Fronteras/Borders

What is a geopolitical border?¿Qué es una frontera geópolitica?

A border, an edge, a frontier, a perimeter, aboundary, designates the margins of a givenpiece of land. Geopolitical borders arecreated by people and nations claimingownership of that land then marking out theirterritory on the grounds of politicalsovereignty. The claim to ownership of landsalong the Southwestern border between theUnited States and Mexico has a contestedhistory. From the time of the indigenous ornative people to the conquest by the Spanish,to the declaration of Mexican Independence,and the Mexican-American War, the borderhas evolved under shifting claims of territorialownership. In recent times, the United Stateshas built guard stations, check points, and afence along many parts of the Mexican andAmerican border. The fence and Immigrationofficials protect this border from illegal orundocumented crossings from the Mexicanside, which might include people from othercountries like Guatemala, El Salvador, andNicaragua. Who created the border? Whyhave borders? What events (social orpolitical) occurred to instigate a boundary onthe geography of two countries?

Did You Know?/¿Sabías?

Before the arrival of the Spanish and longbefore the creation of the U.S.-Mexicanborder, many different groups of NativeAmericans, lived, hunted, and traded freely onthe lands now divided by the present border.

We know this from recent history and fromancient artifacts found on both sides of theborders. Ancient people from the Southwestto the Central Mexican Valley held manycommon beliefs. Archaeologists have foundartifacts and materials that originated incentral Mexico in the upper Southwest andartifacts and materials that originated in theupper Southwest in central Mexico. Arizona,California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and theMexican States of Sinaloa and Sonora containartifacts and remains of living facilities closely

related to those of the Aztec in the Valley ofMexico.

The Spanish took these lands as their own andbegan colonizing them. Once Mexico won theirindependence from Spain, they claimed theformer northern Spanish territories.

The Treaty of Guadalupe was signed onFebruary 2, 1848 by Mexican and Americanrepresentatives to “peacefully” hand overMexican territories to the United States. Forthe Chicano, it is the most important treaty inU.S. history.

This land included Texas, California, Arizona,New Mexico, and parts of Nevada, Colorado,Utah, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Full Americancitizenship and protection were offered to theMexican people captured behind the newboundary lines established by the treaty.Their culture, language, religions wereprotected by the treaty. Their property andcivil rights were to be guaranteed under theagreements of the treaty.

Imagine/Imagína

The United States and Mexico void the borderbetween both countries. What would theborderlands and the interiors of bothcountries be like if this were to happen?

Try This/Prueba Esto

Where is Aztlán?/¿Dónde queda Atzlán?

Students will research and collect informationabout the different maps and histories of theborder between Mexico and the UnitedStates.

Students will analyze and evaluate how thegeophysical borders have changed from thetime of the Aztecs to the Treaty of GuadalupeHidalgo.

Materials: maps of the United States andMexico or of North America, a copy of thetext of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,access to computers with Internetconnections.

What is Aztlán? According to ArmandoRendón, writer of Chicano Manifesto, Atzlán isnot only an ancient region of deserts,mountains, rivers, and forests, it is also aunifying force of our nonmaterial heritage, astate of mind of our Mestizo being. Beginningwith the migration of the Nahuas from theNorth, from Aztlán, or what is now thesouthwestern part of the United States intothe Valley of Mexico in about the eleventhcentury A.D., the history of the Mexicano andChicanos has evolved from indigenous rootsand ancient paths to the tri-cultural peoplewho currently move on contemporary routes.Where then is Aztlán, this ancient regionwhere our ancestors began?

Let’s look back at the information aboutArizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico,Utah, and the Mexican States of Sinaloa andSonora containing artifacts and remains ofliving facilities closely related to those of theAztec in the Valley of Mexico. Let’s assumethat the mentioned states represent the areawhere Atzlán may have existed. What was thegeography of the mentioned states like almost2000 years ago? How have the geopoliticalborders of the land between Arizona,California, New Mexico, Texas and Mexicochanged?

Look at the borderland of the states ofMexico and of the United States in thevarious maps from the time of theAztecs/Spanish conquest to the time of theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Record yourobservations of the geographical andgeopolitical (borders) changes that occurred.Use the tables like the two below to record.

STATE DATE GEOGRAPHY (i.e. 1500 A.D.) (description)

STATE (S) DATE GEOPOLITICAL (1500 A.D.) BORDER latitude/longitude

Research the Internet for other informationabout Atzlán. Afterwards, students cananalyze whether or not they believe thatAtzlán really existed by using the informationthey collected and reflect on why they believethis place called Atzlán is so important tosome Chicanos.

Research the Internet for information aboutthe Mexican-U.S. border. Students can thenanalyze and evaluate the changes in thegeopolitical borders that have occurred fromthe 1500’s to the 1900’s.

Images of The Border/Imagenes de LaFrontera

v Students will create a collage thatrepresents their understanding of theborder/la frontera.

v Students will express themselves by

experimenting with line, color,pattern, and symbols.

Have you ever had to cross the borderbetween Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo,Mexico or San Diego, California and Tijuana,Mexico? What was it like crossing from onecountry into the other?

How would you interpret your understanding ofthe border/la frontera?Materials: pencils, 12” x 24” constructionpaper, magazines, newspapers, scissors,colored pencils, and found objects.

Compose a collage about your understanding ofthe border. Remember to use symbols thatyou believe express your opinion of theborder/la frontera.

Have students talk about their artworks.You might want to talk about the term“wetback” and what it means to them.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

CHICANO MANIFESTO by Armando B.Rendón, Ollin & Associates, Inc., 1971

THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGOwww.neta.com/~1stbooks/TGH.html

LA FRONTERA/THE BORDER Art about theMexico/United States Border ExperienceBy Centro Cultural de La Raza, San Diego andthe Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego,California, 1993.

ACROSS THE WIRE: Life & Hard TimesOn the Mexican BorderBy Luis Alberto Urrea, Anchor Book-Doubleday, 1993

“Whither the Boundary?”TROUBLESOME BORDERBy Oscar J. Martinez, University of ArizonaPress, 1988

THE SPANISH FRONTIER IN NORTHAMERICA By David J. Weber, Yale UniversityPress, 1992

ON THE BORDER-Portraits of America’sSouthwestern FrontierBy Tom Miller, Harper & Row, Publishers, 1981

ATZLÁN-Essays On The Chicano HomelandEdited by Rudolfo Anaya & Francisco Lomeli, ElNorte Publications, 1989

Explorers, Traders, & Slaves: Forging theOld Spanish Trails, 1678-1850By Joseph Sanchez, University of Utah Press,1997

Diego Gutierrez Map of America 1562www.lcib@loc.gov.

THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE[By the Louisiana Purchase, Texas had become a part of the United States; but in 1819it had been ceded to Spain in the negotiations for Florida. Two years later Mexico,including Texas, had become independent, and the United States made twounsuccessful attempts to purchase Texas from Mexico. The settlement of Texas byimmigrants from the United States finally led to the secession of Texas and itsannexation by the United States, with the result that the Mexican War broke out in May,1846. It was closed by this treaty, by which the United States gained not only Texas butNew Mexico and Upper California.]TREATY OF PEACE, FRIENDSHIP, LIMITS, AND SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THEUNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE UNITED MEXICAN STATESCONCLUDED AT GUADALUPE HIDALGO, FEBRUARY 2, 1848; RATIFICATIONADVISED BY SENATE, WITH AMENDMENTS, MARCH 10, 1848; RATIFIED BYPRESIDENT, MARCH 16, 1848; RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT QUERETARO,MAY 30, 1848; PROCLAIMED, JULY 4, 1848.IN THE NAME OF ALMIGHTY GODThe United States of America and the United Mexican States animated by a sinceredesire to put an end to the calamities of the war which unhappily exists between the twoRepublics and to establish Upon a solid basis relations of peace and friendship, whichshall confer reciprocal benefits upon the citizens of both, and assure the concord,harmony, and mutual confidence wherein the two people should live, as good neighborshave for that purpose appointed their respective plenipotentiaries, that is to say: ThePresident of the United States has appointed Nicholas P Trist, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and the President of the Mexican Republic has appointed Don Luis GonzagaCuevas, Don Bernardo Couto, and Don Miguel Atristain, citizens of the said Republic;Who, after a reciprocal communication of their respective full powers, have, under theprotection of Almighty God, the author of peace, arranged, agreed upon, and signed thefollowing:Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States ofAmerica and the Mexican Republic.ARTICLE IThere shall be firm and universal peace between the United States of America and theMexican Republic, and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns, andpeople, without exception of places or persons.ARTICLE IIImmediately upon the signature of this treaty, a convention shall be entered into betweena commissioner or commissioners appointed ~y the General-in-chief of the forces of theUnited States, and such as may be appointed by the Mexican Government, to the end thata provisional suspension of hostilities shall take place, and that, in the places occupied bythe said forces, constitutional order may be reestablished, as regards the political,administrative, and judicial branches, so far as this shall be permitted by thecircumstances of military occupation.ARTICLE IIIImmediately upon the ratification of the present treaty by the Government of the UnitedStates, orders shall be transmitted to the commanders of their land and naval forces,requiring the latter (provided this treaty shall then have been ratified by the Governmentof the Mexican Republic, and the ratifications exchanged) immediately to desist fromblockading any Mexican ports and requiring the former (under the same condition) tocommence, at the earliest moment practicable, withdrawing all troops of the United Statethen in the interior of the Mexican Republic, to points that shall be selected by commonagreement, at a distance from the seaports not exceeding thirty leagues; and suchevacuation of the interior of the Republic shall be completed with the least possibledelay; the Mexican Government hereby binding itself to afford every facility in i~ powerfor rendering the same convenient to the troops, on their march and in their new

positions, and for promoting a good understanding between them and the inhabitants. Inlike manner orders shall be despatched to the persons in charge of the custom houses atall ports occupied by the forces of the United States, requiring them (under the samecondition) immediately to deliver possession of the same to the persons authorized by theMexican Government to receive it, together with all bonds and evidences of debt forduties on importations and on exportations, not yet fallen due. Moreover, a faithful andexact account shall be made out, showing the entire amount of all duties on imports andon exports, collected at such custom-houses, or elsewhere in Mexico, by authority of theUnited States, from and after the day of ratification of this treaty by the Government ofthe Mexican Republic; and also an account of the cost of collection; and such entireamount, deducting only the cost of collection, shall be delivered to the MexicanGovernment, at the city of Mexico, within three months after the exchange ofratifications.The evacuation of the capital of the Mexican Republic by the troops of the United States,in virtue of the above stipulation, shall be completed in one month after the orders therestipulated for shall have been received by the commander of said troops, or sooner ifpossible.ARTICLE IVImmediately after the exchange of ratifications of the present treaty all castles, forts,territories, places, and possessions, which have been taken or occupied by the forces ofthe United States during the present war, within the limits of the Mexican Republic, asabout to be established by the following article, shall be definitely restored to the saidRepublic, together with all the artillery, arms, apparatus of war, munitions, and otherpublic property, which were in the said castles and forts when captured, and which shallremain there at the time when this treaty shall be duly ratified by the Government of theMexican Republic. To this end, immediately upon the signature of this treaty, orders shallbe despatched to the American officers commanding such castles and forts, securingagainst the removal or destruction of any such artillery, arms, apparatus of war,munitions, or other public property. The city of Mexico, within the inner line ofintrenchments surrounding the said city, is comprehended in the above stipulation, asregards the restoration of artillery, apparatus of war, & c.The final evacuation of the territory of the Mexican Republic, by the forces of the UnitedStates, shall be completed in three months -from the said exchange of ratifications, orsooner if possible; the Mexican Government hereby engaging, as in the foregoing articleto use all means in its power for facilitating such evacuation, and rendering it convenientto the troops, and for promoting a good understanding between them and the inhabitants.If, however, the ratification of this treaty by both parties should not take place in time toallow the embarcation of the troops of the United States to be completed before thecommencement of the sickly season, at the Mexican ports on the Gulf of Mexico, in suchcase a friendly arrangement shall be entered into between the General-in-Chief of the saidtroops and the Mexican Government, whereby healthy and otherwise suitable places, at adistance from the ports not exceeding thirty leagues, shall be designated for the residenceof such troops as may not yet have embarked, until the return 1i of the healthy season.And the space of time here referred to as, comprehending the sickly season shall beunderstood to extend from the first day of May to the first day of November.All prisoners of war taken on either side, on land or on sea, shall be restored as soon aspracticable after the exchange of ratifications of this treaty. It is also agreed that if anyMexicans should now be held as captives by any savage tribe within the limits of theUnited States, as about to be established by the following article, the Government of thesaid United States will exact the release of such captives and cause them to be restored totheir country.ARTICLE VThe boundary line between the two Republics shall commence in the Gulf of Mexico,three leagues from land, opposite the mouth of the Rio Grande, otherwise called RioBravo del Norte, or Opposite the mouth of its deepest branch, if it should have more thanone branch emptying directly into the sea; from thence up the middle of that river,

