New Mexico, circa 1940: Mr. Juan Garcia writes a letter to a newspaper...


Adapted from Erna Ferguson's delightful book, Our Southwest.

Pages 71 - 73


Talking about conflict between Hispanics and Anglos, in culture and in the use of languages, abusive politicians, etc. Ferguson assures us:

"These difficulties can be overcome, I believe, only by a courageous facing of the truth.

"And that is beginning.

"We still have the Spanish - speaking politician who inflames his people with false appeals to racial pride.

"We meet the Anglo who, generally through ignorance, practices a silly discrimination.

"But they are being met and will soon be outmoded by the intelligent and tolerant of both heritages who speak the same language, whatever tongue they use.

"The best of these are the young men and women of Spanish lineage who are facing facts.

"I know a college professor, a government engineer a labor leader, a farmer who is organizing his people, many teachers, an iron - worker, a trained nurse, who care not at all whether they are addressed as Spanish - Americans or as Mexicans.

"They are Americans, and they believe it is bad for any young man to be told he is entitled to position because of his birth."

Juan writes his letter!


"I find this attitude well expressed by Juan Garcia in a letter to a newspaper.

How can you tell a Spanish - American from any other kind of American?

Surely not by his name.

Judge Otero's mother was a blue - blood New Englander, his grandmother was a St. Louis socialite with not a trace of Spanish blood.

Tradition has it that the first Otero in Spain was an Irishman named O'Terry...

How many thousands of people with Indian blood have Spanish surnames?

Why shouldn't people with Spanish names have eighty or ninety per cent of the political jobs instead of only fifty per cent?

Why not distribute all political pie on a hyphenated basis?

Such and such per cent to Greek - Americans, to Masonic - Americans, to women - Americans?

Let's go to Spain..

Isn't there as much difference between the Andalusian and the Basque as there is between the McCormicks of Chicago and the Morgenthaus of New York?

Yet they are both good American names ...

Anyone who raises the race question is an enemy of the very same people he seeks to protect.

We are all Americans or we do not belong here at all.

"I am grateful to Mr. Garcia, whom I know only through this letter, for expressing so effectively what many of us feel and try to live..."