February 3rd will mark the 188th marriage anniversary of my great-great grandparents, Maria de la Paz Ronquillo and Jose Felix Gameros.
Big deal, you might say. But a couple of facts might make you think otherwise. Maria and Jose were wed in Aldama, Chihuahua. That’s just 438 miles from my front door in Southern Arizona.
As far back as I can determine to the late 1700s, all of my ancestors were Chihuahua natives. That is no more than 600 miles from where I live.
This matters a great deal particularly in these times when much of American society, including demagogic politicians, cast us as alien to this nation. To the contrary, millions of us Mexicans have long roots in this region of the world. That fact is vital to an intelligent discussion of today’s border.
Ricardo Chavira Chicano 