following the deepest channel, where it has more than one, to the point where it strikesthe southern boundary of New Mexico; thence, westwardly, along the whole southernboundary of New Mexico (which runs north of the town called Paso) to its westerntermination; thence, northward, along the western line of New Mexico, until it intersectsthe first branch of the river Gila; (or if it should not intersect any branch of that river,then to the point on the said line nearest to such branch, and thence in a direct line to thesame); thence down the middle of the said branch and of the said river, until it emptiesinto the Rio Colorado; thence across the Rio Colorado, following the division linebetween Upper and Lower California, to the Pacific Ocean.The southern and western limits of New Mexico, mentioned in the article, are those laiddown in the map entitled "Map of the United Mexican States, as organized and definedby various acts of the Congress of said republic, and constructed according to the bestauthorities. Revised edition. Published at New York, in 1847, by J. Disturnell," of whichmap a copy is added to this treaty, bearing the signatures and seals of the undersignedPlenipotentiaries,. And, in order to preclude all difficulty in tracing upon the ground thelimit separating Upper from Lower California, it is agreed that the said limit shall consistof a straight line drawn from the middle of the Rio Gila, where it unites with theColorado, to a point on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, distant one marine league duesouth of the southernmost point of the port of San Diego, according to the plan of saidport made in the year 1782 by Don Juan Pantoja, second sailing-master of the Spanishfleet, and published at Madrid in the year 1802, in the atlas to the voyage of theschooners Sutil and Mexicana; of which plan a copy is hereunto added, signed and sealedby the respective Plenipotentiaries.In order to designate the boundary line with due precision, upon authoritative maps, andto establish upon the ground land-marks which shall show the limits of both republics, asdescribed in the present article, the two Governments shall each appoint a commissionerand a surveyor, who, before the expiration of one year from the date of the exchange ofratifications of this treaty, shall meet at the port of San Diego, and proceed to run andmark the said boundary in its whole course to the mouth of the Rio Bravo del Norte. Theyshall keep journals and make out plans of their operations; and the result agreed upon bythem shall be deemed a part of this treaty, and shall have the same force as if it wereinserted therein. The two Governments will amicably agree regarding what may benecessary to these persons, and also as to their respective escorts, should such benecessary.The boundary line established by this article shall be religiously respected by each of thetwo republics, and no change shall ever be made therein, except by the express and freeconsent of both nations, lawfully given by the General Government of each, inconformity with its own constitution.ARTICLE VIThe vessels and citizens of the United States shall, in all time, have a free anduninterrupted passage by the Gulf of California, and by the river Colorado below itsconfluence with the Gila, to and from their possessions situated north of the boundaryline defined in the preceding article; it being understood that this passage is to be bynavigating the Gulf of California and the river Colorado, and not by land, without theexpress consent of the Mexican Government.If, by the examinations which may be made, it should be ascertained to be practicable andadvantageous to construct a road, canal, or railway, which should in whole or in part runupon the river Gila, or upon its right or its left bank, within the space of one marineleague from either margin of the river, the Governments of both republics will form anagreement regarding its construction, in order that it may serve equally for the use andadvantage of both countries.ARTICLE VIIThe river Gila, and the part of the Rio Bravo del Norte lying below the southernboundary of New Mexico, being, agreeably to the fifth article, divided in the middlebetween the two republics, the navigation of the Gila and of the Bravo below saidboundary shall be free and common to the vessels and citizens of both countries; and

neither shall, without the consent of the other, construct any work that may impede orinterrupt, in whole or in part, the exercise of this right; not even for the purpose offavoring new methods of navigation. Nor shall any tax or contribution, under anydenomination or title, be levied upon vessels or persons navigating the same or uponmerchandise or effects transported thereon, except in the case of landing upon one oftheir shores. If, for the purpose of making the said rivers navigable, or for maintainingthem in such state, it should be necessary or advantageous to establish any tax orcontribution, this shall not be done without the consent of both Governments.The stipulations contained in the present article shall not impair the territorial rights ofeither republic within its established limits.ARTICLE VIIIMexicans now established in territories previously belonging to Mexico, and whichremain for the future within the limits of the United States, as defined by the presenttreaty, shall be free to continue where they now reside, or to remove at any time to theMexican Republic, retaining the property which they possess in the said territories, ordisposing thereof, and removing the proceeds wherever they please, without their beingsubjected, on this account, to any contribution, tax, or charge whatever.Those who shall prefer to remain in the said territories may either retain the title andrights of Mexican citizens, or acquire those of citizens of the United States. But they shallbe under the obligation to make their election within one year from the date of theexchange of ratifications of this treaty; and those who shall remain in the said territoriesafter the expiration of that year, without having declared their intention to retain thecharacter of Mexicans, shall be considered to have elected to become citizens of theUnited States.In the said territories, property of every kind, now belonging to Mexicans not establishedthere, shall be inviolably respected. The present owners, the heirs of these, and allMexicans who may hereafter acquire said property by contract, shall enjoy with respectto it guarantees equally ample as if the same belonged to citizens of the United States.ARTICLE IXThe Mexicans who, in the territories aforesaid, shall not preserve the character of citizensof the Mexican Republic, conformably with what is stipulated in the preceding article,shall be incorporated into the Union of the United States. and be admitted at the propertime (to be judged of by the Congress of the United States) to the enjoyment of all therights of citizens of the United States, according to the principles of the Constitution; andin the mean time, shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their libertyand property, and secured in the free exercise of their religion without; restriction.ARTICLE X[Stricken out by the United States Amendments]Article XIConsidering that a great part of the territories, which, by the present treaty, are to becomprehended for the future within the limits of the United States, is now occupied bysavage tribes, who will hereafter be under the exclusive control of the Government of theUnited States, and whose incursions within the territory of Mexico would be prejudicialin the extreme, it is solemnly agreed that all such incursions shall be forcibly restrainedby the Government of the United States whensoever this may be necessary; and thatwhen they cannot be prevented, they shall be punished by the said Government, andsatisfaction for the same shall be exactedQall in the same way, and with equal diligenceand energy, as if the same incursions were meditated or committed within its ownterritory, against its own citizens.It shall not be lawful, under any pretext whatever, for any inhabitant of the United Statesto purchase or acquire any Mexican, or any foreigner residing in Mexico, who may havebeen captured by Indians inhabiting the territory of either of the two republics; nor topurchase or acquire horses, mules, cattle, or property of any kind, stolen within Mexicanterritory by such Indians.And in the event of any person or persons, captured within Mexican territory by Indians,being carried into the territory of the united States, the Government of the latter engages

and binds itself, in the most solemn manner, so soon as it shall know of such captivesbeing within its territory, and shall be able so to do, through the faithful exercise of itsinfluence and power, to rescue them and return them to their country. or deliver them tothe agent or representative of the Mexican Government. The Mexican authorities will, asfar as practicable, give to the Government of the United States notice of such captures;and its agents shall pay the expenses incurred in the maintenance and transmission of therescued captives; who, in the mean time, shall be treated with the utmost hospitality bythe American authorities at the place where they may be. But if the Government of theUnited States, before receiving such notice from Mexico, should obtain intelligence,through any other channel, of the existence of Mexican captives within its territory, it willproceed forthwith to effect their release and delivery to the Mexican agent, as abovestipulated.For the purpose of giving to these stipulations the fullest possible efficacy, therebyaffording the security and redress demanded by their true spirit and intent, theGovernment of the United States will now and hereafter pass, without unnecessary delay,and always vigilantly enforce, such laws as the nature of the subject may require. And,finally, the sacredness of this obligation shall never be lost sight of by the saidGovernment, when providing for the removal of the Indians from any portion of the saidterritories, or for its being settled by citizens of the United States; but, on the contrary,special care shall then be taken not to place its Indian occupants under the necessity ofseeking new homes, by committing those invasions which the United States havesolemnly obliged themselves to restrain.ARTICLE XIIIn consideration of the extension acquired by the boundaries of the United States, asdefined in the fifth article of the present treaty, the Government of the United Statesengages to pay to that of the Mexican Republic the sum of fifteen millions of dollars.Immediately after the treaty shall have been duly ratified by the Government of theMexican Republic, the sum of three millions of dollars shall be paid to the saidGovernment by that of the United States, at the city of Mexico, in the gold or silver coinof Mexico The remaining twelve millions of dollars shall be paid at the same place, andin the same coin, in annual installments of three millions of dollars each, together withinterest on the same at the rate of six per centum per annum. This interest shall begin torun upon the whole sum of twelve millions from the day of the ratification of the presenttreaty by--the Mexican Government, and the first of the installments shall be paid-at theexpiration of one year from the same day. Together with each annual installment, as itfalls due, the whole interest accruing on such installment from the beginning shall also bepaid.ARTICLE XIIIThe United States engage, moreover, to assume and pay to the claimants all the amountsnow due them, and those hereafter to become due, by reason of the claims alreadyliquidated and decided against the Mexican Republic, under the conventions between thetwo republics severally concluded on the eleventh day of April, eighteen hundred andthirty-nine, and on the thirtieth day of January, eighteen hundred and forty-three; so thatthe Mexican Republic shall be absolutely exempt, for the future, from all expensewhatever on account of the said claims.ARTICLE XIVThe United States do furthermore discharge the Mexican Republic from all claims ofcitizens of the United States, not heretofore decided against the Mexican Government,which may have arisen previously to the date of the signature of this treaty; whichdischarge shall be final and perpetual, whether the said claims be rejected or be allowedby the board of commissioners provided for in the following article, and whatever shallbe the total amount of those allowed.ARTICLE XVThe United States, exonerating Mexico from all demands on account of the claims oftheir citizens mentioned in the preceding article, and considering them entirely andforever canceled, whatever their amount may be, undertake to make satisfaction for the

