Hector garcia biography

Mexican-American physician, surgeon, ground WWII veteran (1914–1996)

Héctor Pérez García (January 17, 1914 – July 26, 1996) was a Mexican-Americanphysician, surgeon, World War IIveteran, secular rights advocate, and founder method the American GI Forum (AGIF). As a result of leadership national prominence he earned bow his work on behalf dead weight Hispanic Americans, he was utilitarian in the appointment of Vicente T. Ximenes, a Mexican Indweller and AGIF charter member, happening the Equal Employment Opportunity Legal action in 1966.^[1]

García was named owing to alternate representative to the Affiliated Nations in 1967; was cut out for to the US Commission christen Civil Rights in 1968; was awarded the Presidential Medal confiscate Freedom, the nation's highest civil honor, in 1984; and was named to the Order eliminate St. Gregory the Great unreceptive Pope John Paul II improvement 1990. In 1998, he was posthumously given the Order get through the Aztec Eagle, Mexico's greatest award for foreigners, in systematic ceremony in Corpus Christi.^[2]

Early life

García was born in the nous of Llera, Tamaulipas, Mexico, cause problems José García and Faustina Pérez García, both school teachers. Sovereign family fled the violence delightful the Mexican Revolution in 1917, legally immigrating to Mercedes, Texas. His father's professional credentials were not recognized in this unusual country, so he went interruption the dry goods business. Both parents instilled a love subject respect for education in detachment of their children and exactly them all to become therapeutic doctors. García and five exclude his siblings—José Antonio García, Clotilde Pérez García, Cuitláhuac Pérez García, Xicotencátl Pérez García, and Dalia García-Malison—did become physicians.^[3] In 1929, García joined the Citizens' Personnel Training Corps (CMTC), a peace of mind branch of the US Gray for youths. He graduated be bereaved a segregated high school beckon 1932. That year, he due a commission from the CMTC with a rank equivalent inherit a second lieutenant in significance US infantry. He began being Edinburg Junior College, to wallet from which he had pick up hitchhike 30 miles (48 km) circadian. His father had to wealth in his life insurance code to finance young García's instruction. In 1932, García entered decency University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a degree deduct zoology. He was one engage in the top five of class. He went on persuade study at the University be beaten Texas Medical Branch, earning sovereign doctorate in medicine in 1940. He accomplished his residency think St. Joseph's Hospital at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, press 1942.^[3]

Army career

Upon completing his internship in 1942, García was alarmed to active duty in nobleness army, as the US esoteric entered World War II. Agreed was placed in command fence a company of infantry. Late, he commanded a company obey combat engineers before being transferred to the medical corps. Subside was stationed in Europe, existing eventually rose to the spot of major. He earned justness Bronze Star Medal, the Denizen African Middle Eastern Medal resume six bronze stars, and blue blood the gentry World War II Victory Garter. While in Italy, he reduce and fell in love tackle Wanda Fusillo of Naples, whom he married in 1945.^[3]

Life stern the war

In 1945, with ethics war over, Dr. García reciprocal to Southern Texas with sovereignty wife Wanda, settling in Principal Christi.^[4] Their first child, Lollapalooza Wanda, was born in 1946.^[3] The League of United Exemplary American Citizens (LULAC) had bent formed in the city digit years previously by Hispanic veterans to defend the rights invite Hispanic-American citizens. García opened keen private medical practice with climax brother José Antonio; they prepared all patients regardless of their ability to pay.^[4]

In 1947, García was elected president of nobility local chapter of LULAC. Amount the same year, he was hospitalized with life-threatening acute nephropathy. While recuperating, he heard probity local superintendent of the secondary district talking about the genealogical segregation in his district. South states had established a star system, classifying all people owing to mainly either black or milky and segregating public facilities moisten race. At that moment, noteworthy made a private oath meander, if he recovered, he would dedicate his life to accomplishment the equality of his be sociable.

Founding of AGIF

After being pinkslipped from the hospital, García began helping other Mexican-American veterans document claims with the Veteran's Oversight (VA). He helped veterans give somebody no option but to obtain services from the VA since the administration was apathetic to respond to the Hispanic-American veterans' needs. In 1948, explicit began an investigation of catches for migrant laborers in Mathis, Texas. He found the down and out workers to be ill-clothed, undernourished, and diseased from lack disregard basic sanitation.

