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La Prensa Texas SAN ANTONIO Founded 1913 - Fundada en 1913

Publisher / Editora: Yvette Tello y.tello@laprensatexas.com

Let’s Talk About It: If Deportation Is the Goal, Why Is Cruelty Part of the Celebration? it certainly does not erase that person’s humanity. Is deportation really the goal—or have some people become more attracted to the cruelty of the method? Let’s talk about it…

Community Liaison / Enlace Comunitario: Ramon Chapa Jr. r.chapa@laprensatexas.com Advertising & Production Coordinator / Coordinadora de Publicidad y Producción: Jessica Medrano

The Right End of Things: “Obama did a good job with deportations and getting Osama bin Laden. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Contributors / Colaboradores: Dr. Ricardo Romo Priscilla Sanchez - Hurt info@laprensatexas.com Editor Español: José I. Franco Sales Representative / Representante de Ventas: Maria Cisneros La Prensa Texas is a grassroots, bilingual publication that serves as a vital voice for the community especially for those who are too often left out of mainstream media conversations. Since its founding, La Prensa Texas has been dedicated to providing relevant, accessible, and culturally rooted news that reflects the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the people of San Antonio and surrounding counties.

Our mission is simple yet powerful: to inform, inspire, and empower our readers through storytelling that uplifts the diverse voices of our community. This publication continues to be the lifeline of local news, bridging the gap between the people and the stories that matter most.

Send Press Releases and Advertising Inquiries to: Info@LaPrensaTexas.com 210-628-9611

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By Yvette Tello

When Obama’s two terms are compared with Trump’s first term. Federal immigration data show that Obama’s administration carried out more removals and returns during each of his terms than Trump did from 2017 through 2020.

Obama carried out deportations lawfully and quietly, without masked agents, violent encounters or fear-driven rhetoric. Under the current Trump administration, Americans have repeatedly witnessed heavily armed and masked federal officers conducting highly visible operations in neighborhoods, workplaces, courthouses and public streets. Immigration laws exist, and every presidential administration has a responsibility to enforce the law. But enforcement does not require humiliation. It does not require dehumanizing language. It does not require treating every undocumented person as violent or dangerous. A person can violate an immigration law without being a threat to the community.

A person’s lack of legal status does not erase decades of work, family, faith, sacrifice or contribution. It does not erase constitutional protections, and

Star Figueroa Garcia: “The difference is that Obama deported undocumented found guilty in a U.S. court of law of crimes of moral turpitude (serious felonies like rape, murder, violent crimes) and Trump is deporting Jose because his skin is brown, he speaks Spanish, and he drives a work van/ truck.”

Freddy N Ody Diaz: “They are not even being deported.

They keep them in the concentration camps. These people are dying!! Women and teens are getting raped!! They don’t get to go home, they don’t get to get out!! Just keep them in the concentration camps!!

Sooooo?! Why?! Why keep them?!”

Melly M Perez: “I miss Obama! He was and is a people’s president. I never heard him cause division like the current administration.”

Armando Sauseda: “He did it the right way—no Americans were killed, and he did not hide behind a mask. Some people refuse to face the truth: this is not just about migration.

It is about fear of white people losing power in land that was taken from others.”

Hilario Santino Ortiz: “Stop simping for Obama. Two things can be true at once: nei-

ther political party truly wants us here. Read history, gente.

Neither of these colonizer-led parties has ever truly been on our side.”

C. Noteworthy: “No Obama did not deport more,they counted. Border turnarounds and that’s not the same as having to deport from inside the country.”

Shalla McBride: “They like the cruelty” Lourdes Villarreal Liera: “Keep It 100” Kendra Suzann: “Yes, and they were still screaming and having tantrums. They just choose to pick on immigrants because they have nothing else.”

Jose Duran: “When you’re as ignorant as a MAGA, violence is a huge part of you!”

Frederika Zylstra: “MAGA’s love the cruelty and racism of their leader.”

Conservative Thoughts: “Don’t play us for dummies.

Obama was behind the largest installment of 54,000 Somalis brought and planted in MN as refugees. Just another word for illegal aliens being allowed in the U.S. unvetted. You know that’s true with the results of 80% still on welfare after 10 years and then all the billions in fraud the smarter ones have gotten away with. Obama also let in 500,000 refugees in total According to data from the U.S. Refugee Processing Center and the Pew Research Center, the top five countries of origin for refugees admitted during this era, aside from Somalia were Burma (Myanmar), Iraq, Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and

Syria. So, take your meme and sentiment and relearn your facts.”

June Enriquez: “It’s the cruelty they like and because Obama is black. They hate to see that.”

Stand By Survivors Clarksville: “Y’all need to learn about MK ULTRA by listening to survivors. Obama is mind controlled. All of them are.

Politics is an illusion. Wake up. “ Garcia Mar: “This Nazis are trying to make a race war again they want chaos on the streets” Joanna Thangiah: “You cannot expect logic from the illogical.”

Cristala Mussato-Allen: “Obama began by going into the prisons and deporting people who had already been convicted of crimes. He didn’t create a Gestapo secret police force to shoot Abuela selling tamales on the side of the road.”

Annette L Mancuso Lease: “That was when the Republican controlled House & Senate refused to Vote for anything & everything that Obama wanted. Mitch McConnell was the Leader that did that. That is how we got stuck with Trump again.”

Patrick C. Leedy: “No cruelty!! Just self deport! Immigrants that entered illegally have committed a crime!! Simple as that! Once here many of them avoid complying with the rules and regulations of the state and country. Many entered as criminals from their country also.”

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About the Artist

Laurel Cyrene Provided by the artist.

