In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Let's Talk About Language

Ok, now that we've all refreshed our memories about one facet of our recent history, we have to recognize that "our" land once belonged to someone else and yet someone else before that. Our history is full of rich culture, progress, development and constantly changing. Growth is expected; it's organic and shows what was and what is possible. 

The same goes for language. As of late, Internet-based sibling to Oxford English Dictionary released its latest batch of new words including our lastest online vernacular like lolz, lifecasting and redic. On a community level in most major cities in the US, we're seeing a greater diversity of people; people from places we hardly ever saw ten years ago.  Today, it's not uncommon to meet someone from India, China, Russia, Iraq and of course South America. Hell, the State of CT used to be know for its WASPs, but today in Stamford, CT it's not uncommon to hear Russian, Spanish, Hindi and English all spoken on the same street corner. 

As a result of growing up in a bicultural and bilingual environment, spending time at a young age in Panamá and purposefully surrounding myself with a diverse group of friends, I celebrate this diverse "state!" However, I know that my perspective isn't always shared by the masses.  An ethnocentric disposition stills seems to permeate parts of our community where people are some how offended by other people speaking a second language where non-speakers are present. Some monolinguals think it's rude as if we were secretly plotting an ingenious plan to take over the world or better yet turn them into magically elves.  While they feel emphatic about it, I came to realize recently that I feel the same way. The other day, having encountered this very situation, I felt my blood boiling over and thought "wow" where did that come from as few things make me feel that way (other than my X)?

In further examining my disposition, I came to realize that my second language is the very thing that makes me who I am, what I think about myself and identifies me as part of my own clan.  Upon feeling threatened, my own ethnocentric attitude fully revealed itself. As human beings it's fundamentally important that we feel part of something; for this reason it's vitally important to respect one another's cultures and languages that are different from our own. One might even learn a few new things about each other's history and pick up a few new words, proven to enhance our cognitive develop. Cheers!

Written by Deborah Castillero

Arizona’s Interesting Beginnings and Past History (Part 1)

In paraphrasing the history books and Wikipedia, “The history of Arizona, as recorded by Europeans, began in 1539. In 1821, when Mexico obtained its independence from Spain, Arizona became part of then Mexico. 

However, as early as 1810, a steady trend of migration from the United States into the Texas frontier started. Stephen Austin's colony was the most successful of several colonies authorized by the Mexican government in this region. The Mexican government intended the anglo settlers to act as a buffer between the existing Mexican residents and the marauding Comanches, but the Anglo colonists tended to settle where there was decent farmland and trade connections with American Louisiana, rather than eastward where they would have been an effective buffer.

By 1829, as a result of the large influx of U.S. immigrants, the Americans outnumbered Mexicans in the Texas-Mexican territory. The Mexican government decided to reinstate the property tax, increase tariffs on U.S. shipped goods, and prohibit slavery. The settlers and many Mexican businessmen in the region rejected the demands, which led to Mexico closing Texas to additional immigration. However, immigration into the Texas territory continued illegally from the United States.

As part of US President James K. Polk’s (Democrat) plans to expand America’s territory to the Pacific coast, an armed conflict between the US and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 (Mexican-American War) insued. As a result, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo specified the major consequence of the war; the forced Mexican cession of the territories of Alta California and New Mexico to the U.S.

However, it didn’t end there. After a new government came to reign in Mexico and also because of public opinion, a Mexican army came back into Texas and reclaimed the land that was originally theirs. 

In 1846, Polk made his case to Congress stating that, “Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, had invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil." Congress approved the declaration for war, but still there were many who were against the war especially Joshua Giddings, who stated,”In the murder of Mexicans upon their own soil, or in robbing them of their country, I can take no part either now or here-after. The guilt of these crimes must rest on others. I will not participate in them.” Many American leaders believed it was a ploy to expand slavery efforts.

In one year (1846-1847), Americans took over and claimed California as part of the US. After that the US went out to also conquest parts of Mexico including the city of Veracruz, Puebla and then Mexico City. With Mexico’s military being outnumbered coupled with an unstable government and many of its large cities occupied, Mexico could not defend itself. In 1848, with The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the war finally ended and with that the US obtained undisputed control of Texas, established the U.S.-Mexican border of the Rio Grande River, and secured California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. In return, Mexico received from the US $18,250,000, less than half the amount originally offered before the hostilities bega,n —and the U.S. agreed to assume $3.25-million in debts that the Mexican government owed to U.S. citizens.

In 1863, Arizona was split off from the Territory of New Mexico into its own entity. The remoteness was eased by the arrival of railroads in 1880. Arizona became a state in 1912, but was primarily rural with an economy based on cattle, cotton, citrus and copper. Dramatic growth came after 1945, as retirees especially appreciated the warm weather and low costs. 

Major issues in recent years include ethnic hostility between Anglos and Hispanics, and the bust that followed the real estate bubble of the 2000s. By the late 1990s, Tucson Border Patrol Sector had become the location for the most number of arrests by the United States Border Patrol. State Senator Russell Pearce, is one of Arizona's most vocal opponents of illegal immigration and who had successfully pushed through several prior pieces of tough legislation against those he termed "invaders on the American sovereignty."

In 2010, Arizona had an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants, a figure that had increased fivefold since 1990. As the state with the most illegal crossings of the Mexico – United States border, its remote and dangerous deserts are the entry point for thousands of Mexicans and Central Americans.^.

Next: The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and thus often referred to simply as Arizona SB 1070) is a legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona.