One hundred and fifty years have come and gone since the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo by the United States and Mexico, a treaty that officially ended hostilities and the U.S./Mexico War.

Ironically, the treaty which has shaped the attitudes, prejudices, policies and relations between the United States and Mexico — and which also signifies one of the momentous historical events to every person of Mexican ancestry, has passed with little comment or commemoration.

In the United States and Mexico (which lost one-half of its territory) and even among the 15 million Chicanos — the descendants of those who remained after the war — little was said or done to remember this event.

The question then is, who should remember or care about the signing of a treaty 150 years ago?

I believe that for those most affected — Chicanos — the importance of the treaty is — like it or not — the Treaty of Guadalupe is our genesis; our baptism into U.S society.

The treaty in one way or another has dictated our citizenship status (second class), the perception by the Anglo society of us, and eventually how they treated us.

I also believe that most of the historical and current problems we have suffered at the hand of the majority Anglo society can be attributed to the signing of the treaty in 1848. Current issues that affect our efforts for enfranchisement such as Gov. Pete Wilson and the right-wing politics of “Mexican Bashing”; the Unz Initiative, which proposes to ban bilingual education; the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border; the increased size of the Border Patrol; youth issues; high school dropout rates; lack of real political representation; etc., are all but a manifestation of the effects of the treaty.

But the real problem for Chicanos in relationship with the treaty is as historian Carey McWilliams stated: “It should never be forgotten that, with the exception of the Indians, Mexicans are the only minority people in the U.S. who were annexed by conquest, the only minority, Indians again excluded, whose rights were specially safeguarded by treaty provision.”

In other words, Chicanos, like Native Americans in the United States, are a “conquered” people covered by an internationally recognized treaty. And like the hundred or so treaties made with Native Americans, Guadalupe Hidalgo has also been violated in regards to the protection of Chicano rights.

One can at least say that the Native Americans under their treaties have gotten bingo and gambling casinos. But what can Chicanos point to?

There is an old adage, “conquerors come not to give you riches but to take your riches.” The historical land grabs, the racism and the discrimination suffered by generations, and being made strangers in our fathers’ lands, all prove the old adage true.

Aside from pointing to our root problems, the treaty outlines our guaranteed rights, and even proposes possible solutions to the current attacks on Chicanos by racists and right-wingers.

A case in point is the Unz initiative, which, if approved by the voters, would virtually ban bilingual education in California schools. The political reality is that California has every right to ban bilingual education for African-Americans, Europeans, Asians and Latin Americans. But, it cannot ban bilingual education for the descendants (Chicanos) of those who remained after the treaty was signed. California would be in violation of the treaty which guarantees respect and protection of the Chicanos’ language, culture and religion.

Still, we are witnessing yet another case in which politicians conveniently choose to ignore the terms of the treaty. This attitude, along with the Anglo majority’s forbidding the study of this document in schools, has resulted in 150 years of abuses and systematic violations of the rights of persons of Mexican ancestry.

As Chicanos become the majority in the Southwest, and we continue the process of educating, politicizing, organizing and enfranchising ourselves, we are going to have to become familiar with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo so that we can better understand our history, protect our rights and the land.

BACA is president of the Committee on Chicano Rights in National City.



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