Viva!

Mexico!Includes astory of

Benito Juarezand

Cinco deMayo

Exciting studentactivities inside!

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage withstorytelling, art, and history

This program is generously sponsored by Chevron.

History of Cinco de Mayo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Aztec Treasures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Age of Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Fighting for Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Famous Hispanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Customs and Celebrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Fiesta Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Popular Hispanic Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl . . . . . . . . . . . 16Art and Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Los Váqueros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Houston's Hispanic Settlers . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

CreditsPamela Stone Ciaccio WriterSara Padua Abogada EditorSummer Amin Designer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Cinco de MayoHistory of

In 1862, in the town of Puebla, a battle took place between the French and the Mexicans. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexicans' victory in this battle!

Cinco de Mayo also celebrates the courage of the Mexicans who believed, “If you don’t give up, you can win — even if the odds are against you!”

Who is Benito Juarez?

What happened on Cinco de Mayo?

How is Cinco de Mayo celebrated today?

But the warwas not over.

Free again!

Benito Juarez was born in a small village called San Pablo Guelatao,

Oaxaca on March 21, 1806 His parents died when he was three years old, so Benito and his older

siblings lived with their grandpar-ents After their grandparents died,

Benito lived with his Uncle Bernardo, who taught Benito to speak and read Spanish (Benito had spoken a dialect called Zapotec) Later, Benito went to the city of Oaxaca for three weeks, where he lived with Mr Antonio Maza and helped with domestic chores Mr Maza sent Benito to live with a priest named Antonio de Salanueva, who sponsored his studies at the seminary for several years After that, Benito left the seminary and studied law at Oaxaca State University Two years later, Benito moved to Oaxaca City, the capital of the state of Oaxaca, where he continued learning Here, he worked as a bookbinder in exchange for the cost of his schooling At the age of 28, Benito became a lawyer and defended the poor But he wanted to do more Benito entered poli-tics and became his state’s governor Benito wanted to bring peace again to Mexico, protect every citizen and make sure everyone had equal rights Benito Juarez inspired a very famous proverb: “Entre los individos como en las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz ” (Between individuals, as well as among nations, the respect of others’ rights means peace )

In 1858, Benito Juarez became president of Mexico This was a dangerous time in Mexico Far away, in France, the French Emperor decided he would try to take over Mexico In 1862, he sent soldiers across the sea to fight the Mexican people

When the Mexicans learned the French army was advancing, they hid in the hills and waited for them On Cinco de Mayo (May 5, 1862), thousands of French sol-diers marched on foot Thousands more rode on horseback The soldiers’ pointed rifles looked like a forest of prickly spikes Horses pulled heavy cannons over the bumpy ground The land was covered with weapons and soldiers! At noon, the battle began The French thought the battle would be over quickly But, to their surprise, the Mexicans fought hard By late afternoon, the French were running out of bullets and cannon balls Many soldiers were dead or wounded Finally, the French rode away

The French Emperor was angry at the news of “Cinco de Mayo ” He sent 30,000 more soldiers to Mexico Soon, they took over Mexico City President Juarez had to flee the city

For four years, the French ruled Mexico (May 17, 1863 to June 19, 1867) But, Benito Juarez and other Mexican lead-ers kept fighting At last, in 1867, they won The French left Mexico was free again From that time on, no other country has ruled Mexico President Juarez rode back into Mexico City He raised the Mexican flag over the city “Viva Mexico!” he cried “Viva Mexico!” shouted the people

Today, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in both Mexican and American cities People young and old

parade in the streets — danc-ing, singing and making merry remembering the

“Battle of Puebla ”

The Mexicans won Viva Mexico! Now they knew they

were strong

Benito Juarez becomes president of Mexico:

Viva Mexico!

How many holidays, past or present, can you find listed in the Houston Chronicle? Divide into three teams and circle the

holidays. Read the Dining Guide and Flavor sections, as well as the ads. (Hint: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Earth

Day, and more.)

Divide into three teams. Read the Houston Chronicle, especially the Star section. Find stories or pictures of Hispanic celebrities. The team that clips the most can lead the next activity.

The winning team selects a celebrity or group of celebrities to lead a parade. Then, the class can create the parade, including the holiday theme, parade route, celebrity lead-er, costumes, floats, etc. Get permission to stage your own parade outside in front of the school! If you can’t find all these items, pantomime the parade. Have fun!

✥ Go to chron.com. In Sports or Entertainment, find a picture of a Hispanic person in the news. Write a summary of that news story.

✥ Go to chron.com. Search Jobs for employment positions available for people who speak both English and Spanish. List at least five of those jobs.

✥ Go to chron.com. From Travel, find a place in Mexico that you would like to visit. Write about something you would like to do there to help you learn about the history or culture of that place.

Student ActivitiesHoliday fun...

Pick-a-celebrity...

Chron.com activities...

BENITO JUAREZ

✥ How old was Benito Juarez when he learned to read?

✥ Who taught him?✥ In what city did he attend school?✥ How did he pay for his schooling?✥ How old was he when he became a

lawyer?✥ When did he become President of

Mexico?✥ What did Benito Juarez do when

he declared Mexico free?

CINCO DE MAYO

✥ What caused the battle of Cinco de Mayo?

✥ What does Cinco de Mayo mean?✥ Describe the Battle of Puebla.✥ What time did the battle begin?✥ Where was the location of the

battle?✥ Which side was defeated on Cinco

de Mayo?✥ After the battle on Cinco de Mayo,

what did the French Emperor do?✥ When did Mexico win its freedom

forever?

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4

Stage-a-parade...

An ancient legend describes how the Aztecs wan-dered for many years without a home According to the legend, one day, their god, Huitzilopochtli, told the Aztecs to build a city where they saw an eagle on a cactus On an island in Lake Texcoco, they spotted their eagle, so they built the great city of Tenochtitlan For 200 years, the Aztecs were rich and powerful

✥ An Aztec ruler was called the Tlatoani ✥ The people were divided into classes ✥ The noble class worked in the government ✥ Common people were craftsmen, fishermen and farmers ✥ Rich people owned slaves

Moctezuma Moctezuma was a rich and powerful Aztec ruler He was carried around on a portable throne When his followers saw him in a parade, they cheered and threw flowers at his feet Some waved banners Some presented him with rare jewels or other riches

Aztec parents, grandparents and children often lived together in one house When a baby was born, a spe-cial ceremony was held For a boy, the family crafted a tiny bow and arrow For a girl, clothes and a spinning wheel were made

Children worked hard Their parents were strict Girls helped in the home Boys fished or worked in the fields Boys and girls went to separate schools, where they learned weaving, feather work, pottery and other crafts Boys trained as warriors

Aztecs believed that gods controlled their lives and everything that happened in their world The Aztecs made

sacrifices to: ✥ Tlaloc, the god of rain

✥ Huitzilopochtli, god of sun✥ Coatlicue, fierce goddess of earth✥ Xipe Totec, god of plants✥ Tepeyolatl, the god of fire✥ Quetzalcoatl, the god of the wind

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Almost 700 years ago, Native American people called Aztecs lived in the country we now call Mexico.

