Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Silver Kings

Long gone are the days when the waters of Port Aransas and Corpus Christi would see hundreds of thousands of silver-scaled tarpon swimming along its shores. Known by fisherman as the silver king, or titled by nineteenth-century writer Henry Wellington Wack as “the wild glory of the sea,” these once-popular fish could easily be six feet long and 200 pounds.

In the late nineteenth century, a barren settlement of one hundred or so people on the northern end of Texas’ Mustang Island changed its name from Ropesville to Tarpon, due to the massive abundance of these beautiful fish. In 1910, the town changed its name again to Port Aransas, in hopes of becoming a major seaport and destination for sportsmen. It was Corpus Christi that became the major seaport, and Port Aransas dubbed itself the Tarpon Capital of the World.

In the 1930s and 40s, Tarpon fishermen used little Farley boats, only 22-26 feet long, and built out of mahogany or cypress. These boats contained inboard motors and high fluted bows designed to surge through the choppy waves.  Businesses named themselves after the Tarpons, billboards were decorated with the fish, and the tarpons were proudly displayed in restaurants or bait shops.

But nowadays, all that remains of the glory days of the silver kings can be found in the memories of its fishermen and in the lobby of the Tarpon Inn. Here contains more than 7,000 huge silver scales, all dated and signed by proud anglers.

How and why did these massive beauties disappear? The Texas Monthly attributes it to a combination of things; from the great Texas drought of the fifties, to the increasing boat traffic along the Texas coast, and from overfishing in general.

You can read more about the silver king fishing days in Glory of the Silver King: The Golden Age of Tarpon Fishing (TAMU Press, 2011) by Hart Stilwell and edited by Brandon Shuler. Fishing guide and journalist Shuler unearthed multiple drafts of a nearly finished manuscript by Hart Stilwell, a Texas sports writer. The Glory of the Silver King captures the story of tarpon fishing in Texas and the Mexico Gulf Coast from the 1930s to the 1970s.
--Madeline Loving

Monday, May 13, 2013

TAMU Press Book Figure Featured in PBS Documentary


Dr. Felix D. Almaraz, Jr. should be used to being a feature story by now. Although an author of his own two books Knight Without Honor and Tragic Cavalier, Dr. Almaraz was the focus of Arnoldo De Leon’s book Tejano Epic which features essays in his honor. Now, Dr. Almaraz, the Peter T. Flawn Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Borderlands and Texas History at UTSA is currently serving as the narrator, consultant, and re-enactor in the PBS film “Texas Before the Alamo.” In the documentary, Dr. Almaraz portrays three pioneer Franciscan missionaries from different eras.
Texas Before the Alamo” is scheduled to be released this spring.
For the full article, please see the December 28, 2012, printing of Today’s Catholic.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Educational Garden Tour to Washington, D.C., Monticello, Mount Vernon, Williamsburg, and more…

June 3-10, 2013

Gardens with heritage, beauty, new and old world techniques, and back to the future inspiration await you in the nation’s Capital and surrounding regions.

Join horticulturist Doug Welsh for an eight day educational trip to Washington, D.C. and neighboring counties. You will tour the gardens of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Colonial Williamsburg, the Smithsonian Institution, the United States Botanic Gardens, the United States National Arboretum, and Dumbarton Oaks.


For more information, call Earthbound Expeditions at 800-723-8454, email at info@earthboundexpeditions.com , or visit https://www.earthboundexpeditions.com.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Historical Perspective on US/Mexico Relations

The massive influx of Mexican migrants into the United States over the past two decades has ignited fiery debate regarding immigration reform and citizenship.

Here Miguel Levario, author of Militarizing the Border: When Mexicans Became the Enemy (Texas A&M University Press, 2013), explains the historical precedent for the lens through which American policymakers view immigration – rooted in the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution more than a century ago.

TAMU Press:

In your book you posit that current tensions and controversy over immigration and law enforcement issues on the US-Mexico border are historically rooted. Can you tell us more about that?

Miguel Levario:

If we look back to the early decades of the twentieth century we can see that the concerns and issues plaguing the two countries are very similar to what we are seeing today.  The outbreak of the Mexican Revolution in 1910 ignited a series of concerns for the United States that I argue serve as parallel examples to some of the issues today. 