Laurel Cyrene depicts Nature with vibrant colorful detail in her paintings of landscapes and animals, capturing their spirit and life force in her work. She is an avid hiker and gets much of her inspiration from visiting the National Parks as well as the local San Antonio area. She is versatile in her mediums using Acrylics, oil, watercolor, graphite, pastels and printmaking. She is a U.S. Army Veteran and the mother of five that has been creating Art for over fifty years. Her love for Art first originated as a child when she watched her mother paint, and her father in his role as a photographer for the military. Originally from California she majored in Art Illustration but later graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. degree in Education. In 1989 she moved

to the San Antonio area and taught Art in the public schools and private lessons and classes for over 24 years until retirement. She painted Murals for local churches and public schools teaching after school programs at the local schools in the San Antonio area.

Her art has been published in magazines and manuals. She has won numerous awards for her Paintings,drawings and printmaking.

She lives in Medina County. Her work has taken 1st place ribbons and Peoples Choice awards. She was also Vice President of a local group The Friendship Art Club for years where she set up and maintained their website. She will be the Featured Artist with the bluestar Star Cooperative upstairs gallery August 6-7th 6pm-10 pm also 20th 6-10 pm Upcoming Show at San Antonio Art League and Museum Oct-December Her Artwork can be seen at the Art Show Display Wild Bloom at The Hotel Contessa until end of October. Artist Booth every Last Saturday.

River Art Group Gallery at LaVillita Starving Artist Gallery at LaVillita Galley 520 at River Center Mall San Antonio. Old Bakery

and Emporium in Austin. SHOWS 2025 Vision and Valor Show Austin Airport (Women Veteran Artist ) 2025*16th Distinguished Veteran Artist Show Williamson Art Guild 2025 Members Art Gallery San Antonio Art League 2025 upcoming October-December 2026. Artoberfest & Octoberfest Lavillita SA 2025 Gathered Light Art Exhibit The Hotel Contessa (SA) 2025 Friendship Art Club Peoples Choice Award 2025 SHOWS 2024 and previous 15th Distinguished Veterans Artist Show Dougherty Arts Center (Austin) 2024 Friendship Art Show Peoples Choice 2025/Best of Show &, 2nd place 2024 /1st & 2nd place 2023/ Best of Show 2022 Veteran Artist Nationals 2024/2023/2022/2021 Distinguished Veteran Artist Show Behive Art Gallery 2021 GAGA Art Show Nave Art Museum Victoria TX GAGA Honoring Women Group Show OLLU SA 2022 Hondo Art Fair 2019 Peoples Choice/1st place Hondo Art Fair 2018 Second place Website : https://laurelcyreneart.com

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A TODAS LAS PERSONAS Y PARTES INTERESADAS:

K-Solv Chemicals, LLC, ha solicitado a la Comisión de Calidad Ambiental de Texas (TCEQ, por sus siglas en inglés) lo siguiente: Renovación del Permiso 129626.

Esta solicitud autorizaría autorización continua de un/a terminal de almacenamiento a granel de petroquímicos ubicado en 1015 Lakeside Drive, Channelview, Condado de Harris, Texas 77530. Información adicional sobre esta solicitud se encuentra en la sección de aviso público de este periódico.

02 de Agosto de 2026

DAV & RecruitMilitary to Host Virtual Veteran & Military Spouse Hiring Event What: Military Community Job Fair connecting service members, veterans, Guard/Reserve, and military spouses with employers that are actively hiring.

When: Tuesday, August 4th from 11:00am to 3:00pm Central Why it matters: This event accelerates veteran hiring by translating military experience into civilian opportunity—delivering fast access to decision-makers across various industries. To learn more about RecruitMilitary, visit: https://recruitmilitary.com/ CENTRAL REGION Central Region Virtual Career Fair Where: Online Who: Transitioning service members, veterans, Guard/Reserve, and military spouses; regional and national employers hiring for skilled roles.

Media Inquiries: Shelby West | swest@recruitmilitary.com | 757-769-2745 Note for editors: B-roll and photos can be provided upon request.

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COMFORT ART FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ARTISTS The 2026 Comfort Art Festival has issued a call for artists. The festival, now in its fourteenth year, will be September 19, 2026. Established in 2009 as the Comfort Fall Art Walk, the event each year brings art collectors and travelers to the charming town to meet talented Hill Country artists and to view and buy their works. Organizers are seeking artists representing a variety of media from wood carvings and oil paintings to watercolors, fiber art, metal work, and jewelry. Artists will display, demonstrate, and sell their work at merchants throughout the downtown historic district. Comfort Art Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A list of artists and their locations will be available at participating merchants. Artists interested in receiving information on the event should contact Julie Kuykendall, event chairman, at kendall1@gvtc.com or 407-595-6859.

