7-Mexican Texans - Institute of Texan Cultures

7-Mexican Texans
The People
Before 1821 there were no "Mexicans." When
explorer Hernando Cortes from Spain arrived
in 1519, there were only indios. Eleven to 20
million Indian people lived in the region
of Central America. Over the decades after
Cortes's landing, the Spanish men who immigrated to New Spain joined with the Indian
women, creating a new group of people called
mestizos.
When the native people revolted against Spain
in 1821, New Spain became an independent
country called Mexico, and the Indians and
In 1922 these men were stacking groceries at
mestizos became known as Mexicans.
Matilde Elizondo's store. What foods might be in
the store's boxes?
Texas was part of New Spain and then Mexico,
but, with the Texas Revolution, Texas became Lorenzo, Senecu, Ysleta, and Socorro. In the
the Republic of Texas. The border separat1850s, 200 years later, 5,000 Spaniards, mesing the two countries was not clear until the tizos, and Indians gave the area the largest
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. The population on the Spanish frontier. In 1718
treaty made the Rio Grande the border be- more Spaniards, mestizos, Indians, and free
tween the United States and Mexico, and all blacks came as priests, soldiers, and farmers
people living north of the river became part to settle San Antonio de Bexar, the fort, and
of Texas.
San Antonio de Valero, the mission. There
the Indians in Texas were made to work in the
Early Settlements
missions and learn European ways of living.
The government of New Spain and the
Catholic Church set out to settle their northern frontier, Texas, by building missions and
forts. Between 1682 and 1793, 26 missions
were built to settle the huge area and change
the Indian religion to Christianity.
In the 1650s Fray Garda founded a mission
along the south banks of the Rio Grande in
today's Ciudad Juarez. Within 30 years there
were five settlements: El Paso del Norte, San
To encourage more settlers to come to the
area, the government gave large grants ofland
to developers (salesmen) called empresarios.
It was their job to bring in settlers and sell
them land to populate the area.
The settling of South Texas along the Rio
Grande started in 1748, when Jose de Escand6n from Spain issued land grants to men
who began the towns of Camargo, Reynosa,
Dolores, Revilla, Mier, and Laredo.
Mexican Cultural Folkways
Two major holidays of Mexico which continue ancestral ties are celebrated in Texas:
Diez y Seis de Septiembre and Cinco de
Mayo. Mexico's fight for independence from
Spain began on Diez y Seis de Septiembre,
September 16,1810. Cinco de Mayo, May 5,
honors the day in 1862 when a small Mexican
army defeated a large French army in the city
of Puebla on the east coast of Mexico. Today
this battle recognizes the courage and determination of the few who fought against the
many. These holidays are a celebration of
freedom from foreign rulers as the people of
Mexico fought to end European control of
their country.
Fiestas occur on these holidays in Texas
with lots of food, music, and dancinga great big party. There is color and excitement
as people watchfolk16rico dances and listen to
mariachi or conjunto music while eating gorditas} thick corn tortillas filled with beef or
chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese, and
bufiuelos} deep-fried pastries sprinkled with
cinnamon and sugar.
Mariachis probably first appeared in the late
1700s as music groups in the small towns of
Mexico. The groups played local songs using
a harp, two violins, and a vihuela} a small fivestring guitar with a rounded back. Changes
have occurred over the years, with the harp
being replaced by the bass guitarron, which
is a larger version of the vihuela. The music is
happy, joyous, and filled with movement.
Amazing Mexican Texans
Martin de Leon (1765-1833) was a Mexican
empresario who settled the town of Victoria.
He was born in the northern state ofTamaulipas to wealthy parents from Spain. After
he married Patricia de la Garza, he began
ranching in the area, but following a visit to
San Antonio and Nacogdoches, he decided to
settle near the village of San Patricio.
From his ranch near San Patricio, he drove
cattle to the market in New Orleans, making
him one of the early cattle drivers of Texas.
In 1824, after Mexican independence, he was
issued a grant to settle 41 families at Nuestra
Senora Guadalupe de Jesus Victoria.
De Leon was a big man, six feet tall, and a
skilled horseman. The Indians called him
Capitan Vacas Muchas, or Captain Plenty
Cows, because he gave Indian raiding parties
beef to protect his ranch and livestock.
Jovitaldar (1885-1946) was born in Laredo,
one of eight children. She became a teacher,
journalist, and political activist. She worked
on her father's newspaper, La Cronica, and
wrote about the poor conditions of Mexican
and Tejano people. Tejanos were people of
Mexican heritage who lived in Texas.
She was the first president of the League of
Mexican Women in 1911 and worked to
provide education for poor children. During
the Mexican Revolution in 1913, she joined
La Cruz Blanca and worked as a nurse. When
her father died, she ran the newspaper, using
it as a voice for her people.
Don Pedrito Jaramillo (?-1907) was a famous curandero, or healer, in South Texas. He
came to Falfurrias, living near Olmos Creek
in 1881. People came from allover seeking
his powers to heal them. He carried a Bible
and provided cures to the many people who
came. The people paid whatever they had for
his help, such as chickens, eggs, beans, or a
treasured piece of jewelry.
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