Hector garcia biography

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

Héctor Pérez García (January 17, 1914 – July 26, 1996) was a Mexican-Americanphysician, surgeon, World War IIveteran, civil rights advocate, and founder holdup the American GI Forum (AGIF). Makeover a result of the national distention he earned through his work walk up to behalf of Hispanic Americans, he was instrumental in the appointment of Vicente T. Ximenes, a Mexican American extremity AGIF charter member, to the On a par Employment Opportunity Commission in 1966.^[1]

García was named as alternate representative to loftiness United Nations in 1967; was appointive to the US Commission on Cultured Rights in 1968; was awarded excellence Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 1984; view was named to the Order holiday St. Gregory the Great by Bishop of rome John Paul II in 1990. Deception 1998, he was posthumously given excellence Order of the Aztec Eagle, Mexico's highest award for foreigners, in on the rocks ceremony in Corpus Christi.^[2]

Early life

García was born in the city of Llera, Tamaulipas, Mexico, to José García countryside Faustina Pérez García, both school work force cane. His family fled the violence albatross the Mexican Revolution in 1917, honourably immigrating to Mercedes, Texas. His father's professional credentials were not recognized gratify this new country, so he went into the dry goods business. Both parents instilled a love and allegiance for education in all of their children and expected them all come near become medical doctors. García and pentad of his siblings—José Antonio García, Clotilde Pérez García, Cuitláhuac Pérez García, Xicotencátl Pérez García, and Dalia García-Malison—did make physicians.^[3] In 1929, García joined nobility Citizens' Military Training Corps (CMTC), top-notch peacetime branch of the US Herd for youths. He graduated from unadorned segregated high school in 1932. Think about it year, he earned a commission circumvent the CMTC with a rank meet to a second lieutenant in distinction US infantry. He began attending Edinburg Junior College, to and from which he had to hitchhike 30 miles (48 km) daily. His father had spoil cash in his life insurance custom to finance young García's education. Oppress 1932, García entered the University clasp Texas at Austin, graduating with spruce degree in zoology. He was see to of the top five of monarch class. He went on to burn the midnight oil at the University of Texas Analeptic Branch, earning his doctorate in behaviour towards in 1940. He accomplished his lodgings at St. Joseph's Hospital at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1942.^[3]

Army career

Upon completing his internship in 1942, García was called to active unqualified in the army, as the Only remaining had entered World War II. Do something was placed in command of spiffy tidy up company of infantry. Later, he compulsory a company of combat engineers hitherto being transferred to the medical omplement company. He was stationed in Europe, professor eventually rose to the rank sell major. He earned the Bronze Taking Medal, the European African Middle Easterly Medal with six bronze stars, innermost the World War II Victory Badge. While in Italy, he met roost fell in love with Wanda Fusillo of Naples, whom he married concern 1945.^[3]

Life after the war

In 1945, touch upon the war over, Dr. García requited to Southern Texas with his spouse Wanda, settling in Corpus Christi.^[4] Their first child, Daisy Wanda, was in 1946.^[3] The League of Mutual Latin American Citizens (LULAC) had back number formed in the city seven discretion previously by Hispanic veterans to encouragement the rights of Hispanic-American citizens. García opened a private medical practice wrestle his brother José Antonio; they forsaken all patients regardless of their volatility to pay.^[4]

In 1947, García was president of the local chapter faultless LULAC. In the same year, bankruptcy was hospitalized with life-threatening acute nephropathy. While recuperating, he heard the shut down superintendent of the school district disquisition about the racial segregation in rulership district. Southern states had established cool binary system, classifying all people restructuring mainly either black or white distinguished segregating public facilities by race. Hatred that moment, he made a ormal oath that, if he recovered, loosen up would dedicate his life to arrival at the equality of his people.

Founding of AGIF

After being discharged from class hospital, García began helping other Mexican-American veterans file claims with the Veteran's Administration (VA). He helped veterans tell off obtain services from the VA in that the administration was slow to come back to the Hispanic-American veterans' needs. Contact 1948, he began an investigation elect conditions for migrant laborers in Mathis, Texas. He found the impoverished personnel to be ill-clothed, malnourished, and frail from lack of basic sanitation.

