De Yanga Al Presente/From Yanga to the Present

by Muteado/PNN Migrant and Poverty Scholar

Scroll Down for English

La piel se me hizo chinita y senti un nudo en la garganta al ver mis hermanos Africanos bailando Guapango en la tarima con las hermanas Veracruzanas. Tuve la oportunidad de ser testigo de una galeria en el museo de la cuidad de Oakland El Agosto pasado que se llamo La presencia Africana en Mexico, de Yanga al presente, que se trato de una instalacion de fotos y pinturas que revelaban la presencia Africana en Mexico de la que poco se habla. Yanga fue un revolucionario que peleo contra los espanoles para mantenerse libre de la esclavitud y se unio con la gente indigena de la region de Veracruz, Mexico para crear una comunidad libre.

Yanga vive la lucha sigue

Los primeros barcos de esclavos que llegaron a Mexico llegaron al borde de un levantamiento de los esclavos contra sus captores en la cuidad de Mexico en el ano 1537; el levantamiento asusto a los Espanoles que no se lo esperaban. En esos tiempos un quinto de Mexico estaba asegurado por los Espanoles,y la constante amenaza de una invasion de Indigenas del norte y del sur era una realidad. Los escritores del Rey escribian que si la rebelion seguia y los Africanos y Indigenas se organizaban podian planear una masacre contra los blancos.

En 1540s hubo dos levantamientos de Africanos cerca de la cuidad de Mexico. Por muchos lugares circulaban rumores de que se planificaba un levantamiento en la mera cuidad de Mexico en los anos 1600s.

Durante los anos, 1560-1580s Africanos huyeron a las minas de Zacatecas y se unieron a la tribu Chichimec localizada en la parte del norte de Mexico, que todavia no habian sido colonizados. La poblacion Africana se concentro en las orillas del Atlantico y Pacifico; donde plantaciones de cana, en la costa de Veracruz, ocupaban su labor para producir la mayoria de la riqueza del imperio.

Yanga fue la rebelion mas memorable, donde dejo las files de cana sangrientas en el ano 1570. El lider rebelde, Gaspar Yanga era un esclavo de la nacion Africana de Gabon, y se decia que provenia de una familia royal. Yanga llevo su rebeldia a las montanas, donde crearon un pueblo pequeno de 500 personas. Los Yangas aseguraron su estabilidad, saqueando caravanas de los Espanoles que traian comida de las montanas de Veracruz.

Buenas relaciones fueron establecidas con vecinos que tambien eran esclavos e Indigenas. Por mas de 30 anos Yanga y su banda vivieron libremente y su comunidad seguia creciendo en numeros.

Los espanoles concluyeron que Gaspar Yanga tenia que ser eliminado. Con eso en la mente un escuadron partio de la cuidad de Puebla en el ano 1609. Pero no pudieron lograr su objetivo. Enves antes que Yanga falleciera, ya tenia un tratado en su mano donde los Espanoles, se pusieron de acuerdo a liberar a sus seguidores y dejarlos que establecieran un pueblo libre.

Mi sobrinito que es Black-xican tiene una herencia de culturas bellas con mucha historia

En estas epocas que vivimos es importante analizar que tenemos mucho mas en comun con nuestros hermanos y hermanas de descendencia Africana y Indigena de lo que nos imaginamos. Es muy importante unirnos en la lucha para liberar a nuestros pueblos oprimidos. Como dijo Shaka de Hairdoo, nosotros somos los responsables de crear el Puente que une a los Latin@s y Afro American@s para liberarnos como seres humanos.

El Poder a la Gente, y Hasta la Victoria Siempre

En los Estados Unidos, l@s Afro American@s y Latin@s somos la mayoria en las carceles. La mayoria de la cantidad de homicidios son en contra de la gente Latina y Afro Americana, en esto somos los numero uno. Les hago un llamado a la gente consciente que miremos este tema con mucha importancia porque es la llave de nuestra liberacion. El sistema esta ganando en separarnos y en conquistar a nuestras comunidades. Hay que imaginar que pasaria si los Afro American@s y Latin@s nos unimos y que seria el impacto que podemos crear en este sistema opresivo?

Cierro con esto por ultimo: Que Vivan Las Adelitas, George Jackson, Mother Jones, Cesar Chavez, Fred Hampton, Geronimo, Huey Newton, Gaspar Yanga y las Muxeres por todo el mundo!!

Ingles Sigue

My skin got goosebumps and I got a knot in my throat as I saw my African brothers dancing Guapango on the platform along with the sisters from Veracruz, I had the opportunity to bare witness of a gallery that focused on the African presence in Mexico, at the Oakland Museum this past August. The art gallery was titled, African Presence in Mexico, from Yanga to the Present; it revealed through a series of photographs and paintings the African presence in Mexico, which is rarely mentioned. Yanga was a revolutionary who fought against the Spanish for his freedom from slavery. He joined the Indigenous movement of Veracruz, Mexico, to create a free community.

Yanga lives; the struggle continues

The first African slave ships arrived to Mexico where they were on the verge of an uprising against their masters in Mexico City in 1537; the uprising scared the Spanish because it caught them off guard. At that time, the Spanish already colonized one fifth of Mexico, and the threat of an invasion from the Indigenous of the North and South became a real threat. The King's writers, documented that if the rebellion continued, and the Africans and Indigenous became organized, they had the potential to plan a massacre against the white colonizers.

In the 1540s there were two African uprisings close to Mexico City. During the 1600s rumors circulated that the Movement was planning an uprising in Mexico City.

During the years of 1560-1580, Africans fled the mines of Zacatecas and joined the not yet colonized Indigenous tribe, Chichimec, located in the Northern part of Mexico. The African population concentrated on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, where sugar cane plantations on the coast of Veracruz used their labor to produce most of their wealth.

Yanga was the most memorable rebellion, where it left numerous rows of sugarcane filled with blood, in 1570. The leader of the rebellion was Gaspar Yanga, who was an African slave from the nation of Gabon, and was said to come from a family of royalty. Yanga took his rebellion to the mountains, where they created a small village of 500 people. The Yangas, secured their village, by robbing caravans from the Spanish colonizers that brought food from the mountains of Veracruz. Relationships were created with other African and Indigenous neighbors. For more than 30 years, Yanga and his band lived free, and their community grew in numbers.

The Spanish concluded that Gaspar Yanga had to be eliminated, and with that goal, in 1609, from the city of Puebla, they sent out a death squad. However, they did not manage to meet their objective. Instead, before Yanga died, he had a contract in his hand, where the Spanish agreed to liberate his followers and allowed them to create their own free city. This powerful installation made me think of my own family. My nephew who is a Black-Xican has an inheritance of beautiful cultures with so much history. As Raza peoples it is important to analyze that we have much more in common with our African and Indigenous brothers and sisters than we can imagine. It is imperative that we unite in the struggle to liberate our oppressed communities. Like Shaka de Hairdoo, said, we are responsible for the creation of the bridge that unites Latin@s and African Americans to liberate ourselves as human beings.

Power to the People and Until Victory Always

In the United States, African Americans and Latin@s are the majority in the prison system. The majority of homicides are against Latin@s and African Americans, here we are at number one. I make a calling to all my conscious people, that we take a look at this issue with a keen eye, as it is the key to our own liberation. The system is winning, by separating and seducing our communities. We have to imagine what were to happen if the African Americans and Latin@s were to unite and the impact this would have on this oppressive system?

Long live Las Adelitas, George Jackson, Mother Jones, Cesar Chavez, Fred Hampton, Geronimo, Huey Newton,