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The Creation of the Mexican American Identity in Texas, 1836-1929

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The Creation of the Mexican American Identity in Texas, 1836-1929 HIJOS DE LA GRAN GUERRA: THE CREATION OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN IDENTITY IN TEXAS, 1836- 1929 A Dissertation by RALPH EDWARD MORALES III Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, Carlos Blanton Committee Members, Joseph Dawson R. J. Q. Adams Charles Brooks R. Bruce Dickson Head of Department, David Vaught May 2015 Major Subject: History Copyright 2015 Ralph Edward Morales III ABSTRACT Following the Texas Revolution, the Tejano community made a conscious decision to begin the long process towards accommodation within the American system. This included political alliances between the Tejano landholding elite and major Anglo Texan political figures, such as Sam Houston and John “Rip” Ford. During this era, the Tejano community made alliances of convenience with Anglo Texan politicians in support of the Southern Confederacy during the American Civil War. This alliance is best explained by parallels drawn by Tejano politicians between the ideals of Mexican Federalism and the local rule promised by the Southern Confederacy. By the turn of the twentieth century, Anglo-Tejano relations had resumed their antebellum status quo of racial violence and societal marginalization had returned. It is during the early twentieth century that the Tejano community made the decision to embrace a Mexican American Identity that emphasized political participation and loyalty to the United States. The Mexican American identity in the Tejano community was galvanized during these years by the upheaval caused by the Mexican Revolution, the Plan of San Diego and the First World War. The Mexican Revolution and the Plan of San Diego made many Tejanos reject their earlier Mexicanist identity. The United States military, the Spanish language print media and the Catholic Church played important roles in fascilitating the shift of Tejanos towards a Mexican American Identity. This dissertation concludes that the Tejano community embraced a Mexican American identity earlier that the prevailing scholarship believes. This is due in large ii part to the Tejano military participation in the First World War, the efforts of pro- American Spanish language newspapers and the Catholic Church. iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my mother and father, Modesta and Rosendo Morales and to the memory of my grandparents, Efrain and Amelia Sosa and Manuel and Anastacia Morales. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the guidance of Dr. Carlos Blanton. Under his direction, this dissertation grew in ways I did not think possible. I would Also like to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Joseph Dawson, Dr. Charles Brooks, Dr. R. J. Q. Adams and Dr. R. Bruce Dickson. Their advice and encouragement allowed me to complete this dissertation and to make it something of which I can truly be proud. Likewise, this dissertation could not have been completed without the help of the collective archivists and staff members at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection and the Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as archivists at the Texas State Archives, the Catholic Archives of Texas in Austin and the Catholic Archives at San Antonio. Their collective assistance in helping me research this project was invaluable. A great deal of thanks are due to my friends and colleagues both at Texas A&M University and Prairie View A&M University for their assistance and support. Without the particular aid of Tara Gaines, Victoria Eastes, Chris Thomas, Seth Grenke, Nathaniel Weber, Rainlilly Weber, David Silva, Crystal Silva, Sergio Guzman, Sara Guzman, Israel Hernandez, Idalia Silva and Hailey Hernandez, this dissertation would not have been possible. Lastly, the support of my family, especially of my mother and father, has been my continuing inspiration for this project. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. ii DEDICATION ........................................................................................................ iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... vi 1. INTRODUCTION: THE ORIGINS OF TEJANO AMERICAN NATIONALISM, 1850-1919 ............................................................................ 1 2. ESTA SANGUINA GUERRA: WAR, ANNEXATION AND THE ORIGINS OF THE TEJANO IDENTITY, 1835-1900 ...................................... 19 3. SIN NUESTRA AYUDA, JAMAS HUBIERAN OBTENIDO EL TRIUMFO: THE MEXICAN AMERICAN IDENTITY IN THE BEGINNING OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY ........................................... 63 4. EN NUESTRO CONCEPTO EL PROBLEMA MAS SERIO: THE SPANISH LANGUAGE PRINT MEDIA AND THE CREATION OF TEJANO NATIONALISM ................................................................................ 105 5. ¡COMO PUEDE DIOS OIRNOS EN ESTAS CIRCUNSTANCIAS!: THE TEJANO COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH .... 137 6. CONCLUSION - LO PRIMERO QUE SE OLVIDA: THE POST WAR TEJANO IDENTITY ........................................................................................ 159 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................... 167 vi 1. INTRODUCTION: THE ORIGINS OF TEJANO AMERICAN NATIONALISM, 1850-1919 Since their incorporation into the United States at the end of the Mexican- American War in 1848, many Mexican Americans have often struggled to maintain their distinctive Tejano identity when faced with Anglo encroachment. Despite seemingly overwhelming circumstances, some Tejanos have pursued the goal of Americanization and self-determination tirelessly since the earliest days of the American occupation. Over time, Tejano elites have encouraged support for the American system and embraced certain grass roots movements by non-landowning and working class Tejanos to adapt and assimilate to the mainstream political culture.1 Complete cultural assimilation into the United States was never completely realized by a vast majority of Tejanos.2 Some of the more influential and wealthy Mexican Americans quickly assimilated into the political and social life of the United States. Almost from the beginning of the Anglo-American occupation of Texas, local Tejano elites sought and received some rudimentary level of acceptance from Anglo peers. These Tejano elites who were heavily involved in local politics and the regional economy took it upon themselves to disseminate the new status quo to other Tejanos. In 1 This project will use Mexican Americans as a way to identify all ethnic Mexicans who were American Citizens. The term Tejano will be used to describe ethnic Mexicans living in Texas, regardless of citizenship. Mexicanos will be used to describe ethnic Mexicans who are citizens of Mexico, living there or otherwise. 2 In this context, cultural assimilation and Americanization will be taken to mean the assumption of certain American practices, most notably the use of English as a primary language. A majority of Tejanos during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries maintained their linguistic and cultural ties to Mexico far longer than they did with their political ties. 1 other words, they wanted to bring the lower classes into the new political and social order. “Hijos de la Gran Guerra: The Creation of the Mexican American Identity in Texas, 1836-1929” will examine the evolution of a nascent Mexican American identity from the mid nineteenth century until the years following the First World War. Some historians argue, for the most part, that a “Mexican American” identity evolved during the 1930’s with the creation of the civic organization known today as LULAC. However, as this study argues, the Mexican American community already evidenced support for the American system before the American Civil War. This dissertation will view the creation of Mexican American identity through both social activism as well as military participation. It explores the growth of Mexican American participation in American political systems beginning with elite Tejano support for secession and the Confederacy during the American Civil War. It will then examine the tumultuous early years of Anglo-Tejano relations during the twentieth century in south Texas. Lastly, this dissertation seeks to show that cultural institutions such as the print media and the Catholic Church were instrumental in creating community support for the United States. Hijos De La Gran Guerra will be composed of four topical chapters beyond the historiographical introduction. The second chapter of this dissertation, “Esta Sanguina Guerra,” focuses on the initial Mexican American involvement in American politics during the prewar period, and especially through an examination of Tejano participation on both sides of the American Civil War. It will cover the years from 1836 through 1865. This chapter is supported from research on the Benavides Cavalry Regiment at the 2 Texas State Archives and the University of Texas Benson Latin American Collection and the Center for American History. Next, I examine Tejano political involvement in the First World War, including the only existing first-hand view of Tejano veterans who fought in it. For chapter three, “Sin Nuestra
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