same, to an amount not exceeding three and one-quarter millions of dollars. To ascertainthe validity and amount of those claims, a . board of commissioners shall be establishedby the Government of the United States, whose awards shall be final and conclusive;provided that, in deciding upon the validity of each claim, the boa shall be guided andgoverned by the principles and rules of decision prescribed by the first and fifth articlesof the unratified convention, concluded at the city of Mexico on the twentieth day ofNovember, one thousand eight hundred and forty-three; and in no case shall an award bemade in favour of any claim not embraced by these principles and rules.If, in the opinion of the said board of commissioners or of the claimants, any books,records, or documents, in the possession or power of the Government of the MexicanRepublic, shall be deemed necessary to the just decision of any claim, the commissioners,or the claimants through them, shall, within such period as Congress may designate,make an application in writing for the same, addressed to the Mexican Minister ofForeign Affairs, to be transmitted by the Secretary of State of the United States; and theMexican Government engages, at the earliest possible moment after the receipt of suchdemand, to cause any of the books, records, or documents so specified, which shall be intheir possession or power (or authenticated copies or extracts of the same), to betransmitted to the said Secretary of State, who shall immediately deliver them over to thesaid board of commissioners; provided that no such application shall be made by or at theinstance of any claimant, until the facts which it is expected to prove by such books,records, or documents, shall have been stated under oath or affirmation.ARTICLE XVIEach of the contracting parties reserves to itself the entire right to fortify whatever pointwithin its territory it may judge proper so to fortify for its security.ARTICLE XVIIThe treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, concluded at the city of Mexico, on thefifth day of April, A. D. 1831, between the United States of America and the UnitedMexican States, except the additional article, and except so far as the stipulations of thesaid treaty may be incompatible with any stipulation contained in the present treaty, ishereby revived for the period of eight years from the day of the exchange of ratificationsof this treaty, with the same force and virtue as if incorporated therein; it beingunderstood that each of the contracting parties reserves to itself the right, at any time afterthe said period of eight years shall have expired, to terminate the same by giving oneyear's notice of such intention to the other party.ARTICLE XVIIIAll supplies whatever for troops of the United States in Mexico, arriving at ports in theoccupation of such troops previous to the final evacuation thereof, although subsequentlyto the restoration o~ the custom-houses at such ports, shall be entirely exempt from dutiesand charges of any kind; the Government of the United States hereby engaging andpledging its faith to establish and vigilantly to enforce, all possible guards for securingthe revenue of Mexico, by preventing the importation, under cover of this stipulation, ofany articles other than such, both in kind and in quantity, as shall really be wanted for theuse and consumption of the forces of the United States during the time they may remainin Mexico. To this end it shall be the duty of all officers and agents of the United Statesto denounce to the Mexican authorities at the respective ports any attempts at a fraudulentabuse of this stipulation, which they may know of, or may have reason to suspect, and togive to such authorities all the aid in their power with regard thereto; and every suchattempt, when duly proved and established by sentence of a competent tribunal, Theyshall be punished by the confiscation of the property so attempted to be fraudulentlyintroduced.ARTICLE XIXWith respect to all merchandise, effects, and property whatsoever, imported into ports ofMexico, whilst in the occupation of the forces of the United States, whether by citizens ofeither republic, or by citizens or subjects of any neutral nation, the following rules shallbe observed:

(1) All such merchandise, effects, and property, if imported previously to the restorationof the custom-houses to the Mexican authorities, as stipulated for in the third article ofthis treaty, shall be exempt from confiscation, although the importation of the same beprohibited by the Mexican tariff.(2) The same perfect exemption shall be enjoyed by all such merchandise, effects, andproperty, imported subsequently to the restoration of the custom-houses, and previouslyto the sixty days fixed in the following article for the coming into force of the Mexicantariff at such ports respectively; the said merchandise, effects, and property being,however, at the time of their importation, subject to the payment of duties, as providedfor in the said following article.(3) All merchandise, effects, and property described in the two rules foregoing shall,during their continuance at the place of importation, and upon their leaving such place forthe interior, be exempt from all duty, tax, or imposts of every kind, under whatsoever titleor denomination. Nor shall they be there subject to any charge whatsoever upon the salethereof. (4) All merchandise, effects, and property, described in the first and second rules,which shall have been removed to any place in the interior, whilst such place was in theoccupation of the forces of the United States, shall, during their continuance therein, beexempt from all tax upon the sale or consumption thereof, and from every kind of impostor contribution, under whatsoever title or denomination.(5) But if any merchandise, effects, or property, described in the first and second rules,shall be removed to any place not occupied at the time by the forces of the United States,they shall, upon their introduction into such place, or upon their sale or consumptionthere, be subject to the same duties which, under the Mexican laws, they would berequired to pay in such cases if they had been imported in time of peace, through themaritime custom-houses, and had there paid the duties conformably with the Mexicantariff.(6) The owners of all merchandise, effects, or property, described in the first and secondrules, and existing in any port of Mexico, shall have the right to reship the same, exemptfrom all tax, impost, or contribution whatever.With respect to the metals, or other property, exported from any Mexican port whilst inthe occupation of the forces of the United States, and previously to the restoration of thecustom-house at such port, no person shall be required by the Mexican authorities,whether general or state, to pay any tax, duty, or contribution upon any such exportation,or in any manner to account for the same to the said authorities.ARTICLE XXThrough consideration for the interests of commerce generally, it is agreed, that if lessthan sixty days should elapse between the date of the signature of this treaty and therestoration of the custom houses, conformably with the stipulation in the third article, insuch case all merchandise, effects and property whatsoever, arriving at the Mexican portsafter the restoration of the said custom-houses, and previously to the expiration of sixtydays after the day of signature of this treaty, shall be admitted to entry; and no otherduties shall be levied thereon than the duties established by the tariff found in force atsuch custom-houses at the time of the restoration of the same. And to all suchmerchandise, effects, and property, the rules established by the preceding article shallapply.ARTICLE XXIIf unhappily any disagreement should hereafter arise between the Governments of thetwo republics, whether with respect to the interpretation of any stipulation in this treaty,or with respect to any other particular concerning the political or commercial relations ofthe two nations, the said Governments, in the name of those nations, do promise to eachother that they will endeavour, in the most sincere and earnest manner, to settle thedifferences so arising, and to preserve the state of peace and friendship in which the twocountries are now placing themselves, using, for this end, mutual representations andpacific negotiations. And if, by these means, they should not be enabled to come to anagreement, a resort shall not, on this account, be had to reprisals, aggression, or hostilityof any kind, by the one republic against the other, until the Government of that which

deems itself aggrieved shall have maturely considered, in the spirit of peace and goodneighbourship, whether it would not be better that such difference should be settled bythe arbitration of commissioners appointed on each side, or by that of a friendly nation.And should such course be proposed by either party, it shall be acceded to by the other,unless deemed by it altogether incompatible with the nature of the difference, or thecircumstances of the case.ARTICLE XXIIIf (which is not to be expected, and which God forbid) war should unhappily break outbetween the two republics, they do now, with a view to such calamity, solemnly pledgethemselves to each other and to the world to observe the following rules; absolutelywhere the nature of the subject permits, and as closely as possible in all cases where suchabsolute observance shall be impossible:(1) The merchants of either republic then residing in the other shall be allowed to remaintwelve months (for those dwelling in the interior), and six months (for those dwelling atthe seaports) to collect their debts and settle their affairs; during which periods they shallenjoy the same protection, and be on the same footing, in all respects, as the citizens orsubjects of the most friendly nations; and, at the expiration thereof, or at any time before,they shall have full liberty to depart, carrying off all their effects without molestation orhindrance, conforming therein to the same laws which the citizens or subjects of the mostfriendly nations are required to conform to. Upon the entrance of the armies of eithernation into the territories of the other, women and children, ecclesiastics, scholars ofevery faculty, cultivators of the earth, merchants, artisans, manufacturers, and fishermen,unarmed and inhabiting unfortified towns, villages, or places, and in general all personswhose occupations are for the common subsistence and benefit of mankind, shall beallowed to continue their respective employments, unmolested in their persons. Nor shalltheir houses or goods be burnt or otherwise destroyed, nor their cattle taken, nor theirfields wasted, by the armed force into whose power, by the events of war, they mayhappen to fall; but if the necessity arise to take anything from them for the use of sucharmed force, the same shall be paid for at an equitable price. All churches, hospitals,schools, colleges, libraries, and other establishments for charitable and beneficentpurposes, shall be respected, and all persons connected with the same protected in thedischarge of their duties, and the pursuit of their vocations.(2) . -In order that the fate of prisoners of war may be alleviated all such practices asthose of sending them into distant, inclement or unwholesome districts, or crowding theminto close and noxious places, shall be studiously avoided. They shall not be confined indungeons, prison ships, or prisons; nor be put in irons, or bound or otherwise restrained inthe use of their limbs. The officers shall enjoy liberty on their paroles, within convenientdistricts, and have comfortable quarters; and the common soldiers shall be dispose( incantonments, open and extensive enough for air and exercise and lodged in barracks asroomy and good as are provided by the party in whose power they are for its own troops.But if any office shall break his parole by leaving the district so assigned him, o any otherprisoner shall escape from the limits of his cantonment after they shall have beendesignated to him, such individual, officer, or other prisoner, shall forfeit so much of thebenefit of this article as provides for his liberty on parole or in cantonment. And if anyofficer so breaking his parole or any common soldier so escaping from the limits assignedhim, shall afterwards be found in arms previously to his being regularly exchanged, theperson so offending shall be dealt with according to the established laws of war. Theofficers shall be daily furnished, by the party in whose power they are, with as manyrations, and of the same articles, as are allowed either in kind or by commutation, toofficers of equal rank in its own army; and all others shall be daily furnished with suchration as is allowed to a common soldier in its own service; the value of all whichsupplies shall, at the close of the war, or at periods to be agreed upon between therespective commanders, be paid by the other party, on a mutual adjustment of accountsfor the subsistence of prisoners; and such accounts shall not be mingled with or set offagainst any others, nor the balance due on them withheld, as a compensation or reprisalfor any cause whatever, real or pretended Each party shall be allowed to keep a

commissary of prisoners, appointed by itself, with every cantonment of prisoners, inpossession of the other; which commissary shall see the prisoners as often a he pleases;shall be allowed to receive, exempt from all duties a taxes, and to distribute, whatevercomforts may be sent to them by their friends; and shall be free to transmit his reports inopen letters to the party by whom he is employed.And it is declared that neither the pretense that war dissolves all treaties, nor any otherwhatever, shall be considered as annulling or suspending the solemn covenant containedin this article. On the contrary, the state of war is precisely that for which it is provided;and, during which, its stipulations are to be as sacredly observed as the mostacknowledged obligations under the law of nature or nations.ARTICLE XXIIIThis treaty shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and withthe advice and consent of the Senate thereof; and by the President of the MexicanRepublic, with the previous approbation of its general Congress; and the ratificationsshall be exchanged in the City of Washington, or at the seat of Government of Mexico, infour months from the date of the signature hereof, or sooner if practicable.In faith whereof we, the respective Plenipotentiaries, have signed this treaty of peace,friendship, limits, and settlement, and have hereunto affixed our seals respectively. Donein quintuplicate, at the city of Guadalupe Hidalgo, on the second day of February, in theyear of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.N. P. TRISTLUIS P. CUEVASBERNARDO COUTOMIGL. ATRISTAIN