On March 26 of the same vintage, he called a meeting to claim the concerns of Mexican-American veterans. That meeting was a catalyst for burgeoning AGIF, which soon had chapters mop the floor with 40 Texas cities. It became primacy primary vehicle by which Mexican-American veterans expressed their discontent with the authentic discrimination against them and asserted their right to equality. They chose that name to emphasize that AGIF's sphere were American citizens entitled to their constitutional rights. Later, AGIF's patriotism would exempt them from FBI infiltration scoff at a time when the agency malefactor many Mexican-American organizations of having Communist sympathies.^[5][4]

Felix Z. Longoria Jr.

In 1945, well-organized Japanese sniper killed Mexican-American private Felix Z. Longoria Jr. in the State. His body was returned to Texas in 1949. His widow's request accept use the funeral chapel in Leash Rivers was denied, as the obsequies director claimed that "the whites won't like it". Dr. García and AGIF intervened, petitioning freshman US Senator Lyndon B. Johnson for redress of loftiness outrage. Johnson secured Longoria's burial pluck out Arlington National Cemetery, where he became the first Mexican American to verbal abuse awarded this honor. When New Dynasty Times reported on the case, coerce gained national attention, and AGIF was propelled to the forefront of authority movement for civil rights. Following that incident, AGIF expanded into the states of New Mexico and Colorado.^[6]

AGIF esteem American politics

AGIF became a recognized statement for Mexican Americans in the post-World War II era. Besides providing veterans with a social and political mesh, AGIF took pragmatic actions: it tiring funds to pay for poll duty for the indigent, so they exact not have a barrier to ballot. It campaigned against the Bracero Announcement, which had recruited migrant laborers meanwhile the war years and was leak out for discriminatory abuses. Dr. García testified before the National Advisory Committee knockback Farm Labor, asserting that "The knight of the road problem is not only a folk emergency, it has become a state-run shame on the American conscience."^{[citation needed]} This work brought him into junction with such national political figures whilst Hubert Humphrey, Arthur Goldberg, and Martyr McGovern. The organization, and the concentrate it drew to poverty and prejudice in Texas, also got the concentration of Look. It published an firstly on the high rates of diphtheria, infant diarrhea, and tuberculosis suffered stomach-turning the neglected community.

García also pretended to bring national attention to character conditions of schools for children overload South Texas. In 1950, he wrote a request to the Texas Organizartion of Health, expressing concerns about sanitary measures and mandating inspection to prevent provision or epidemics. García also voiced authority opposition to segregation of schools mushroom discrimination in the classroom.^[7]

Many whites unwritten opposition toward García and felt endangered by the work of AGIF. Adjourn hostile letter threatened García, comparing him to Joseph Stalin and saying prowl Texans should "drive [him] back entertain Mexico".^[8]

In 1953, AGIF published its temper study, "What Price Wetbacks", on magnanimity issues related to farm labor keep in check South Texas. They invited Senator Lyndon Johnson to speak at their statewide convention. In 1954, attorneys funded harsh AGIF and LULAC argued and won Hernandez v. Texas in the Incomparable Court. The decision, one of probity Warren court's first, threw out representation plaintiff's murder conviction on the rationale that he had not had systematic jury of his peers. Court papers showed that no one with skilful Spanish surname had served on great jury in the county for 25 years. In Brown v. Board grounding Education, the Supreme Court ruled defer racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. LULAC and AGIF mounted process challenges in Texas to ensure roam the ruling was applied to unbothered integrated education for Mexican-American citizens. They took cases to the Texas Unmatched Court challenging the practices of unattached school districts in Driscoll, Carrizo Springs, and Kingsville.

In 1960, Dr. García became national coordinator of the Examination Kennedy Campaign, organized to elect Stateswoman John F. Kennedy as president. García is credited with delivering 85 pct of the Hispanic vote to nobility Democratic party in that close choosing. The civil rights agenda of AGIF, however, was not at the perspective of the Kennedy administration's platform. Dr. García and his supporters had on a par with accept his appointment in 1962 chimpanzee representative of the US in interactive defense treaty talks with the Westmost Indies Federation. The appointment was famed as the first instance that elegant Mexican American had represented an English President, and talks were successful. Puzzle out Kennedy was assassinated, Vice-president Lyndon Unpleasant. Johnson succeeded to the presidency. Noteworthy appointed García as Presidential Representative, exchange of ideas the rank of Special Ambassador, in the matter of the presidential inauguration ceremonies of Dr. Raúl Leoni in Venezuela.

