefitted from their generosity and kindness without a doubt. No, this is NOT a general paint brush indictment on all the Brownsville school teachers who did us Brown kids wrong back then who attempted to remove us from our Mexican language and culture at Skinner Elem. and at Annie S. Putgnent Elem. In the final analysis, this is why I in turn have given back when I can to those in need to the best of my ability and whenever possible, which is often, I also give of my time as a community activist with whatever I can do to help in my community and throughout as well.
“IF ONE CAN NOT GIVE OF THY SELF…, NEVER TAKE FROM THOSE WHO HAVE LESS THAN THEE!”
As a student, I knew of a white teacher at another grade school which I had transferred to when my parents temporarily moved to a temporary different location from el barrio of “El Ramireno” due to hurricane flood damage that had befallen on our barrio, which is annually, which affected our home, but my father was repairing it. This particular teacher was in his mid 30s orearly 40s and very popular and well liked by most of us students; because he was funny and initially spoke broken Spanish which we thought he spoke a “funny gringo Espanol”. While he taught class, he would also ask his own students to teach him Espanol…, and they did! With the short passing of time, he vastly improved his Spanish language skills to the point that he eventually became fluent in the process. Later on, his own students noticed that he did not have much of an Anglosized accented Espanol anymore. When we kids came across him during recess time, many of us, including me, would just say; “Hi teacher!” as we let him know he was “ok” with us.
Looking back today, I regret not having him for my own teacher. However, at the same time as a 12-13 year old kid in those days, it never hit me why my previous HI-spanic teacher at Skinner Elem. and probably a few others of his ilk throughout the Brownsville Independent School District, would prohibit their own students from speaking Espanol, while an Anglo educator tried his best to learn our language in the process. What a shame for those few Coconut teachers then. But then again, I now understand today why this took place during the Joseph McCarthy anti-communist Red Scare of the 1950s era as well. But as a small kid during my years of innocence, I did not know any better and it was beyond me of these political historical events taking place in America! I just thought this was the “acceptable” thing then. It didn’t matter, because at home I spoke exclusively only in Espanol, because it was the only language my parents spoke to me and my three siblings at home. You figure!
My native roots are deeply ingrained in this tiny barrio of “El Ramireno” (Rahm-mee-reh-neo) on Nopal St. (Cactus St.) where electricity, indoor plumbing and paved streets were almost non-existent in the mid 1950s and early 1960s, except for a few homes in the vicinity. “La Murralla” barrio adjacent to ours did have them which I noticed when I visited my school classmates’ homes there. When it rained, God help us if one could get in or out of the mud covered barrio in one clean mud caked piece! Many in “El Ramireno” had outhouses and improvised makeshift constructed outside shower stalls, like we did ourselves. Kerosene lamps and stoves were the norm. Yep, we had them too!
When I last visited my ole “Ramireno” four or five years ago, it looked like any updated modern day neighborhood suburb that enjoyed all the basic amenities necessary to make it worth living there, including well paved streets. It’s still a low income area alright, but nothing in comparison to the poverty stricken barrio I once resided at. One thing that has not changed there…, .the people are still friendly as always. Most of the people I grew up there with have either moved elsewhere or some as I was informed, have passed on. However, it felt good to return to my native roots at least for a few moments. Nevertheless, this was a very good nostalgic feeling…, being home! One does not appreciate what they have at hand until they drift away or lose it!
The last time I was in Brownsville on vacation a few years ago, I asked some of my relative’s grade and middle school age children if this language and cultural forced deprivation and racism was still prevalent in their own schools today. My relatives and their children responded by saying there were some teachers who did prohibit them from speaking Espanol, but in all fairness, not on all of the teachers and college instructors were guilty of this anti-Raza sentiment.
