It's been a part of Mexican culture since the XVI Century, hence a tradition in the Southwestern United States long before the Treaty of Guadalupe was signed on February 2, 1848.

Yet, across the United States, animal rights activists seem to be at ease broadcasting that, according to their sources, the charreada is not "American."

Furthermore, they maintain that those involved in the practice are either "third-world illegal immigrants" or "renegade" Mexicans who need laws specifically designed for them so they can stop injuring and killing "thousands of American horses" each year in their "immigrant enclaves."

Two of their most repetitive statements, which have managed to dupe politicians and sponsors alike, are "simple tradition justifies nothing" and "tradition should never take precedent over the welfare of animals.”
Such activists have adopted an attitude in which dialogue or compromise is as absent as politicians' disposition to impartially weight and study both the charreada and the cowboy rodeo.

"It's all about what these radical activists want," said Mr. Rafael Cabral, president of the California Union of Charro Associations, at a recent charro meeting in Northern CA. "And what they want is to continue mutilating our tradition with the approval of politicians. No se vale, it's not fair."

Some valid questions arise: when any of these people say the charreada is not an "American" tradition, do they actually mean a "white" tradition? If so, the Anglo "rodeo," which is a Spanish word used centuries before it became a nationally known term, never had any connection with the vaquero nor with any Mexican activity related to equestrianism and cattle ranching, correct?

Comprehensive academic research and verbal accounts passed down from charro generation to charro generation can certainly prove the opposite. And to call the charreada a "simple" tradition or to throw in the conjecture that it does nothing to protect the welfare of animals is rather insulting.

If the charreada, with all its documented history and people loving it and practicing it and supporting it collectively, is just "a simple tradition," what makes a "great tradition?" Who decides to bestow such distinction upon the tradition?

The Mexican and Mexican Americans are known worldwide for their innate, deep-rooted sentimiento, sentiment, to honor and celebrate traditions, like Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, Las Posadas, The Shelters, Semana Santa, Holy Week, and, yes, La Gran Fiesta Charra, The Great Charro Fiesta, with its array of distinctive equestrian and roping skills, exquisite historical period apparel, live music, food, poetry... It's un convivio familiar, a family get together, at its best.

It is thanks to the charro, vaquero, ranchero and cowboy that neither the cattle or equine population are on the verge of extinction. And it is thanks to horses and bovines that the cowboy, ranchero, vaquero and charro exist. The relationship between the charro and his four-legged amigos is so close and beautiful that oftentimes people wonder why the animals are and look so much pampered than the owners.

For the charreada critics, none of them an authority on Mexican culture or ex-charros themselves, to say, "I'm a big fan of cultural diversity, at least until it crosses the line of animal abuse," is clearly a matter of what they are willing to tolerate since most of them are also members of the dominant culture. It is a very ethnocentric position shielded by a very noble cause.

You see, if asked, many pro-animal rights advocates would admit they have no experience dealing with large animals like horses and bulls. Few have witnessed a live charreada or are bovine and equestrian literate enough to tell the difference between heifers, vacas gordas, and calves, terneras; steers, novillos, and bulls, toros; wild mustangs, mesteños, mostrencos, and colts, potrillos; stampede, estampida, and herd of horses or cavvy, caballada; gauchos and llaneros; cowhands and vaqueros; cowboys and charros.

Yet, they're quick at dismissing the charro's extensive knowledge of the cattle and equine population, even when he testifies that no caballero, gentleman, federated to the US Mexican Federation of Charrería FMdeCh abuses or hurts intentionally an animal, or that those who do and are caught, face serious consequences, including expulsion.

Countless times has the charro tried to explain to activists that there is a striking difference between a federated charro who must abide by the FMdeCh official Rulebook and an Argentinian gaucho, a Colombian llanero, a Peruvian chalán or morochuco Ayacuchano, a Chiliean huaso, a Bolivian boiadeiro, a Brazilian campaneiro, pantaneiro or vaqueiro, or a Hawaiian paniolo, who may be out there, somewhere, practicing a clandestine activity.

Proof in hand, the charro has told politicians that, for a charreada to be a charreada, it has to have nine suertes charras. A coleadero, wild bull tailing, by itself, which is a favorite of the Colombian llanero, or a jaripeo, wild bull riding or wild mare riding, by itself, is not a charreada, and in no way supported or promoted by the FMdeCh.

But activists and politicians alike persist in condemning over and over a Mexican and Mexican American tradition that, contrary to what they have spread publicly as "fact," was not brought to the United States by recent immigrants.

Perhaps the only relatively "new" aspect about the US charro is his resolution to officially establish well structured associations. It dates back to the 1950s, followed by his affiliation with the Federación Mexicana de Charrería A.C. some years later.

An elemental reason summarizes the move: It is every charro's dream to see himself and his team competing among the best 114 Mexican and US teams and 16 all-around charro contestants that make up the annual National Charro Congress and Championship, otherwise known as La Gran Fiesta Charra. It's been held in México by the FMdeCh since 1946.

But the US charreada is not a hot off the border imported tradition, as much as any ill-informed individual would like everyone else to believe. More than preposterous, it is pure bigotry for anyone to even insinuate that the charro should either pack up his tradition and take it back to México or to follow the "when in Rome do as the Romans do" rule.

It is the charro who should be enforcing the rule, since he can rightly claim to be a mestizo, indigena or even a criollo, thus a genuine Southwestern US citizen.

Denying that the charro and the vaquero's equestrian legacy of the Charrería has been a part of the US History is intrinsically denying the very existence of the unadulterated white cowboy.

By "unadulterated," I'm referring to the cowboy who has appreciated, respected and adopted the charro and vaquero tradition, not the fabricated, distorted version by the media and the line of unsympathetic writers towards Mexican culture and language, like Mr. Edgar Rye, who in his The Quirt and the Spur book deceptively portrayed the vaquero as a dangerous, debauched man, who should not be trusted or admired.

With these key cards on the table, how, morally and ethically, can politicians and pro-animal rights advocates justify measures that single out the charro time after time, but exclude the cowboy time after time, since the cowboy rodeo cannot claim to be more of an American tradition than it is the charreada?

It is imperative, then, that legislators honor the principle of equal protection under the law. I believe I speak for every Mexican and Mexican American charro and charreada aficionado when I say that this significant axiom must be respected in all its aspects. O todos coludos o todos rabones, the charro and the cowboy ought to be treated the same.