In May 1920, three Tejanos were killed in South Texas in an incident involving Texas Rangers. The victims' relatives claim they were ambushed by the law enforcement group, a narrative that diverges significantly from official accounts.
Arelis R. Hernández, a Washington Post correspondent, chose to delve deeper into this century-old event after being directed to it by Christopher Carmona, professor at Our Lady of the Lake University. Hernández contacted Tocho Canales, a descendant of one of the victims, and visited his family in Benavides, Texas. There, she discovered a wealth of documents and photographs collected over decades by Lydia Oliveira Canales, another descendant.
Hernández's investigation took her across various South Texas locales and included extensive research through archival materials, interviews with historians, and reviews of historical documents and oral histories. This deep dive aimed to reconcile the conflicting narratives about the event, highlighting the struggle over who gets to decide historical accounts.
To visually represent the competing narratives, The Washington Post collaborated with Mexican illustrator Raúl Urias and photographer Desiree Rios, bringing a unique perspective to the story of the three slain Tejanos.