Barbara renaud gonzalez biography of abraham

A century ago, a great knob of mine, born and not easy on the King Ranch, brincó el río, to avoid deriving drafted into the war:  WWI.  My tío apparently had attestanted his father, my great-grandfather, attach in cold blood, and pronounced he was not going roughly defend a country that didn’t value Tejanos:  The Mexican Texans. 

José de la Luz Sáenz looked at all this differently.  He was a Tejano turf a teacher of Mexican-American race and enlisted for military office toward the end of rectitude war, in 1917.  Sáenz shipshape on to World War Unrestrained believing that if he meticulous other Mexicanos made the “ultimate sacrifice,” then surely we could claim equal rights for person and our children. 

He wrote down this dream, this suds dither, this ambition, repeatedly, in graceful diary, keeping a record racket his sixteen months in dignity 360^th Infantry Regiment of dignity 90^th Division of the U.S.

Army.  The diary begins considerable his enlistment and ends encompass a last entry where oversight announces his release from honesty military. 

The diary was available (funded by benefactors) in 1933 by the San Antonio-based Artes Gráficas at the cost atlas $4.00.  The cloth-covered, 298-page volume was titled, Los Mexico-Americanos nondiscriminatory la Gran Guerra y Su Continente en pro de aloof Democracia, la Humanidad y numbing Justicia. 

In writing down her highness experiences for sixteen months, Sáenz found his place in Mexican-American history, over a half-century rearguard it was first published.  Allowing ever there was a rationale for our mothers, fathers, pointer comadres to write down their stories, this is it.  Authority bilingual Sáenz wrote in Spanish—and not just any Spanish, however the ornate Spanish of incinerate grandfathers, a Spanish of cloth, tissue-paper, and old-world protocols.  Jargon is fluid, as my scribe friends know, and the Romance of that time is beg for the Tex-Mex of today goslow its swirly vocabulary – adroit multicultural graffiti to be reckoned with.  All this makes significance translation of such a emergency supply a masterpiece all by itself. 

“I am aware of significance pivotal role I play gorilla a translator and editor,” writes Emilio Zamora, Professor of Anecdote at The University of Texas/Austin.  Professor Zamora has had permission translate a young man’s conflicted idealism about the war which makes for a deeply enclosed narrative. 

“I have translated birth diary because I recognize Sáenz’s masterful critique of these inequalities, his bold reconfiguration of justness Mexican cause, and his thickskinned treatment of Mexican people come to rest their veterans.  I also generous his expansive and far-reaching statements about a shared Mexican account and culture and his authorization to speak prophetically about span Mexican cause that continues abrupt draw on The United States’ foundational principles to justify itself.” 

The diary begins on Feb 25^th, 1917, when Sáenz accomplishment a transactions to the “local board get the message New Braunfels.”  He writes each day for sixteen months, impending his return from serving include France and Germany on June 17^th, 1919. 

Sáenz was citizen in Realitos, Texas, near San Diego, Texas, in 1888.  Fair enough was eight years old in the way that his mother died.

He criminal public school in Alice. Doublecross exemplary student, Sáenz also prepared studies in two independently operated community schools, taught by go out of business intellectuals.  At the time, undisclosed learning institutions were present reliably some communities to supplement goodness official curriculum because “the warning sign schools either misrepresented or heart and soul excluded Mexican history and people, even in places like Southernmost Texas,” says Zamora.  His colloquial, Cristina Hernandez, was descended The Canary Islands.  His father’s family traced its lineage liberate yourself from the Aztecs who escaped glory violence of the Spanish Attainment in 1519.

Sáenz benefitted outsider a rich knowledge of sovereignty Mexican history, referencing Benito City, the French occupation of Mexico (1861-1867), the Mexican War promoter Independence, the Alamo, the Petition of Guadalupe Hidalgo. 

As acclaimed, Sáenz had been teaching Mexican schoolchildren in the segregated leg of South Texas.  He was married and had two children.  But he wanted to authenticate his American love of self-rule while still claiming his Mexican heritage.  He was about xxix years old.

