Poor GOP: So Close to Catholic Latinos, So Far From Catholic Votes

More on the use and abuse of Mexican History.

Since Glenn Beck's failed crusade to Jerusalem (see The Guardian article here) I've lost track of the nutter, but back in May he apparently took a shot at Eva Longoria for comments she made on the Bill Maher show stating that the United States had occupied Mexico.  Beck seeks to, erm, set the record straight regarding the "Mexico was occupied crap" that was dropped on "us" (he had a mouse in his pocket).  His reasons for saying Mexico was not occupied by the United States:

1) In Mexico they speak Spanish (not Mexican, he said, which will come as a shock to all the nahuatl speakers and perhaps the 51 other indigenous language speakers in Mexico), not Enlgish, which would be a sign of occupation (again, which would come as a shock to all those Mexicans that remained on the north end of the 1847 war AND all the Mexicans speaking English to deal with the tourists and 1 million economic refugees from the US that live in Mexico).  No, the true sign of an occupation is that Spanish and Hispanic come from a Roman (he also says Italian) occupation of Spain and then a 300 year Spanish occupation of Mexico.  The part of Mexico that became Texas was only Mexican for 15 years, so no occupation happened.

2) The war with Mexico was a product of Mexican aggression.  The presence of US forces in Mexico City was not an occupation because it was resolved with a treaty.  Interesting.  He does take a moment to recognize that Manifest Destiny was in play.

3) Even though the US "routed" Mexico we were benevolent enough to purchase what became the Western American States for $15 million.  "We went the extra distance" and paid for it.  So, since what was left of Mexico was not occupied with military forces or controlled by the US politically, and because the part that was militarily occupied was paid for and won in war then no occupation happened.  The Mexicans living in the US were bought for, fair and square.  Not occupied.


4) Anybody that thinks any portion of Mexico was occupied is ignorant, and that ignorance of history creates the current climate of bad immigration policy.  


5) The US and Israel are the only two nations in the world that are slandered and attacked as wrongful occupiers of invaded lands, even when justly conquered in war.  Not even China's occupation of Tibet.


6) Israel is a benevolent nation, rightfully given land by the United Nations, and just vanquisher of wrongful Arabic aggression.


7) The world is devoid of truth.


8) Disagreeing with the Beckian version of history means you hate the United States.


See the full nuttiness here.


Beck got all of that from a statement in which Longoria said Latinos are not a monolithic voting bloc because Cubans are welcomed as political refugees but Mexicans were occupied.    From Nogales to Tel Aviv in a few short minutes of Beck logic.  While Beck gets some surface facts correct, his disregard for other goings on is a history crime aided and abetted by some strange interpretations.  The only thing I think we can fully agree on his the seventh point - that the world is devoid of truth - starting with the void space between his ears.


I'd point out that not two weeks after Longoria's "betrayal" of the United States, her movie about the Cristero war and how "big bad gubment" beats up on the defenseless and weak Catholic Church in Mexico has become a darling of the American right-wing.    

What US Students Should Know, or, What the "Area" People Have to Say

Ok, another incredibly frustrating conversation with a colleague over people of the Americas in the United States. When I asked her what she taught about Latin Americans in the US, she responded that she taught about Coronado, Cortes, Zoot Suit Riots, and the UFW. I was floored. So, here are a few books I think US historians need to read and incorporate into their survey US history courses.

- Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest. Say no to white gods that show up with no context and kill all the Indians.

- Empires of the Atlantic World. Say no to the ANGLO/franco focus of the imperial projects of the Americas.

- Ecological Imperialism or The Columbian Exchange. Say no to teaching kids that the "Columbian Exchange" is the old "triangular trade" of third grade, just with a new name.

- Neither Enemies nor Friends. Problematic at times, but helps say no to the 50s notion of simplistic racial US.

- Empire's Workshop and Empire and Revolution. Say no to US imperialism starting in 1898.

- True Tales and Delfino's Gun. Say no to simplistic ideas on immigration.

- Barrios Nortenos and Chicanos. Say no to lectures on Latino-free labor movements.

- Captives and Cousins and Comanche Empire. Say no to a West devoid of Mexico and Spain.

- Whitewashed Adobe. Say no to a California absent Mexicans until the summer of 1943.

- Tree of Hate. Say no to the reasons Latin America and Latinos disappear from US history survey courses.

Ok, so there are ten of my entries. For the three people that follow this blog and the two that will stumble on to it from google: What would you want a US historian to read and incorporate into their courses? Martinez? Anzaldua? M.T. Garcia? Who do you think they should be reading?

Final note: This frustrating conversation came just two days after a student came up to me after we did civil rights and thanked me because she thought only African Americans had a civil rights movement. She'd never heard of LULAC, AGIF, Bert Corona, Dolores Huerta...nada. Crazy, man.