Unit 2 Spanish (Places, People, etc)
California Sureña
Located in the southwest corner of the U.S. ,California is the western-most state that borders Mexico. Southern California is roughly the bottom one-third of the state from Santa Barbara to the U.S.-Mexico border and the whole width of the state from the Pacific Ocean to the Nevada and Arizona borders. Southern California is a major economic center for the state of California, as well as for the U.S. as a whole. The area includes eight specific metropolitan areas as shown in the following table. Aside from Los Angeles and San Diego, the stretch along the coast is more urban than rural with many beach towns benefitting from the beautiful beaches and sunny weather. Around San Diego and other parts of the far southwest, the area has a steppe climate, which is semi-arid since the winters are very dry. San Bernadino, which is about 70 miles inland, has a temperate climate with a low of 30ºF and a high in the summers of 109ºF. The areas that are even further inland have a hot, arid climate similar to the Sahara Desert. Death Valley, the hottest spot in the world, is on the east side of the state in the northern part of the Mojave Desert. In the summer, Death Valley temperatures commonly reach 120ºF. Los Angeles Los Angeles and Orange County Over 12 million Inland Empire Riverside and San Bernardino Counties Over 4 million San Diego San Diego Over 3 million Bakersfield Bakersfield and Delano Under 900,000 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura Under 900,000 Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Goleta Under 500,000 San Luis Obsipo San Luis Obispo County Under 300,000 El Centro Imperial County Under 200,000
Culture: Nuevo México
Bordering Arizona to the east is the state of New Mexico, which is one of the Mountain States. It was originally part of the Imperial Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain. Its name was given in 1563 and then again in 1581 by Spanish explorers because it contained the rich culture of the Mexica Empire. The word "Mexico" means "place of Mexitili," and "Mexitili" was an Aztec god. Mexico was then known as New Spain, and then later in 1821 it adopted Mexico as its name. So, even though it sounds like New Mexico was named after Mexico, New Mexico was actually named for a couple of centuries before New Spain was renamed Mexico. New Mexico was the original home for a large Navajo and Pueblo population, and a significant number of Navajo and Pueblo people still live there. Along with Arizona, New Mexico borders Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma as well as bordering the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora to the south. The state is made up of 121,412 square miles, making it the fifth largest state by land area in the U.S. even though, with just over two million people, it is only the 36th largest state by population. Since much of New Mexico is covered by mountains, high plains, and deserts, the climate is semi-arid to arid. The Four Corners Monument is a landmark that identifies the only spot in the United States where four states meet at one point. Due to the straight edges on these states, the corners of Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico come together in the middle. Just about half of the current New Mexico residents were born there. Close to 40% were born in other U.S. states, about 1% were born in U.S. island areas, and close to 10% were born in other countries. Important cities in New Mexico include Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe. In these cities as well as in other areas around the state, you can see varied architecture. But, the state is famous for its Pueblo-style adobe structures, and you will see this style all over the state.
Historic Periods
Although Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836, Mexico was opposed to the U.S. annexing Texas. However, one of U.S. President James K. Polk's campaign promises had been to annex Texas. Following skirmishes along the Río Grande, President Polk and Congress declared war on Mexico. This Mexican-American War, which lasted from 1846 to 1848 was the first war that the U.S. fought mainly on foreign soil. At the end of the war, Mexico lost about one-third of its territory, which included most of present-day California, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (named after the Mexican town where the treaty was signed), moved the border between the U.S. and Mexico from the Nueces River to the Río Grande. Also, under the treaty, Mexico agreed to accept the annexation of Texas by the U.S. The Treaty also required the U.S. to pay Mexico $15 million for California and other territory north of the Río Grande. In the end, in addition to Texas, the U.S. gained 525,000 square miles of territory. If you think about it, it's only logical that there would be many Hispanics living in the southwest states today. Since their ancestors lived on land that was once part of Mexico, it makes sense that they would want to continue living there. Also, since the Mexican-American War drew new international boundaries, it's not surprising that many families found themselves split between two countries as a result.
El Camino Real de California
El Camino Real (the Royal Road), which is also known as the King's Highway, refers to the historic 600-mile California Mission Trail. The road connects California's 21 Franciscan missions and sub-missions, four fortified (military) bases known as presidios, and three native American communities, which the Spanish called pueblos, all stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego in the south to Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma in the north. This road offers a historic trip for both Californians and visitors from other states and countries.
El sur de Tejas
If you look at a map of Texas and draw an imaginary line in both directions from San Antonio, the area south of that line is roughly Southern Texas. In other words, "Southern Texas" is much less than half of the state. In fact, the western part of the border between Texas and Mexico is not even included in "Southern Texas. " Some of the counties in South Texas include: Hidalgo, Lavaca, Victoria, Guadalupe, Gonzales, Jackson, and Brooks. As you may have noticed, many of the county names have a Spanish influence. Likewise, many of the towns and cities have Spanish names. Some of the larger cities in South Texas include San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Mission, San Juan, and Houston. The Spanish influence is also evident in some of the river names: Rio Grande, Nueces River, San Antonio River, Frio River, Atascosa River, Mission River, and Guadalupe River. Southern Texas is a large area that includes the Gulf of Mexico on one side, so it is not surprising that the region has a varied climate. The eastern part of south Texas is warm and humid most of the year. The eastern part of the area experiences much more rain than the rest of the area. The San Antonio area is semi-arid with little humidity. The area west of San Antonio is dry and almost desert-like. Winters in all of south Texas are mild with freezing rain and snowfall being rarities. Although tornadoes do occur, they are not typical. Instead, the most-dangerous storms in south Texas are a result of hurricanes. The coastal area is often hit by hurricanes, which bring strong winds and heavy rains. These storms often carry over to the non-coastal areas of south Texas, but the winds and rains become less severe as they move further inland. The San Antonio area, which is about 150 miles from the coast, often experiences enough rains to cause road and street flooding. Still, the amount of rain in this area is usually small in comparison to what the coast experiences. In its history, Texas has been part of six different countries: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. When the Six Flags amusement park was opened in Arlington, Texas, in the 1960s, the flags of these six countries were the basis for the name of the theme park. As additional theme parks were opened in other states, flags relating to those states flew in those parks. Although English is the official language of Texas, government documents and websites in Texas are also provided in Spanish. Due to the ongoing influx of people from Mexico, the Texas counties bordering Mexico are mostly Hispanic. In these counties, Spanish is commonly spoken.
Southern Arizona
In 1853, U.S. President Franklin Pierce sent James Gadsden, the U.S. Minister to Mexico, to negotiate the purchase of some land from Mexico. The final deal resulted in the U.S. paying $10 million to Mexico for 29,760 square miles of land. This land became part of Arizona and New Mexico. The part that was added to Arizona was called "the Gadsden Purchase." Later, it came to be known as Baja Arizona, a name that is similar to Baja California, which is a state in Mexico that borders California. The area runs across the state a little north of Tucson and a little south of Phoenix. The major cities in Southern Arizona include Tucson, Ajo, Casa Grande, Gila Bend, Sierra Vista, and Yuma. Study the table to check out the population sizes of these different cities. Tucson 520,116 Ajo 3,304 Casa Grande 48,571 Gila Blend 1,922 Sierra Vista 43,482 Yuma 93,064 The state of Arizona is home to almost 30 astronomical observatories, and almost all of them are located in Southern Arizona. This area is especially conducive to telescope usage because of the clear skies and because, due to the desert, the low number of man-made lights. Also, the presence of mountainous areas makes for good viewing conditions. Since these near-perfect conditions are not present in very many places, this area of Arizona has come to be known as the Astronomy Capital of the World. Although the Grand Canyon attracts many visitors to northern Arizona, Southern Arizona also offers many national monuments, national parks, and archeological sites that both locals and tourists enjoy. Some of the most popular destinations include ghost towns around Sierra Vista, the Coronado National Forest, and the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, which features a four-story stone building that is believed to have been built in the fourteenth century. Archeologists have determined that an entire collection of settlements with such structures existed in the area centuries ago. Archeologists also believe that this particular building was an observatory that the Hohokam Native Americans built to study the skies. Archeologists also believe that the Hohokams were the main inhabitants of the Southern Arizona in the fourteenth century. The low lands in Southern Arizona often reach over 110ºF in the summer. Even in the winter, the area is often 80ºF. These mild winter temperatures are quite a draw for seasonal residents who flock to the state to escape cold winters. Many bilingual K-12 schools exist in Arizona. The goal of these schools is that the English-speaking students will learn Spanish and that the Spanish-speaking students will learn English. Given that many jobs in the area request bilingual applicants, it is clear that the school system is focused on meeting the needs of the community.
