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| Mauricio Garcia, the Author |
Last week, the inaugural president of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Guy Bailey, submitted an official mascot recommendation to the UT System Board of Regents that was later approved. His selection of the unfounded “Vaqueros,” however, is problematic in many ways. Brief moments after the mascot recommendation was announced, the ridiculed mascot became the victim of a nationwide trend on Twitter.
Whereas the intention was noble to pay tribute to North American cowboys and cowboy culture, the mascot does not accurately represent the region as Bailey believes. In fact, hardly anyone in the Valley would describe themselves as a Vaquero. Aside from this, the most pressing of all issues with this mascot selection would be its sexist innuendo. Imagine the sound of the women’s volleyball team — the UT RGV Vaqueros, and yet no men are in the group. Both UT-Brownsville and UT-Pan American, which are being consolidated to form UT-Rio Grande Valley, boast a higher number of women than men among their student bodies, so it saddens me as a former UT-Brownsville student to see that not enough is being done to include this majority.
While forming a new institution, the Board of Regents should challenge themselves to be more inclusive in a 21st-century environment. We do not live in a world of vaqueros anymore, nor do we want to promote a sexist environment. As Longhorns, we should recognize the importance of being inclusive of women and realize this decision affects us all. As a member of the UT System and the Permanent University Fund, UT-Austin should not be associated with standing idly by as our partner universities promote an unethical, unreasonable and unfriendly mascot. Please join me in sending an email to the Board of Regents at bor@utsystem.edu to express your displeasure.
— Mauricio GarcΓa, a government, history, international relations and Latin American studies senior from Brownsville. He is the co-director of University relations for Latino Community Affairs at UT
Whereas the intention was noble to pay tribute to North American cowboys and cowboy culture, the mascot does not accurately represent the region as Bailey believes. In fact, hardly anyone in the Valley would describe themselves as a Vaquero. Aside from this, the most pressing of all issues with this mascot selection would be its sexist innuendo. Imagine the sound of the women’s volleyball team — the UT RGV Vaqueros, and yet no men are in the group. Both UT-Brownsville and UT-Pan American, which are being consolidated to form UT-Rio Grande Valley, boast a higher number of women than men among their student bodies, so it saddens me as a former UT-Brownsville student to see that not enough is being done to include this majority.
While forming a new institution, the Board of Regents should challenge themselves to be more inclusive in a 21st-century environment. We do not live in a world of vaqueros anymore, nor do we want to promote a sexist environment. As Longhorns, we should recognize the importance of being inclusive of women and realize this decision affects us all. As a member of the UT System and the Permanent University Fund, UT-Austin should not be associated with standing idly by as our partner universities promote an unethical, unreasonable and unfriendly mascot. Please join me in sending an email to the Board of Regents at bor@utsystem.edu to express your displeasure.
— Mauricio GarcΓa, a government, history, international relations and Latin American studies senior from Brownsville. He is the co-director of University relations for Latino Community Affairs at UT
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Mauri, bajale de huevos. And stop wearing Pumas. You are a Bloodhound before you were a Scorpion and Longhorn!! Arriba el plebe!
ReplyDelete-CDG
Please send a copy of this to Montoya, El Vaquero. The only horse Montoya has ever been on had two legs....
ReplyDeletePoor little rich kid. Smart as he is, he's completely ignorant of the rich history and heritage of south Texas which is deeply tied to the Mexican/ Texican vaqueros. Had Frank Yturria been the one to select the vaqueros name, this kid would probably pipe down.
ReplyDeleteThat the name was ridiculed on Twitter by other ignorant kids isn't surprising. College kids these days aren't what they used to be.
By the way, there are around 12 million head of cattle in Texas. Today, in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties there are at best 48,000 cattle. One hell of a legacy. I think you have us confused with West and North Texas. Or, how about the Beaumont Vaqueros? I hear the "Cowboys" up there wear berets. Texas is a big place.
DeleteIf anyone is ignorant of the history of South Texas it is you. The Great Cattle Drives lasted a gran total of 20 years, 1866 to 1880's when the railroad took over. There were dominated by Anglos, by the way. Cattle were only significant in the Valley in the late 19th century when there were no cities other than Brownsville, which owes it history to COMMERCE and later FARMING, not ranching. The historical importance, and especially the economic history, of the "Vaqueros" is a myth perpetrated by Hollywood. The Mexican farm workers are the true heroes of the Rio Grande Valley. Not some stupid cowboy movie with John Wayne.
