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My Great Hispanic American History Tour
in a music-video-slideshow with some 400 photos. Are you coming? |
Mi gran gira por la historia hispanoamericana
en una presentación de video musical con unas 400 fotos. ™Vienes? |
EL CAMPANARIO
El diseño y el tamaño del campanario original de La Purísima es desconocido. La campana superior está tallada en madera. El uso de campanas de madera era común hasta que la misión pudo comprar una campana de bronce.
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30. The Fountain of Our Hispanic Heritage
By Miguel Pérez
People were shouting "Viva España" and celebrating the great achievements of the Spanish conquistadors in Florida last week. They were dressing up as Spanish explorers, firing muskets and even cannons, listening to history lectures and attending Catholic masses in recognition that Christianity came to America with much more compassion than history tells us.
In two days and two cities, they celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery and landing by Juan Ponce de Leon on the flowery land he called "La Florida."
They were showcasing our normally hidden Hispanic heritage, and there I was, in the middle of it all, thanking the Lord for giving me the opportunity to see it with my own eyes. Borrowing a line from baseball, I kept telling myself, "I live for this."
I heard non-Latino politicians, historians and clergy recognizing the contributions of our Spanish ancestors. I heard Spanish government officials expressing gratitude for Florida's "dedication to commemorate and remember the importance of the Spanish contribution to the history of Florida and the United States."
I heard them speaking about the assets of diversity, the importance of history and the unfair and negative effects of the Black Legend, that centuries old campaign by English, French and American writers to minimize the accomplishments of the Spanish explorers and their Latino descendants.
"We celebrate First America, the genesis of the American culture, where Hispanics and African-Americans and Native American mingled together in this area," said Dana Ste. Claire, one of the celebration organizers in St. Augustine.
"We are talking about the birth of the American culture. It happened right here."
Instead of the fountain of youth in the nation's oldest city, I had reached the fountain of our Hispanic heritage.
Frankly, I must have looked like a total nerd, trying to take notes, photos and videos at the same time. Trying to interview people who were often walking in different directions and trying two speak to them in two different languages. But I wanted so much to share what the rest of America was missing. I wanted all my fellow Americans to see Ponce de Leon get the recognition he deserves. I wanted everyone to hear what I was hearing.
"First of all, he was most likely the official European discoverer and founder of America," Ste. Claire told a crowd of several hundred people who had gathered Wednesday around the Ponce de Leon Statue in St. Augustine's downtown bay front. "Yes, we celebrate the founding of Florida — La Florida — by Juan Ponce, but keep in mind, too, that he was the first official European to touch the shores of mainland America."
I couldn't help myself. I was the one who shouted, "Bravo!"
For several years in this column, I have been arguing that the Quincentennial of our discovery should have been a national celebration because Ponce de Leon didn't just discover the peninsula that is now the State of Florida, but the mainland that is now the United States.
You may have missed it in the news last week because the national media didn't pay much attention. But in Florida, we celebrated our country's discovery day, our 500th birthday!
Because two cities are competing over the right to claim they are closer to the spot where Ponce the Leon actually landed in 1513, I covered numerous events in Melbourne Beach on April 2 and in St. Augustine on April 3. Both cities hosted commemorative ceremonies, celebrated Catholic masses and held wonderful reenactments of the Ponce de Leon landing.
"But why wasn't this Quincentennial of our discovery a national celebration?" I kept asking everyone. "Why is this happening only in two Florida towns?"
And while I got mostly evasive answers from both Spanish and American politicians — all unwilling to deal with controversy during a festive occasion — I got a very realistic response from one of the Melbourne Beach re-enactors:
"In my experience, what I have discovered from many of the people I have met is that people still don't have a good understanding of our history," said Jose Gueits Romero, who, meticulously dressed as conquistador, spoke in Spanish with a heavy Spanish accent. "Particularly the people in city hall and in the state and federal governments, they still have a lot to learn."
Mind you, in both cities, well-informed historians, politicians and clergy recognized that there were indigenous people living in Florida before the Spanish arrived, and that the collision of the Spanish and Native American cultures had some negative consequences, especially diseases that wiped out native populations.
But they also recognized the many good things that resulted from that encounter, and sometimes they had do it over the screams of a handful of protesters who, in both cities, tried to disrupt the celebrations with blatant displays of ignorance and attacks against our Spanish heritage that bordered on racism.
Amazingly, while historical evidence shows that it was the Spanish who were under constant attacks from the Florida natives during Ponce de Leon's first voyage, and while it was the natives who killed Ponce de Leon shortly after arriving on his second voyage, those who still promote the Black Legend held picket signs proclaiming that, "Juan Ponce de Leon and his men are guilty of mass murder, rape and genocide."
Although they think of themselves as progressive human rights activists, they were there to showcase their Black Legend-influenced bigotry against our Spanish heritage. Let's face it: It requires a certain degree of stubborn ignorance to accuse Ponce de Leon of committing genocide in Florida, especially while some of the state's most prominent historians were asserting that Ponce de Leon "did not wish to do the natives harm, but was forced to fight in order to save his men's lives." And especially when Catholic bishops were reminding us that Spain's Franciscan missionaries were "the first civil rights leaders of the New World."
But that's fodder for at least another column. In this space next week, I'll tell you much more of what I learned from some of Florida's most renowned historians, and from prominent Catholic clergy, who gave me a new fountain of information from which to drink, and much more impetus to keep uprooting America's hidden Hispanic heritage.
COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM
People were shouting "Viva España" and celebrating the great achievements of the Spanish conquistadors in Florida last week. They were dressing up as Spanish explorers, firing muskets and even cannons, listening to history lectures and attending Catholic masses in recognition that Christianity came to America with much more compassion than history tells us.
In two days and two cities, they celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery and landing by Juan Ponce de Leon on the flowery land he called "La Florida."
They were showcasing our normally hidden Hispanic heritage, and there I was, in the middle of it all, thanking the Lord for giving me the opportunity to see it with my own eyes. Borrowing a line from baseball, I kept telling myself, "I live for this."
I heard non-Latino politicians, historians and clergy recognizing the contributions of our Spanish ancestors. I heard Spanish government officials expressing gratitude for Florida's "dedication to commemorate and remember the importance of the Spanish contribution to the history of Florida and the United States."
I heard them speaking about the assets of diversity, the importance of history and the unfair and negative effects of the Black Legend, that centuries old campaign by English, French and American writers to minimize the accomplishments of the Spanish explorers and their Latino descendants.
"We celebrate First America, the genesis of the American culture, where Hispanics and African-Americans and Native American mingled together in this area," said Dana Ste. Claire, one of the celebration organizers in St. Augustine.
"We are talking about the birth of the American culture. It happened right here."
Instead of the fountain of youth in the nation's oldest city, I had reached the fountain of our Hispanic heritage.
Frankly, I must have looked like a total nerd, trying to take notes, photos and videos at the same time. Trying to interview people who were often walking in different directions and trying two speak to them in two different languages. But I wanted so much to share what the rest of America was missing. I wanted all my fellow Americans to see Ponce de Leon get the recognition he deserves. I wanted everyone to hear what I was hearing.
"First of all, he was most likely the official European discoverer and founder of America," Ste. Claire told a crowd of several hundred people who had gathered Wednesday around the Ponce de Leon Statue in St. Augustine's downtown bay front. "Yes, we celebrate the founding of Florida — La Florida — by Juan Ponce, but keep in mind, too, that he was the first official European to touch the shores of mainland America."
I couldn't help myself. I was the one who shouted, "Bravo!"
For several years in this column, I have been arguing that the Quincentennial of our discovery should have been a national celebration because Ponce de Leon didn't just discover the peninsula that is now the State of Florida, but the mainland that is now the United States.
You may have missed it in the news last week because the national media didn't pay much attention. But in Florida, we celebrated our country's discovery day, our 500th birthday!
Because two cities are competing over the right to claim they are closer to the spot where Ponce the Leon actually landed in 1513, I covered numerous events in Melbourne Beach on April 2 and in St. Augustine on April 3. Both cities hosted commemorative ceremonies, celebrated Catholic masses and held wonderful reenactments of the Ponce de Leon landing.
"But why wasn't this Quincentennial of our discovery a national celebration?" I kept asking everyone. "Why is this happening only in two Florida towns?"