First, the movement of over a million refugees and migrants into the United States filled labor pools, overwhelmed local resources, and dramatically altered the social demographics along the U.S. side of the border.  

Secondly, the invasion by Francisco Villa of Columbus, New Mexico threatened national security, and xenophobic nativists were concerned of ethnic Mexicans residing in the United States that resulted in ethnic tensions and rioting, especially in major cities like El Paso, Texas. Today, we cannot ignore the subsequent stereotyping and racial profiling of people of Middle Eastern decent and Muslims in the aftermath of 9/11. 

Lastly, the smuggling of illicit alcohol and the consequential violence that often occurred during Prohibition reminds us of the dangers of today’s so-called “War on Drugs” and its violent context. 

In other words, a historical precedent exists when dealing with today’s “hot topics” of national security, mass migration, and smuggling.  Our approach to today’s border concerns should consider the shortcomings of interventionist and militarized methods, as well as, the subsequent criminalization of a community of people regardless of their innocence or guilt but simply marked by their ethnicity or religious faith. For example, the failure of Prohibition curbing alcohol use and the Punitive Expedition’s inability to capture Francisco Villa serve as stark examples of how perhaps we should and should not approach today’s “War on Drugs” and border security.

TAMUP: In a recent interview with Texas Tribune, Shannon K. O'Neil, a senior fellow for Latin American Studies with the Council on Foreign Relations, said the U.S.-Mexico relationship has changed dramatically from even 30 years ago. Do you agree? Why or why not?

ML: Naturally, things have changed in Mexico in the past 30 years with increased access to technology for many, a growing economy, and stable economic and diplomatic relations with the United States.  However, I wouldn’t say its relationship has changed dramatically. 

NAFTA continues to shortchange Mexican farmers and is a major factor in contributing to out-migration.  Mexico’s manufacturing sector, which served as a major economic stimulant for much of the border cities, is disappearing. 

Lastly, the binational anti-organized crime program known as the  “Mérida Initiative” fails to curb much of the drug violence plaguing Mexico today and is considered by some to be a dismal failure.  It is my contention that relations between the two countries have changed superficially but true and equal bilateralism remains largely absent. 

TAMUP: Can you tell us about "Mexicanization" in El Paso and the racial tensions to which it contributed?

ML: "Mexicanization" references the demographic shifts that occurred in the mid 1910s along the border, especially in El Paso.  Thousands of Mexican refugees were migrating to the U.S.-Mexico border for safety, work, and general well-being.  

The influx of refugees changed the demographic landscape of El Paso and prompted federal authorities to quantify this influx.  In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson called for a special census to quantify the number of ethnic Mexicans living in El Paso. This was the first time ethnic Mexicans were separated as a different race in the Census.

Prior to the 1930 Census (with the exception of 1916), ethnic Mexicans were categorized as "white."  The substantial increase in the ethnic Mexican population in El Paso triggered fear and xenophobia from many of the Anglos living in the city. Many believed that ethnic Mexicans would take up arms and overrun the city and Fort Bliss if Mexican revolutionary general Francisco Villa issued the command.  

Local, state, and federal authorities in El Paso felt that punitive measures such as unwarranted neighborhood sweeps for firearms were needed to keep ethnic Mexicans "in check" and the Anglo population safe from suspected subversive activity. 

TAMUP: What lessons might current policy makers take from your historical perspective on US-Mexico relations? 

ML: I think there are many lessons to take away from the events of the early twentieth century because all of the same issues such as national security, mass migration, smuggling of illicit goods, and political subversiveness were present then as they are now.  

Intense militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border by the U.S. Army and Texas Rangers greatly antagonized ethnic Mexicans living in the U.S. and led to racial tensions and violence.  Much of this antagonism can be seen today in places like Arizona and along the southern international boundary as ethnic Mexicans are treated as second-class citizens or what immigration scholar Mae Ngai calls “alien citizens” despite their innocence or length of citizenship in the United States. 

In addition, as policy makers wrestle with the complexity and violence of the so-called “War on Drugs” we could look back to Prohibition and its utter failure and perhaps pursue more unorthodox approaches like legalizing marijuana, which continues to be the main cash crop for drug cartels. 

