Current Issues Actualidad

MExICAN AMERICAN VETERANS Monuments and

Historical Roles

ed ramírez, linden, ca

Amovement generated by the death of George Floyd that sought to bring down symbols of the oppression of African Americans took hold in California led by native Americans who targeted their oppressors. Monuments dedicated to European conquistadors and colonists from Father Junipero Serra (1713-1784) to John Sutter (1803-1880) were defaced and/or taken

down. In the process, on July 4, 2020 in Sacramento, a monument dedicated to Mexican American soldiers was defaced with words in graffiti accusing them of being “F’ing Colonizers.” While it would be hard to determine who actually defaced the El Soldado monument, it might have been a Native American, a sympathizer or wannabe-indian. Whoever defaced the monument had a skewed and an “ahistorical” understanding of California’s past and who Mexican Americans are and are not. Located facing the Capitol, the monument dedicated in 1948 was paid for by the mothers and wives of Mexican American soldiers that died fighting in WWII. In my opinion, for the accusation of colonizer to be true, Mexican American soldiers would have had to be the direct descendants of spanish colonizers and identified themselves with Spanish colonial negativo patrón de representaciones de los mexicanos en la historia del suroeste que ha sido prominente desde el siglo XiX. intencional o involuntariamente, este patrón desplaza la culpa y la responsabilidad de la opresión de las personas de color alejándola de los colonizadores europeos. Es un patrón entre algunos aficionados locales de la historia —o como el historiador Lenard Pitt los llamó “anticuarios”, en oposición a los “historiadores profesos”— que parecen disfrutar citando las malas acciones de los mexicanos en la historia de California temprana (por ejemplo, las fuerzas militares mexicanas que atacaron a los indios). El control de México sobre California después de la independencia de España solo duró desde 1821 hasta la firma del Tratado Guadalupe Hidalgo en 1848 o 27 años. Con respecto a la colonización de los nativoamericanos —en comparación con los 300 años de los españoles y los 173 años de dominio estadounidense— el impacto de México sobre los indígenas de California fue minúsculo. De hecho, la identidad nacional mexicana ni siquiera estaba bien formada durante el período mexicano de California del 1821 a 1848. Si bien fueron los indios y Mestizos oprimidos quienes libraron las batallas por la independencia de México a partir de 1810, los criollos o españoles de sangre pura nacidos en México usurparon el control de la revolución continúa a la vuelta history and cultural traditions. i would argue that this is not true in regard to Mexican American WWii veterans.

Although anecdotal, the Mexican American veterans that I have known were more likely to identify with Mexican revolutionaries Pancho Villa or Emiliano Zapata who helped end the remaining colonial period institution of Peonage —versus conquistadores and colonizers like Hernan Cortez (1485-1547) or Father Junipero Serra.

The accusation of colonizer fits the pattern of negative portrayals of Mexicans in southwestern history that has been prominent since the 1800’s. Intentional or inadvertent, this pattern shifts blame and responsibility for the oppression of people of color away from the European colonizers. it is a pattern among some local aficionados of history or as Historian Lenard Pitt called them “antiquarians,” as opposed to “professed historians,” who seem to relish in citing the bad deeds of Mexicans in early California history (e.g., Mexican military forces attacking Indians). Mexico’s control of California after independence from spain only lasted from 1821 to the signing of the Treaty Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 or 27 years. Regarding Native Americans colonization, compared to 300 years of Spanish and 173 years of u. s. dominance Mexico’s impact on California indians was minuscule.

In fact, Mexican national identity was not even fully formed during California’s Mexican period 1821-1848. While it was the oppressed indians and Mestizos who fought the battles for Mexican Independence beginning in 1810, Criollos or pure blood spaniards born in Mexico usurped control of the revolution and essentially maintained exploitative colonial institutions after Independence in 1821.

Historically, Mexico has sought to reaffirm its Indian heritage and has struggled to eradicate European (spanish) colonial and neo-colonial institutions that perpetuated the oppression of continued on next page May 2021 Joaquín 11

Monuments and Historical Roles

continued from previous page indians and Mestizos (people of mixed race). Mexico’s most significant historical events were linked to this struggle from the Mexican Independence Movement (1810-1821) to the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920).

The process of conquest, subjugation, and pacification of Native peoples began in Central Mexico with the defeat and subjugation of the Azteca in 1521 and essentially the same methods were used to expand spanish colonial control into new spain’s northern and southern frontiers. the spanish military in collaboration with Catholic missionaries led the vanguard. they targeted sedentary native groups engaged in agriculture to conquer, evangelize and subjugate. Eventually, the process reached California in 1769.

Colonial economic institutions including the Mission system, Encomienda, Repartimiento and Peonage were used to exploit native and Mestizo labor and resources. Genocidal practices and disease decimated the native population and the spanish habit of taking Indian women at will as concubines contributed to the growth of a mixed race or Mestizo population. By 1650, the Mestizo population far outnumbered the native population. A colonial caste system evolved based on purity of spanish blood. At the top of the hierarchy were Peninsulares (born in Spain), then Criollos (claimed pure spanish but born in the new World) followed by numerous lower castes based on a mixture of Indian, Spanish, and African ancestry.

