Ever since the original European immigrants arrived on our eastern shores, there has been a tendency for those that have been here awhile to “nativize” their status at the expense of those that came after them. Religion, ethnicity, language, culture and race are reasons invented to deprive newcomers of the promise of America.
There are families with immigrant histories even forgetting about their ancestors from other countries in order to differentiate themselves from recent arrivals. At the same time, immigrants have continued to come regardless of how they are received to largely help build the wonder that is our country.
US Highway 79 in Central Texas goes through a little town called Hearne. It is in the farms close to the town that our family settled after years in the migrant farmworker stream the clan specifically lived along a 16 mile stretch of Farm to Market Road 50 that connects Hearne and US 79 to Texas Highway 21 which was the Old San Antonio Road and the Spanish el Camino Real during the colonial period.
Also, along that stretch are the farms owned by families from previous immigration periods like the Schantz, the Neglassos and the Catropias. It was in their farms and cotton fields that many of our people worked as day laborers or sharecroppers.
In addition, the farmers employed “Braceros,” contracted Mexican field hands. Originally they were brought in as part of an agreement between Mexico and the United States to alleviate farmworker shortages during World War II.
The Braceros represented my first contact with what was to become part of the immigrant community. I remember, as a little boy, working side by side with Braceros in the fields.
I remember going to the places where they lived, watching them cook dinner and staying to eat. I remember the delicious tortillas that look sort of yellowish because of the amount of lard they put in the flour and dough to make them.
As I grew up, Braceros and former Braceros provided the context for my world view associated with immigrants. The image of hard work, language, culture, traditions and dedication to their adopted country has stayed with me.
I also saw the increasing disconnect between the mostly Mexican immigrant families and the law because of a quota system that left many of them on the outside. This led to a prejudicial atmosphere that divided the nation and the Latino community.
The issue was exacerbated by the arrival of Cuban refugees that came to claim asylum as a result of the Fidel Castro regime going Communist. Their route to freedom was quite difficult in their home country but relatively easy once they reached American soil.
The opposite was true for Mexican immigrants. This disparity created a deep resentment on the part of especially Chicanos that continues, for many, to this day.
The irony is that the asylum offered to the Cubans that could get out from under Castro’s Communist regime is less available today for those trying to take refuge from oppressive dictatorships like that of Venezuela. The rules are changing for them largely because of the fear that every Latino immigrant represent another nail in the coffin of a longstanding majority in the process of becoming a minority.
There is a fundamental lack of understanding that for the immigrant, becoming an American is still the gold standard of aspirations. It always has been the case.
The standard continues. The immigrant past of America is also its future.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of laVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
