Sonia Sonia Sotomayor and the Reconquest of America

When Puerto Rican judge, Sonia Sotomayor took her oath of office on Saturday, August 8th, and was sworn in as a Chief Justice to the United States Supreme Court, she represented, for many Hispanic Americans, not only herself, but the Latino community as a whole. Indeed, for numerous Latinos, the appointment of Ms. Sotomayor to the highest judicial body in the land embodied a major step in a process that began many years ago in the United States and is now nearing completion - a process known as “la reconquista”.

The term - in reference to the United States - was initially popularized by Mexican writers, Carlos Fuentes and Elena Poniatowskia to describe the sizeable Hispanic ethnic and cultural presence in the American Southwest. The phrase received its political veneer in the 1970's when it was adopted by certain Chicano nationalists, who called for the return of Aztlan, the traditional Aztec homeland, to Mexico.

Some scholars believe this homeland to have been located near Lake Powell in the state that is now known as Arizona, whereas others equate it with the Native American Anasazi culture, placing it in the proximity of Mesa Verde, Colorado. At any rate, apart from the probable location of ancient Aztlan, the ground reality, which the Chicano movement pointed out, was that both the culture and population of the American Southwest were overwhelmingly Hispanic. Thus, there was a move, at the time, to re-annex the lands to Mexico, which certain members of the Movement claimed the United States had stolen in the Nineteenth century.

One need only glance at an early American map to realize there was some validity to the allegations. In the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the US-Mexican War, the United States was ceded 1.36 million km. (535,000 square miles) of Mexican territory, for which Washington paid $15 million. The area covered the present-day states of California, Nevada and Utah as well as parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming. Washington also gained the entire State of Texas, which represented an additional 696,200 square kilometers (268,820 sq. mi.)

Most historians maintain that Mexico forced to sign the treaty under duress. The Latin American country was occupied by foreign (US) troops at the time and the document was signed by an interim government. In fact, Mexicans often refer to the conflict, which ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo as the “War of North American Invasion” (La Intervencion Norteamericana). The United States gained further Hispanic territories - and their populations - with the 1853 Gadsden Purchase (in which Washington bought the remaining parts of Arizona and New Mexico) and the 1898 Spanish American War. Though this conflict, in which Washington declared war on Spain, has been traditionally blamed on yellow journalism, it was actually, according to most historians, a prime example of Yankee expansionism due to the US Navy's need for coaling stations. The war officially ended on December 10, 1898, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Spain ceded control of Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States.

We must keep in mind that the Nineteenth Century, in general, was an era of expansion and colonialism. During this period, the young, relatively weak United States was unable to compete in the international arena with the “Big Boys”, such as Britain and France. However, the dissolution of the once-mighty Spanish Empire provided a power gap in the Western Hemisphere, of which Washington was quick to take advantage. However, Nineteenth Century US expansionism and intervention in Latin America have had a long-reaching consequence that is now being felt more strongly than ever - a consequence known as the “reconquista”.

The term, as it applies to the United States today, should not be taken at face value. It does not mean a military reconquest. The idea that a Latin American country, such as Mexico could regain control of territories that have belonged for a century-and-a-half to a present first world power is ludicrous. Nevertheless, a reconquista of sorts is taking place. Indeed, it is nearly complete.

As was mentioned earlier, US expansion coupled with heavy intervention in Latin America has resulted in a certain phenomenon - a demographic reconquest that will eventually change the face of the United States. The possession and annexation of new territories also meant the inclusion of their inhabitants and existing culture. For example, in 1848, when the United States gained control of a large portion of northern Mexico and Texas, it also added the Mexicans living in those areas - approximately 80,000 persons - to its existing population. The same held true for Puerto Rico and despite the fact that the United States does not own Cuba, Washington's long involvement in the politics and business interests of the island nation has given rise to an increase in the number of Cubans living in the United States.

According to the most recent Census (July 1, 2007), 45.4 million Americans are of Hispanic descent and form the second largest ethnic group in the United States today. It might be mentioned that in compiling the statistics, the largest group (non-Hispanic Whites) did not represent a single group, but was comprised of dozens of subgroups. If those subgroups had been counted separately - rather than lumped together - Hispanic Americans would have far outnumbered any other ethnic group.

In some parts of the country, the Hispanics outnumber other groups by such wide margins it would be highly misleading to classify them as a “minority”. For example, 97 percent of the population of East Los Angeles is Hispanic and in the Texas towns of Laredo and Brownsville, Latinos make up 94 percent and 91 percent of the populations, respectively.

Another indication of the growing number of Hispanic Americans is the fact that they are no longer concentrated in the Southwest and Florida alone, but can be found throughout the United States. In the past decade, the US Hispanic population has grown by 60 percent, and despite the economic downturn, immigration - legal and otherwise - from Latin America remains strong. According to US government projections, by the year 2050, Hispanics in the United States will number 100 million. A 2007 American Community Survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau found that 34 million Americans speak Spanish as their first language. Officials estimate that within fifty years, half of the US population will call Spanish their mother tongue.

Statistics across the board indicate that the US Hispanic population is alive and growing and - if present trends continue - will soon change the demographic face of America; but what does that mean for the United States?

Well, the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court can be considered an indication of things to come. Increasing number of Latinos will most likely be appointed to - and elected for - positions of power as the Hispanic constituency waxes stronger and makes its voice heard.

Then there is policy; US policy both at home and abroad will most likely undergo radical changes in the near future, as US lawmakers will have to appease - and answer to - the growing numbers of Hispanic voters. An example of future trends can be seen in the demands made by powerful Hispanic lobbyists and the adjustments Washington is already making in its policy towards Cuba.

Suffice it to say, that the Anglo-Saxon culture of the United States no longer applies to the greater population. The American people no longer “fit the mold”. As the demographic map of the United States changes, its culture - and values - will, of necessity have to adapt, as well, with the predominant culture belonging to the largest ethnic group. The final product, of course, will most likely be a cultural mosaic; but it will be definitely tilted towards the largest ethnic group. That will be the reconquest of America.