Land ofthe legends

How Aztecs ruled

Home & families

Commoners’families

The Aztec warriors left their homes and joined the army at the sound of the war drums The warriors wore stiff cotton suits and carried wooden shields into battle They fought with bows and arrows, spears, and wooden clubs These fierce clubs were edged with sharp chips of volcanic rock called obsidian The Aztecs did not kill their enemies They took them alive to pay tribute to the Aztecs and used them as slaves To the Aztecs, tribute was like a tax It was paid with food, treasures and slaves to provide for the Aztec people and give riches to the nobles (ruling class)

Aztec knights wore jaguar skins and feathered helmets in battle They believed these helmets gave them the strength of wild animals

Warfare

Animal helmets

How to makea war helmet...

Materials: Tagboard, hole puncher, stapler, yarn, scissors, markers, glue, “beautiful

trash” like feathers, fabric scraps, cotton balls, stars, etc. For a more organic look, you can collect dried leaves, nuts or ber-

ries, or fur-like materials.

Procedure: Cut strip of tagboard to fit around head as helmet. Then, decorate

helmet with objects. Use glue to fasten objects onto helmet. You may draw symbols of the gods or goddesses with markers. You can use more than one strip of tag-board to add to helmets’ height. You may use stapler to staple tiny objects or paper objects onto helmet. You can also punch holes in helmet and attach ribbon, yarn or string for decoration.

Gods & goddesses

T R E A S U R E SA ztec

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Divide into groups of four. Read the Flavor section of the Houston Chronicle. Select foods “fit for a king” and make a list of foods you might serve Montezuma at an Aztec feast.

The Aztecs named their gods and goddesses from their environment. Divide into groups of four. Select weather-related stories from the Houston Chronicle and create god-like names to describe them, like Helda, the goddess of Hurricanes, etc. The team with the most names wins!

The Aztecs loved to tell tall tales about heroes or “sheroes.” Read the Houston Chronicle or scan its comics, and select a hero or “shero.” Then, draw a picture of a heroic figure taken from the Houston Chronicle.

Divide into groups of four. Two people select their favorite hero or “shero.” Remaining group members act as reporters and interview the characters. Before the interview, make a list of questions like: What two people were the greatest influence in your life? What famous deed are you known for? Can you describe how you felt when you did that deed? What did you gain from this experience?

From the research gained from interviews, each group writes a story about the hero or “shero.” You can refer back to your original news article or the comics for added details, like physical appearance, friends, relatives, residence, job, super powers or other facts.

Student ActivitiesAztec feast...

Tall tales...

Weather watch...

Story writing...

Ask-a-hero...

BANNERSMaterials: Construction paper in shape of ban-ner or streamers; glue and glitter; tray (could use half of egg carton) ; balloon sticks; tape to attach banners or streamers to sticks; curling ribbon. Colored markers.

Procedure: You may use markers to decorate banner with symbols representing the gods. Squeeze lines of glue on banner. Pour glitter on banner. Shake off extra glitter into tray. Attach banner and curling ribbon to stick.

PARADEClass can go outside and parade around school building waving banners in praise of Sun God. Act out giving gifts to Aztec gods or goddesses. Use rhythm instruments, chanting or dancing.

AZTEC QUIZ

1. Who lived under one roof in an Aztec family? 2. Many Aztec __________ trained as warriors. 3. _____________ rode around on a portable throne.4. About ___________ years ago, Native American people called ________ lived in a country known as Mexico.5. For _________ years, the Aztecs were rich and powerful.

AztecArt ActivityCan you draw & decorate a banner of Montezuma to carry in a parade?

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The Conquistadors

After Christopher Columbus arrived in North America, the conquistadors followed

Hernan Cortesdefeats MoctezumaMoctezuma II (1480? to 1520), the great-great grandson of Moctezuma I, was the emperor of Mexico when the Spaniards came He ruled from 1502 to 1520 He and his people believed that the conquistador Hernan Cortes, the leader of the Spaniards, was Quetzalcoatl, the White God of the Aztecs, who had sailed away many years before but promised to return At first, Moctezuma welcomed the Spaniards with gifts of golden ornaments Later, he tried to keep them from entering Tenochtitlan, but it was too late Cortes captured the city and the emperor

Bold adventurers Like Cortes, the conquistadors were after one thing — gold These bold adventurers did not want to “settle”

the New World They were on get-rich-quick missions, searching for gold and jewels They came in a burst of glory and blood, and were gone

Hernando De Soto As the conquistadors poured into America in the years following Columbus’ voyages, the successes and failures of a few became well-known One of these was Hernando De Soto De Soto had accompanied explorer Francisco Pizarro into Peru in the 1530s, and he returned to Spain as a wealthy man On the De Soto expedition, he arrived just north of Fort Myers, Florida, on May 25, 1539 Entering Indian villages, he often took hostages including the chief Then, he demanded food and lodging for his men When he was ready to move on, he took along the hostages, freeing them only when the next Indian village agreed to his demands In this way, the Spaniards moved north from Augusta, Georgia, to below Memphis, Tennessee, at the Chickasaw Bluffs The Spaniards found supplies of maize and beans but no gold Near Natchez,

Mississippi, the party stopped De Soto, who was ill, sud-denly died Four months later, the party returned to Spain They did not return with jewels and precious metals Starving and in poor health, the party returned in rags

Spain’s great explorers of the late 1400s and the 1500s were like team players in a serious game. The Spanish, Portuguese, French and English were all racing to discover and claim the most land. Some explorers used whatever means necessary to make their country the most powerful on earth.

7

Bring the Real Estate section from the Houston Chronicle to class or go to chron.com/realestate. Read aloud a few advertisements for lavish houses or estate properties. Discuss how ad writers make copy appeal-ing. Point out how ad writers use copy points, headlines, body copy, slogans, humor, or figures of speech to catch the readers’ attention.

\

Pretend you are Hernando De Soto seeking adventur-ers to search for gold and glory in the Americas. Divide into four groups. Each group finds interesting ads from the newspaper, then writes their own ads for Hernando De Soto.

The conquistadors did not treat the Aztecs fairly. They tricked Moctezuma into believ-ing they were friendly, then they stole his gold and treasures. After defeating Moctezuma, they enslaved his people. Find race-related stories in the Houston Chronicle and explain how some people, because of race or class, are still treated unfairly.

Luring people to the Americas was big business. Who benefited from the Spanish discovering gold? Study the

Business pages of the Houston Chronicle. List three businesses that, for profit, try to motivate customers to

buy or build a product.

✥ Why did the Europeans call the native people in Mexico and Peru “Indians?”

✥ How did the Spanish soldiers overrun the natives?

✥ How did the natives fare in North America?

