TITLE: Recognizing April 6, 2011, as Tejano Independence Day.

SUMMARY: Recognizing April 6, 2011, as Tejano Independence Day.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, From the colonial era to the present day, Texas has derived great benefits from its Tejano population, and the innumerable contributions made by this state's residents of Hispanic heritage are indeed deserving of special recognition; and WHEREAS, The date of April 6 has special meaning for Latinos in Texas; on that day in the year 1813, Jose Bernardo Maximiliano Gutierrez de Lara proclaimed the independence of Texas from Spanish rule; his declaration came after the military group he helped lead, the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition, had seized San Antonio from royalist forces; the revolutionary contingent was made up of many volunteers of several different ethnicities, including Hispanics, Native Americans, and Anglos; occurring more than two decades before the better-known Texas Revolution of 1836, this action was an important pioneering effort in the struggle to bring republican government to Texas; and WHEREAS, A few months after independence was proclaimed, these early revolutionaries were forced to defend their newly liberated land; on August 18, 1813, proudly flying their emerald green flag, they marched out to meet Spanish forces south of San Antonio in the Battle of Medina, considered to be the bloodiest engagement ever fought on Texas soil, with more than 1,300 men believed to have been killed; the vast majority of the casualties were suffered by the republican forces, who were greatly outnumbered by the royalist army, and this battlefield defeat signaled the end of the independent state that had been established; and WHEREAS, This often-overlooked chapter of Texas history illustrates the vital contributions that Tejanos have made to the development of our state; by commemorating the significance of April 6, 1813, we justly honor the essential role that Hispanics have played in our society through the centuries; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize April 6, 2011, as Tejano Independence Day and encourage all Texans to reflect on the state's rich and vibrant Latino heritage. Rodriguez Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1104 was adopted by the House on April 7, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House