Article IX was modified and Article X were stricken by the US Congress. Here are theoriginal articles.In addition, there is an explanation or agreement of why the articles where stricken whichis known as the protocol of QuerétaroARTICLE IXThe Mexicans who, in the territories aforesaid, shall not preserve the character of citizensof the Mexican Republic, conformably with what is stipulated in the preceding Article,shall be incorporated into the Union of the United States, and admitted as soon aspossible, according to the principles of the Federal Constitution, to the enjoyment of allthe rights of citizens of the United States. In the mean time, they shall be maintained andprotected in the enjoyment of their liberty, their property, and the civil rights now vestedin them according to the Mexican laws. With respect to political rights, their conditionshall be on an equality with that of the inhabitants of the other territories of the UnitedStates; and at least equally good as that of the inhabitants of Louisiana and the Floridas,when these provinces, by transfer from the French Republic and the Crown of Spain,became territories of the United States.The same most ample guaranty shall be enjoyed by all ecclesiastics and religiouscorporations or communities, as well in the discharge of the offices of their ministry, asin the enjoyment of their property of every kind, whether individual or corporate. Thisguaranty shall embrace all temples, houses and edifices dedicated to the Roman Catholicworship; as well as all property destined to it's [sic] support, or to that of schools,hospitals and other foundations for charitable or beneficent purposes. No property of thisnature shall be considered as having become the property of the American Government,or as subject to be, by it, disposed of or diverted to other uses.Finally, the relations and communication between the Catholics living in the territoriesaforesaid, and their respective ecclesiastical authorities, shall be open, free and exemptfrom all hindrance whatever, even although such authorities should reside within thelimits of the Mexican Republic, as defined by this treaty; and this freedom shall continue,so long as a new demarcation of ecclesiastical districts shall not have been made,conformably with the laws of the Roman Catholic Church.

ARTICLE XAll grants of land made by the Mexican government or by the competent authorities, interritories previously appertaining to Mexico, and remaining for the future within thelimits of the United States, shall be respected as valid, to the same extent that the samegrants would be valid, to the said territories had remained within the limits of Mexico.But the grantees of lands in Texas, put in possession thereof, who, by reason of thecircumstances of the country since the beginning of the troubles between Texas and theMexican Government, may have been prevented from fulfilling all the conditions of theirgrants, shall be under the obligation to fulfill the said conditions within the periodslimited in the same respectively; such periods to be now counted from the date of theexchange of ratifications of this Treaty: in default of which the said grants shall not beobligatory upon the State of Texas, in virtue of the stipulations contained in this Article.The foregoing stipulation in regard to grantees of land in Texas, is extended to allgrantees of land in the territories aforesaid, elsewhere than in Texas, put in possessionunder such grants; and, in default of the fulfillment of the conditions of any such grant,within the new period, which, as is above stipulated, begins with the day of the exchangeof ratifications of this treaty, the same shall be null and void.THE PROTOCOL OF QUERÉTAROIn the city of Queretaro on the twenty sixth of the month of May eighteen hundred andforty-eight at a conference between Their Excellencies Nathan Clifford and Ambrose H.Sevier Commissioners of the United States of America, with fuil powers from theirGovernment to make to the Mexican Republic suitable explanations in regard to theamendments which the Senate and Government of the said United States have made inthe treaty of peace, friendship, limits and definitive settlement between the twoRepublics, signed in Guadalupe Hidalgo, on the second day of February of the presentyear, and His Excellency Don Luis de la Rosa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of theRepublic of Mexico, it was agreed, after adequate conversation respecting the changesalluded to, to record in the present protocol the following explanations which Theiraforesaid Excellencies the Commissioners gave in the name of their Government and infulfillment of the Commission conferred upon them near the Mexican Republic.First.The american Government by suppressing the IXth article of the Treaty of Guadalupeand substituting the III article of the Treaty of Louisiana did not intend to diminish in anyway what was agreed upon by the aforesaid article IXth in favor of the inhabitants of theterritories ceded by Mexico. Its understanding that all of that agreement is contained inthe IIId article of tile Treaty of Louisiana. In consequence, all the privileges andguarantees, civil, political and religious, which would have been possessed by theinhabitants of the ceded territories, if the IXth article of the Treaty had been retained, willbe enjoyed by them without any difference under the article which has been substituted.Second.The American Government, by suppressing the Xth article of the Treaty of Guadalupedid not in any way intend to annul the grants of lands made by Mexico in the cededterritories. These grants, notwithstandjng the suppression of the article of the Treaty,preserve the legal value which they may possess; and the grantees may cause theirlegitimate tities to be acknowledged before the american tribunals.Conformably to the law of the United States, legitimate titles to every description ofproperty personal and real, existing in the ceded territories, are those which werelegitimate titles under the Mexican law in California and New Mexico up to the I3th ofMay 1846, and in Texas up to the 2d March 1836.Third.The Government of the United States by suppressing the concluding paragraph of articleXIIth of the Treaty, did not intend to deprive the Mexican Republic of the free andunrestrained faculty of ceding, conveying or transferring at any time (as it may judgebest> the sum of the twelve [sic] millions of dollars which the same Government of theUnited States is to deliver in the places designated by the amended article.

And these explanations having been accepted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of theMexican Republic, he declared in name of his Government that with the understandingconveyed by them, the same Government would proceed to ratify the Treaty ofGuadalupe as modified by the Senate and Government of the United States. In testimonyof which their Excellencies the aforesaid Commissioners and the Minister have signedand sealed in quintuplicate the present protocol.

[Seal] A. H. Sevier[Seal] Nathan Clifford[Seal] Luis de la Rosa

*Please see accompanying maps

EL TRABAJO/WORK

How has work changed from the timeof our ancestors to now?/¿Comó acambiado el trabajo desdel tiempo denuestros antepasados hasta hoy?

When Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlán(Mexico) in 1519 he found a thriving, complexAztec civilization that was made up offarmers, musicians, doctors, priests, healers,merchants, traders, soldiers, weavers,carpenters, engineers, astronomers,educators, writers, artists, philosophers,politicians, diplomats, and laborers. TheAztecs, Maya and other native peoples of theAmericas had many specialists who did specifictasks to help sustain themselves and theircommunities. Many of these occupations arestill done today. But what has changed aboutthem? Is the work done in the same way orfor the same reasons? Many new occupationshave also been added. Can you think of jobsthat exist today that did not exist 100 yearsago?Today, Chicanos and Chicanas still participatein many of the occupations mentioned above.Of course, the way they learned how to do thework is different, but there are still farmers,doctors, and teachers.The Chicano community has contributed muchto U.S. society. Hard work, perseverance, andthe belief in family have been someingredients for many Chicanos’ success. Yet,that success came with a price. ManyMexicans and Chicanos have been exploited ascheap labor. Agro-business, manufacturing andother industries have reaped vast wealth fromthe availability of cheap labor and theexercise of unfair labor practices. Foundryworkers, mechanics, seamstresses,electricians, carpenters, migrant workers,railroad workers, service laborers, and manyother occupations have been the backbone ofthe American economy.Leaders like Marcel Lucero Trujillo, VirginiaMusquiz, Emma Tenayuca, Reis López Tijerina,Cesar Chavez, Corky Gonzáles, José ÁngelGutiérrez, Congressman Dennis Chávez,Congressman Eward Roybal, CongressmanHenry B. Gonazalez are a few of the MexicanAmerican /Chicano leaders that defended the

rights of workers and the Chicano community.What did they contribute? How did theircontributions better their communities?

Did You Know?/¿Sabías?

According to the 2000 U.S. Census:

v Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to work in serviceoccupations.

v Hispanics were almost twice as likelyto be employed as operators andlaborers than non-Hispanic Whites.

v Hispanic workers earn less than non-Hispanic White workers.

v Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to live in poverty.

Hispanics own 1.3 million businesses in the U.S.generating $200 billion in annual grossincome.*

The Hispanic market represents $356 billionin purchasing power, of which MexicanAmericans are the largest segment.*

Nearly 80% of Latino men participate in thelabor force, the highest participation rate ofany group.*

*From Latino Facts NCLR & Latino Linkwww.interactive.com/latinofacts

Imagine/Imagína

What kind of work would you like to do? Whatoccupation would you like to pursue? Whatsteps would you take to get the job of yourdreams? How could your work help yourcommunity?

Try this/Prueba Esto

Contributions of Chicano Workers

v Students will investigate thecontributions of Chicano workers inthe U.S.

v Students will analyze the changesthat have occurred in the work place.

Materials: copies of the timeline chart,pencils, various resources on Chicanos orLatinos, access to the Internet.

Most people in our country work at someoccupation or another. How does a personbenefit from doing work? How does their workcontribute to their family, neighborhood, cityor region, and country?

What kind of work have Mexican-American/Chicano workers done in the U.S.since 1848? How has their labor contributedto their local communities and to the countryas a whole? Use different resources toinvestigate the contributions ofChicano/Mexican American workers indifferent times. Students can use some of thenames of Chicano/Mexican American leadersmentioned earlier. Remember that people ofMexican descent in the U.S. have performedmany kinds of work. There have been migrantlaborers, farmer, ranchers, factory workers,railroad workers, miners, artisans, actors,musicians, ballet dancers, nurses, doctors,scientists, astronauts, military officers, policeofficers, activists and so on. Create a timelinechart to record your data. In your search,include what kind of jobs have been done; whatindustries have benefited from Mexican andChicano labor; which regions have benefitedfrom Mexican and Chicano labor; what kind ofwages have been paid.

Analyze whether the occupations have changedin how they are done, salaries, workplace,workers’ rights, and education.

Share your findings. What do you observeabout each persons contributions and changesin the workplace?

¡Si se puede!

v Students will investigate theimportance of migrant workers andlabor leaders.

v Students will create a cooperativemural representing the contributionsof the migrant worker and/or laborleaders.

Materials: Resources about migrant workersand labor leaders, access to the Internet,copies of the Labor Leaders Chart, 36” wide x6 feet long butcher paper, pencils, coloredpencils or pastels, an overhead projector,transparencies, a marker for transparencies.

Why is the history of migrant workers soimportant to the Chicano Movement? How didlabor leaders unite workers and communities?The hard work, determination, and sacrifice oflabor leaders and activists Cesar Chavez,Dolores Huerta, Emma Tenayuca, BaldemarVelásquez, Eduardo Quevedo, and Bert Coronahave changed the working conditions for manyChicano and non-Chicano people. Issues likefair wages, non-discrimination (race orgender), safe working and housingenvironments, and child labor are notconsidered in many other developing countries.Labor leaders of migrant and factory workerspushed employers to face up to theirresponsibilities to the workers on the seriouslabor issues like the ones mentioned.Organizations like the United Farm WorkersOrganizing Committee (UFWOC), Farm LaborOrganizing Committee (FLOC), League ofUnited Latin American Citizens (LULAC),Mexican American Legal Defense andEducational Fund (MALDEF), MexicanAmerican Political Association (MAPA), and theAmerican G.I. Forum fought againstdiscrimination and abuse in the workplace.Their efforts helped to dismantle many legaland illegal mechanisms of racism,discrimination, and social injustice for peopleof Mexican descent in this country. Theirwork helped raise the consciousness ofworkers, politicians, corporations, and thegeneral public to problems facing Chicanos andother minorities and immigrants in theworkplace.

So, why is the history of migrant workers soimportant to the Chicano Movement?