DRAMAWrite a play about the influence of Hernan Cortes in the settling of New Spain. Don’t forget to answer these questions:✥ How did Hernan Cortes befriend

Moctezuma?✥ Why did Moctezuma think Hernan

Cortes was a god?✥ How did Moctezuma show his

appreciation to Cortes?✥ What happened when Cortes dis-

covered the riches of Moctezuma?✥ How did the Spanish trick the

Native Americans?

NOTE: Begin with a storyline, divide it into scenes, assign players, act out play. Be sure it has a begin-ning, middle and end.

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Student Activities

Race relations...

Big business...

De Soto seeksadventurers...

8

Ads for conquistadors...

Texans in Mexico Texans felt they had little loyalty to Mexico’s

constitution and laws which required Texans to become

Mexican citizens or Catholic before they could acquire

land

Texans wanted slavery Texans also objected to Mexico’s anti-slavery laws,

because many immigrants who colonized Texas brought

slaves with them to work the farmlands

Many Texans opposed a centralized government

in Mexico They wanted to rule themselves They rebelled

against Mexico, seeking to set up an independent

republic

Sam Houston Sam Houston was appointed Commander-in-

Chief of the newly formed Texas army, and he led a

revolt against Mexico David Crockett was one of the

U S volunteers for the Texas army

Bloody battles1 THE ALAMO - February 1836 In February 1836, Santa Anna’s army of 1,800

soldiers attacked the Texas rebels at the Alamo, an aban-

doned mission in San Antonio After defeating the Texas

rebels at the Alamo, Santa Anna ordered the execution of

340 Texas prisoners in nearby Goliad To this day, Texans

remember this bloody incident The cries, “Remember the

Alamo!” and “Remember Goliad!” bring forth passionate

memories to Texans

2 BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO - April 1836 Santa Anna’s troops pursued what

was left of the Texas rebels — including

frightened colonists — across eastern

Texas But the rebel Texans soon assem-

bled at the San Jacinto River, a mile from

Santa Anna’s army camp

On April 21, 1836, during a siesta,

the Texas rebels attacked the Mexican

encampment “A three-hour massacre followed, making

San Jacinto a war atrocity in its own right,” says historian

Sam W Haynes “The Texans killed 630 Mexicans, wounded

200, and captured 730 more ”

3 MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR - 1846 to 1848 This war was fought between the United States

and Mexico over disagreements that had accumulated for

two decades In the course of the war, U S forces invaded

Mexico and occupied the capital, Mexico City

At the war’s end, the United States took control

of Mexico City, insisting that the Mexicans agree to turn

over land from the Rio Grande region of the northern ter-

ritory, including California, Nevada, and Utah, and parts

of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming With the

signing of the Treaty of Hidalgo and the gain of $15 million,

Mexico agreed to these demands

In spite of this treaty, many historians regard the

Mexican-American War as unnecessary and an attack on

a weaker nation

Background of the war

In 1844, James Polk was elected as president of

the United States He was in favor of annex-

ing Texas, which was controlled by Mexico

The Mexican government warned that,

if Texas was admitted to the Union, a war

would occur

In addition, there was a movement

by the United States to expand west-

ward into new lands This was called

“Manifest Destiny ”

After failed attempts to make concessions with Mexico, on

May 13, 1846, Major General Zachary Taylor led a battle

against Mexican soldiers near the Rio Grande After news

of this battle, Congress declared war on Mexico, saying,

“American blood was shed on Mexican soil ”

More bloody battlesCERRO GORDO - A key victory for the Americans during

the march from Veracruz to Mexico City The battle, fought

from April 17 - 18, 1847, cleared the way to Mexico City

CHAPULTEPEC - A group of young Mexican military

cadets were the dying heroes in this battle, which took

place at the Castle of Chapultepec, at the top of a rocky

hill, towering 200 feet, inside the gates of Mexico City

Did you know that Texas once belonged to

Mexico? Yes, it was a Mexican territory.

However, by the 1830s, nearly 35,000 immi-

grants were lured to Texas by the promise of land.

Anglo-American settlers outnumbered Mexicans.

Fightingfor

Independence

Continued on page 10 9

Study the Editorial pages of the Houston Chronicle for political and editorial opinions. Clip the editorials and cartoons which portray Republican or Democratic viewpoints.

Study your clips and decide whether or not you support the Democrats’ or Republicans’ point of view. Then, write a paragraph expressing your view. Remember, an editorial allows you to express yourself freely!

✥ Scan the Houston Chronicle for articles about wars. Discuss these wars.

✥Divide into teams of five. Refer to the articles you’ve circled. Compare the modern-day wars to the Civil War or the Mexican-American War. Consider — who is fighting whom? Why are they fighting? Are they fighting to defend their own country or someone else’s? How long have they been fighting this particular war?

✥ Read the Main News section of the Houston Chronicle. Can you find a reference to the term “ethnic war?” What does that term mean? Refer to the war articles you’ve recently pulled.

At sunrise on September 12, 1848, U S artillery

began blasting at Chapultepec’s walls and rooftops The

shelling lasted 14 hours, but the Mexican troops held firm

Inside the castle of Chapultepec, the bombardment

had taken its toll The dead and wounded lay along the cor-

ridors Without medicine or supplies, their fellow soldiers could

do nothing for them

Brave soldiers The fight for Chapultepec ended in bloody, hand-to-

hand combat, with U S troops scaling the walls of the castle

with ladders Some of the bravest Mexican soldiers were stu-

dent cadets, most were teenagers, the youngest thirteen

According to legend, six cadets chose to die rather

than surrender: Agustin Melgar, Juan Escutia, Fernando

Montes de Oca, Vicente Suarez, Francisco Marquez, and

Juan de la Barrera Juan Escutia is said to have wrapped

himself in the flag of Mexico before leaping to his death from

the castle wall Known as the Niños Heroes (boy heroes), they

are remembered every year in a national patriotic ceremony

This was the last battle of the Mexican-American

War The next day, Mexico surrendered the capital of Mexico

City to the United States

Student ActivitiesPolitics...

Democrat v. Republican

Other Activities...

✥The Mexican-American War was a train-ing ground for leading American and Confederate officers who later fought in the Civil War. They were: Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis.

✥Ulysses S. Grant said this about the Mexican-American War: In his memoirs, he recalled this war with shame, describing it as “the most unjust war ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation.”

READ and DISCUSS

The Mexican-American War was more than a skirmish between the United States and Mexico. It was also a battle to retain the right to own slaves. In fact, many historians think that the war fueled the flames of the oncom-ing Civil War. Can you explain why?