Firstmark Credit Union Honors its Roots in Education With Fourth Annual Classroom Supply Drive The credit union calls for swift community action so teachers aren’t forced to cover costs themselves Firstmark Credit Union, alongside the Firstmark Foundation, is hosting its fourth annual Classroom Supply Drive to help stock local classrooms with needed supplies, so teachers don’t have to spend their own money to fill supply gaps. The community can support local educators and students by dropping off school supplies at any Firstmark branch location through August 12. Cash donations are also accepted and can help provide additional supplies where they’re needed most. According to the 2025 Teacher Spending Survey, “Teacher out-of-pocket spending has increased 49% since 2015. On average, Texas Teachers spend $895 out of pocket to supply their own classrooms.” Last year, with the community’s support, Firstmark donated over $7,300 in school supplies to 10 school districts. This marked the largest donation generated by the drive to date. Firstmark aims to exceed its previous year’s achievement, but it needs the community’s help. San Antonians can help address this growing burden that teachers face. “Our goal is to gather enough donations so educators don’t have to reach into their pockets to provide necessary supplies for their students,” said Marisa Pérez-Díaz, Vice President, Community & Public Relations at Firstmark Credit Union. “As a credit union that was founded by teachers, it makes each gift that much more special. Every pencil, notebook, and classroom essential makes a difference, helping students start the school year ready to learn and grow.” Most needed items include pens, pencils, notebook paper, folders, sticky notes, highlighters, dry-erase markers, construction paper, index cards, facial tissues, and disinfecting wipes. Community members can drop these items off at any Firstmark location. Or they can donate funds towards the supply drive. Schools that will receive supply donations will be notified after the drive has ended. The selected school districts are across San Antonio, La Vernia, and New Braunfels, Texas. Firstmark is thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with local schools and other partners to make a positive difference in the communities it serves. To learn more about the Classroom Supply Drive and how to donate, visit www. firstmarkcu.org/classroom-supply-drive/. About Firstmark Credit Union: Firstmark Credit Union is a member-owned financial institution established in 1932. Founded by a group of teachers almost 95 years ago, today, Firstmark has grown to over $1 billion in assets with almost 100,000 members. Firstmark’s member-first philosophy extends beyond banking, empowering financial success while investing in education, supporting educators, and strengthening the communities our members call home. The Firstmark Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, complements this commitment by making a tangible, positive impact in the education community through the collective support of its membership. For more information about Firstmark, please visit firstmarkcu.org.

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2026 ONE-AI Softball - Slow Pitch Tournament Por Franco

Todo un éxito resultó el espectacular torneo sabatino de la pelota blanda denominado 2026 ONE-Al Softball Slow Pitch Tournament que se jugó durante el pasado sábado 25 de julio en el popular Kennedy Sports Complex. El evento fue presentado por el equipo ONE-Al, con la participación de seis equipos:

Wolfpack, WC50, Forge. Misfits, Beat y Fully Loaded. Tras cinco partidos jugados por cada equipo participante, bajó un cálido clima que alcanzó los tres dígitos, la gran final se la disputaron los equipos Beat vs Fully Loaded. De acuerdo al vocero y jugador de ONE-Al, Sergio Quintanilla, quien ensenó en su mano izquierda flamante anillo

de campeón conquistado durante famoso torneo recientemente. Indicó que el equipo campeón del torneo resultó ser el team Beat, que se impuso merecidamente ante su duro rival Fully Loaded. Los directivos organizadores agradecieron la participación de los equipos y de sus familias y seguidores por haberlos apoyado a lo largo de la jornada sa-

batina que comenzó en el horario de las 8am y concluyó ya entrada la tarde. En las fotos aparecen el campeón Beat, de cortesía por Sergio Quintanilla. Los equipos Forge del manager y jugador Matt Pring y WC50 del timonel y jugador Rubén Robles.

Forge ofreció deliciosa cena de Pollo asado a la parrilla, cocinado por el jugador Kevin Werlein,

quien destacó bateando cuatro jonrones entre los cinco partidos, otro jugador de Forge, su lanzador estelar Papo Garza, ganó 4 de los 5 partidos y a la vez se ayudó bateando a la ofensiva para su causa.

Las fotos de Forge y WC50 son de Franco

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The Mystery of the Missing Mastodon Tusks

By J. Gilberto Quezada

Over three decades ago, while doing the research on Judge Bravo for my award-winning political biography, Border Boss: Manuel B. Bravo and Zapata County, published by Texas A&M University Press, I came across an article in the Laredo Morning Times, dated September 7, 1951, by Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen. During his tenure in office, he wrote a column for the Laredo newspaper entitled, “Lloyd’s Letter. “ What caught my attention was the opening paragraph: “Something old and different was found on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande during excavations for the new international Falcon Dam, raising the shades on the border’s pre-historic era, uncovering a new fossil for the One day as a big, ultra-modern scoop bit chunks out of the damsite, the operator uncovered a 10-foot-high mastodon, resembling an elephant, standing on the bedrock. International Boundary and Water Commissioner L.M. Lawson estimates the mastodon had been standing there many centuries before he had to give way to the new dam. Commissioner Lawson told your congressman he figured that way back in the dim past the mastodon was caught in quicksand.

Through the years the quicksand turned to sandstone and the mastodon was preserved. When unearthed the mastodon was covered with long hair. Shortly after his discovery, the object crumpled to pieces--but not the two tusks, eight feet long apiece, which are going to be sent to the Smithsonian Institute Commissioner Lawson said. “Needless to say, my curiosity concerning the status of the two mastodon tusks exuberantly piqued to an insatiable drive to locate them. I immediately wrote letters to Dr. Lonn Taylor, with the National Museum of American History; Dr. Richard Alhborn, with the Smithsonian Institution; Mr. M.R. Ybarra, with the International Boundary and Water Commission; Dr. Ernest Lundelius, Director of the Vertebrate Paleontology Lab at the University of Texas at Austin; Dr. Sally Y. Shelton, with the Natural