Enseñando buenos modales
Manuel Antonio Carreño, a musician and educator born in Venezuela in 1812, published a book entitled El manual de Carreño, or as it was known in English, the Manual of Civility and Easy Virtue. This book was used for many generations to teach students in Latin American schools how to conduct themselves in society and in personal situations. The book includes several sections, such as Obligations with God, Obligations with Society, Obligations with Parents, and Obligations with Nations. The long-running popularity of the book emphasized that schools felt it was important to teach manners to students. Beginning around the middle of the 1800s, schools in Hispanic countries required courses in manners. Since almost 300 such books were published in England at the time and over 200 in France, it appears that the Hispanic countries borrowed the idea from European countries. By 1900, about 300 such books were available in Spain. Historians believe that, by the nineteenth century, Spanish society had developed a growing interest in teaching manners, and it appears that the Latin American countries soon followed the trend. The books being used in Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Venezuela, and Peru, however, were mostly imported from Europe. When Carreño published El manual de Carreño in 1853, it became the standard in Latin American countries. Soon after its publication, the book was adopted by the Venezuelan National Congress as an official school text. The book is still published and read in parts of Latin America today. The manners course was initially taught as part of religion and morality curriculums, but it was eventually moved to the curriculum area focused on civic duties. Along with manners, this new modern curriculum area included hygiene, physical education, and history. El manual de Carreño was frequently used as a reference for good manners and procedures for special events, how to behave in family reunions, formal events, and even during everyday situations like dinnertime. For example, the book covered skills such as how to use silverware, how to place the napkin on the lap, how to eat each type of food, and how to maintain a conversation. The book also included directives in making no noise while eating, not speaking with food in the mouth, and avoiding uncomfortable questions. Many of these rules also applied in a school setting, and additional rules were written specifically for the school environment. For example: Every time a teacher entered the room, all students should stand up and say at the same time: "Good morning/afternoon, dear Mr. /Ms. X." Students were to always address the teacher using the formal treatment usted and to show absolute respect and obedience toward the teacher and school rules. A primary goal with the manners class was to mold students into responsible citizens with self-restraint and to make them into educated consumers. This training in courtesy began with traditional classroom behavior with the hope that it would transfer to the students' lives outside of the classroom. Many Hispanic customs and cultural ways of today have their roots in the manners books that were written a century or more ago.
Las misiones en California
Prior to the mid eighteenth century, Spain had established presidios (military bases) and missions in California to protect the area from the Russians and the English. However, by the mid eighteenth century, Spain realized that stronger defenses were needed. To provide increased protection along with much needed resources, Spain supported the building of 21 Franciscan missions in California between 1769 and 1823. Since one of Spain's main focuses was to find overland routes from Arizona to California and then to establish missions and settlements there, many missions were built in Southern California. Father Junípero Serra (1713-1784), a Franciscan friar, founded the first of nine Franciscan missions in present-day San Diego in 1769.Father Serra founded Misión San Gabriel on the Pacific coast in 1771, which came to be used frequently as a stopping off point for Spanish soldiers and settlers on their way to other locations. Under Father Junípero Serra's direction, the Franciscans provided religious instruction and taught European agricultural techniques to the local Native Americans. Native tribes often celebrated religious worship and special occasions particular to their culture. European clergy frequently did not understand the Native American rituals. The clergy saw the rituals as demonic and banned the Native Americans from mission life. This conflict presented difficulties for Native Americans who came to the missions for food but did not want to give up their culture. At the time of Father Junipero's death in 1784, about 6,000 Native Americans had converted to Christianity and joined the missions. The missions later became the basis for a lasting agricultural economy on the Pacific Coast.
