For two and a half centuries Tejanos have lived and ranched on the land of South Texas, establishing many homesteads and communities. This modest book tells the story of one such family, the Saenzes, who established Ranchos San Jose and El Fresnillo. Obtaining land grants from the municipality of Mier in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, these settlers crossed the Wild Horse Desert, known as Desierto Muerto, into present-day Duval County in the 1850s and 1860s.
Through the simple, direct telling of his family s stories, Andres Saenz lets readers learn about their homes of piedra...

In 2004, for the second time in a decade, the international community found it necessary to intervene in Haiti to enforce and keep a peace. For the first time under a United Nations mandate, several Latin American countries stepped up to lead the mission. Chile provided political leadership in the form of the special representative of the secretary general, while Brazil agreed to send the force commander as well as troops. Several other Latin American states also deployed military personnel. As a result of this historically unique circumstance, CHDS led a research project that looked at...

For two and a half centuries Tejanos have lived and ranched on the land of South Texas. This modest book tells the story of one family, the Saenzes, who established Ranchos San Jose and El Fresnillo. Obtaining land grants from the municipality of Mier in Tamaulipas, these settlers crossed the Wild Horse Desert into present-day Duval County in the 1850s and 1860s.Through the simple, direct telling of his family's stories, Andres Saenz lets readers learn about their homes of piedra (stone) and sillares (large blocks of limestone or sandstone), as well as the jacales (thatched-roof log huts) in...