Continued from page 9

10

Did you know that Rita Moreno was the first Hispanic actress to win the Oscar? She is listed in the Guinness Book of

Records as the only person ever to win the four major prizes in show business: the Oscar, the Grammy, the Tony and the Emmy She has three Emmy awards, in fact Moreno won her Academy Award as best supporting actress in 1962 for West Side Story

In 1972, she won her Grammy for her recording of The Electric Company Album, which included her singing for a

children’s educational TV series In 1975, she received a Tony for her performance in The Ritz In 1978, she received Emmy awards for appearances in The Muppet Show, The Rockford Files, and most recently, Oz on cable TV Born in Humaco, Puerto Rico, as Rosa Dolores Alverio, she came to New York City when she was four years old Rosa grew up speaking English without an accent She also began dancing lessons when she was six By thirteen, she appeared on Broadway for the first time At the age of fourteen, she went to Hollywood And in 1956, she was cast in her breakthrough role as Tuptim in The King and I In 1961, she was cast in West Side Story, where she received her Oscar Ms Moreno has also worked within the entertainment industry to secure more jobs for Hispanics In 1988, she was given a New York Image Award for lifetime achievement from the Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences

Ninfa Laurenzo is known to Houstonians as “Mama Ninfa ” She is more than a successful restauranteur She is a survivor This is her story In 1969, Mama Ninfa’s husband died suddenly and she was faced with supporting her family After praying, she mortgaged her house and opened a little taqueria The next morning, she called a contractor about remodeling, and in 1973, Ninfa’s on Navigation became a reality But troubles continued for the Ninfa family The next week, a fire destroyed the upstairs of the restaurant Ninfa gathered her family around her, saying, “We’re going to grit our teeth and fix it up ” Within weeks, the restaurant reopened Soon, the lines began forming People from all over Houston, including River Oaks, came to Ninfa’s for tacos al carbon, enchiladas, tacos, and more all like Ninfa’s mother used to make In less than 10 years, Ninfa’s grew into a multi-million dollar busi-ness with restaurants in Houston and Dallas George Bush is a frequent visitor, as was John Travolta, when he was filming the movie Urban Cowboy Today, Ninfa's Restaurants employ up to 1,000 people, serving more than 2 million people a year; that’s about 40,000 a week That’s a lot of tacos!

Rita Moreno, actress

Mama Ninfa, restauranteur

11

Famous Hispanic People

12

In 1990, Dr Ellen Ochoa was selected to be an astronaut in NASA’s Space Shuttle Program Her message to other Hispanic students regarding her success is, “If you stay in school, you have the potential to achieve what you want in the future ” Her example reinforces those words A native of San Diego, she gradu-ated from San Diego State before receiving

her master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University Before her astronaut training, she was the chief of the Intelligent Systems Technology Branch at the NASA/Ames Research Center at Moffet Field Naval Air Station in Mountain View, California She is the first Hispanic female ever to become an astronaut

Roy Benavidez, a Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, lived most of his life in El Campo, Texas He earned the admiration and respect of millions of Americans before his recent death at the age of 63, following a long illness The son of Texas sharecroppers, Benavidez grew up knowing the pain of prejudice and poverty His parents died when he was young, and he was raised by his uncle Under the circumstances, Mr Benavidez felt his only way out was the army The young soldier was right As a Green Beret, Mr Benavidez gained a sense of pride and an opportunity for adventure During a secret mission inside Cambodia, for instance, he proved his worth When his Green Beret unit was attacked by North Vietnamese, he saved the lives of eight men who were surrounded by enemy fire

With everything appearing lost, Mr Benavidez saved the day by repositioning troops, directing helicopters and calling air strikes, and administering first aid to the wounded — all while enduring dozens of injuries to himself, caused by gunshot wounds, grenade explosions and hand-to-hand fighting Though praised for his brave actions, Mr Benavidez responds by saying he was only doing his “duty ”

Selena Quintanilla-Perez was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, to a musi-cal family By the age of six, Selena was already singing like a pro at her father Abraham’s restaurant After the restaurant failed in the 1980s, Selena’s family moved to Corpus Christi, where they boarded a rambling bus and toured South Texas, singing at weddings and on the streets In 1986, Selena’s career began to take off By February 1995, Selena sold out the Houston Astrodome with her last concert for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo At this time, trouble began Selena began to suspect that her fan club director, Yolanda Saldivar, was embezzling money In March, Selena confronted Yolanda The two women argued, and Yolanda pulled out a gun and shot Selena in the chest An ambulance rushed to the scene, but Selena was pronounced dead at 1:09 p m As news of her death spread all over the world, fans mourned the queen of Tejano music The Friday she died will always be known as Black Friday However, in July of 1995, Selena accomplished her greatest musical goal — her dream of crossing over into the pop market Her first single, I Could Fall in Love, released posthumously, became an instant #1 hit Selena lives on in the hearts of millions of her fans!

Ellen Ochoa, astronaut

Roy Benavidez, Vietnam hero

Selena, superstar

Famous Hispanic People

In most Spanish speaking countries in the Americas, “Las Posadas” are celebrated on December 16 This event brings to life how Joseph and Mary searched for a place for Christ to be born The word “Posada” means “inn” or “place of lodging ”

To celebrate this holiday, people go from house to house knocking on the doors of friends and neighbors for nine days They pretend to be searching for the inn where Jesus was to be born They carry lanterns and small figures of Mary and Joseph while singing carols or exclaiming, “Feliz Navidad,” which means “Merry Christmas ” When they reach the house where the nativity scene is kept, they have a big celebration, where they eat tamales and break a pinata

The Day of the Three Kings is celebrated on January 6 This holiday comes twelve days after Christmas On the night of January 5, children leave their shoes or an empty shoe box stuffed with straw outside their houses for the camels of the Three Kings In the morning, the straw is gone, but in its place, are candy, fruit and toys This tradition reminds the children of the Three Kings’ journey to find the Christ Child

Through the years, this celebration has become a “blended tradition” accepted by both the Spanish and native groups Native groups, for example, had customs which showed respect for the dead The Day of The Dead is one of these events To them, The Day of the Dead is not weird or scary The Taino Indians of Cuba, for instance, believed that at night their dead family members came back to their huts looking for food During the Day of the Dead festivities, the Indians set out favorite food dishes for their relatives each night The Spanish explorers had a similar tradition, though On November 1, they have a day set aside to pray for people who died This day is called All Saints Day And it also shows respect for the dead The day after is called All Soul’s Day — when people pray for souls of the dead With time, these ideas of paying respect to the dead came to be called the Day of the Dead

On a Hispanic girl’s fifteenth birthday, this day commemorates her entry into adulthood Theyoung girl dresses up in party clothes and dances the night away with friends and family, as they feast on scrumptious foods!

Day ofthe Dead

StudentActivitiesRelative power...

The Day ofthe Three Kings

Quinceañeras

Find a person in the news that reminds you of a favorite (or, not-so-favorite) relative. Then, write down three of this person’s qualities, good or bad. For each quality, write a sentence telling how you found out the person has this quality.

With your class, look through the Houston Chronicle and find stories or photos about three different family groups. Then discuss what common interest or experience is holding each group together.

Sometimes we are very concerned with the money our relatives make. Look through dif-ferent sections of the Houston Chronicle and find one story from each section that deals with money in some way. Print the stories or headlines and combine them with your own artwork to make a poster showing how money affects our lives, especially the lives of our loved ones.

15

Las Posadas

13

Groups galore...

Rich relatives

Mexican Hot Chocolate. When it’s cold outside and you

need something warm to drink, why don’t you try this?