I also spoke to one of my other immediate young married relatives in his early 20s via our cell phones as I asked him to comment on his experiences about this particular subject as a former student himself with the Brownsville Independent School District. My relative commented; “Oh yes! I was told not to speak Spanish in class on several occasions during my grade school class room days.” He continued; “…And years later when I was attending U.T.B. (University of Texas Brownsville), while I was in class and as I was speaking to a fellow classmate next to me, my Anglo woman college instructor told me outright “not to speak Spanish, the language of immigrants”, but I immediately snapped back at her! Since she was married to a Black person, I then proceeded to ask her if she forbade her husband from speaking his own ancestral African language as well if he had been from Africa. The class instructor, without saying another word, got red faced and just walked out of the classroom in silence. …And that was the end of our “debate”! Manifest Destiny and Cultural GENOCIDE still go hand in hand even today just like over 150 years ago when the Indigenous Natives were forced to go to white run schools and learn the white man’s language and ways as they were being told to deny their own “savage ways”! This is no different today in America with NOSOTROS throughout the U.S. including the RGV. I lived through this “Americanization” campaign in the 1950s! NOTHING HAS CHANGED!
What many non-Raza Americans and the world over is not aware of, is that those of us Brown Tejanos who are born on the U.S. side of the border have ALWAYS been inter-related with Mexico. Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, just a stone’s throw away on the other side of the International border between both cities of two neighboring nations is where I was raised half of my childhood life. I grew up on both sides of the border and still to this very day I consider myself a citizen of both countries, the one I was born at, Brownsville, Texas and the one where generations of my maternal family members still live to this day. My family in Matamoros were also essential in raising and educating me in Mexico which is how I became fluent in both languages as a journalist and writer. (This very blog is administered by my niece-in-law and Editor-In-Chief, Ms. Yezka Flores, directly from Matamoros since its inception.) .
When I was growing up in Brownsville, there were times when my parents would send me to live with my grandparents or other relatives in Matamoros, a city just a few yards across the Rio Grande River or as our Mexican brethren call it; “El Rio Bravo” (“The Wild River”). 50-55 years ago, when I was staying with my relatives there, I made the daily trek from Matamoros to Brownsville as I crossed the International Bridge every morning during the school weeks. I took the buses on both sides just to attend classes at Annie S. Putgnent Elementary School, located adjacent West to the downtown area by a few blocks away from its downtown fire house and from the main business district. Yet, to present date, this has ALWAYS been an ongoing ritual part of our Tejano/Mexican life since the U.S./ Mexico border was defined by force by the Euro-American interloping invading gringo enemy arms of destruction against NOSOTROS! This daily cross border excursions by Raza on both sides is still prevalent between Brownsville/Matamoros and all the way to the San Diego, California / Tijuana, Baja California borders. Racist America! …NOSOTROS are NOT going anywhere anytime soon!
WE DID NOT CROSS THE BORDER…, THE BORDER CROSSED NOSOTROS!
WE CAN NOT BE STOPPED NOW…, OR EVER!
ATLAN IS OURS AND IT WILL ALWAYS BE OURS!
Yes, sadly enough, Brown Juan Cuervo (Jim Crow) is without absolute doubt, still alive and well in my native Texas and throughout this ungrateful nation that does not value OUR own contributions as a Brown people! This is one of my principal reasons I have turned my back on everything “American”! Today, I consider myself as an indigenous colonized Mexican in occupied Mexico aka Aztlan (California to Texas)…, PERIOD! …And I do not hesitate to make it loud and clear where I stand in defiance to America as long as my Brown people are being treated no different than how Black Americans fared during their own Jim Crow days some 60 years ago and more. As long as the inhumane mass deportations and separating of families off their American born children, human and civil rights violations of mi Raza continue on a daily basis. There does not go a day when I still ask myself…, what is there for me to be “proud” of to be an “American” today?!
My only solidarity and concern I have for are for all those of us Raza and other oppressed people of color, poor exploited whites included, whom WE all make up the 99%ers of this nation! …And let’s not ignore the FACT that WE are embroiled in ethnic racial turmoil against those who seek our demise! The “Balkanization” of America has the potential to be at risk if these attacks on la Raza and other people of color continue…, but not of our own making! It’s OUR enemies who are seeking the Balkanization of America…, NOT NOSOTROS! Their sheer hate of Brown people, citizens and non citizens alike…, is what will bring VICTORY to NUESTRA CAUSA in the final analysis..