History Conservation Lab at the Texas Memorial Museum; and Dr. William DeMichele, with the National Museum of Natural History’s Department of Paleobiology. Dr. Taylor’s response: “If the tusks were indeed sent here, they would have been sent to the National Museum of Natural History, which is another bureau of the Smithsonian. I suggest that you address an inquiry to Dr. William DeMichele. I cannot speak to the question of whether or not the tusks, if they are here, would be available for loan. “ The reference to the loan was that if the tusks did exist, I was trying to get them on loan for the Col. Antonio Zapata County Museum in Zapata, the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum in Laredo, and the Witte Museum in San Antonio. Dr. Alhborn’s response: “The 1951 news article only provides a ‘hint’ that Comm. Lawson ‘was going to’ send the tusks to SI [Smithsonian Institute]. He probably never did, but to check out our ‘sources’ of mastodon tusks, if any, may require some very deep digging in 40+ year old files. However, if their records in Paleobiology are categorized by donor (Lawson?) or site (Texas: Falcon Dam, or Mexico: ‘name of site’?) there may be a chance of learning more about the tusks. My suggestion is to call Paleobiology in February and inquire about your tusks directly. Good hunting. “ Dr. DeMichele’s response: “I have searched our collection, our catalogue and accession records, and a journal concerning specimens sent here for identification during the 1950’s, and I find no record for two mastodon tusks from L.M. Lawson. I wonder if Mr. Lawson changed his mind when he found out how much it would cost to send here two eight foot tusks that together probably weighed 100 pounds or more. Do you think he could have sent them to the Texas Memorial Museum in Austin?” I personally went to the Texas Memorial Museum in Austin but to no avail. Dr. Shelton’s response: “ I wouldn’t have been the person to talk to in Austin, anyway. You should contact Dr. Ernest Lundelius,.. “ Dr. Lundelius’s response: “I have checked our records and collections here at

the Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory and find no record of such mastodon tusks. I have also checked with Dr. Thomas Hester at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory here at the University of Texas, and he, too, has no record of the mastodon tusks. I am sorry that I was your last resort and couldn’t help you in any way.“ And finally, Mr. Ybarra’s response: “We find no reference in the archaeological reports for 1950, 1951, or 1952 to the find of any mastodon tusks or intact remains as referenced in the newspaper column you enclosed. We have not found any U.S. Section record that these were donated to the Smithsonian Museum. There are references to ‘rotted fragments of tusk or elephant or mammoth were encountered in the bed of the arroyo where they lay exposed. ‘ in the Report of Archaeological Salvage in Falcon Reservoir, Season of 1952, Volume 23, Bulletin of Texas Archaeological and Paleontological Society, October 1952, Lubbock, Texas. Also, in the Archaeological Salvage in the Falcon Reservoir Area: Progress Report No. 1, a Joint Project of the National Park Service and the University of Texas dated 1950 there is a reference to ‘reaching a remote spot on the Mexican side where Aveleyra had found mammoth bones with flakes and artifacts nearby. ‘” Now, according to a book published by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Press in 1999 ( the same year when my book on Judge Bravo came out), entitled, After The Dinosaurs: A Texas Tropical Paradise Recovered at Lake Casa Blanca, by Dr. James W. Westgate, Associate Professor of Geology at Lamar University and Research Associate, Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, the Middle Eocene Epoch (this is the second geologic epoch of the Paleogene) which covers Webb and Zapata Counties, existed from 66 to 23 million years ago, and this Middle Eocene strata extended all the way to New Jersey. The shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico was indented all the way to the lower Rio Grande Valley, forming what paleontologists named the Rio Grande Embayment. Based on concre-

te evidence, Dr. Westgate has been able to date, through fossil remains found at Lake Casa Blanca, that the area around Laredo and Zapata goes back 42 million years ago. This was about 20 million years after the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Forty-two million years ago, the area from Lake Casa Blanca to Zapata was covered with a lush tropical forest and bordered by coastal or aquatic tropical trees, especially of the mangrove family. Dr. Westgate and his research team have uncovered fossils of 29 extinct mammal species identified from over 1,500 isolated teeth and jaws. According to the author, “The most complete is a rib cage and partial vertebral column discovered in the banks of the Rio Grande River near Falcon, Texas, sometime around 1950.

We also discovered fossil ribs from at least three sirenians (sea cows) exposed on Dolores Creek in Zapata County, on the 3-D Ranch.“ Quite coincidentally, during the same time, in the summer of 1995, Jo Emma and I were staying in our cottage in Zapata, and we decided to visit the Col. Antonio Zapata County Museum. And I am glad we did because we got to see a dinosaur bone or was it one of the mastodon tusks? According to the information at the museum, this dinosaur bone was fond at the San Bartolo Ranch by Oscar Gutiérrez in the 1950s. Jo Emma took the following photograph of the dinosaur bone or the mastodon tusk: Well, nobody seems to know what happened to the two mastodon tusks. Unfortunately, I could not put closure to my investigative search.

And probably they are hanging over the mantel of someone’s fireplace. We will never the outcome of this interesting story.

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Briscoe Museum in San Antonio Opens New Tejano Exhibition

By Ricardo Romo, PH.D

On July 25, 2026, the Briscoe Museum in San Antonio opened the Tejano Legacy: Another American Origin Story exhibit coinciding with the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The museum describes the exhibit as a landmark bilingual narrative that explores nearly four centuries of “Tejano history, culture, and identity and the enduring influence of Tejanos on Texas and the American West. ” Many Americans of Mexican descent living in Texas refer to themselves as Tejanos, but also as Latinos and Chicanos. This exhibition of art and artifacts resonates with persons and families who have been in Texas for multiple generations.

ue to shape South Texas, San Antonio, and the Southwest today. Liz Jackson, Briscoe Museum Director, explains that the Briscoe exhibit presented in English and Spanish deepens and broadens the understanding of the Mexican American connection to the story of the American West and the origins of the United States.

I believe that the Briscoe exhibition stands as a model for other Southwestern states, formally part of Mexico, to present visitors a rare opportunity to understand another American origin story.

