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Dispatches From Aztlantis! Life and Death on the Border · Tales From Aztlantis

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Anam Pilam and welcome to the second dispatch of Tales from Atlantis season four.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Lakatecat, and today I'm going to discuss a recent article that was published in the Washington Post entitled After a Borderland Shootout: A 100 Year Old Battle for the Truth by Arelis R.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hernandez and Frank Hully Jones, illustrations by Raúl Urias, and photography by Desiree Rios.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: The story hits home because as a Chicano from Texas, I've known about this topic all my life through the popular folk songs that we call corridos or hero ballads, oral family histories, and Chicano history books.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's a story of decline, tragedy, and trauma for people along the border and beyond.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: It also happens to be a story that I've helped bring to North Texas as an exhibit through the Mexican American Museum of Texas, which I'm a founding member of.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: The exhibit is called Life and Death on the Border 1910 to 1920, and it was originally displayed at the Bullock Texas State History Museum back in 2015, so almost 10 years ago.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: And with the assistance of the nonprofit organization Refusing to Forget, we were able to bring it to North Texas this year.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: We had the soft opening back in uh the 5th of May, 5 de mayo, and it's currently on display through October the 15th of 2024 at the Beatrice M.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Haggarty Gallery, which is located at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: So what I'd like to do here are two things.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: First, I'm going to do a brief description of the online Washington Post article.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's very interesting because it's kind of an interactive article at the very beginning.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure some of you have seen this before.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to be describing that.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to be reading some of the text and some of the text boxes to give you a sense of what the story is about, but I'm not going to read the main story.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: So that's part one.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Part two, what I am going to read is an essay that I wrote for the introductory panel of the exhibit, which is currently on display at the University of Dallas.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: This is something that I did for that exhibit specifically and relates to the topic in the Washington Post.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: So when you go to the Washington Post, you search for the title after a borderland shootout, a 100-year-old battle for the truth.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: You come to the landing page of that article, and it's kind of like a tan sort of peach color.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Not sure exactly how to describe it, but the very first thing you see is this image front and center, which shows disembodied heads of uh ethnic Mexicans at the top, uh, an ethnic Mexican to the left-hand side on a on a horse with various items uh over the horse.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Then you have front and center what appears to be a Texas Ranger, the quintessential Anglo-American Texas Ranger with the blonde hair, and then you have another one that's kind of like on horseback that's to the right of it.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: And the colors for to describe them, the best way that I can describe the color scheme that they've chosen to go with the with this uh interactive article is that if you are familiar with sort of like the psychedelic covers of the 1970s with those very intense blues and oranges and reds and greens and stuff like that, that's that's kind of like the color scheme that they've gone with.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: And so this is the very first text box that you get to as you begin to scroll down, and it's titled April 1920, which is the month and the year when this event occurred.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: And this is what the first box says.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: It says several men on their way to a wedding stopped at a corral near the Texas-Mexico border to rest and water their horses.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then you have an image immediately beneath it, and it's showing uh four Mexican Americans on horseback with various items draped over their horses, presumably gifts and their own personal belongings that they're carrying with them on their way to the wedding, which is supposed to be taking place on the Mexican side.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: So they're going from the Texas side into the Mexican side.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: And also, I should mention that the text boxes all connect with a line, so picture sort of like a genealogy chart, right?
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Where you have names with different lines connecting folks.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of what this is.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so you keep scrolling, you get to the next uh text box between the images, and this one says the travelers were spotted by lawmen who suspected they were smuggling liquor.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so this image, right underneath that text box, again, same same color scheme with the bright blues, oranges, reds, etc.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: And uh on the upper sort of center to upper left-hand corner, you see uh pitched tent, and you see various uh ethnic Mexicans, uh, some on horseback, some standing, and then uh in the foreground to the lower right hand side of the image, you see two Texas Rangers who are on horseback and they're at a distance looking down at the ethnic Mexicans.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and so that's that's what that that text box is describing, right?
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: That the lawmen suspect that they were smuggling liquor and they're kind of spying on them, right?
