USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Historically, the Spanish term Tejano has been used to identify various groups of people. During the Spanish colonial era, the term was primarily applied to Spanish settlers of the region now known as the state of Texas, which was first part of New Spain and after 1821 was part of Mexico.

Detailed explanation-2: -Who are Tejanos? Tejanos are descendants of the Spaniards and Mestizos – Spanish, Native American, and other groups – so they are largely a mixed race people. As a group, they are identified as a Hispanic people. Texas history and the Southwest are very intricately linked to the Spanish colonial period.

Detailed explanation-3: -Tejanos are descendants of the first Spanish, Mexican and indigenous families on the Texas frontier. Very little is known about the role they played in the political, economic and military arenas of the revolution for Texas independence.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Spanish settlers in Texas lived in a small part of what they called “New Spain.” In the beginning, Tejanos were the older generations of people in Texas or descendants of these Spanish vecinos. At one point they actually used the word Tejano as a self-designation, or Tejana for women.

Detailed explanation-5: -Only three of the 59 men who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence were Hispanic. Two were Tejanos-José Antonio Navarro and his uncle, José Francisco Ruiz. The third was Lorenzo de Zavala, a Mexican liberal who had recently moved to Texas.