Ingredients:

6 ounces of plain, sweetened

chocolate or Mexican chocolate

6 cups milk (preferably whole milk)

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (unless you

are using Mexican chocolate)

2 teaspoons of sugar (if you want)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over

low heat Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted and

the mixture is blended

Just before serving, use an egg beater and beat until smooth

Serves four

A familiar dish with a Spanish zing!

In a large skillet, add peanut oil to one-fourth inch depth

Heat oil to 375 degrees Fry eight flour tortillas, one at a time,

in hot oil until lightly browned and blistered (about 10 seconds

per side) Drain on paper towels Then, prepare ground beef

and taco seasoning according to seasoning envelope

directions Spread 2 tablespoons each of beef

and salsa Sprinkle one-half cup cheese

and garnish with black olives and

green onions Broil pizza eight inches

from heat for about two minutes until the

cheese is melted Makes eight pizzas

Sausage with Eggs. Egg-zactly the way to start the day!

Ingredients:

8 eggs

3 - 4 links chorizo sausage

Garlic powder

First peel off the skin of the chorizo Take a frying pan

and mash the chorizo in the pan with a big spoon Cook the

chorizo with a little bit of oil When done, drain the chorizo

grease Next put the eggs in the pan Scramble the eggs Mix

the eggs, chorizo and garlic powder to taste Serve with a

flour tortilla

Sweet Mexican dessert

snacks. When frying tortillas

for Mexican Pizza, you can also

make Buñuelos (ben-whe-lohs)

Cut the tortilla into pieces, fry

until crisp, and then shake them

in a plastic bag containing cinnamon and sugar

StudentActivitiesBulletin board...

This se

ction lists four Hispanic recipes.

Chocolate Caliente Mexicano

Mexican Pizza

Chorizo con Huevos

Buñuelos

ART ACTIVITYYou Will Need: Glue, paper plates, markers, packing materials (styrofoam, straw, etc.), yarn, string, ribbon or material scraps.

To Do: Recreate collage of one of the Mexican dishes listed. Make it look appetizing. Remember color presentation! After you create your “dish,” you may serve your classmates.

Look for Hispanic recipes or restaurant news or ads in the Houston Chronicle. Also check out chron.com for recipes plus restaurants that serve Hispanic food. Create a classroom bulletin board that highlights your favorite Hispanic dishes

Divide into groups. From the Houston Chronicle Flavor section, select a recipe or ingredient that may fit into a Latino dish. For what celebration or occasion is this dish created? Who prepares it? How is it prepared? Describe the texture, aroma, color and flavor — yum! Draw a picture of this dish.

Divide class into groups of five. Create a celebration including food, games, costumes and decorations. Select which culture or custom you’d like to celebrate and sketch out your ideas. Present ideas to the rest of your class.

Spanish delight...

¡Celebracion!

Did you know Hispanic cooking is the product of two worlds? Livestock, cheeses, orchard fruits,

and wheat were brought to the New World by the Spanish, as well as their special way of

cooking. In addition, the Spanish forced the Maya of Mexico to become servants and

to prepare Spanish foods and spices. After a while, the two cultures blend-

ed together — resulting in a new way of cooking.

14

Piñatas originated in Italy during the European Renaissance

They were shaped like a clay ice cream cone with three points

Mexico first used the piñatas to celebrate the Day of the

Three Kings Children were told that the Kings put candy and

toys in the piñatas

HOW TO PLAY

Break a piñata in a large, open space outdoors or in a gymna-

sium Suspend the piñata from a rope over the branch of a tree,

a building beam or a hook The player is blindfolded and spun

around three times by others A stick or broom handle is placed

in the player’s hand The children shout, “Dale! Dale!" (dah-lay)

which means “Hit it! Hit it!,” and the player tries to whack the

piñata

*Note: For safety, all observers should move away from reach of player with stick, so he/she will not be able to accidentally hit anyone.

At a Cinco de Mayo party, children delight in crowning the

adults with “cascarones” (kahs-kah-ro-nas) They are

colorful confetti-filled eggs which crack open to shower

unsuspecting victims

HOW TO MAKE CASCARONES

✥ Punch open a dime-sized hole in one end and a smaller

hole (the size of pencil lead) in the other end of each

raw egg Blow through the smaller hole to remove the

insides of the egg Wash the eggshell

✥ Color the hollow egg shells with dye, magic markers or

acrylic paint

✥ After filling the shells with confetti, the ends can be

sealed with tissue moistened with glue Let them dry

and your cascarones are ready for a fiesta

Cascarones Piñatas

Mexican stories (cuentos) are

important to the Hispanic tradition.

Before there was a written language,

there was storytelling. Although

Hispanic stories are entertaining,

they also teach lessons and explain

the meanings of things. Stories reveal

the morals, values and tradition of

each culture.

Mexicanstorytelling

Look in the Houston Chronicle and find stories about people who are struggling to keep something that belongs to them. They may be trying to keep their jobs, their homes or their businesses. What are they doing to solve their problems? Write a paragraph describing what they are doing.

Look in the Houston Chronicle and find a story about a Hispanic entertainer, musician or actor. Is

there a story behind this individual’s success? Do you know how he or she became famous? Write a short story about this person.

Look in the Sports section of the Houston Chronicle. Locate stories about famous Hispanic sports stars. Who are they? Why are they famous? Which teams do they appear on? Who is your favorite? Write a “Star Report” about your findings and present it to the class.

Student ActivitiesStory search...

Star search...

Sports star...

15

Popular Hispanic Games

Go through the Houston Chronicle and list puns, idioms or slang using animal names like “dog days,” “donkey breath,” “sweathogs,” “a lion’s share,” “lion-hearted” and more.

Using the information from the Houston Chronicle, make up a story about imaginary orreal animal characters. Use the animal names from your list in your story. Let the story show conflict. Does a problem occur? Then, resolve the conflict. Each story must have a beginning, middle and end.

Collect “characters” from the story you created from the information in the Houston Chronicle. Next, put leading characters in a TV newsroom. Assign characters, reporters, pro-duction crew, teleprompter, producer, director, make-up, prop person and anchor persons. Create a fast-breaking news story. Put on a fast-paced newscast using all the necessary participants.