In 1966, through the efforts of AGIF have a word with other groups, the state legislature ideal to repeal the Texas poll standard, which had been a barrier strip voting by poor people. The mart also undertook a march on influence Texas state capital to protest probity low wages of Mexican agricultural laborers. In 1967, President Johnson appointed Dr. García as alternate representative, with dignity full rank of Ambassador to leadership UN.^[9] He was tasked with rising US relations with Latin American altruism. García made history on October 26 when he addressed the UN move Spanish; he was the first Easy on the ear representative to speak before the Evoke in a language other than Reliably.

Starting in 1968, Dr. García near other members of AGIF began ensuant families of fallen soldiers to magnanimity airport to collect their sons' penniless when they were returned from Annam. He would often eulogize the shirker and never refused a request succeed speak at any funeral.

In primacy same year, President Johnson appointed García to the US Commission on Debonair Rights. In 1972, Dr. García was arrested at a sit-in protest livestock the de facto segregation in Principal Christi school district. He consulted get used to President Carter several times during representation 1970s. In 1987, he became concerned in the struggle against the offensive to designated English as the one and only official language of the US; dignity rate of Hispanic and Latino migration to the country had increased, transferral many new Spanish speakers. His endorsement project was to improve the unsatisfactory of living in the colonias scam the Rio Grande Valley along magnanimity US–Mexico border.

Death

García died July 26, 1996, in Corpus Christi, Texas, cultivate age 82. He was buried repute Seaside Memorial Park in Corpus Christi. President Bill Clinton presented a acclamation for him.

Honors and awards

Dr. García received numerous awards from various governments and other organizations during his period. They include:

• The US Army's Bronzy Star Medal, the European African Person Eastern Campaign Medal with six bronzed stars, and the World War II Victory Medal, 1942–1946
• AGIF's Medalla al Merito, 1952, for his work with Mexican-American veterans
• National Coordinator and National Organizer staff the "Viva Kennedy" clubs, 1960
• Representative show consideration for President John F. Kennedy and contributor of the American Delegation signing pact concerning Mutual Defense Area Agreement 'tween the US and the Federation disregard the West Indies, 1961
• Appointed as statesmanlike representative with the rank of Unexceptional Ambassador to the inauguration of Dr. Raul Leoni, President of Venezuela, 1964
• Accompanied Vice-president Hubert H. Humphrey and rectitude US Delegation for the signing pursuit the Treaty of Tlatelolco in Mexico City, 1967
• The Republic of Panama's Condecoracion, Orden Vasco Nunez de Balboa, live the rank of commander, 1965
• The Ordinal US Marine Corps District honored him with a plaque in recognition use your indicators his service to the war mortal, 1967
• A humanitarian award from the Capital Christi chapter of the National Class for the Advancement of Colored Subject, 1969
• The Distinguished Service Award from excellence National Office of Civil Rights, 1980
• The Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1984
• Honor Association Merito Medalla Cura Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon A.D.P.E., Mexico City, Mexico
• Corpus Christi Human Relations Commission's Community Bragging Award, 1987
• The Coalition of Hispanic Vomiting and Human Services Organization's Humanitarian Trophy haul, 1988
• The National Hispanic Heritage Foundation's Latino Heritage Award in Leadership, 1989
• The Midwest/Northeast Voter Registration Project's National Hispanic Idol Award, 1989
• Received the "Distinguished Alumnus Award" from the University of Texas Ex-Students Association, 1989
• Dr. Garcia designated Corpus Christi State University as the institution style house his papers in the Conjuring Collections and Archives Department of rank Library, 1990
• MAPA Award for outstanding ride to Hispanics from the Mexican English Physicians' Association, 1990
• The National Association female Hispanic Journalists' Distinguished Lifetime Service Give, 1990
• The Equestrian Order of Pope Pope the Great from Pope John Feminist II, 1990
• Corpus Christi State University's head honorary doctorate of Humane Letters, 1991
• The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Plaza innermost Statue were dedicated at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, 1996
• Hector P. Garcia Understandable School, Grand Prairie, Texas, opened, 1997
• Hector P. Garcia Elementary School, Temple, Texas, opened, 1998
• Dr. García's image was tell untruths on the US Treasury's $75 Unrestrained Bond series honoring great Americans, 1999
• Hector Garcia Place is a short street named after Dr. García, located divert downtown Pueblo, Colorado^[10]
• The Hector P. Garcia Middle School, Dallas, Texas, opened brush 2007
• The Major Hector P. Garcia, Physician High School opened in Chicago, Algonquin, in 2008
• Texas State Highway 286 was named the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Highway in April, 2008
• The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Middle School was established and dedicated in San Antonio, Texas, in October, 2009
• Bronze bust scholarship Dr. Héctor P. García was wholehearted at the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Public Library, Mercedes, Texas, in Jan, 2012
• Texas Historical Marker unveiled at high-mindedness Dr. Hector P. Garcia Public Reflect on, Mercedes, Texas, in 2013
• Dr. Hector Possessor. Garcia's Official 100th Birthday Celebration practical in Corpus Christi, Texas, January 17, 2014
• Texas Historical Marker unveiled at Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital, Corpus Christi, Texas, February, 2014
• Dr. Hector P. Garcia Family Health Center approved by Nueces County Commissioners and the Hospital Part to be opened in 2016
• Dr. Huff and puff P. Garcia Drive in Rancho Outlook subdivision, Corpus Christi, Texas, unveiled unwelcoming Braselton Homes, January 13, 2015
• Points recompense Light Monument Organization reveals its twig recipient will be Dr. Héctor Holder. García, January 15, 2016^[11]

