[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 56 (Thursday, May 7, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E793-E794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF PALO ALTO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 7, 1998

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, 152 years ago today, the first battle of the 
Mexican-American War was waged at Palo Alto, Texas, setting in

[[Page E794]]

motion a history which still fascinates and touches us today. When the 
war was over 2 years later, the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo changed the 
face of our nation and forever shaped our relationship with Mexico.
  The historical significance of this war and its aftermath was a 
defining one for the young nation of the United States; for the 
Republic of Mexico; and for the descendants of both countries who 
populate our communities today. The Mexican-American War has 
consistently been a major omission in U.S. history. That omission has a 
hidden cost. Because who we are is shaped by our history, we need to 
know that history. But it is not the past that shapes our future, it is 
today's new era of cooperation existing between the United States and 
Mexico.
  Since the days when the United States and Mexico met on the 
battlefield, their descendants have grown together as flowers upon 
their graves. Our cultures and traditions are intermingled, not by 
design, but by fate and circumstance. We understand that our futures 
are interwoven; we share an economic and cultural bond.
  The most important element of this shared bond is the North Atlantic 
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The spirit of NAFTA has brought about a 
mutual frankness and a new-found respect for one another. All across 
the Southwest, our mutual histories and customs are mingled, and they 
are evident in our daily lives. Our commonalties are evident in the 
food we eat, the music we prefer, and the dual languages we speak.
  Economically, the outcome of the Mexican-American War immediately 
benefited the United States with the addition of the Southwest to the 
nation's territory. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848 was a 
turning point in our history. U.S. citizens in the rugged west joined 
the existing Mexican population, making the American Southwest a 
fascinating melting pot. This cultural blend produced some of the most 
enduring legacies of the American West: rodeos, cowboys, and the wild 
West.
  Today, our economic fortunes are profoundly bound together. NAFTA is 
making North America the largest, most prosperous, and most efficient 
free trade zone in the world. Let me note here that it was Mexican 
President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, in 1853, who first advocated the 
commemoration of those killed in the war and at the Battle of Palo 
Alto. So, it is fair to say that Mexico began the long process of 
making one-time adversaries into the friends and economic allies we are 
today.
  Our political debates today so often touch on sensitive subjects that 
engender misunderstandings. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
offering a message of hope and friendship to Mexico, based on where we 
have been, where we are now and where we hope to go.

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