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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Chicano History Week commences on February 2, 2017, |
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| 6 | 7 | | the 169th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe |
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| 7 | 8 | | Hidalgo; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, A crucial document in the annals of both the United |
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| 9 | 10 | | States and Mexico, the 1848 treaty ended two years of war between |
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| 10 | 11 | | those nations; Mexico recognized the annexation of Texas by the |
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| 11 | 12 | | United States, accepted the Rio Grande as the state's southern |
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| 12 | 13 | | border, and gave up about half of its territory, including |
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| 13 | 14 | | modern-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of |
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| 14 | 15 | | Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, in exchange for $15 million; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Approximately 80,000 Mexicans lived in the ceded |
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| 16 | 17 | | area at the time, and the vast majority chose to become United |
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| 17 | 18 | | States citizens; although the treaty granted protection of their |
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| 18 | 19 | | property and civil rights, and although subsequent adjudication in |
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| 19 | 20 | | Texas confirmed most of their claims, Mexican Texans in the area |
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| 20 | 21 | | between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River faced mounting pressure |
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| 21 | 22 | | and discrimination as the years passed and as more Anglos moved into |
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| 22 | 23 | | the region; within decades, Mexican Texans owned almost no land at |
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| 23 | 24 | | all; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Organized efforts to combat discrimination against |
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| 25 | 26 | | Latinos in Texas date to the early 1900s; in the 1960s and 1970s, |
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| 26 | 27 | | members of the Chicano movement joined the long struggle to win |
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| 27 | 28 | | social justice for Mexican Americans; composed largely of younger |
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| 28 | 29 | | Latinos, the movement focused attention on failed promises |
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| 29 | 30 | | contained in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; at the same time, this |
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| 30 | 31 | | movement insisted on the value of Mexican culture and traditions |
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| 31 | 32 | | and gave impetus to the inclusion of the Mexican American |
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| 32 | 33 | | experience in discussions of U.S. history; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, The contributions of Mexican Americans are integral |
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| 34 | 35 | | to the story of this nation, and by gaining a better understanding |
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| 35 | 36 | | of Chicano history, we deepen our appreciation of the rich heritage |
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| 36 | 37 | | that is shared by all Americans; now, therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 38 | 39 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 2-8, 2017, as Chicano History |
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| 39 | 40 | | Week and encourage all Texans to learn more about the important role |
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| 40 | 41 | | that Chicanos have played in the saga of the Lone Star State. |
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