It’s lamentable that this type of Brown Tejano Indian Scout white washing mindset is still the “norm” among these “agavachado” (“Americanized”) HI-spanics. A few members of my own relatives here in Los Angeles, Ca. and as in Texas, are not an exception to the rule! When these school kids, including my young adult relative told me what I have always suspected all along how this century’s old white induced “Pacifying the natives” agenda on Brown people ala MANIFEST DESTINY, was still going on in the RGV in particular, I had no reason to not believe them, because 50-55 years prior, I was also a victim of this same exact brain washing cultural genocide on NOSOTROS! NOTHING HAS CHANGED!
At the same time I also noticed that throughout the RGV (Rio Grande Valley) and beyond, the Brown student population enmasse is beginning to wake up about the BIG gringo lies about their “American HIS-story”. The new crop of Raza community social activists throughout Aztlan and beyond, better known as the “Dreamers”, are undocumented high school and college bound students who were brought to the U.S. as minor children, no fault of their own, but are now organizing among themselves, including with the help of some parents involved. These students vociferously are NOT taking no for an answer from the resisting fascist controlled Republican Congressional powers that be or from the Republican controlled state governments!
These “Dreamer” students are protesting against the high cost out of state status fees they are charged to attend a college of their choice. The Dream Act is being introduced and debated within the Congressional halls, but the rightwing Republican Tea Party (fascist) extremists are adamantly against it! …And here is the reason why mi gente! The Republican Tea Party racist xenophobes in general are not rejecting the Dream Act solely on economic terms! Oh no! These “good” racist inherited gringo COWARDS from the outset, they are totally and absolutely against it for the language WE speak and the color of NUESTRO COLOR…, PERIOD!
…And for those apologist HI-spanic boot licking self-deniers…, don’t even go there! Yet, our adversaries are well aware that these young fighting Dreamers are the future Raza leaders of manana leading the forefront of this struggle for their own academic and personal survival 24/7 which is why this scares the hell out of these biscuit soppers! …And listen up aging dying white racist America! The undocumented immigrants, Dreamers and NOSOTROS the American born Raza, are your biggest threat to your mean spirited AmeriKKKan Empire which is slowly crumbling before your very own eyes, and you all just cannot handle your own demise! TicKK TocKK! TicKKK TocKK! Hasta la bye bye gringos asquerosos! And good luck mis Dreamers! I would be amiss if I did not mention that the “Dreamers” are not only Brown Raza students. Oh no! Many other Dreamer undocumented students have joined in the fray…, including some white European students too, which I myself when I have participated on some pro immigrant rights marches and demonstrations, have seen many others with “I’m Irish and undocumented too!” However, the majority of the undocumented and pro-immigrants activists happen to be Raza nevertheless.
During my brief visits to this city within the past six years, I have also witnessed their increasing population difference as an ethnic phenomenon, something which was almost non-existent 50-55 years ago when I was growing there. Many of these immigrant newcomers have been making every effort to integrate into our predominate (80%-90%) Raza Tex-Mex culture and learn Espanol altogether as they attempt to go out of their way to speak “passable” or fluent Spanish, especially if they own a business or as professional people who deal with the Spanish speaking people on a daily basis. The effect of these foreign national immigrants on our Raza communities, who have settled and established their roots in Brownsville, is that their first generation children are eventually been well integrated within our local public schools from K-12 and beyond the local colleges.
It’s important to note that many new immigrants from across our own continent and their Brownsville / RGV (Rio Grande Valley) children speak better Espanol than some of these Rio Grande Valley agringado (white washed) rejectionist HI-spanic natives. And interesting enough during my last trip down there a few years ago, I was much surprised, in a positive way to have met an increasing number of these recent immigrants, most of them professionals, business owners, medical physicians, academics, working class, etc. They have brought their skills and professions to these RGV areas all the while contributing for the betterment of their own families and their immediate communities they live in. Some of these immigrants from other non-Spanish speaking nations that I had spoken to and had the opportunity to listen their own comments; “This is our new home and this is where we are staying to raise our families.” or “The people here in Brownsville have made us feel welcome since we arrived a few years ago.” A few also made it known how they understood our struggle against the American white power structure who are seeking our own demise as a Brown people whether we are native born or undocumented immigrants! At the same time, conventional wisdom says that NOSOTROS should continue to welcome these non-Raza immigrants and their RGV native born children, because these are our new expanding allies.
