85R4650 SMJ-D
By: Alonzo H.R. No. 92
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Chicano History Week commences on February 2, 2017,
the 169th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo; and
WHEREAS, A crucial document in the annals of both the United
States and Mexico, the 1848 treaty ended two years of war between
those nations; Mexico recognized the annexation of Texas by the
United States, accepted the Rio Grande as the state's southern
border, and gave up about half of its territory, including
modern-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of
Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, in exchange for $15 million; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 80,000 Mexicans lived in the ceded
area at the time, and the vast majority chose to become United
States citizens; although the treaty granted protection of their
property and civil rights, and although subsequent adjudication in
Texas confirmed most of their claims, Mexican Texans in the area
between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River faced mounting pressure
and discrimination as the years passed and as more Anglos moved into
the region; within decades, Mexican Texans owned almost no land at
all; and
WHEREAS, Organized efforts to combat discrimination against
Latinos in Texas date to the early 1900s; in the 1960s and 1970s,
members of the Chicano movement joined the long struggle to win
social justice for Mexican Americans; composed largely of younger
Latinos, the movement focused attention on failed promises
contained in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; at the same time, this
movement insisted on the value of Mexican culture and traditions
and gave impetus to the inclusion of the Mexican American
experience in discussions of U.S. history; and
WHEREAS, The contributions of Mexican Americans are integral
to the story of this nation, and by gaining a better understanding
of Chicano history, we deepen our appreciation of the rich heritage
that is shared by all Americans; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 2-8, 2017, as Chicano History
Week and encourage all Texans to learn more about the important role
that Chicanos have played in the saga of the Lone Star State.