And while I got mostly evasive answers from both Spanish and American politicians — all unwilling to deal with controversy during a festive occasion — I got a very realistic response from one of the Melbourne Beach re-enactors:
"In my experience, what I have discovered from many of the people I have met is that people still don't have a good understanding of our history," said Jose Gueits Romero, who, meticulously dressed as conquistador, spoke in Spanish with a heavy Spanish accent. "Particularly the people in city hall and in the state and federal governments, they still have a lot to learn."
Mind you, in both cities, well-informed historians, politicians and clergy recognized that there were indigenous people living in Florida before the Spanish arrived, and that the collision of the Spanish and Native American cultures had some negative consequences, especially diseases that wiped out native populations.
But they also recognized the many good things that resulted from that encounter, and sometimes they had do it over the screams of a handful of protesters who, in both cities, tried to disrupt the celebrations with blatant displays of ignorance and attacks against our Spanish heritage that bordered on racism.
Amazingly, while historical evidence shows that it was the Spanish who were under constant attacks from the Florida natives during Ponce de Leon's first voyage, and while it was the natives who killed Ponce de Leon shortly after arriving on his second voyage, those who still promote the Black Legend held picket signs proclaiming that, "Juan Ponce de Leon and his men are guilty of mass murder, rape and genocide."
Although they think of themselves as progressive human rights activists, they were there to showcase their Black Legend-influenced bigotry against our Spanish heritage. Let's face it: It requires a certain degree of stubborn ignorance to accuse Ponce de Leon of committing genocide in Florida, especially while some of the state's most prominent historians were asserting that Ponce de Leon "did not wish to do the natives harm, but was forced to fight in order to save his men's lives." And especially when Catholic bishops were reminding us that Spain's Franciscan missionaries were "the first civil rights leaders of the New World."
But that's fodder for at least another column. In this space next week, I'll tell you much more of what I learned from some of Florida's most renowned historians, and from prominent Catholic clergy, who gave me a new fountain of information from which to drink, and much more impetus to keep uprooting America's hidden Hispanic heritage.
COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM
10. Columbus Deserves His Day
By Miguel Pérez
October 7, 2008 - To most of us, he was the ultimate explorer, the gutsy genius who brought Europe to the New World, one of history's greatest figures.
His name, of course, was Cristobal Colón, better known here as Christopher Columbus, the Italian navigator, who sailed for Spain.
To Italian-Americans, the day he "discovered" the New World marks the day when they display pride for their heritage. To Latinos, Oct. 12 marks "El Dia de la Hispanidad," the day when most recognize and many celebrate the Spanish blood that still runs through their veins. Latinos credit Columbus for giving them their common Spanish language and identity.
But unfortunately, to some other people throughout the hemisphere, Oct. 12 has become a day to malign the memory of Columbus. Because he opened the gate to the New World, they make it seem as if he personally ordered the slaughter of millions of indigenous people. Some extremists have compared him to Hitler; others have called him "America's first terrorist."
On Sunday, throughout the hemisphere, while many will march in Hispanic heritage and Columbus Day parades, some will march in protests. Exactly 516 years after "Discovery Day," people still are arguing about how to recognize a man who obviously changed the course of history.
"So what did he discover?" some ask rhetorically. And then they make the same old and tired argument against Columbus: "You can't discover a territory already inhabited for centuries by indigenous people."
Yet others say that from the perspective of 15th-century Europe, indeed, Columbus discovered a whole new world! And had it been the indigenous Americans who crossed the Atlantic and "discovered" a "new world" called Europe, they would deserve the credit.
But unfortunately, especially since America celebrated its quincentennial in 1992, the debate over Columbus has gone much further than the "discovery" argument. Sometimes it gets nasty.
Because Latinos are mostly descendants of indigenous Americans, Africans and Spanish settlers, some people use the anniversary of Columbus' 1492 voyage to spark identity and racial feuds among Latinos, as well as to promote leftist political agendas in Latin America. They blame Columbus for the genocide and enslavement of indigenous and African people, even if most of it occurred long after he was dead.
Obviously, Columbus was no saint. There is no doubt that many injustices were committed by the men under his command. But judging 15th-century explorers by 21st-century human rights standards is absurd! And blaming Columbus for a holocaust is a terrible distortion of history, especially because most of the killing was conducted by Italian, Spanish, French, English and Dutch explorers who came to the Americas much later.
Nevertheless, those who are still bitter over the pain suffered by their ancestors — and those who use this issue for political gain — are working to abolish Columbus Day and Hispanic Day celebrations. In some parts of the United States and throughout the Americas, some people already are calling Oct. 12 "Indigenous Peoples Day." Others call it "Dia de la Raza" (Day of the Race). And of course, in his infinite diatribe, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez had to take it even further to the left. He calls it "Dia de la Resistencia Indigena" (Day of Indigenous Resistance).
On any other day of the year, this would be a great idea. In fact, I say an "Indigenous Peoples Month" is necessary to celebrate the culture and recognize the remarkable survival of the original Americans.
But to do it with bitter protests against Columbus, on the day when so many other people are rejoicing and expressing pride in their Spanish or Italian heritage, is absolutely ridiculous. Instead of seeking harmony, they seek confrontation.
In the United States and Latin America, sign-waving anti-Columbus demonstrators — usually the most radical descendants of the hemisphere's indigenous people — have been known to disrupt Oct. 12 Italian-American and Hispanic celebrations. With signs charging that Columbus was "America's first terrorist" and leaders charging that those who honor Columbus are racists, these people live in the 21st century but insist on fighting 15th-century battles.
In the United States, when Native Americans protest against Columbus, who never even set foot in North America, history clearly is being stretched. And when U.S. Latinos protest against Columbus, they are doing their own Hispanic community a great disservice.
In a country where too many Americans tend to forget their immigrant roots and then discriminate against other immigrants, Latinos should not be picking fights with Italians and other Americans who actually appreciate their ethnic heritage.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
By Miguel Pérez
October 7, 2008 - To most of us, he was the ultimate explorer, the gutsy genius who brought Europe to the New World, one of history's greatest figures.
His name, of course, was Cristobal Colón, better known here as Christopher Columbus, the Italian navigator, who sailed for Spain.
To Italian-Americans, the day he "discovered" the New World marks the day when they display pride for their heritage. To Latinos, Oct. 12 marks "El Dia de la Hispanidad," the day when most recognize and many celebrate the Spanish blood that still runs through their veins. Latinos credit Columbus for giving them their common Spanish language and identity.
But unfortunately, to some other people throughout the hemisphere, Oct. 12 has become a day to malign the memory of Columbus. Because he opened the gate to the New World, they make it seem as if he personally ordered the slaughter of millions of indigenous people. Some extremists have compared him to Hitler; others have called him "America's first terrorist."
On Sunday, throughout the hemisphere, while many will march in Hispanic heritage and Columbus Day parades, some will march in protests. Exactly 516 years after "Discovery Day," people still are arguing about how to recognize a man who obviously changed the course of history.
"So what did he discover?" some ask rhetorically. And then they make the same old and tired argument against Columbus: "You can't discover a territory already inhabited for centuries by indigenous people."
Yet others say that from the perspective of 15th-century Europe, indeed, Columbus discovered a whole new world! And had it been the indigenous Americans who crossed the Atlantic and "discovered" a "new world" called Europe, they would deserve the credit.
But unfortunately, especially since America celebrated its quincentennial in 1992, the debate over Columbus has gone much further than the "discovery" argument. Sometimes it gets nasty.
Because Latinos are mostly descendants of indigenous Americans, Africans and Spanish settlers, some people use the anniversary of Columbus' 1492 voyage to spark identity and racial feuds among Latinos, as well as to promote leftist political agendas in Latin America. They blame Columbus for the genocide and enslavement of indigenous and African people, even if most of it occurred long after he was dead.
Obviously, Columbus was no saint. There is no doubt that many injustices were committed by the men under his command. But judging 15th-century explorers by 21st-century human rights standards is absurd! And blaming Columbus for a holocaust is a terrible distortion of history, especially because most of the killing was conducted by Italian, Spanish, French, English and Dutch explorers who came to the Americas much later.
Nevertheless, those who are still bitter over the pain suffered by their ancestors — and those who use this issue for political gain — are working to abolish Columbus Day and Hispanic Day celebrations. In some parts of the United States and throughout the Americas, some people already are calling Oct. 12 "Indigenous Peoples Day." Others call it "Dia de la Raza" (Day of the Race). And of course, in his infinite diatribe, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez had to take it even further to the left. He calls it "Dia de la Resistencia Indigena" (Day of Indigenous Resistance).
