(DonReynolds)
In their view, the Pope divided the New World into that given to Spain and that given to Portugal, by a north-south line. The Protestant nations were excluded from the New World, which included the British, the Dutch, the Balts, and the Germans. (Just why Catholic France was left out of the deal, I cannot imagine.) So the Protestants are the trespassers and interlopers in the New World.
After becoming independent of the Spanish Crown in 1824, the Mexican now sees himself as the rightful inheritor of every territory that was once claimed by Spain in the New World, not merely those lands claimed to be part of the original Republic of Mexico. Wherever a Spanish explorer planted his boot in North America, now rightfully belongs to Mexico, and is not limited to the Aztec empire. Now we also see Mexico as the champion of every American Indian nation in North America, which of course means all lands now occupied by white Europeans. (Yeah, the Spanish were white Europeans too, but forget that part.)
(reyol)
I very much doubt many Mexicans have even heard of the Treaty of Tordesillas. All they know is that Estados Unidos will provide for their every need if they can reach it.
Don't underestimate the legacy of the Treaty of Tordesillas. Deep down, all Latinos "know" that we are trespassers on their land. They don't know why but they sense it. It's a collective unconscious thing. It's that flash of anger they feel when they hear English being spoken. It's that lack of gratitude they feel every time we bail them out. It's that sovereignty for "mí" but not for "ti" that always plays out. If the Treaty of Tordesillas had been enforced throughout history, only Spanish and Portuguese would have been spoken in the Americas. Dutch, French and English would have been kept out and never heard. When a Hispanic shows evident annoyance at hearing English in an English speaking area, I call it the Tordesillas Effect.
5 comments
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register. Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
Close
Adblocker not detected
Please install a browser add-on that blocks ads and other malicious scripts in your browser to protect your security and privacy. Learn more
uBlock Origin for Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge