H.R. No. 1104
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, From the colonial era to the present day, Texas has
derived great benefits from its Tejano population, and the
innumerable contributions made by this state's residents of
Hispanic heritage are indeed deserving of special recognition; and
WHEREAS, The date of April 6 has special meaning for Latinos
in Texas; on that day in the year 1813, Jose Bernardo Maximiliano
Gutierrez de Lara proclaimed the independence of Texas from Spanish
rule; his declaration came after the military group he helped lead,
the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition, had seized San Antonio from
royalist forces; the revolutionary contingent was made up of many
volunteers of several different ethnicities, including Hispanics,
Native Americans, and Anglos; occurring more than two decades
before the better-known Texas Revolution of 1836, this action was
an important pioneering effort in the struggle to bring republican
government to Texas; and
WHEREAS, A few months after independence was proclaimed,
these early revolutionaries were forced to defend their newly
liberated land; on August 18, 1813, proudly flying their emerald
green flag, they marched out to meet Spanish forces south of San
Antonio in the Battle of Medina, considered to be the bloodiest
engagement ever fought on Texas soil, with more than 1,300 men
believed to have been killed; the vast majority of the casualties
were suffered by the republican forces, who were greatly
outnumbered by the royalist army, and this battlefield defeat
signaled the end of the independent state that had been
established; and
WHEREAS, This often-overlooked chapter of Texas history
illustrates the vital contributions that Tejanos have made to the
development of our state; by commemorating the significance of
April 6, 1813, we justly honor the essential role that Hispanics
have played in our society through the centuries; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 6, 2011, as Tejano Independence
Day and encourage all Texans to reflect on the state's rich and
vibrant Latino heritage.
Rodriguez
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1104 was adopted by the House on April
7, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House