On any other day of the year, this would be a great idea. In fact, I say an "Indigenous Peoples Month" is necessary to celebrate the culture and recognize the remarkable survival of the original Americans.
But to do it with bitter protests against Columbus, on the day when so many other people are rejoicing and expressing pride in their Spanish or Italian heritage, is absolutely ridiculous. Instead of seeking harmony, they seek confrontation.
In the United States and Latin America, sign-waving anti-Columbus demonstrators — usually the most radical descendants of the hemisphere's indigenous people — have been known to disrupt Oct. 12 Italian-American and Hispanic celebrations. With signs charging that Columbus was "America's first terrorist" and leaders charging that those who honor Columbus are racists, these people live in the 21st century but insist on fighting 15th-century battles.
In the United States, when Native Americans protest against Columbus, who never even set foot in North America, history clearly is being stretched. And when U.S. Latinos protest against Columbus, they are doing their own Hispanic community a great disservice.
In a country where too many Americans tend to forget their immigrant roots and then discriminate against other immigrants, Latinos should not be picking fights with Italians and other Americans who actually appreciate their ethnic heritage.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
15. Día del Descubrimiento de Norteamérica
In English: American Discovery Day
Por Miguel Pérez
15 de septiembre de 2009 - Cuando descubrió la tierra ahora conocida como los Estados Unidos, Juan Ponce de León decidió llamarla Florida. Era el 2 de abril 1513, durante la temporada de "Pascua Florida" y ese nombre pareció apropiado ya que el conquistador y sus 200 exploradores contemplaban la exuberante vegetación a lo largo de la costa.
Se convirtieron en los primeros europeos en pisar el continente americano, desembarcando en algún lugar de la costa este de la península que hoy se conoce como el estado de la Florida.
Sin embargo, su logro histórico es mayormente ignorado en los Estados Unidos. El 2 de abril no es un día de fiesta estadounidense.
Cuando los libros de historia norteamericana nos dicen que Ponce de León descubrió Florida, por lo general no explican que el territorio de la Florida del siglo 16 cubría todo el continente norteamericano, y socavan la importancia de su gran descubrimiento.
Sabemos que la razón principal es La Leyenda Negra, esa infame campaña anglosajona para demonizar a los exploradores españoles y minimizar sus logros, una leyenda que ha distorsionado la historia de Estados Unidos y que aún es promovida por ambos los extremistas anti-hispanos y los latinos que rechazan su patrimonio español.
Pero ™por qué el resto de nosotros los americanos, de todos los orígenes étnicos y raciales, nos estamos privándonos de la celebración nacional de nuestro "Día del Descubrimiento de América"? (Eso es lo que yo le llamaría!) ™Por qué no estamos planeando una gran serie de celebraciones para conmemorar nuestro quinto centenario en abril de 2013?
Este es el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, en su mayoría dedicado a conmemorar el descubrimiento del Nuevo Mundo por Cristóbal Colón el 12 de octubre de 1492. Es un tiempo para los desfiles étnicos y otras festividades maravillosas, así como para un poco de conflicto entre los latinos que celebran los logros de sus antepasados españoles y aquellos que los rechazan como invasores despiadados.
Desafortunadamente, ya que Colón nunca puso pie en América del Norte, hasta incluso entre los latinos que se celebran su herencia española, las festividades del mes rara vez se utilizan para reconocer las grandes hazañas de los conquistadores que realmente descubrieron, exploraron y colonizaron grandes porciones de América del Norte mucho antes que otros europeos.
Hernando de Soto, Francisco Coronado, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés y muchos otros exploradores españoles del siglo 16 son los primeros pioneros americanos, los héroes que deben ser reconocidos durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Pero todo comenzó con el que navegó hacia el norte de Puerto Rico el 4 de marzo de 1513, y casi un mes más tarde encontró la tierra que se convertiría en nuestro país. Como proclamó esta columna la semana pasada, nuestro quinto centenario se acerca!
En 1976, cuando los EE.UU. celebró su bicentenario, y en 1992, cuando todo el Hemisferio Occidental celebró su quinto centenario, habían maravillosas recreaciones de momentos históricos, lecciones de historia, flotillas de buques y un montón de fuegos artificiales.
™No se merece el 2 de abril 2013 esa misma atención?
Cuando Jamestown, Virginia, celebró su 400 aniversario como el "primer asentamiento británico" en los Estados Unidos, en mayo de 2007, tanto el presidente George W. Bush como la reina de Inglaterra asistieron a las festividades. St. Augustine, Florida, el verdadero primer asentamiento en el país, no recibe tanta atención cuando se celebra su aniversario 42 años antes de Jamestown, cada 8 de septiembre.
Por supuesto, lo que San Agustín celebra es el aniversario de su fundación en el 1565 por Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, que vino a establecerse allí 52 años después que Ponce de León descubrió nuestro país. De hecho, en el Internet, ya existe un grupo planeando una celebración especial para el cumpleaños 450a de San Agustín, en el año 2015!
Pero, ™y que del 2 de abril 2013, y del 500 aniversario del descubrimiento de nuestro país?
™No deberíamos estar planeando nuestra fiesta de cumpleaños número 500? ™En vista de que San Agustín también dice ser el sitio del primer desembarque de Ponce de León (y de su descubrimiento de la legendaria y totalmente mítica Fuente de la Juventud), en 1513, no debe ser ese el sitio de nuestra mayor celebración del Quinto Centenario? ™Habrá fuegos artificiales y flotillas? ™Ira el presidente de los Estados Unidos a St. Augustine para recibir al rey de España?
15 de septiembre de 2009 - Cuando descubrió la tierra ahora conocida como los Estados Unidos, Juan Ponce de León decidió llamarla Florida. Era el 2 de abril 1513, durante la temporada de "Pascua Florida" y ese nombre pareció apropiado ya que el conquistador y sus 200 exploradores contemplaban la exuberante vegetación a lo largo de la costa.
Se convirtieron en los primeros europeos en pisar el continente americano, desembarcando en algún lugar de la costa este de la península que hoy se conoce como el estado de la Florida.
Sin embargo, su logro histórico es mayormente ignorado en los Estados Unidos. El 2 de abril no es un día de fiesta estadounidense.
Cuando los libros de historia norteamericana nos dicen que Ponce de León descubrió Florida, por lo general no explican que el territorio de la Florida del siglo 16 cubría todo el continente norteamericano, y socavan la importancia de su gran descubrimiento.
Sabemos que la razón principal es La Leyenda Negra, esa infame campaña anglosajona para demonizar a los exploradores españoles y minimizar sus logros, una leyenda que ha distorsionado la historia de Estados Unidos y que aún es promovida por ambos los extremistas anti-hispanos y los latinos que rechazan su patrimonio español.
Pero ™por qué el resto de nosotros los americanos, de todos los orígenes étnicos y raciales, nos estamos privándonos de la celebración nacional de nuestro "Día del Descubrimiento de América"? (Eso es lo que yo le llamaría!) ™Por qué no estamos planeando una gran serie de celebraciones para conmemorar nuestro quinto centenario en abril de 2013?
Este es el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, en su mayoría dedicado a conmemorar el descubrimiento del Nuevo Mundo por Cristóbal Colón el 12 de octubre de 1492. Es un tiempo para los desfiles étnicos y otras festividades maravillosas, así como para un poco de conflicto entre los latinos que celebran los logros de sus antepasados españoles y aquellos que los rechazan como invasores despiadados.
Desafortunadamente, ya que Colón nunca puso pie en América del Norte, hasta incluso entre los latinos que se celebran su herencia española, las festividades del mes rara vez se utilizan para reconocer las grandes hazañas de los conquistadores que realmente descubrieron, exploraron y colonizaron grandes porciones de América del Norte mucho antes que otros europeos.
Hernando de Soto, Francisco Coronado, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés y muchos otros exploradores españoles del siglo 16 son los primeros pioneros americanos, los héroes que deben ser reconocidos durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Pero todo comenzó con el que navegó hacia el norte de Puerto Rico el 4 de marzo de 1513, y casi un mes más tarde encontró la tierra que se convertiría en nuestro país. Como proclamó esta columna la semana pasada, nuestro quinto centenario se acerca!
En 1976, cuando los EE.UU. celebró su bicentenario, y en 1992, cuando todo el Hemisferio Occidental celebró su quinto centenario, habían maravillosas recreaciones de momentos históricos, lecciones de historia, flotillas de buques y un montón de fuegos artificiales.
™No se merece el 2 de abril 2013 esa misma atención?