Mestizos and indians trying to escape the pernicious colonial caste system or conscripted into military service comprised colonial military forces. these forces were sent into the far reaches of the frontier to protect spanish colonial and later neo-colonial interests. Therefore, subjugated descendants of the conquered and victims of genocide were often forced into service to protect the frontier. i don’t believe that there is a meaningful cultural connection between Mexican Americans and spanish colonizers to support the allegation that Mexican American WWii veterans were “F’ing Colonizers.” Further, the native and Mestizo forbearers of Mexican Americans that may have been part of the spanish colonial and/or Mexican neo-colonial military force were also the victims of colonization and not the perpetrators of it.

What differentiates a spanish colonizer from a Mexican or Mexican American is the latter’s Indian blood and heritage. In my view, accusing Mexican American WWii veterans who died in battle of being “F’ing colonizers” borders on the absurd.

Monumentos y Papeles Históricos

viene de la vuelta y esencialmente mantuvieron instituciones coloniales explotadoras después de la independencia en 1821.

Históricamente, México ha buscado reafirmar su herencia indígena y ha luchado por erradicar las instituciones coloniales y neocoloniales europeas (españolas) que perpetuaron la opresión de indígenas y Mestizos (personas de raza mixta). Los hechos históricos más significativos de México estuvieron vinculados a esta lucha desde el Movimiento por la independencia de México (1810-1821) hasta la revolución Mexicana (1910-1920). El proceso de conquista, subyugación y pacificaEd Ramírez linden, ca ción de los pueblos nativos comenzó en el centro de México con la derrota y subyugación de los Aztecas en 1521 y se utilizaron esencialmente los mismos métodos para expandir el control colonial español hacia las fronteras norte y sur de Nueva España. El ejército español —en colaboración con misioneros católicos— lideró la vanguardia. Apuntaron a grupos nativos sedentarios dedicados a la agricultura para conquistar, evangelizar y subyugar. Finalmente, el proceso llegó a California en 1769.

Las instituciones económicas coloniales —incluyendo el sistema de Misión, Encomienda, Repartimiento y Peonaje— se utilizaron para explotar la mano de obra y los recursos

Bibliography

affairs, c. d. (2021). el soldado Memorial History and status. retrieved from cal vet: https://www.calvet. ca.gov/MinorityVets/pages/MaVMc-History.aspx allen, V. (2020, July 17). Vandalizing american History: a list of 113 toppled, defaced, or removed statues. retrieved from the daily signal: https://www. dailysignal.com/2020/07/17/vandalizing-americanhistory-a-list-of-64-toppled-defaced-or-removedstatues/ escalante, e. (2020, July 6). el soldado’ monument at capitol vandalized with ‘F*** colonizers’ graffiti. retrieved from aBc 10: https://www.abc10. com/article/news/local/sacramento/el-soldadovandalized/103-08c0a550-2007-4216-9a56b0d074380dff

indígenas y Mestizos. Las prácticas genocidas y las enfermedades diezmaron a la población nativa y el hábito español de tomar mujeres indias a voluntad como concubinas contribuyó al crecimiento de una población de raza mixta o mestiza. Para 1650, la población mestiza superaba con creces a la población nativa. se desarrolló un sistema de castas colonial basado en la pureza de la sangre española. En la parte superior de la jerarquía estaban los peninsulares (nacidos en España), luego los criollos (supuestos españoles puros pero nacidos en el nuevo Mundo) seguidos de numerosas castas inferiores basadas en una mezcla de ascendencia indígena, española y africana.

Los Mestizos e indios que intentaban escapar del pernicioso sistema de castas coloniales, o reclutados para el servicio militar, conformaban las fuerzas militares coloniales. Estas fuerzas fueron enviadas a los confines de la frontera para proteger los intereses coloniales españoles y los posteriores intereses neocoloniales. Por lo tanto, los descendientes subyugados de los conquistados y las víctimas del genocidio a menudo se vieron obligados a prestar servicio para proteger la frontera. no creo que exista una conexión cultural significativa entre los mexicoamericanos y los colonizadores españoles para apoyar la acusación de que los veteranos mexicoamericanos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial eran “F’ing Colonizers”. Además, los antepasados nativos y Mestizos de los mexicoamericanos que pudieron haber sido parte de la fuerza militar colonial española y/o neocolonial mexicana también fueron víctimas de la colonización, y no los perpetradores de la misma.

Lo que diferencia a un colonizador español de un mexicano o mexicoamericano es la sangre y la herencia indígena de este último. En mi opinión, acusar a los veteranos mexicoamericanos de la segunda Guerra Mundial que murieron en el campo de batalla de ser “F’ing Colonizers” raya en lo absurdo.