In this story, lovely Princess Ixtaccihuatl falls in love

with Popocatepetl Popo is a soldier who wants to marry

her Ixtaccihuatl’s father insists any suitor who wants to

marry his daughter must first fight invaders in a foreign

land While Popo is away at war, the Princess turns away

many interested suitors

Days pass, and the Princess sadly waits for her

Popo One day a soldier passes by and sees Ixtaccihuatl

working in her garden He asks her to be his wife, but the

Princesss tells him she is promised to a brave warrior

When asked, Ixtaccihuatl tells the soldier the

name of her betrothed The soldier tells the Princess that

Popocatepetl died in battle and asks for her hand in mar-

riage She refuses the proposal and runs away

Ixtaccihuatl climbs a mountain near her garden

When she reaches the top of the mountain, she falls to the

ground and weeps Snow begins to fall, but still she weeps

on the ground Snow covers the maiden for many nights

and her cries are heard no more

Much later, Popo comes looking for his betrothed

Neighbors tell him that his lovely maiden died on the moun-

tain mourning her true love

When Popo hears the tragic news, he climbs a tall

mountain overshadowing the smaller Ixtaccihuatl Then, he

lights a candle and watches over his true love Soon, snow

begins to fall and it covers him The lovers are still buried in

these mountains today

PopocatepetlandIxtaccihuatl

A P O P U L A R H I S P A N I C T A L E Here’s a popular Mexican tale which takes place near two of Mexico’s two volcanoes near Mexico City. Popocatepetl, or Popo, are called “smoking mountains” in Aztec.

Student ActivitiesPlayful animal puns...

Newscast...

Story play...

ACTIVITY Select a favorite story and act it out with a team of players. Be sure to select costumes and props (hats, scarves, aprons, sword, spoon, pots, pans, etc.) You may use large pieces of material to represent a swamp or river. Follow these guidelines:1. Make sure there are enough players. If there are

not, some people can be part of the environ-ment...like a gurgling brook, a swishing tree limb, a creaking door, swamp filled with frogs, and more. The persons that play these parts can make the noises and movements.

2. The play must have a beginning, middle and end.

3. Keep the action moving — you can change the plot line if necessary to fit your needs.

4. Speak loudly. And don’t EVER turn your back to your audience!

5. As an option, one person can narrate the story and the others act it out if you’d like.

16

Read the Houston Chronicle and www.chron.com. Divide into groups and list stories about fine artists — painters, sculptors or artisans who work in bookbinding, ceramics or jewelry. How many of these artists are of Mexican-American heritage? Does their work reflect a Hispanic heritage or lifestyle? Write a para-graph describing what you find.

Read the Houston Chronicle and chron.com. Divide into groups and list stories, with their page numers, about actors who work in the theater, movies or television. How many are Hispanic actors? What are their most famous roles? The group that finds the most artists wins. Write a paragraph telling why it is important for Hispanics to appear as entertainment artists.

Make a poster display of pictures or articles about famous Hispanic artists you find in the Houston Chronicle and on chron.com.

Sandra Cisneros, writer Sandra Cisneros is one of today’s best-known

Mexican-American authors Her most famous book is,

“House on Mango Street ”

She says her family experience shapes her

books “I was/am the only daughter,” says Ms

Cisneros in the book “The Mexican American Family

Album” by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler “Being an

only daughter in a family of six sons forced me by cir-

cumstance to spend a lot of time by myself, because

my brothers felt it beneath them to play with a girl in

public But that aloneness, that loneliness, was good

for a would-be writer — it allowed me time to think

and think, to imagine, to read and prepare myself ”

After graduating from college, Ms Cisneros

attended the Iowa Writer’s Workshop Here, she

decided to write about her own people “I knew I was a

Mexican woman, but I didn’t think it had anything to

do with why I felt so much imbalance in my life, where-

as it had everything to do with it! My race, my gender,

my class! That’s when I decided I would write about

something my classmates couldn’t write about ”

Diego Rivera, artist In the 1920s, Mexican art, as in mural painting,

became the rage Its popularity spread throughout

the world Like the great paintings from the Italian

Renaissance period, the Mexican murals sprang from

the passionate convictions of the artists One of

these artists was Diego Rivera

In 1923, Diego, 37, painted for the Mexican

Ministry of Education This mammoth project became

world-known because it captured the panoramic view

of civilization on a wall

Diego’s murals touched a human chord, because

they encouraged people to “read” Diego’s walls with-

out being literate When people saw Diego’s work, they

immediately responded

Student ActivitiesArt-search...

Make-a-poster...

Actor-search...

MURAL ART ACTIVITY1. Get a large piece of butcher paper. Cover long

table or walls.2. Divide up into groups of three or four. Decide on

theme for group mural, i.e., politics, environment, social issues, etc.

3. Group also plans scene and characters in mural.4. Select colors and supplies, like tempera paint,

Cray-Pas® (wet crayons), paint brushes, sponges, spatula or cooking utensils.

5. Execute: Draw horizontal line across paper. Separate sky from earth. Students chose which area they prefer to paint.

6. After painting is complete, students can add color, lines and texture with sponges or cook-ing utensils dipped in paint and “splashed” or printed on mural.

*Tip: Group may sketch mural on small piece of paper before beginning on large mural.

17

and

TheRomance of the Cowboy

ThoughMexico’speasantry,thevaqueros

(FromtheSpanishvacaforcow),thoughtthey

were superior to farmers. They were proud of

their work, which they believed demanded

courageandphysicalendurance.Theyscorned

firearmsforsettlingdisputes.

Othernationsrecognizedthebraveryofthe

vaqueros. In 1823,Hawaii’sKingKamehameha

III sent forvaqueros to trainhispaniola (cow-

boys). In California, New Mexico and Texas,

Mexican-American vaqueros worked as ranch

handsinthelate1800s.

Didyouknowthattherewerenocattleor

horsesinMexicopriortotheearly1500s?

Long-hornedIberiancattleandAndalusian

horseswerebroughttothiscontinentby

Spanishsettlers.Asaresult,manycolo-

niststurnedtocattleranching,because

ofthegreatdemandforhides,horn,meatand

tallow.

By1848,whenMexicolostmuchterritory

to theU.S.,ranchinghadspreadtoTexasand

California.Rich,ranch-owningcharroslikedto

display their wealth with personal ornaments

of silver, much of it from the great mines of

ZacatecasinnorthcentralMexico.

RanchingtechniquesspreadfromMexico

throughout the Americas. And the horses

that escaped in the wild from these ranches

becamethemustangsof theU.S., thepasosof

Peru,andthecriollesofArgentina.

RANCH RIOTDidyouknowthatagoodpartofTexas,NewMexicoandCaliforniawasoncepartofMexico?AftertheU.S-MexicanWar,MexicolostmuchofitsnorthernterritorytotheUnitedStates.ManyMexicanranch-erswereforcedofftheirland.LookintheHoustonChronicleforastoryorpictureofanindividualwhoisbeingforcedtomovefromhisoriginalhome.Howdoesthatpersonfeelwhenheisforcedtofleethecountry?Aresomepeoplebeingforcedtodothistoday?

With a red pencil, circle words

which come from our Southwestern

heritage. Check all sections of the newspaper, including the Food section

or the Sports section. Some of these are: pioneer, frontier, boots, bridle,

saddle, chili, pepper, cinch, pony, mustang, cowboy, cowgirl, bull, rodeo,

sombrero, chaps, stirrups, etc. The person who finds the most words

wins!

From this list of words, make up a story

about a modern-day cowboy or cowgirl.

