Date: 1996-09-17
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I take the time today to inform the House and my colleagues that yesterday. September 16. was Mexican Independence Day. I spent the day visiting schools on the border area where I live that were celebrating on our side of theRio Grande River the Mexican independence. I would like to relate to why it impacts on our side. and a little bit of what we have in unison with the people of Mexico and the nation of Mexico. First. let me say that the odyssey began some 500 years ago. when the first Spanish galleons traveled across the Atlantic under the sponsorship of a gracious queen of Spain. really searching for the Far East and the spices. and all of the other things that they wanted to bring back to Spain and to Europe. but a sailor named Christopher Columbus navigated his way and ended up in the islands of the Caribbean. From then came further and further immigration to the new lands. to the new world. Some of the first galleons that traveled from Spain. and the Spanish and the Portuguese navigated the world over. all the seas of the world. and then Great Britain and all of the other navies of the European nations. those that had navies. but this was the beginning of colonizing. the beginning of bringing people. Records show that the Spaniards came to Hudson Bay. to the northeast part of the United States. throughout the Atlantic. through the Gulf. but the eventual landings in which we are interested tonight came into what is now Mexico. basically Mexico and the Gulf parts of the United States. Although others went to what is now Peru. Chile. Argentina. they began settlement throughout all of the Americas. The relation to us. and this is of interest. is that in 1776. the process for independence began in what is now our Nation. the United States of America. by mostly immigrants from Great Britain. some German and other Europeans. but basically from Britain who had taken dominion over the lands that we now know as the northeast . part of the United States. and a few States of the South. All of us know the interest and it was mentioned in earlier debate about taxation without representation. Eventually there was that yearning for independence which all individuals have inherently. so began the quest for independence. and the independence that was declared independent. or we. those who represented our country at that time. their desire for independence led to the Declaration of Independence on July 4. 1776. Mexico came some 33 years later. in 1836. That was what began the process. on September 16. 1810. So what -I wanted to bring out to the attention of our Members is that people of similar interests and similar desires that lived in Mexico and were the leaders of Mexico wanted their independence from Spain. so we had probably the most powerful nation in the world at that time. Spain. with dominion over what we now know as the Americas. They were saying the same thing. and that is the interest that we insist that our children and hopefully all of our people understand. that unity in thought and in deed by people of similar character and similar interests. and by accident. there were many similarities. There was a cry for independence here. there was a cry for independence in Mexico. A bell was rung in PhiladelVhia. the Liberty Bell that all of us know. Thirtysome years later a bell was rung at a village named Dolores Hidalgo. which could be almost the echo of what we heard in Philadelphia. almost the echo of the bell that rang at Dolores Hidalgo. shouting the same thing: Liberty. just. freedom. equality. It has been hard to achieve and it is not yet ultimately achieved. both in our country or in Mexico. but that was the beginning. George Washington was. in Mexico. Father Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla. We had a Betsy Ross that is credited for weaving the first flag of our country. Mexico had a lady. Dona Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez. that was a part of the independence movement. and -actually warned the Mexican insurgents or the Mexican freedomloving leaders of that effort that the Spaniards were coming to catch them and imprison them. Those are the things that we recollect at this time. because they almost copy our Constitution. and the Jefferson and the Franklins. Mexico had their counterparts. Morelos was a foremost Parliamentarian in Mexico. and they have had harsh times because of internal problems. military. But this is something that we ought to realize and consider in our dealings with Mexico. that we were dominated by the British. and I say we. those that lived here at that time. My part of Texas was not a part of the endeavor of 1776 because we were a part of New Spain. Then when those great Mexicans. of which my family was one. although we lived far away from the area up where the events occurred. it was nonetheless part of New Spain. and later it became part of Mexico when Mexico secured its independence from Spain. And then when Texas secured its independence from Mexico in 1836. we became Texas. And then when Texas joined the Union. we became citizens of the United States of America for which we are proud and we have served. You can count the Purple Hearts. you can count the Medals of Honor. you can count those who served. I served twice. Navy and Army. My mothers youngest brother died in the service of our country. We have his Purple Heart. So those are the things that unify us. I wanted to say to some of our colleagues that might have some concern that we have a double culture. Well. double or triple culture does not diminish an individual. it enhances the individual. It brings more knowledge. it brings more activity related to their individual ethnic beginnings. In Texas. the center part of Texas when Mexico wanted to colonize the northernmost part of their territory at the time. which stretched basically from Texas to California. to Oregon. all what we call now the Southwest. they sent impresarios which they offered land to go bring from Europe people to colonize. to come and live on the land. But one caveat was. dont bring Spanish. dont bring British. dont bring French. Those were the three nations that coveted that area. So they went to middle Europe and they brought German and Czech and Slovak and Polish. some -Hungarians. Madam Speaker. those are the ethnic groups in my congressional district now in Texas that came when we were a part of Mexico. They settled in that area. and I have in my district all of those ethnic groups. speaking their language. their culture. Next week there is going to