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: And then you get to the next text box, and this is what it says.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: What happened next has been debated for more than a hundred years.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Public records and history books tell one version of the story, while the travelers' descendants tell another.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: And here I should interject that when they talk about history books, they're not talking about Mexican American Chicano history books, because this is something that I have known about for a very long time, uh, since I was a kid, reading this in textbooks that I read, uh, people like uh Rudy Acuña, right?
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: He was one of the first people that introduced me to the history of Mexican Americans Chicanos.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, even though he doesn't go into great detail in the sections that he talks about this period of Texas history, this is something that's in there.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: So all the way back to the late 60s, 70s, we have been telling our stories.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so the the history books that they're referring to here are those of the standard books that are issued by the state.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the text box continues the differences are big, and then it has parentheses who shot first, and small, another parentheses, how many people were there, right?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: So those are the differences and discrepancies.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: The ramifications still linger, and that's the end of the text.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so, right here, this is where it kind of splits because those are kind of like the overarching themes that unite both sides of the story, because you have two sides of the story, and then then the line goes out of that box, and then it comes to a split where you have the family version of events, and then what they they call the lawmen version of events.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so the family version is to the left-hand side of the screen, and the lawmen version to the right-hand side.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: And again, you have more images.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: The first one that comes up is one of the married couple that was supposed to be picture, sort of like a locket portrait of a couple, it's kind of like that, and it's surrounded by again beautiful designs, floral designs, uh, cattle, horses, you know, evoking the sense of like the ranch lifestyle and things like that.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: And so you get the next text box, and this is from the family side, from the family version, and it says the travelers were going to a wedding in Mexico and carrying gifts for the bridal party.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: The groom was among those in the caravan.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: And then you keep scrolling, the image is still the same, and then it changes to one of instead of the couple, now you see the lone, disembodied head of um Mexican American, presumably the groom.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: You see two bullets on either side of his face, again the same locket portrait frame, and then around it you have various items guns, revolvers, presumably liquor bottles, and barrels and things like that.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: Still the same floral pattern.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: So it's I mean, the imagery is really nice and it's animated.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: You have things popping in and out like little uh stars and things like that.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, anyway, so the La Men version, this is what it says in this text box, right?
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: To oppose the other one from the family says the travelers were moving along a well-known smuggling route and carrying guns and ammunition.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, so you keep going, and then the next image again it changes with the next text box and it says the family version.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, and I should say the images of a Texas Ranger who is kind of like in the center of the frame and it's got his revolver out, shooting straight ahead into obviously the left-hand side of the screen, which is where the family version is being told.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then right behind him, you have like three animated uh versions, smaller versions of the larger Texas Ranger in the middle that kind of pop in, you know, again, like the flash animation, right?
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: And so this is the family version of events.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: The Texas Rangers spotted the travelers and then ambushed them and opened fire.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: So, according to the family and family lore, they were ambushed and the rangers opened fire on them.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: You keep scrolling, and then you get to the next text box and you have the lawman version, who say, and again, the image changes now.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: The image is now instead of the Texas Ranger, you have the image of a Mexican American, presumably the groom again.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: This gentleman is in a prone position uh with a gun shooting towards the direction to the right where the the Texas Rangers are.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: And the same as with the Texas Ranger, you get three more animated figures of the gentleman pop up, and it's uh again very animated, very uh creative, I should say, with the imagery that they did here in the illustrations.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: And so this is what it says on the lawman's side.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: It says the smugglers spotted federal customs inspectors, dismounted their horses, and opened fire, right?
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: So the the rangers, I should say here, right?
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because it's it's making a distinction.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: The rangers have always maintained that it was not them who committed the the uh the murders, that it was federal customs inspectors, right?
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's always shifting blame to someone else.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: And the truth has never been verified because at the time, oftentimes the same people who were customs agents could be also employed as local law enforcement and sometimes could even be in cahoots with the customs inspectors.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: And and this is well documented in various books.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: I I recommend George T.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Diaz's book on the Tequileros, and he's one of the people who cited in this article.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: So when you read the article, you can find his name and then look up his book on the the smuggling that was taking place down in that period in Texas.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's kind of where it it ends with the with uh one more text box, and it ends back again with the same image that we started with, but now it's not as decorative, it's still kind of just the the round frame of the Lockett type frame.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: And in the middle of the image, you have the groom slowly fades out because he's one of the people who was killed on his way to his wedding, right?