Cuando Jamestown, Virginia, celebró su 400 aniversario como el "primer asentamiento británico" en los Estados Unidos, en mayo de 2007, tanto el presidente George W. Bush como la reina de Inglaterra asistieron a las festividades. St. Augustine, Florida, el verdadero primer asentamiento en el país, no recibe tanta atención cuando se celebra su aniversario 42 años antes de Jamestown, cada 8 de septiembre.
Por supuesto, lo que San Agustín celebra es el aniversario de su fundación en el 1565 por Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, que vino a establecerse allí 52 años después que Ponce de León descubrió nuestro país. De hecho, en el Internet, ya existe un grupo planeando una celebración especial para el cumpleaños 450a de San Agustín, en el año 2015!
Pero, ™y que del 2 de abril 2013, y del 500 aniversario del descubrimiento de nuestro país?
™No deberíamos estar planeando nuestra fiesta de cumpleaños número 500? ™En vista de que San Agustín también dice ser el sitio del primer desembarque de Ponce de León (y de su descubrimiento de la legendaria y totalmente mítica Fuente de la Juventud), en 1513, no debe ser ese el sitio de nuestra mayor celebración del Quinto Centenario? ™Habrá fuegos artificiales y flotillas? ™Ira el presidente de los Estados Unidos a St. Augustine para recibir al rey de España?
15. American Discovery Day
In Spanish: Día del Descubrimiento de América
By Miguel Pérez
September 15, 2009 - When he discovered the huge landmass now known as the United States, Juan Ponce de Leon decided to call it Florida. It was April 2, 1513, during the "Pascua Florida" season — Spanish for "Flowery Easter" — and that name seemed appropriate as the conquistador and his 200 explorers contemplated the lush vegetation along the shoreline.
They became the first Europeans to set foot on the American mainland, landing somewhere on the east coast of the peninsula now known as the state of Florida.
Yet their historic achievement is mostly ignored in the United States. April 2 is not an American holiday.
When American history books tell us that Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, they usually fail to explain that the Florida territory of the 16th century covered the entire American mainland, and they undermine the importance of his great discovery.
We know the main reason is The Black Legend, that infamous Anglo-Saxon campaign to demonize the Spanish explorers and minimize their accomplishments, a legend that has distorted American history and that still is promoted by both anti-Hispanic zealots and Latinos who reject their Spanish heritage.
But why are the rest of us Americans, of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, depriving ourselves of celebrating our national "American Discovery Day"? (That's what I would call it!) Why aren't we planning a huge series of celebrations to commemorate our quincentennial in April 2013?
This is Hispanic Heritage Month, mostly dedicated to commemorating Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World on Oct. 12, 1492. It is a time for ethnic parades and other wonderful festivities, as well as for some conflict between those Latinos who celebrate the accomplishments of their Spanish ancestors and those who reject them as ruthless invaders.
Unfortunately, because Columbus never set foot in North America, even among those Latinos who do celebrate their Spanish heritage, the month's festivities seldom are used to recognize the great feats of those conquistadors who really did discover, explore and settle huge portions of North America long before any other Europeans.
Hernando de Soto, Francisco Coronado, Pedro Menendez de Aviles and many other 16th-century Spanish explorers are the original American pioneers, the heroes who should be recognized during Hispanic Heritage Month.
But it all began with the one who sailed north from Puerto Rico on March 4, 1513, and almost one month later found the land that was to become our country. As this column proclaimed last week, our quincentennial is coming!
In 1976, when the U.S. celebrated its bicentennial, and in 1992, when the entire Western Hemisphere celebrated its quincentennial, there were wonderful re-enactments of historic moments, great history lessons, tall ship flotillas and plenty of fireworks.
Doesn't April 2, 2013, deserve similar attention?
When Jamestown, Va., celebrated its 400th anniversary as the "first permanent British settlement" in the United States, in May 2007, both President George W. Bush and the queen of England attended the festivities. St. Augustine, Fla., the country's first settlement of any kind, doesn't get as much attention when it celebrates its anniversary 42 years ahead of Jamestown, every Sept. 8.
Of course, what St. Augustine celebrates is the anniversary of its 1565 foundation by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who came to settle there 52 years after Ponce de Leon discovered our country. In fact, on the Internet, there is already a group planning a special celebration for St. Augustine's 450th birthday, in 2015!
But what about April 2, 2013, the 500th anniversary of our country's discovery? Shouldn't we be planning our 500th birthday party? Seeing as St. Augustine also claims to be the site of Ponce de Leon's first landing (and of his discovery of the legendary and totally mythical Fountain of Youth), in 1513, shouldn't that be the site of our biggest quincentennial celebration? Will there be fireworks and flotillas? Will the president of the United States go to St. Augustine to greet the king of Spain?
Mind you, in 2004, the Florida Legislature passed a law calling on the Florida Department of State to create a "Discovery of Florida Quincentennial Commemoration Commission," which was to "develop and lead a statewide master plan" for celebrations in 2013. Yet adequate funding for that project never was allocated by that same legislature; the commission never was fully established; and the law was repealed in 2008.
And mind you, also in 2004, the two U.S. senators from Florida, Bob Graham and Bill Nelson, both Democrats, introduced federal legislation that would have established a "National Commission on the Quincentennial of the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon" — with offices in St. Augustine — to "encourage, coordinate and conduct" celebrations that would "enhance public understanding of the impact of the discovery of Florida on the history of the United States." However, although it was passed by the U.S. Senate, the bill never cleared the House and never became law.
So the clock keeps ticking toward 2013, and perhaps I'm just not looking in the right places, but I see "nada" — no plans at all!
Since this column started raising these questions three weeks ago, some readers have reacted very positively, urging me to go ahead and "make it happen" — as if one columnist could have the power to do it all alone.
The 500th anniversary of our homeland's discovery surely deserves a huge national celebration. But it would be up to all of us to make it happen. If you want to join me in this quest, send my recent columns to everyone you know. Ask your elected officials to issue proclamations recognizing April 2 as our American Discovery Day and to start planning for our 2013 quincentennial celebrations. If you have other ideas on how to achieve this goal, send me your comments at [email protected], and they may be quoted in this column in the near future.
I only have planted a seed, and this is a garden that belongs to all of us. By the way, I plan to be in St. Augustine for "Pascua Florida" April 2, 2013. Will you join me?
To find out more about Miguel Perez and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
Published at Creators.com - American Discovery Day - on September 15, 2009.
September 15, 2009 - When he discovered the huge landmass now known as the United States, Juan Ponce de Leon decided to call it Florida. It was April 2, 1513, during the "Pascua Florida" season — Spanish for "Flowery Easter" — and that name seemed appropriate as the conquistador and his 200 explorers contemplated the lush vegetation along the shoreline.
They became the first Europeans to set foot on the American mainland, landing somewhere on the east coast of the peninsula now known as the state of Florida.
Yet their historic achievement is mostly ignored in the United States. April 2 is not an American holiday.
When American history books tell us that Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, they usually fail to explain that the Florida territory of the 16th century covered the entire American mainland, and they undermine the importance of his great discovery.
We know the main reason is The Black Legend, that infamous Anglo-Saxon campaign to demonize the Spanish explorers and minimize their accomplishments, a legend that has distorted American history and that still is promoted by both anti-Hispanic zealots and Latinos who reject their Spanish heritage.
But why are the rest of us Americans, of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, depriving ourselves of celebrating our national "American Discovery Day"? (That's what I would call it!) Why aren't we planning a huge series of celebrations to commemorate our quincentennial in April 2013?
This is Hispanic Heritage Month, mostly dedicated to commemorating Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World on Oct. 12, 1492. It is a time for ethnic parades and other wonderful festivities, as well as for some conflict between those Latinos who celebrate the accomplishments of their Spanish ancestors and those who reject them as ruthless invaders.
Unfortunately, because Columbus never set foot in North America, even among those Latinos who do celebrate their Spanish heritage, the month's festivities seldom are used to recognize the great feats of those conquistadors who really did discover, explore and settle huge portions of North America long before any other Europeans.
Hernando de Soto, Francisco Coronado, Pedro Menendez de Aviles and many other 16th-century Spanish explorers are the original American pioneers, the heroes who should be recognized during Hispanic Heritage Month.
But it all began with the one who sailed north from Puerto Rico on March 4, 1513, and almost one month later found the land that was to become our country. As this column proclaimed last week, our quincentennial is coming!
