What The Tejano Monument Means To Me
By José Antonio López
The seeds of the Tejano Monument in Austin will soon grow to fruition. What seemed an impossible dream is now a reality. With a little patience, a big heart, and a great amount of resolve, the Tejano Monument, Inc. Committee has delivered on its promise. The State of Texas, whose foundation is unmistakable Tejano, will honor its Spanish Mexican past.
The Tejano Monument’s construction is timely.
We live at a time when the legitimacy of the Spanish Mexican pedigree of Texas and the Southwest is being attacked. Ironically, while Hispanic numbers are growing, several Southwest states including Texas have approved oppressive laws that threaten the very liberties that our country established throughout the world as the freedom standard. Among other actions, they assault bi-lingual education and ethnic studies in the bi-cultural Southwest. Everyday life has become more difficult for working class citizens who look Spanish Mexican and Native American. They are considered of being in the country illegally. As such, the monument couldn’t have come at a better moment.
Once the tourists and the bus loads of school children begin to arrive, the Tejano Monument will be the object of different interpretations. Every visitor will have her or his own perspective. The beauty is that each viewpoint will be correct, similar to studying a prized work of art in a museum. As for me, the Monument is many things.
First, it symbolizes the visible tree trunk of the Tejano root system stemming from deep in the heart of Texas.
It is a key that opens a special portal (gate) allowing us to peek at life in early Tejas. I find myself cheering as a pioneer accepts a porción and watch as the ceremonial dust flies off to the four winds. I hear the sound of church bells calling parishioners to mass. I’m a guest at a wedding, a quinceañera, and a baptism. I shout approval as children break a piñata in the patio.
I can smell the bouquet of the herb garden – cilantro, oregano, romero, and yerba buena. I smell the inviting aromas of meal preparations. I see children playing and learning at home. I listen intently during afternoon tertulias. I view the corral where vaqueros are taming horses. There are family rodeos and preparations for the next roundup of Texas longhorns. I marvel at the genius of the first Compañía Volante. I witness the first shouts of Texas liberty and the first shots of Texas independence.
The Tejano Monument is the telling of a secret that was 170 years in the making. It’s the first giant step to rediscover the early history of Texas. It is a strong visual expression of our Tejano ancestors keeping their memory alive. It’s a set of biographies in bronze that will serve as an inspiration to children of all ages and backgrounds for many years to come.
Most of all, visitors to Austin will now know the reason why so many patriotic citizens in the Southwest speak Spanish as their language of choice. Please consider making yourself a part of the Tejano Monument. Visit www.Tejanos.com and make a donation.
