History Associates to Preserve and Initiate Digital Access to the Papers of Legendary Mexican-American Civil Rights Advocate
ROCKVILLE, MD, September 22, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In 1949, the widow of an American serviceman killed in action was denied use of a chapel for his funeral. The reason? Her husband, Felix Z. Longoria, was Hispanic. The outcry that followed, and Mr. Longoria's eventual burial at Arlington National Cemetery, are all documented within the papers of Dr. Hector P. Garcia - prominent champion of civil rights for veterans and Mexican-Americans in the late 20th century.
Up until recently, the only way to access the Garcia Collection was to visit the archives in person at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, or to correspond with the Special Collections and Archives staff. That is about to change.
History Associates is now working with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation to make it easier for students, members of the community, and researchers worldwide to use the Garcia Collection. Catherine Rudowsky, Library Director, Mary and Jeff Bell Library, emphasized the importance of this endeavor. "A fundamental piece of civil rights history, Mexican-American history, and Texas history will no longer be hidden away and will be much more easily discoverable by researchers and historians worldwide, allowing for this important story to proliferate."
Recognition Day Mass at IWA
The official Dr. Hector P. Garcia Texas State Recognition Day always begins with a Mass at IWA. The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation awarded $5000.00 for tuition assistance to further a Catholic education. Many thanks to IWA remembering Dr. Hector in this memorable way.
Hector P. Garcia legacy celebrated during annual observance
Clarissa Rivera broke out in tears when she thanked the American G.I. Forum for a scholarship.
The $500 will come in handy next spring, she said. But being chosen as a recipient means more to her.
"This is a reassurance that what I'm doing isn't going unnoticed," Rivera said to a packed room. "This reassures I'm doing something right."
Rivera, who is part of the radiology program at Del Mar College, was among two scholarship recipients who ceremoniously received oversized checks during a Wednesday celebration of the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Texas State Recognition Day. Nursing education major Zeferino Tinajero also is a recipient of the scholarship, which was awarded by members of the South Texas Chapter of the forum. The American G.I. Forum is a Congressionally chartered Hispanic veterans and civil rights organization that was founded by Garcia in 1948.
Conversation: Cecilia García Akers Talks Father’s Legacy, New Book
The third Wednesday in September is Dr. Héctor P. García Texas State Recognition Day, honoring the work of Dr. Héctor P. García, a Mexican-American civil rights activist and founder of the American G. I. Forum. In his lifetime and among other achievements, Dr. García served in World War II where he earned numerous awards including the Bronze Star.
As founder and leader of the American G. I. Forum, the organization received national attention with its involvement with the Felix Longoria incident. Felix Longoria was a Mexican-American soldier killed during World War II. When his body was returned to his family for burial, the family was denied access to funeral services by the local funeral home in Three Rivers, Texas, because Longoria was Mexican-American. The American G. I. Forum found an ally in Senator Lyndon B. Johnson to help fight for the Longoria family. The fight led to Felix Longoria’s burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
A FORGOTTEN HERO: Today marks the 7th annual Dr. Hector P. Garcia Day
MERCEDES — When Elizandro Muñoz asks his college students if they’ve heard of Martin Luther King Jr. almost everyone raises their hands, but when he asks them about Dr. Hector P. Garcia, the civil rights leader who precedes most of those mentioned in the U.S. history books, he never gets the same response.
“How can that be?” Muñoz asks. “And I tell them all your life you’ve been learning about everybody else’s history except your own.”
Muñoz is a history professor at South Texas College in Weslaco where every semester he teaches his students about Garcia, a Mexican migrant who grew up in Mercedes and spent more than 50 years fighting for equality to all and founded the American GI Forum.