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Emilie,
sorry for the mix-up, they came over legally
in 1916. It's just that had they came over in this age of racism, they'd
be look down upon-and every brown face I see now I see someones grandparents,
parents, brother or sister.
Also, please read Mr. Reveles' books.
They aren't novels but vignettes, short stories that are very
entertaining.
thanks for your input!!!
Peggy Delgado
Peggy,
I am glad to see good reviews of Daniel's books. I've known about
them since his nephew told me about them, but I usually don't read novels, so
I haven't bought any of them. I think I will now.
Daniel's father Nicolas was from Jerez, Zacatecas where my father was
born also. They came over legally around the time that the US threw open
its doors to refugees from the Mexican revolution (1915). I have done
some work on those lines, since I encountered one of Daniel's brothers on the
Jerezano.com website several years ago and we compared notes. We may be
related collaterally; the places and names seem to match. Nicolas
Reveles was a painter (pintor) in Jerez, and he later, along with his son
Antonio, designed sets at MGM in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
It is sad that those open doors slammed shut, and I was surprised to hear
that your grandparents had to cross over illegally. My father
crossed over at the El Paso, TX border crossing where Daniel's father also
crossed over around 1915. As far as I know they were given legal safe
passage on the railroads from Jerez to Juarez and El Paso.
Emilie Garcia
Port Orchard, WA ---
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 7:10
PM
Subject: RE: [ranchos] Re: Dialog of
the Dead --> with the Living
Daniel
Reveles wrote three books about the border town, Tecate, Mexico, in which
each chapter is it's own story. In the second or third book, "Tequila,
Lime and Salt", page 95, the story is called, "Big Caca's Revenge".
Big Caca is the Mexican border patrol agent. He's big, mean, and his
last name happens to be Cacabellos.
He
extorts money from people coming into Mexico with goods brought over from
the U.S., throughout all three books, he does this, (first book is
"Enchiladas, Rice and Beans" and the other is "Salsa and
Chips". )
Well, in
the last book Big Caca finally finds love and begins to court this
woman. He takes her into the U.S. into Temecula for a romantic
weekend. While there, they get acosted by a U.S. Customs agent
demanding their "papers" allowing them to visit the U.S. Big Caca has
his, but his lady-love, Lizette does not, the papers are back at
the hotel. Needless to say they deport her back to Mexico ending their
little romantic getaway. Big Caca is furious!
He goes
back to Mexico with revenge on his mind. Now, mind you, living in this
sleepy little town are all the Americans who wanted to set up their
businesses, cheaply, hire workers, cheaply, and live the good life in
Tecate. You've also got retirees who wanted to live where the cost of
living is way low. Now, of course, these Americans, when entering
Mexico, did have papers, but never updated them. Big Caca knows this
and when he gets back to town, he starts asking all the Americans for
their citizenship papers that say they could stay
in Mexico legally. He picks up the factory owner, Jerry, and deports
him back to the U.S. He sees sweet old retired Millie, and asks
her for her papers. When she can't produce
them, he takes her to the border, groceriers and
all, back to the U.S. Here's a quote from the
book:
The little grandma was now genuinely
frightened. "But you just can't pick me up off the street and throw me
out of the country. Fred's at home waiting for me. He'll think I
was in an accident. He'll worry about me!" Tears rolled out of
her blue eyes.
Big Caca looked at the frightened
grandmother, and thought, I'm sure the U.S. Border Patrol listens
sympathetically when they pick up some poor Mexican woman on her way home to
her children after a day of cleaning houses.
Anyway,
the reason why I tell this story is because of its irony. This happens
to Mexican's every day. And as Victor said, they're just trying to
find a better way of living. Just like the American's going to these
border towns to run their factories for a fraction of what it would cost
them here in the U.S. In this story, the shoe is on the other
foot. Without giving away the ending of this little story (for those
of you who'd like to read them - which I highly recommend because they're
all hilarious), I'll tell you that the moral of this story is both countries
need each other. Mexican immigrants contribute to the U.S. in doing
the jobs that other don't want. Picking the grapes, cleaning the
houses and cheap day labor. Americans set up shop in border towns and
give job opportunities to the Mexican's that do stay.
Whether
its wrong or right (immigration) I don't know. I just feel sad
sometimes, when I see, on the news, people screaming to deport the illegals,
when, 90 years ago, those illegals were my
grandparents........
