Here at Hola Texas, we continued our mission of keeping Raza’s history alive and recognizing people and organizations making a difference in our community. We brought you stories about people in our community that may have long been forgotten by most.
For example, we had the story of Ruben Salazar, perhaps the only mainstream print reporter to cover the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. Unfortunately, many believe that his dedication to reporting about the need for equality in the Chicano community led to his murder. This at the hands of Deputy Thomas Wilson with, of all things, a 10-inch gas canister projectile. It tore Rubens’s head off and killed him instantly. There was also the story of the first Mexican American mayor in the U.S. City Raymond Telles, in 1957, was elected mayor of El Paso. Now, before you think, well, El Paso has always been full of Mexicans, no big deal. Wrong; if you were not a Lily-White Male, you never stood a chance, coupled with the fact that back then, you had to pay to vote because of the Poll Tax law.
Then there was the story of the young couple in the second smallest school district in Texas that brought Friday Night Lights to Marathon, Texas. When you live in a small town, there are things you may not get to experience. One of these things that was missing in Marathon was a big Friday Night Football game. Enter the couple and recent college graduates Jasmine and Jacob Garcia and their love of community and football. The couple noticed that a mix of maybe 12 students always hung out to watch practices for any six-man team they may have managed to put together. So, in the spirit of inclusion, they started organizing a Flag football game with these kids. Well, what happened on a Halloween evening? The whole town got into it, with folks coming to relive long-forgotten Friday nights of the past. This is complete with the local school principal doing play-by-play on the P.A. system. I happened to be visiting the area and caught part of the game, which was a lot of fun. Don’t’ think I ever found out who won the game Garcia VS Garcia, but I think it safe to say they all did.
There were many more stories we told in 2023. We do not limit it to historical figures but also music, sports, or the arts; visit our website at holatexas.us to see what you missed.
For 2024, we have already started coupling some of our most-read stories and converting them to E. Books, Flip Books, and ultimately to print. We are reaching out to our readers for even more stories about their local heroes. The big picture goal is creating a Chicano Civil Rights Movement and Raza History Collection. We plan to share online and as a traveling display and or in a permanent physical location. I believe strongly that our American experience is best told by those that lived it, so it is incumbent on us to preserve and maintain that history. I have listed my email and phone number below in hopes that you contact me with your stories.
By A.Govea
albertogovea@amigosnbusiness.com
817-797-4015
There was also the story of the first Mexican American mayor in the U.S. City Raymond Telles, in 1957, was elected mayor of El Paso. Now, before you think, well, El Paso has always been full of Mexicans, no big deal. Wrong; if you were not a Lily-White Male, you never stood a chance, coupled with the fact that back then, you had to pay to vote because of the Poll Tax law.
Then there was the story of the young couple in the second smallest school district in Texas that brought Friday Night Lights to Marathon, Texas. When you live in a small town, there are things you may not get to experience. One of these things that was missing in Marathon was a big Friday Night Football game. Enter the couple and recent college graduates Jasmine and Jacob Garcia and their love of community and football. The couple noticed that a mix of maybe 12 students always hung out to watch practices for any six-man team they may have managed to put together. So, in the spirit of inclusion, they started organizing a Flag football game with these kids. Well, what happened on a Halloween evening? The whole town got into it, with folks coming to relive long-forgotten Friday nights of the past. This is complete with the local school principal doing play-by-play on the P.A. system. I happened to be visiting the area and caught part of the game, which was a lot of fun. Don’t’ think I ever found out who won the game Garcia VS Garcia, but I think it safe to say they all did.
There were many more stories we told in 2023. We do not limit it to historical figures but also music, sports, or the arts; visit our website at holatexas.us to see what you missed.
For 2024, we have already started coupling some of our most-read stories and converting them to E. Books, Flip Books, and ultimately to print. We are reaching out to our readers for even more stories about their local heroes. The big picture goal is creating a Chicano Civil Rights Movement and Raza History Collection. We plan to share online and as a traveling display and or in a permanent physical location. I believe strongly that our American experience is best told by those that lived it, so it is incumbent on us to preserve and maintain that history. I have listed my email and phone number below in hopes that you contact me with your stories.
By A.Govea
albertogovea@amigosnbusiness.com
817-797-4015