“The Chicano Movement emerged from theunrest caused by the Vietnam War and theAfrican American Civil Rights movement in the1960’s, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. Byforming one of the first unions to fight forthe rights of Mexican Americans (migrantworkers), César Chávez did much to propel the

Chicano Movement, and in many ways he hasremained the symbolic leader of la raza. Butseveral other early Mexican American civilrights advocates and groups also contributedto the formation of the Chicano Movement.”Everything You Need To Know About LatinoHistory by Himilce Novas 1998

Research a labor leader, labor organization, orthe history of the migrant worker. Collectinformation on the problems they faced andhow they were solved. How did the solution orlack of solutions affect future migrantworkers?

Labor Problem Solution FutureLeader Effect

While researching for information, find imagesof migrant workers and labor leaders. In agroup of 4 to 6 students design a mural thatuses some of the images found. Think aboutwhat your group wants to share with theviewer about migrant workers and laborleaders. If the images are big enough to traceonto a transparency, you can copy the imageonto the paper by using an overhead projectorfor your mural. But first try drawing freehand. The group can add other symbols thatrepresent your group’s feelings about migrantworkers. Remember to overlap the images anduse a variety of sizes for the images toachieve balance and unity. After the mural iscompleted, each group could write about whattheir mural is about and why they choose theimages in the composition.

Did You Know?/¿Sabías?

Robert F. Kennedy once described CesarChavez as “one of the heroic figures of ourtime.”

In the 1920’s until now, Mexicans and MexicanAmericans were and are the single mostimportant source of agricultural labor inCalifornia.

More than a million Mexican immigrant workerstraveled north to the United States in theyears 1900-1930, settling mainly in theSouthwest.

In the 40’s, the Bracero Program broughtthousands of Mexican nationals to the UnitedStates as temporary workers to labor onfarms and in industrial jobs.

For More Information

MEXICAN WORKERS & AMERICANDREAMS: Immigration, Repatriation, andCalifornia Farm Labor, 1900-1939By Camille Guerin-Gonzales, Rutgers UniversityPress, 1994

THE CHICANO WORKERBy Vernon M. Briggs, Jr., Walter Fogel, & FredH. Schimidt, University of Texas Press, 1977

AMERICANOS: Latino Life in the UnitedStates,Edited by Edward James Olmos, LeaYbarra, and Manuel Monterrey, Little, Brownand Co., 1999

THE FARM LABOR MOVEMENT IN THEMIDWEST: Social Change and Adaptationamong Migrant Farmworkers By W.K. Bargerand Ernesto M. Reza, The University of TexasPress, 1994

THE WORLD OF THE MEXICAN WORKERIN TEXAS by Emilio Zamora,Texas A & M University Press, 1993

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOWABOUT LATINO HISTORY by HimilceNovas, Plume Books, 1998

AND THE EARTH DID NOT SWALLOWHIM By Tomás Rivera, 1971

ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF CÉSAR CHÁVEZby Rudolfo Anaya, Cinco Puntos Press, 2000

500 ANOS DEL PUEBLO CHICANO/500YEARS OF CHICANO HISTORY INPICTURES editor Elizabeth Martínez,Southwest Organizing Project, 1991/1994

CHICANO! THE HISTORY OF THE MEXICANAMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT by F.Arturo Rosales, Arte Público Press, 1997

National Center for Farmworker Healthwww.ncfh.org/

HUD Farmworker and Colonia Communitieswww.hud.gov/groups/farmworkers.cfm

United Farm Workerswww.unitedfarmworkers.comwww.ufw.org

El Hogar/Home

La Familia/The Family

How can recalling memories of family eventshelp you understand your role in your familyand community?¿Comó puedes entender tu papel en tufamilia y communidad a través tus memoriasde eventos familiares?

Our family is the foundation for how we learnabout and experience the world. Your family islike the first school that you attend. It isthrough your family that you first learn how tolive with others and how to understand theworld (values & beliefs). Our families can vary.You may consider your immediate family asyour family or you may consider your extendedfamily as your family. It is also through ourfamilies that we begin collecting our firstmemories that influence how and what wecommunicate with others.

Chicana artist Carmen Lomas Garzaacknowledges that her family has always beenan integral part of who she is. Her paintingsreflect memories of family and communityevents that express the day-to-day living ofher relatives and neighbors. They portraymany customs and beliefs. It is through herrecuerdos/memories of family events that wecan see connections with our own familytraditions and practices. Carmen shares apersonal gift with us, her family history. She,like her ancestors, passes on accounts of alived history by documenting those eventsimportant to her. The Aztecs and otherNative American groups did this kind ofdocumentation through oral storytelling andthrough written and illustrated codices. Theirhistory and accomplishments thus could bepassed from generation to generation. Thus,people would know their history and the recordof their community, giving individuals anunderstanding of their role in their family andcommunity. Remember that knowing one’s ownhistory, is knowing oneself.

Did You Know?/¿Sabías?

According the 2000 U.S. Census, Hispanics livein family households that are larger than thoseof non-Hispanic Whites.

The majority of Hispanic households aremarried-couples (55.5%).

19.7% are female –headed family households.

Imagine/Imagína

Close your eyes and imagine your favoritefamily event. It might be a holiday, a birthday,a wedding, a reunion, a vacation or some similarevent. What do you hear? What do you smell?How does it feel to be around your family?What foods did you taste at this specialevent? What and who do you see?

Try This/Prueba Esto

FAMILY PICTURES

Students will compare their role in her/hisfamily at a younger age and now in adolescenceby recalling memories of family events.

Students will express themselves by using line,shape, color, and unity through narrativepainting.Materials: pencils, 12” x 24” drawing paper,pastels, Carmen Lomas Garza’s book FamilyPictures.

What kind of special family events occur inyour family? (A birthday, a Quinceañera, aholiday, a communion, the death of agrandparent, the birth of a little brother orsister). Why are these memories important toa person?Share a picture from the book FamilyPictures. What do you see happening in thepicture? What family event did Carmenremember? Read the story. Carmen is apainter, so she paints her picture then writesher story. Think about a family event that youwould like to share with others in a picture.After you have thought about it, sketch itlightly onto the drawing paper. Remember todraw big because you will be using pastels forthe coloring and to also add details. With the

pastels you can blend by gently rubbing theedges of two colors or you can highlight with alighter color around a darker color.

After the students complete their familypicture, invite them to share their stories withtheir classmates. The teacher can recordtheir storytelling or have them write thestories so that they can be retold again.

For More Information

Family PicturesBy Carmen Lomas Garza, Children’s Book Press,1990

“The Family-La familia”from AMERICANOS-Latino Life in theUnited States, Little, Brown, & Co., 1999www.hispanic.comwww.soyunica.com

A Full Tummy, A Happy Heart/ Panza llena,corazón contento

Students will experience stories/poems aboutfood by Chicano writers (Trinidad Sanchez,Gary Soto, Pat Mora, and Sandra Cisneros).

Students will create their own poems orstories about food.

How can food define a culture? What is itabout food that can help shape a people’sidentity?

Every cultural group has their own food ornative food. The diverse diet of Chicanos is amix of pre-Columbian, Spanish, French,African and North American cuisine. It’sfoundation, though, is based on pre-Columbianfoods like helote/corn, tortillas, chiles,tomate/tomatoe, aguacate/avocados,frijoles/beans, chocolate, vanilla and otherfoods native to the Americas. In “ChicanoFoods: A Cultural Perspective of the RioGrande Valley”, the author states, “culturalvalues are prescribed through food usage.Family ties, religion, and traditions are allreinforced through culinary practices. Thecommemoration of specific events with specialfoods, relate the importance of celebrations.It is because of these observations that food

practices can be instrumental in the study ofculture.”Food is a rich part of a people’s culture. Thus,is part of one’s identity, part of one’s flavor.

Read a variety of stories and poems by Chicanowriters to understand how they use food tounderstand their culture and their identity.How do the writers use the images of food?Are the writers only talking about food orusing food as a symbol for something else?

“Ode To A Tortilla”From Neighborhood OdesBy Gary Soto

They are flutesWhen rolled, butterDripping down my elbowAs I stand on theFront lawn, just eating,Just watching a sparrowHop on the lawn,His breakfast of wormsBeneath the green, green lawn,Worms and a rip ofTortilla I throwAt his thorny feet.I eat my tortilla,Breathe in, breathe out,And return inside,Wiping my oily handsOn my knee-scrubbed jeans.The tortillas are still warmIn a dish towel,Warm as gloves justTaken off, finger by finger.Mamá is rollingThem out. The radioOn the window sings,El cielo es azul . . .I look in the black pan:The face of the tortillaWith a bubble of airRising. MamáTells me to turnIt over, and whenI do, carefully,It’s blistered brown.I count to ten,Uno, dos, tres . . .And then snap it outOf the pan. The tortilla

Dances in my handsAs I carry itTo the drainboard,Where I smear itWith butter,The yellow ribbon of butterThat will dripSlowly down my armWhen I eat on the front lawn.The sparrow will dropLike fruitFrom the treeTo stare at meWith his glassy eyes.I will rip a pieceFor him. He will jumpOn his foodAnd gargle it down,Chirp once and flyBack in the wintry tree.

A Rice SandwichFrom House On Mango StreetBy Sandra Cisneros

The special kids, the ones who wearkeys around their necks, get to eat in thecanteen. The canteen! Even the name soundsimportant. And these kids at lunchtime gothere because their mothers aren’t home orhome is too far away to get to.

My home isn’t far but it’s not closeeither, and somehow I got it in my head oneday to ask my mother to make me a sandwichand write a note to the principal so I could eatin the canteen too. Oh no, she says pointingthe butter knife at me as if I’m startingtrouble, no sir. Next thing you knoweverybody will be wanting a bag lunch----I’ll beup all night cutting bread into little triangles,this one with mayonnaise, this one withmustard, no pickles on mine, but mustard onone side please. You kids just like to inventmore work for me.

But Nenny says she doesn’t want toeat at school---ever---because she likes to gohome with her best friend Gloria who livesacross the schoolyard. Gloria’s mama has a bigcolor TV and all they do is watch cartoons.Kiki and Carlos, on the other hand are patrolboys. They don’t eat at school either. Theylike to stand out in the cold especially if it’s

raining. They think suffering is good for youever since they saw the movie 300 Spartans.

I’m no Spartan and hold up an anemicwrist to prove it. I can’t even blow up a balloonwithout getting dizzy. And besides, I knowhow to make my own lunch. If I ate at schoolthere’s be less dishes to wash. You would seeme less and less and like me better. Everydayat noon my chair would be empty. Where is myfavorite daughter you would cry, and when Icame home finally at three p.m. you wouldappreciate me.

Okay, okay, my mother says afterthree days of this. And the following morningI get to go to school with my mother’s letterand a rice sandwich because we don’t havelunchmeat.

Mondays or Fridays, it doesn’t matter,mornings always go by slow and this dayespecially. But lunchtime came finally and I goto get in line with the stay-at-school kids.Everything is fine until the nun who knows allthe canteen kids by heart looks at me andsays: You, who sent you here? And since I amshy, I don’t say anything, just hold out my handwith the letter. This is no good, she says, tillSister Superior gives the okay. Go upstairsand see her. And so I went.

