The American Southwest

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The American Southwest
How did the Spanish image of the Southwest guide the first European explorers?
The Spaniards played a crucial role in the European exploration of the Southwest. Spanish explorers populated Mexico and explored Southwest America over 200 years before its conception. From history, the Southwest exploration was triggered by rumors that a fountain of youth was found on an island around the northern parts of Spain’s present habitat in the Caribbean (Chavez 18). After Aztecs were seized and their capital destroyed, the Spaniards spread out in all directions in search of Gold, God as well as Glory. This is the same expedition that had made them reach the New World initially. On a given day during the journey from Florida to New Spain, the Spanish excursion comprising of numerous rafts found themselves in a tropical storm which killed most of the men, leaving only four. The remaining men survived and managed to enter the modern American Southwest.
The Spaniards had their thoughts and myths on the unknown locality that later become the Southwest. As per their imagination, there was a prosperous land of warrior women. This was towards the route of the silver cities in addition to other valuable things. This prompted its explorers to seek for different versions of their “Edenic paradise” as historians call it. During their search, they roamed across most parts of modern-day southwest America, and unintentionally hindered with the formal settlements.

The superimposed pictures created by the explorers generated the guiding myth of the European exploration in search of wealth, which ranged from valuable minerals to the vibrant cities. As Spanish explorers failed to find the lively towns and valuable materials, they settled in most parts. As a result, England encouraged its ships from venturing to the far ends with an attempt to expand its influence. This is also attributed to the Spanish image of the Southwest.
Discuss the significance of the American Southwest to modern Chicanos.
The American Southwest influenced Chicanos in many ways. This region became populated by indigenous people and distant ancestors of Chicanos who arrived in small numbers. These groups spread out southwards from their entry point, and numerous clusters broke off the migrations and settled in local areas which become their homes as time progressed. While traveling southwards during migration, the generations of Chicano’s ancestors might have populated the region permanently or occupied it for a short time before advancing to Mexico. As per early historians, the present image of central Mexico would have burgeoned from the perspective of the city itself, but the history of Chicanos is known to be the Americas Southwest. In that case, current Chicanos can be taken to have the roots from the Southwest since their descendants come from that region during the migration.
While moving, individuals mingled and intermarried with other settlers, for instance, the Mestizos and Indians. The American Southwest impacted Chicanos in numerous aspects such as maize farming. The Chicanos image of themselves was altered during clashes between various groups and the group become confused on who to support between the conquering Spaniards or the conquered Indians (Chavez 23). There was a lot of confusion regarding places such as New Mexico and California since the right information was poorly conveyed or disseminated. There are numerous facts which link southwestern American natives to Chicanos, and this assisted in the credibility of the Chicanos image as natives of the Southwest. Furthermore, the Chicanos can refer to Southwest as their homeland (both the ancient and the present) (Chavez 33).

Work cited
Chavez, John R. “Aztlan, Cibola, and Frontier New Spain.” Aztlán: Essays on the Chicano homeland (1989): 49-71.