Was Juan Cortina a bandit or a hero? [South Texas History]

Q. Were the Cortina Wars started by Juan Cortina part of the sequence in regard to the Mexican-American civil rights movement in Texas? Rene Saenz A. Juan Nepomucena Cortina - "Cheno" - certainly called ...

[Rene Saenz]

The question written by Murphy Givens, and disguised as me asking the question is extremely misleading. While I did ask such a question, I never mentioned that Juan Cortina started those wars. In fact, I have concluded that his actions were simply reactionary considering the times. Viva Cortina!

[south sider]

i guess nothing because sur siders control everythin im from tx but moved to st.cloud mn

[sureno]

puro sur 13

[lucinda]

i think that he was not a hero at all he was a cheap scape

[juan cortina]

he was a hero

[Josh]

Like many whites and spanish of the time, he was a murderer of indians. He and his men killed the last of the Karankawa indians for money. He was a scum bag.

[el chilon]

Very simple folks.....if he was a "white" trying to protect "Whites" against the Mexicans he would be a hero.....since he was a Mexican protecting or trying to help Mexicans he is just seen as an outlaw.....that is how it works in Texas!

[bluestar]

el chilon wrote:

Very simple folks.....if he was a "white" trying to protect "Whites" against the Mexicans he would be a hero.....since he was a Mexican protecting or trying to help Mexicans he is just seen as an outlaw.....that is how it works in Texas!

very good...this is true and also the demise to our heritage and future...we will never be more in the eyes of other races when we can't even have pride in who we are...davy crockett, jim bowie, and others like them are considered heroes but if your mexican and fighting at that time you were a crook...

...it gets worse once you leave Texas...so be ware that your own fear of speaking up for who you are makes it harder for those of us living outside of Texas...we are all still just a bunch of stupid MEXICANS and we are all here illegally as far as the rest of america is concerned....and you will always be asked...how long have you lived in this country.....regardless of education, income, status, or civic duty...

[an american also]

bluestar wrote:

<quoted text>
very good...this is true and also the demise to our heritage and future...we will never be more in the eyes of other races when we can't even have pride in who we are...davy crockett, jim bowie, and others like them are considered heroes but if your mexican and fighting at that time you were a crook...
...it gets worse once you leave Texas...so be ware that your own fear of speaking up for who you are makes it harder for those of us living outside of Texas...we are all still just a bunch of stupid MEXICANS and we are all here illegally as far as the rest of america is concerned....and you will always be asked...how long have you lived in this country.....regardless of education, income, status, or civic duty...

You are correct Sir.....my great great grandfather came to Texas from Spain with his whole family to Texas before it was a state;my great grandfather married a Native American woman; my grandfather was born after Texas became a State in our great state of Texas as well as my father and so was I and my own children. I served in the United States Army during the Vietman era[as a volunteer] and after my tour of service to my country I retired after 30 years as a Federal Employee. Yet I am still called a wetback or a "mexican" just because of the color of my brown skin! I just want to tell all those prejudice people that I love my country-the USA-and would volunteer once again in a time of war and would look for work in service to my country as a Federal Employee all over again! May God bless all of us, no matter what color we are, in this great country of ours- the United States of America! You know what prejudice people, you have to explain to God why you thought he messed up by making brown, black and yellow skin people! You will not like it when you find out that different color skin people are there to share Heaven with you! What will you ask God? Will you ask HIM why HE did not make Heaven only for Whites?

[Josh]

The point everybody is missing, it that it was a crazy point in history. You had all these countries rushing to take land, gold, and whatever else they could grab from the inhabitants that were already here. The English, French, and Spanish are all guilty of genocide. Then they all fought over land that was not theirs. Everybody, no matter your race, should be ashamed of the way our forefathers got us to were we are today.