In 1976, when the U.S. celebrated its bicentennial, and in 1992, when the entire Western Hemisphere celebrated its quincentennial, there were wonderful re-enactments of historic moments, great history lessons, tall ship flotillas and plenty of fireworks.
Doesn't April 2, 2013, deserve similar attention?
When Jamestown, Va., celebrated its 400th anniversary as the "first permanent British settlement" in the United States, in May 2007, both President George W. Bush and the queen of England attended the festivities. St. Augustine, Fla., the country's first settlement of any kind, doesn't get as much attention when it celebrates its anniversary 42 years ahead of Jamestown, every Sept. 8.
Of course, what St. Augustine celebrates is the anniversary of its 1565 foundation by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who came to settle there 52 years after Ponce de Leon discovered our country. In fact, on the Internet, there is already a group planning a special celebration for St. Augustine's 450th birthday, in 2015!
But what about April 2, 2013, the 500th anniversary of our country's discovery? Shouldn't we be planning our 500th birthday party? Seeing as St. Augustine also claims to be the site of Ponce de Leon's first landing (and of his discovery of the legendary and totally mythical Fountain of Youth), in 1513, shouldn't that be the site of our biggest quincentennial celebration? Will there be fireworks and flotillas? Will the president of the United States go to St. Augustine to greet the king of Spain?
Mind you, in 2004, the Florida Legislature passed a law calling on the Florida Department of State to create a "Discovery of Florida Quincentennial Commemoration Commission," which was to "develop and lead a statewide master plan" for celebrations in 2013. Yet adequate funding for that project never was allocated by that same legislature; the commission never was fully established; and the law was repealed in 2008.
And mind you, also in 2004, the two U.S. senators from Florida, Bob Graham and Bill Nelson, both Democrats, introduced federal legislation that would have established a "National Commission on the Quincentennial of the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon" — with offices in St. Augustine — to "encourage, coordinate and conduct" celebrations that would "enhance public understanding of the impact of the discovery of Florida on the history of the United States." However, although it was passed by the U.S. Senate, the bill never cleared the House and never became law.
So the clock keeps ticking toward 2013, and perhaps I'm just not looking in the right places, but I see "nada" — no plans at all!
Since this column started raising these questions three weeks ago, some readers have reacted very positively, urging me to go ahead and "make it happen" — as if one columnist could have the power to do it all alone.
The 500th anniversary of our homeland's discovery surely deserves a huge national celebration. But it would be up to all of us to make it happen. If you want to join me in this quest, send my recent columns to everyone you know. Ask your elected officials to issue proclamations recognizing April 2 as our American Discovery Day and to start planning for our 2013 quincentennial celebrations. If you have other ideas on how to achieve this goal, send me your comments at [email protected], and they may be quoted in this column in the near future.
I only have planted a seed, and this is a garden that belongs to all of us. By the way, I plan to be in St. Augustine for "Pascua Florida" April 2, 2013. Will you join me?
To find out more about Miguel Perez and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
Published at Creators.com - American Discovery Day - on September 15, 2009.
23. What a Birthday to Forget!
By Miguel Pérez
April 19, 2011 -- We missed another birthday, and most of us didn't even notice!
Whose birthday, you ask?
Our own!
On April 2, all Americans should have celebrated the 498th anniversary of the discovery of the land that came to be known as the United States of America.
I know. History books tell us that April 2, 1513, was the day Juan Ponce de León first sighted and named Florida.
But unfortunately, we simply assume that it was only the peninsula we now know as the state of Florida.
In fact, Ponce de León and his Spanish conquistadors discovered our country!
Yet instead of the national celebration this date deserves, instead of a federal holiday, what we get is a birthday that many of us tend to forget and the rest of us don't even recognize.
Sure, there are some good events in Florida. On April 2-3, at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, the living history group La Compañía de Juan Ponce de León, a group created to portray "The Company of Juan Ponce de León," presented a re-enactment of a 16th-century Spanish encampment, and there were lectures by distinguished scholars and special activities for the children.
Bravo! But unfortunately, these events are so small and so local that the rest of us are not even aware of them.
And two years from now, when we reach our quincentennial in 2013, will we be ready to celebrate our 500th birthday? Shouldn't we be planning a big series of national events to commemorate our own American roots?
Could we be holding back because those roots are Hispanic? Could it be part of that centuries-old campaign to minimize the accomplishments of the Spanish conquistadors and their descendants — known as The Black Legend?
From the moment Ponce de León and his men first sighted the North American mainland on April 2, 1513, and first stepped ashore on April 3, European scholars and mapmakers used the word "Florida" to describe the territory now known as the continental United States. Yet nowadays, we limit their discovery only to the Florida Peninsula.
Why? Could it be that The Black Legend is still alive in the 21st century? Still hiding our Hispanic heritage in this country?
Of course, these are rhetorical questions. Otherwise we would be getting ready for a huge quincentennial celebration, wouldn't we?
Instead, what we see is much more emphasis and preparation for the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine — which doesn't even come until two years later.
Some background: The city of St. Augustine was founded by Spanish conquistadors led by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés 52 years after Ponce de León discovered the mainland. In 2015, St. Augustine celebrates the 450th anniversary of its establishment as the nation's first city. But in 2013, we celebrate the 500th anniversary of Ponce de León's discovery.
Yet there are bigger and better celebrations planned for 2015 than for 2013. How is that possible?
As wonderful as it may be that St. Augustine will be celebrating its 450th birthday and reminding this country that our first city has Spanish roots, how is the birth of our first town more important than the discovery of our nation?
And by the way, more than a celebration of our Spanish heritage, the 2015 events already are planned to focus on the cultural diversity of the city throughout history. You can't blame the city for wanting to recognize its historical diversity and the many ethnic groups that have lived there, but giving more attention to 2015 than 2013 allows The Black Legend to creep back into our lives and continue to minimize the contributions Hispanics have made to this great nation.
Amazingly, when you search online for any kind of reference to a 500th anniversary celebration in 2013, you usually find limited information (perhaps a paragraph) within an article mostly about St. Augustine's great plans for 2015. They tell you the city is planning four years of festivities starting in 2012, including 2013 events in recognition of Ponce de León's great accomplishments, but they make no effort to hide the fact that they are putting the cart before the horse and placing their emphasis on 2015.
This has been mostly the work of the First America Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by the city and geared primarily toward promoting tourism for St. Augustine. But even U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar put the cart before the horse last week, when he named the members of a new federal "St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission" to oversee celebrations that, by the way (almost as an afterthought), also include Ponce de León and the discovery of our nation.
It's upside-down!
They are missing the big picture. This should be a huge national celebration, of which St. Augustine could be the center stage — but in 2013, for crying out loud, when they could ask all Americans to celebrate our Discovery Day. And our Spanish roots.
To find out more about Miguel Perez and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
Published at Creators.com - What a Birthday to Forget! - on April 19, 2011.
April 19, 2011 -- We missed another birthday, and most of us didn't even notice!
Whose birthday, you ask?
Our own!
On April 2, all Americans should have celebrated the 498th anniversary of the discovery of the land that came to be known as the United States of America.
I know. History books tell us that April 2, 1513, was the day Juan Ponce de León first sighted and named Florida.
But unfortunately, we simply assume that it was only the peninsula we now know as the state of Florida.
In fact, Ponce de León and his Spanish conquistadors discovered our country!
Yet instead of the national celebration this date deserves, instead of a federal holiday, what we get is a birthday that many of us tend to forget and the rest of us don't even recognize.
Sure, there are some good events in Florida. On April 2-3, at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, the living history group La Compañía de Juan Ponce de León, a group created to portray "The Company of Juan Ponce de León," presented a re-enactment of a 16th-century Spanish encampment, and there were lectures by distinguished scholars and special activities for the children.
Bravo! But unfortunately, these events are so small and so local that the rest of us are not even aware of them.
And two years from now, when we reach our quincentennial in 2013, will we be ready to celebrate our 500th birthday? Shouldn't we be planning a big series of national events to commemorate our own American roots?
Could we be holding back because those roots are Hispanic? Could it be part of that centuries-old campaign to minimize the accomplishments of the Spanish conquistadors and their descendants — known as The Black Legend?
From the moment Ponce de León and his men first sighted the North American mainland on April 2, 1513, and first stepped ashore on April 3, European scholars and mapmakers used the word "Florida" to describe the territory now known as the continental United States. Yet nowadays, we limit their discovery only to the Florida Peninsula.
Why? Could it be that The Black Legend is still alive in the 21st century? Still hiding our Hispanic heritage in this country?
