Texas and Coahuila, different neighbors, this is how the Texan identity is born

For Sonia Hernández, PhD in Latin American History, from Texas A&M University, Texan identity arises first from a regional identification rather than with a country or government.

In a written interview he shared:

“There is an extensive literature on questions of identity. What we see in the 19th century period in the years before the struggle to break away from Mexico is an identity or identification more with the region or local places rather than with a country or a government.

That is to say, the Texans (which is good regardless of whether they were Anglo-Saxon or of Spanish origin or mestizo) were subjects of the government (Spanish before 1821) and of the Mexican government after 1821 but Their identification/environment was more focused on their local conditions and local traditions, so it is happening little by little..

Mexican nationalism or Texan nationalism is not noticeable until much later, during the first decades of the 20th century, or in Mexico it becomes stronger after the Mexican Revolution. In Texas, this ‘Texan’ identity is promoted in the 1930s during the centennial celebrations.

But these celebrations are more focused or emphasize the Anglo-Saxon, not the Mexican or the Texan. (the memory of the Alamo is used as a symbol of progress and development with a more Anglo-Saxon/white identity). It tries to erase the contributions of other ethnic groups and erase dark chapters like slavery.”

History of Texas and Mexico

Both share borders and a history dating back to the time when indigenous peoples roamed their lands for centuries until the arrival of the Spanish, who began exploring them for their projects in the 16th century.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the French from the territory of Louisiana represented a threat to New Spain, so the viceregal government promoted colonization through the founding of missions and military settlements.

When Mexico achieved its independence three years later, in 1824, Coahuila and Texas were united under the name of the state of “Coahuila and Texas” or “Coahuiltexas” and the entry of Anglo-Saxon settlers was permitted.

Both populations occupied military settlements that served as defense points against Apache and Comanche raids, but in the early 1830s, landowners Stephen F. Austin and Lorenzo de Zavala, originally from Yucatán, with the support of the United States, promoted an uprising in the Texan territory against the Mexican Republic under the pretext that a centralist government had been adopted.

In March 1836, the Texan deputies declared the independence of Texas, considering that as American settlers they were distinct from the Mexican nation due to their language and religion. Although the Mexican government did not accept the declaration and tried to suppress the rebellion, after the capture of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, it was recognized until 1845, when they were annexed to the United States.

It should also be noted that the Anglo-Saxons showed resistance to the Mexican government’s efforts to abolish slavery throughout the national territory.