be a Czech night near Corpus Christi. We have the German festivals. we have the Polish festivals. This is part of what the United States is. This is a mosaic of what we are and who we are. That is why the interest in the Mexican independence. Because if they had been no Mexican independence. we may not have at this time what we now know as the United States of America. Also in an unfortunate incident of history. twothirds of Mexico became part of the United States. Texas. New Mexico. Arizona. California. Oregon. Utah. Colorado. almost all of that area which was Mexico became part of the United States. And now we proudly proclaim and pledge allegiance to our flag. But yet we have respect for whom our ancestors were. what they did. and where they came from. And so we have this dual. that when we celebrate Mexican independence day. many of our families. my family. were part of that effort and became independent from Spain. as our brethren from the northeast became independent from Great Britain. And now we are what we are. incidents of history but nonetheless reality in the world we live in. And because of that. we are the most powerful Nation in the world. in the history of the world. Also this morning. Madam Speaker. I was able to participate in a Hispanic month celebration at the Department of Agriculture. As unmerited as it may have been. they honored me with a plaque being chairman of the Committee on Agriculture. But this is something that most of our colleagues need to know and the people need to know. that when the Spaniards came to the new world. they brought what was the beginning of American agriculture. the greatest agricultural nation in the world. But they brought the seeds for wheat. the vines for the grapes. They brought many of the European agricultural products. But here was corn and cocoa and some argument about tobacco but I insist that tobacco was here. Potatoes. Throughout the Americas. we wove together what the European brought with what we already had here. And in many parts of this Western Hemisphere. the Indians. we call them that. the Aztecs in Mexico. they had irrigation systems. they had aqueducts. At the same time they had aqueducts in Spain and all the areas of Europe. The basic American water law comes from Spain. But the natives in this hemisphere. the Aztecs. performed surgery. They had zoological gardens grander than any that you see now throughout our country. They had pyramids grander than those on the River Nile. And in Guatemala and in the Yucatan and in Peru. the Incas. we had a civilization equal at least to that that came from Europe. This is part of our history. part of our culture. That is what I wanted to tell my colleagues. that when we celebrate Mexican independence day. we are celebrating part of what has been an impact on what is now the United States of America. including territory. Because this was the way to the Pacific that belonged to Mexico at that time. In 1848. the Treaty of Dolores Hidalgo that was transferred to the then fledgling United States of America. So you cannot separate the issue. I as an individual cannot separate or bring myself to separate myself from the culture. from the ethnic derivatives. I serve this Nation. this country. that flag. But yet some of my ancestors served the other country and that flag. and forever I will have respect for both. but loyalty to this one. So that is something I wanted to make clear. For those who may have some confusion. for those that may ask. well. why would we celebrate Mexican independence? Mexico has had a very harsh history. occupied by Spaniards first. occupied by the French. President Benito Juarez began the process of ridding Mexico of the French occupation. The Austrian emperor opposed an emperor of Mexico named Maximilian and they did not have the ability to resist but eventually a humble Indian named Benito Jurarez led an effort to rid Mexico of the imposition of foreign rule. And we celebrate the Fifth of May. which is the culminating battle. not the end. of getting the French out of Mexico. That is celebrated on the border and through many parts of the United States where there are Mexicans or of Mexican descent. because this was what rid all of the new world of foreign powers. The French were the last to occupy Mexico and after that. there has been basically no formal occupation of any of the lands of North and South America. We celebrate that with great joy. we do in Texas because the general that led the Mexican troops had been born in Texas. when Texas was a part of Mexico. So we take great pride in that. That general was born in what is now my congressional district. in Goliad. TX. when his father was head of the garrison for the Mexican army in Gollad. TX. Goliad later played a part in the Texas effort for independence against Mexico. But I wanted to congratulate. if for no one else but myself as a Member of this House. the people of Mexico and the Government of Mexico. One word that I would like to leave. and it is quoted quite often. that President Benito Juarez said that "among men. as among nations. respect for the rights of others is peace." And that we honor on the Fifth of May. And then another great President of Mexico and my good and dear friend. President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. said right here from this rostrum when he delivered an address to a joint session of Congress that. and I quote. "Geography has made us neighbors. history has made use friends." He said that right from here. Madam Speaker. And that is what we celebrate when we celebrate. You cannot separate the United States of America. as we know it today. from the Mexican people. from the Mexican culture because. as President Diaz Ordaz said. "Geography has made us neighbors. history has made us friends." That is irrevocable. that is inseparable. And so I join with all of those that celebrated yesterday throughout the United States Mexican independence with this explanation. if I might call it. of why we do that. why we are proud. and what we have done in order to foster and enhance the United States of America which for those of use that are citizens is indeed something that we feel that an accident of history made me a citizen of the United States of America but one that I am terribly proud. but I will always have a love. admiration and respect for the Mexican people because at one time we were part and a great part of our country was part of their country. That is irrevocable.but also you cannot separate it from your feelings and from the interests that you have when neighbors honor and respect neighbors.