Edinburg, Texas' Francisco Guajardo shares Five Things He's Learned about America.
View the next in our new series of messages, ideas, and inspiration – shared directly from Americans we admire.
Five Things I’ve Learned began with the aim of learning directly from people we long admired. Find out what they think most important to share, we believed, and we’d learn and be inspired by their example.
This summer, we’re doing something more: soliciting and sharing written pieces, short videos, and other bursts of ideas and inspiration from people whose ideas and experiences give shape to the issues that continue to shape America and November’s upcoming national election.
Today, Francisco Guajardo, Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of South Texas History, shares Five Things He’s Learned About America.
For almost 55 years the Museum has chronicled the heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico, preserving its rich history – Edinburg is just 20 miles north of the US/Mexico border.
Five Things I’ve Learned about America
“My name is Francisco Guajardo, and I’m the Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, Texas.”
America is a land that rewards persistence.
“I think, of my family: My father was a goat herder in the State of Nuevo Leon. He was born in 1936, and my mother was a child who was born a US. citizen in Mexico.”
America is also a country with space for redemption.
“This is a very, very redemptive place. It is a country that, as you know, was founded with an original sin, the sin of enslaving people.”
The institutions that have long made our shared redemption possible now hang together by a thread.
“This great experience in human history can come crashing down in a moment’s notice.”
People need a way to connect. We need real connection in our schools.
“We have been in such a rush in schools to be about a certain set of standards that we are losing out on the humanity of teaching and learning and raising children.”
America can also crush you. To succeed we need the skills to take advantage of the opportunity around us.
“Those of us who don’t think about ourselves in our history and our stories – and who we are as human beings – we tend to not be as happy.”
MORE ABOUT FRANCISCO
Francisco Guajardo is the Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, a position he assumed in September 2019. He was a professor for close to 20 years at the University of Texas Pan American and then UTRGV. He was raised in Elsa, attended Edcouch-Elsa schools, and began his professional career as an English and Social Studies teacher at Edcouch-Elsa High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in history and an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in History, Anthropology and Educational Administration–all from the University of Texas at Austin. He has co-authored three books and over 70 articles. He is a proud and diligent supporter of the arts, as he supports his children, his granddaughter and his wife, all artists.
MORE ABOUT FIVE THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT AMERICA
Five Things I’ve Learned about America presents live, personal conversations with leading thinkers, organizers, and advocates for our democracy. In tandem, we’re soliciting and sharing written pieces, short videos, and other bursts of ideas and inspiration from people whose ideas and experiences are equally inspiring and instructive.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the kind and enthusiastic response we’ve received to this new series. If you’ve just recently discovered us, please check out recent reflections about America from people we admire including Tony Alcaraz, Yvette Benavides, Tina Hedin, Megan Matson, Jeannine Ouellette, Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, and Oliver Wasow.
And check out our free conversation series presented in partnership with Resolute Square, featuring 90-minute sessions with Americans we admire including Alan Light, Jennifer Mercieca, Beto O'Rourke, Trygve Olson, and Stuart Stevens.
Excellent! Thank you for sharing. I totally agree with this man.