New Mexico Past and Future

by Thomas E. Chávez

There have been many histories of New Mexico written for the general public in recent years. However, New Mexico Past and Future approaches the state's history differently. First, Thomas Chávez asserts dates and names are not important. Relative time and cause and effect are the important keys to making sense of any history. Second, history is the story of human beings--people who feel sadness and happiness and pain, people who lived in the land that came to be called New Mexico. For this telling, New Mexico's history is divided into five the period before the Europeans arrived; the Spanish colonial period, which began with the first European expeditions into the area in 1536 and ended when Mexico broke away from Spain in 1821; Mexican Independence was the third and shortest period of New Mexico's history, lasting until 1846; the Territorial Period, which began officially in 1850 and lasted sixty-two years; and finally, the statehood period, which began in 1912 and continues to this day. New Mexico is the only official bilingual state in the Union. Election ballots are printed in Spanish and English, state driving examinations are offered in Spanish or English, and the twenty-two American Indian tribes and nations in the state maintain their own languages as well. In his Epilogue, Chávez points out New Mexico has a message applicable to humanity no matter where it may all the cultures that come to us became a part of our society.
"New Mexico is the only state in the Union that has 'U.S.A.' on its automobile license plates. This is not done out of any sense of patriotism. Rather, New Mexicans learned early on that they needed to explain to the rest of the country that New Mexico is one of the fifty states. There still exists a lack of understanding about New Mexico."--from New Mexico Past and Future

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Paul Lunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are probably better histories written about the state of New Mexico, but Thomas Chavez's "New Mexico Past and Future" published in 2006 is a good place to start for someone with a passing interest in our nation's 47th state. New Mexico's history is one of the more complicated stories in American history because of the peoples that inhabited it throughout the millennia from native peoples through the Spanish, Mexicans and eventually Americans. Each of those groups of people and the times they were there were influenced by events that were out of the control of the inhabitants of the state itself. It's that history though which makes this such a unique place & Chavez does a good job with that introduction to highlight what makes the Land of Enchantment what it is. I also as a reader was not aware that the state spends the 3rd most money on the arts than any state in the US. As someone who has yet to visit this state, this book definitely has piqued my curiosity.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Simply put, New Mexicans know that it is all right to attend an Indian ceremonial or wear handmade Indian jewelry and not kill the dancers or artisans. They know that they can eat chile, even for breakfast, and not kill the cook. They have learned that knowledge of more than one language is enriching rather than degrading, and that the practice of different religions does not detract from any one faith. This all sounds so simple, even basic, yet the lack of understanding of these very concepts is at the heart of many of humankind's problems...New Mexico's history offers an alternative to this debauchery...New Mexicans know and have inherited the idea that they are richer and better off because of all the cultures and people who have flourished in the state" (Chavez, epilogue, pg.180).

A wonderful and concise overview of New Mexico's rich history.

[Simon]

It was a nice review about New Mexico history.