Texas missions and presidios of San Antonio, however, came from the Franciscan College in Queretaro, Mexico.

George Catlin, “Buffalo Hunt, Chase.” Courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Collection of Ricardo Romo.

Artist Once Known, Loteria Board. Courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Photo by Ricardo Romo.

The first Tejanos established missions in East Texas and in the town of Isleta, Texas in the 1680s. The first major Tejano community began along the San Antonio River in 1718.

Spanning the 1680s to modern times, the Tejano Legacy, notes the Briscoe curators, “traces the evolution of Tejano identity through art, ranching traditions, military service, music, faith and community.” The exhibit draws from the museum’s own collections and from lenders across the United States and Mexico. Several works on loan from Mexican museums are exhibited in the United States for the first time.

The museum catalog notes that through the more than 100 paintings, sculptures, saddles, textiles, historic objects, and contemporary works, the exhibition preserves “the resilience, innovation and cultural influences” that contin-

Courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Collection of Ricardo Romo.

The first Tejanos were Mestizos from Spanish and Mexican lineage who came principally from the northern Mexican states now known as Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Chihuahua. After Spain conquered Mexico in 1521, very few Spanish women came to the Mexican provinces, so the Spanish soldiers who remained in the territory married Indian women. As these Mestizos settled Tejas, they called themselves Mexicanos or Tejanos. The Franciscan missionaries who built the East

The term Tejano has both American Indian and Spanish origins. Its usage dates back to the 1680s when Spanish friars and soldiers entered the eastern part of the Texas region on the banks of the Sabine River, which today divides Texas from Louisiana. Their goal was to build missions and establish a Spanish territorial presence to keep the French settlers from intruding into their province. The Caddo Indians who lived there used the terms táyshaʼ, taysha, teycha, or teyshas for allies or friends.

Spanish explorers and missionaries recorded the term Tejas originating from various usages (Tejas, Texas, Texias, Teyas, Thecas, etc.), and used Tejano first as an ethnic name for certain East Texas groups, then gradually adapted Tejas for the region itself. With the founding of San Francisco de Tejas in 1690 on the Neches River east of the Sabine River, the name Tejas gained greater official usage. However, nearly ten years earlier, Spanish fleeing Indian warfare in New Mexico had built the Mission Corpus Christi de la Isleta in 1682. These settlers, who were the founders of New Mexico,

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Artist Once Known, “Stagecoach Robbers.” Courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Photo by Romo.considered themselves Nuevo Mexicanos. In an exhibit catalog essay “Another American Story: Discovering the Tejano Familia Legacy, ” John Phillip Santos writes that Tejanos brought a heritage from New Spain that “ was already two centuries old, rich with cultural and faith traditions, livestock cultivation practices going back back to Spain, and a perception of themselves as mestizos that prepared them for adapting to new ways of understanding their communities, even as the world around them changed.” Santos has spent the last three decades studying and writing about mestizos and the borderlands. The artifacts of the cattle industry are plentiful in the Brisco exhibit.

The early Tejano settlers came to the region to acquire land and cattle, making ranching profitable. The essays in the beautiful catalog include a story of Rosa Maria Hinojosa de Balli

by Historian Amy Porter that is especially rich in Tejano history. Porter documents the story of Rosa Maria Hinojosa de Balli whose ranches in South Texas exceeded the smaller states of the original thirteen colonies in land area.

Porter notes that when Balli died in 1803, she left more than a million acres of land to her sons. Hinojosa de Balli built her ranches by careful land purchases over three decades, and she well may have been in her time the largest landholder in North America and among the wealthiest women in all of the Americas–north and south. The cattle industry in America began with these large Tejano ranches of South Ricardo

La Prensa Texas SAN ANTONIO Texas. The exhibit provides a superb collection of saddles, weapons, and spurs from that era. Included in the exhibit are paintings and sculptures from South Texas ranches. Numerous paintings, maps, and artifacts belong to the Briscoe, but many others are on loan from the Witte and McNay museums in San Antonio, from Mexico, and from private collectors. Jorge Luis García Ruiz, a Spanish-born archaeologist and historian who now works in San Antonio, narrates a spellbinding story in the catalog about Captain Joseph de Urrutia, whom he calls a “Model Figure of Society.”

Urrutia was fifteen years old when his religious superiors decided to abandon missionary work in East Texas and return to Monclova, Mexico. After being lost for forty days, Urrutia defied the Franciscan authorities and decided to remain with the Indian natives. Garcia Ruiz writes that Urrutia “mastered their [Indigenous] language and earned their respect, fighting alongside them and their allies, taking part in numerous battles against their common enemy, the Apaches.” Urruitia’s merits earned him the title of captain general of the Indian allies,

11 areas of the Rio Grande for the purpose of establishing new towns and ranches. He was authorized by the King of Spain to grant parcels of land or porciones to new settlers. I am very acquainted with these efforts because part of my maternal Saenz family received porciones numero 72, 73, and 74. The family ranches were called Roma Los Saenz, later just Roma, Texas. Historian David Weber wrote that “Escandón moved 6,000 colonists into the colonia and established twenty-three towns and fifteen missions [along the Rio Grande]”. It is no wonder that many Tejano historians call Escandón the true father of Texas. The three hundred families that Stephen F. Austin brought to Texas in the 1820-30 era fall significantly short of Escandón’s accomplishment.

Thomas Allen, “Evening Market.” Loan courtesy of the Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Gift of Berniece and Henry Blount, Jr. Courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Photo by Ricardo Romo.

all before he reached the age of eighteen.