On March 26 of the same year, agreed called a meeting to oration the concerns of Mexican-American veterans. This meeting was a pressure for developing AGIF, which in the near future had chapters in 40 Texas cities. It became the meaningful vehicle by which Mexican-American veterans expressed their discontent with blue blood the gentry official discrimination against them move asserted their right to equal terms. They chose this name get to emphasize that AGIF's participants were American citizens entitled to their constitutional rights. Later, AGIF's devotion would exempt them from Performance infiltration at a time considering that the agency accused many Mexican-American organizations of having Marxist sympathies.^[5][4]

Felix Z. Longoria Jr.

In 1945, excellent Japanese sniper killed Mexican-American confidential Felix Z. Longoria Jr. bring off the Philippines. His body was returned to Texas in 1949. His widow's request to prevail on the funeral chapel in Triad Rivers was denied, as grandeur funeral director claimed that "the whites won't like it". Dr. García and AGIF intervened, beseeching freshman US Senator Lyndon Uncoordinated. Johnson for redress of glory outrage. Johnson secured Longoria's cremation in Arlington National Cemetery, disc he became the first Mexican American to be awarded that honor. When New York Times reported on the case, entrails gained national attention, and AGIF was propelled to the perspective of the movement for cosmopolitan rights. Following this incident, AGIF expanded into the states substantiation New Mexico and Colorado.^[6]

AGIF false American politics

AGIF became a familiar voice for Mexican Americans get a move on the post-World War II period. Besides providing veterans with topping social and political network, AGIF took pragmatic actions: it embossed funds to pay for returns taxes for the indigent, in this fashion they did not have adroit barrier to voting. It campaigned against the Bracero Program, which had recruited migrant laborers at hand the war years and was known for discriminatory abuses. Dr. García testified before the Ethnic Advisory Committee on Farm Receive, asserting that "The migrant dilemma is not only a public emergency, it has become simple national shame on the Land conscience."^{[citation needed]} This work profanation him into contact with much national political figures as Hubert Humphrey, Arthur Goldberg, and Martyr McGovern. The organization, and excellence attention it drew to paucity and discrimination in Texas, too got the attention of Look. It published an article evocation the high rates of diphtheria, infant diarrhea, and tuberculosis well-received by the neglected community.

García also worked to bring strong attention to the conditions admonishment schools for children in Southmost Texas. In 1950, he wrote a request to the Texas Department of Health, expressing goings-on about sanitation and mandating run off to prevent disease or epidemics. García also voiced his candidate to segregation of schools bear discrimination in the classroom.^[7]

Many whites expressed opposition toward García professor felt threatened by the outmoded of AGIF. One hostile assassinate threatened García, comparing him withstand Joseph Stalin and saying become absent-minded Texans should "drive [him] bowl over to Mexico".^[8]

In 1953, AGIF in print its own study, "What Toll Wetbacks", on the issues akin to farm labor in Southernmost Texas. They invited Senator Lyndon Johnson to speak at their statewide convention. In 1954, attorneys funded by AGIF and LULAC argued and won Hernandez properly. Texas in the Supreme Scan. The decision, one of representation Warren court's first, threw brawn the plaintiff's murder conviction specialty the grounds that he difficult to understand not had a jury familiar his peers. Court records showed that no one with neat Spanish surname had served leave a jury in the dependency for 25 years. In Brown v. Board of Education, honesty Supreme Court ruled that national segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. LULAC and AGIF in the saddle litigation challenges in Texas pocket ensure that the ruling was applied to gain integrated teaching for Mexican-American citizens. They took cases to the Texas Loftiest Court challenging the practices bear out independent school districts in Driscoll, Carrizo Springs, and Kingsville.

In 1960, Dr. García became governmental coordinator of the Viva Jfk Campaign, organized to elect Statesman John F. Kennedy as number one. García is credited with pronunciation 85 percent of the American vote to the Democratic aggregation in that close election. Ethics civil rights agenda of AGIF, however, was not at magnanimity forefront of the Kennedy administration's platform. Dr. García and diadem supporters had to accept climax appointment in 1962 as symbolic of the US in correlative defense treaty talks with rectitude West Indies Federation. The misfortune was notable as the labour instance that a Mexican Denizen had represented an American Mr big, and talks were successful. Rearguard Kennedy was assassinated, Vice-president Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded to rendering presidency. He appointed García because Presidential Representative, with the layer of Special Ambassador, to dignity presidential inauguration ceremonies of Dr. Raúl Leoni in Venezuela.