Emilie,
The group has been rather
quietly lately so I'm using this opportunity
to make an additional
comment on the "Dialog of the Dead" play. I
understand that it
might not be directly related to genealogy but
since Joseph brought up
the subject I hope nobody will complain.
I have previously
expressed an opinion about one experience that could
be common among
some of us that are in pursuit of our genealogical
roots: the
contrast between finding our dead relatives and finding
our living
relatives. Relations with our dead are so easy; they do
not
prejudge us; they do not make any kind of demands; we just embrace
them
as part of ourselves regardless of what, where or who they were
and
that's the end of it. Relations with the living,
particularly
those distant living relatives that we rediscover thru
our
genealogical endeavors, can be and often are very
complicated. And,
aren't we all related at some point back in
time?
Our prejudices and misconceptions of life usually get in the
way and
it isn't easy accepting each other when we have such divergent
views
of the world that surrounds us. We may share common genes
but our
outlook on life has been shaped by our experiences and is
continually
being influenced by external forces. Our actions stem
from our
individual "perception of reality" and our sense of
belonging.
I agree with the views expressed by some members here
about how great
and lovable this group and our virtual fellowship is
but there's no
denying that "it's a jungle out there" in the real
world. There's just
too much polarization and that is reflected in so
many aspects of our
societies.
Take for example the US
immigration debate. The underlying motivation
for every migrant, either
today or five hundred years ago or five
thousand years ago, has always
been to improve one's life and/or get
away from a bad situation.
That has been the norm since who knows
when, even before countries
existed as we know them today. On the
other hand, immigration
laws are of more recent creation and can be
reformed and adapted to
the needs and purposes of each country. What
I find ironic is
that some of the most vociferous anti-immigration
proponents like
Colorado state congressman Tom Tancredo or radio talk
host Michael
Savage, are themselves sons of immigrants. And I don't
mean from
10 generations ago but 2 and 1 generations ago respectively.
How
selfishly intolerant and xenophobic can humans really become
is
amazing! Even California's governor, who has openly
suported
anti-immigration movements like the minute-man project is an
immigrant
himself. What is their implicit message? OK, now
that we're in close
the doors (and build a wall) behind us for anyone
else, particularly
those dark-skinned little mexicans from south of the
border. American
pie slices getting too thin?
Now the
saddest part. I have witnessed how Hispanics wearing the
official
uniforms of the US immigration authorities and behind the
desks at the
border offices deal with Mexicans and other foreigners
who go there and
ask for a permit to enter the United States. Have
you ever being
treated as a 2nd class citizen? Can you imagine
imagine yourself
in both sides of this equation? What's really
surprising is that
Anglo-Saxon looking immigration officers hardly
show the kind of
prepotency and disdain towards Mexicans as those with
the Hispanic
surnames on their tags. How can this be explained?
Have
they been brainwashed in the name of homeland security or is
this
just our human nature? Who is really behind those
anti-immigration
voices infusing into your minds so much venomous and
hateful rhetoric?
Just to end. I want to share with you a
link that shows another
historical aspect of people migrating to find a
better life. But this
time in reverse. Not from Mexico into
the US but out of the US and
into Mexico.
http://www.texancultures.utsa.edu/hiddenhistory/Pages1/tyler.htm
How
many of you were aware of this
reality?
Victor
México
--- In
ranchos@yahoogroups.com, "Emilie Garcia"
<auntyemfaustus@h...>
wrote:
>
> Victor,
>
> As usual your observation is as astute as always. I did
identify
with some of the debaters, those that took the middle
road. I think
we all need to get together and advance our
situations by sticking
together and not going off on tangents to the
extremes, such as the
Aztlan group. It is unfortunate that those
in that group do not
realize that people like Pat Buchanan stir the
Anglo populace up by
making it look like that fringe group speaks for
us all, and that we
are all into "Reconquista" which brings up to the
Anglos the specter
of armed brown hordes seeking to re-conquer the
land. We are slowly
re-conquering anyway, due to the American
economy being so dependent
on cheap Mexican labor in manufacturing,
agriculture and services. We
just need to tone down our
resentments and work towards ensuring that
this country remains the
bastion that it has been for human rights for
everyone. We can't
afford to take any backward steps. We must
acculturate, but
because of the proximity to Mexico and our mostly
Native origins, they
can't expect us to give up our ethnicity as
rapidly nor as completely
as other immigrant groups. This will take
several generations to
accomplish, if ever.
>
>
Emilie
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