Of course, these are rhetorical questions. Otherwise we would be getting ready for a huge quincentennial celebration, wouldn't we?
Instead, what we see is much more emphasis and preparation for the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine — which doesn't even come until two years later.
Some background: The city of St. Augustine was founded by Spanish conquistadors led by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés 52 years after Ponce de León discovered the mainland. In 2015, St. Augustine celebrates the 450th anniversary of its establishment as the nation's first city. But in 2013, we celebrate the 500th anniversary of Ponce de León's discovery.
Yet there are bigger and better celebrations planned for 2015 than for 2013. How is that possible?
As wonderful as it may be that St. Augustine will be celebrating its 450th birthday and reminding this country that our first city has Spanish roots, how is the birth of our first town more important than the discovery of our nation?
And by the way, more than a celebration of our Spanish heritage, the 2015 events already are planned to focus on the cultural diversity of the city throughout history. You can't blame the city for wanting to recognize its historical diversity and the many ethnic groups that have lived there, but giving more attention to 2015 than 2013 allows The Black Legend to creep back into our lives and continue to minimize the contributions Hispanics have made to this great nation.
Amazingly, when you search online for any kind of reference to a 500th anniversary celebration in 2013, you usually find limited information (perhaps a paragraph) within an article mostly about St. Augustine's great plans for 2015. They tell you the city is planning four years of festivities starting in 2012, including 2013 events in recognition of Ponce de León's great accomplishments, but they make no effort to hide the fact that they are putting the cart before the horse and placing their emphasis on 2015.
This has been mostly the work of the First America Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by the city and geared primarily toward promoting tourism for St. Augustine. But even U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar put the cart before the horse last week, when he named the members of a new federal "St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission" to oversee celebrations that, by the way (almost as an afterthought), also include Ponce de León and the discovery of our nation.
It's upside-down!
They are missing the big picture. This should be a huge national celebration, of which St. Augustine could be the center stage — but in 2013, for crying out loud, when they could ask all Americans to celebrate our Discovery Day. And our Spanish roots.
To find out more about Miguel Perez and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
Published at Creators.com - What a Birthday to Forget! - on April 19, 2011.
29. El 500 Aniversario de la Florida
Debe Ser una Fiesta Nacional
In English:
Florida's 500th Birthday
Should Be a National Holiday
12 de febrero 2013 -- Mis reservaciones ya están hechas, mis planes son sólidos. Voy a estar en la Florida el 2 y 3 de abril para celebrar el 500 aniversario del gran descubrimiento de Juan Ponce de León. Pero en realidad, no es justo. Voy a una celebración que debería venir a mí – y a todo nosotros a través de este país!
Cuando la Florida celebra su quinto centenario, la nación entera debe estar celebrando su cumpleaños número 500.
Después de todo, el 2 y 3 de abril de 1513, Ponce de León no solo descubrió y desembarco en lo que hoy conocemos como el Estado de la Florida, pero en el continente que más tarde se convirtió en los Estados Unidos.
Descubrió nuestro país!
Aunque la Florida inicialmente se creía que era una isla, en el siglo 16, los estudiosos y cartógrafos europeos utilizaban la palabra "Florida" para describir la mayor parte del territorio que hoy se conoce como el continente de EE.UU.
Sin embargo, hoy en día, cuando nos enteramos de que Ponce de León descubrió la Florida, le damos crédito sólo por un estado. Es absurdo!
Pero ™por qué nos privamos de celebrar nuestro 500 aniversario? ™Por qué no estamos planeando una enorme serie de eventos, a nivel nacional, para conmemorar nuestro quinto centenario en abril? ™Por qué estamos permitiendo que solo la Florida lo disfrute? Y ™por qué el resto del país esta ajeno a las próximas celebraciones de la Florida?
™Podría ser una simple confusión sobre el territorio que Ponce de León descubrió? ™Podría ser una planificación mezquina por funcionarios de la Florida que no supieron hacer el llamado para que se hiciera una celebración nacional? ™Podría ser la codicia de dólares del turismo que los hicieron reacios a compartir su fiesta con el resto de la nación?
™O podría ser "La Legenda Negra", esa insidiosa campaña de siglos de antigüedad que sigue minimizando los logros de los exploradores españoles y sus descendientes latinos? Si este país hubiese sido descubierto por los exploradores anglosajones, en lugar de los conquistadores españoles, no estaríamos preparándonos para fuegos artificiales en todo los Estados Unidos?
La respuesta es: Sí, a todo lo anterior.
En 1976, tuvimos una gran fiesta nacional para conmemorar el bicentenario de nuestra Declaración de Independencia. Hubo muchos eventos maravillosos para ayudar a los estadounidenses a reconectarse con su historia. ™No considera que el quinto centenario de nuestro descubrimiento mérese la misma atención nacional?
™No les daría esto otra oportunidad a los americanos de reconectarse justamente con otra porción de nuestra historia, especialmente la historia de Ponce de León y los millones de otros hispanos que lo han estado siguiéndolo a América del Norte desde 1513?
™Entonces por qué negar nuestro "Día del Descubrimiento de América"? ™Es porque reconoce las raíces hispanas que la historia americana tiende a mantener oculta? ™Es porque nos recuerda de casi un siglo de exploraciones españolas de América del Norte antes de la llegada de los británicos?
Eso sí, en 2004, los dos senadores estadounidenses de la Florida, Bob Graham y Bill Nelson, ambos demócratas, presentaron una legislación federal que habría establecido una "Comisión Nacional para el Quinto Centenario del descubrimiento de la Florida por Ponce de León" para "alentar, coordinar y llevar a cabo" celebraciones que “mejorarían la comprensión del público sobre el impacto del descubrimiento de la Florida en la historia de Estados Unidos". A pesar de que fue aprobada por el Senado de los EE.UU., nunca se aprobó el proyecto de ley de la Cámara y nunca se convirtió en ley. Así que los planes para una celebración nacional nunca fueron a ninguna parte.
Sin embargo, ahora que tantos políticos reconocen su necesidad de acercarse a los latinos, uno pensaría que aprovecharían esta oportunidad para comenzar a reconocer 500 años de herencia hispana oculta. Este es el momento de reconocer las grandes hazañas de los conquistadores que descubrieron, exploraron y se asentaron grandes porciones de América del Norte mucho antes que los otros europeos.
Ponce de León llegó al Nuevo Mundo en el segundo viaje de Colón, fue el gobernador de Puerto Rico, y luego dirigió a los 200 marineros españoles quienes fueron los primeros europeos en pisar el continente que más tarde se convirtió en los Estados Unidos.
Este es el momento en que todos los estadounidenses deben aprender más sobre ellos.
Sin embargo, esto sólo está ocurriendo en la Florida, donde a lo largo del año una serie de eventos culturales y patrimoniales ya están en marcha.
Por todo el estado, bajo la campaña "Viva Florida 500", habrán conferencias de historia, exposiciones de arte, flotillas de buques veleros, desfiles, fuegos artificiales y maravillosas representaciones de momentos históricos. Pero, por desgracia, estos eventos son tan pequeños y locales, que el resto de nosotros ni siquiera sabemos de ellos.
Si usted sigue las noticias sobre los planes para las celebraciones de la Florida, usted sabe que en lugar de tratar de involucrar al resto de la nación, dos ciudades están compitiendo por el derecho a reclamar el sitio donde Ponce de León desembarcó por primera vez.
Primero tienes a San Agustín, fundada en 1565, permaneciendo el más antiguo asentamiento permanente en los Estados Unidos, pero también siempre reclamando ser el sitio del primer desembarque de Ponce de León en 1513. El 3 de abril, la ciudad está planeando una recreación ceremonial, con buques replicas, del desembarco en la bahía frente al centro de la ciudad, una misa en la Catedral Basílica de San Agustín, la construcción de su cuarta estatua de Ponce de León y la dedicación de una fuente bautismal, que es una reproducción de la que se utilizo para bautizar a Ponce de León en 1474. Tengo previsto estar allí.
Y entonces usted tiene a Melbourne Beach, a unas 142 millas al sur, donde los activistas de la comunidad y aficionados a la historia han estado en una campaña por una década para demostrar que ellos viven mucho más cerca del lugar del desembarque real.
El 2 de abril, Melbourne Beach será anfitrión de su propia recreación del desembarque, un sobrevuelo por la Fuerza Aérea, 21 cañonazos por la Marina, y la presentación de una estatua de Ponce de León, de 10 pies y de bronce, en el “Parque del Desembarque de Don Juan Ponce de León". Tengo previsto estar allí, también.