UNITY AMONG ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLE IS AN INEVITABLE ROAD TO VICTORY AGAINST OUR ADVERSARIES!
Today’s “new” non-Spanish speaking RGV Tejanos are a diverse ethnic people from the four corners of the planet who have immigrated here are no longer just visitors, but they are here to stay and live as our neighbors…, your neighbors! However, outside of this vast RGV territorial realm, not excluding nearby San Antonio, but outside this RGV specific sphere from the rest of Texas and on to other Deep Southern Confederate states and throughout the U.S., it has ALWAYS been considered an intolerant bastion of myopic white swaggering bigoted populace. Yet, in spite of these unwelcomed sentiments towards those who do not look like “them”, WE Raza are now spread out throughout, front, center and in their faces to their own consternation. Our adversaries are well aware that WE are rapidly growing and there is no stopping NOSOTROS! It’s no coincidence why many, but not all, mean spirited white race hating Americans are reacting very hostile and intolerant against Brown people, citizens and non-citizens alike! This racist xenophobe anti-immigrant backlash has now poured onto their state government, i.e., executive (Governor) and its legislative bodies.
It’s also very important for NOSOTROS to understand that most of these new first generation children of immigrants attending this city’s local public schools, or even private schools for that matter, are now not only “Se Habla Espanol”…, but they consider themselves as full-fledged Tex-Mex “Tejanos” themselves..., and in ALL colors! On the other hand, these foreign born or American born children from non-Spanish speaking nations bring their own language and culture which they in turn get to introduce and get to teach their fellow Spanish speaking school friends something new to them too. This includes white European immigrants as well who are not yet “contaminated” by the Neanderthal white American born racist xenophobe enemy elements within our midst! I was also told by my relatives who live in Brownsville that this migration of non-white people, other than Raza, has been increasing within the last few decades. I see this as a whole new positive concept as WE Raza have become more tolerant of others who do not look like NOSOTROS! Yet, this is not to say that there are many of los NUESTROS Coconut tapados (Narrow minded) who have been white washed agringado contaminated like those who seek our demise as Raza! I want to make it clear and with no misunderstandings…, Aztlan must be built with the same concept version from OUR departed comrade, the late former political prisoner and former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela;
“WE THE OPPRESSED MUST NEVER BECOME THE OPPRESSORS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO NOT LOOK LIKE NOSOTROS!” …IF THIS IS THE AZTLAN WE ARE TO BUILD TOGETHER!
The RGV from San Antonio to Brownsville is majority Raza that dominates almost the entire political, cultural and economic functions of this part of South Texas! Make no mistake mi gente! …This does not go too well with most white redneck native Texans who have been accustomed to be the Ugly American arrogant dominant force in Texas for over 169 years or more. Since a generation ago or more, the white bigoted xenophobe population in America, Texas included, has been rapidly aging and declining progressively to date with no end in sight. On the other side of our Raza perspective, NOSOTROS as a people of color throughout this nation, mostly Blacks and Browns, are gaining momentum as WE are growing in numbers. This phenomenon has brought fear and terror into the hearts and minds of Satan’s white children. Excluding the majority of decent non-racist white America, but when Satan took a “dump”, out of his own “dump” he created the few remnants of white trailer park redneck trash in his own image! This is why to this very day, “they” are termed; “The blue eye Devil incarnates.”
The Chicano/Mexicano Tejano student populations throughout the Texas RGV and beyond are no longer buying into the LIES and DECEIT of the pseudo “American Dream” anymore! I just hope my fellow Tejanos have aggressive minded active student organizations in place in their respective high schools and college campuses. MECHA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) Chapters are viable options to look into. If there aren’t any MECHA Chapters…, pues que esperan Raza?! (Then, what are you waiting for people?!) …Or ORGANIZE your own Chicano oriented movement structure which will serve the best interests of OUR Raza in the Diaspora throughout Occupied Aztlan! By doing so…, you are also paving the way for yourself and for your future generations of your own Chicano children and thereafter as well.
