When we think of the presence of Hispanics in the United States, most people automatically tend to mistakenly relate it to the phenomenon caused by the recent massive and disorderly emigration. Spanish historian and founder of Spanish Heritage in the Americas Antonio Moreno clearly states: 

That is unfair, because Hispanics have been in the United States for centuries. In fact, the city of San Agustín de la Florida is the first European foundation in the United States and dates back to September 1565. A year earlier, Hispanic Florida celebrated what should be considered the first Thanksgiving Day, on September 8, 1564, when Pedro Menéndez de Avilés shared mass and a feast with some Saturiwa natives (...) Likewise, the first Christmas celebrated in the northernmost America was thanks to Hernando de Soto, who, having departed from Cuba, disembarked in Tampa Bay to venture on a journey that would take him from Florida to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. However, even before that trip, there was time to celebrate Christmas in 1539 in Anhaica, now Tallahassee, capital of Florida.

In addition, as Moreno points out, we can't forget that from 1763 to 1803 Louisiana belonged to the Spanish Monarchy:

We are not talking about the present state of the Southeast, but about a vast territory that included the old French road to Canada; being that from that Spanish governorship the independence of the United States was supported with soldiers from the present territories of Spain, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Peru, among others (...), with a considerable amount of supplies and money.

Thanks to that invincible navy, led by Bernardo de Gálvez, who was governor of Louisiana, the British were defeated all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi. Thanks to the glorious victories like Pensacola and Mobila, we achieved the birth of the United States of America. In fact, Bernardo de Gálvez was given honorary citizenship of the United States. 

In addition, the Spanish language made its way to the United States in the 16th century, being spoken continuously in New Mexico and Louisiana by descendants of Spaniards and Creoles. To date, it is the second most spoken language by millions of Americans.

Cities that the whole world identifies as being very American, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Antonio, were named after our language and were founded by Spaniards and defended as cradles of Hispanity. And what could be said about El Álamo?

We are Hispanics in, by and for the defense of the United States, and our history shows us that we do not believe in the impossible.

Texas, one of the most conservative and prosperous states in the United States today, has an unmistakable Hispanic history that should be known to all and is part of our pride. By the way, Bill Flores is from Texas and is a Republican representative of the Lone Star State's 17th district in the House of Representatives. His ancestors arrived in 1725.

From coast to coast, we could admire the missions, forts and royal roads built by our ancestors as amazing infrastructures that day by day remind us, with their architectural beauty and functionality, the best of our past.

In short, it is time to recognize all the contributions of Hispanity to the United States, and this depends in part on making our history known, which will surely make us feel much more proud to be Hispanic and walk with greater confidence and self-esteem. We are a family with a common history, values and a very precious culture, which allows us to succeed and develop in many fields, such as history, economics or politics. By the way, U.S. Hispanic history is not something "exclusively European-Spanish," and that is why we cannot allow our legacy to be erased, as Moreno points out:

Spain was made in America and America was forever founded and impregnated with the Hispanic culture.

It is also time for us to face the issues and stand up for our conservative values as the majority of us in our community are believers. These values have many roots in the United States and we must insist with strength and freedom in the face of woke tyranny which is already posing the greatest threat to globalists.

If we were present before, during and even at the independence of the United States, we must recommit ourselves to the defense of freedom in this great country. And we will do so remembering our deeds, aware of how much we are at stake and how much we want to contribute in these difficult times. Remembering is much more than living. It also entails being aware that we can and must fight not to be slaves but prosperous, distancing ourselves from the ideological plantation that the U.S. left, through the media, education and politics, seeks to establish to satisfy its nefarious ideological delusions.

We are Hispanics in, by and for the defense of the United States and our history shows us that we do not believe in the impossible. Isn't this the year that we will celebrate the fifth centennial of the first round-the-world-trip? A trip that was Hispanic. ¡Viva la Hispanidad!