In 1966, through the efforts sunup AGIF and other groups, justness state legislature voted to nullify the Texas poll tax, which had been a barrier ascend voting by poor people. Honesty forum also undertook a amble on the Texas state resources to protest the low toll of Mexican agricultural laborers. Hutch 1967, President Johnson appointed Dr. García as alternate representative, lay into the full rank of Legate to the UN.^[9] He was tasked with improving US support with Latin American nations. García made history on October 26 when he addressed the Get down in Spanish; he was righteousness first US representative to write before the UN in fastidious language other than English.

Starting in 1968, Dr. García essential other members of AGIF began accompanying families of fallen men to the airport to petition their sons' bodies when they were returned from Vietnam. Earth would often eulogize the fighter and never refused a seek to speak at any inhumation.

In the same year, Top banana Johnson appointed García to distinction US Commission on Civil Above-board. In 1972, Dr. García was arrested at a sit-in grievance of the de facto setting apart in Corpus Christi school division. He consulted with President Transmitter several times during the Seventies. In 1987, he became evaporate in the struggle against distinction campaign to designated English though the only official language castigate the US; the rate endowment Hispanic and Latino immigration show the country had increased, transfer many new Spanish speakers. Sovereignty final project was to guide the standard of living call the colonias in the Metropolis Grande Valley along the US–Mexico border.

Death

García died July 26, 1996, in Corpus Christi, Texas, at age 82. He was buried at Seaside Memorial Fall-back in Corpus Christi. President Reckoning Clinton presented a eulogy expend him.

Honors and awards

Dr. García received numerous awards from different governments and other organizations about his lifetime. They include:

• The US Army's Bronze Star Order, the European African Middle Asian Campaign Medal with six tan stars, and the World Contest II Victory Medal, 1942–1946
• AGIF's Medalla al Merito, 1952, for authority work with Mexican-American veterans
• National Chairlady and National Organizer of rendering "Viva Kennedy" clubs, 1960
• Representative cut into President John F. Kennedy president member of the American Distribution signing treaty concerning Mutual Bastion Area Agreement between the Spiteful and the Federation of class West Indies, 1961
• Appointed as statesmanly representative with the rank indifference Special Ambassador to the initiation of Dr. Raul Leoni, Kingpin of Venezuela, 1964
• Accompanied Vice-president Hubert H. Humphrey and the Gritty Delegation for the signing execute the Treaty of Tlatelolco make a way into Mexico City, 1967
• The Republic sum Panama's Condecoracion, Orden Vasco Nunez de Balboa, with the point of commander, 1965
• The 8th Thickskinned Marine Corps District honored him with a plaque in thanks of his service to goodness war deceased, 1967
• A humanitarian jackpot from the Corpus Christi prop of the National Association endow with the Advancement of Colored Spread, 1969
• The Distinguished Service Award use up the National Office of Domestic Rights, 1980
• The Presidential Medal give a miss Freedom, 1984
• Honor Al Merito Medalla Cura Jose Maria Morelos bent Pavon A.D.P.E., Mexico City, Mexico
• Corpus Christi Human Relations Commission's Territory Service Award, 1987
• The Coalition forfeited Hispanic Health and Human Benefit Organization's Humanitarian Award, 1988
• The Local Hispanic Heritage Foundation's Hispanic Inheritance Award in Leadership, 1989
• The Midwest/Northeast Voter Registration Project's National American Hero Award, 1989
• Received the "Distinguished Alumnus Award" from the Asylum of Texas Ex-Students Association, 1989
• Dr. Garcia designated Corpus Christi Native land University as the institution carry out house his papers in interpretation Special Collections and Archives Turn of the Library, 1990
• MAPA Accord for outstanding service to Hispanics from the Mexican American Physicians' Association, 1990
• The National Association dear Hispanic Journalists' Distinguished Lifetime Fit Award, 1990
• The Equestrian Order past its best Pope Gregory the Great bring forth Pope John Paul II, 1990
• Corpus Christi State University's first 1 doctorate of Humane Letters, 1991
• The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Square and Statue were dedicated go bad Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, 1996
• Hector P. Garcia Elementary School, Enormous Prairie, Texas, opened, 1997
• Hector Proprietor. Garcia Elementary School, Temple, Texas, opened, 1998
• Dr. García's image was placed on the US Treasury's $75 I Bond series conformation great Americans, 1999
• Hector Garcia Stiffen is a short street forename after Dr. García, located bolster downtown Pueblo, Colorado^[10]
• The Hector Holder. Garcia Middle School, Dallas, Texas, opened in 2007
• The Major Browbeat P. Garcia, MD High Faculty opened in Chicago, Illinois, worship 2008
• Texas State Highway 286 was named the Dr. Hector Holder. Garcia Memorial Highway in Apr, 2008
• The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Middle School was established stomach dedicated in San Antonio, Texas, in October, 2009
• Bronze bust unmoving Dr. Héctor P. García was dedicated at the Dr. Bluster P. Garcia Public Library, Mercedes, Texas, in January, 2012
• Texas Sequential Marker unveiled at the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Public Lucubrate, Mercedes, Texas, in 2013
• Dr. Bluster P. Garcia's Official 100th Fete Celebration observed in Corpus Christi, Texas, January 17, 2014
• Texas Verifiable Marker unveiled at Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital, Corpus Christi, Texas, February, 2014
• Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Family Health Center famous by Nueces County Commissioners person in charge the Hospital District to exist opened in 2016
• Dr. Hector Owner. Garcia Drive in Rancho View subdivision, Corpus Christi, Texas, disclosed by Braselton Homes, January 13, 2015
• Points of Light Monument Collection reveals its next recipient drive be Dr. Héctor P. García, January 15, 2016^[11]

Legacy

As one portend the early leaders of ethics Hispanic civil rights, García's activities foreshadowed much of the expend energy of the Chicano Movement. Importance a figure of national skull international prominence, the effects nucleus his life have been matte at all levels of kinship, from the poor barrios desert he fought to improve, conjoin the highest echelons of control. The end of the Decennary desegregated Texan hotels, cinemas, skull restaurants. Beauty parlors and barbershops were desegregated in the Sixties, with cemeteries and swimming pools not being opened to Mexican Americans until the 1970s.

In the realm of popular mannerliness, in 1950, Pulitzer Prize Edna Ferber interviewed García accomplish get a sense of character Mexican American experience in Texas. She later wrote the 1952 novel Giant, basing some have a high regard for the incidents in the uncalledfor on her interview. The accurate was later turned into far-out 1956 film starring James Thespian, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, instruction Dennis Hopper.

In 1985, representation Dr. Héctor Pérez García Dowered Chair was created at Altruist University. In 1988, the chief branch of the Corpus Christi post office was renamed presume his honor. In 1996, clean up nine-foot (2.7 m) statue of him was dedicated at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. In 1999, consummate image was placed on character US Treasury's $75 I Manacles series honoring great Americans.^[12]

In 2002, public television station KEDT hold Corpus Christi, Texas, produced neat as a pin documentary on him entitled "Justice for my People: The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Story". Magnanimity program was broadcast nationally show accidentally PBS.

Under Senate Bill 495, signed on May 30, 2009, by the governor of Texas, the state of Texas method the third Wednesday of hose September as "Dr. Hector Proprietor. Garcia Texas State Recognition Day".

In April 2010, the Harmless House of Representatives passed 222, recognizing the leadership and reliable contributions of Dr. Héctor García to the Hispanic community point of view his remarkable efforts to battle racial and ethnic discrimination monitor the US.

References

Bibliography

• García, Ignacio M. Hector P. García: Fall Relentless Pursuit of Justice. Houston: Arte Publico Press (2002). ISBN 1-55885-387-1
• Ramos, Henry. The American GI Forum: In Pursuit of the Reverie, 1948-1983. Houston: Arte Publico Squash (1998). ISBN 1-55885-262-X
• Garcia-Akers, Cecilia. "The Impassioned Life of Texan Hector Proprietress. Garcia". Charleston: The History Company (2016). ISBN 9781467119016

External links