NewsTaco

By Delfin Carbonell Basset, Voxxi

Daniel Boone is an American legend. Don Juan de Oñate is an unknown native-born Explorador. Why the difference?

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) says in his Heroes, Hero Worship and the Heroic in History, 1841:

…Universal History, the history of what man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men who have worked here. They were the leaders of men, these great ones; the modelers, patterns, and in a wide sense creators, of whatsoever the general mass of men contrived to do or to attain; all things that we see standing accomplished in the world are properly the outer material result, the practical realization and embodiment, of Thoughts that dwelt in the Great Men…

Don Juan de Oñate a native American

Don Juan de Oñate was a native American, born In Zacatecas, New Spain, Nueva España, now Mexico, in 1550—fifty eight years after the discovery. In 1595 Felipe II entrusted him with a mission: to explore and colonize the northern frontier of New Spain. Oñate forded the Río Grande in 1598, where the present-day El Paso is located, on April 30, 1598. He claimed all the territory for Spain as New Mexico—Nuevo México. A Mass and festivities followed as acts of gratefulness, which could very well be considered the second Thanksgiving celebrated on American soil. September 8, 1565 was the first such celebration offered by don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, founder of St. Agustine, Florida, another of the forgotten heroes.

Oñate explored northern New Mexico and founded the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, becoming its first governor. He set up plans for the founding of the town of Santa Fe. His explorations and travels were sprinkled with dangers, wars, cruelties, discoveries, killings, enslavement and plundering. He was recalled to Mexico City and tried and convicted of cruelty to Indians and Spaniards. His appeal was successful and he was exonerated of all charges. He later went to Spain where he died in 1626 at the age of 76.

Daniel Boone became a legend in his own lifetime and continues to be a legend. Juan de Oñate was no saint on earth, certainly, but a man of action and a leader of men. He was called “the last of the Conquistadors”, but was not considered a legend in his own lifetime or even a hero today. However, the history of the American Southwest cannot be understood without him.

This article was first published in Voxxi.

Delfin Carbonell Basset is a contemporary lexicographer and creator of the Unialphabet system.

[Photo by Advanced Source Productions]

By:Victor Escalante NewsTaco

El Paso, Texas is known for many things; Chico’s Tacos, Fort Bliss, cowboy boots, the Sun Bowl, and the first Thanksgiving celebrated in America? Yes! But more on that later.

El Paso is a unique city that is almost like another country. A mixture of three cultures, old Mexico, New Mexico, and Texas. Separated by the Sonoran Dessert from other parts of the country, it has a culture all its own. For centuries Latinos, Anglos, and Native Americans have figured out how to get along and work together to form a prominent bustling community.

The city is made up of 80.7 % Latinos, 14.2 % White, with 5.1 % made up of Native Americans, Blacks, Asians,  and other mixed races. After the free trade agreement, the city became one of the busiest ports for assembled products coming from the twin plants American manufactures built in the sister city Juarez Mexico.

In order to succeed in this part of the country being bilingual is a definite advantage. For that matter, due to the large Latino purchasing power, many corporations are now recruiting bilingual staff for key positions.  With the Latino electorate reaching the tipping point, we can expect a more moderate acceptance of Spanish and our culture. We are now experiencing a reverse assimilation of cultures with the Latinization of America.

El Paso del Norte as it was known in ancient times was colonized by Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate. An oasis in the dessert, El Paso provided water and food after he and his expedition party nearly died trying to cross the dessert. They celebrated with native Indians eating game and fish from this fertile valley. The first Thanksgiving in America was celebrated here in 1598, 23 years before the New England festival. That my friends is the rest of the story. May your Thanksgiving be filled with merriment full of turkey and tamales.

[Photo by Victor Escalante]