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so the family version says during the shootout, three of the travelers, including the groom, were killed by the Texas Rangers, and only two people survived out of that group.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so the discrepancy again here is with uh the Texas Rangers version of it.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: It says during the shootout, three smugglers were killed by the lawmen, and four survived.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: So instead of two surviving, four.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: And again, it was commonplace at the time, and this is something that we know through oral histories that a lawman in in South Texas, you know, they used to call him Riches, but it had a negative connotation.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: But another term that was used, and this is not used in the article, and I'm kind of surprised, but maybe not, is cherifes.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, cherife was kind of like a catch-all term for anyone who was in law enforcement, whether there were rangers, whether there were police, troops, whatever the case may be.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Any agent of power was uh labeled a cherife.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: And so in a lot of corridos, when you hear the word cherifes or sheriffs, um it could be an actual sheriff or it could just be a generic law enforcement agent, including customs agents as well.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, so it's a very powerful story that I think everyone should read who's interested in the history of Texas, the border, Mexican Americans, and especially Texas Rangers, this being their supposed 200th anniversary in existence.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, this is why there's a lot of activity going on on both sides, mainly on on the on the side of the Rangers and the state, you know, glorifying them, but also the oppositional voices who are saying, wait a minute, you know, I mean, sure, the Texas Rangers have evolved and they're different now, but let's not forget who they were originally.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like what was the whole point of them being created, right?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: So, not to make this any longer, I'm going to go ahead and read my introductory paragraph quickly here, and then uh because this is only a dispatch, it's not a full-blown episode, I'll try to make it quick.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, so again, this is my introductory panel essay, and this is how it begins.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: The title is the same as the exhibit Life and Death on the Border, 1910 to 1920.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Introduction paragraph.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: The Life and Death on the Border exhibit focuses on the decade between 1910 and 1920, a time of great violence and upheaval along the Texas-Mexico border.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: It examines the causes and effects of state-sanctioned racial violence against ethnic Mexicans, people or person of Mexican descent, regardless of citizenship, race, nationality, or immigration status, and explores the actions that Mexican Americans took to advance the cause of justice and civil rights.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: The exhibit begins by providing a brief overview of the history of the Texas-Mexico border region, highlighting the diverse cultures and communities that have inhabited the area for centuries and touches on the factors that contributed to the violence of the early 20th century.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: These include the Mexican Revolution, territorial displacement, property theft, and the economic and political interests of powerful individuals and groups.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: Central themes.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: One of the themes explored in the exhibit is the role of the Texas Rangers in this decade of violence.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: At the time, the activities conducted by the Texas Rangers along the border, which often involved the use of power to target and abuse ethnic Mexicans were sanctioned by the state.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: In many documented cases, the actions perpetrated against border communities occurred well beyond the international boundary and often bled into Mexican territory.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: Due to the turmoil caused by the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1920, authorities were able to get away with abuse by simply labeling someone a bandit, a smuggler, or a cattle rustler.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: Thus the exhibit documents several instances of ranger led violence, including the Porvenir Massacre of 1918 and La Matanza or the slaughter of 1915 near San Benito, which left approximately 300 people dead.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: These sites were on the Texas side, and like most border communities, the inhabitants were usually a mix of residents born in Mexico and US born citizens.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: Those killed in these instances of horror and injustice came from that ethnic Mexican demographic comprised of individuals from both sides of the border.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Equally important, the exhibit also explores the everyday lives of people living along the border during this period.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: It elucidates the challenges that ethnic Mexicans faced, including discrimination, economic hardship, and the fear of deportation, but it also shows the resilience of the people and communities and how Mexican Americans resisted oppression by building community strength through cultural expression, mutual aid, and political activism.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: The exhibit concludes by examining the legacy of the violence of the early 20th century and shows how the events of this period continue to influence the border region today.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: The Portvenir Massacre of 1918.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: One of the most notorious events of the period was the Portvenir Massacre of 1918.