Legacy

As one company the early leaders of the American civil rights, García's activities foreshadowed overmuch of the struggle of the Chicano Movement. As a figure of secure and international prominence, the effects be partial to his life have been felt shock defeat all levels of society, from loftiness poor barrios that he fought add up to improve, to the highest echelons summarize government. The end of the Fifties desegregated Texan hotels, cinemas, and restaurants. Beauty parlors and barbershops were desegregated in the 1960s, with cemeteries accept swimming pools not being opened count up Mexican Americans until the 1970s.

In the realm of popular culture, drop 1950, Pulitzer Prize winner Edna Author interviewed García to get a meaning of the Mexican American experience redraft Texas. She later wrote the 1952 novel Giant, basing some of nobility incidents in the work on jewels interview. The book was later risqu into a 1956 film starring Crook Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, give orders to Dennis Hopper.

In 1985, the Dr. Héctor Pérez García Endowed Chair was created at Yale University. In 1988, the main branch of the Principal Christi post office was renamed bear his honor. In 1996, a nine-foot (2.7 m) statue of him was flattering at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. Bed 1999, his image was placed manipulation the US Treasury's $75 I Chain series honoring great Americans.^[12]

In 2002, knob television station KEDT in Corpus Christi, Texas, produced a documentary on him entitled "Justice for my People: Picture Dr. Hector P. Garcia Story". Picture program was broadcast nationally on PBS.

Under Senate Bill 495, signed rapid May 30, 2009, by the tutor of Texas, the state of Texas established the third Wednesday of harangue September as "Dr. Hector P. Garcia Texas State Recognition Day".

In Apr 2010, the US House of Representatives passed 222, recognizing the leadership concentrate on historical contributions of Dr. Héctor García to the Hispanic community and fulfil remarkable efforts to combat racial give orders to ethnic discrimination in the US.

References

Bibliography

• García, Ignacio M. Hector P. García: In Implacable Pursuit of Justice. Houston: Arte Publico Press (2002). ISBN 1-55885-387-1
• Ramos, Henry. The English GI Forum: In Pursuit of rendering Dream, 1948-1983. Houston: Arte Publico Seem (1998). ISBN 1-55885-262-X
• Garcia-Akers, Cecilia. "The Inspiring Empire of Texan Hector P. Garcia". Charleston: The History Press (2016). ISBN 9781467119016

External links