I had to wait for two kids in front ofme to get hollered at, one because he didsomething in class, the other because hedidn’t. My turn came and I stood in front ofthe big desk with holy pictures under the glasswhile the Sister Superior read my letter. Itwent like this:

Dear Sister Superior,Please let Esperanza eat in the

lunchroom because she lives too far away andshe gets tired. As you can see she is veryskinny. I hope to God she does not faint.

Thanking you,Mrs. E. CorderoYou don’t live far, she says. You live

across the boulevard. That’s only four blocks.Not even. Three maybe. Three long blocksaway from here. I bet I can see your housefrom my window. Which one? Come here.Which one is your house?

And then she made me stand up on abox of books and point. That one? She said,pointing to a row of ugly three-flats, the oneseven the raggedy men are ashamed to go into.Yes, I nodded even though I knew that wasn’t

my house and started to cry. I always crywhen nuns yell at me, even if they’re notyelling.

Then she was sorry and said I couldstay ----just for today, not tomorrow or theday after---you go home. And I said yes andcould I please have a Kleenex---I had to blowmy nose.

In the canteen, which was nothingspecial, lots of boys and girls watched while Icried and ate my sandwich, the bread alreadygreasy and the rice cold.

“Who Am I?”From Why Am I So Brown?By Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.

Am I –the collection of pinto beans,the pile of warm tortillas,the chili relleno, the tostada chipdipped in your salsa picante,the flautas you eat with your dedos,the chocolate con canela,the nopales, the salchichesyou so richly savor?

Am I –the oregano, the cilantro, la cebollaof your salsa bien picoso,the jalapeno pepper,the pimiento in your gazpacho?let’s be honest – it’s true . . .I did say: me gustan las gorditas!I also said: I loved your chilaquiles!

Am I –the super nacho of your lifeor will I only be the rice and beansforever?Yo se bien, you don’t like to joke aroundat times you think of me as a taco de carbon!Where’s the beef? You would do well to teachyour Mexican sandwich Español pa’que nopierde su identidadAnd become Hispanic, better yet . . .Let him be CHICANO!

Sí, sí, I want to bethe pan de huevo you bite into,the calabasa of your empanada,the papa of your papa con huevos,the sugar in your atole!

Ay, Mamacita!The two of us are made for each other likearroz con lechethe tamale wrapped in the ojathe extra queso on your enchilada . . .And all you can say is:

What’s for dessert?

_

“The Mexican Sangwitch”From Why Am I So Brown?By Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.

Is it a tortilla with peanut butter and jelly,or jalapenos piled on Wonder Bread?Is it a coney made with tortillas,or a Kaiser roll smotheredWith salchiches y salsa mayonesa?Is it chorizo con huevo on whole wheat,or refried beans on white bread?Is it the patron saint of botanas,or a Mexican who can only speak English?Is it the same as an American taco?Is it a Mexican playing tic-tac-toe?Is it carne asada on rye,or guacamole on toast?Do you really want to know why?Is it me inside of you,or you wrapped around me?Is it a güera dancing with two Mexicans,or two gringos putting the make on my sister?Is it a super sandwich, with officialingredients labeled: HECHO EN MEXICO!Is it a plain sandwichmade by authentic Mexican hands?Is it true Juan de la Raza invented it?Is it a moot question?Are you a lawyer or a poet?Does the judge really care?

Did You Know?/¿Sabías?

The Nahuatl word for tortilla is tlaxcalli ,avacado/aguacate is ahuacatl, andtomatoe/tomate is tomatl.

The Mayan and the Aztecs introducedchocolate/cacao to the Spanish who took it toEurope.

Beans have been eaten since pre-Columbiantimes. Phaseolus beans were indigenous to theAmericas.

For More Information

“Mexican Food: As American As Tortillasand Apple Pie” By Enrique J. Gonzales,Hispanic LinkIMDiversity.com

Neighborhood Odes by Gary Soto, HarcourtBrace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1992

Why Am I So Brown? by Trinidad Sanchez,Jr., Abrazo Press, 1991

Sonnets & SalsaBy Carmen Tafolla, Wings Press, 1999

Laughing Tomatoes and Other SpringPoems/Jitomates Resueños y otros poemasde primaveraBy Francisco X. Alarcón, Children’s Book Press,1997

The Cambridge World History of FoodEds. Kenneth F. Kiple and Kriemhild ConneOrnelas

www.panam.edu/dept/lrgvarchive/foods.html

www.orst.edu/food-resource/kelsey/smith.html

Estilo/Style

How is Chicano music distinct?¿Comó es la musica chicana diferenteque otros estilos musicales?

Chicano artistic expression grew out ofMexican American experiences, drawingfrom distinctly Mexican and U.S. cultureand traditions. The culmination of theseartistic aesthetics in the 1960’s and1970’s grew out of a need to forge acultural identity and nurture culturalexpressions that affirmed MexicanAmerican experiences. This included goodand bad experiences; celebration andsuffering, pride and discrimination, familyand alienation to name some. Thus art,music, literature, dance and theater byChicanos became a form of cultural andpolitical empowerment like that of theBlack Power movement for African-Americans.Chicanos had extensive and diverse musicaltraditions to draw from. Our music is adynamic fusion of native people’s music;Mexican regional music; instruments and musicbrought over from Spain and other Europeancountries; Afro-Caribbean music; and U.S.jazz, r&b, country-western, rock. And, itcontinues to change as the world we live inchanges.Identifiable strands leading to music of theChicano Movement began with conjuntos likePaulino Bernal y Su Conjunto and orchestraslike Oscar Guerra’s, Beto Garcia y Sus GG’s yBeto Villa y Su Orquesta. Modern-styleorquestas began in the 1920’s as a response tothe big band sounds of Glenn Miller, HarryJames, and the Afro-Hispanic sounds ofmusicians like Xavier Cugat and to theeconomic changes occurring in MexicanAmerican communities. Mexican Americancommunities desired a mix of popular Americanmusic and popular Latino and Mexican music.“In other words, an exclusively Americanrepertoire was inadequate to the culturalneeds of the Mexican American Generation;bi-musicality was the only solution to thegeneration’s search for a form of expressionthat would coincide with its existence at the

margin between two cultural worlds.”The Mexican American Orquesta by MaunuelH. Pena, Universtiy of Texas Press, 1999

Groups like Little Joe and the Latinaires andSunny and the Sunliners continued the mixingof música jaitona, ranchera, and American popmusic. These groups and others developed “laonda Chicana” on the fringes of the Civil RightsMovement by blending musica mexicana,popular American music, Afro Hispanicrhythms, and indigenous music of theAmericas. La musica chicana, like manyAmerican musical styles, is distinct because ofits mixing of different musical styles. La musicchicana resulted out of the political andeconomic status of Chicanos and helpedempower the cultural identity of Chicanas andChicanos and their communities.

Did You Know?/¿Sabías?

Música jaitona or “hightone” music iselegant big band/orchestra dance music.

A corrido or ballad is a song that tells a storyand is rooted in Spanish folk traditions. Oftenthe corrido is about heroic acts, great feats,great love, heartache, or other memorableoccasions. This style of music has been verypopular in Mexico and in Mexican Americancommunities.

Conjunto literally means group but it is alsothe name of a style of music that includes abajo sexto (a bass guitar of six strings) andaccordion. It is considered the folk music ofMexican and Mexican American people. TheGuadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antoniobegan the first Conjunto Festival in the UnitedStates.

Bi-musicality is a mixing of two differentmusical sensibilities. For example big bandsounds with latino rhythms or a polka rancherawith jazz.

Armando Marroquín of Alice, Texas and hisIdeal record label were instrumental indeveloping and nurturing the marketing ofregional orquesta and the survival of conjuntomusic and other styles of Mexican Americanmusic.

Currently groups like Ozomatli, ChicanoGroove, Quetzal and many others arecontinuing la onda chicana in their music byplaying music that pulls from rock to rap, funkto punk, cumbia to corrido, and samba to salsa.These groups also use Spanish and English intheir lyrics.

Imagine/Imagína

You are a musician writing a song thattells a story, a corrido. What would thesong be about? What instruments wouldyou have for the music? What style ofmusic would it be?

Visit http://www.corridos.org/ for moreinfo and resources on corridos.

Try This/Prueba Esto

Students will investigate the styles of musicthey listen to in different environments (i.e. athome, at school, with their friends).

Students will bring music to share and analyzethe variety of music existing in theircommunity by listening and then reflecting onthe different musical elements that make upthe music.

Students will create a painting that is inspiredby a piece of music.

Materials: different examples of Chicanomusic (look at For Further Information), aCD/cassette player, if possible-an accordion, abajo sexto, congas, a saxophnone, a guitar(acoustic &/or electric), brushes, temprapaints, poster size paper, writing paper, andpencils. NOTE: have paints, paper, papertowels, brushes and water set up on tablesbefore beginning the activity.

What kind of music do you like to listen to?What do you like about the music you listento? Let’s listen to some of the music youbrought to share. Listen to what kinds ofinstruments are played and to what the lyricssay. What types of rhythms do you hear (fast,slow, jazzy, bluesy, latino rhythms)? On a

piece of paper write down about what you hearand how the music makes you feel.Think about the different types of music youhear voluntarily (the music you choose to listento) or involuntarily (the music your mom playsin the kitchen or that your grand parentslisten to). Does the music influence you in anyway? For example, does it remind you ofsomeone or some place, does the musicfrustrate you or make you feel good? Let’slisten to a piece of music. Close your eyes andlisten. Pay attention to the images that comeinto your mind’s eye. Let’s listen to the musicagain, but this time you will paint to the music.Think about some of the images that firstcame to your mind or colors that mightrepresent the music.After students complete their painting to themusic, invite a couple of the students to sharewhat they composed.

Music is part of culture. Culture is partof a peoples’ identity. Thus, music canreflect how people see themselves in theworld. It is through the creative processof music that others can learn about aculture different from their own. Yet,also understand the parallels betweencultures and styles of creating.

For More Information

BARRIO RHYTHM-Mexican American Musicin Los Angeles by Steven Loza, University ofIllinois Press, 1993

Música Tejana by Manuel Peña, Texas A & MUniversity Press, 1999

The Mexican American Orquesta-Music,Culutre, and the Dialectic of Conflict byManuel Peña, University of Texas Press, 1999

PURO CONJUNTO-An Album in Words &Pictures Edited by Juan Tejeda & AvelardoValdez, CMAS Books, University of Texas,2001

Mexican Ballads, Chicano Poems -History andInfluence in Mexican-American Social Poetryby Jose E. Limon, The University of CaliforniaPress, 1992

Música De la Raza: Mexican & Chicano Musicin Minnesota by Maya López-Santamaría, 1995Minnesota Historical Society

www.sanchoshow.com

www.metroactive.com/chicanogroove

www.corridos.org

Suggested Listening:

Texas:South of the BorderMando and The Chili Peppers

Can’t You SeeRick and the Keys

Wicked, Wicked WomanRay Liberto

Oh Please Love MeThe Lyrics

My Angel of LoveThe Royal Jesters

Wasted Days and Wasted NightsFreddy Fender

Blow OutVince Cantu and His Reckin’ Dominoes

Wrong Side of the TracksJ. Jay and the Dell-tones

Coffee GrindCharlie and the Jives

Talk To MeSunny and the Sunglows

This Is My CountryLittle Joe and the Latinaires

Hey Baby Que PasoTexas Tornados

Still Singing the BluesRandy Garibay and Cats Don’t Sleep

California:Marijuana BoogieLalo Guerrero

Pachuko HopChuck Higgins

TequilaThe Champs

The Way You Look TonightThe Jaguars

Symbol of HeavenLittle Julian Herrera

La BambaConjunto Jarocho Villa del Mar

La BambaRitchie Valens

La BambaThe Plugz

La BambaLos Lobos

Whittier BoulevardThe Midnighters

Farmer JohnThe Premiers

La La La La LaThe Blendells

Land of 1,000 DancesCannibal and the Headhunters

Viva TiradoEl Chicano

Oye Como VaSantana

SuavecitoMalo

You’re Still A Young ManTower of Power

Low RiderWar

TogetherTierra

Will The Wolf Survive?Los Lobos

Hey, SeñoritaThe Penguins

Buzz, Buzz, BuzzThe Hollywood Flames

(Baby) Hully GullyThe Olympics

Corrido RockHandsome Jim Balcom and The MaskedPhantom Band

El Estilo/Style

What is rasquachismo?¿Qué es rasquachismo?

