FROM SANTA ANNA TO SELENA Notable Mexicanos and Tejanos in Texas History since 1821 HARRIETT DENISE JOSEPH From Santa anna to Selena Notable mexicanos and Tejanos in Texas History since 1821 Harriett Denise Joseph University of north texas Press Denton, texas ©2018 Harriett Denise Joseph all rights reserved. Printed in the United States of america. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Permissions: University of north texas Press 1155 Union Circle #311336 Denton, tX 76203-5017 the paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of the american national Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed library materials, z39.48.1984. Binding materials have been chosen for durability. library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Joseph, Harriett Denise, author From Santa anna to Selena : notable mexicanos and tejanos in texas history since 1821 / Harriett Denise Joseph. pages cm Includes index. ISBn-13 978-1-57441-715-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBn-13 978-1-57441-723-4 (ebook) 1. texas—Biography. 2. mexico—Biography. 3. texas—History—19th century. 4. texas—History—20th century. 5. mexicans—texas— Biography. 6. mexicans—texas—History. 7. mexican americans— texas—Biography. 8. mexican americans—texas—History. F385 .J67 2018 976.4/0046872—dc23 2017051198 the electronic edition of this book was made possible by the support of the Vick Family Foundation. typeset by vPrompt eServices. Dedication this book is dedicated to marilyn Payne and Donald Chipman, who inspired my career, and to lindsey nicole, eldee, Simi, aron, and Hillary, who inspire my life. Contents H Preface ............................................................................vii acknowledgments ............................................................xi Introduction .....................................................................1 1. antonio lópez de Santa anna Napoleon of the West .................................................13 2. erasmo and Juan n. Seguín Mexicans or Texans? .................................................53 3. Juan nepomuceno Cortina Crusader or Criminal? .............................................93 4. adina De Zavala The Angel of the Alamo ...........................................131 5. emma tenayuca Passionate Labor Activist ........................................169 6. Jovita González and edmundo e. mireles Gente Decente.........................................................209 7. raul “roy” Pérez Benavidez The Mean Mexican .................................................245 8. Irma lerma rangel Latina Legislator ....................................................285 9. Selena The Tragic Tejana ..................................................325 Conclusion ..................................................................365 Glossary ........................................................................379 Index ............................................................................381 Preface H tHIS BooK IS tHe result of an evolutionary process that began with two works co-authored with Dr. Donald e. Chipman: Notable Men and Women of Spanish Texas, 1519–1821 (1999) and Explorers and Settlers of Spanish Texas, 1519–1821 (2001). the first was an award-winning publication with scholarly vocabulary and ample documentation. the latter was designed for secondary students and their teachers with simpler language and no citations. Both volumes used biography as a vehicle to present the history of texas during the Spanish colonial period, as well as illuminate the roles played by noteworthy men and women during those centuries. as originally conceived, the current work was intended as a sequel to Explorers and Settlers of Spanish Texas. through the study of carefully selected biographies, middle and secondary school students would learn about important events that occurred in texas after mexico declared its independence in 1821. In the process, they would also gain a greater understanding of the critical role that certain mexicans and mexican americans have played in the history of the lone Star State. after the project was well underway, valued friend and experi- enced editor theresa may suggested that I rethink my target audi- ence. She saw potential for a supplemental college reader for courses in texas History and mexican-american Studies. after carefully considering this advice, I redefined the project to produce a manu- script not only for college students but also for the general public. the writing level became a compromise between the extremes of Notable Men and Women and Explorers and Settlers. Information was presented as clearly as possible, while assuming that the reader had limited prior knowledge of texas—or mexican or United vii viii From Santa anna to Selena States or mexican american—history. While still lacking footnotes or endnotes, each chapter would conclude with a bibliographical commentary. although chapters were designed to stand alone, the whole would be greater than the sum of its parts. as the revised version was finally nearing completion, the University of north texas Press published one chapter as part of a larger anthology, This Corner of Canaan: Essays on Texas in Honor of Randolph B. Campbell (2013). Unt Press Director ron Chrisman subsequently read the prospectus for the “From Santa anna to Selena” book manuscript and indicated interest in the project; however, he advised that documentation was needed. thus began yet another step in the lengthy process, the endeavor of providing citations for hundreds of pages of material, some of which had been researched and written years earlier. With documentation completed, the manuscript was formally submitted to Unt Press, which sent it to readers for review. after receiving favorable recommendations, Chrisman determined to publish the book on a “fast track.” even so, another eight months were required to get the volume into print by February of 2018, the intended deadline. taking the manuscript through the stages described above, while also meeting the demands of my position as a univer- sity professor, took much longer than anticipated when the endeavor began in the early 2000s. at that time, one could never have envisioned the events that would follow in the wake of September 11, 2001, or predicted the escalating hostility toward latinos that have made illegal immigration an increasingly divisive political issue. Ironically, the contents of this book are more rele- vant now than when the project began. the time devoted to this work will be considered well-spent if it helps readers—whether college students or the general public—to become more apprecia- tive of the contributions that Mexicanos (mexicans) and tejanos (mexican texans) have made to the lone Star State and, by exten- sion, to the United States. PreFaCe ix lastly, the reader might wonder why a non-Hispanic historian is writing on this topic. Decades ago, as a high school student in a small town in north Central texas, I was inspired by a gifted Spanish teacher. From ms. marilyn Payne, I gained a life-long love of the Spanish language and the people who speak it. that love was nurtured when I was a graduate student in latin american history at the University of north texas (then north texas State Univer- sity) by my major professor, Dr. Donald Chipman. thanks in large part to the influence of these two people and to having lived on the mexican border for more than forty years, en mi alma soy Mexicana (in my soul I am a mexican).