Sam Coronado, “Toro.” Courtesy of the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Donation to the Briscoe Museum by Harriett and Ricardo Romo.

In 1750, José de Escandón brought Spanish missionaries, soldiers, and ranchers to selected

Tejano stories are plentiful in the Briscoe Tejano Legacy: Another American Origin Story exhibition. Additionally, the art is splendid. San Antonio’s celebration of the city’s 300th anniversary in 2018 demonstrated that the hi tory of the region and its people are far too rich to tell in one publication or singular exhibit. The Briscoe Museum has found many stories and a plethora of art to present the complex history of Tejanos. Visitors will appreciate the vast number of art masterpieces and amazing artifacts.

We await additional exhibits, hopefully from other museums in the region, that highlight the diverse origins of the USA that we know today. Liz Jackson, the Briscoe Museum curator, noted,“Tejano history is American history, and there is no better place to tell this story than San Antonio.”

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A Voting Commission Worthy of Willie Velásquez Nearly four decades after his death, San Antonio confronts the same challenge that defined his life’s work.

By Louis R. Escareño As the ballroom lights dimmed and the program began, Jane Velásquez and her daughter, Catalina, quietly took their seats.

Around them sat elected officials, community organizers, attorneys, students, and longtime friends—many of whom owe some part of their public lives to the work Willie Velásquez began more than half a century ago. Nearly four decades after his death, his family returned once again to witness another generation wrestle with the same question that defined his life’s work: How do we build a democracy in which every citizen has a voice? That question framed this year’s William C. Velásquez Dinner, hosted by the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), the organization Willie founded in 1974 to transform Latino political participation throughout the American Southwest. The evening celebrated one man’s extraordinary legacy, but it also challenged those in attendance to continue work that remains unfin shed. The Architect of Modern Latino Political Power Historian Cynthia E. Orozco, writing in the Handbook of Texas, describes Willie C. Velásquez as one of the principal architects of the modern Chicano political movement. Born in 1944 and raised on San Antonio’s West Side, Velásquez helped organize the United Farm Workers, co-fou-

nded the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO), helped establish the Mexican American Unity Council, worked with the Southwest Council of La Raza, and ultimately founded what became the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. Through SVREP, Velásquez fundamentally changed Latino politics. As Orozco explains, SVREP became the nation’s leading source of Hispanic voting research while helping dramatically increase the number of Latino voters and elected officials throughout the Southwest during the 1970s and 1980s. Willie also understood the power of data long before analytics became commonplace in politics. He carefully studied voting trends and demographic changes to identify communities whose voices were absent from the political process. His famous phrase—“Su voto es su voz” (“Your vote is your voice”)—was far more than a slogan. It was a philosophy.

Voting represented dignity. Voting represented belonging. Voting represented the belief that communities too often ignored deserved an equal voice in shaping their future. I was fortunate to know Willie personally. As a young staff member for U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, I often met Willie and Choco Mesa at the old Alaskan Palace downtown. Those conversations about organizing, public service, and Latino political empowerment remain among my most treasu-

red memories. Years later, while pursuing my Master of Public Administration at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, I had the privilege of taking Willie’s seminar while he served as a Fellow there. He was not simply an organizer. He was a teacher, strategist, and visionary. A Question Willie Would Have Appreciated One of the evening’s most compelling moments came when Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones reflected on leadership. Drawing upon her military service and public career, the Mayor observed that one of the most important questions any leader can ask is: “Who am I not hearing from? And why am I not hearing from them?” Had Willie Velásquez been sitting in the ballroom Friday evening, he almost certainly would have recognized that question. Indeed, it lies at the heart of everything he devoted his life to answering.

Who is missing from the elec-

torate? Why are they absent?

What barriers discourage participation? And what responsibility do our public institutions have to ensure that every eligible citizen has both the opportunity and the information necessary to vote? Those same questions guided the work of Mayor Jones’ recently completed Mayor’s Commission on Voting. The Commission’s 56-page report proposes nine recommendations intended to create a year-round culture of civic participation rather than relying solely on election-season mobilization. Among its recommendations are improved coordination among nonprofit organizations, expanded voter information, measurable civic participation goals, greater use of City communications platforms, increased accessibility, and stronger partnerships throughout the community.

Reasonable people may debate

02 de Agosto de 2026 individual recommendations.

San Antonio faces genuine fiscal constraints, and any municipal effort must remain rigorously nonpartisan. Yet the Commission deserves serious attention because it reframes low voter participation as a civic challenge rather than simply a political one. That distinction matters.

Mayor Jones also deserves credit for championing the move of San Antonio’s municipal elections from May to November beginning in 2029—a structural reform expected to increase participation by placing city elections alongside higher-turnout general elections. While no single change will solve San Antonio’s turnout challenges, it reflects a willingness to rethink systems that have produced chronically low civic participation. The Challenge Is Close to Home The urgency becomes clear when one examines San Antonio’s own voting patterns. District 5—my own City Council district—recorded the fewest votes cast of any council district during the May 2025 municipal election. Many West Side precincts continue to experience turnout levels that would have deeply concerned Willie Velásquez. These same neighborhoods also confront persistent economic inequality, infrastructure challenges, and one of the widest life-expectancy gaps in Texas. Those realities are not unrelated.

Communities that participate consistently command greater public attention. Communities that remain politically invisible often struggle to make their priorities heard. Willie understood that relationship long before it became the subject of academic research. A New Ge-

La Prensa Texas SAN ANTONIO neration Takes the Torch The dinner also demonstrated that Willie’s work continues through a new generation of civic leadership. Luz Elena Chapa spoke movingly about growing up in a family where voting was viewed not simply as a right but as an obligation owed to previous generations and those yet to come. Pearl D. Cruz, Chief of Staff and General Counsel to State Senator José Menéndez and Executive Director of the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus, reflected the emergence of another generation of Latino public servants committed to civic engagement. Domingo Garcia reminded the audience that democracy ultimately depends upon participation. Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel of MALDEF, offered a sobering assessment of the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in Louisiana v.

Callais, warning that the ruling could significantly complicate future voting rights litigation under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, with implications extending well beyond Louisiana. The evening also honored Dallas County Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia with SVREP’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her distinguished public service. consistently emerged: Democracy cannot be sustained by spectators. It depends upon citizens who participate. More Than a Celebration Lydia Camarillo, President of SVREP, and her staff once again assembled an evening worthy of Willie Velásquez’s remarkable legacy. Yet as the program concluded, my thoughts returned not to the speeches but to the image of Jane and Catalina Velásquez quietly greeting

friends and watching new leaders embrace Willie’s mission.

Some people leave behind monuments. Others leave behind institutions. Willie Velásquez left behind something even more enduring. He left behind generations of Americans who continue to believe that democracy works best when every voice is heard. Nearly forty years after his passing, his question remains our question.

Who is still missing? And what

13 are we prepared to do about it?

If San Antonio answers that question with the seriousness it deserves, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ Commission on Voting may become one of the most meaningful tributes ever paid to Willie Velásquez—not because it bears his name, but because it embraces his enduring belief that democracy is strongest when every citizen has both a voice and a vote.

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Ag Outreach Day

By Ramon Chapa, Jr.

The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo celebrated an outstanding Ag Outreach Day, showcasing the importance of agriculture and education. This event engaged students from diverse backgrounds through interactive exhibits, workshops, and demonstrations, allowing them to learn about livestock care, crop production, and sustainable practices. The day was made possible by the dedication of volunteers, sponsors, and local businesses, who emphasized the significance of community involvement in supporting local agriculture.

Congratulations to the Stock Show and Rodeo for their exceptional coordination of this event, which not only educated youth but also inspired them to consider careers in agriculture.

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Frida Fest 2026 Celebrates 10 Years of Culture, Legacy and Female Empowerment

By Yvette Tello

Que Retro Arts and Curious Twins will celebrate the 10th Annual Frida Fest on Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16, 2026, with a vibrant two-day event honoring the life, artistry and enduring legacy of renowned Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Marking its 10th anniversary, the festival returns to its original home at Wonderland of the Americas Mall, where it first began, bringing together artists, performers, vendors and the community for a weekend dedicated to culture, creativity and female empowerment. The free event will transform the mall into a colorful celebration of Mexican heritage featuring a handcrafted Artisan Mercado with more than 60 local artisans, makers and galleries showcasing original artwork, handcrafted goods and unique cultural creations. Guests will also experience an immersive art exhibition highlighting Frida Kahlo’s influence while a community altar will invite visitors to honor departed loved ones and influential women by bringing photographs to be displayed throughout the festival. Entertainment will take place throughout the weekend with performances celebrating the richness of Mexican culture.

Among the featured performers is Mariachi Las Alteñas, the acclaimed all-female mariachi ensemble recognized for raising the standard of excellence for women in mariachi music across the nation. Also performing will be the beloved Abuelitas de Oro, San Antonio’s inspiring ballet folklórico troupe made up of Latina dancers ranging in age from their 60s to their late 80s. The group is dedicated to promoting health, community outreach and cultural pride through traditional dance while also mentoring younger generations. Their intergenerational performances include pre-kindergarten through second-grade dancers from Hawthorne Academy, helping preserve cultural traditions for future generations. One of the festival’s most anticipated highlights will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m. when organizers attempt to set an official Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Frida Kahlo. Participants of all ages and genders are invited to take part in the record attempt by wearing a flower-printed dress extending below the knees on all sides, a red or pink shawl, at least three artificial flowers in their hair and a joined unibrow. The 10th Annual Frida Fest will be held from noon to 5

p.m. on Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16, at Wonderland of the Americas Mall, located at 4522 Fredericksburg Road in Balcones Heights. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Frida Fest is co-organized

by Janie Villarreal McClinchie of Que Retro Arts and Fred Garza Guzman of Curious Twins Tours.

Que Retro Arts organizes artisan markets and community events throughout San Antonio, providing local artists and craftspeople with opportunities to showcase their talents and connect with the community. Curious Twins Tours and Events is a locally owned family business operated

by Fred Garza Guzman and Stephen Garza Guzman. The company specializes in nontraditional tours and events that explore history, folklore and the paranormal while offering unique and inclusive perspectives on the region’s heritage. In addition to its tours, Curious Twins produces the podcast Curious Travels: A Morbid Travel Guide and publishes The Morbid Travel Guide blog. For general event information, email curioustwinsparanormal@gmail. com. Questions regarding entertainment or the Artisan Mercado may be directed to queretroarts@ gmail.com.

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Disruptor with a Heart: How Allison De Paoli is Changing Healthcare

By Celinda De La Fuente

We have all heard it before, mi gente: a single mother with two young children unsure she could even add her kids to her healthcare plan due to the rising costs of plans without any explanation. Without any warning. But for one young mother sitting across from Allison De Paoli, the question was never about a price hike.

It was about safety and care for her own family. It was about what kind of mother she would be if she added herself and not her kids. Though this story is not a rare one, for De Paoli, Founder and Principal of Altiqe Consulting, she was mortified by the scene that played out in front of her. It was a story she had heard before, and lived alongside her clients, more times than she can count. So, De Paoli did what most people would not.