Para las columnas que forman parte de mi serie en busca de la herencia hispana oculta de Estados Unidos, ya he informado desde la vieja casa de Ponce de León en Santo Domingo y desde su tumba en el Viejo San Juan.
Sin embargo, para las recreaciones de su disputado desembarque, voy a estar conduciendo por toda la Florida - no sólo para informar a otros estadounidenses sobre la fiesta de cumpleaños que ellos se estarán perdiendo, pero para mostrar la herencia hispana que allí será desenterrada y sin embargo, permanece oculta del resto de la nación.
Para leer otros capítulos que han sido traducidos al español, visite: En Español
Cuando la Florida celebra su quinto centenario, la nación entera debe estar celebrando su cumpleaños número 500.
Después de todo, el 2 y 3 de abril de 1513, Ponce de León no solo descubrió y desembarco en lo que hoy conocemos como el Estado de la Florida, pero en el continente que más tarde se convirtió en los Estados Unidos.
Descubrió nuestro país!
Aunque la Florida inicialmente se creía que era una isla, en el siglo 16, los estudiosos y cartógrafos europeos utilizaban la palabra "Florida" para describir la mayor parte del territorio que hoy se conoce como el continente de EE.UU.
Sin embargo, hoy en día, cuando nos enteramos de que Ponce de León descubrió la Florida, le damos crédito sólo por un estado. Es absurdo!
Pero ™por qué nos privamos de celebrar nuestro 500 aniversario? ™Por qué no estamos planeando una enorme serie de eventos, a nivel nacional, para conmemorar nuestro quinto centenario en abril? ™Por qué estamos permitiendo que solo la Florida lo disfrute? Y ™por qué el resto del país esta ajeno a las próximas celebraciones de la Florida?
™Podría ser una simple confusión sobre el territorio que Ponce de León descubrió? ™Podría ser una planificación mezquina por funcionarios de la Florida que no supieron hacer el llamado para que se hiciera una celebración nacional? ™Podría ser la codicia de dólares del turismo que los hicieron reacios a compartir su fiesta con el resto de la nación?
™O podría ser "La Legenda Negra", esa insidiosa campaña de siglos de antigüedad que sigue minimizando los logros de los exploradores españoles y sus descendientes latinos? Si este país hubiese sido descubierto por los exploradores anglosajones, en lugar de los conquistadores españoles, no estaríamos preparándonos para fuegos artificiales en todo los Estados Unidos?
La respuesta es: Sí, a todo lo anterior.
En 1976, tuvimos una gran fiesta nacional para conmemorar el bicentenario de nuestra Declaración de Independencia. Hubo muchos eventos maravillosos para ayudar a los estadounidenses a reconectarse con su historia. ™No considera que el quinto centenario de nuestro descubrimiento mérese la misma atención nacional?
™No les daría esto otra oportunidad a los americanos de reconectarse justamente con otra porción de nuestra historia, especialmente la historia de Ponce de León y los millones de otros hispanos que lo han estado siguiéndolo a América del Norte desde 1513?
™Entonces por qué negar nuestro "Día del Descubrimiento de América"? ™Es porque reconoce las raíces hispanas que la historia americana tiende a mantener oculta? ™Es porque nos recuerda de casi un siglo de exploraciones españolas de América del Norte antes de la llegada de los británicos?
Eso sí, en 2004, los dos senadores estadounidenses de la Florida, Bob Graham y Bill Nelson, ambos demócratas, presentaron una legislación federal que habría establecido una "Comisión Nacional para el Quinto Centenario del descubrimiento de la Florida por Ponce de León" para "alentar, coordinar y llevar a cabo" celebraciones que “mejorarían la comprensión del público sobre el impacto del descubrimiento de la Florida en la historia de Estados Unidos". A pesar de que fue aprobada por el Senado de los EE.UU., nunca se aprobó el proyecto de ley de la Cámara y nunca se convirtió en ley. Así que los planes para una celebración nacional nunca fueron a ninguna parte.
Sin embargo, ahora que tantos políticos reconocen su necesidad de acercarse a los latinos, uno pensaría que aprovecharían esta oportunidad para comenzar a reconocer 500 años de herencia hispana oculta. Este es el momento de reconocer las grandes hazañas de los conquistadores que descubrieron, exploraron y se asentaron grandes porciones de América del Norte mucho antes que los otros europeos.
Ponce de León llegó al Nuevo Mundo en el segundo viaje de Colón, fue el gobernador de Puerto Rico, y luego dirigió a los 200 marineros españoles quienes fueron los primeros europeos en pisar el continente que más tarde se convirtió en los Estados Unidos.
Este es el momento en que todos los estadounidenses deben aprender más sobre ellos.
Sin embargo, esto sólo está ocurriendo en la Florida, donde a lo largo del año una serie de eventos culturales y patrimoniales ya están en marcha.
Por todo el estado, bajo la campaña "Viva Florida 500", habrán conferencias de historia, exposiciones de arte, flotillas de buques veleros, desfiles, fuegos artificiales y maravillosas representaciones de momentos históricos. Pero, por desgracia, estos eventos son tan pequeños y locales, que el resto de nosotros ni siquiera sabemos de ellos.
Si usted sigue las noticias sobre los planes para las celebraciones de la Florida, usted sabe que en lugar de tratar de involucrar al resto de la nación, dos ciudades están compitiendo por el derecho a reclamar el sitio donde Ponce de León desembarcó por primera vez.
Primero tienes a San Agustín, fundada en 1565, permaneciendo el más antiguo asentamiento permanente en los Estados Unidos, pero también siempre reclamando ser el sitio del primer desembarque de Ponce de León en 1513. El 3 de abril, la ciudad está planeando una recreación ceremonial, con buques replicas, del desembarco en la bahía frente al centro de la ciudad, una misa en la Catedral Basílica de San Agustín, la construcción de su cuarta estatua de Ponce de León y la dedicación de una fuente bautismal, que es una reproducción de la que se utilizo para bautizar a Ponce de León en 1474. Tengo previsto estar allí.
Y entonces usted tiene a Melbourne Beach, a unas 142 millas al sur, donde los activistas de la comunidad y aficionados a la historia han estado en una campaña por una década para demostrar que ellos viven mucho más cerca del lugar del desembarque real.
El 2 de abril, Melbourne Beach será anfitrión de su propia recreación del desembarque, un sobrevuelo por la Fuerza Aérea, 21 cañonazos por la Marina, y la presentación de una estatua de Ponce de León, de 10 pies y de bronce, en el “Parque del Desembarque de Don Juan Ponce de León". Tengo previsto estar allí, también.
Para las columnas que forman parte de mi serie en busca de la herencia hispana oculta de Estados Unidos, ya he informado desde la vieja casa de Ponce de León en Santo Domingo y desde su tumba en el Viejo San Juan.
Sin embargo, para las recreaciones de su disputado desembarque, voy a estar conduciendo por toda la Florida - no sólo para informar a otros estadounidenses sobre la fiesta de cumpleaños que ellos se estarán perdiendo, pero para mostrar la herencia hispana que allí será desenterrada y sin embargo, permanece oculta del resto de la nación.
Para leer otros capítulos que han sido traducidos al español, visite: En Español
29. Florida's 500th Birthday
Should Be a National Holiday
En español:
El 500 Aniversario de la Florida
Debe Ser una Fiesta Nacional
By Miguel Pérez
Feb. 12, 2013 -- My reservations are made; my plans are solid. I'm going to be in Florida on April 2 and 3 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon's great discovery. But it's not really fair. I'm going to a celebration that should be coming to me — and to all of us across this country!
When Florida marks its quincentennial, the whole nation should be celebrating its 500th birthday.
After all, on April 2 and 3, 1513, Ponce de Leon didn't just discover and land on what today we know as the State of Florida but on the mainland that later became the United States.
He discovered our country!
Although Florida initially was believed to be an island, in the late 16th century, European scholars and mapmakers used the word "Florida" to describe much of the territory now known as the U.S. mainland. Yet nowadays, when we hear that Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, we give him credit only for one state. It's absurd!
But why would we deprive ourselves from celebrating our 500th birthday? Why aren't we planning a huge, nationwide series of events to commemorate our quincentennial in April? Why are we letting Florida have all the fun? And why is the rest of the country oblivious to the upcoming Florida celebrations?
