She did not cross the border. The border crossed her.

miamerica2020American History, Early Spain, New Mexico History, U.S. Southwest HistoryLeave a Comment

“We are no longer citizens of Spain” In the fall of 1821, just after Mexico won its independence from Spain, my mother’s great-great-grandmother, María Dela Cruz Rivera, was 22 years old and living just outside Santa Fé. One day, she saw her younger sister running up a hill with news about to burst from her lips. Short of breath and confused, her sister says to María, “Hermanita, ya no somos ciudadanas de España. Somos ciudadanas de México,” We are no longer citizens of Spain, we are now citizens of Mexico. A citizen of three different countries without ever leaving home … Read More