She stood up, walked that single mother to HR herself, and got those kids enrolled in CHIP – for a fraction of what the group plan would have cost. And that, mi gente, is the heart of Altiqe Consulting.

Instead of accepting that healthcare has to be confusing and expensive, healthcare disruptor De Paoli helps local businesses look under the hood of their health plans, cut out the costly middlemen, and pay local doctors and hospitals fairly and directly, thus keeping el dinero aqui en San Anto. “We help you pay a fair price for healthcare, and for all the healthcare your employees need,” De Paoli states.

And the results speak for themselves.

One of her clients, a local construction company, was paying $16,500 a month for a single employee’s cancer medica-

tion. De Paoli sourced the same drug for $7,150 a month, cutting that one claim by more than half. Imagine the mutual relief for employer and employee alike.

We don’t know what we don’t know.

That is exactly why De Paoli’s message to the familias in our communidad is so simple, yet so radical: you are allowed to ask. You are allowed to say no. “I think it is very important that people understand that they can say no, they can ask what something costs,” De Paoli says.

Imagine that. We actually have power here. Tenemos poder. All we have to do is question the system when it is not working for our greatest good. And it is that same fearlessness that De Paoli brings as a woman leading in a male-dominated industry. She does not just advocate for herself. She advocates for every woman who comes after her. “Be the woman that other women trust when they’re not in the room,” says De Paoli. And this is exactly why we need more women in seats of power to continue to evolve and make necessary changes. Diversity is the answer to systemic change. We need more leaders with empathy and compassion who are brave enough to say: Vivan las mujeres who ask questions, who say no, and who never forget who they are fighting for.

Learn more about Allison De Paoli: https://altiqe.com/ https://go.altiqe.com/documentary

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Piratas Campeón Abierta Potranco Playoffs En Categoría Masters 50+ Por Sendero Deportivo

En el segundo partido del playoff final Abierta dominical Liga Potranco, Piratas de Ivan Vaquera doblegó 9-5 a Tuzos de Roberto Villarreal. (Estadio Potranco, propiedad del artista Eloy Rocha). José López “El Látigo”, se agenció la Victoria con salvamento

de Miguel Rondon.

La derr ta fue para Emiliano Chávez.

Henry Pichardo jardinero central de Tuzos dio cuadrangular. El Látigo en la lomita se agenció su segundo triunfo ante Tuzos finalizando con marca de 3-0 en la postemporada.

Eloy Rocha y Simón Sánchez, presentaron los trofeos a Piratas,

Tuzos, al padrino de temporada Santos Vaquera, José Ferrer de campeón bateador de temporada por Piratas, y José López campeón pitcher. Por Tuzos recibió el trofeo Carlos Iglecias, coach y jugador.

“Felicitaciones para los equipos participantes, aficionados y familiares que durante la temporada estuvieron presentes”, dijo el presidente Simón Sánchez.En partido pendiente entre Yankees de Luis Velázquez y Astros de Pedro Espinoza, al

principio se honró la memoria de Don José Velázquez, padre del manager de Yankees y patrocinador del club desde su incursión, con solemne Minuto de Silencio.

Moisés Cervantes, con su pitcheo guió a Yankees a la victoria con pizarra de 15-5 carreras con relevo de Doug Rosini. Por Astros, abrió Ubaldo Montelongo, con relevos de Greg Carrera y Jay Mora. Yankees con su triunfo definió el cerrado standing, clasificado de líder y Astros en el segundo

lugar. De acuerdo al compilador y comentarista José Sánchez, este domingo 2 de agosto, arranca la serie del playoff en el campo 2 de Potranco Baseball Field: 11am Yankees vs Los Rojos. 2pm Astros vs Despos. En las fotos aparecen: Moisés Cervantes de Yankees y el equipo Piratas, que consecutivamente ganó el título Liga Abierta dominical Potranco.

Fotos de Franco

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Fiesta Big. Shop Small.

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San Antonio Coalition for Veterans and Families (SACVF) Host VET FEST at Mission County Park

By Priscilla Sanchez-Hurt

Hosted at Mission County Park and led by the San Antonio Coalition for Veterans and Families (SACVF), Vet Fest serves as a vital platform for civilians to learn about the unique challenges veterans face, including mental health issues and reintegration into civilian life. The event showcases various available resources, such as support services, job opportunities, and educational programs tailored specifically for veterans. By strengthening bonds between veterans, their families, and the broader community, Vet Fest promotes empathy and understanding while creating networking opportunities that foster collaboration. Publicly acknowledging veterans’ sacrifices boosts morale and validates their experiences, reinforcing their significant contributions to society and fostering pride in the community.

Recognizing gaps in access to services, social connection, and public awareness, Vet Fest was created as a centralized event where organizations, service providers, and the community can come together to support, honor, and empower veterans and their families meaningfully. The initiative addresses the ongoing needs of veterans in Military City USA, ensuring they receive the support and services they deserve. Events like Vet Fest help alleviate feelings of isolation among veterans and their families, creating a sense of belonging while encouraging open discussions about service and sacrifice that can lead to healing and understanding. Additionally, Vet Fest supports local businesses and creates job opportunities, contributing to the economic vitality of the area. By encouraging volunteerism and cultivating leadership skills, the event fosters community involvement and responsi-

bility. Celebrating veterans reinforces values of patriotism and respect, inspiring individuals to engage actively in causes that support veterans and leading to a more connected and engaged community. Ultimately, Vet Fest not only honors the sacrifices of veterans but also cultivates a supportive environment that enhances the well-being of all its members, ensuring that those who have served receive the respect, resources, and recognition they deserve.

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