Lastly, militarization of the United States’ southern boundary in the early decades of the twentieth century proved that complete border security was difficult if not impossible despite the massive presence of soldiers along the border. Instead their massive presence resulted largely in antagonizing a community of people in the United States who despite their innocence in a large majority of cases were seen as criminals, outsiders, and second-class citizens. 

In my research of the past 100 years, the United States’ policy towards border security and migration has changed little if at all, thus yielding the same results over and over again.  Why? In part, the United States federal government and its people fail to acknowledge the complexity and interdependence of the two countries. 

Immigration and border security are NOT one in the same but separate issues.  Joining the two issues with a proposed singular solution exposes its inherent contradiction: immigration translates to open borders, and border security suggests closed borders. 

The vast majority of immigrants migrating to the United States want to improve the country not destroy it.  Those that wish to do the United States harm do not want to stay or be an active part of its future.

Therefore, the historical evidence suggests that the United States’ treatment of immigrants as a national security threat is misguided and contrary to our historical roots since the United States was founded and developed by immigrants.    

Friday, May 3, 2013

Menil Collection Artist Exhibit Inspired by Jungian Psychology



The Menil Collection in Houston, Texas will be putting on a display entitled, “Forrest Bess: Seeing Things Invisible” through August 18. The display features approximately forty paintings by the American artist Forrest Bess (1911-77).  
Bess’s paintings have apparent abstract expressionist tones which were greatly influenced by Jungian psychology and its emphasis on dreams, archetypes and the collective consciousness. Teaching himself to paint, Bess incorporated the intense hallucinations he experienced as a child into his art work. It was through fueling his dreams into artwork that Bess really became interested in Jungian psychology.
 Interested in learning more about Jungian psychology? TAMU Press book, Finding Jung: Frank N. McMillan Jr., a Life in Quest of the Lion (TAMU Press, 2012) by Frank N. McMillan III, features the story of Texas country boy and Texas Aggie, Frank McMillan Jr., and his life-long quest for meaning inspired by a dream lion. McMillan followed the lead of Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, and eventually established the world’s first professorship to advance the study of that field. Bess's story also figures into the story.
--Madeline Loving

Thursday, May 2, 2013

George W. Bush Presidential Center Dedication in Dallas, TX

Last Thursday saw the official dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center at the SMU campus in Dallas. It is the 13th library to be added to the list of presidential libraries in the United States.

George W. Bush was the 43rd President of the United States; the first president of the 21st century. He also served as Texas governor from 1995-2000.

TAMU Press is publishing a new book in Fall 2013 entitled, Taking the Measure: The Presidency of George W. Bush by Donald R. Kelley and Todd G. Shields, an analysis of Bush's presidency.  Commissioned by the Fulbright Institute of International Relations and the Blair Center of Southern Politics and Culture at the University of Arkansas, Taking the Measure offers perspectives, commentary, and analyses by experts on the American presidency.

Kelley and Shields focus on Bush’s decision-making style, the impact of increasing partisanship, economic issues, and the impact of 9/11 and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. It will be a great contribution to the beginnings of a careful, systematic consideration of the George W. Bush presidency.

--Madeline Loving

Monday, April 29, 2013

Leadership in Agriculture


In a world facing chronic and increasing shortages in food crops and natural resources, visionary leadership in agriculture becomes more and more critical for building and maintaining a sustainable future.
In their new book Leadership in Agriculture: Case Studies for a New Generation, John Patrick Jordan, Gale A. Buchanan, Neville P. Clarke, and Kelly C. Jordan – veteran agricultural educators and administrators -- define leadership as “motivating other people to follow you in a given direction to achieve a specific goal”. Specifically, agriculture is evolving into an enterprise based more on science and technology rather than on resources -- which requires a greater degree of visionary leadership.
Using case studies from research, industry, education, administration, and extension services, the authors present real-world circumstances ranging from natural disasters to major restructuring that demanded problem solving, new initiatives, consensus, and organizational commitment. Drawing on their own experiences and covering topics as diverse as closing facilities, mounting a national research initiative, reinventing a major corporation, and dealing with invasive termites, the studies contain examples of booth good and bad outcomes and refer back to the leadership principles and qualities outlined in the opening chapters.
For more on Leadership in Agriculture, or to order your own copy, please visit our website or call 979-845-0147.