Could it be simple confusion about the territory Ponce de Leon discovered? Could it be small-minded planning by Florida officials who failed call for a national celebration? Could it be greed for tourism dollars that made them reluctant to share their party with the rest of the nation?
Or could it be "The Black Legend," that insidious centuries-old campaign that keeps minimizing the accomplishments of the Spanish explorers and their Latino descendants? Had this country been discovered by Anglo-Saxon explorers, instead of Spanish conquistadors, wouldn't we be getting ready for fireworks all over the United States?
The answer is: Yes, all of the above.
In 1976, we had a great national celebration to commemorate the bicentennial of our Declaration of Independence. There were many wonderful events to help Americans reconnect with their history. Doesn't the quincentennial of our discovery deserve similar national attention?
Wouldn't it give Americans another wonderful opportunity to reconnect with yet another portion our history, especially the history of Ponce de Leon and the millions of other Hispanics who have been following him to North America since 1513?
So why neglect our "American Discovery Day"? Is it because it recognizes the Hispanic roots that American history tends to keep hidden? Is it because it reminds us of nearly a century of Spanish exploration of North America before the British arrived?
Mind you, in 2004, the two U.S. senators from Florida, Bob Graham and Bill Nelson, both Democrats, introduced federal legislation that would have established a "National Commission on the Quincentennial of the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon" to "encourage, coordinate and conduct" celebrations that would "enhance public understanding of the impact of the discovery of Florida on the history of the United States." Although it was passed by the U.S. Senate, the bill never cleared the House and never became law. And so plans for a national celebration never went anywhere.
Yet now that so many politicians acknowledge their need to reach out to Latinos, one would think they would grab this opportunity to begin recognizing 500 years of hidden Hispanic heritage. This is the time to recognize the great feats of those conquistadors who discovered, explored and settled huge portions of North America long before other Europeans.
Ponce de Leon arrived in the New World on Columbus' second voyage, became the governor of Puerto Rico, and then led the 200 Spanish sailors who were the first Europeans to set foot on the mainland that later became the United States.
This is the time when all Americans should be learning more about them.
Nevertheless, this is only happening in Florida, where a year-long series of cultural and heritage events already are underway.
Under the statewide "Viva Florida 500" campaign, there will be history lectures, art exhibits, tall ship flotillas, parades, fireworks and wonderful reenactments of historic moments. But unfortunately, these events are so small and so local that the rest of us are not even aware of them.
If you follow news accounts on plans for the Florida celebrations, you know that instead of trying involve the rest of the nation, two towns are currently competing for the right to claim the site where Ponce de Leon first landed.
First you have St. Augustine, founded in 1565, remaining the oldest permanent settlement in the United States, but also always claiming to be the site of Ponce de Leon's first landing in 1513. On April 3, the city is planning a ceremonial replica-ship reenactment of the landing at the downtown bay front, a mass at Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, the erection of its fourth Ponce de Leon statue and the dedication of a reproduction baptismal font on which Ponce de Leon was baptized in 1474. I plan to be there.
And then you have Melbourne Beach, some 142 miles to the south, where community activists and history buffs have been on a decade-long campaign to prove they live much closer to the real landing site. On April 2, Melbourne Beach will host its own replica-ship landing reenactment, an Air Force fly over, a Naval 21-gun salute and the unveiling of a 10-foot bronze Ponce de Leon statue in the city's "Don Juan Ponce de Leon Landing Park." I plan to be there, too.
For other columns that are part of my series in search of America's hidden Hispanic heritage, I've already reported from Ponce de Leon's old house in Santo Domingo and from his gravesite in Old San Juan.
But for the reenactment of his disputed landfall, I'll be driving all over Florida — not only to report to other Americans on the birthday party they will be missing, but to showcase the Hispanic heritage that will be uprooted there and yet remain hidden from the rest of the nation.
COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM
Feb. 12, 2013 -- My reservations are made; my plans are solid. I'm going to be in Florida on April 2 and 3 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon's great discovery. But it's not really fair. I'm going to a celebration that should be coming to me — and to all of us across this country!
When Florida marks its quincentennial, the whole nation should be celebrating its 500th birthday.
After all, on April 2 and 3, 1513, Ponce de Leon didn't just discover and land on what today we know as the State of Florida but on the mainland that later became the United States.
He discovered our country!
Although Florida initially was believed to be an island, in the late 16th century, European scholars and mapmakers used the word "Florida" to describe much of the territory now known as the U.S. mainland. Yet nowadays, when we hear that Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, we give him credit only for one state. It's absurd!
But why would we deprive ourselves from celebrating our 500th birthday? Why aren't we planning a huge, nationwide series of events to commemorate our quincentennial in April? Why are we letting Florida have all the fun? And why is the rest of the country oblivious to the upcoming Florida celebrations?
Could it be simple confusion about the territory Ponce de Leon discovered? Could it be small-minded planning by Florida officials who failed call for a national celebration? Could it be greed for tourism dollars that made them reluctant to share their party with the rest of the nation?
Or could it be "The Black Legend," that insidious centuries-old campaign that keeps minimizing the accomplishments of the Spanish explorers and their Latino descendants? Had this country been discovered by Anglo-Saxon explorers, instead of Spanish conquistadors, wouldn't we be getting ready for fireworks all over the United States?
The answer is: Yes, all of the above.
In 1976, we had a great national celebration to commemorate the bicentennial of our Declaration of Independence. There were many wonderful events to help Americans reconnect with their history. Doesn't the quincentennial of our discovery deserve similar national attention?
Wouldn't it give Americans another wonderful opportunity to reconnect with yet another portion our history, especially the history of Ponce de Leon and the millions of other Hispanics who have been following him to North America since 1513?
So why neglect our "American Discovery Day"? Is it because it recognizes the Hispanic roots that American history tends to keep hidden? Is it because it reminds us of nearly a century of Spanish exploration of North America before the British arrived?
Mind you, in 2004, the two U.S. senators from Florida, Bob Graham and Bill Nelson, both Democrats, introduced federal legislation that would have established a "National Commission on the Quincentennial of the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon" to "encourage, coordinate and conduct" celebrations that would "enhance public understanding of the impact of the discovery of Florida on the history of the United States." Although it was passed by the U.S. Senate, the bill never cleared the House and never became law. And so plans for a national celebration never went anywhere.
Yet now that so many politicians acknowledge their need to reach out to Latinos, one would think they would grab this opportunity to begin recognizing 500 years of hidden Hispanic heritage. This is the time to recognize the great feats of those conquistadors who discovered, explored and settled huge portions of North America long before other Europeans.
Ponce de Leon arrived in the New World on Columbus' second voyage, became the governor of Puerto Rico, and then led the 200 Spanish sailors who were the first Europeans to set foot on the mainland that later became the United States.
This is the time when all Americans should be learning more about them.
Nevertheless, this is only happening in Florida, where a year-long series of cultural and heritage events already are underway.
Under the statewide "Viva Florida 500" campaign, there will be history lectures, art exhibits, tall ship flotillas, parades, fireworks and wonderful reenactments of historic moments. But unfortunately, these events are so small and so local that the rest of us are not even aware of them.
If you follow news accounts on plans for the Florida celebrations, you know that instead of trying involve the rest of the nation, two towns are currently competing for the right to claim the site where Ponce de Leon first landed.
First you have St. Augustine, founded in 1565, remaining the oldest permanent settlement in the United States, but also always claiming to be the site of Ponce de Leon's first landing in 1513. On April 3, the city is planning a ceremonial replica-ship reenactment of the landing at the downtown bay front, a mass at Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, the erection of its fourth Ponce de Leon statue and the dedication of a reproduction baptismal font on which Ponce de Leon was baptized in 1474. I plan to be there.
And then you have Melbourne Beach, some 142 miles to the south, where community activists and history buffs have been on a decade-long campaign to prove they live much closer to the real landing site. On April 2, Melbourne Beach will host its own replica-ship landing reenactment, an Air Force fly over, a Naval 21-gun salute and the unveiling of a 10-foot bronze Ponce de Leon statue in the city's "Don Juan Ponce de Leon Landing Park." I plan to be there, too.
For other columns that are part of my series in search of America's hidden Hispanic heritage, I've already reported from Ponce de Leon's old house in Santo Domingo and from his gravesite in Old San Juan.
But for the reenactment of his disputed landfall, I'll be driving all over Florida — not only to report to other Americans on the birthday party they will be missing, but to showcase the Hispanic heritage that will be uprooted there and yet remain hidden from the rest of the nation.
COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM
