Formerly Mexico

Prior to the end of the Mexican-American war in 1848, the border between the two countries was the Nueces River which flows from the San Antonio area Southeasterly into the Gulf of Mexico at Corpus Christie. Prior to that time, the area between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande was part of the country of Mexico. This area was "Formerly Mexico".

At the end of the war in 1848, the border was moved South to the Rio Grande and many Mexican residents moved South of the Rio Grande at that time to continue living in their native country. However, many Mexican residents in that area remained in the new United States territory between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande, including what is known as the Rio Grande Valley, or simply "The Valley".

"The Valley" is today populated largely by the descendants of those Mexican residents who remained in the United States following the Mexican-American War. Many of those descendants apparently did not adopt the language and customs of the United States, but retained the language and customs of their Mexican ancestors.

In many stores and at numerous gatherings here in "The Valley", Spanish is the predominant language. I have stopped in stores in the area to make a purchase, but had to leave because none of the clerks spoke English and they didn't understand what I was looking for.

The Mexican heritage of the area is also very evident in roadside billboards . . .














I don't read or speak Spanish, but it looks to me like the sign on the left above may be a law firm soliciting business concerning immigration and the sign on the right above advertises mobile phones.

This is a sign in front of one of the many local flea markets. I recognize that it is advertising a "Flea Market Open Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun", but I have no idea what they are promoting.










Even amateur signs posted by individuals are usually in Spanish. I'm told "pollo" means chicken, so maybe this person is selling chickens . . . or?











Even the local churches post information about their services in Spanish . . .















But the most surprising to me are the school bulletin boards announcing activities in Spanish. What ever happened to Spanish as a second language? Looks to me like English is the second language around here . . . even in the schools!

These signs are all examples of Spanish only, not examples of multi-lingual signs in English and Spanish. These signs are Spanish only!

Also, these are not isolated examples, but typical of numerous signs throughout The Valley.



I can understand (but not agree with) catering to recent legal immigrants, but the ancestors of many local families voluntarily stayed behind in "The Valley" when it became part of the United States in 1848 . . . over 150 years ago . . . spanning perhaps five generations!

Having voluntarily stayed in "The Valley" and adopted the United States as their new country, which granted them citizenship, why didn't they adopt the language and customs of their new country? Instead, it appears they chose not only to retain their Mexican language and customs, but to pass that language and way of life on to their ancestors who still live in "The Valley" today.

When I'm shopping here in The Valley, I often feel like I'm in a foreign country, with everyone around me speaking Spanish while I'm trying to figure out what the many Spanish signs around me mean.

This area may have been "Formerly Mexico", but it makes you wonder who really won the Mexican-American War of 1848!