Where does this person live? Does this person ranch, play polo, rodeo, or

enjoy taking mountain trail rides? Does this person live on a dude ranch

or working ranch in West Texas? Describe the person’s daily life. How

does this person survive? What type of horse does this person ride? What

type of saddle does this person use? What type of day-to-day problems

does this person face? How is the cowboy/cowgirl’s future affected by

our increasing population and industrialization of our country?

Other activitiesStudent ActivitiesWord search...

Story play...

The Valiant Vaqueros

Charros & Vaqueros

How aboutthose horses?

✥ Look through the Houston

Chronicle and find a story where

people are trying to protect their

land. Once you find this story,

add on to it. Create a good

ending with lots of details.

✥ Find a story in the newspaper

about a person who loves

animals and the outdoors.

Turn it into a Mexican story

written for children.

✥ What traditions and celebra-

tions do we share with our

neighbors in Mexico? Look

in the Houston Chronicle for

stories, traditions, festivals or

foods that we share.

1�

The Valiant Vaqueros Mexico's cowboys, called vaqueros (comes from Spanish vaca for cow), thought they were superior to farmers They were proud of their work, which they believed demanded courage and physical endurance They scorned firearms for settling disputes Other nations recognized the bravery of the vaque-ros In 1823, Hawaii’s King Kamehameha III sent for vaque-ros to train his paniola (cowboys) In California, New Mexico and Texas, Mexican-American vaqueros worked as ranch hands in the late 1800s

Charros & Vaqueros Did you know that there were no cattle or horses in Mexico prior to the early 1500s?

Long-horned Iberian cattle and Andalusian horses were brought to this continent by Spanish settlers As a result, many colonists turned to cattle ranching, because of the great demand for hides, horns, meat and tallow By 1848, when Mexico lost much territory to the U S , ranching had spread to Texas and California Rich, ranch-owning charros liked to display their wealth with personal ornaments of silver, much of it from the great mines of Zacatecas in north central Mexico

How about those horses? Ranching techniques spread from Mexico through-out the Americas And the horses that escaped in the wild from these ranches became the mustangs of the U S , the pasos of Peru, and the criolles of Argentina

RANCH RIOTDid you know that a good part of Texas, New Mexico and California was once part of Mexico? After the U S-Mexican War, Mexico lost much of its northern territory to the United States Many Mexican ranchers were forced off their land Look in the Houston Chronicle for a story or picture of an individual who is being forced to move from his original home How does that person feel when he is forced to flee the country? Are some people being forced to do this today?

From the Houston Chronicle, make a list of words which come from our Southwestern heritage. Check all sections, including Star, Flavor and Sports. Some of these are: pioneer, frontier, boots, bridle, saddle, chili, pepper, cinch, pony, mustang, cowboy, cowgirl, bull, rodeo, sombrero, chaps, stirrups, etc. The person who finds the most words wins!

From this list of words, make up a story about a modern-day cowboy or cowgirl. Where does this person live? Does this person ranch, play polo, rodeo, or enjoy taking mountain trail rides? Does this person live on a dude ranch or working ranch in West Texas? Describe the person’s daily life. How does this person survive? What type of horse does this person ride? What type of saddle does this person use? What type of day-to-day problems does this person face? How is the cow-boy/cowgirl’s future affected by our increasing population and industrialization of our country?

Other activitiesStudent ActivitiesWord search...

Story play...

✥ Look through the Houston Chronicle and find a story about people trying to protect their land. Once you find this story, add on to it. Create a good ending with lots of details.

✥ Find a Houston Chronicle story about a person who loves animals and the outdoors. Turn it into a Mexican story written for children.

✥ What traditions and celebrations do we share with our neighbors in Mexico? Look in the Houston Chronicle and on chron.com for stories, traditions, fes-tivals or foods that we share.

18

Other activities Create-a-newspaper...

Employment ad...

Name search...

Houston’sHispanic

Settlers

Duringtheearly1920sthegreatestgrowth

of Hispanic population took place in Magnolia

Park.BythetimetheMagnoliasuburbwasincor-

poratedinHoustononOctober8,1926,Magnolia

waswellonitswaytocontaining“thelargestof

the local Mexican settlements,” as quoted by a

localnewspaper.

The barrios in Houston had one thing in

common— thedowntownbusinessdistrict.This

businesssectionwaswithinwalkingdistancetothe

barrios.Itsanchorpointswerethe1700and2100

blocksofCongressAvenue,whereMexicanbusi-

nessescateredtotheresidentsof“LittleMexico,”

notedtheHoustonChroniclein1930.

These businesses consisted of drug stores,

hotels,cafes,dentalanddoctors’offices,drygoods

stores, jewelry shops, filling stations, grocery

stores,bakeryshops,andothersmallshops.

Bythelate1920s,MagnoliaParkdeveloped

its own business district. “Its ‘Avenida Madero’

is Navigation Boulevard,” noted the Houston

Chronicle, including restaurants, private offices,

barbershops,furniturestoresandaSpanishtalkie

theater“allnamedinSpanishandconductedby

Mexicans,”thepaperobserved.

InspiteoftheincreaseinMexican-American

jobs, racial prejudice was prevalent in Houston

duringthe1920sto1930s.JimCrowcodesapplica-

bletoAfrican-AmericansextendedtoMexicans.

Mexican-Americansweredeniedaccess to

nearlyallpublicandprivateestablishments,from

restroomstoballrooms.

Local real estatedeveloperswouldnot sell

orrenttoMexicans,encouragingsegregationof

neighborhoods.

Mexicanslivedindistressingconditionsin

Houston’s El Segundo Barrio, where makeshift

homes were erected along the banks of Buffalo

Bayou.

Everybarriohadalocal“Mexicanschool,”

forelementary-agedchildren.InHouston,unwrit-

ten rules discouraged promotion into the junior

highschools.

IntheSecondWard,OurLadyofGualdalupe

CatholicChurchexpandedits\servicestoassistthe

growingMexican-Americancommunity.By1929,

morethan400childrenweretaughtbytheSister

Benitaorderofnuns.

On November 8, 1926, in Magnolia Park,

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

openedat70075thStreet.Twoyearslater,aparo-

chialschoolwasadded.

SeveralProtestantchurcheswereaddedin

thebarrios.Theywere:

✥ MexicanBaptistChurch-2505CanalStreet

✥ MexicanPresbyterianChurch-7535Ave.L.

✥ MexicanMethodistEpiscopalChurch-

1110McKeeStreet

TheearlysettlersoftheHispaniccommunityinHoustonwereHispanics,Mexicans,CubansandSpaniards.TheycamefromSpain,Cuba,Mexico,andCentralandSouthAmerica.

Duringthe1920s,MexicannativesandMexican-AmericanmigrantsbecameprominentinHouston.TheystreamedintotheHoustonoilcity—many

foreseeingatemporarystay.

