Ted Cruz

But how did that ideology extend to Texas?

Chavez never belonged to the Tejano heritage the same way he does in Chicano culture.

The Chicano culture and movement are a direct outgrowth of the California Hispanic labor movement in the 60s and 70s.

On the other hand, the Tejano culture traces back to the Mexican settlers of Texas prior to Texas independence and is a component of what created the Texas identity.

That history is also tied to farming and a cowboy ethos that is incompatible with Chavez's ideology.

Texas agriculture thrived because of ranchers like my ancestors who embraced a free market approach, not because of unions or collectivist movements.

Before the New York Times expose, one could argue that Chavez fought for Mexican Americans and deserved gratitude.

Yet his legacy has encouraged a troubling mindset.

To be loyal to one's Hispanic heritage, one must embrace left-wing ideology.

On campus, I was often labeled a, quote, race traitor at conservative events, accused of, quote, wanting white approval, or dismissed as, quote, too white passing to comment on border and immigration issues.

By the way, uh...

Jorge Ramos on Spanish television accused me of being a traitor to my race, so I'm quite familiar with that.

The type of tribalism promoted by Chavez is just like any other kind of identity politics, limiting and stereotyping the people it is intended to empower.

in the political climate in which Texas Hispanics are considering Republicans on the ballot, it is clear why the left is feeling threatened.

So why is a street in Austin named after Cesar Chavez?

Why did his statue watch me as I walked to class?

The answer is clear.

Ethnic tokenism.

It was fitting for Bill Clinton to award him a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

By the way, Bill Clinton, speaking of sexual predators, there may have been a reason there.