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: On January 24th of that year, a group of Texas Rangers and local Vigilantis raided the town of Porvenir, Texas and killed up to 19 unarmed residents, all of whom were ethnic Mexican.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: The massacre was a reprisal for the killing of a sheriff's deputy by an alleged group of Mexican revolutionaries.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: When the rebels proved themselves to be elusive, the Vigilante group instead targeted the men, women, and children of Portvenir.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: The innocent townspeople were killed in their homes, on the streets and in the fields.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Not satisfied in their hunger for revenge, the rangers and vigilantes burned homes and businesses, looted property, and raped women.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: The massacre was a shocking act of violence which sparked outrage from Mexican Americans across the state and helped galvanize ordinary citizens into joining the emergent Mexican American civil rights movement Mexican American resistance.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Despite the violence and oppression Mexican Americans faced on the border, they refused to give up.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: They found many ways to resist, including social, cultural, and spiritual expression and through political activism.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: Mexican Americans used their culture to affirm their identity and to challenge the negative stereotypes that were used to justify violence against them.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: They held traditional festivals and celebrations and they created new forms of cultural expression such as conjunto music, a musical genre indigenous to Central and South Texas that incorporates the button according into musica ranchera or Mexican country music, and is accompanied by an acoustic six-string bass guitar called Bajo Sexto.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: The songwriters composed corridos or ballads that recounted the acts of heroism and resistance against the Anglo establishment and the conjuntos spread this message far and wide.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: Mexican Americans also organized mutual aid societies which provided support in times of need.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: These societies helped families with funeral expenses, medical bills, financial burdens, and provided legal aid and other assistance to victims of violence and discrimination.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: These cruel actions experienced by border communities inspired Mexican Americans to become more politically active across the state, and they formed organizations which advocated for their rights and challenged discrimination.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: After being virtually shut out from politics since the time of the Texas Republic, Mexican Americans began to run for office in increasing numbers and winning seats in the halls of power.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: One of the most notable Mexican American elected officials of that era was Jose Tomas or JT Canales, who filed 19 charges on january 31st, 1919 against the Texas Rangers and demanded a legislative investigation and the reorganization of the force.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: Conclusion Legacies and Future The violence of the early 20th century had a lasting impact on the Texas-Mexico border region.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: It created a climate of fear and distrust and exacerbated existing divisions between Anglos and ethnic Mexicans.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: The violence also had a devastating impact on Mexican American families whose communities were constantly under threat from vigilantes and agents of power, i.e.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: the Rangers, enlisted Army service members, and local law enforcement, who often were one and the same.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Nevertheless, despite the trauma of the past, Fronterizos, the people of the border, have continued to push for justice and equality and have made considerable progress over the last fifty years, but there is still much work to be done.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: The exhibit presented here is an important reminder of those struggles and the constant progression towards a more just and equitable society.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: The exhibit Life and Death on the Border is an important reminder of the history of the borderlands and the people who have lived there.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: The exhibit highlights the resilience and determination of the Mexican American community in the face of adversity.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: It also explores the problematic legacy of the 1910-1920 decade for the border region, a legacy which can still be felt today.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: This show is an important and timely exhibit which sheds light on a dark chapter of American history and reminds us of the importance of standing up for justice and equality for all people.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: Most importantly, by challenging the popular narrative which often obfuscates the facts, the history presented here attempts to bring a sense of dignity to the people and families affected by those tragedies as well as the border communities who have kept their memory alive.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's the end of the essay.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I think I've said enough.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you're again in the Dallas area, North Texas, DFW Metroplex area visiting, or if you live here, I encourage you and I welcome you to check out the exhibit over at the Haggerty Gallery.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be up until the middle of October.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: And then I also encourage everyone who is not very familiar with this story to at least go check out the uh Washington Post article, which was just published as of the time of the recording of this.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: Today, it was published today.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: And with that, I will leave you until next time.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, thank you for joining us here at Tells from Oslantis on our second dispatch.