Magnolia park

Real estate

Barrio schools

Barrio churches

Magnolia park builds business

Downtowndistrict

Social conditions

Continuedonpage19

1�

protestant churches

Magnolia Park During the early 1920s the greatest growth of Hispanic population took place in Magnolia Park By the time the Magnolia suburb was incorporated in Houston on October 8, 1926, Magnolia was well on its way to containing “the larg-est of the local Mexican settlements,” as quoted by a local newspaper

Downtown district The barrios in Houston had one thing in common — the downtown business district This business section was within walking distance to the barrios Its anchor points were the 1700 and 2100 blocks of Congress Avenue, where Mexican businesses catered to the residents of “Little Mexico,” noted the Houston Chronicle in 1930 These businesses consisted of drug stores, hotels, cafes, dental and doctors’ offices, dry goods stores, jewelry shops, filling stations, grocery stores, bakery shops, and other small shops

Magnolia Park builds business By the late 1920s, Magnolia Park developed its own business district “Its ‘Avenida Madero’ is Navigation Boulevard,” noted the Houston Chronicle, including restau-rants, private offices, barber shops, furniture stores and a Spanish talkie theater “all named in Spanish and conducted by Mexicans,” the paper observed

Social conditions In spite of the increase in Mexican-American jobs, racial prejudice was prevalent in Houston during the 1920s to 1930s Jim Crow codes applicable to African-Americans extended to Mexicans Mexican-Americans were denied access to nearly all public and private establishments, from restrooms to ballrooms

Real estate Local real estate developers would not sell or rent to Mexicans, encouraging segregation of neighborhoods Mexicans lived in distressing conditions in Houston’s

El Segundo Barrio, where makeshift homes were erected along the banks of Buffalo Bayou

Barrio schools Every barrio had a local “Mexican school,” for elemen-tary-aged children In Houston, unwritten rules discouraged promotion into the junior high schools

Barrio churches In the Second Ward, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church expanded its services to assist the growing Mexican-American community By 1929, more than 400 children were taught by the Sister Benita order of nuns On November 8, 1926, in Magnolia Park, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church opened at 700 75th Street Two years later, a parochial school was added

Protestant churches Several Protestant churches were added in the barrios They were:✥ Mexican Baptist Church - 2505 Canal Street✥ Mexican Presbyterian Church - 7535 Ave L ✥ Mexican Methodist Episcopal Church - 1110 McKee Street

Continued on page 20 19

The early settlers of the Hispanic community in Houston were Hispanics, Mexicans, Cubans and Spaniards. They came from Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and Central and South America. During the 1920s, Mexican natives and Mexican-American migrants became prominent in Houston. They streamed into the Houston oil city — many foreseeing a temporary stay.

Look through the Houston Chronicle and chron.com. List Spanish names of neighborhoods, churches, schools or hospitals. How many can you find? What about your street name? If you could rename your street or school or church with a Spanish name, what would it be?

Study the Houston Chronicle. Next, create a newspaper for Spanish-speaking people in your school's neighborhood. What will the name be? Which sections will be the same as the Houston Chronicle? Which sections will be different? What will the purpose of the newspaper be? To enter-tain? To educate? To provide business leads? You may work on this as a class project.

Study the ads in the Houston Chronicle. Remember, the early Hispanic settlers of Houston were given jobs in the oil fields near Houston. Write an employment advertisment for oil field workers. Make it read like a 1920s ad. You may also include an illustration with the ad.

Social contributions During the 1920s to 1930s, the Houston Hispanic community increased its involvement in the Americanization of Mexicans These efforts were achieved by the Rusk Settlement Association, which sponsored The Settlement Home, located next to the Rusk School The Settlement Home offered cooking classes for Mexican-American women And for all, lessons in English writing were offered For mothers, practical things were offered, like learning the names of foods, clothing, furniture, or how to ask for prices Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops were also organized for the young

Political contributions In 1934, in an attempt to improve economic conditions for Mexican-Americans, the Council #60 of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was formed during the Depression decade Founded in 1929, LULAC sought to: ✥Eliminate racial prejudice ✥Provide legal equality ✥ Better educational facilities ✥ Gain a voice in local, state and national politics LULAC desired to make Mexicans active citizens Membership was restricted to Mexican-Americans, native born or naturalized In 1934, in response to the founding of the Magnolia Park LULAC Council # 60, the Houston Chronicle stated, “The object of the club is to study the laws

of local government, and to induce the Latin people of Houston to understand the government, to partake of voting privileges, and thus to become better citizens It is a civil organization composed of native born or naturalized poll-tax paying citizens of Latin extraction ” Some of the early council members were blue col-lar workers, including longshoremen, who belonged to the union, as well as businessmen, merchants, restaurant owners, doctors, lawyers and educators They were: ✥John H Duhig, attorney ✥John J Herrera, attorney ✥Angel Gonzalez, M D , doctor ✥Felix Morales, businessman, owner, Morales Funeral Home ✥Manuel Crespo, mortician ✥Felix Tijerana, restaurateur ✥Juvencio Rodriguez, grocery store worker ✥Isidro Garcia, tailor

Continued from page 19

Student Activities

Create-a-newspaper...

Employment ad...

Name search... HISPANIC MEDIA Observe the classified and consumer ads in the Houston Chronicle. Are any geared to reach the Hispanic market? Why? Or why not?

Check the Business pages. Are there any articles written about Hispanic companies or Hispanic products? What are they?

Also check the music, art and entertainment sections of the Houston Chronicle and www.chron.com to see if there are any articles written about Hispanic efforts in these areas.

After making a list addressing these questions, write an article about “Hispanic Influence on Today’s Advertising Scene.”

20

1 “The Aztecs” by Sally Hewitt, Children's Press, New York, N Y 2 “Cowboy” by David Murdoch, Alfred A Knopf, New York, N Y 3 “Extraordinary Hispanic Americans” by Susan Sinnott, Childrens Press,

Chicago, Illinois 4 “The Mexican American Family Album” by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler,

Oxford University Press, Inc , New York, N Y 5 “The U.S. - Mexican War” by Carol and Thomas Christensen, Published to

Accompany the PBS series “The U S - MexicanWar 1846 - 1848, KERA-TV, Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton, Texas

6 “Viva Mexico! Story of Benito Juarez and Cinco de Mayo” by ArgentinaPalacios, Raintree Steck-Vaughn Company, Austin, Texas

7 Enciclopedia de Mexico Impresora Y Editoria de Mexico, S A de C V Mexico, Mexico April 1976

8 “Distrito Federal.” Monografia Estatal Litografia Senefelder Editorial/SEP Mexico, D F 1996

9 “Historia” Sexto Grado Litografia Senefelder Editorial/SEP Mexico, D F 1995

BIBLIOGRAPHY and REFERENCES:

Through generous sponsorship of the ¡Viva Mexico!program, Chevron is helping thousands of students learnabout Cinco de Mayo, Aztec history, Spanish explorers

and Hispanic celebrities, plus the holidays, food andgames that make up Hispanic culture .

Through generous sponsorship of the ¡Viva Mexico!program, Chevron is helping thousands of students learnabout Cinco de Mayo, Aztec history, Spanish explorers

and Hispanic celebrities, plus the holidays, food andgames that make up Hispanic culture .