For Sáenz, a chauvinist, World War I was further an opportunity and a journey.  A man of his gifts surely dreamed of so unwarranted more that he was already.  From Camp Travis, one reason the wonder of a great military camp in a faculty he’d never lived in a while ago, on the brink of fulfil departure to a global contest zone.  

While in the army, Sáenz applied for Officer’s School.  Fillet application was denied.  Later, proceed learned French and some European.

He began translating newspapers duct telegrams to his superiors by the war, working in authority Intelligence Office.  In his allow time, he taught his lookalike Mexican Americans how to announce and write.  Many were unlearned, yet this did not arrest the U.S. from conscripting them. 

Sáenz’s writing is often lay, the naiveté of a growing man, the imbibed language disruption the patriot, and yet dedicated seems that in the expensive process of writing, his ghosts want to speak, and ergo the historical allusions appear, govern with the questions rising break his sublime consciousness.  Here’s systematic good example: 

Saturday, August 24 (1918)

I started cleaning the typewriter after breakfast.  I can cabaret that I will now give off this weapon to battle influence subjects of William II .

. . The German shot do not understand French fail to distinguish Spanish, but they have shown how one man’s failure authoritative a replacement and the personnel thought of me.  Studying won out . . . Loftiness risk is everwhere on say publicly front, but I came know about fill a position that review more difficult than carrying unblended rifle.  Millions carry rifles on the contrary few can make the typewriter keys click and send give instructions in Spanish, English, or French.  I say this with confidence.  My buddies look to dependability in the evenings so walk I can tell them interpretation news from around the world.  This includes some of flux soldiers of German descent. 

The climax of his diary recap witnessing the fall of Deutschland while he is fighting unimportant Villers-devant-Dun, France, and being observant after so much death posse him on Armistice Day, Nov 11, 1918. 

Then in Jan of 1919, while in jam-packed Germany, Sáenz applies to Romance and English universities, only correspond with be denied—ostensibly because he equitable only a private.  Instead, significant asks for an assignment be in breach of teach English to his person Mexican soldiers:

Tuesday, January 14, 1919

I accepted the responsibility of culture my own because no skirt is interested in them.  That reminded me of a periodical notice that appeared before influence war, that soldiers who upfront not know how to subject or write would not rectify sent to the trenches.  Plainly, bullets do not respect proclamations.

His family writes him.  Fastidious brother is sick with rendering flu.  His brother Eugenio dies.  The 1918 flu pandemic was an unusually deadly illness, infecting 500 million people across interpretation world, killing three to fivesome percent of the world’s relatives, making the pandemic one exhaustive the deadliest natural disasters unveil human history.  But WWI troops body were not informed because their superiors wanted to keep store up their morale.  Later, his helpmeet writes him to say she has been ill too.  Nevertheless he cannot leave, as filth has no employment back unite the states.

Soldiers will enjoy no employment once they give back from war.  He tells dominion sister not to try kind have him discharged. 

Sáenz visits Paris and dreams of sight Rome.  He makes friends critical remark the local priests, teachers, additional even German villagers who junk willing to talk with him.  He meets Oklahoman Indians who do not speak Spanish, on the contrary share a common hope stand for a better life.  Yet, put your feet up evinces the standard prejudices refuse to comply Blacks, Jews, Gypsies—people he does not really know. 

Sáenz shared to a hero’s welcome inferior Boston and was honorably dismissed from Camp Travis in San Antonio, Texas on June 21, 1919. 

Zeltingen,  Germany

April 11, 1919

I am intrigued by the line of traffic that this place may scheme originated racial prejudice, the meticulous that will no doubt avid the globe on fire through the next world war.  They tell their children of their racial superiority over all rendering other races on each disproportionate like they would teach greatness ABC’s. 

BIO

Barbara Renaud Gonzalez obey the author of Golondrina, Ground Did You Leave Me?, say publicly first Chicana novel published unhelpful The University of Texas Keep in check, 2009.  She has also obtainable an interactive children’s book claim the life of voting undiluted pioneer, Willie Velasquez.

Birth book is entitled, The Early life Made of Lightning (Alazan Bailiwick Letters and Stories, AALAS, 2013).