Rasquachismo can be thought of as a Chicanoaesthetic principle and approach to makingobjects with limited available resources. It hasbeen shaped by indigenous and Mexicanartistic traditions and Chicano experiences inthe United States. Artist and scholar AmeliaMesa-Bains, Ph.D. writes, “In rasquachismo,the irreverent and spontaneous are employedto make the most from the least. Inrasquachismo, one has a stance that is bothdefiant and inventive. Aesthetic expressioncomes from discards, fragments, evenrecycled everyday materials such as tires,broken plates, plastic containers, which arerecombined with elaborate and bold display inyard shrines (capillas, domestic décor (altars),and even embellishment of the car. In itsbroadest sense, it is a combination ofresistant and resilient attitudes devised toallow the Chicano to survive and perseverewith a sense of dignity. The capacity to holdlife together with bits of string, old coffeecans, and broken mirrors in a dazzling gestureof aesthetic bravado is at the heart ofrasquachismo.”Others have identified it as an expression of“Mexican ingenuity”, “the pleasure of survival(Alicia Gaspar de Alba)”, a view from below or“underdog perspective (Tomas Ybarra-Frausto) and a “working class style.” You canthink of rasquachismo as a rich and colorfuluse of imagination. Like taking every day items,found and scavenged objects, recycled things,remnants, and mixing in vibrant colors anddesigns to creating something new, clever, andbeautiful.

Is rasquachismo uniquely Chicano? Or can youthink of other traditions that are similar?Does your family have stories of making new ornecessary things out of spare parts, discardedobjects, and everyday things?

Did You Know?/¿Sabías?

Rasquachismo can be seen in the fine arts orfolk arts as well as in daily Chicanoexpressions, experiences, actions, and sayings.For example: In Selena’s boutique in SanAntonio – “glitzy ranchera” clothes; a plantermade from an old tire; an altar made from abath tub; a hubcap yard border; or Spanglish-mixing Spanish and English words whileconversing with someone or in writing.

Rasquache sensibilities can be different fromone region to another. California’s rasquachecan be more urban, Tejano rasquache can bemore country or ranchero, New MexicanHispano rasquache can be rustic and“Southwestern”, Chicago can be called amidwestern rasquache. These regionalvariations are unique and shared, particularand common, related but subtly different.

Rasquachismo is “puro arte Chicano” or pureChicano art.

Imagine/Imagína

You have collected coffee cans, coloredtelephone wire, shreads of cloth, and oldbroomsticks. You will use these items todecorate your front porch. Think about howyou will combine them, about patterns, color,and where to place them. What would yourporch art/rasquache composition look like?

Try This/Prueba Esto

Looking For RasquachismoBuscando Rasquachismo

Students will investigate rasquachismo bycollecting examples in their communities.

Students will analyze the different styles ofrasquachismo in their neighborhood/barrio.

Materials: disposable cameras, digitalcameras, or Polaroid cameras (1 for each groupof 4 students), and/or sketchbooks, pencils,crayons, clipboards, paper or access to acomputer.

Have you seen rasquache art in yourneighborhood? What did it look like?Where did your neighbors place their recycledart piece? What were they trying to express?Take a short walking field trip around theneighborhood by your school (a 3 block x 3block walk). Before heading out for yoursearch of rasquache art, review with thestudents what they are looking for (i.e.homemade yard art that someone created,homemade altars or nichos, older cars thathave been modified like low riders and euros, alittle store that has a mural, an unusual sign ona small business).

Put the students in groups of four with onestudent in charge of the camera. The otherstudents can take a clipboard with drawingpaper, pencil, and crayons (optional). Split upthe groups so that each group has a differentarea to explore. Note: If it is a large group ofstudents (20-30) it is advisable taking adultchaperones to monitor each group. Someschools require getting principal approval twoweeks ahead. Instruct each group that theyare to draw what they find and to also writedown details of what, how, where, and whythey like it. The person with the camera willtake a couple of pictures of the rasquache art.After your search, return to the school andhave each group discuss what they found ordid not find. Have each student share theirdrawings or Polaroid pictures.Have the students create a bulletin boardillustrating rasquachismo using found objectsfrom home or school and displaying theirdrawings, photographs and thoughts about thisChicano concept and art form.

A Niche Altar/Un Nicho Altar

Students will create a rasquache art piece bycomposing a niche altar/un nicho altar withfound objects from home.

Students will use art elements (pattern, color,form, balance, unity) in their compositions.Materials: one shoe box for every student, anobject from home that is important to themthat will fit in the shoe box, other objects likesoda pop bottles, the plastic rings that hold asix pack of soda, small old or new bottles, anyfound objects, glue or a hot glue gun, tempra

paints, brushes, aluminum foil or gold foil,glitter, old working Christmas lights, coloredtelephone wire, tinsel, string, fishing line,pencils, drawing paper, scissors. Have thematerials sorted out on a table so thatstudents can choose what they want to use.

A niche or nicho is a recess in a wall where astatue of a saint or Virgin is usually placed.Instead of placing a religious statue, studentswill need to bring an object from home that isimportant to them or the teacher can collectkitsch objects from home for the students tochoose from.What is an altar? An altar can be a tablewhere a ritual is performed or someone specialis honored. Where would you find an altar?Altars can be found in people’s homes, in achurch, or in someone’s yard in un nicho or aniche. Why do people create altars? Peoplecreate altars as a way to honor someonespecial like a saint or a person who has passedaway. We will make a niche altar/un nichoaltar to honor someone or something importantto you. Instead of a table, a box will be used.Shoeboxes work quite well. Instruct thestudents what they will haveThe freedom to choose what materials theywant to use to design their nicho altar afterthey have drawn out their design on drawingpaper. Guide them to think about who or whatit is for. If the niche altar is for someone whois it? Why that person? The student will haveto find an object that somehow representsthat person. Students can also choose anobject to represent something that isimportant to them. After they have drawn outtheir plan, the students can begin choosingwhat materials they want to use. Remind themthat if they are going to paint their box theymight want to paint it first before gluing onobjects.Their imagination and creativity can beexpressed freely.After the niche altars are completed haveeach student talk about what his or her nichealtar represents, who is it about, and why theyused the objects they chose.

For More Information La Frontera/The Border:Art About theMexico/United States Border Experience

Centro Cultural de La Raza, Museum ofContemporary Art, San Diego, 1993

"Domesticana": the sensibility of Chicanarasquache. ! By Mesa-Bains, Amalia. LosAngeles, CA: Aztlán, Vol. 24, no. 2 (Fall, 1999),1999

Rasquachismo: A Chicano Sensibility.By Tomas Ybarra- Frausto in CARA ChicanoArt: Resistance and Affirmation, 1965-1985, Wight Gallery, UCLA 1991

Chicano Art Inside/Outside The Master’sHouse: Cultural Politics and The CARAExhibition. By Alicia Gaspar de Alba, TheUniversity of Texas Press, 1998

Shrines of Faith by Elda SilvaSan Antonio Express News, S.A. Life,Wednesday, December 12, 2001

Altars and Icons-Sacred Spaces in EverydayLife. by Jean McMann, Chronicle Books, 1998

¿QUIÉN SOY? / WHO AM I?

What does it mean to beChicano/a?

Chicano writer Armando Rendón answered thisquestion in his 1971 Chicano Manifesto. Hewrote:

“The Chicano is unique in America. He is adescendant of the Fifth Sun, bound to theland of Aztlán by his blood, sweat, and flesh,and heir to gifts of language and culture fromSpanish conquistadores. But in him, too isanother dimension. Some observers have saidof the Mexican American that he is an in-between, neither Mexican nor American. Thetruth is that the Mexican American is a fusionof three cultures: a mezcla of Mexican, Indian,Spanish, and the North American- yes, eventhe Anglo-dominated society is his to absorbinto himself.

The word, Chicano, is offered not merely as aterm of differentiation (some would sayseparation or racism), but also as a term ofidentification with that distinct melding ofbloods and cultures. The term Chicano isanything but racist, because it declares theassimilation of bloods and heritage that makesthe Chicano a truly multi-cultured person.”

Indigena (Native American), MexicanAmerican, Latino, Hispanic, American, for theChicano he is a mix of all those labels. It is upto each individual to decide which one orcombinations they wish to use for identifyingthemselves to others. It is also important toknow that how you identify yourself mightchange over time and change from situation tosituation.

Did You Know? ¿Sabías?

Definitions:Fifth Sun/El Quinto Sol - This is the namegiven by the Aztecs to the current calendarcycle.Aztlán - This is the name of the Aztecs’mythical homeland.

Spanish conquistadors - These were theSpaniards who first explored the Americasand “conquered” its land for Spain.Mezcla - A mixture.

People of Aztlán are descendants of the FifthSun, el Quinto Sol.

Chicano activist Corky Gonzáles wrote the1964 epic poem “Yo soy Joaquin”. This poemcontinues to inspire young Mexican Americansand other Latino youths to reclaim theirhistory and embrace their own identity.

Malintzin more popularly known as La Malincheand Doña Marina helped Hernán Cortes’sconquest of Mexico. Some historians considerLa Malinche to be the mother of the Mexicanpeople or the symbol of la mezcla de la raza -the mixture of indigenous and Spanish bloodand culture.

From Texas to California, the rich heritageand cultures that are Mexican in origin havenurtured the Chicano culture.

Spanglish is a mix of English and Spanishwords that many Chicanos/Mexican Americansuse to communicate. It is considered to beimproper Spanish by some. Yet, it reflects thecreativity, color, y sabor of Chicanoexperiences fed by Mexican and NorthAmerican culture.

Imagine/Imagína

Think about your own mixed ethnic or culturalbackground or multiculturalism. Where areyour ancestors from? What traditions do yourfamily or friends celebrate that are notconsidered “all -American”, but from anotherculture? Like Polish, Vietnamese, Salvadoran,or Nigerian.

Try This/Prueba EstoEl aguila/The Eagle

I. Students will begin to nurtureself - appreciation by understandingwhat it means to be from more thanone culture.

II. Students will express themselvesby drawing an eagle from either anAztec reference, a Mexicanreference, an American reference ora combination to represent who theyare.

Materials: copies of three different imagesof Eagles (Aztec, Mexican, American), crayons,9” x 12” white drawing paper, scissors.

