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