Los atletas hispanos de Tejas
Texas either has been or is home to some very famous and talented athletes of Hispanic heritage. Ramiro Romo was born in Mexico. His family moved to San Antonio, Texas, when he was a teenager. Felicita Rios was born in Texas. Both Ramiro and Felicita moved to Racine, Wisconsin, where they later met and married. Their son, Ramiro Romo, Jr. got married and raised a family in Burlington, Wisconsin. The youngest of their children was born Antonio Ramiro Romo who grew up to become one of the most well-known quarterbacks in the National Football League: Tony Romo, who plays for the Dallas Cowboys. Michael Vela González was born in Robstown, Texas, which is close to Corpus Christi. He played baseball at Harvest Christian Academy in Pasadena, Texas, and at San Jacinto Junior College in San Jacinto, Texas. In 1997, at age 19, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates' professional baseball team and played his first major league game in 2003. Over his ten year career, he has had good success pitching against left-handed hitters. Kristy Aguirre, Felicia Delgado, Laura Rodriguez, and Shannon Solis are four Hispanic women who attended high school together in San Antonio, Texas, where they played softball, volleyball, and soccer. Since many families discourage their daughters from participating in "unfeminine" activities such as sports, it is unusual that these four played in high school and then continued to play at Shreiner Univesity in Kerrville, Texas. Emanuel David Ginobli was born in Argentina into a basketball family. His father was a manager for a basketball team, and Emanuel's two older brothers, Leandro and Sebastián, were two of the best players on the team. Although Emanuel wanted to play basketball, he was short and skinny and didn't get to play much. Even though he was little, Emanuel continued to work to improve his basketball skills both by practicing and by watching videos of his hero, Michael Jordan. Emanuel grew 10 whole inches in two years so that, when he reached 18, he was 6'3". He was still thin, but he was tall enough to do better at his favorite game. He grew another three inches the next year so that, at age 19, he was 6'6" and had become so good at basketball that he signed with a team in Italy to play professional ball. While he played in the European league, the San Antonio Spurs recruiters noticed him. Soon he moved to San Antonio, Texas, and became part of the NBA, where he is known as Manu Ginobli, one of the great NBA players. Although these athletes represent some of the top Hispanic athletes connected with Texas, there are thousands of Hispanic athletes who have gone on to play at the college level and some have even become professionals.
Culture: Albuquerque Balloon Festival
The largest city in New Mexico is Albuquerque, which has over 500,000 people and about one-fourth of the population of the state. Albuquerque is close to six times larger than Las Cruces, which is the next largest city in the state. Each year in October, Albuquerque hosts the International Balloon Festival, which is the largest balloon festival in the world. Along with local people, attendees also include people from other states and around the world. The event lasts about nine days, and around 750 balloons fill the sky over the duration of the festival. The first festival was held in 1972 as a birthday celebration for a radio station, and has continued ever since. The festival boasts some special events, including the following: Dawn Patrol: A group of pilots take off about 6:00 a.m. when it is still dark. Their balloons are lighted so that they stand out against the dark sky. Some of the pilots take part in a choreographed display that is set to music and very entertaining to the spectators on the ground. Mass Ascensions: A launch of all the participating balloons at about 7:00 a.m. on set days during the festival. The launch directors guide the ascensions to assure safety. The directors wear black and white striped outfits and are called "zebras." The sky filling with the many balloons creates a breathtaking sight! Artistic Vision: Due to the beauty of the event, many artists paint scenes showing the balloons in flight. Attendees can purchase these artistic renditions during the festival. Special Shape Rodeo: Although most of the balloons are traditionally shaped, there are also many unusually-shaped balloons, such as balloons shaped like cows, bees, and soda pops. Although these shaped balloons sometimes fly with the traditional balloons, there is also a a special time when all the shaped balloons are launched at one time. Balloon Glow: To end each day, large numbers of balloons are lit with propane burners and remain on the ground in their lit-up state. Some of the shaped-balloons are both lighted and launched at night to create a "Glowdeo" in the night sky. Along with the balloon activities, the festival naturally includes food and souvenir booths. Also, the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum opened on the festival grounds in 2005. The convention has also become a major showcase of New Mexican culture and history and features numerous cultural exhibitions.