How can understanding one’s history help aperson understand others? Remember that aChicana or Chicano is of Mexican descent thatmay claim indigenous, European, African, orAsian ancestry. She/he is a person who isfrom America but whose parents,grandparents, or great grandparents are fromMexico. She/he is a person who knows her/hisAmerican history, her/his Mexican history,and her/his indigenous history. She/he is aperson who is very aware of the power ofknowing her/his many histories. Knowledge ispower and knowing your history not only helpsyou know yourself better but can also help youappreciate others who are from differentcultures. Knowledge can help you see the worldas a shared place of shared symbols andbeliefs.

Share with the students three pictures of theeagle. There are some images that are sharedby the Aztecs, Mexicans, and NorthAmericans. One shared image is the eagle.Describe what is different about each eagle(the shape, the color, the design, and thegesture). What is the same about the eagles(what it represents, symbol of strength and ofthe spirit?)? The Aztecs believed that theeagle/cuauhtli was strong and could see verywell because it could soar high above theclouds to see all that was below. The Aztecsnamed a certain class of warriors, EagleWarriors, because of their strength and clearsight. Their ancestors founded the landTenochitlan from a premonition they had thattheir land would be where they found an eagleholding a serpent perched on top of a pricklypear cactus. This myth and symbol enduredand is on the center of the Mexican flag. TheMexicans kept this symbol as a tie to theirancestors, the Aztecs and the Mexicas.However, Mexican’s ancestors are also the

Spanish who conquered Tenochitlan from theAztec Emperor, Moctezuma. How doAmericans use the symbol of the eagle (oncoins, on money, on military pictures, on theGreat Seal of America)? For Americans theeagle also represents strength. This eagle hasan olive branch in its talon and not a snake.What do you think the olive branch stands foror symbolizes (food, taking care of theenvironment, peace). The olive branch standsfor or symbolizes the power of peace. You willalso see the eagle holding arrows that standfor the power of war.

For many Mexican Americans, they or theirparents, grandparents, or great grandparentswere born in Mexico and moved or immigratedhere to the United States where they havebecome American citizens. Their history andculture is still connected to Mexico.Choose an eagle that best represents who youare. For some it might be the Aztec eagle,because it might represent your ancestors, forothers it might be the Mexican eagle becauseit might represent home, yet for some it mightbe the American eagle because you are acitizen of the United States proud of yourcountry’s strength in peace and war. But theremight be some of you that feel connected toall three because you are Aztec, Mexican, andAmerican.When you feel a part of two cultures or arefrom two cultures like MexicanAmericans/Chicanos then you are bicultural.If you can speak, read, write, and understandtwo languages then you are bilingual. A personwho is bicultural and bilingual can often makemore connections between other culturesbecause of this bicultural experience andunderstanding. She or he is strong and clearsighted like the eagle.

This is how you will do your drawing:I. Use different colors to

completely color your drawing paper.Color very hard so that the colorsare very bright and vivid.

II. Now, color on top of all thebrilliant color with black. Cover it upcompletely with black pressing theblack crayon very hard.

III. Lastly, Choose an eagle or eaglesthat you feel represents who you are.

Take a pair of scissors and draw theeagle/eagles with the point of thescissors or any other metal point.Draw carefully through the black soas not to tear your paper but to seethe beautiful colors underneath. Trydrawing a variety to lines andpatterns.

IV. ¡Horale! You have a drawing of aneagle/cuauhtli that represents whoyou are.

Students can share with each other why theychose the eagle in their drawing. A writingexercise can be included with the art projectaround the question Who Am I?/¿Quién soy?

Autoestima/Pride

I. Students will explore what self-esteem means by learning about theirculture and themselves.

II. Pencils, writing paper, copies ofWhy Am I So Brown? by TrinidadSanchez

Materials: pencils, copies of acrostic poemworksheet, copies of the poem Why Am I SoBrown? by Trinidad SanchezHave you ever wanted to be someone else orhave a different body or a different family?(Give the students time to share theirfeelings. Share your own feelings or memoriesabout this question too.) Why do we feel thisway? (Sometimes we are not happy with howwe look or how our families behave, maybe wedon’t always see the good things about ourfamilies or ourselves.) What can help uschange our negative or bad feelings aboutourselves? (Knowing the things that make usunique or the things that we are really greatat doing, knowing our history.) There is a poemwritten by the Chicano poet Trindad Sanchezcalled Why Am I So Brown? It is about alittle girl whom Trini knew. She asked him thisquestion one day because she didn’t want tohave brown skin. She was ashamed of her skincolor and of being Mexican American. So Triniwrote this poem for her.

Why Am I So Brown?For Raquel Guerrero

A question Chicanitas sometimes askWhile others wonder: Why is the sky blue?Or the grass so green?

God made you brown, mi’ja,Color bronce – color of your raza, your peopleConnecting you to your raices, your rootsYour story/historiaAs you begin moving towards your future.

God made you brown, mi’ja,Color bronce, beautiful/strong,Reminding you of the goodnessDe tu mama, de tus abuelas, yourgrandmothersY tus antespasados, your ancestors.

God, made you brown, mi’jaTo wear as a crown, for your are royalty –La raza nueva – the people of the sun.It is the color of Chicana women –Leaders/madres of Chicano warriorsLuchando po la paz y la dignidadDe la justicia de la nación Aztlán!God wants you to understand . . . brownIs not a color . . . it is:A state of being, a very human textureAlive and full of song, celebrating –Dancing to the new worldWhich is for everyone . . .

Finally, mi’jaGod made you brownBecause it is one of HER favorite colors!

What do you think Trini was telling the littlegirl? (To love herself, to be proud of who sheis Mexican and American.) Why is this goodadvice? (Because a person should never beembarrassed of who they are. Feeling pride orself-esteem let’s people know that you are incontrol of your destiny.)

Write an acrostic poem about what you areproud about. It could be about a talent thatyou have, your family, that you are bilingual,that you’re a great speller or a great dancer orthat you are Mexican-American or Chicana (o).Whatever gives you pride. The lettersPRIDE/ORGULLO or

SELF-ESTEEM/AUTOESTIMA will be writtenon the left side vertically so that each letterbegins a sentence of the poem. The poem canbe written in English or Spanish or bilingually.Read your poems to each other when everyonefinishes writing.

Example:PRIDE/AUTOESTIMA

Painting the women who are my heroesRejoicing in their glorious contributions to our communityInviting mis comadres to reflect on the gifts of our razaDancing to the music of an accordionEffortless pride of the women who sang the songs de nuestra autoestima.

By Terry A. Ybáñez

My Name/Mi nombre

I. Students will explore how namescreate a person’s identity.

II. Students will express themselvesby writing a story about their name.

Materials: 9’ x 12” colored construction paper,4” x 6” white construction paper, 4” x 6” whitecopy paper, markers, crayons, glue, scissors,pencils, copies of the story My Name fromHouse On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Do you like the name given to you by yourparents? If you like your name what do youlike about it? If you don’t like the name yourparents gave you, what would you change yourname to and why?Why are names important? (Names identify aperson; tell others about what kind of personhe or she is.) The writer, Sandra Cisneros,wrote the story, My Name, as part of a bookcalled House On Mango Street. Sandrawrites the stories about a little girl namedEsperanza and shows us the world thatEsperanza lives in. Read the story, My Name.Remember to practice reading the storybefore reading to the students and to read ittheatrically. After reading, ask the studentshow they feel about names in Spanish? Why?How did Esperanza feel about her name? Whydid she want to change her name?

Have each student think of a creative way towrite out their names (their real names or thename they wished they had.) Each student willwrite his her name in a creative way on the 41/2” x 6” white construction paper using themarkers and crayons and then cut it out.Instruct the students to make a pop-up bookby following what you do.

I. Fold a 9” x 12” coloredconstruction paper in half so that it’s4” x 6” of paper.

II. Take a pair of scissors and cut a1” tab on the fold in the center of thepaper.

III. Fold the tab making the creasevery clear and push the tab into thefolded construction paper.

IV. Open the folded constructionpaper and glue cut out name onto thetab.

Each student can write about why they liketheir name or why they don’t like their nameon the 4” x 6” white copy paper. What isspecial about your name? How does your namereflect who you are? Does your name remindyou of a certain texture, smell, or taste?After everyone has written about their names,have each student glue their story into thepop-up book. Have them title the front of thebook My Name/Mi Nombreby and the date.

While the students are working, talk to themabout nicknames, apodos. Ask them if theyhave friends and relatives that have unusualnicknames or apodos. How or why did they getthose names?Have everyone share their stories about theirnames.

Me/Yo

I. Students will begin developing anunderstanding of what makes eachperson unique.

II. Students will develop culturalawareness by promoting self-knowledge.

III. Students will express themselvesby creating a self-portrait with oilpastels.

Materials: pencils oil pastels, toothpicks,drawing paper 8” x 12 “, small mirrors(if possible), posters of self-portraits byChicana artists (Yolanda Lopez, Santa Barraza,and Carmen Lomas Garza.)

Why would anyone want to draw a picture ofthemselves? (To better understandthemselves, to share with people what theyknow, to investigate or celebrate something inone’s life.) Show an art poster of a self-portrait. What do you see happening in thispicture? What do you see that makes you saythat? What else do you see?What can this self-portrait tell us about theartist?

Draw a self-portrait of yourself. Look into themirror and draw what you see. Or you candraw how you think you look.

I. Sketch your face onto thedrawing paper with a pencil.Remember to add details that makeyou unique.

II. Next use the oil pastels to coloryour self-portrait. Use the colors sothey symbolize you (your favoritecolor or a color that symbolize howyou feel).

III. Use a toothpick to scratch lines,texture, or a pattern on or around theimage. Be creative and try to useunusual color combinations.

IV. Draw things/objects around yourportrait that symbolize what you likedoing or who you care for.

Close with the poem:

Here Are Two Faces Looking At MeBy

Trinidad Sanchez

In the distance, in the echoes of my mind

The canto de dos gallos rose to myconsciousness

Signaling the morning/singing songs of praise

To the gods of life/the gods of living.

Here are two faces looking at me

Dos caras – no podia escapar

La son y risa que brindaban.

Facing life is not too easy –

I can only live one day at a time…Here are two faces looking at me

Full of historia/the future

Like two stars from the cosmic galaxy.

Children, too young for words,

The music of their smiles

Is what they use to describe

The compromiso, the compassion

Deep in their hearts for the family we alllove/we all share.

Crazy – the sensation of twins

De la misma semilla

Two faces sin mascaras – Suddenly

I see the children of the campesino

The children of El Salvador and Guatemala

I see the children of Nicaragua

I see the children of Detroit

I see the children of Aztlán

While the sounds of cultures clashing

Surround me.

Double are the smiles – intense

Driving me to places deep inside my heart

And the murmurs turn to drumbeats

Calling on the clear vision/the new dreams

For re-mapping our homeland!

For More Information

CHICANO MANIFESTO by Armando Rendón,Ollin Book, 1971

GROWING UP CHICANA/OEdited by Tiffany Ana López, Avon Books,1995

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOWABOUT LATINO HISTORY By HimilceNovas, Plume Books, 1998

WHY AM I SO BROWN? By TrinidadSanchez, Abrazo Press, 1991

A Piece of My Heart/Pedacito de miCorazón-THE ART OF CARMEN LOMASGARZA by Carmen Lomas Garza, The NewPress, 1991

INFORMATION 20 Years of JodaBy José Montoya, Chusma House, 1992

www.soyunica.com

www.azteca.net

www.IMDiversity.com