ANALYSIS
AOC sparks ridicule on social media for falsely denying cowboys came from Spain
"It’s literally impossible for cowboys to have been here before the Spanish because horses weren’t here before the Spanish brought them over," conservative commentator Matt Walsh tweeted.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is being ridiculed for her comments during her appearance at the Munich Security Conference, where she publicly questioned a speech by Marco Rubio in which the secretary of state attributed the origin of U.S. cowboys solely to Spain.
AOC hinted that this interpretation was incomplete, since, according to her, the cowboy tradition in United States is also deeply marked by Mexican and African influences; therefore, in her opinion, reducing it solely to Spain is inaccurate.
"My favorite part was when he said that American cowboys came from Spain," the Democrat commented in criticizing Rubio's speech. "I believe that Mexicans and the descendants of African enslaved peoples would like to have a word on that."
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Conservative commentator Matt Walsh was quick to lunge at Ocasio-Cortez on X following her remarks. "It’s literally impossible for cowboys to have been here before the Spanish because horses weren’t here before the Spanish brought them over," he wrote.
For his part, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) responded on X while retweeting the video of AOC's speech, "Tell me you know nothing about history without saying you know nothing about history."
In another tweet he wrote "Hey @grok Where did the Mexicans get horses?"
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Political strategist Marco Frieri reacted: "American cowboy culture can be traced back to Spain's vaquero culture, brought to the continent through its colonial presence in Mexico."
For her part, Jeannette Garcia, deputy director of CTV at Turning Point Action wrote on X "Dear @AOC. Mexico was colonized by SPAIN. SPAIN brought horses, cattle and ranching to Mexico. In Spanish we call them Vaqueros. You’re welcome for the correct information."
"Open disdain for white people"
During her speech, AOC also said there was a big difference between what cultural studies calls whiteness and national culture. According to Ocasio-Cortez, "the whiteness is something imaginary."
To which Matt Walsh responded : "This is total nonsense. @AOC will insist that 'brown people' are real and 'black people' are real and even 'people of color' (whatever the hell that means) are real, and yet white people are 'imaginary.' Totally indefensible horseshit rooted in her open disdain for white people."
History
The indelible Hispanic heritage in the US: Even cowboys and mustangs have Spanish origins
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The roots of the cowboy tradition
Since the Middle Ages (13th-15th centuries), Spanish herdsmen developed techniques for handling cattle on horseback over large tracts of land: use of the lazo (lasso), spurs, wide-brimmed hats to protect from the sun, specific saddles, harnesses and rodeos (roundups for counting and branding cattle).
This equestrian culture was perfected with the Reconquista and the extensive breeding of cows and bulls in pastures and marshes. In 1519, Hernán Cortés and other conquistadors introduced horses and cattle into what is now Mexico.
By the 17th-18th century, cattle ranching spread across northern Mexico - including what is now Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California -, with Jesuit/Franciscan ranches and missions raising thousands of cattle.
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