ReplyDeletePor favor. Otro maleducado.
DeleteMaleducado en que sentido? Si quieres criticar al menos tenga los huevos para escribir algo mas que una sola palabra. Se me hace que ademas de saber nada de historia, tampoco sepa espaΓ±ol. Imagino lo que estas tratando de decir es que tengo una educaciΓ³n equivocada sobre la historia del Valle. Maleducado se trata de la falta de cultura.
DeleteSi es maleducado, ese Naco!
DeleteJust clarifying that the above posts were not made by me.
DeleteMaury is not only wrong, he is stupid. Vaquero is to true to his culture, unlike Broncs. Mexicans here broke cottonfields and not wild horses. Someone teach Jim Barton how to spell vaquero. Vato sonso.
ReplyDeleteDoes it really matter what a MASCOT means or stands for? Leave then the B&O 's (broncs and ocelots) but I am sure someone will come out in "social media" with why not oceltos and broncs? WHO CARES. What ever happened to EDUCATION COMES FIRST?
ReplyDeleteThis is clearly why I am raising the issue: because education does come first. If one of the first orders of command coming from the administration of UT-RGV is non-inclusive of the majority of the campus, then we have a problem. It is about turning gender oppression into gender equality. Something as simple as a mascot can tell you so much about the gender inequality in a society.
DeleteUTRGV Vaqueros is an excellent choice!
ReplyDeleteThe heritage is great, don't get me wrong. I am just pointing out the importance of being more inclusive of women.
DeleteWould the Latin American scholar, M. Garcia, please explain to the student body how the Vaqueros were of SIGNIFICANT importance to the heritage and history of the Rio Grande Valley? It appears that the only problem he has with Vaqueros is their lack of "inclusiveness".
DeleteBy the way, from what I saw from Hollywood, their were gay vaqueros.
DeleteMauri, calmate. Ve compra otros Pumas rojos y blancos. Aguila con las vacas!
ReplyDelete-Attentemente CDG
Mauricio, you might want to take a course in Women's Studies up there in Austin, they do have them. Calamity Jane was a notorious "Cowgirl", a good friend of Wild Bill Hickok and killed many a Redskin.
ReplyDelete"It was during this campaign [in 1872–1873] that I was christened Calamity Jane. It was on Goose Creek, Wyoming where the town of Sheridan is now located. Capt. Egan was in command of the Post. We were ordered out to quell an uprising of the Indians, and were out for several days, had numerous skirmishes during which six of the soldiers were killed and several severely wounded. When on returning to the Post we were ambushed about a mile and a half from our destination. When fired upon Capt. Egan was shot. I was riding in advance and on hearing the firing turned in my saddle and saw the Captain reeling in his saddle as though about to fall. I turned my horse and galloped back with all haste to his side and got there in time to catch him as he was falling. I lifted him onto my horse in front of me and succeeded in getting him safely to the Fort. Capt[.] Egan on recovering, laughingly said: 'I name you Calamity Jane, the heroine of the plains.' I have borne that name up to the present time."
History lesson alert. Wyoming was once part of Texas, the Republic.
DeleteSince the Valley now has Space-Ex, I nomite as mascot for UT-RGV, the Astronauts!
ReplyDeleteDraw a line from Laredo to San Antonio and then down to Corpus Christi. Inside this rough double triangle, about the size of Virginia, you will find only two cities, McAllen and Brownsville and their environs. Both of these cities owe their heritage to border commerce. With regard to conquering the West, cowboys played a very brief and minor role. It was the US Army by way of their forts and arms that defeated the wild "redskins" and established cities. Take a look at the cowboy state of Wyoming, what little humanity there is results from oil and gas. Next take a look at the New Mexico/Mexico border, thriving, no? If it were not for drug smuggling there would not be anybody there.
ReplyDeleteThe myth of the cowboy and West is a product of Hollywood. Railroads and the US Army made the West part of the US, not cowboys or Billy the Kid.
The state of Connecticut has more head of cattle than Cameron and Hidalgo County combined. How may cowboys are there in Connecticut?
ReplyDelete