Border between the U.S. and Mexico
There are two countries in North America where Spanish is widely spoken: Mexico and the United States. Although the Spanish language has a greater influence in Mexico than in the U.S., the two countries still have a great deal in common. One thing that both countries share is an international border. The border between the U.S. and Mexico is about 2,000 miles long. It runs from the Pacific Ocean through the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts and the Colorado River Delta, and then follows the course of the Río Grande to the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. States north of the border are as follows, from west to east: -California, which has the shortest stretch of the border of any of the U.S. states that touch it -Arizona -New Mexico -Texas, which has the longest stretch of the border -The Mexican states south of the border include the following, from west to east: -Baja California -Sonora -Chihuahua, which has the longest stretch of the border of any of the Mexican states that touch it -Coahuila -Nuevo León, which has the shortest stretch of the border -Tamaulipas As you can see on the map, Texas borders four Mexican states, New Mexico and Arizona each border two Mexican states, and California borders one Mexican state. From the Mexican viewpoint, Baja California, Sonora, and Chihuahua each border two U.S. states, while Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, and Coahuilla each border only one U.S. state. Compared to other areas in the U.S., the U.S. border counties have a larger share of residents under the age of 18 and a smaller share over the age of 64. The age breakdowns relate to the large number of younger adults who have been crossing the border, as well as the fact that Hispanics, both immigrants and U.S. citizens, have a higher birth rate than other populations in the U.S. Several times over the past few years, the U.S. has started and stopped the construction of a barrier fence along the border between the two countries. The barrier was designed as a way to control unapproved entrance of Mexican citizens into the U.S. The progress on the 18-foot wide steel barrier wall is a political hot topic that has attracted many supporters and opponents on both sides of the issue. U.S. supporters of the wall note the expense for both the border states and the country in regards to costs in education, health care, high birth rates of Hispanics, and uninsured motorists. Supporters of the wall also view it as a way of upholding U.S. immigration laws. Opponents note that the wall divides the tribal lands of three Native American nations and endangers some species and fragile ecosystems along the Río Grande. Specifically, environmentalists expressed concern about butterfly migration corridors and the future of two species of local wildcats. Naturally, there are many people in the border states whose first language is Spanish. Some of these people also learn English so that they can work and attend school. Others live in U.S. areas where Spanish is spoken to a degree that they do not need to learn English to have jobs and attend school. Children who are in grades K-12 have ESL (English as a Second Language) where they learn English. Often, these students will receive instruction spoken in Spanish and English while they are learning the English language. Many English-speaking people who live in the border states choose to learn Spanish to make it easier to talk to their new neighbors. In addition, many businesses want to have some Spanish-speaking employees so that the businesses can cater to the Spanish-speaking population. As Hispanic immigration continues at a high rate, many of these people move deeper into the U.S. rather than remaining in the border states.
Las escuelas en California
When learning a new language, one popular approach is to teach the language instruction bi-lingually, which means that students learn a secondary language through instruction that is given in their primary language. However, California has a law in place that allows for full-immersion education rather than bi-lingual education. This means that students learning the Spanish language in California would be able to take a class in which all of the instruction is given in Spanish, rather than in English. Supporters of full-immersion education in California believe that it is the best way to learn a language. Opponents believe that bi-lingual education would be more beneficial. They cite the Multilingual Education for a Twenty-First Century Economy Act and the need to recognize the invaluable skills needed to understand and appreciate diverse perspectives and cultures and an ability in our global society to communicate in different languages, not just in English. In other words, they suggest that bilingual education would be beneficial for both the students who speak only Spanish and for those who speak only English. What do you think? Would you rather learn a language through full-immersion or bi-lingual education?
