ABSTRACT
The chapter begins by briefly addressing how the fantasy heritage concept relates to tourism and public memory. Next, we address how two different sets of people, tourists and travelers, may process the information they receive via fantasy heritage sites and events differently. Specifically, tourists are more likely to take the information received at face value with little or no analysis of its message. Travelers are more likely to seek a more holistic amount of information about a locale. The third part of the chapter explores the theoretical linkages between heritage and public memory. The following section presents a biography of Juan de Oñate, placing the controversial Spaniard in historical and contemporary perspective. It is followed by a section that addresses the role of higher and public education in promoting the Spanish fantasy heritage. This portion includes an overview of how academic research, world’s fairs, tourism marketing, and literature contribute to the cultural erasure of Mexican Americans from southwest history.
