The story of Texas is often focused on the prominent figures of the Revolutionary period, including David Crockett, William Travis, and Juan Seguín.
But Texas history has deep roots that can be traced from the indigenous people who first inherited the region to the Europeans who later influenced the state.
The San Antonio-based organization, Texas Tejano, is marking its 25th year working to research the histories of earliest inhabitants of Texas — also known as Tejanos.
Rudi Rodriguez, president and founder of Texas Tejano, said a family reunion sparked his fascination.
“They began to talk about this one Tejano ancestor, Jose Policarpio, ‘Polly’ for short,” he said. “It launched me on what I call my ‘research odyssey’ that hasn’t finished yet because it’s been 25 years now.”
Rodriguez said the organization has worked a quarter of a century to create awareness about the contributions of early Tejanos, including books, documentaries, and teaching materials for 4th and 7th graders.
“There’s many pieces, many families, many heroes — Tejanos and Tejanas — that are part of the story,” Rodriguez said. “It’s rich and it affects us all.”
Texas Tejano will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a special reception May 21 at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio.