ORGANIZE! ORGANIZE! ORGANIZE!
“TO BE A CHICANO…, YOU HAVE TO BE A MEXICANO FIRST!”
In spite that we speak the same language of Espanol in the RGV, much of our every day spoken phrases in this part of the Southern tip of Texas are also different in other parts of Aztlan and throughout the U.S.as well. When I arrived here in East Los Angeles, California in 1972 where I reside today, I remember when I formerly used certain words to define simple things or just speak simple phrases, to my surprise then, there existed as it does today, a somewhat insignificant “cultural gap” between the us Tejanos and my Californian brethren in spite that we are both the same ethnic and cultural people. This is an analogy of people who speak, think and live different on the East Coast, New York, Boston area and the comparison of people from the Deep South of Georgia, or Texas, etc. No big thing, same people, but it happens. The same can be said in vice versa when after 40 years of living in California, this has been a big influence on my social and political thinking as well.
Gangs and graffiti life in the Rio Grande Valley…? …Almost non-existent, except for the very tiny sporadic insignificant “wannabes”. California is for those who want to move up his/her status on an economic and social level. Politically…? Texas as a whole is still a redneck backwoods Republican red state that needs to be overthrown completely if only NUESTRA gente throughout this state would REGISTER and VOTE! Luckily that in our RGV enclave the RepulicsKKKumbag gringos and their HI-spanic boot licking lackey VENDIDOS (SELLOUTS) “Republicanos” estan inpotentes y nos hacen los mandados! (“…they’re impotent and are mere grocery delivery boys!)
However, to raise a healthy family in a non-stress environment or retire…, Brownsville, Texas is the place I highly recommend for anyone to visit at least once in their lifetime. It’s there that I intend to retire to this particular “Mexicanized” medium size city in the very near immediate future in spite that there is much work to be done to organize and as a volunteer I want to help mobilize mi gente as a political voice…, if they so desire and accept my volunteer services that is. Yes Raza, Aztlan is no longer just a pipe dream or a mere illusion that our gringo enemies can just dismiss anymore…, it’s the chickens that are coming home to roost now! All YOU Raza have to do is just look around and see our numbers are everso increasing vastly on a daily basis. See how many gringos abound in our midst throughout the RGV in comparison to NOSOTROS. The FACTS speaks for itself…, and our racist xenophobic enemies are fully aware of this!
The Rio Grande Valley of Texas has many possibilities to organize as an aggressive united people with self-determination and as a sociopolitical force to be reckoned with! This South Texas area can become a successful progressive political and demographic story, but only if it’s “cultivated” with the proper ideological staple of free thinkers to ORGANIZE and learn how to economically and judicially fight for their own rights against an entrenched white bigoted state power structure as la gente will learn for themselves how to counter the LIES AND DECEIT coming from the “mainstream” establishment diet of Texas RepublicsKKKumbag “politics as usual” mantra!
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE ONCE THE PEOPLE DECIDE TO ORGANIZE AGAINST THE ODDS AGAINST THEM!
For the past several years, I have been building a political base of operations through fellow lifelong Brownsville friends and relatives via mutual e-mail, Face Book communication and personal meetings when I’m in town, or they come to visit me here in East Los Angeles. The foundation political organizing base has been in existence for some time. All it needs is for these elements to start organizing on a mass scale, person to person, house to house and thereafter operating it non-stop until mission accomplished! It’s just a matter of time before WE become alive as a force to be reckoned with when the people of Brownsville and throughout the RGV will start speaking out on their immediate concerns and of other neglected needs of the people at the grass roots level. WE have the “numbers”!
HISTORY AND TIME IS ON OUR SIDE…, AND DON’T YOU FORGET IT GRINGOS!
Your Comments Are Appreciated At:
La Reconquista de Aztlan National Liberation Movement
Or
Face Book: E.f. Mohammed Martinez
Or
E-Mail: aztecchicanointifada@yahoo.com
(Yezka Flores – Assigned Editor-In-Chief)