[BLUESTAR]

Josh wrote:

The point everybody is missing, it that it was a crazy point in history. You had all these countries rushing to take land, gold, and whatever else they could grab from the inhabitants that were already here. The English, French, and Spanish are all guilty of genocide. Then they all fought over land that was not theirs. Everybody, no matter your race, should be ashamed of the way our forefathers got us to were we are today.

Ashamed? No son, we should learn from history, not repeat it, and remember where we came from, how we have strived to move forth, honor our forfathers who delt with more than history books will reveal because they were written by white men (No insult to caucasions), and keep pride in knowing that like the rest of America, we too had our battles where if it were not for those before us we would not be where we are now. AND may I remind you, that most of us hispanics did not cross the boarder, the boarder crossed us. Texas was part of Mexico way before it belonged to the United States. I'm glad we are American but lets be realistic, in Texas case, the boarder crossed us.

[Josh]

Texas, just like Mexico, did not belong to the Spanish. It was stolen from the Indians and these same Indians had a religion that was not their own forced upon them. The ones that did not assimilate, were killed. This is not a heritage I am proud of. Its funny how everybody picks the parts of history that make them feel better about their views.

[bubba joe]

Josh wrote:

The point everybody is missing, it that it was a crazy point in history. You had all these countries rushing to take land, gold, and whatever else they could grab from the inhabitants that were already here. The English, French, and Spanish are all guilty of genocide. Then they all fought over land that was not theirs. Everybody, no matter your race, should be ashamed of the way our forefathers got us to were we are today.

That is the American way to do things.....we are in Iraq because we didn't like the government and had it replaced, same thing in Afghanistan we did not like the President of Chile and we had the CIA kill him a few years ago and we didn't like Castro because he didn't want to be our "Yes" man so we put a boycott on Cuba! So let us support the good ole USA and have more sex to produce more boys to go to war with those counties that do not take our shit! So fair warning Countries all over the world-watch your ass because we are watching you! Do not piss us off!

[MrTibbs]

bubba joe wrote:

<quoted text> That is the American way to do things.....we are in Iraq because we didn't like the government and had it replaced, same thing in Afghanistan we did not like the President of Chile and we had the CIA kill him a few years ago and we didn't like Castro because he didn't want to be our "Yes" man so we put a boycott on Cuba! So let us support the good ole USA and have more sex to produce more boys to go to war with those counties that do not take our shit! So fair warning Countries all over the world-watch your ass because we are watching you! Do not piss us off!

Nothing to do with the question but if you don not enjoy oyour freedoms, please, by all means, be my guest to exit the USA

[NRA too]

Rene Saenz wrote:

The question written by Murphy Givens, and disguised as me asking the question is extremely misleading. While I did ask such a question, I never mentioned that Juan Cortina started those wars. In fact, I have concluded that his actions were simply reactionary considering the times. Viva Cortina!

And so, with that same logic, anything that any modern thug does is just "reactionary considering the times."

[KFish]

Like "an american also" I to am a Army Vet. I served next to men of all races and know that we are truly all the same. When it comes down to it if someone messes with your people you will stand up for them. Thus the same as our forefathers. So why do we now look upon their race to find the meaning of their actions. Why not look at what they contributed to makeing our country what it is now. Anything else is to forget where you come from. To those bashing the U.S.A., welcome to America, like it, love it or leave it!!

[moi]

:D

[Bill]

Juan Cortinas original claim to fame was he murdered an Anglo Deputy Sheriff in the streets of Brownsville, the Deputy had been said to have mistreated a Mexican he had arrested. Of course this incident played well on the Mexican side of town, and Juan became a folk hero figure, defending the oppressed and weak.

The problem with Juan was he soon thereafter went on a rampage slaughtering raping and robbing people who were far removed from the streets of Brownsville and the Deputy. Cortines and his band of cuthroats and thugs were killing small time Anglo ranchers as far north as Pettus TX. I understand they hung a ten year old Anglo kid from the rafters of his fathers store, just to watch him jum and kick.

All sad but true.